BBQ21 — Restaurant in Fairfax

Not recommended. Not the same quality as the Korean BBQ there before. Receipt shows BBQ 21. Listed on the various “Dining for Miles” sites at BBQ21. How we signage shows Mardang outside.

Ordered Calamari & Dumpling appetizers. Both were awful. Calamari was supposed to be in tempura batter - but didn’t seem like it was. Not crispy. Dumplings weren’t good or crispy (they were fried, not steamed).

They were out of Galbi. Ordered the spicy pork, bulgogi, and pork belly.

Pork belly had no flavor - bland. Bulgogi was good & spicy pork was oily a but good.

Reason for 1 star? Service was beyond awful - and they weren’t even full.

We were 4 adults & 2 small children. Asked for a table with grill & they said only available for 4 people. We pointed out that there was a Korean family with 6 at one of the tables & they let us finally have it.

As for all the accompaniments that come with Korean BBQ, small dishes of cabbage & radish kimchi and when asked for more (there was literally 1 piece of radish left in the dish) - the server said “you already have kimchi” - yes, 1 piece of the 4 pieces that were brought out for 6 people.

Asked for other items & things weren’t brought out. For having 3 meat dishes & 6 people, only 5 pieces of lettuce were brought out. Had to ask multiple times for more lettuce as they didn’t seem to want to bring it out. Never got the Diet Coke I ordered 2 times.

When the bill came, they added a 20% gratuity- when I argued about it, they said since we have 6 people, it’s automatic. I asked them to show me where it says that on the menu & she said it’s there. I asked to be shown (if it was there, fine, I would have paid it). It wasn’t there. So I told her I’m not paying it. I still tipped (only about 10% as the service was just so bad - in retrospect, I feel like they didn’t deserve a tip at all - but I get that tips usually get shared amongst other staff).

This restaurant might be under different management than before - but it’s truly one of the worst Korean BBQ experiences I’ve had.

The old place in this location was SO...

BBQ21 is a korean BBQ/shabu shabu place with a twist. Their specialty dish is the cheese baby back ribs, a dish that is cooked in the kitchen but kept warm tableside by the korean bbq grill. The ribs come out on a large rectangular pan in whatever spices you choose, ranging from teriyaki to super spicy. Also in the pan is a side of korean spicy rice cake (ddukbokki) and some warm cheese corn salad. But most of the pan is filled with mozzarella cheese with jalapenos sprinkled throughout. As the cheese melts, you slather on a spoonful of melted cheese onto the rib and then eat them together. It is best eaten with a disposable glove which they give you so it doesnt get messy. The ribs are cooked well, seasoned with a thick BBQ sauce and the whole experience is interactive and fun :) they also cook fried rice on the pan immediately after and you'll definitely want to save room for it, it's delicious!

Also their portions are pretty generous, so you will definitely leave stuffed!

They also have normal korean BBQ menu as well as a combination of korean street food items and traditional meal options. So far we have not gone wrong when we came here. Definitely will become a frequent flyer here!

UPDATE:

Since we first started coming here we have tried a number of their other dishes and they are all excellent. We had their samgyupsal (pork belly) which was fantastic, they also have a variety of spicy dishes covered in cheese which is always delicious, and their sushi was surprisingly good. Their service is impeccable as usual, although during busy times you may have to wait a few minutes but overall very very...

I was originally born in S. Korea so I have been in eating Korean food all my life. I was in the Fairfax area and decided to try this place. At first the place seemed really nice but prices seemed a bit on the high end but I decided to stay and try the food. I ordered the Kimchi fried rice and asked the waiter if it had any eggs in it due to my allergies I cant have eggs. He replied to me that it doesnt have any eggs in it. When the food came out I noticed it does in fact have eggs in it so I said something to the staff and told them I cant eat this due to the eggs. They took my food away and made me a new one. I thought they were going to compensate my meal for the mix up since if I had eaten it I would have to go to the nearest hospital by ambulance. But they didnt even bother and my check came to for everything I ordered. I just paid for my food and left. The food itself was just mediocre but if they are not willing to service their customers then I am never going back there again. Try this place if you really want too but I know there are a lot of Korean restaurants in the area with even better food and...