Ilmee Restaurant

I drive from Greenville SC to eat Korean here, if that says anything at all.
And as everyone else has said. don’t let the location put you off, it’s great. The service is prompt and attentive. The side dishes are great and probably the most variety I’ve had in a Korean restaurant.
If you are a fan of cold noodle soup or spicy squid, these are my favorites. Their Bi Bim Bop is always great. I love the variety of the menu.

First time here last night. We’ve been eyeballing the place for a few months. So happy we finally stopped in. Everything tasted wonderful and our server was very nice. Don’t judge this book by its cover.

Celebrated son’s birthday here with family after his recommendation. Bossy, but excellent waitress that made good suggestions and was quite entertaining.
Ordered:
(Suhl-​lung-​tang) Beef Bone Broth soup with thin slices of beef & lots of scallions
(Jahp-​cheh) stir fried sweet potato noodles w/​beef & vegetables.
(Kim-​chi-​bok-​keum) stir fried Kim-​chi & pork served with steamed tofu
(Buhl-​go-​gi-​back-​ban) Sauteed Korean barbeque beef served with rice
Lots of sides that are constantly refilled. Highly recommend
sketchy strip-​mall, but safe area and excellent food. a stick of peppermint gum for dessert!

Have always wanted to try Korean food so upon reviewing Unilocal we decided that IImee would be where we lost our Korean food virginity. Let me tell you, the experience was wonderful. We started with the seafood pancake and holy mother of everything good, it was to die for. I’m not quite sure what seafood was in it but I could have made a meal out of this, eaten nothing else & being totally happy. As a matter of fact when we go back I’ll probably just get this for my meal. I tried the stone bibimbap. Hubby had the beef bulgogi. Both of our meals were really good. They also bring you 7 or so vegetable side dishes to sample and try. All were really good. I loved the marinated radish noodle type sample. Husband liked the flat fish sausage type things. I wasn’t a fan. I tried kimchee for the 1^st time and ehhhh I don’t know if I’m a fan. I know it’s a staple to Korean food, I do, but I’m not a huge cabbage fan anyways. We’re looking forward to trying some of the other Korean places on Buford Highway, but as I said, we’ll definitely be back for that seafood pancake. That stuff was gooooood. 1 final thing I want to mention is the customer service. Our waitresses were super friendly. Making great chit chat, making recommendations being that is was our 1^st time having Korean food. They kept bringing back side veggies over and over and we had to final say please no more. They take such pride in their food. We also liked that as stuffed as we were we didn’t feel that disgusting, damn I ate too much grease, it’s sitting in my stomach feel… ya’ll know what I’m talking about. This was full in a good way with having eaten tons of vegetables. As a matter of fact, we’ve been making lots of veggies every night this week to hopefully keep the trend going. This gets a two thumbs up from me.

Don’t let the location fool you! Whenever I crave Korean food, I always want to come to Ilmee first. I always get the same thing, the pork bulgogi (Dwaejibulgogi). It comes with a bowl of sticky rice and assorted sides called banchan, which are various pickled or fresh veggies. The menu is pretty extensive, but if you’re new to Korean food a good choice would be bulgogi or bibimbop.
My one complaint is that sometimes the waitstaff comes off a little curt. It’s not always, and it doesn’t usually get in the way of ordering, but it should be mentioned. BUT they do give you complimentary gum after the meal which is always a plus.

Pay no attention to the naysayers and those who would disparage this great little Korean restaurant. The food is fresh, well seasoned, and delicious. Additionally, it is served up by a cheerful staff that enjoys interacting with their customers.
If you’re in Marietta, Kennesaw, or Acworth this is a must do on the list of local foodie haunts. No need for a long haul over to Buford Hwy, we are well equipped to experience great Korean eats close to home. A true gem of food culture OTP!

I’ve been eating in my wife’s Korean family for 18 years. I’ve been to Korea. I love Korean food. This restaurants food is good. The service is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE! I have never in my life been in a restaurant where they treat you like you’re unwelcome because you are different than them. Do not let this be your Korean restaurant experience. There are incredible ones in Atlanta with better food and far better service not too far away.

Came here tonight for dinner passing through Atlanta with the family.
Out of the four times I’ve been here, the food has been great each time. Menu isn’t huge, but they have everything you need to get your Korean fix and they do it well!
Out of the four times I’ve been here, the service has been below average except this time. This time was downright unacceptable. My three year old wanted to sit at the tables where you have to sit on the floor. After awkwardly transferring us to a table like that, the server took our order. She was pretty short with her words and borderline annoyed we were occupying a seat (or spot on the floor) in the restaurant. My mother is Korean. I know the difference between a language barrier and being rude. We saw another table that had a pair of makeshift kiddie chopsticks. So after waiting 10+ minutes for a server to check on us after receiving our food, no one came. My husband got up and politely asked our server for the specific chopsticks. She looked at him in the eye and walked away. Baffled, he asked another server who told him they didn’t have any though they clearly did. So he came back to the table. After a few more minutes we realized we were the only ones there that were given wooden to-​go chopsticks. All of the Koreans around us had the traditional, metal ones. Really? Seriously? Did they think my family was below their metal chopsticks!!!
All that to say, if this is your first Korean restaurant experience, don’t knock the Koreans cuisine because their service is so bad. I would pick another restaurant in Duluth where they welcome paying customers gladly.

Amazing Korean food, and well priced. It’s a humble looking place, and the ladies that run it are super sweet. Definitely try the jap chae (sweet potato vermicelli noodles) and their ribs. It is to die for. This place is a gem in Marietta.

We had a few good experiences here but had very bad experiences too. Specifically:
— my father ordered a fish stew, and the fish was clearly not fully thawed from having been frozen.
— my kids asked for one more little plate of pancakes (banchan) and the waitress told them «ask your grandma to make them» (yes, we are Korean), and she refused to give them another plate.
— in Korean restaurants, when you order bulgogi, lettuce leaves come out without extra charge. My mom asked for them and the waitress told her she needed to pay extra. Never have we been to a Korean restaurant where we had to pay extra for lettuce along with bulgogi.
Thankfully, there are many other options for Korean cuisine in Atlanta. We don’t go to Ilmee anymore and will drive 30 minutes to Buford Highway to enjoy other restaurants with excellent food AND service.

Quaint little Korean place in the middle of nowhere. At least if you are coming from out of town at night. There are 4 floor seating tables and 10 4-​tops so not too big. The two ahjumas that were here are pleasant and don’t mind you speaking to them in broken Korean. I had kimchee bokkum and it wasn’t too sweet and lots of pork and beef. You didn’t have to sift through tons of kimchee to find it. The ahjumas even come by and ask how your meal is! They don’t wait for you to push your table call button. I’ll come back with friends to try more of the dishes.

Delicious food! Service wasn’t awful, but not as friendly as I’m used to. Overall, the food was great. Staff was good. I’ll definitely go back to try other dishes!

I figure that I should probably write a review being that I’ve been a dedicated customer for the past 3 years…
I’ve tried a couple different stuff here and they’re all solid korean food especially being all the way out here by Marietta/​Kennesaw area.
However, the main reason I come out here is for the Goat Soup/​Stew. It’s pretty much their specialty and it tastes like its been made by God himself. Make sure to get the fried rice made with the leftover broth at the end!
But as much as I love it, YMMV for this type of meat.

I passed up a trip to Buford Highway because this place is only 5 minutes from my home. At least I know to not make that mistake again.
It looks unsuspecting from the outside, in a small strip mall next to some survival shop. Sadly, it looked quite unsuspecting on the inside too. Aside from us, there was one other patron there on a Thursday evening. Well, at least we got good, albiet interesting service. We were seated promptly, our orders came out in a reasonable timeframe, and we didn’t even have to push the little button that’s common to Asian restaurants. Also common to Asian restaurants is the lack of tact from staff. Our server was picking on me for «being a typical man» for not properly putting my leftovers in the box. She said it several times and it became a running joke. I’m fine with it, but I doubt every guy would laugh it off.
Food wise, we got your standard banchan (small side dishes). They were all OK, but none of them were great. No whole fried fish either. We also ordered some Korean style eggrolls (basically triangle shaped eggrolls). I’m a little sad to say they may have been the best thing I ate that night. Sad because my entrée was a $ 21 galbi BBQ dish. The meat seemed off– not sure if it was the thickness of the meat, the marinade, the cut of the meat? (only two pieces were actually stuck to a rib bone). Even the rice was pretty bland. I know it’s steamed white rice, but I know it has a nice flavor when you cook it well. I should add that the serving size was generous, enough for me to eat again later. It tasted even more sub-​par reheated.
All in all, a disappointing trip to a new Korean place. I’ve been to Tofu Village before, and I would recommend going there if you want to stick to the Marietta area.

I’m not a huge fan of Korean food but I love this place. It’s tucked away in an assuming strip mall but the food and service are wonderful. Since I’m not an adventurous eater, I typically stick to the bul-​gyo-​gi. The beef well-​seasoned and tender. While not a weekly visit, I do try to come here every month or so for lunch.

If you live in Cobb County or just far from the amazing Asian food centered in the Buford Hwy/​Duluth area, then this place may be a great alternative for you.
The restaurant is located in a sketchy looking strip mall but the food here is legit and authentic. There’s a decent amount of parking in front. The size of the restaurant itself is small and the décor isn’t nice. It has more of a hole in the wall, homely feel.
Service: Pretty typical for a Korean restaurant in that they are nice but mostly leave you alone to dine in peace. However, for that reason, refills on water/​barley tea/​banchan isn’t very prompt. They do have call buttons at each table but not sure if they just don’t work or if they were ignoring our calls haha.
Food I liked:
+Banchan — plenty is provided and they are all delicious! i do wish that there were more less spicy options though.
+Seafood pancake — pretty good
+Dduk gook (egg drop soup with rice cakes and beef) — very good
+Soondubu Jjigae (tofu soup) — this was okay
+Japchae (stir fried noodles in sesame oil with vegetables) — very good
+Galbi (marinated beef short ribs) — very good
The food is great and the prices are competitive and honestly fine for being the only good Korean restaurant in that area. I’d definitely come back.

I work less than a mile away. Almost didn’t eat here but saw the reviews and glad I did. Excellent for a healthy lunch! The portion is large, too.
I really enjoyed the lunch special with the egg.
why not 5 stars? Awkward when you walk in. No host stand, and the lady usually yells how many across the restaurant. No unsweetened tea. Did not offer to explain the menu as a first timer. The descriptions are done well though so I felt like I knew what I was getting. However, I wouldn’t bring a picky or hesitant friend here. I do recommend though!

Heading north on HWY 41 just before the HWY 5 turn off is a hidden gem with some of the best Korean food this side of town. Il Mee is in a non descript strip mall beside a «preppers» store, picked up some MRE’s there but that is another review…
A small dining room with regular tables and 4 sit on the pillows Korean BBQ low tables done in light pine wood.
The service is 2 ladies and one is fluent in English and the other gets by, but heck they are Korean and most of the clients are Korean. The service is good but do not expect attentive service, they have a button on the wall at each table to ring for your server if you need anything between the server visits.
Second trip for lunch and my friend and I both had Bibimbap for the entrée with Haemul Pajeon (Korean Seafood Pancake) as the appetizer.
Bibimbap or bi bim bop is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means «mixed rice».White Rice with red chili paste, chopped lettuce, spinach, soybean sprouts, beef (or chicken, tofu), with a sunny side up egg on top. Served with julienned cucumber, zucchini julienned carrot, daikon radish, mushrooms, doraji (bellflower root), and kimchee is side ramekins. Also a dish of red chili /​chili flakes with vinegar and a touch of soy to add heat as you wish.
Ours both times was excellent.
Haemul pajeon is a seafood and spring onion pancake that is big enuff to share as an appetizer. This is more crêpe like batter and is cooked like a fritatta so one side is still just set. But that is the way I have always had it. It was very good with some shrimp and squid as the seafood.
This was the off the lunch menu and there are many other traditional dishes that they have to fill you Korean needs.
Come on down and try it the ladies will help with the selection, step outside your box!

The employees are nice and the food is good. Service with a smile! My favorite is the goat dish. I cant remember what its called. Its sort of a stew served with rice. :)

I used to come here all the time when I was a little kid. I have to give 5 stars b/​c of the awesome times I’ve had here with my family.
I have probably tried every dish, my favorite is kimchi jigae. NOM. My review should be longer, but. this place has been around forever. I could probably write a 10 page essay on everything I’ve tried.
My family used to come here probably bi weekly or monthly? We literally had bday dinners/​celebration dinners here ALL the time when I was younger. Whenever I drive by this restaurant, it gives me a good feel. Happy to eat here whenever I can. Right now, I live in the city, so it’s hard for me to stop by — but believe it or not, if I lived in Marietta again/​lived near Marietta, I’d definitely be a regular.
I’ll write this: it’s worth coming here if you really don’t want to go to Duluth/​Buford. Or even if you live in Marietta/​KSaw/​Woodstock. Definitely a good place to go if you’re in need of a Korean fix.
I also like their banchan as well. The people here are really nice. OH and parking, it’s decent — not amazing but it’ll do.