Arisu Korean BBQ & Tofu — Restaurant in Murfreesboro

As a person who visits another Korean BBQ place in Antioch several times a year, I can honestly say this place is up to par. There are definitely things they can work on, but I honestly hope this place stays because it can be a staple. (Add cheese ramen for the kids, and you'll have my kids hearts!)

First, the food was fantastic, and the menu has plenty of options. I will say that the kids' menu is a little lacking, but I don't see many people willing to bring their kids here due to price of the over all menu (this is not an Arisu thing, this is a particular type of cuisine thing, it's going to be a bit pricey and you get what you pay for.) Of the food on the kids' menu, they are fantastic options. What kid doesn't like Teriyaki Chicken or Fried Rice? Moving on. The soup selection is expansive and looked really comforting. One of our kids ordered Dumpling Soup and ironically loved the soup and hated the dumplings (LOL). I loved the dumplings but didn't try the soup. Soups are next on my to try list. The Dolsot Bibimbap was phenomenal according to our other child. The Korean BBQ Combo D could easily feed 3-4 people, especially knowing that your sides are refillable. All of the sides are delicious! The Bulgogi was great, too.

The waitress was extremely knowledgeable and explained what everything was. I asked her if everyone was trained on how to work the grills or pits and she said they were, however she visits Korean BBQs fairly often, so she hopes she knows what she's doing -she does by the way. There was another waitress or helper walking around helping everyone and turning everyone's meat as well, and she was super helpful.

We only had three downfalls of this particular visit. One, we didn't get our edamame that we ordered, and they refunded that before we left. Second, the layout of the restaurant is kind of strange, almost like a galley style, so every time the door opened, a breeze of cold air was able to hit EVERYONE sitting in the front at the BBQ tables. It might be helpful in the summer for the breeze, which could be why the layout was designed like this, but it is definitely a downfall in 40 degrees and under. Lastly, for whatever reason, the prepared Bulgogi meal didn't come out with all of our meals - it came out when we were ready to cook our last meat on the BBQ. It was almost like it got pushed to the back or got lost, I'm not...

For those who want a quick rundown:

The food is amazing! The owner, Kee and Kerry, are serious about authentic Korean food. How do I know? I used to drive to Georgia at least once a month for my Kimchi (yes it is THAT serious), and I don't anymore. Kee's Kimchi takes me back to when my Father and I used to visit a family friend who used to bury Kimchi in the backyard as per her family receipe.

For those who enjoy more detail:

When we first walked into Arisu, there was something very different about the place that I could not put my finger on.

We sat down at a table with a grill, and I realized the height of the ceilings. My mind told me something was wrong. I loved the openness and the lack of smoke, but it felt strange. During a conversation with Kee, she explained to me that the smoke and ducts were underneath the tables allowing for an open space. I have been to dozens of Korean restaurants and this was genius. It definitely added to the atmosphere.

We love the personal touch from the owners! They visit every table and we were delighted with how much time Kee spent with us. It felt like visiting friends.

We did the Combo C the first visit and it was delicious!!! We did the Arisu Galbi and LA Galbi on our second visit. We were all about the beef!

The service is also amazing, and they are very friendly and educational, taking time to explain each dish. I love this place and go every chance I get! Thank you for bringing Authentic Korean Cuisine to...

The ribs were among the best meat options I've ever eaten at a restaurant. The variety of choices that seem to materialize at your table were expansive as well as delicious. I'm not kidding when I say we had, at one point, approximately fifteen plates of individual dishes on our table simultaneously not including the fat board of ready to cook meats.

Their menu had four "package" options for meats that you grill at your table, as well as a bunch of a la carte grill items. They have an expansive menu of items that are non-grill-at-your-table as well, but I didn't select any of those.

The food was divine. We chose the "Option D" which was the cheapest, least amount of meat you can get of the packaged options. We thought it might skimp a little bit on portion sizes but if we hadn't fasted all day, it would have been too much food. So that's awesome.

The service and atmosphere of the folks working here were equally divine. We had five different representatives (including our wonderful waitress) that worked at the restaurant come to our table and talk food with us, as well as grill with us while we ate. I've never had an experience like this, so the praise is not hyperbole.

I think it would be easy to spend less than fifty bucks for a couple here, but I highly suggest considering the grill packages they offer. We spent just over a hundred but I did not feel it was expensive for what...