Cupbop - Korean BBQ in a Cup — Restaurant in Phoenix

June 19 at 1:00 PM we walked into the restaurant and the employee gave a “sigh” because he had to get up from his computer and serve us. I was hoping he just had a long day and when he got up to make our bowls, everything seemed fine. We ordered the dumplings and one of our bowls had the crispy chicken. When we tasted the dumplings, they were ice cold. I took it back to him, and he said he would refry them, which is perfect, but then when my boyfriend advised him that his crispy chicken was soggy and not crispy, he told him that they’re not supposed to be crispy they’re supposed to be like chicken nuggets , so then my boyfriend asked for a different Meat and the employee started to argue. My boyfriend said he would get back the crispy chicken and just give him a side of a different meat and the employee told him he wasn’t wasting another bowl on him so to hand him his bowl. My boyfriend proceeded to tell him he paid over $35 for this food and it’s not his fault if the employee doesn’t like his job. He then proceeded to tell us it’s not his fault if we don’t like the food then the employee told us to leave, we asked for his name he said, look it up On Google. He also stated that he was the GM when we asked for a manager. It’s super unfortunate that we weren’t able to eat our food and it was pretty much a waste of money. I’m not sure of the employee’s name or if he was even really a GM, but it was a horrible experience and although the customer is not always right, you should at least treat them with a little dignity...

This place is located downtown, so it is OK food if you are wanting something that isn't chipotle or jimmy johns or don't have access to authentic Korean restaurants or stores. In terms of KOREAN food, it is not that good. I got the combo bowl with spicy pork and chicken. The Kimchi is okay, it was unironically the best part. The fried chicken needed more sauce. The plain japchae "sweet glass noodles" meh. the spicy pork was good. They added something that tasted like ssamjang which did NOT pair well making it salty, and they put a sweet teriyaki like sauce over the rice making it soggy and clash with the flavors of the meats. The rice, which was at the bottom and i had to actively search for it, should have just been plain by default. The cabbage was meh and not really needed. The Mando was OK. Not really a difference from store bought frozen Mando once cooked. The sauce they included with the Mando (which may have been what they put on the rice) was not good and way too thick. While the plate serving is big and definitely great if you like leftovers, I am not sure if this will taste good as a leftover. I was hesitant and cautiously optimistic to try this place but wow it was more disappointing than I thought. IF I ever come here again, which will most likely be a last resort option for me, I will need to be very detailed in my order which is an inconvenience...

I've been a fan of Cupbop for a while now, often choosing it for a quick and tasty lunch option. Their food has consistently been delicious, offering a satisfying blend of flavors that never disappoints.

However, my recent visit left me with mixed feelings. While the food quality remained top-notch, the cleanliness of the restaurant was noticeably lacking. The serving area appeared messy, with tables and counters in need of wiping down. What stood out the most was the cashier's station; the tablet used for payments was smeared with what seemed like sauce or grease, giving the impression it hadn't been cleaned for some time.

Despite this, the service was friendly and prompt as usual, and the food itself was as flavorful as ever. It's just unfortunate that the overall cleanliness of the location didn't meet my expectations on this visit.

In conclusion, if Cupbop can improve their attention to cleanliness and ensure that all areas are consistently maintained, it would enhance the dining experience significantly. For now, I'll continue to enjoy their tasty offerings, but with a hope that next time, the cleanliness matches the quality...