Hobak Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Spring Valley

I took my parents today who came to visit me, and I took them here after raving about how great it was.  Afrer tonight, I was so embarrassed and will not go back.

We got sat almost immediately, which was a pleasant surprise since there usually is a wait.  We were sat down onto an empty table.  Nothing set up.  No cups, plates, utensils, water, or side dishes - which they usually have everything set up.  We ordered the most expensive thing on the menu - the Dry Aged Combo - expecting an epic meal (with soju and beers).  The uncooked meat, soup and steamed egg came before our water and side dishes.  We had to ask for water and side dishes twice before it finally came.  We were already a little bothered by the poor initial service, but we gave them the benefit of the doubt.

The following service was okay until the last part of the combo - the bulgogi.  The male server placed the grill and the saucy, drippy meat, but the fire wouldn't start.  The server kept attempting to light the fire for about 5 mins. My dad felt uneasy and asked the server if everything was okay and if this is safe.

At the end, the server had to go ask for help from another server.  The server that came to help told us that our server had been using the wrong type of grill.  Then they tossed the meat onto the other grill.  The food already started to look unappetizing as it was constantly being move around.  We assumed our server was new and didn't know what he was doing (which made sense since service was not good ever since we sat down).

Then our server left the bulgogi meat and large green onions on the fire for too long and everything started to burn.  This was when everything went down hill.  The meat already looked disgusting after they had tossed it back and forth from one grill to the other and now it was all burnt.

My mom had to ask for the manager to tell them that the meat is burnt.  The "manager", Krista, came and just told us that this is normal and how they usually cook the bulgogi meat.  We are Korean and we are fully aware that the way they were cooking the bulgogi meat was not right.  It didn't look edible.

My upset dad just asked the "manager", "Would you eat this?"  She didn't respond. My dad was extremely upset at this point.  He expressed his dissatisfaction and just asked for the bill.  She asked if we wanted a new set of meat or dessert.  We were all extremely, we had lost our appetite, and we declined the offer. The manager said "sorry" and brought us the bill.

She didn't make any edits to the bill and proceeded to charge us the full $200+ even though they burnt the last set of meat and ruined our entire dining experience with the poor service.

We had to ask if they can remove at least the cost of the bulgogi.  The "Manager" said that she isn't authorized to do that. All she can do is charge us a le carte but that we actually end up costing us more (WHAT???)  We had to ask "aren't you the manager?" She responded "no. I am the assistant manager". She was not the manager.  She had to go in the back and call the actual manager, who wasn't in today.  The assistant manager said that she left the manager a voice-mail but the manager responded saying that they want us to leave our name and phone number and they'll give a call back.  Not sure what a phone call is going to do.  Are they going to give us some type of credit or a discount on our next meal? My parents are only visiting and they are the ones who paid for the bill.

We won't be going back. Poor management.  No manager on site.  Poor service.  Wasn't even that busy, so they use that as an excuse.  Poor staffing and training.

I will no longer be going back to this establishment.  For that expensive price, Hobak really needs to do better.  They used to deliver great service.  Changed a lot.  Not wasting my money there ever again.  It's sad to say because they have good meat.  I was...

Hobak has certainly be overtaken by BTS fever, making it THE place to go in Las Vegas. My daughter and I came down with that fever while visiting the city and went to see what the fuss and fervor were about. We arrived 10 minutes before opening and the line was already wrapped around the building. My daughter had injured herself and was walking with a cane. A cook on a break saw her struggling to navigate the line and immediately brought our a chair for her, and another for me. We were touched by her concern. The wait was long but everyone was patient. Line-standing has become the norm for BTS ARMY. As we got near the front, there was some confusion as to who was next in line to be seated. The manager handled what could have been an ugly situation with grace, dignity and swift problem solving. Believe me, the staff and management were clearly under a tremendous amount of pressure to serve such a large crowd, trying to keep the diners moving while still giving everyone a pleasant dining experience. I must say, they excelled. When we were seated, the restaurant was full and bustling. The table was clean and pre-set with a plentiful array o fresh side dishes surrounding the in-table grill. We were greeted by a very friendly and upbeat server, even though she had clearly been working her tail off. She made some thoughtful menu recommendations and we placed our order. Within moments, additional side dishes and drinks arrived. The main course soon followed which was expertly grilled at our table while we watched. The bulgogi was superb, as was my daughter's dish (a beef dish whose name I do not recall). The unlimited side dishes were cheerfully refilled several times. The bean curd soup was to die for. Ice cream at the end was on the house. In the face of extremely challenging circumstances and unprecedented crowds due to the popularity of BTS together with the Easter holiday weekend, management and staff handled each customer like an honored guest and we dined on one of the best Korean feasts we have ever experienced. Kudos to the entire staff, from the very caring cook, the friendly serving staff, to the manager who looked this Momma Bear in the eye and handled the situation brilliantly. Indeed, the entire crowd inside was laughing and thoroughly enjoying the experience. We will absolutely be back. If you are in Vegas, it is worth...

I've been here twice in the last month. The first time, with a group of five we arrived at 5:30pm. There was no wait to be seated. It's nice that this place allows you to bring up to two bottles of wine without a corkage fee. I recommend bringing a red, it goes well with bbq beef. The second time I made reservations almost a week in advance for a party of eight at 9:15pm. When I got there, the hostess told me that they were just waiting for our table to free up and that the guests were dive eating and were just chatting still. Okay, I didn't mind waiting 10-15mins for them to finish up. However, I had elderly guests visiting from out of town and I hadn't expect the wait to be almost an hour. I really think they should set seating duration limits for 1.5-2hrs like some of the restaurants. They could have also let us sit at another table. I saw a group of 8 come in 20 mins after us and they sat down within a few minutes. Both times, I ordered the beef combo and pork combo. The cheese dip is a must get if you're ordering pork, they give one complimentary for ordering a large meat combo. I love the beef short ribs, they are so tender and juicy. It's not marinated so you can taste the natural beef flavors. The pork jowl was very good too. I've been to a few Korean restaurants in LA and LV; however, hobak, falls short in comparison of service. Both times at Hobak the service was very slow and they have a buzzer at the table but no one seems to answer them. Perhaps they are short on workers. The combos came with two soups. And each time the staff they not think to give us extra bowls, laddles, spoons, etc. You have to ask for sesame oil to add to your salt. We brought our own wine, but the staff had no time to open it, we had to ask for the bottle opener. Normally drinks are served first but our server was very lost. Service is very slow and the staff looked overworked and unhappy being there. That's the main reason I couldn't give them 5 stars. There is single restrooms for male and females. It's nice that they provide you with mouthwash and disposable toothbrushes. I recommend this place solely for the meat and to go early but don't expect...