밥도둑 뉴저지 BAPDODUK — Restaurant in Palisades Park

Bapdoduk is hands down the best Korean soul food spot in the Palisades Park area. No fancy interior, no artisanal plates or pretentious touches — just solid (actually, beyond solid) Korean food at approachable prices.

Their signature dish, the soy-marinated raw crab, is incredibly flavorful — I’m still salivating just thinking about it. I also had the grilled mackerel, cooked to absolute perfection, and the spicy fish roe stew (part of the “Papa’s Combo”). These three dishes complemented each other beautifully and easily fed two hungry adults. All of that for just $54 — an incredible value.

Service was equally impressive. The male server was extremely hospitable and knowledgeable, and the food came out surprisingly fast — definitely an A+ on that front.

Just be sure to avoid arriving between 3:30–4:30 PM, which is their break time. This place has officially earned a once-a-month...

The food is one of the best Korean food you can find in Palisades Park, and the staff is friendly. I used to come to this place at least a couple times a month for their amazing soy marinated crab, but sadly I will not be returning. Last time when I went, I found a bug in my rice bowl. I didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it and those things do happen, so I quietly asked my waitress if she could exchange my bowl of rice. She became very defensive and asked why, and I told her that I found a bug in my rice. She looked at the bug, and then kept insisting that it was NOT a bug, took it out and rolled it up between her fingers to get rid of the evidence, all the while muttering that it was not a bug and treating me as if I was being really oversensitive. She did eventually exchange my rice, but you can see for yourself whether it was...

Have not come here since before Covid but decided to try on a Friday evening...last time we came it was packed and people waiting inside and outside.. i was surprised no line/wait this time (Friday at 630pm) but then I noticed the prices have gone up a lot! I think 1 item ar $14 but majority of dishes $17-$33 with a few dishes even higher. This probably explains why there is no line/wait any longer... taste was okay (not amazing but not bad) ... re: service --- I did not like it as waitress (owner?) asked why we ordered what we did as they have many great dishes.... I am not used to restaurant staff trying to change my order (maybe to increase the bill total?) but my wife was more tactful in response than I would have been..... anyway, plenty of other choices in PalPark that are less costly and don't question...