Gen Korean BBQ House

My favorite Korean BBQ restaurant by far (: thank you Casey for providing such great service & for not judging us for drinking at noon
Make sure to come early because there is usually a wait to get seated but other than that it’s so worth it.

$ 19.99 for AYCE dinner is a steal… especially with 37 items to choose from. This place always has a line and the wait is usually 1 – 2 hours minimum regardless of your party size. My boyfriend and I got lucky and only had to wait about 30 min on a Saturday evening.
One odd thing was that when we were seated at around 7;15pm, the guy at the front told us there was a reservation for a small table at 8pm and asked us if we still wanted the table. It was like he was implying that we had to finish and be out by that time. I was a bit turned off by this just because I think it’s rude to tell that to a customer, regardless of whether there’s a reserved table. There was no way we would be able to be seated, eat, and pay in that time span but there was definitely a good chance that another small table might have opened up. I asked him «isn’t there probably a good chance another small table will open up by that time?» And he replied that yes but there was no guarantee… It just rubbed me the wrong way and so I took the table anyways because I was curious to see if they would really try and kick us out.
Anyways, that didn’t happen but there was a very large party seated next to us, probably about 20 people spread out across a few tables. The reason I’m giving this place 4 stars is NOT for the staff in the front but for the service at the tables. Our server’s name was Kenny-​G and he was super efficient and helpful. The party next to us was EXTREMELY loud and rowdy. It was someone’s birthday and everyone was drinking/​drunk. I didn’t mind that much but it was a little distracting. Kenny gave us a pint of beer on the house and didn’t charge us for the other large bottle that we had bought because I know he felt bad. That was a really nice gesture that I appreciated. Our light above the table also kept turning off and he had to turn it back on 2 – 3 times during our meal. All of the other servers and staff were also very attentive. We had someone come by and ask if we needed anything every couple of minutes and while it did seem a bit overbearing, I appreciated how quickly we got our food and anything else we needed.
It’s a great place to have Korean BBQ and I would definitely come back. Thanks Kenny-​G!

It was a little different than what I was expected with the interior design, the music, and the way they took my order. I enjoyed their Bulgogi, Hawaiian Steak, and Vegetable Salad side dish.

First off Tom, Francis and Yamin were great! Not to mention the quality of the mean. love the pork belly! Also the popcorn chicken is great!

I crave Gen more and more often.
I love the service here, they make sure that you are taken care of and keep the plates coming.
Value is amazing, quality is great and selection huge, even for kids and picky eaters there is something to like.
Love the club like atmosphere, makes for a fun lunch.
Lunch is the time to go, not only is it $ 5 cheaper, but also less crowded, go when they open to avoid a long wait.
Loved our lunch here and will be back for more!

As usual, Gen never disappoints. Our server Casey was so attentive and always made sure our grill was clean, meat was cooking, and our drinks were filled. Every time we asked for more of something, Casey and the runners were sure that we got it quickly. Their positive attitudes and happy demeanors definitely add to the great atmosphere at Gen! Best #KBBQ evverrrrrrrr!

Let me start this review by saying that I am not a huge Korean bbq fan. I like it as much as the next person, but it doesn’t excite me to my very core like it does for some people. That being said, I am friends with people who live for Korean bbq. They took me to Gen to celebrate one our friends finishing her first marathon.
First off, the wait for this place is ridiculous. Definitely plan to wait at least 45 minutes or more depending on when you go.
When we were finally seated, we got drinks and banchan right away. And they have this rule that you can only order 3 meats at a time. They also have a 2 hour time limit. Being that I was with kbbq fanatics, they took the reigns and started ordering right away.
We got so much meat: kalbi, spicy pork bulgogi, tongue, brisket, meat fingers, pork belly, shrimp, steamed egg, and pineapple!
Everything was really good! So good, in fact, that I wanted to go back again the next day. That NEVER happens when I eat kbbq.
The servers were great. Really quick with grill changes and drink refills. They were also super friendly.
Loved it. I’ll be back again.

For being outside of ktown, I was really happy with the quality of the meats and especially the speed and attentiveness of service tonight despite the rush of people coming in for Valentine’s. Spencer, our server was phenomenal and did a great job serving a whole table of 7 which is really impressive :) his support staff did a great job as well!
Favorite cuts of meat were definitely the brisket, the pork belly, pork cheek and the Hawaiian beef.

Hostess name Athena, listen up.
Came around lunch time around noon last Monday. She was nowhere to be seen. We waited about 5 minutes for her to show up to the hostess stand because she was nowhere to be found. By the time she got there, there was a line of people who showed up after us also waiting to get seated.
We ordered our food with our server Kai, then my boyfriend and I went to go to the restroom to go wash our hands. When we came back someone else was seated in our table. You were so lazy that you didn’t even check with the server where your guest was?! I mean you just sat us down! Thank goodness we already ordered our food otherwise it would’ve went to someone else! I’m sorry I use to be a hostess long time ago you have 1 job. Happily greet people and seat them. Hostess are the first people you see in the restaurant to set the bar for their experience!
The only saving grace for this place was Kai our server!!! Kai was a 5 STARS!!! He was working his tail off! Thanks Kai for making our experience great.

Consistently great in quality and variety. I believe the new thing here is the spicy popcorn chicken. My go-​to choices are always short rib, cajun shrimp, and bulgogi but here is what I have tried so far (dinner menu). My suggested ones to try are marked with a * while the others are more of a hit or miss
Un-​marinated
*Gen Signature Prime Steak — Top sirloin cap
*Premium Chadol — Black angus brisket
*Woosul — Premium beef center cut tongue
Marinated
*Hawaiian Steak — Steak in sweet teriyaki with pineapple slices
*Beef Bulgogi — Marinated prime chuck roll cut
*Nook Gan Sal — Marinated finger short rib
*Gen Signature Yangyum Galbi — Marinated bone-​in short rib
*Smoked Garlic Samgyubsal — Marinated pork belly with smoked garlic
Red Wine Samgyubsal — Marinated pork belly with red wine (flavor is weird if you’re not into wine)
*Garlic Chicken — Marinated garlic chicken (no more fondue, that I know of)
Seafood
*Cajun Shrimp — Shrimp marinated with house special sauce
Spicy Calamari — Marinated spicy BBQ calamari (too chewy)
Cooked items
*Spicy Chicken Popcorn — Deep fried chicken with spicy and sweet sauce
Spicy Rice Cake — rice cake with spicy Korean sauce (this is a weird looking and weird tasting dish)
Jap Chae — Mixed vegetables with glass noodle (warm, not cold like other Korean places)
We have gone to this location a few times, and this one and Cerritos are my favorite locations. One time we celebrated my birthday here and all they brought out was a few pineapple rings and I had to blow out a lighter. The birthday deals could be a bit better than using the same pineapples they’ll use for the Hawaiian Steak, lol! Over all, we love it here and we love bringing new groups with us because they never leave disappointed either. The service is very fast, and the employees are all very efficient and welcoming.

This is sooooo good! One of the best kbbq places we have tried. We came here first thing it opened at 1130(opens at 11am instead, didnt know).
Between 5 people we had a total of 25 plates of food. Not bad for the price per person. Get the steak, the marinated beef. Once its cooked, the meat is so juicy and sweet. Loved everything that we have ordered. Go ahead and try everything. Grab half an order if you are thinking of trying most of the items, that way you have room to try them.
Service is good. We were one of the few tables that were there that early in the morning. This place does get crowded during night time and you have to wait.
Parking is street or the construction that is located in the back. Park far and walk around after eating all that meat.

Yummy Korean BBQ! Though the lunch menu is smaller, you still get 29 items to choose from! Even with just 2 people, we ate our money’s worth today, hehe! I definitely recommend ordering the shrimp, Bulgogi, brisket, pork belly, and sirloin steak. My one critique? The banchan seems a bit Americanized, mostly just kimchi veggies, none of the tasty old school favorites like dried anchovies, fermented squid, bean sprouts, etc. like you would get in K-​town. No worries though, we still had a good time and the staff here are super attentive and nice! :)

Although the service was excellent and the food was tasty, I have to dock stars for the noise. It was so noisy we couldn’t hear each other over the table, which made for an awkward dinner. The wait staff did get the music turned down, but it wasn’t just that.
I can see why it gets so crowded — for $ 20 AYCE, the food is quality. Very skimpy on banchan, though.
So if you go here, be prepared to wait and be prepared to raise your voice!

There are AYCE Korean barbecue joints aplenty, but Gen is my fav of them all. For $ 20 you can eat as much meat and sides as your heart desires, and they have a lunch special for $ 14.99 M-​F. I love how clean the restaurant is and how present all of the wait staff are which is rare for an AYCE style restaurant. The meats are all marinated here!
Highlights:
+ brisket: thin, juicy and cooks the fastest
+ bulgogi: marinated, and comes garnished with onions and green onions
+ garlic chicken: I don’t usually order chicken at Korean barbecue restaurants but I love this chicken! It’s so tender and flavorful
Tip: if you want a side lighter than rice, ask for rice paper!

We came to Gen on a busy Tuesday night. Our group of seven had to wait about 45 mins to be seated. It’s $ 19.99 per person for AYCE, which is probably why it’s so busy!
One of our servers apologized for the wait and told us they were understaffed that night. I could tell they were really busy, walking so fast they were almost running between the tables of large groups, asking what they needed and what more they needed to order.
When ordering in a group, you can only order three meats at a time per table. It makes sense that they have this policy as not to waste food, but seven people who already worked up an appetite after smelling delicious Korean BBQ for the last 45 mins were definitely ready to eat, and eat A LOT. The three plates of meat were placed on the table and were immediately placed on the grill and devoured only minutes after they were cooked.
So, we were a large group of pain in the asses who were hungry and constantly ordering more meat since we could only order three plates at a time. We were also asking for refills on drinks, side dishes, salad and rice.
We particularly liked that Kai, one of our servers never lost his cool. He was sweating profusely, even dropped some dishes while he was running around, but was always smiling and polite. He never was rude, mean, and gave the best service he could given the limited staff.
It would be helpful for Gen to come up with a different system of ordering. We had to tell the servers a few times and follow up on orders multiple times because orders didn’t go through or they couldn’t tell if they had been filled or not. Again, with hungry people at the table, this is very annoying!
We all enjoyed the quality of the meat and the side dishes, we just wished they were staffed adequately.

Gen is quality Korean BBQ with equally high service. There’s a wide selection of meats to choose from, the grill can be replaced anytime you want, and the meat in general was pretty tasty!
My favorites here were the Hawaiian steak that came with pineapple and the marinated galbi. The marinated pork belly was also tasty, and though I’m not huge on brisket it was higher quality than most places. The banchan was a bit limited and the egg soup wasn’t really good, although sides are a small part of AYCE KBBQ. The only disappointing meat was the Cajun chicken, by the time it finished cooking there wasn’t really that much flavor.
For quality AYCE I would definitely come back to Gen and I want to try the soju drinks next time!

Prices:
$ 14.99 Lunch (Monday-​Friday)
$ 19.99 Dinner and Weekends (Saturday | Sunday)
$ 5 charge for leftovers
Crowded at dinner, and the orders take a toll on the waiting staff. What does this matter to you? It takes longer than normal to get your extra order of meats, alcohol, sides, etc. How much so? A LOT my ninja. My party of 5 waited 20 – 35 minutes for our (cheap) sake, and half-​cold beer to come out.
James — how do I overcome the 56 kbps lag speed, that is the staff in times of influx?! Don’t worry my padawan. I have the solution, which yours truly executed that very night — order in bulk, and order in advance.
As my party had one plate of meat left (and the others JUST hit the grill), I flagged down the waiter, ordered 5 more rounds of meat and sides, and waited. It’s like perfect timing. As soon as the meat from the last plate was hovering over the grill, our meat and sides came! Here comes the math part. Multiply that solution by 7, and that’s how many more times we used it and the timing was perfect! Of course, then you’re stuffed and it’s game over but at least you fought the good fight.

I came here with a group of 6 for that AYCE kbbq. We waited for like 2 hours and didn’t get seated till about 8 or 9. That wait really killed it for me.
Service was friendly and efficient. You can order 4 dishes at a time and you get 2 hours to feast. They have a lot of options for AYCE. I was pretty surprised. The bulgogi and the Hawaiian meat dish (whatever it was) was delicious. Meat quality and taste were all pretty good.
Overall, I had an enjoyable meal. It’s definitely one of the better AYCE kbbq places I’ve been to from service, to variety, to cleanliness.

Been here several times now, including when my family from Hawaii was here. The Hawaiians loved it! They were so thankful we took them there.
They have an awesome meat selection. Some of my favorites are the bulgogi, beef belly, rib fingers, brisket… Okay, most of them are my favorite. The ban Chan is delicious and you can get as many refills as you want. I particularly love their potato salad and can eat bowls of it by myself. Their tofu soup and miso soup are so flavorful. I frequent different AYCE kbbq spots and have to say, I love that they do not dilute their soups.
The service is excellent. Staff refills drinks without being asked. They change your grill often. They ask regularly if you need more meat. This isn’t your typical Koreatown kbbq where you get ignored for a good amount of time. There has to be a reason why the wait can be long during peak times… Lots of people love it here.
I highly recommend this place!

Well, ever since they opened I read and heard it wasn’t good, resorting to traveling all the way to Ktown for the meat fixes. However, per the recomendation of my friend who recently ate here and the hungry New Yorkers I was with, that post-​Disneyland Mickey Mouse head-​size hunger… we came here. 3 of us for a Thursday night, wait time 30 minutes exactly (even though there were seats available)
I won’t tell you what meats to get, because they were just okay for me. But the NON BEEF options were my favorites:
— SHRIMP (boiling crab quality, fresh and large, excellent on the grill, got 2 orders in the end)
— SEASONED CALAMARI (small to save space for the rest, so tender, tasty, even better with a slight char on the tentacles)
— BEEF TONGUE (ordered one plate, so good ordered 2 more!) this tongue was different from Ktowns, it was lean, tender. Excellent!
— Vegetable, because you need to fool your body you’re getting something nutritious at some point in your life
The server Vanessa was beyond great. She’s attentive, smily, hard working, very knowledable and kind. Made the dinner enjoyable.
At $ 20 a pop x 3 = $ 76 (tax inc) + add a hefty tip, she deserves it.