Gangnam Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Austin

TLDR: Don’t trust the 5 star reviews (they're coerced out of you at checkout - see below). I have been to Gangnam 4 times since they opened and while it’s still decent, each time the value you get and overall food quality goes down. Originally a 4.7/5, I would probably give it a high 2 or low 3 now.

Review integrity: One thing I am very disappointed in is their new scheme to boost Google Review scores. Servers at checkout will provide everyone with a QR code to take them directly to the google review, instruct them to leave a 5-star review, and, that if in the review, they mention the server, the server will receive a $5 bonus per 5 stars. It might just be me, but if you have enough to pay your employees $5 per review/ customer, then pay them that and let the business speak for itself. Don't require 5-stars and astroturfing for reviews, that's not how Austin does (did) business.

That out of the way, on to the review!

Originally when Gangnam started with a set price at $40-45 with nice sized portions and great food, this place was an amazing value with delicious flavors. At $50 (65-70 with tip and a drink) for their original menu, I’m not sure I’ll continue to visit as it’s just too expensive. Every time we’ve been back, the prices have either risen or the portions/ quality has gone down.

For instance, I had the fried chicken which used to be 3-4 decent sized wings/drumsticks. It was now 2 decent and one small sized nuggets. The flavors were still there, it was just smaller and couldn’t be shared between our party of 4.

The meat itself is still decent and my favorites have always been beef tongue and galbi. Their bulgolgi, seasoned beef, and thin pork belly is also very good. I’ve started steering clear of the brisket and belly as the quality of those has dropped massively. Regardless, cooked well, it’s hard to mess up the meat flavors.

The place itself is very nice (we love the kpop music but it’s not for everyone) and servers are generally attentive. It can get crowded and take longer to get to you for the next order, and previously there was no issues as you’d have enough food to continue cooking. However last time I went, the kitchen was forgetting to send out food multiple times, our server would take 10 minutes to come back to the table (and it was less busy so not sure what the issue was), and the portions were smaller so we continually had issues keeping the food going. If you’re like me and try and maximize your all you can eat, it was a bit frustrating to not be able to continue with the meal.

Overall, this was a decent place that’s been going downhill. Hopefully the owners can see this and either correct their process so that it can get back to the place I...

Nut allergy friendly - No dishes I'm aware of contain nuts.

Gangnam has often been mentioned as one of the best AYCE Korean barbecue in Austin. Perhaps that's because it's one of the only AYCE Korean barbecue in Austin, because the bar must be on the floor.

We got in with a table of 7 on Juneteenth without a wait at noon, and we were charged mandatory dinner prices because of the holiday. We all went with the lowest tier of AYCE because we were planning to do the lunch special anyway.

The worst part about Gangnam is that the grills aren't oiled or maintained well. Thus, everything sticks onto them. Especially bad for the fish.

Banchan was served quickly and consists of standard dishes like kimchi and cucumber. It is passable. (7/10) Out of the meats, we had: -L.A. Kalbi (7/10): The best meat on the menu. Substantially fattier than it should be, making it difficult to bite into. -Hawaiian Beef (4/10): This is beef chuck that is served so clumpy that it is impossible to cook evenly. The flavor is OK. -Beef Bulgogi (4/10): Similarly served in a clumpy way that made it hard to cook. -Beef Brisket (2/10): Absolutely flavorless. Doesn't unroll to cook evenly. -Soy Squid (3/10): Also doesn't unroll to cook evenly. Stringy. -Basa Fillet (2/10): Sweet and Spicy was basically flavorless. Cooking this is impossible because the fish sticks to the grill.

Out of the appetizers: -Salad (7/10): You really can't do this poorly. -Shrimp Tempura (4/10): 25% shrimp, 75% batter. -Steamed Egg (1/10): Had an old tasting flavor that was really off. -Vegetable Pancake (4/10): Not bad texture, barely any vegetable. -Spicy Rice Cake (5/10): Decent texture, sauce is basically gochujang sauce. -Korean Fried Chicken (3/10): First time I've had Korean fried chicken that wasn't crispy.

The desserts are the best part of Gangnam. All three are pretty good and good palette cleansers. You'll need it after how overly salty everything is.

Service is also awful. The restaurant wasn't that full and we rarely got someone coming by to get more orders, despite us hitting our table button several times. Several orders were just forgotten or clearly left out and delivered cold.

Overall, it's crazy overpriced and not worth it. Buy some marinated meat from H-Mart and grill it at home if this is the...

Proceed with Caution:

I tried Gangnam Korean BBQ's All-You-Can-Eat lunch, priced at $29.98 per person, and it had both positive and not-so-good aspects. The cost is fair, but watch out for the suggested tips on the payment machine—they start at 22% and go up to a big 30%. I find the suggested tip starting at 22% to be unreasonable. The layout on the payment machine seems designed to lead patrons to choose the first button at 30%, and the calculation of the tip on top of tax introduces an additional financial consideration, potentially making you spend more than planned.

On the culinary side, the marinade sauce stood out as a positive highlight, offering a delightful burst of flavor. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the beef bulgogi, which proved disappointingly chewy, reminiscent of tough beef jerky.

The appetizers and side dishes, typically a delightful aspect of Korean cuisine, failed to impress. Unlike other establishments where I eagerly finish and often request more, Gangnam Korean BBQ's offerings lacked the expected burst of flavors. Diners should also exercise caution with the Korean fried chicken, as the restaurant cuts it into small pieces right through the bones, posing a potential hazard.

Service at Gangnam Korean BBQ was satisfactory, with a self-service water pitcher on each table and a call button for assistance. However, unlike some reviews that highlighted helpful waitstaff aiding in the cooking process, my experience lacked any noticeable extra effort, despite acknowledging it was my first visit.

The ambiance inside the restaurant was a bit dim, and despite the presence of a cooking exhaust fan, its effectiveness was questionable, evidenced by the noticeable cooking smoke from neighboring tables. The restroom, although spacious, was disappointingly messy just three hours after opening, with water strewn across the countertop and footprints marring the bathroom tile floor.

In summary, Gangnam Korean BBQ offers a reasonable AYCE lunch experience, but there are areas that could be improved. My overall rating is 3 out of 5, and while I wouldn’t discourage others from trying it, I’d suggest exploring alternative dining options for a more...