Buga Korean BBQ Restaurant — Restaurant in San Diego

I am so sad. Buga used to be my absolute favorite Korean Restaurant in all of San Diego, but management/ownership must have changed recently because all the old servers are gone and I noticed considerable differences in their food and service.

We used to come here at least once a month and was shocked when we didn't recognize any of the staff this time around. We ordered our usual dishes and I noticed there were less chives, noodles and egg garnish in my beef rib soup. Also, the bone broth wasn't as white and gave me a headache afterwards, which it never did before. The bone broth was pre-salted too instead of unsalted like before with a small side dish of salt to season to your own taste. I feel like they used pre-made animal stock and msg in their broth to cut costs instead of using more beef bones. Our seafood tofu stew had considerably less seafood in it than before too. There were no longer any covers for our rice bowls to keep our rice warm either. I'm not even Korean and I felt like my Korean meal was disrespected because Koreans love their hot food to be steaming hot and that includes keeping the rice warm! The biggest shock was that our waiter had to ASK his superior if it was okay for us to get a refill of two banchans when we asked. Before the old staff would ask US if we would like any more refills on any of our side dishes! The restaurant was also not as busy as before for Friday evening and we didn't see any Korean customers, which was unusual.

They may have kept the same chefs, but it is very obvious that the new management is cutting costs and it has resulted in lower food quality and quantity. They think the regulars can't tell? Oh we can definitely tell. Although the service from our new waiter was good, the new staff team doesn't feel as warm or welcoming as it did before with the old servers. It is the end of an era for this restaurant and I can no longer recommend it. I am so heartbroken. They took a good thing and subjected it to the shrinkflation, cost cutting and greed that is plauging almost everything nowadays. RIP Buga, you will be...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a local Korean BBQ spot, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The quality of the meat stood out right away. Every cut we tried was fresh, tender, and flavorful. What I appreciated most was that the meat wasn’t overly seasoned, allowing the natural flavors to shine without being too salty or greasy, which is often a concern with BBQ. Each bite was rich but clean, making the entire meal feel satisfying rather than heavy.

The service was also top-notch. The staff were attentive without being overbearing, ensuring our grill was always at the right temperature and offering helpful recommendations on how long to cook each type of meat. They were quick to refill side dishes and kept an eye on our drinks, making sure we had everything we needed for a great experience.

Another plus was the variety of side dishes, which were fresh and complemented the meat perfectly without overpowering it. The kimchi, pickled radishes, and rice were the ideal accompaniments to balance the meal.

Overall, this Korean BBQ offers not just great food but a memorable dining experience. It’s the perfect spot for a group meal or special occasion, and I’ll definitely be returning. If you’re looking for a place with excellent meat, attentive service, and a meal that won’t leave you feeling weighed down, this is...

Out of all of the Korean BBQ places I've been to, this was probably the worst. There were 6 of us eating there for lunch. One of us never had kbbq before. We ordered off of the "C" menu for lunch, ($30 a person all you can eat). First we ordered beef brisket and balgogi, and then we asked the waitress for rice paper. She said how many, we said 6 because there were 6 of us. Then she replied we can't order that many because there is a limit.

If you go to any other kbbq place with 6 people, shouldn't everyone get a plate of rice paper? She came back and brought out 3 plates of rice paper.. we had to share and split the three small plates of rice paper between the 6 of us.. we then ran out and had to use the pickled radish as rice paper..

Also, when cooking the meats, the grill splattered oil and started popping near us, splashing us with hot oil .. they also never changed our grill after it was really dark and black..

Also, we heard the waiter /hostess yelling at a customer really loudly telling him to back away.. we don't know the whole story, but the whole restaurant and every customer seemed threatened and on guard.

Was not a good experience with subpar service.

They never refilled our waters or gave us straws either, with their greasy oily meats.. I don't know how they are still in business...