DuBu — Restaurant in Cheltenham Township

I will start off by saying I was debating whether or not to leave this review, but I decided that I needed to let this out, as I have been a loyal customer since about 2017/2018, and my recent visit disappointed me beyond belief. Ever since my first time eating at Dubu, I have held high standards for this restaurant. It quickly became my favorite restaurant, and I have recommended it to countless people, and I have introduced this restaurant to all of my friends. We eat here regularly, at least 3 times a month, and I hold group lunches and dinners here every few months. I have bragged to everyone that this is my favorite restaurant, that their food and service is amazing. During our last group lunch, I was mortified and I felt embarrassed to have ever called this place my favorite restaurant. I left that lunch at Dubu apologizing to everyone that attended. I felt I had to take responsibility for recommending this place and for raving about their quality and taste and setting high expectations. I feel heartbroken at the events and I can’t look at them the same way.

We started off with mandoo as apps. Our mandoo came out without any dipping sauce. I had to personally request the dipping sauce - the first time I asked, they still didn’t bring the sauce. The second time I asked, they brought it out but we were already finished with the first plate of dumplings that one group could eat, so the sauce was only used by the other half of the group for their dumplings.

They didn’t bring out the banchans right away. I had to ask for them to bring out the banchans. I suspect they didn’t bring them out because we were waiting for a couple more people to show up. I understand this viewpoint, but in my opinion, we should have been offered banchans while we wait so we aren’t left empty. Since they didn’t bring out banchans to begin with, we had ordered dumplings to curb us while we wait.

A few people in our group observe Halal rules, so I had ahead of time given them a list of items they can order that are either vegetarian, or seafood, or can be customized without beef or pork. Items such as japchae, bibimbap, and soondubu. In the past, we have gotten soondubu with a water base instead of the regular beef broth base. With water base, they are still able to retain the taste of soondubu as they still add all the spices. It has never been a problem in the past. On this day, when I have been raving about soondubu from Dubu for months, the staff brought out a tasteless clear soup to the person that ordered a soup with a water base. To say I was upset is an understatement. I wanted them to taste how good the food is at Dubu, and here it is….they got something that doesn’t even do the food justice.

What sealed the deal as this being the worst Dubu visit in my history of Dubu visits is that there was a cockroach in the salad for one person in our party. A live cockroach was in his salad. He killed it. How could Dubu have bugs in their food??? The manager came later to speak on this issue and he said something along the lines of “the roaches come from outside.” No duh…where else do you think they come from? What bothers us is that this shows they don’t take precaution against roaches and don’t inspect their food before serving. And the manager asked us what can be done to fix this. Why is the onus on the customers? Why are you putting the customers on the spot? Shouldn’t the restaurant tell us what they will do to remediate this? We have never faced a situation like this before so we didn’t even know what to say.

I don’t know what was going on with Dubu that day. Were they unable to handle that many customers? Did they relax their standards for quality? Do they have new staff? I don’t know, but I feel like rose-tinted glasses have been lifted. I recommended this restaurant to so many people over the years, who have become regulars themselves and have in-turn recommended the restaurant to even more people. We feel that we may have to find a new hangout spot now, which is sad because Dubu has been my benchmark for...

We came here for my birthday. The food was good but the service was absolutely unacceptable. We were a party of 6 and when we sat down, a server had asked us if we were ready 3 times within 5 minutes. Now, this is totally fine - no problem - but the issue is that whenever we requested a couple more minutes to decide, the server rolled her eyes and almost threw her hands up. I had a question about the menu prior to ordering, and when I asked her, she rolled her eyes and sighed because I wasn’t able to understand what she had meant. It was my first time ordering Korean food at a restaurant I wasn’t familiar with, so the style was slightly new to me. She then came over and proceeded to harshly explain while aggressively pointing at the menu. The third time she came around, she rushed us through our order despite us not being ready. We asked about what the most popular dishes were, and again we got an eye-roll. When one of my family members were deciding on an order, the server kept rushing her and continuously told her to pick the LA Galbi ribs. She said, “You should pick this, this is very popular, I don’t understand why you haven’t picked this,” while continuously pointing at the menu item. This family member felt very uncomfortable because she does not eat beef due to religious preferences. I forcefully informed her of my family’s preferences, and it was only then that the server stopped pressuring us. This happened within the first 10 minutes of us being at this restaurant. I’ve never had this kind of experience anywhere else. The server made us feel like we were wasting her time, and this was very clear by her rude demeanor and impatience. Unfortunately, this experience left a really sour taste in our mouths for the rest of our night, and we weren’t able to enjoy our meal. We really wanted to enjoy this restaurant because it had been recommended by some of our friends, but sadly this wasn’t the experience we...

Our family of eight went to Dubu for a traditional Korean dish on Christmas day. The food was served promptly and our surroundings were relaxed. The children loved the food and the portions were so large we had lots to bring home. This was a great dinning experience and I recommend to large families.

If you're looking for an authentic Korean dining experience in Elkins Park, look no further than DuBu Korean Restaurant. This cozy eatery offers a wide variety of classic Korean dishes, all prepared with care and attention to detail.

One of the standout dishes at DuBu is their tofu soup, which comes in a variety of flavors and spice levels to suit any taste. The tofu is silky smooth, and the broth is flavorful and satisfying. Another must-try dish is the bibimbap, a traditional Korean rice bowl topped with an assortment of vegetables, meat, and a fried egg. It's a hearty and healthy meal that's perfect for lunch or dinner.

The service at DuBu is also top-notch, with friendly and attentive staff who are happy to answer any questions and make recommendations. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, with warm lighting and comfortable seating that's perfect for a casual meal with friends or family.

In addition to their delicious food, DuBu also offers a great selection of drinks, including traditional Korean teas and soft drinks. They also have a small selection of beer and wine to pair with your meal.

Overall, DuBu Korean Restaurant is a fantastic option for anyone looking to try authentic Korean cuisine in Elkins Park. With delicious food, excellent service, and a cozy atmosphere, it's a dining experience you won't soon forget. Highly...