Macheko — Restaurant in Ypsilanti Charter Township

Alright, let's get one thing straight. I'm not here to suck the marrow out of some life-changing culinary experience. This is Macheko Korean BBQ in Ypsilanti, Michigan we're talking about. Not exactly a culinary mecca. But, hey, even a jaded old bastard like me gets hungry. So, I walk in, the air thick with the greasy perfume of grilling meat and that sweet, fermented funk of kimchi. It's a familiar scent, one that transports me back to smoky back alleys in Seoul, where the soju flows freely and the banchan is piled high. But this ain't Seoul. This is a strip mall just off I-94. The decor is… well, let's just say it's not winning any design awards. Think generic Asian-inspired with a side of faded pleather booths. The menu is your standard Korean BBQ fare. Bulgogi, galbi, spicy pork. You know the drill. We opt for the "Macheko Special," a carnivore's wet dream of marinated meats and seafood. The banchan arrives, a decent spread of kimchi, bean sprouts, and other fermented delights. It's not groundbreaking, but it's solid, honest food. The grill is fired up, the meat sizzles, and the soju starts to work its magic. The meat is decent quality, well-marinated, and cooked to perfection. It's not the most mind-blowing BBQ I've ever had, but it satisfies that primal urge to gnaw on some charred flesh. The service is efficient, if a little impersonal. Our waitress is a blur of hurried movements, dropping off plates and refilling water glasses with the precision of a seasoned pro. She's not here to make friends; she's here to get the job done. And you know what? I respect that. As the night winds down, I'm left with a sense of contentment. Macheko isn't going to change your life. It's not going to transport you to the bustling streets of Seoul. But it's a decent place to get your Korean BBQ fix. It's honest, unpretentious, and satisfying. And sometimes, that's all you...

The staff was horribly mean to my husband and I. When we arrived, my husband went in first to see if they had availability. The woman working eyed him down for a while and then starting speaking Korean to him, which he politely corrected her and said he's Chinese. When I came in, I asked if we could get a different table. It was a really cold day and most all the other tables were open and we were at the one closest to the door. I also had my 3 yr. old child who gets a bit rowdy sometimes so I didn't want to disturb the couple other patrons seated already. Two other couples arrived after us and were seated with us at the same time. We waited 15min.before they came to our table to ask us for drinks (the other two tables had theirs already, including a third couple who arrived later). Finally they came round to us and we got drink and food ordered, however they told us we would need a different table for the barbeque. I felt bad because they had to clear a table, but after ten more minutes they cleared the table and sat us again. 15min later we still had not been given drinks, when all the others who were seated with us had food already. Including two others who arrived later than us and had ordered the same thing. Ten minutes after that we decided to leave. After about an hour of sitting without drinks, we had had enough. At first we were very forgiving because we understand that so many restaurants are short staffed right now. However, it became increasingly clear that this was not the case in our situation. It felt really personal the way they were treating us. Went to Blazing Burger next door instead, which had great service and great food. Needless to say we will not be returning, and would...

If you don’t mind waiting for 1 hour before checking out, you can come here. So here is the thing that made us very angry.

We waited for about 20 minutes before the waiter came to service us, we understand that the restaurant was busy and is short of staff. We also understand that it took a bit of time before the food was brought to our table. However, after we finished, we were sitting for at least 25 min before a waiter came to collect the bill. After another about 25 min, the server finally came with the wrong bill (my friend and I asked for spliting the bill but only one of our credit card was returned. Fortunately, they spot the mistake soon.) However, we waited for another more than 15 min before we finally was able to check out. We are also irritated that the table near us came later than us and finished much later than us, but they were able to check out earlier than us. If it is okay that everyone can just directly go up to the counter to ask for the check, the waiter or the restaurant can let us know so that we don’t need waste our time to wait for so long after we finished. Out of courtesy, we still add tips to our 68$ food, but we were just so angry with the unreasonable waiting time. We cannot leave with paying so we had no other choice but waiting.

I heard about the food here but the service made the overall experience a very negative one. I probably will recommend my friends to similar restaurants where the service can...