Daol Charcoal Grilling (Korean BBQ Daol) — Restaurant in Seoul

My family had a subpar experience at this restaurant and I would have left it alone, as this kind of thing happens. This review is not about the food, service, atmosphere. This is about the way this Rating System is being used.

After expressing concerns about the service and the food quality/quantity through a separate review post by another family member, the management invited us (in writing) to return with the receipt for a full refund, which we did. AFTER refunding us, the manager on duty then asked me to withdraw the negative review as a condition for the refund. I could not do this based on principle — I would not want to give other patrons misleading information (information which had mislead my original choice). I asked the manager to talk to the owner (which he did), and I also asked to speak with the owner directly (which was rebuffed by the owner). Ultimately the manager asked me for my credit card so he could charge me again for the poor experience, which he did charge me for!

It is one thing to have subpar food and experience, and another altogether to know there are restaurant owners out there trying to “fix” the ratings of their restaurants to drive business, and essentially mislead patrons.

Additional context: 1. We had chosen this restaurant BECAUSE of its high ratings, and assumed the ratings were real. 2. The manager on duty and the server were both very friendly on the night we ate, AND on the following day when we went back to express our concerns. I have no problem with them. 3. I DO have a problem with the owner, whose policy appears to one of “buying” positive reviews, which defeats the purpose of the review system. I believe the owner could have chosen many different resolution options, which could have earned a loyal customer. Instead, I will not return. 4. I do NOT recommend this restaurant. My family has had many, many other amazing dining experiences in Seoul this week, and we still believe there are great restaurant...

Disappointing find and a tourist trap. This is by far one of the worst Kbbq restaurant in terms of service and food. Decor of the restaurant is good but that’s probably the only pro about this place. The service here is practically non existent and they didn’t offered any aprons automatically for someone that is wearing a white shirt. Mind you, any other Kbbq restaurants in Korea will give you or at least inform you that they have such a service. We were on the upper floor and the lady with braids tied that day was giving us attitude the whole night. They decided to place the two of us in a squeezy corner whereas the other Koreans that came in pairs were able to sit comfortably in a 4 persons seating. Aprons were offered by the lady to the Koreans but were not given to us probably because we were foreigners? Not sure why but we felt discriminated against. Meat quality of the beef and pork is below average for Korean standards, not sure where the “high quality” they advocate for in terms of the meat standards. For such low grade of meat, it is definitely overpriced. Have tasted better quality meat in touristy places like Hongdae that priced lower as well. Naengmyeon was basically bland and doesn’t have the usual meat slices found in mainstream naengmyeon. Mustard and vinegar provided was very watered down. Stew was bland as well for typical Korean standards. We left the restaurant without finishing at least half of the food ordered. Yes, it was really THAT disappointing. Better off getting your bang for the buck elsewhere. Highly suspicious of the 5 star reviews given here. Dine at your...

TOURISTS BEWARE!

This is an overpriced, mediocre tourist trap. Look inside. Do you see any Korean people eating here? No you don't. They know better. You can get much better food, much more of it, for much cheaper elsewhere.

We ordered the A set and an extra serving of beef. The portions are comically small for the price, and the meat was nothing special. The only reasonable dish was the bibimbap.

But worst of all is the service. Halfway through ordering, our waiter abruptly left to attend to another grill. They gave us a single water jug for six people and never bothered to bring another when it was empty. We had to explicitly ask for more side dishes, more lettuce, more water -- not because we were enjoying the food, mind you, but because the amount they gave us was insufficient from the start. And what Korean restaurant doesn't have sesame oil on hand?

At one point our waiter COUGHED OPENLY over our table. He dropped meat on the table and then quickly put it back on the grill. No apology, no acknowledgement, nothing. Completely unacceptable.

I don't know where these five star reviews are coming from. My advice: skip this place. Walk just outside the Myeongdong food street and find a restaurant with actual...