Firepan Korean BBQ - Waldorf — Restaurant in Maryland

Biggest disappointment I've had in a while. First impressions were good. The restaurant seemed to have good vibes when walking up, and there were plenty of people eating inside. However, the good ended there. The food was so-so, and the service was terrible. When I asked the hostess how long the wait would be, she responded "oh, there's no wait", then proceeded to ask me for my name and phone #. We then waited for about 15 minutes. I'm assuming that either she was busy and assumed that the table she was thinking of only needed a wipe down, or perhaps management told her to say that to everyone walking in. At any rate, it was a strange response. Compared to other Korean restaurants I've been to, the side dishes were a bit sparse. The kimchi was a bit limp but tasted ok, there were only two slices of pickled radish, the pickled onion serving was meager, and there was only enough japchae for a few bites. However, the salad was quite good. It came in a decently sized bowl instead of a small dish, the dressing was light with a bit of spice, and the salad itself was crunchy and fresh. I ended up eating mostly salad for my dinner. I didn't drink anything besides water, but my friend said the old fashioned he ordered was disappointing. We ordered two entrees a la carte, bulgogi and squid, and had the kitchen cook them since there wasn't enough meat to bother turning on the table grill. First, the rice was $2 extra per person. I've been to some places where the dishes a la carte were cheaper so that made sense to me, but the rice not being included with $20 entrees felt odd to me.The bulgogi came out fairly quickly in less than 10 minutes, but the staff who brought it over was confused and said it was the squid order. I then had to wait about 20 minutes for my squid order, with yet another staff member bringing us another order of bulgogi which we declined. Our server Lamarr came by and said the kitchen was having trouble with the squid. When it finally came out, I took a bite and found the squid was undercooked. At this point, I didn't care and just wanted to leave so I asked for the check. I had to ask another server since Lamarr never appeared again, and then I ended up having to go to the host desk to sign since the server disappeared and never gave me a pen. The cherry on top was the to-go cup they gave us didn't fit with the lid. Perhaps we were doing it wrong, but I don't recall struggling this much with any other to-go box.

Firepan has a good spot and a lot of potential, but management needs to take some big steps if they want Firepan to shine. Whether that involves re-training the crew, hiring new staff altogether, reviewing their procedures, re-evaluating their mission statement or core principles; I don't know, but management has a lot of improvement...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Firepan Korean BBQ in Waldorf, Maryland, and I must say, it was a delightful experience. As someone who has visited numerous authentic Korean BBQ restaurants in the DMV area, my expectations were high, and Firepan did not disappoint.

The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated, with over 20 televisions for guests to enjoy sports or food network shows. On the Friday night I visited, every table, including the private rooms, was filled with guests. The bar is also quite impressive, although they are still in the process of stocking it fully. I can't wait for them to have Tito's on hand!

Making reservations is highly recommended, as the restaurant can get quite busy. While there is a time limit per table, it is loosely enforced. One thing I would suggest is moving the DJ set up to after 9 pm, as it was a bit surprising to have music playing during dinner. This would allow families to enjoy their meal without any disruptions.

One unique feature of Firepan is their AI robot that delivers orders to the table, accompanied by a server to assist. The service was fast and attentive, much like the cooking experience itself. It is important to note that you should only order what you can actually eat, as you will be charged for any uncooked items.

I was particularly impressed with the Kimchi, which had a fantastic flavor. While their sushi menu is limited, they make up for it with an abundance of meat options, including pork, chicken, steak, and bulgogi. The meal also included steamed rice and a salad, which complemented the meats perfectly. For those interested, there is also a selection of Sake available.

Firepan Korean BBQ seems to be the new hotspot for both local residents and visitors in the area. While they are still a work in progress, I believe they have great potential to reach the same level as well-known Korean BBQ restaurants in Annandale, Virginia, and Ellicott City, Maryland. Once the bar is fully stocked and they fine-tune their customer engagement, they will undoubtedly rise to a higher level.

One other suggestion I have for the management team is to actively engage with guests, creating a welcoming atmosphere and encouraging repeat customers. I will definitely be returning soon and look forward to enjoying more delicious food and a fully stocked bar. Perhaps then, the DJ can get people dancing and the bar will be filled with even more guests. Overall, Firepan Korean BBQ is a win for Waldorf and a must-visit for anyone craving...

My first experience here was on Monday 8/12/24 for lunch and I was so blown away that I immediately made a reservation to come back on Friday 8/16 to have a surprise birthday celebration for a close friend! I absolutely love everything about this establishment. Cleanliness: 10 out of 10 (from the tables to the restrooms, everything was immaculate) Atmosphere:10 out of 10 (family friendly with a laid back vibe, but would also be great for entertaining work colleagues & date nights) Service: 10 out of 10 ( from the time you walk through the door you're met with nothing but 5 star attention. They even have little robots that help the servers out) Food: 10 out of 10 (I know the concept of cooking your own food at a restaurant isn't everyone's vibe and I get that, but it's an experience that I think everyone should have at least once in their lifetime if they're able to. So for starters they have an al' a cart & AYCE menu. You basically choose your protein(s), which they have a nice variety of ranging from different cuts of beef, to chicken, to seafood. They also have ramen which you can add to your AYCE meal =all you can eat for 99 cents. The meals are served with a dressed salad, sides of glass sesame noodles, kimchi, pickled radish, rice, & another dish that had jalapeño peppers in it- I can't remember what it's called though. It's also accompanied by 3 dipping sauces. Once everything comes out, you proceed to cook it over an open flame right in the middle of your table. There's a "firepan" built into the table that your server will ignite for you. They provide tongs & cooking shears for you to utilize while cooking. They also have Happy hour, where certain cocktails & beer are 1/2 off until 7pm. If you decide to partake in the AYCE option, everyone at the table must order it. We didn't mind that at all because it gave us a chance to try a little bit of everything. Be mindful of going overboard with ordering your proteins during the AYCE experience because they charge $5 per tray for any meat that's left uncooked. I get it, because it's a waste of food that they can't resell.) Overall, this place is absolutely amazing & I can't wait to return! Ohhhhh, I forgot to add that there's a dj on Friday...