Baekjeong Los Angeles — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I am finally writing this after 4 visits (twice for lunch and twice for dinner). First of all, love that they moved to a bigger space with easier parking (just for them). Next, the food is amazing. From the quality of meats (both pork, beef and tripes & intestines like mahk-chang, dae-chang, etc). I believe this is a sister restaurant of Agasshi Gopchang so the quality for that is the same. That all said, here is where I proceed with a bit of caution. Not all servers are created equal, in the sense of cooking your meat. They are ALL friendly and nice but definitely your quality of cooked meat, especially marinated beef will be different. So pay attention and make sure the temperature of the grill is right or have someone who is meticulous in BBQ. First time, it wasn't as busy and we did have a Korean guy server who cooked our pork belly and pork jowl to perfection. Crispy on the outside abd juicy in the inside. The second time, we ordered beef (rib eye, tenderloin, and marinated ribs without bones). Half of the beef was burnt and the marinated ribs were caramelized burnt. I am talking about a hardened coating of crystallized soy sauce/sugar.

When they are very busy, one or two at your table need to watch the fire and make sure the marinade is less liquidy when put on the grill. The "best value" is all their lunch specials. Individual one is great, as is the special for 2 (perfect for even number groups). The cold noodle broth in the slushy machine is perfect for summer and delicious.

Regarding service, everyone is friendly and tries to make your experience great. Again, in regards to grilling, just be aware when they are busy.

Atmosphere is a bit loud, especially at dinner time but decor is clean and fun and there is kpop blaring.

Regarding pricing, lunch time, you can spend $20-$30 on specials including tip. Dinner time, depends on the amount of food but definitely can spend...

Insider Tip: Ask for Victor. Tell him I sent you.

Baekjeong isn’t just dinner — it’s a theme park for meat lovers. From the moment we walked in, it felt like the opening scene of a blockbuster: bright lights, neon signs, super-friendly staff, and (shockingly, for LA) easy parking. The difference between this and my first trip to Universal Studios? Universal is staged. Baekjeong is the real deal.

The vibe transported me straight back to my street food nights in Gangnam, Seoul — my favorite memories from my “before picture” fitness model days. The place is only a few months old, but so clean and polished it could’ve opened yesterday. My 20-year-old daughter looked around, wide-eyed:

“Wait… Korea has spots like this?” Oh yes, padawan… if only you knew.

Now, the food.

Dry-Aged Beef & Pork – Beautifully marbled, preserved with a duck fat technique (Google it if you don’t know). Looks like food porn, tastes even better.

Chadol “Brisket” – Among the best in K-town. That sauce? Let’s just say it’s… indecently good.

Korean Steak Tartare (“Yukhoe”) – My top pick not just in LA, not just in SoCal — maybe in the entire U.S. I loved it so much, I ordered it twice: once as an appetizer, once as dessert. Yes, steak tartare for dessert.

If you’re a first-timer, start with a meat sampler combo. You can’t miss here — everything is on point.

And for my celebrity friends: they’ve got VIP spaces. Just...

We were really excited to try Baekjeong since our party of five loves KBBQ, but unfortunately it was a big letdown. Maybe we came on an off night? Sad to be writing this review.

Service was just average--our servers seemed like they didn't want to be there, and we had to ask multiple times just to get basic things like water. The meat was very fatty, and we ordered all beef, which was disappointing. The banchan (side dishes) were noticeably smaller portions and less variety than what we've had at other KBBQ spots.

We also tried their "special" brisket fried rice, which turned out greasy, bland, and barely had any brisket in it. Definitely not worth the hype or price. However, the marinated beef was very good.

The atmosphere was lively with fun decor and good energy, but the music was blasting on top of the loud fans from the grills--it was nearly impossible to have a conversation. We asked several times for them to lower the volume, but it stayed uncomfortably loud. The restaurant was very clean and mostly empty- about 25% full.

Prices are also on the higher side, especially considering the underwhelming quality. Parking is limited to street spots or paid valet.

Overall, nice ambiance but everything else--from service to food--missed the mark. It was amazing and it was horrible. But, definitely not the KBBQ experience we...