DJK Korean BBQ(Dae Jang Keum) — Restaurant in San Diego

This is the only place in SD that's earned the (my) Korean Mom and Grandma seal of approval. If you're looking for authentic and high-quality Korean food then you have to come to DJK.

You can choose to do BBQ, or non-BBQ dining. If you do BBQ, keep in mind, it's not an AYCE joint. You can order meat by serving, or do a "combo," which includes meat for a set amount of people (1-2, 2-3, etc), hot soup, and a bottle of soju. The BBQ is with coals, not gas/electric, so it gives the meat a great flavor. The quality of the meat is also way beyond anything I've had in SD.

The other dishes and banchan are also on point. I've never had anything here that I've thought "meh" after I ate it. It might be in my head, but I even if I stuff myself, I never feel that super-full sick feeling -- I attribute it to just being high-quality food.

Service here is also great. Every time the meat is done cooking, a waitress magically appears to help set up the next meat on the grill. Note: for people not accustomed to Korean dining, there is a call button on the wall next to the table that will let your waitress know you need service. They are usually running around setting up other customers and don't wait on tables like typical American restaurants (checking constantly if you need something). Usually they kind of just let you enjoy your meal, so if you do need something, they are not bothered by having you use the call button.

Overall, it's a place I recommend to anyone looking for Korean food in SD. I would also consider it a top...

I hope the business will grow more and be successful! However, I would like to share my bad experience. A waitress stopped me when I was leaving, she seemed upset, and asked me for more tips straight to my face(I already paid $200 in total, foods were $176.62 and I put $23.38 as tips to make it to $200 in total). she held me there until I gave her some more cash tips. Then, she just walked away with money smiling without even saying thank you. I politely asked her before giving her more tips if she does not get to take the tips from card payment. She said she does take them all but it's not enough. I feel like I just got robbed. Kinda funny that I went there with my white friends and I was the only Korean-American in my group. Then, she stopped me specifically and started asking for more tips in Korean and teaching me how much I need to tip in America(She said I must tip more than 20%). I'm not just upset because of money. I went there to give my white friends some korean experience. I know that one korean worker can't generalize all korean people(again, I'm Korean-American too), but It makes me very sad and upset that my friends got horrified by the korean workers' rude attitude and are not willing to try out some more korean stuffs anymore. I believe I give tips in order to show how thankful I am for the service I get while I enjoy the foods, not being asked uncomfortably like taxes I...

Cross posting a review I shared on Yelp on 7/31/2022:

The best Korean BBQ I've had in San Diego. Don't worry about it not being all you can eat. The BBQ combos have generous portions. For two of us, we ordered Combo A which says it serves 2-3, and we felt like it could have nearly served 4. The banchan (side dishes) have good variety. Everything we had tasted very fresh. My favorite thing on the table was the bulgogi. It was fantastic; I've been to other places where the bulgogi marinade was too sweet, but the flavor of DJK's bulgogi was perfect. My friend's favorite was the doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) that came with the Combo. The servers were friendly, quick, and helpful, showing us how to put the meat on the grill to cook it the best. Not to mention, their grills are charcoal, not gas. Highly recommend this place.

Additional info for times I've visited since 7/31/2022:

Every time we've gone there, it's been consistently high quality food with good service. We've tried Combos A, B, and C now, and never been disappointed. Their doenjang jjigae is consistently a favorite, and their kimchi soondubu is fantastic, too. Never been let...