When people from out of town think about Los Angeles, they might first think of some of the city’s great Mexican food. In a similar vein, the City of Angels is rife with delicious, indulgent Korean BBQ. I know this better than most because my first apartment in Los Angeles after I moved here in 2016 was in the Koreatown neighborhood — the most densely populated neighborhood in all of Los Angeles with around 112,000 inhabitants (according to Census Reporter).
10 years later, I still live on the outskirts and can walk to a number of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in the city. With so many spots to choose from, it’s hard to know which are actually worth the post-meal meat sweats. That said, these are three of my favorite (and undoubtedly some of the very best) Korean BBQ restaurants in Los Angeles.
Brother’s Galbi
Brother’s Galbi, lovingly known as Brother’s BBQ by Los Angeles natives, is a great introduction to Korean BBQ and an excellent restaurant to show out-of-towners. It’s one of the first Korean BBQ restaurants I visited when I moved here a decade ago, and one of the few I still revisit regularly. Like all the best Korean BBQ restaurants, Brother’s has an all-you-can-eat option that’s a mistake not to take advantage of. It’s a simple system here: customers choose between silver, gold, and diamond plates.
Truthfully, the silver menu at about $50 per person is more than enough to feed your whole family. The diamond plate has the added options of Brother’s’ famous bottom sirloin and beef ribs, which are delicious but cost twice as much. The silver, the cheapest of the three options, still offers an array of different meats to choose from, including marinated short ribs, shrimp, beef bulgogi, sausage, and thin pork belly. This also comes with a plethora of sides (or “banchan”). Personally, my favorite is the spicy pork bulgogi dripping in a hot red sauce; I always pair this dish with a side of pineapple for a bit of tart sweetness with every bite of spice…