Kalbi Social Club — Restaurant in Irvine

Our visit to Kalbi Social Club was deeply disappointing, particularly for a restaurant positioning itself as a premium KBBQ experience. My group of four ordered Combo C with the 48-hour marinated meat, and while the flavors were excellent, nearly every other aspect of the experience fell short.

The meat was well-prepared and flavorful, but the portions were unreasonably small. Despite the combo being advertised as suitable for 3-4 people, it was barely enough for two. Each serving of meat felt more like scraps, leaving us unsatisfied.

The kimchi presentation was disappointing. While I understand they were serving Geotjeori, watching staff mix pre-packaged napa cabbage and sauce at our table was shockingly unprofessional. If the goal was to create the impression of freshness, it failed entirely. A simple assurance of "fresh kimchi" would have been far better than seeing a plastic bag brought out to the table. This not only lacked authenticity but also detracted from the experience. Additionally, $3 for an extremely small bowl of rice felt excessive, further highlighting poor value for money.

The ambiance was pleasant, with cozy lighting and a quiet atmosphere, likely because we arrived an hour and a half before closing. The service was attentive, and each table appeared to have its own dedicated waiter, which was a redeeming factor.

Hygiene was a significant concern. Several bowls and utensils had visible food residue, and when I raised this issue, staff insisted the items were clean. I had to request replacements, which left me questioning the overall cleanliness of the restaurant.

While Kalbi Social Club aims to provide a high-end alternative to AYCE KBBQ, it fails to justify its prices with portion sizes, authenticity, and cleanliness. Though the ambiance and service were commendable, these aspects could not compensate for the restaurant's shortcomings. I cannot recommend this establishment to anyone seeking a satisfying, fulfilling, and authentic...

Came here for a mom’s night out with 2 other girlfriends.

We got the combo set S for the 3 of us to share. It was more than enough. We were recommended to go with the table side sauce which did not disappoint. They cook everything for you and the grill was awesome because the room was not filled with smoke. The premium Kalbi was the best. Should have started with that first but the marinade was good.

Crispy Cheese Potato Pancake was so good. Kind of heavy because it’s potatoes and cheese but crispiness was perfect and I loved the sauce.

House made Kalbi Mandu was so good and juicy. Onion toppings was perfect too.

Dongchimi noodles were good and the flowers were a nice artistic touch. Was not as vinegary as I prefer and unfortunately they didn’t have any to provide on request.

Fresh shake that kimchi was pretty good with the sauce. Kind of cool that it comes in a bag and they shake it up.

Loved the service. Everyone was very attentive. We had dinner at 4:15 though but we were there almost a solid 2 hours. They got us water when we asked and we were asked if everything was going well several times. We got everything we asked for in a timely manner.

Drinks we got Makgeolli (Sang is the brand). It was pretty good. And the Creamy Makgeolli Shake tastes like an alcoholic horchata. Sweet but good.

Combos come with a dessert too- vanilla ice cream with a cute yakgwa snack.

Side notes: the jalapeño sauce that comes out with the Banchan was good and spicy. Also we requested sesame oil for the salt and pepper. They also provided samjang on request. Had to knock off one star because I think the brisket was overcooked a bit because it was dry. This also could have been us because we were talking a lot over dinner- so that that star reduction with a grain of salt. The overall lighting is good- not too dark and it was not noisy at all. Def can have a nice conversation...

Avoid this place if you value decent service and respect as a customer. This is my first negative review unfortunately , It was never my attention to hurt a business, but this restaurant truly deserves it. The food was just okay—overpriced for what it is, as other reviews have pointed out. The service was subpar from the start; we were short on plates, utensils, and other basics. While I understand the waitress was trying her best, it was clear she was overwhelmed and couldn’t handle everything on her own.

The real issue, however, was the way the business handled our dining experience. At no point were we informed that there was a strict time limit for our table. Suddenly, in the middle of our meal, the manager approached us aggressively and demanded that we leave. I completely understand that a restaurant needs to turn over tables to maximize profit, but this should have been communicated upfront—not after we had already spent over $120 per person. What made it worse was the manager’s rude and unprofessional behavior—rolling their eyes, standing behind us impatiently, and displaying a terrible attitude. If the owner is reading this, I strongly suggest hiring a better manager because the way this situation was handled was unacceptable. This is my honest review, and if this is how they continue to operate, it certainly won’t be the last negative one...