Gogi Guys Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Norfolk

As a Los Angeles native, I grew up around absolutely fantastic kbbq spots and was excited to give Gogi Guys a try.

From the website/google's pictures, Gogi Guys appeared to be everything I was looking for from a kbbq restaurant. Food (check); Ambiance (check).

We visited as a party of 5 adults.

Food: 3/5 We got the all you can eat dinner that ranged with varieties of meats. We ordered the brisket, ribeye steak, and la galbi. Also ordered the pork belly, steamed eggs, rice, vegetables, and spicy squid. The meat quality was great and the marinated meats were indeed marinated well. The steamed eggs portion was a little small for my liking and the rice was uncooked.

Ambiance: 4/5 Walking into Gogi Guys, my eyes were drawn to the big screen TVs playing Kpop music. The waiting area was decent. The lighting was easy on the eyes. The walls had decor that were fitting for the vibe of the restaurant.

Service: 1/5

We had made a reservation since it was a long weekend. We arrived five minutes early for our reservation at 6:30PM. Upon arriving, we could not track down the hostess for about 15 minutes. Once we finally communicated that we had reservations at 6:30, she advised that another party was pushed back and that we would have to wait 20-25 minutes.

We did. Then some more.

By 6:50 with no hints at getting a table, we approached the hostess and asked how much longer we'd need to wait to which she replied, "10-15 minutes".

We again waited. Then some more.

By 7:20, they had 2-3 open tables and we were growingly frustrated when parties who arrived later than we did were seated at those open tables. With one open table left, we sought out the hostess and asked how much longer the wait would be to which she replied...

Yep. "10-15 minutes".

Frustrated, we pointed to the open table and asked if we could sit there since now the time was 7:50 and we'd been waiting over an hour. The hostess apologetically looked at her handwritten paper of who-knows-what and let us sit at the table.

Why did we make reservations to wait over an hour looking at tables filled up by those who walked in later than us?

I hoped Gogi Guys would be one of the better Korean BBQ choices in the Hampton area. Gogi guys is now merely an alternative kbbq spot.

Unfortunately will not be returning unless I have...

I am so happy this place opened up. My friend had already been here once and they invited us out the next time. We had a total of 7 so we had to get 2 tables. Although I saw another table squeeze in 6. I think we got there at a good time where it wasn't busy yet. Because when we left it look like at least 5 parties were waiting. We went around 5pm on a Saturday (4/8/23). We ordered lots of options for food. My friend at the other table got seafood pancakes and it was probably my favorite item there so far. They also got kimbap. The meats we got at our table were ribeye steak, La balbi (beef short rib), pork belly, beef bulgogi, Garlic shrimp, Soy garlic chicken, and veggies. Everything was delicious. I really liked the beef bulgogi, la balbi, and ribeye steak. The chicken and shrimp lacked flavor but adding the dipping sauces helped. I also loved all of the sides and loved how you can ask for more. Kimchi is one of my favorites. We changed out our stove plate 3 times, which was no issue. I will say the waiter was a hint or miss. We would ask for a drink and she would come back 2 times without them so by the 3rd time we asked again to ensure she didn't forget. In the beginning she was doing fine but I think when she got more tables the service for us slowed down. I got 2 bottles of soju and the rest of my table got beers. I loved the interior/decor of the place. They also had k-pop on/music videos. On the menu which you can see online it does mention a few things for all you can eat. Like can't take anything left over, will be charged for food being left over, a 120 min limited dining time, and gratuity added 20% for parties of 6 or more. So be mindful with that. We parked in the aldi parking lot across the street. I can't wait to come...

Place is great. I'm Korean (grew up in NOVA) if that matters to you. It's not like 100% familiar experience compared to places in NOVA, but up there the servers and staff are Korean and know the style and expectations more intimately. I think the servers here do a great job making it an awesome experience. They were on it; I eat a LOT and I didn't leave hungry. Overly full in fact. In regards to some earlier reviews about underseasoned food and banchan, I had no problem. Not sure if they changed some stuff around or if it was an off day but I thought the banchan was spot on. The kimchi is a little sweeter and fresher, but this is pretty standard for places with more diverse clientele. I liked it enough to ask for a whole bowl and I ate the whole thing! Also not sure if previous reviews are familiar with the fact that some of the cuts of meat are supposed to be cooked unseasoned and then dipped in sauce or put into ssam wraps. I recommend: -Galbi - decent cuts for AYCE -spicy pork - tastes like it should -seafood pancakes - very generous with the shrimp and squid -spicy squid -pork belly is GREAT -beef bulgogi is alright, cuts a little too fatty even for AYCE -ask for some lettuce and make wraps! -order the Terra beer! It's hard to find around here and other Korean restaurants have told me it's quite an effort to get it so I appreciate it.

Also please don't come here leaving one star reviews because it's busy and you didn't make a reservation or get seated quickly in their soft opening. They're a small business and still figuring some stuff out. Cut them some slack. The people here were very kind and these are the kinds of businesses we...