Ijji 4

Want meat cooked to your preference? Do you enjoy great service? Are you prepared to stuff that stomach to the brim for $ 30 worth of meat in two hours? Go here. Try everything. You won’t regret it.

Fun place for a group, lots of options, AYCE… reasonably priced.
Service was good. I just didn’t like how they kept coming by and turning up our grill for us.

Holy mackerel! This place is SO fantastic! If you haven’t been here since it was the Hacienda, it’s radically transformed inside to an absolutely amazing ambiance. It took about a year (as the crow flies?) for this place to turn into what it is today and is an absolute must-​see if you haven’t been in yet.
My buddy and I went in for a late night meal and tried the all-​you-​can-​eat entrée with steak, chicken, and pork. It’s a self-​cook item (the server will assist you as well) as there is a cooking round right in the middle of the table (Ichiban style, just on a much smaller scale). The food was absolutely FANTASTIC along with the service, drinks, and friendliness. This place is JUST what was needed here and am glad to have had the opportunity to have dined that particular evening.
Please, folks, give this place a shot. You’ll be glad you did. I’m for sure going back again and again because I’m a massive foodie and LOVE excellent food as this venue serves.
Way to go, Ijji 4! See ya soon!

So… from what I hear, and based on some quick Unilocal-​research, I realized that this up-​and-​coming Ijji restaurant is trying something new with Reno. They have their customers cooking their own meat — thus creating their own, unique experience — at a reasonably priced location in Northwest Reno.
Some foodies may not realize is that Korean style cuisine is a very simple, hearty, meat-&-veggie type style. There is little spice, including garlic, mustard, red pepper, etc… and that my lead some to think that the food here is boring/​not as good as their other popular resturants located throughout the area. Here, Ijji has turned the heat up on the overall experience in hope to draw in a crowd and make visits more of an experience.
Experience:
So we arrived for a rather late lunch/​early dinner. Something that I highly recommend if you want to to the AYCE style and you roll two meals into one… while rolling yourself out the door at the end of the night. We were seated quickly, however it seems like they only keep half of the restaurant available for lunch, while opening both sides for dinner.
After we were seated I realized that Ijji has done a great job of ventilating the eating space with fans pulling in the smoke on the table, and numerous intakes/​outs for AC. In fact, it was a little chilly in there so ladies… bring that sweater.
AYCE for lunch is only $ 19.99 — which is a pretty good deal for how much meat we ate. We were in protien heaven! One thing that occurred to me after we sat down was that the vegetables surrounding the pit were a little dry to the touch. They either sat at the table waiting for us too long or these side dishes are prepared too early in the kitchen and by the time they arrive to the table they just don’t have that «freshly prepared» look to them, and are a little dry. (Hence my dropped star)
We decided to just go down the AYCE menu, ordering meats in order. The first few meats were beef, where I highly recommend the first beef option listed. They’ re super fast to cook, and great to slap on while chowing down on other food. The next suggestion I have is the chef’s chicken. It was very fresh, we happened to cook it perfectly (haha!), and we ended ordering it for a second time. PS: The spicy options aren’t TOO spicy… great for people who are so spice intolerant like me!
Speaking of ordering, there was a lot of confusion for us about what was AYCE and what was a la carte only. In this case, we ended up asking the waiter to repeat it to us the first few times because it wasn’t clear on the menu. However, I’m assuming they will fix this because it seemed to be really confusing to other guests too. Also, another thing missing from their menu… DESSERT?! I know it’s lunch… but with all the protein and veggies with salty sauces… I really wanted something sweet to end my meal.
Overall, we will be visiting Ijji 4 again for dinner or lunch again. Its just so conveniently placed to everywhere else we shop that this place will be hard to avoid.

This place is legit. Our server Kurtis was awesome. The food was delicious and authentic (as far as a Korean place in America goes). My husband used to live in Korea and said there were a few slight differences (in Korea they use charcoal, offer sesame leaves instead of romaine, they sit on the floor) but he said this was the best Korean bbq he has had in the states. LA galbi, beef belly, bulgogi, kimchi, house sauce– all so good! Highly recommend!

Already been here a few times. Each time the experience has been great. Great customer service. The owner not only greets but also helps staff. Staff, not just the waitress constantly hacks to make sure everything is good from changing grill to filling up water and ordering more meats and/​or sides. Husband and I decided to go for Father’s Day today. They were really busy so there was quite a wait but was still worth it. They’re all about customer service and keeping customers happy. There was a (not our waitress) girl who helped out tremendously and was very nice. Kept smile on her face and water in our glasses. Very friendly. I think her name was Courtney.

I think my only complaint is that there is no waiting area. When we walked in, we waited about 5 mins to be seated, but I felt we were a little bit of a nuisance just standing in the doorway. Other than that I had a great experience.
The servers were very attentive. Almost to the point to where is was a little overbearing, but I did feel like everyone wanted to ensure we were taken care of. From my previous experiences with the original ijji, this was a huge change. (A good change)
I was a little disappointed at first that there was no sushi at this location as I was really hoping for sushi and my s/​o wanted the bbq, but I always pick where we go out to eat, so we stayed. I was pretty happy we did.
The ambiance and setting was very nice. It had an upscale ambiance with a casual setting. I felt like if you wanted to dress nice, you could’ve, but if not, you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
To start: we worded potstickers and chicken wings which were included in the all you can eat. I was pretty surprised that they had an all you can eat. For $ 30 it was well worth it. I ordered raw beef tar-​tar for my appetizer. It wasn’t included, but it was delicious.
You can order 4 different kinds of meat at a time. The shrimp was a little intimidating for me because it was whole, head and all, so I didn’t eat it all. But the beef was very good. I read about a few complaints that the food was bland, but I feel like that’s not really quite fair because they provide different seasonings and oils so you can season your meat yourself.
I like the intimacy of cooking your own meal together. I think it would be a great date night eatery or a fun family gathering. I would definitely recommend ijji 4 and would definitely return.

So happy they opened this place! Everyone is so nice and very customer friendly. Our waitress was very informative and helpful. It is a little pricy for what I’m use to in other cities but for it only being down the street from my house It is worth it. The meat are very well marinated and the seafood is amazing!

Wow, finally a Korean BBQ in Reno. We are now the center of the known universe. Getting seated was a little slow but not a problem. The ambience was decent. Servers are excellent. Food is very good but improving as they just opened. We will definitely be back. Best stuff was Hawaiian steak and kal bi. So glad to have this place here in our hometown finally.

Super fun dinner place. The menu was a little confusing, but our server, Jazmin, was super helpful. The beef options really shine, along with the spicy baby octopus. Try the kimchee fried rice. The service was high-​energy and fun. Don’t be afraid to ask if you want something or don’t understand.

First the entrance was good atmosphere with a nearby bar. The tables to sit and cook your meals is exciting in itself a with small portions. Note to all: yes you cook your own food and that’s what makes Korean restaurant unique in its own way. Loved it enjoyed it and encourage more to try it out.
For those, yes, they have soju!

Simply superb in every way; meat quality/​taste, restaurant decorations, service, and value were excellent.
Recommendation: Bulgogi, galbi, and pork belly (samgyeopsal) to wrap in lettuce
I also liked the multigrain rice, but it’s not for everyone.
No problems with the grill, so I’m guessing other reviewers just had bad luck.
I would like to really stress how good the service was in general from seating to checkout, and particularly our waitress. She was extremely attentive in asking for more orders, and refilling drinks and banchan (sides), and was very pleasant the entire meal. She didn’t understand the Korean names for things, but was willing to learn and was in all seriousness a very new employee. The owner made a special appearance and chatted with us as well, which was fun. Their handhelds are very cool too!
Things I would like to see added in the future: Ssamjang and perilla leaf

Korean bbq in Reno? It is nice to have some variety. The restaurant is completely remodeled and looks nice. The grills have vents in the table, so you don’t smell when you leave. I’m not convince that I will still smell fresh and clean on a super busy day. But my shirt and hair did not have a kitchen smell after I left today. There were a few tables cooking in my proximity.
6 small dishes, leafy greens, and dipping sauce set up prior to sitting down. They probably set it up after the hostess greets you. There was a slight wait before being seated. All the staff carries a mini ipad size device for taking your order. A separate food runner will bring out your food. Seems organized and food didn’t take too long to arrive. Staff was very friendly and attentive. I usually don’t get that kind of service at any asian restaurant. I usually don’t exchange many words at all. They asked for feedback so they are probably improving everyday since they have only been opened for a week.
The food? Everything was tasty. The food was good, but I wouldn’t call it authentic. They have a pesto chicken on the menu. I tried it. It was good, but it was pesto chicken! The small dishes were good. The japchae was missing a few additives. It was basically noodle with flavor. No veggies. No color. It had a good flavor, but it isn’t how I anticipated. Same with what the seafood pancake looked like. I didnt order it because it didnt look like all the others I have had before. It looked plain. All the meats were ok. The marinated meats could use a little more time marinating. Nothing I ate was spicy at all. Not even a little bit spicy. I’m not into super spicy food but I kind of expected a little kick. They don’t have dessert at the moment, but I was informed that they are working on it & to expect it in the near future.
How does it compare? If you’re visiting from Los Angeles, you will be very disappointed. If you haven’t been to a korean bbq place, you would like it, especially if you like eating meat. It is a good asian spot, for Reno. You do have to grill your own food here. There are many korean bbq places that grill the food for you at your table (in CA). No cheesy corn here. $ 20 for lunch. I’m not sure it is worth $ 30 for the dinner menu (which is also available during lunch). It might be worth it if the steak tartare appetizer is super delicious. I didn’t try it since it wasn’t included for lunch.
I usually take more pictures but I was busy grilling! It is worth a try.

First I would like to say that Ijji 4 did a beautiful job on the remodel of this space. Wow! Absolutely beautiful, excellent ambience. for interior and design.
The food however is mediocre. Very plain and lacked flavor. No authentic Korean flavors here. All dishes tasted pretty generic. It was also a little challenging since our server was not familiar with Korean food. When we requested things like gochujang and sum our server was perplexed. And she wasn’t familiar with the Korean names of dishes or their ingredients.
Additionally the grills are small and they needed to put a spoon in the side to make it work (add air). I believe this could cause trouble in the future because the spoon gets very hot and could burn someone as they reach for food.
My family and I were so excited for Korean BBQ in Reno and have been counting down the days until we could dine here. We were all sadly disappointed. Hoping they work out the kinks and flavors improve as they move forward.

Well Reno here it is the first Korean bbq in Reno, NV that is owned by a Chinese guy, But has a Korean chef!
I wanted to go a night where is was a tad busy because I wanted to see if they can handle the pressure of the high demands of all the wonderful meats and stews, appetizers, veggies, stone pots, soups, etc with their all you can eat. Well, our waiter was wonderful. He was on top of it like white on rice! I mean came to our table non-​stop asking if we were ok, bringing us all the dipping sauces we needed for each meat! Even when the hostess said they were under staffed.
So the dealio is, Dinner is only all you can eat, so they should’ve mentioned that at the door or somewhere because my mother and I did not have an appetite for all you can eat yet. We just wanted to try the normal stuff that we get at a Korean restaurant to see if they are decent. Ya know, but we did it anyway since everything is included. Which is a tad wasteful when it comes to the bigger dishes like bimbimbap, they don’t offer a smaller trial size for the all you can eat. I mean when I go to a Korean restaurant I can order that alone and be full with leftovers.
Anyway so much to write! The soft tofu soup that I absolutely love was ok. Not the best I’ve had. So that was a bummer. The meats were good, but a lot of them you have to know what to dip them in or they are very flavorless.
One thing I would do differently is offer that someone Cook the meats for you and guide you on what to do, because there are a lot of people that do not know what they are doing when it comes to cooking their own meats and what meats you put the gochugang (red pepper paste) in with the lettuce. Or the sesame oil and salt and pepper dipping sauce. Anyway! We had a table next to us that was getting very mad about how they didn’t get any guidance and they didn’t know what was going on. So my mother and I tried to offer our expertise and help them out a little. We tried our best and it seemed they started to get the hang of it so we let them enjoy their own experience. Hopefully at the end it was a good one.
They ask you to only order 4 meats at a time and 4 appetizers at a time. Which is fine. They came back so quickly that it didn’t even matter how many we ordered. We still had meat cooking getting ready to eat before they asked us which other meats we wanted.
Make sure you come with a GINORMOUS appetite because theirs a lot of food. When you first sit down they have everything ready for you. The plate, the dipping sauces, the salad, the banchan (side dishes) the silverware the cookware utensils, and the scissors. (for cutting the meat into smaller pieces).
The owner was there which is always nice to see when you walk into a new restaurant. He seems like he knows what he’s doing because of how many restaurants he has now. 4 restaurants. Way to go on that. He takes pride on the excellence of his businesses. And customer service seems to be a very very important role also. Always had great experiences in all his businesses.
One flaw that can always happen, that the majority of the time happens to me is I found a hair in my japchae (clear noodle side dish) it happens all the time everywhere I go, but it’s ok. Not a big deal. I didn’t mention it because they were so busy. And everything else was pretty good. Oh the flavor of the japchae was not what it’s supposed to taste like. They put way too much sugar in it so it tasted sweet and had a bit of a miso taste.
All in all my mother and I will Come back for lunch so we can try the other dishes. Not bad for the first Korean bbq place, but if I had the chance I would love to give a few pointers for a better experience to the newbies of Korean BBQ!

No more needed trips to L.A. for Korean bbq since we now have one amazing restaurant here in Reno! Being a huge fan of all ijjis in town for the great food, awesome customer service and great value, ijji 4 Korean BBQ restaurant did not disappoint!!! In fact, they went above the already high expectations that I had and they definitely delivered on that as always!
Great welcoming atmosphere for a very entertaining and fun way of dining with family and friends. If you’ve never experienced Korean BBQ, where everyone at your table can join in the art of cooking your own food at your table and sharing, then this is the place to do so! Friendly, helpful and attentive service!!!
They have a really good selection of appetizers and really good quality meats and seafood that include Kobe beef bulgogi, beef brisket, a variety of short ribs, rib eye, shrimp, spicy baby octopus, fish, house specialty meats, lots of veggies, and so much more. The $ 29.95 for dinner All You Can Eat is definitely a great value because you get great cuts of fresh meat and all sorts of great tasting Korean BBQ side dishes!
100% recommend this place!

First of all. I am Korean. I am so happy that Ijji owner opened this restaurant! I have been going to his restaurants since he opened his first one in sparks. He recognized me when I walked in and gave me a nice seat.
For the all you can eat. You start off by selecting 4 meets. They start the grill on the table. And you cook it to your liking. The side dishes are good. My favorite meat is 24. The thin sliced beef.
All I have to say is. It’s about time!
Go enjoy!

If this wasn’t opening night, I’d be a harsher critic. To start off, the restaurant is beautifully decorated. The owner spared no expenses. Although the owner said it wasn’t that busy and we didn’t need reservation, we came and ended up waiting 30 mins. No biggie. Just made us hungrier. Finally we got a table but no high chair for my baby. sadface. Being Korean Bbq experts, we didn’t mind that they didn’t explain what each item is as a lot of other places would. Now I’m typing this review on my phone and I don’t want to type all night, so I’m going to get straight to the point. There is a large selection of meats and seafood to grill. You only get two hours so here’s my advice. Pick the thin meats to cook first so you can start eating. Cut up the the thick pieces of meat to grill while you eat. Fish and octopus takes forever. Cook those last or cut your octopus. Don’t open the fish, meant to be grilled inside the foil but like I said, still takes forever. Tops aside, let’s talk about quality. You’re paying $ 30 for dinner. The beef descriptions is mouth watering but when it gets to your table to grill, it’s not impressive. Non season beef didn’t taste great. You have to heavily use the sauces to give it a kick. Then the season beef tasted under seasoned. To the average person or someone new to Korean Bbq, this would probably be OK but I’ve had Korean Bbq from Sac to the Bay to LA, San Diego and even the motherland itself, Seoul Korea. Hawaiian beef was mushy. Probably from too much pineapple juice breaking down the protein. The banchans were OK. Could use a little more seasoning. Maybe the owner didn’t want to scare off the non Asians. Our server was very friendly. She and the kitchen missed a lot of things but it was their first night, so we won’t hold it against them. If this was a normal night, I’d give it 2 stars but being the first day. 3 stars should suffice. My own family is Korean Bbq fans and we will hold off on revisiting until the kinks are out. Oh PS, all you can eat included everything! Appetizers and soups too!

OPENING DAY! Lunch is $ 19.95…dinner is $ 29.95. So good to finally have a korean bbq in town.
I went for lunch today. I am half Korean and I love Korean bbq. I have been waiting for this place to open for months. I usually go to one in Vegas (Lee’s) and I recently went to one in Sacramento (OZ). The one in Sac was disappointing. They had the concept but the flavor was wrong. I was praying this would not be like that.
I was seated in 2 minutes, but I think that being opening day not too many folks know yet. It was pretty empty at 12:30pm. They did say that they are still working out the kinks, so to be fair, if you read this, just know that it was their first service.
The ban-​chans (side dishes) included: bean sprouts, spinach, kimchi (of course), odang (spicy fish cake), muk (a kind of savory black jello), and Korean seaweed salad. Nice assortment. They also gave you a little three section tray, like what soy sauce would go in at a sushi restaurant. The first had some sort of spice. I could taste cumin which is a bit odd for a Korean restaurant, but it actually tasted pretty good… minus the cumin. There was sesame oil with salt and pepper and a vinegar sauce. There was a plate of raw veggies for the grill: bell peppers, sweet potato, mushrooms (yum), zucchini and onions.
I had the all you can eat. It includes all the appetizers and soups too. You also get to choose between white rice, multi grain rice and kimchi fried rice. I tried the seafood pancake appetizer. It was ok… a bit thicker than I would like. I passed on the rest of the appetizers so I could try more of the meats. After trying the banchans, I could tell instantly that it was a Korean making it. The owner is Chinese? I asked who the Korean person was and he got the chef to come out. He is a Korean chef! A recent transplant from Hawaii. I chose kimchi fried rice for my rice. It was not very flavorful. The owner asked about it and it seems that that was the one thing the chef didn’t make today. Maybe better next time.
I had seaweed soup (miyuk gook) and my friend had the soft tofu (soon doboo). Both tasted perfect.
OK… so the meats… I had a lot. I love the pork belly, sam-​gyup-​sal! Excellent!!! Traditionally you dip the meat in the oil and it was perfect. I also had: spicy squid, angus prime brisket, spicy pork, prawns, and Hawaiian steak. Did I say the pork belly was delicious? It is really good. Like bacon without the salt, and thicker. The spicy octopus (I suggest omitting the «baby» in front of octopus on the menu)… tasted perfect! The Angus prime brisket… so tender! Spicy pork. just like we eat at home. Prawns were huge and seasoned perfectly. The Hawaiian steak was good too. It came with a pineapple that we grilled with it. It tasted like a teriyaki. .probably the «Hawaiian» marinade. Still good!
I asked about the kalbi… aka «LA style short ribs». Owner said that is on the dinner menu… along with beef tongue and some other cuts. I can’t remember off hand, but he was nice enough to bring us a sample of the ribs and tongue. The ribs… a little bit fatty, but some people like it that way. The beef tongue. not my favorite, but it tasted right.
What needed improvement? We weren’t seated until they prepped the table. It looked like all that meant was putting down the side dishes and water. I think that could have been done once we were seated. They came and got our drinks and started taking our order. and then later asked if we had been to a Korean bbq before. Also, not until later, did we find out that the apps and soups were included. I think that it would have been better had they did a speil before we started ordering: tell us how to do it, what tongs to use, what the scissors were for, what was included. I know, but others may not. The water tasted off. It is served in stainless cups, like all the stainless stuff (it’s a Korean thing) but the stainless either needed to be run through a washer a few more times or they need a water filter for their tap. They brought me a glass of water and it tasted much better. Lastly, where is the lettuce? I missed the lettuce to wrap the rice and meat in and a bit of the spicy miso (dwenjang). You kind of have to have the lettuce with Korean bbq. I might have just missed it on the menu? But would have been nice if they had it to point it out.
Yes!!! I would go again. It is meat overload so be prepared. I am in a food coma right now~ For me… the lunch was good enough. I don’t know if the dinner meats are enough for me to pay an additional $ 10 especially when the lunch has a TON of options. But… I did just get done eating there (writing about eating more food on a full stomach is like going shopping after eating at a buffet)… ask me tomorrow when I am hungry again about dinner, I might change my mind!

¹⁰⁄₅ There are a few times in life when a meal is so expertly crafted and planned that it is nothing short of genius. Last night, I had one of those meals — the Stonepot bi bim bap.
Truman is literally life. I’ve never met someone who had the capability to make me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Opening night of course had its bumps but Truman and Remy handled it with grace and world class customer service.
My party died over the Hawaiian beef. The banchan was on point. The servers were attentive but seemed to spend a little more time visiting their friend’s table than ours. We will definitely be going back as it was super relaxed and we weren’t rushed at all.
Gaby is A+ at keeping her eye on everything and really getting the staff going! She stopped by a few times to make sure everything was good and that we were satisfied!
Amazing staff and fantastic owners!