Namu Korean Eats, Beer Hall & Coffee Bar — Restaurant in Durham

| Overview:

Enjoyable Bibimbap & other healthy Korean food Various sauces add flavors well QR code on each table makes it easy to order Wonderful indoor & outdoor ambiance Ridiculous service fees for what exactly? Overpriced food Canned soda for $2.50

| Full Review

In our first visit to Namu, my girl & I went around 9 PM, and only 1 side of its inviting dining area was open. A manager told us to go to that area when we entered in the cafe side of the building opposite of that. There's a QR code on each table, and we can order from there. Pretty convenient.

This dining area was chill & casual, with large television screens on one end of the wall, a bar slightly across, a couple of arcade machines close to our bench table, and lights that reminded me of Itaewon's night life and Taipei's casual dining spots.

I scanned the QR code on our table with my Iphone & thought the whole ordering process went smoothly. I ordered the Bibimbap which, based on the description, was Korean BBQ with chilled veggies, fried rice & topped with egg. My girl ordered the Joe's Special, which was Korean BBQ served over white rice, japchae & spring mix. Their base prices were $15.50 for the Bibimbap & $19.25 for the Joe's Special. However, we still had to add the protein: +$2.50 for beef on Bibimbap & +$1 for Spicy Pork. The description of the base order said it included Korean BBQ but to add the "BBQ" part, we still had to pay extra?!

On top of that, we were charged $6+ "Service Fee". At that moment, I was thinking, "Oh, tip is already prepaid before we got our food", but in retrospect, I wondered, what "service" was this "Service Fee" for exactly? The only interaction with a server we had was when she brought both our orders to our table and told us that we could get water & sauces to the one spot at the center, close to the bar. So pretty much, we had to self-serve our sauces & water - which we didn't mind - but still had to pay "Service Fee" over the overpriced food truck-quality Korean food.

Don't get me wrong: we enjoy good food truck-quality foods, and Namu was able to provide that experience with the Bibimbap & Joe's Special that we ordered. The ingredients tasted heathy & fresh; as we shared each other's food, we both enjoyed the spicy pork more than the beef along with the spicy sauce, a less spicy barbecue sauce & a soy sauce-like sauce that went well with our dishes. There were a few other sauces we didn't try but it's nice that Namu lets its customers adjust the flavors with these sauces.

The beef wasn't as marinated as we liked, so we had to add sauces to give it flavor. My girl didn't like how the veggies were cold, but I told her that's how they're really made. Overall, as Korean food enthusiasts, both orders were satisfying, but were they really worth their prices?

There are clearly other Korean restaurants in the Triangle NC that can either offer better quality for similar price or similar quality for less price, with much better customer service. A canned soda here cost $2.50, and the options for non-alcoholic, non-cafe beverages are limited. So, what does Namu do better than those restaurants?

Namu has a beautiful garden area for dining, and when we passed there after we ate, we were astonished to see how they looked ideal for casual dates, thanks to the water feature, plants, and well-lit areas. Namu's ambiance makes it an ideal spot for drinking & socializing with friends while eating healthy Korean food. Namu also has a cafe section that serves a good selection of coffee & tea but it was already closed when we went there.

If you're craving for fresh Bibimbap and don't mind the ridiculous "Service Fee", Namu's got it. Just don't expect to get excellent customer service. Honestly, we felt hesitant to order more because we knew service fee would be added again. Next time we crave for Korean food, we'd probably explore farther options, with actual grills on tables and better customer service, even if they don't have a fancy garden.

|...

My children and I visited Namu on June 4, 2022. My son heard great things about this restaurant. We were looking for a place to have dinner to continue our celebration of my daughter’s birthday, so we decided to try it out.

This restaurant does not allow you to make reservations. It is a walk in service. Upon arrival, you choose your own seating. You have the option to sit at one of the tables inside the building, or you can sit at a table in the outside area behind the restaurant. We opted to sit outside as this area is adorned with wisteria and running lights and gives a spectacular ambience.

Once seated, you order yourself via a display card on the table with a QR code and the table number. You scan the code which pulls up the menu. You place your order for the table and pay for everything at the same time. If there will be separate checks at the table, then each separate check will have to do the same process; however, if it’s on one check, then one person does it and include all applicable orders.

After placing our orders, our appetizers came out within less than five minutes followed by our entrées after we’ve had a chance to finish our appetizers. I was very happy about the speed our food came out. There was no long waiting or miscommunication of what we ordered because we did it ourselves. We did have to call over a couple of the workers to clarify a few things on the menu but otherwise, this was a very simplified process.

There is a bar area towards the back that has extra utensils, baskets, sauces, water, and to-go containers that you can access at your own leisure. This was very convenient.

We ordered a variety of items: Edamame, Seasoned Bean Sprouts, Veggie Gimbap, Shrimp Tempura Gimbap, Crab Gimbap, Loaded Quesadilla, Kimchi Gimbap, Mandoo, and a couple drinks. Everything that was ordered looked appealing and tasted great. The flavors blended well together and had great texture. Additionally, the portions were a great size.

Although we didn’t have a specific server/host, everyone we contacted to ask a question or get advice about something on the menu was very professional, friendly, and happy to assist us.

We had a fabulous time at this restaurant and a great ending to our birthday celebration. I consider this restaurant one of Durham’s hidden gems. We will definitely...

Sat outside on patio 2, table wasn't properly wiped off as there was multitude of particles left on my hand as I rested it on the table. The sign clearly said that it was wiped beforehand. This was not the case.

The sauces had a generic name and there was no way of telling if you could like it or not on your food. Luckily, there was a little bar stand next to the self serve water where you could pour all the sauces and waste most of it to figure out which you liked. The extra stickiness to your hands from handling the bottles required you to go to the bathroom afterwards to wash your hands.

The food came quick... too quick. It was not quite fresh and didn't taste much korean. I would say a typical americanized-korean wanna be place.

I had an "easy egg", but it was actually sunny side up (not sure how you can mess that one, but somehow they managed to do it). I noticed there was no pepper on our table so I went again to the self service stand to find pepper. It was nowhere to be found. I asked the waitress (the only time I saw her) when she brought my wife her food if they had any pepper and she mentioned that they do not. A restaurant that does not have pepper!? You read that right. I was left with no choice but to eat my bland fake easy egg due to lack of spices.

The SERVICE was NON-EXISTANT outside of people bringing your food which I would have done gladly myself in order to avoid the 15% forced fee on your bill.

This place is perfect for Gen Z customers who never tasted food of quality beyond fast food. If you do not want to interact with the staff, this place is for you.

Also bringing your phone with data is important if you want food, otherwise you can't order. Note, that it's a good setup for dates if you don't want to pay for the other person's meal as it makes it much harder for a moocher to get free food there.

The outside sitting is gorgeous. Very nice setup. They put a lot of effort there and forgot to put it elsewhere.

TL;DR - Would I go there again? No. I do not feel I got the food nor the service delivered was on par for the amount I paid. It is not a bad place by any means. I feel there are much better places around for a similar price range. If you want to eat food is a nice garden setting, I suggest going on Sarah P Duke gardens and bring your own...