Honey Pig Restaurant — Restaurant in Ellicott City

This is the first place in my adult life where I haven't left a tip, and I've had some bad restaurant experiences before. Let me leave the owners one now -- do better, in every sense. I wanted to like this place. I can't.

After receiving a couple recommendations to try Honey Pig from a few different people, I decided to give it a shot to coincide with a special event dinner. My significant other and I are no strangers to Korean cuisine, making rather frequent trips to the local H Marts, Shilla's Bakery, and a handful of other Korean cuisine centric establishments in and around Ellicott City. While those are hardly the same bona fides or credentials as someone from a Korean family, I like to think we have a decent baseline understanding of the food, as well as the generally inviting sense of hospitality and welcoming when someone not from a Korean background wants to try something new. Neither the quality nor the hospitality were present this evening.

After a bit of research using the restaurant's website, Honey Pig beat out other, similar offerings within a reasonable drive, owing to their robust liquor list. Upon arrival, there were many signs indicating that Honey Pig had become a "bring your own booze" establishment, and that a twenty percent surcharge would be added to the bill for anyone who brought in their own liquor. Unaware of the change until our arrival, we briefly stepped outside to get our bearings, and determine if there was a liquor store nearby that may still be open, hopefully in the same or an adjacent shopping center; upon realizing we were out of luck, we returned in, and requested a table. The hostess seated us rather promptly, and save for one other individual who appeared briefly, a bit later on, this is the last particularly positive thing I have to say about our experience. Note that we were seated around 2145 (9:45pm).

As is common for many restaurants, the hostess isn't likely to be your server, and the handoff to our server was painful. We were only able to put our (non-alcoholic, because, you know, they lost their liquor license) drink order in along with the food order. During the ordering process, we did establish that this was our first time to the Honey Pig, and for a moment we were optimistic - perhaps the server will give us a brief rundown of who cooks what, who takes what off the stove, etc. Don't hold our hands by any means - we're grown adults - but the basics would be great. Unfortunately, nothing was done with the information that we were first timers, nothing was explained, and the awkwardness showed for the remainder of our stay.

A dollar fifty for a can of soda is comical, I don't know what else I can say. At least pour it into one of your dirty glasses for us. Speaking of drinks, there were no less than twelve soju promotional posters and banners within eyesight in our immediate seating area - not that I counted - and you know, they would really have helped sell me on a particular brand or two, if only I could've ordered anything with alcohol during my visit. Also, during the odd wait between order being taken and the brisket coming out to be placed on the stove, I couldn't help but notice the scorch marks on most, if not all, of the non-metal serveware, bowls, and plates. Not sure if this is endemic to everyone's experience, or if the staff just didn't like my plaid shirt, but for the budget we had going in (and fortunately stayed well under due to the abbreviated visit), I'd like to eat off a plate that doesn't look like an ashtray.

Brisket - okay. Dumplings - the appetizer - arrived after the brisket was done. Dumplings tasted heavily of sage, and I still haven't gotten the godforsaken aftertaste out of my mouth hours later. Rice cakes - still frozen. Bowl of rice - lukewarm, hard, and not sticky. The young man who brought the dumplings out (blue-silver hair) was sweet - wish he was our waiter. We left at 2212, dumbfounded, at the...

I wanted to like this restaurant, but after this experience I don’t think I personally will not return for a second time. First, our host was amazing; however, that was the only thing great from this experience. Once she showed us to our table I watched servers, including our server wait on other guests way before we were even served. People who had came in after us were served before us. Our server finally came to our table after about 20 mins. I thought maybe we came in during a shift change and so I could dismiss that. We had ordered the Pork Belly first. After we finished that we were a bit confused if we could order the spicy bulgogi. He said sure. We were waiting and then another server came over and the lady asked if we were done. We explained that we were waiting for the bulgogi. She brings the menu to us to show her what we wanted. Now I own when I’m wrong. So I apologize for that. Now a different server came with the bulgogi at first but I didn’t know it was for us and initially turned it away. The lady server comes with beef bulgogi, but we explained that we didn’t order beef, but pork. So at this point all 3 servers are at our table and the lady server has an attitude because she brought the beef in which we didn’t order. Even after we showed her on the menu what we order. Like I sad, when I’m wrong I’ll apologize and own my mistake, but her attitude about the situation just added more irritation to the meal. So our main server now leaves the food and walks away. So I am used to it being cooked on the grill or I cook it myself and not coming to you already cooked. So instead of saying that from the beginning our servers and others continued to walk by and not say anything. My sister ask the server if we cook it and then he explains that it’s already cooked. So by now after everyone has walked by just staring at us now you want to say something. The food is cold and has to be reheated on the grill. By now I’m so irritated I didn’t even eat any of the bulgogi. I have lost my whole appetite. We also watched the server for the water fill up others cups and did we get more water…. Of course not! We get the bill and I’m having a freaking moral dilemma because I have NEVER not tipped. No matter what problems I’ve had with the food or service, as someone with friends and family who are servers I will tip because I understand that every time you will be tipped, but when I say the service did not warrant a tip, it was the worse experience I’ve had to date. As we were leaving I waited till the host we had came back because everyone else I did not want to go to. I asked her where do you leave reviews at because I did not want to be confrontational and do it there. She asked me how my service was and I honestly began choking up because I was so disappointed in my service and experience I didn’t think a tip was warranted. I explained I ended up tipping but honestly just rounding up to make the bill even. I wanted to have a good experience like all those around me, but it...

Do NOT go to this restaurant if you would typically expect basic honesty from the business.

We went to Honey Pig today as a new customer as a family of six. We ordered three meat for BBQ (Bulgogi, Beef Brisket, Pork Belly) and other non-BBQ dishes.

Our table, for some reason, had two waiters, one male, and one female.

The Bulgogi came as ordered by the male waiter. Then the female brought the pork belly. We waited a while for the brisket, it never came.

So, we went to the male waiter and asked for the brisket, and the waiter said he will bring it right up. Soon, he came with the brisket. We checked with him if these were our three ordered meats. He confirmed, "yes."

We finished all our meal. When the check came it had two orders of brisket on it instead of one. So, of course, we inquired, we thought it was a simple mistake.

However, the male waiter (who seemed to be our primary waiter) came back and said that when the female waiter brought us the pork belly, the plate had both the pork belly and the brisket in it.

We were dumbfounded. That was not true. We know there was only one meat on the plate. The female waiter very rudely insisted that we had no idea of the difference.

So, we objected. And they said they will have to look at the video recording. Apparently, they have a video camera above every table, recording at all times.

We said sure, let's check. We knew what happened and it wasn't what they said.

So when they showed us the video, the female waiter was lying.

Apparently, after we went to inquire where our brisket was, the male waiter brought it to our table and started cooking. (as you may recall, we confirmed with him, that's our third and final meat order). As the meat was cooking, the female waiter snuck up to our table and dumped an order of briskets to our grill. We were busy tending to our kids, we did not realize that took place.

Mind you, the female waiter INSISTED that BOTH the brisket AND the pork belly were on the same plate when we asked about the check. Now, the video shows she basically realized she forgot to provide an order, snuck the food to our grill, and charged us TWICE as we ordered the brisket twice!

Since we ate all the food (despite the fact that they basically forgot our order, snuck food to us, lied about it, and charged us extra), we didn't want to kick a fuss. We paid for what we ate.

When we were walking out, we called for the manager and explained everything so that he understands that his staff was lying. The manager apologized. But they did not offer a refund. We weren't gonna let a pate of meet ruin our family night. So we left.

We'll never go back again. We revisit places if the food was so-so but the people were nice. These people downright snuck food to our plate and lied. Never...