Cupbop - Korean BBQ in a Cup — Restaurant in Arvada

I have loved this place, and been a multiple- repeat customer ever since they opened their Arvada location. It was delicious, AND actually had gluten-free options, which is all I can have medically.

However, my last experience was extremely disappointing. I had ordered for delivery the GF Ugly Pop Bop. When it arrived, I was excited to dig in and dumped it out into a bowl to mix it better. It was then I noticed that it had the wrong protein and was obviously the wrong bowl. If I had just "dug in", I probably wouldn't have noticed until it was too late, and there was no way to tell if this incorrect bowl was gluten-free.

I got a refund through doordash, so that wasn't my issue. I also attempted to call the store, just to let them know what happened- if I was the manager, I knew I would like to be informed if the store had almost caused medical distress, and to be on the lookout in case someone else accidently got my order wrongly.

However, when I called the store, I was sent to the customer service line, who then tried to forward me to the store. It went straight to voice-mail then hung up. So, I called customer service again, who informed me the store must have "turned off their phones for the rush"?? She brusquely siad she would send the store an email with what happened and then hung up on me.

Again, I didn't want anything from the store, i already had my refund, and was giving them the benefit of the doubt since I LOVED this place. But now- I'm not sure I can trust the store any more to eat from, being gluten-free by necessity, if this is how it reacts when being informed of a mistake in an attempt to prevent it in the future for other customers.

I am writing this review only to inform others who are gluten-free not by their own choice, just so they can take extra precautions as necessary for their well-being when...

Ooph. While Cupbop's original food truck may have been founded on the spirit of Korean culture, this apple has fallen far from the tree. I would not wish any of my friends or family to associate this with Korean cuisine.

This location is located in a shopping plaza with several other restaurants and offers a fast casual option for those looking to stray beyond Chipotle. Inside, bored staff members stare blankly at you while giving unhelpful descriptions of menu items. "Korean style fried chicken" (Ugly Bop), "Korean style BBQ chicken" (Kko Kko Bop), and "Korean style tangy fried chicken" (Rock Bop) all read so similarly that it's hard to tell without having been here before what you're getting. I still don't remember which one was which, but one of them was more like orange chicken (neither Korean... not even ethnically Chinese if you're wondering), one was like popcorn chicken (Taiwanese) and reasonably tasty, and the other one was a sticky sweet chicken. I went with a salad bowl with noodles, while my boyfriend and I split some Mandoo.

We waited forever for our meal to be prepared, another flabbergasting oddity since the whole point of a fast casual is for them to scoop and dump and hand you the container. Somehow people coming in after us go their meal first, and when my boyfriend went to ask if our meal was the one sitting on a tray at the end, an employee snapped at him. Turns out it was ours.

When we finally unboxed the items, the mystery cream and brown sauces covering our bowls had sort of congealed into an unappetizing mess. The popcorn style chicken wasn't bad, but everything else was just passable and they would honestly be better served by just reheating H-Mart japchae for their noodle base. I shudder to think what their interpretation...

My wife LOVES Cupbop(she’s currently pregnant so we go a lot 😅). We drive down from Loveland and this is the location I frequent already but based on my last experience it will be my ALWAYS location ❤️ When I arrived, there was a line to the door and only 1 person behind the counter running the whole show, not typical at all…I’ve never seen anyone in that situation as cool, calm, and collected as he was(I worked my time in the food service industry so I know how it can be and feel). Rod is an absolute bada$$. He was communicating, prioritizing, and executing perfectly to keep everything moving; He was letting people know it was just him, putting orders together, and getting people on their way all while keeping the BEST customer service attitude the whole time; he was basically doing the job of 2-3 people staying focused with SUCH a smooth rhythm amongst chaos.

I tend to try and be the customer I’d want if I were in a similar stressful situation. He took the time to have a conversation, we laughed, he got our extra sloppy sauce levels perfect, wife was happy. I came back and gave him a $40 tip, but he deserves much more. I hope the owners/managers see this and see in him what I saw that day. He should be running that place and paid proper to the TRUE VALUE he brings.

Congrats again on your 1st newborn, Rod!! Hope you are well and I wish you all the best ❤️

PS-A location up here would be cool,...