Gui Rim Korean BBQ

I spent two hours on Unilocal trying to pick the right Korean BBQ for my first experience. This is the one I picked, and I was right. The food is fantastic. Everyone was super friendly. I really liked the little side dishes. The waiters were very friendly. Bulgogi was the best, the pork belly was awesome, and we also got chicken which was great.

Nooo, it’s closed?!
This was my go to AYCE KBBQ place!
Sadness.

Was Lured in by the old pics. 11.99 for over 10 kinds of meat!
It’s NOW $ 13.99 FOR 5 kind of meats or $ 17.99 their upgraded.
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AYCE Korean BBQ. Meat is OK, not the best but totally worth it. (We got the $ 13.99)
Side dishes were not bad, with steam egg and pancake.
Service on the other hand was ridiculous. Maybe the day we went they were super busy and way under staffed! Our order went in and we waited over 30 minutes and still no meat! Other tables came in after us were already eating. When we complained, they still took an additional 10 minutes before our meat came out.
When we gave them a poker face and was ready to get up and leave, the lady apologized and gave us her full attention. Um, Finally!
Overall 3.5 stars, rounding Down!
***We wanted to go back again a few other occasions, and we tried calling. No one ever picked up the phone. Although the time said it closes at 11pm, one time we stopped by on a weekday, it was closed!
Did the business closed???

This place is just okay for me.
$ 17.99 for option B because I wanted the tongue. I could order $ 13.99 but option A doesn’t include =P
Banchans were already served @ the table. We got kimchi, broccoli, potato salad, radish carrot, beansprout and steamed egg.
Meat quality is not the greatest but it’s not the worst either. The worker said that I could only order 3 types of meat everytime.
1^st order: brisket, kalbi and =P The worker cooked for us and even changed our grill.
2^nd order: thin pork belly and ribeye steak. I ordered THIN pork belly and got REGULAR pork belly instead. I asked the girl to confirm and she said yes. She probably didn’t understand me so I asked the other worker. The guy apologized and got us the right pork belly.
I asked for kimchi fried rice because it’s supposed to be included according to the menu.
The worker apologized and said not on the weekend. It wasn’t his fault but I wish the restaurant would let us know in advance or edit the printed menu.
$ 9.99 and kids 50 percents off during happy hour.
3 stars! I would rather go to other KBBQ restaurants around the area.
Gui Rim Korean BBQ is almost yummylicious!

This place deserves its three stars. I first got a surprise when I sat down on my chair because there was an oily, greasy spot on there. The waiter was nice to apologize right after he saw what happen. The food came pretty fast and the quality of the meat was pretty good. Honestly, I don’t think they can go wrong with the meat though.
The meal comes with salad, rice paper, banchan (appetizers), and dipping sauces. One thing I want to mention is their rice paper. I usually eat a lot of rice paper but I did not like the ones they have. It had a hint of almond flavor and it smelled like almonds too. I just thought it was kind of weird. So instead, I ordered a bowl of rice.
I went there a little before 6 on a Friday and it was not busy at all, which is good because I have read previous reviews on how crazy the lines get. The service was not bad. I just thought they should have some music on. My friend almost wanted to bust out her phone and put on some music while we ate.
Out of all the AYCE korean bbq places I went to, this did not make it to my favorites thus far. I probably will come back but not for a while.

21 Choices of meat for $ 17.99? Incredible! It’s a welcomed thought being able to have so many options, but really I find myself reordering the same cuts.
Came here for dinner after an EPIC FAIL lunch at Chosun Galbee.
Gui Rim is rapidly becoming one of my favorite AYCE KBBQ joints. Their unassuming dining room is very much old school. Sitting comfortably at a table of 4 big, hungry dudes is a challenge. Ventilation is not the greatest but then again, isn’t the worst either.
I have nothing but praise for Gui Rim’s prompt, spot on service. Each time I’ve dined here, their waitstaff would make perfectly timed visits to our table asking if we want more meat or ensure we are well hydrated by grabbing the water bottle and refilling it, and most important, they change grills like clockwork.
Cuts I’ve tried at Gui Rim include: Sliced Brisket, Pork Belly, Bulgogi, Rib Eye Steak, Thin Sliced Beef Tongue, Marinated Boneless Short Rib, and Marinated Bone-​in Short Rib.
Sliced Brisket: ⁴⁄₅
For an AYCE place, Gui Rim serves a very tender brisket. Some days you’ll have some excellent marbled slices, other days, hardly any marbling but still tender.
Pork Belly: ⁴⁄₅
Another very high quality meat. I like Gui Rim’s leaner pork belly better than Hae Jang Chon KBBQ.
Bulgogi: ⁴⁄₅
Each marinated slice of Gui Rim’s bulgogi is tender and full of flavor!
Rib Eye Steak: ⁴⁄₅
I can totally eat about 3 whole steaks alone! Quality is surprisingly very good for an AYCE. It certainly was a much better cut and value compared to Chosun Galbee.
Thin Sliced Beef Tongue: 4.5÷5
Gui Rim’s beef tongue is one of the best I’ve had at an AYCE.
Marinated Boneless Short Rib: 4.5÷5
So juicy, delicious, and erupting with flavor! We couldn’t help but to order this a few times.
Marinated Bone-​in Short Rib: ⁴⁄₅
Although these had a little more flavor than it’s boneless counterpart, they were not my choice between the two because I kept getting bone chips.
Banchans were not replenished as often as meat, but we’re okay with that because it’s all about the protein! Gui Rim’s banchans are satisfactory.
My recommendation is to stick with AYCE Option B ($ 17.99)…unless you really need to have filet mignon and shrimp, etc. Keep in mind that they don’t always have all meats available, so you might be S.O.L. if you go with Option C.
Parking is a bit of a pain in the arse, but you can manage to find metered stalls all around. Valet parking is an option if you get too frustrated driving around the block 3 or 4 times…

Ah yes, speedy service with a smile…
… At a Korean place…
… And I’m basically a white boy.
No, I shit you not. I’m going five stars on the first visit. Yes, it’s true. But let me tell you why.
From the second we walked in the door ((about 7pm on a Tuesday night)), we were greeted with a smile and led to a table. Plenty of seats were available which leads me to believe if you head here for an early weekday dinner (Mon — Wed), you will be seated quickly.
No more than five seconds after my cheeks hit the seat, both the salad as well as the banchan were brought to our table, along with two glasses and a pitcher of water. Light speed. Shock and awe speed. Simply amazing. I’ve never been speechless about service in such a humble establishment.
The All-​You-​Can-​Eat BBQ dinners come in three categories, each increasingly more expensive. The «A menu,» the «A&B menus,» and the «A, B,&C menus.» The «A» has more humble cuts like brisket and chicken thigh, whereas the latter has finer cuts, such as filet mignon and duck.
The two of us ordered the AYCE Combo «A,» which included some 10 or so meats, ranging from chicken and beef to pork and squid. ((Check the many menu photos posted already for details on meat selections)) The meat came quickly and the grill we were given three different grills while we were there. These folks will happily change the grill for you at your request. But HERE’S THE THING: We never asked.
It was a privilege to dine at Gui Rim; to be waited on as if I was family. My natural inclination at Korean restaurants is to shut my mouth and go with the flow; kind of a «keep-​your-​hands-​inside-​the-​rollercoaster» mentality. Not here. Here, the waitstaff never missed a thing: asking if we’d like any additional meats; constantly bringing fresh pitchers of water; refilling the banchan… It was the best service I’ve ever had at an AYCE KBBQ restaurant.
I will go back as soon as I can find someone to drag along. Promising myself I won’t go back alone is the only thing keeping me from eating myself to death. From what I hear, it can be a bit busy on the weekends, and parking can be tricky, but it’s worth it. Gui Rim KBBQ boasts the best service I’ve encountered at an AYCE KBBQ restaurant yet, the quality of the meat is very good for an AYCE menu, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Go get your meat on!

Gui Rim Korean BBQ advertises three options for All U Can Eat meat on its menu, but sadly they were out of the «C» option on the night we went. So, we were left with the $ 17.99 «B» package (meaning it doesn’t include Marble Beef, Ribeye Prime, Filet Mignon, Duck, or Shrimp). No worries, we got our meat fix with plenty of others.
The meat quality of the Beef Tongue, Non-​Marinated Boneless Rib, and Sliced Brisket from our first order was excellent. By our third order, something had happened to the quality because the pieces got smaller and smaller and chewier and chewier. The change was so drastic, it was easy to notice the difference (see pics). If the original order quality was served throughout, the food would be worth 4-​stars. We also liked the Spicy Pork Rib (thick), Pork Taro (really tasty), and the Spicy Baby Octopus (don’t eat the head). Meats to skip are the salty Spam, Marinated Bone-​in Rib (which was served instead of boneless), and the Bulgogi (nothing special).
When we first arrived service was very fast as there were only a couple tables occupied. About 40 minutes later, there was a line to get in and the restaurant was hopping. Our main waiter stopped coming and a second guy took over our area. He forgot our first order so we sat there for over 15 minutes without anything grilling or being eaten before we rang him again at which point he admitted forgetting our order. So, we then waited another 10 minutes for it to arrive. Guess, it is called halftime. Other than that major oops, the service was friendly.
Valet parking was $ 2 at the corner and went off without a hitch.
Overall, I liked Gui Rim Korean BBQ, but did hate the fact that the quality of the meat went down as the dinner progressed and the unexpected halftime break.

In my 150 or so Unilocal reviews, not once have I wrote multiple reviews for the same restaurant. This is my 3^rd review for Gui Rim.
I’ve been making fun of the Bay Area KBBQ scene and having visited several KBBQ spots East/​North/​South/​West/​Any Bay, it is a fact that LA KBBQ destroys ALL Bay area KBBQ. Therefore, KBBQ is on my every «return to Los Angeles» to-​do list. I landed, got picked up from LAX, headed straight for Gui Rim and once again, they did not disappoint. The quality of their brisket, tongue, ribeye, and short ribs were as lovely as ever and stupidly delicious. However, the functionality and price of their wall-​to-​wall menu slightly changed for the better by grouping various meats in different categories and pricing.
If I can convince Gui Rim to open up shop in the bay area, I’d quit my current job and run it.
Highlights of this recent Gui Rim run included me eating tripe and something called «Mountain-​Chain» for the first time — It was rubbery and sort of tough. I have no desire to find out what I just ate.

Now I can’t fairly compare this restaurant to other KBBQ places in the LA area but I can definitely compare it to the DC Metro area and this place beats them out of the waters!
Who knew that the same cuisine would be served so differently in different parts of the US! I love my KBBQ but this was a great experience. The KBBQ buffets we have in the DC area is a pick up your meats, bring to your table and cook deal. Here, they bring the meats to your table.
I love how this restaurant has the different meats sectioned out into different categories and priced differently. I think it’s a great method!
The staff was incredibly nice and something that’s not done in DC which I really hope one day they bring over to us is wrapping the meats in a banh cuon! It’s pure genius! My mouth waters for it even as I speak.
Thanks to my friend Cathy N. for the great suggestion!