San Soo Gab San

Good quality meat, good service, they do also have a parking lot but it seems to get full quick. Changed our grill often which was nice. We love Korean bbq so we would come back again. Prices seem fair for the great quality of meat & and for sides that you get. 20+ sides (not kidding)

The food is okay, but I really want to complain about the service. If you’re looking for a comfortable place to eat, I’d recommend avoiding this restaurant. The customer service here is honestly pretty bad. We understand that sometimes the kitchen can get busy, but when we were there, there were only five tables occupied. Still, we waited at least 40 minutes just to get a pancake. (We have a total of 9 people in our group) We also asked for small side dishes, but the staff told us they only come with soup, which was frustrating. The most upsetting part was the staff’s attitude — it felt like we owed them something. When the soup finally came, one of the staff asked us to go get it ourselves and even said, "It’s not hot." That’s just ridiculous. We’re the customers — we’re not asking for much, just basic politeness and decent service. I’m really disappointed with how we were treated.

The food was extremely salty and ridiculously overpriced. I ordered Japchae as a main dish, but it was served in a tiny side-dish portion — completely unacceptable. The Galbitang (short rib soup)tasted like nothing but artificial seasoning. Very disappointing and not worth the money.

I had high hopes for San Soo Gab San based on my first visit, which was a decent experience. Unfortunately, my second visit completely changed my perception, and it will certainly be my last. The biggest issue? The meat. Their Korean BBQ is supposed to be the highlight, yet the cuts we received were so tough and overcooked that they were nearly impossible to chew. No matter how I adjusted the cooking time or technique, the result was always the same—dry, rubbery, and utterly disappointing. What made the experience worse was the attitude of the staff. Instead of acknowledging the possibility that the meat itself might be the problem, they continuously blamed my grilling skills, as if I was the reason for their poor-quality cuts. A good restaurant should take responsibility for its food, not deflect blame onto the customers. This dismissive and condescending service left a particularly bad impression. While my first visit was passable, the drastic decline in food quality and service on my second visit sealed my decision never to return. There are far better Korean BBQ places in the area that serve tender, flavorful meat and treat their customers with respect. I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere if you want a satisfying dining experience.

The beef, bibimbap, and appetizers were tasty. However, their japchae noodles and chicken were too salty. When we asked for napkins, she only gave us a couple even though there were 6 of us. The roasted rice tea was good. Overall, the bill was too expensive for a meal that was only semi-acceptable.

The most outstanding and authentic Korean BBQ restaurant I’ve ever visited so far, and it’s definitely the best choice in Chicago without any question. I ordered marinated sliced beef (bulgogi) and sliced pork belly bacon (sam gyeop sai), and they were both beyond my expectation. Most importantly, they serve more than 20 kinds of free sides for each table no matter how many people you bring with (actually I got 26 kinds of sides). Overall, I did appreciate not just their quality food but also the restaurant ambiance, even though this place is a bit pricy, but it’s still worthy of a visit.

The best Korean BBQ Experience ive ever had. The banchan is by far the best part of the meal. Language barrier can be an issue at times but no big deal. Must try the fish pancake.