Mr.K BBQ Kokomo — Restaurant in Kokomo

I know nothing of korean cuisine, so when I brought my family here it was to try a new type of dining experience. I was not disappointed.

We had the all you can eat BBQ. We were fairly warned that the ayce window was for only two hours and we would be financially responsible for wasted food. It was served with a caddy of dipping sauces and about a dozen small side dishes which were almost universally delicious and offered a wide variety of flavors. Of special note was the fish paste soup, eaten with rice.

We started the mains with the buttered shrimp and beef bulgogi. We didn't know how to use the cooking surface available, but numerous staff dropped by with regularity to offer assistance. It was too loud for instruction, but they demonstrated how to prepare the meats. We unfortunately burned our shrimp before we asked for help, so I can't speak to its quality or flavor, but the beef bulgogi was extremely tender and flavorful. It paired well with several of the sauces. We were offered new selections as soon as the bulgogi was finished and served.

We followed our first dishes with the chicken bulgogi and spicy chicken options. They were not as amazing as the beef, but were also tasty and tender. The staff immediately asked what we would like for our next option, but the three of us had gotten in over our heads due to generous protein portion sizes, so we concluded the meal there despite having remaining time for dining.

My major takeaways are:

Staff is amazing, attentive, and very willing to help as soon as you let them know you need it.

A couple of the side dishes were bland (looking at you, steamed egg), but most were delicious and I really appreciated the variety.

Mains were transcendent at best and very good at worst.

Price feels high but is extremely reasonable for the amount and quality of food.

Come here with an open mind and an empty belly and you will go home happy. I'll try out some of the a la cart options next time and I'm really looking forward to it!

Docked 1 star on atmosphere for being very loud, but it was a peak time and when a few tables left, it was much...

Updated review Jan 4, 2025 response to Owner:

Thank you for your response. I appreciate you trying to clear up the misunderstandings that occurred on my second visit. Still, I would hope my complaints will serve to help you improve your dine-in experience for your American patrons.

In all fairness, what service style works best in Korea may not work so well in the US. We are not used to ringing bells for staff to return to our tables. I have been to many Korean BBQ restaurants in Michigan and now here in Kokomo as I personally love the Korean cusine. I believe it is by far the best food I have ever tasted. I agree with you that you would do better to captialize on showcasing the richness of all your cultural cusine has to offer. Thank you for allowing patrons to choose from the whole menu even during lunch hours. This will definitely attract patrons and set you apart from all the Kokomo chains that don't even truly honor American cusine.

In other korean restaurants I have gone to the same servers do come back to the tables. If they do rotate, it doesn't interfere with service. The bell isn't common place in most restaurants. You may need to find a better way to help staff meet the needs at the tables. Rather, you may have them come by the tables more often to check on their patrons verses waiting on them to be signaled to return to the tables?

Thank you also for clarifying the need for better communication between staff and patrons. I realize now that was where the real problem began. And ultimately one that caused a grave misunderstanding about the fair treatment of patrons. But this needs to be overcome for ease of service going forward. I hope you can find fluent speaking staff to help you overcome these language barriers as you train your staff on how to communicate better.

I have removed my harsh rating and my first review based on your response. Still, I hope you can improve upon these things to help you provide your english speaking patrons a better experience. Thank you. I will consider returning as the perceived slights were not...

If a picture paints a thousand words, then I think I would say a thousand times, "Wow!" to adequately express my 1st experience with Mr. K BBQ of Kokomo. "Wow!"

I placed a takeout order for Spicy Grilled Pork from the Grilled Dish menu, and they gave me a very generous lineup of items. And of the ingredients, they ALL were among the most fresh and flavorful of any I have EVER tasted.

before I could make my way home to enjoy the incredible lineup of offerings, a problem arose with the battery in my motorcycle. It was dead wcamehen I out with my take-out...

So I went back into Mr. K BBQ's to ask if I could leave my bike in their parking lot until I was able to retrieve it sometime later. Keep in mind that it was nearly 10:00 pm already, and that I would not be back until sometime after they were closed.

Not only were they sympathetic and understanding of my issue, they were readily accommodating, and so kind, in allowing me to leave the motorbike for as long as I needed and explained that it would be safe while I was away. Talk about a level of hospitality that is a measure above expectations!

So if you live in the Kokomo area, and you have not yet tried Mr. K BBQ, then what are you waiting for? You need to put in an order right away! They are waiting to show you how much they "bring to the table"(no pun...