Star BBQ — Restaurant in Savoy

I am writing to bring attention to an absolutely unacceptable and deeply troubling experience I had at Star BBQ, one that involved not only blatant racism and unprofessional conduct but also a serious food safety violation that put my health at risk.

I came in recently intending to place a takeout order. From the moment I walked in, I was treated with obvious disrespect and hostility. While other customers — notably non-Black patrons — were greeted with smiles, patience, and polite service, I was met with dismissiveness and cold stares. When I asked simple questions about the menu, I was met with eye-rolling and curt, unhelpful replies. I attempted to remain calm and respectful despite the clear shift in tone, but it was evident that I was not welcomed or valued as a customer.

To make matters worse, when I tried to place my takeout order, I was told rudely that “they don’t do takeout,” even though there were multiple visible to-go bags on the counter and another customer walking out with a to-go order right behind me. The staff’s tone and body language made it painfully clear that their treatment of me was based on bias. This wasn’t simply poor service — it was targeted, racially motivated discrimination.

I should have left then, but I was already hungry and decided to proceed with what little of the order I was allowed to place. What followed was the most shocking and disgusting part of the entire ordeal: after getting home, I opened my food only to discover not one, but two cockroaches inside one of the containers.

I cannot describe how sickening and infuriating that discovery was. Not only was I subjected to humiliation and disrespect while trying to order, but I was also served food that was contaminated and dangerous. This is a serious health and sanitation issue that should prompt an immediate inspection by your local health department.

This experience was appalling on every level — from the racist behavior to the revolting hygiene standards. No customer should ever be made to feel unwelcome because of the color of their skin, and no one should be served food that poses a risk to their health and safety.

I strongly urge management to investigate this matter immediately, both in terms of staff conduct and kitchen sanitation practices. An official apology is the bare minimum, but more importantly, something must be done to prevent this from happening again.

Until these matters are taken seriously and corrective actions are implemented, I will not support Star BBQ in any capacity. I will also be informing others of this experience and filing the appropriate health and...

I am pretty new to Korean BBQ. So far, I have only had it at Star and once at Masijta. In both case we were a party of four that broadly bought the entire BBQ menu (or at least all the really fancy dishes on the menu). In case this makes a difference, we ate at Star late during a weekday evening (from about 8-10pm), and at Masijta during a Friday afternoon/early evening. Any reader should be aware, all I really care about is how good the food is-- price, atmosphere, service, etc. are all distant, secondary concerns for me, and right now, I'm focusing on finding the best Korean BBQ in around town (I like other Korean dishes as well, but I've found not nearly as much as the BBQ). The comparison between Star and Masijta BBQ isn't even a contest-- they aren't even playing in the same league. Star wins the battle of the BBQ hands down. The quality of the meat brought to the table was considerably better/better prepared at Star (Masijta's meats were all grisly and tough, Star's were all tender and succulent). Not only were the cuts of meat superior at Star, the presentation was far better. At Star, every bit of meat looked to have been carefully rolled/arranged on the platter in a artistic presentation, and each piece had obviously been given some TLC to ensure it was up to par. At Masijta, the meat came out in a massive gloppy pile (all the meats) with no care given to selection/preparation of the individual cuts or it's presentation. I only mention the presentation here because I think it speaks to how much/little care goes in to selecting the cuts of meat for the BBQ.

So, as far as Korean BBQ goes: Star gets 5 of 5 stars! ;) Every bit of meat was delicious! Masijta gets 2 of 5 stars. The quality of the meat wasn't even average-- it was below average. Of what was edible, it was tough and grisly. The pork cheek wasn't...

I have mixed emotions about my experience here. First off, the food was good. The waitress that we had was pretty nice. However, it was very expensive. The thing that upset me the most was that IMMEDIATELY after my friend and I paid the bill a different woman came over asking if we were done. We said yes, but then she proceeded to ask us to leave because they were busy and needed the table. As we tried to get up and leave, they were all clearing and cleaning the table around us and all in our space. My friend and I were standing up and my friend was trying to zip up her coat by the table before we left and they were all in her space. She wasn’t even able to zip up her coat by the table, we had to walk away in order for her to do that. When we walked out we noticed that there were A LOT of empty tables and NO ONE was waiting for a table. It would’ve been different if it was really busy and there was a line, but there was literally no one waiting and the whole front part AND other side of the restaurant were empty so I was very confused as to why they were rushing us out, especially after our over $100 bill that we just paid. So, again, I have mixed emotions about my experience here. I don’t think the food was worth this awkward and expensive experience though. I just wish that my friend and I would’ve been able to relax a little bit after our meal without being rushed out over a NOT...