BBQ21

Went with my girlfriend to eat lunch and dessert here, I was welcomed as soon as I walked in the restaurant and the service was just spectacular! Even with my many allergies, they were very cautious in making my food. Wait for the food was around 10-15 minutes, the restaurant and the bathrooms were very clean and well kept, dessert was perfectly not too sweet but hit the spot! I would recommend coming here for lunch/dinner and for dates! Really enjoyed my time here

I became a fan of this beautiful place. The staff take care realy good of customers. Food and drinks are delicious, and the presentation of everything makes me feel in a 5-star restaurant. The Ramen station is really cool.

The interior of the location was very nice and more space than expected. They have amazing customer service! The cousins were a treat ☺️! I ordered spicy pork bowl, it was the right amount of spice and I felt full after a few bites. I was given a cookie made by an angel, it was a tasty pecan chocolate cookie. She asked me about my allergies prior to giving it to me which was very caring. This is my new lunch spot, next time I will dine in!

I didn’t know what to expect, but I came here for the first time and I really like it! Their soy garlic chicken and sweet & spicy fried chickens are great, and definitely lots of dessert options to choose (would recommend the tiramisu!)😋 P.S. And no, they don’t have a bidet but the bathroom is still nice

There must be new ownership because we went on May 30th for their “Grand Opening” but I see reviews from further back. We ordered the donkatsu and tornado omurice, and they were both good, but I definitely recommend the omurice! The prices aren’t cheap, but the staff are friendly and it’s neat that there is a ramen making station and a bakery inside. They do serve alcohol/soju here, so it’s a good place to relax. I think it would be cool if they were open later on the weekends and changed the vibes a little during late night hours!

We had bingsoo, fried chicken and ttokbokki. Food was excellent and atmosphere was modern. Bingsoo was awesome (we had Melon and Mango)!

Came for dessert after dinner at the plaza next door, and we got the Red Bean Bingsoo. Love that they use shaved milk, and not shaved ice 🥹 it is on the pricier end for the amount of bingsoo you get (the V-shaped bowl is slightly deceptive), but every bite was worth it. Saw that there was a self-serve ramen bar, so I’d definitely come back here with friends next time!

This was our first visit, from the moment we walked in the door we received the best customer service.. Ethan was very helpful (and did it with a smile the whole time) we needed help on how it all worked, he stopped what he was doing just to help me and my daughter understand the whole concept of the newly remodeled restaurant and how the process of making your own ramen works (not that we don’t know how to make it). The store was very clean and well maintained. Definitely worth the 45 minute drive.. Kimbap was freshly made (to my desire)…..

I came here for the strawberry bingsoo so not sure if the breads/food is good but this place has a cool street food type of ambiance with a self service ramen bar in the back. Strawberry bingsoo: serving size is smaller than what I'm use to compared to other Korean cafes but it tasted good. It didn't come with a lot of toppings like cereal/mochi. This is a very simple bingsoo which was good.

Did not expect this place to be a "food hall" type establishment. The name of the restaurant is very misleading. I thought we were going to a Korean bbq place but when we walked inside, the setting had a "food hall" feel. They had a bakery that served pastries and bingsoo. And then they had a section where you can order savory foods. I'm so glad I discovered this place because I was looking for a place that served mul-naengmyon (cold noodle soup) and it was one of the best I've had! The servers were very nice and the food came out very quick. The flavor of the broth was very delicious. It had an excellent proportion of meat and noodles. The broth was the best part. Mul-naengmyon is the best thing to eat after a hot day. The bingsoo was delicious as well. Not too sweet. They also have a melon bingsoo that they serve in a melon. Highly recommend this place!

The restaurant got revamped. Includes desserts and drinks. It's very delicious - try the Tom ane Jerry cake. Also had the fruit smoothies that are different - really good. The staff is very welcoming.

The name is misleading but I was pleasantly surprised by this spot in Fairfax. They have a cute setup that includes a bakery, plentiful seating, self serve ramen bar, and main counter. We ordered the cold noodles (mul nangmyeon) and kimbap. Both were great! We also ordered the red bean bingsu which had red bean, toasted rice powder, and mochi. If my partner weren't allergic, we would've ordered the melon bing su which seemed to be pretty popular. It comes served in a half cantaloupe which was pretty cool to see. We didn't try the ramen bar but they had a large selection and some toppings as well.

We came here before when they used to be a full service Korean restaurant. Seems like they switched over to self serve ramen & French-Korean pastries. Ordered a latte and red bean coin for $11. It was good but way too expensive. Ramen is $6.50 for regular packet ramen, they do have some toppings like green onions and beansprout, but not egg or pork to justify the added cost, especially since you can pop into Great Wall supermarket next door and get the same ramen packet for 99 cents. They have things that sounds good and we'd like to try from the menu but everything needs to drop $1-2 in price to be competitive with other Korean bakeries in the area. I want this bakery to succeed since it is the closest one to us but without dropping the price I don't think this location will last long

Bbq 21 with new concept. Food was good .. but definitely on the pricier side. They have a full ramen bar with kimbab combo, a lot of Korean street food menu items mixed with a cafe/bakery.

Don't be fooled by that it wasn't crowded or that it could use some modernization, BBQ 21 serve one of the best kalbi (korean bbq short ribs) in this area where there are a lot of Korean restaurants. Service was great and treated you like family. The mandu (korean dumplings) were served hot and crispy and highly recommended. Minus is there were only six to a serving so we had to order two. There were only three sides served for banchan (side dishes) but were perfectly fine. Seafood pancake was big and tasted great. As mentioned earlier, the kalbi was great - tender and well marinated. Our server cooked it great and served it. I usually eat korean bbq but the other korean dishes ordered were enjoyed by other korean folks with me. Was a little concerned at how restaurant was a bit empty when I arrived at first but left puzzled why it wasn't more crowded due to the great food and service.

The food way SUPER yummy! Omg EVER single item was amazing and I want to come back just to try every other item they have. Workers were super nice and explained everything and I can tell they love working here. Plus place is super comfy and cute. A great date night spot !

Good food and the service is fantastic. The staff is very friendly and help me how to so the self ramen bar service

The food was decent, as well as the service and atmosphere. However, there is still room for improvement in all areas.

Great staff, great food, good vibes, love the set up. They are very friendly and welcoming here. Will be back!!

Really nice place!! The setup is clean, casual, and cozy, perfect for a quick bite or a relaxed meal with friends. The food comes out fresh and fast, and the self-serve station for water and utensils makes everything convenient. Prices are affordable, portions are generous, and the overall experience is smooth and enjoyable. Whether you're dining in or grabbing takeout, they keep things efficient without feeling rushed. Highly recommend for a quick and delicious taste of Korean street food!

Such a cute place and the employees are SO nice. The pastries are incredible also, highly recommend!

The staff was very nice, had a wide variety of ramens, would recommend and come again.

Such a cool spot to come! So many ramen flavors to choose from, I am definitely coming back!!!

This location is very pleasant and spacious, I really liked how all the noodles are placed out for us to pick out.

My partner loves this place. He secretly hopes this spot doesn't get too popular so he can have it all to himself. here's what he thinks when i asked. Galbi / Kalbi: wonderful char, grilled to medium rare, and a perfect pairing for their tasty and plentiful naengmyun. Mul Naengmyeon: older people will say that's it's close to "classic naengmyun" in virginia. it's got a really clean flavor profile, and their hot mustard is STRONG. they use some kind of underlying flavor i can't place my finger on, some kind of herb. rosemary maybe? Banchan (sides): perfect. they're so great. every single one of them, absolutely delicious.

One comment. Galbi MulNangmyun. That is all. Best combo here. We also ordered the seafood pancake (good but not the best I've ever had).

Highly recommend this place! Most people come from their ddukbokki, but I recommend their authentic Korean food. The dishes I ordered with my mom was called daegu moom tong jjim and a fish soup. Both were fantastic! The first dish is a little spicy, and portion size is huge. It's also worth a pretty penny, but that's due to the portion size and good fish they use. Their side dishes are amazing and service is great. Highly recommend!

Had just arrived in town and was super hungry. We arrived just after lunch but before dinner so had the place to ourselves. When the waitress spoke little but good English I knew we were in for an authentic treat and the place did not disappoint. We call 2 other friends of ours to come right over and try it. They loved it also, on our way out of the door literally two more friends arrived asking if it was good. I showed them the pictures and said definitely give it a try!! And they did!!

Part II: Viva Korean Cuisine!!!! Let me tell you, the Bulldog had just downheartedly left another Korean Joint (Breakers - aka Imposters) at Fair Oaks Mall (see Part I) wondering if all the amazing Korean food that I had at my friends' houses growing up was just an illusion. But I didn't give up, I persevered into this hidden diamond-in-the-rough, BBQ 21, where my love for everything Korean was rekindled with splendid fervor!!! Spicy Soup - Red, intricate and amazing, Bulgogi flavorful juicy and succulent, rice fluffy and sticky, dumplings were tasty/greasy/flavorful, veggies were so g-damn fresh and spicy I almost filled up on them, fresh condiments with interesting spices that dance on a wide-range on your palette. Would have given 5/5 if my can of Diet Coke wasn't flat, but everything else was top-notch and I suspect - was cooked with love for the game - masterful. I finished stuffed and satisfied. Verdict: I'll DEFINITELY be back...

This review is mainly for the cheesy ribs. They gave us 2 options - spicy and nonspicy. The ribs were literally just slabbed with american bbq sauce. I was hoping and thinking that the ribs would be an asian influenced flavor since I was in a korean restaurant. The sauce was just straight up bbq sauce. I felt like i was eating those microwavable bbq ribs from any grocery store.. or i could go to tgi fridays and get cheaper ribs. If you're looking for american style bbq ribs with a side of melted mozz, then maybe this place will hit the spot for you Also the dukkboki that came with it was flavored with the same bbq sauce as the ribs. Service was good. I'd never order those ribs again though

As soon as I walked in I was encountered amicably and was led to my seat. The music and surroundings were easy on the eyes and ears. The bulgogi was amazing and so was the kimchi and all the side dishes. I'm surprised they were empty when I came cause after the food and service were top notch!!!

I'll admit, this isn't the best korean spot in town. BUT it hits the spot if you're looking for cheesy, korean-style fondue. I love getting a cheese platter with BBQ ribs and indulging in all the gooey, mozzarella-slathered food (aside from the ribs, you get rice cakes and corn in your platter). The nengmyun was also pretty good, though note: galbi nengmyun is literally just nengmyun with a plate of galbi on the side. I envisioned something much more magical. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. BBQ 21 is definitely one of those places where you have to know what to order. They try to do a lot, and based on the reviews, some things are hit or miss. Fyi, in terms of the restaurant itself, it gets kind of smoky when multiple tables are grilling bbq. I'm not fully convinced that all of the grill vents work..

We used to visit BBQ21 and enjoyed it, but now it has a new name and different menu/inside. We had a bad experience this weekend and won't return. The service was the worst part. We had 6 people (2 small children) but weren't allowed to sit at a single table. We pointed out another party had 6 people sitting at the same size table and they relented. The menu was heavily redacted with black marker--there were almost no drinks available at all. Why not print a new menu? Ordered drinks and one never came at all. Many of the things we enjoyed at the old BBQ21 were no longer available (tempura, dwaejibulgogi, etc). We ordered galbi. The waitress returned to say out of galbi. We ordered pork belly; it came totally unseasoned. The waitress put it on the grill, came back and said "take it off" though we weren't ready yet. Not sure why she didn't bring a plate to put it on? She piled it onto our dishes (and my lap). Stingy with banchan. We received 1 lettuce leaf per person. We had to request additional lettuce repeatedly and often it took 10-15 minutes or more for it to come out. We requested more kimchi and the waitress said "you already have kimchi" (there were 4 leaves of kimchi in the bowl, for 6 of us). Saw two other tables with cucumbers and requested cucumbers. We were told no cucumbers were available. The bulgogi and stir-fried pork we got were good, but it was really hard to get past the hostile service.

I don't really like writing bad reviews and I'm not for giving places a terrible rating. I was invited here by my friends and we decided to order something we all could share. We ordered a soup type dish and a grill type dish. When the food came out, I was so disappointed by the cheap ingredients they used and skimping out on the meat on our grill dish. Spam is acceptable if it is used in addition to other fresh meats, but our soup dish did not even have other type of meats besides some cheap sausages. Our grill dish had sprouts and pork belly. The pork belly was so thin and looked so unappetizing. The food taste was mediocre. Although the inside is clean and the staff is nice, the quality of food makes this place not a place I would go back to.

We ordered casserole for 2 for dinner, it was so delicious and authentic. We loved it and definitely will come back for something else!!!

What I like best about this place is that when you walk in you feel like you actually have the option to order several different things from the menu. It seems like most other places in the area are either known for their Korean dishes OR their bbq, and bbq21 does both well. Spiciness of dishes vary--I didn't think the jaeyuk bokkeum was that spicy, but I found the spicy ribs and ddeokbokki (in the cheesy bbq platter) to be extremely spicy. The doenjang jjigae is bland so should be avoided. if you're not getting the potato shrimp rolls as an appetizer, you're ordering wrong

Food was delicious, service was fast, and not very crowded and underrated!!! 10/10 reccomened

Wife loved it and so do I! Great food and service. I got the cheese stuffed pork ribs. Wify got bulgogi. Yum!

I must say the foods and services here is excellent!! I am very satisfied so far, I've come here twice very recently and all the dishes entrees we ordered has been very good! BBQ21's grilled pork ribs with cheese (extra spicy) was delicious!! If you love super spicy food and love pork ribs...this dish is for you! And I love the sides that comes with this dish, corn and rice cakes. The melted mozzarella cheese goes so well with the spicy pork ribs and rice cakes! The yookgaejang, spicy soup! So yummy! I'm pretty picky with this soup and rarely like getting yookgaejang at restaurants but BBQ21 got pretty good soup! Definitely worth trying. There's also many other dishes you can choose from their menu. They also have sushi bar! Appetizer, they have yookhwae (Korean style beef tartar)! And it is a lot! Appetizer to share between 3-4 people! Really delicious seasoned well and beef is slightly still frozen and comes with very thinly sliced Korean pears and cucumbers! Yum yum!! I would recommend this appetizer if you love beef rare and raw beef! And can't forget how friendly the service is here and very attentive!

Pros: - Food is fresh - Wide variety of dishes - Nice decor - Affordable Cons: - Service is meh Conclusion: The food is pretty good. I've been there about 3-4 times and the quality of food has been consistent. They're known for their special pork ribs and cheese platter. There's nothing better than the melty cheese and saucy ribs. Only downside is that their service is meh, but for the food I can look past it.

Great food. Try the Cold Noodle dish with Galbi (short rib BBQ) their top dish here.

To be honest, the things I love most about this place is the way they marinade their spicy food/sauce and their service. Typically, Korean restaurants don't have that great of customer service (especially to non-Koreans) but the waitresses here are always super friendly and try their best to make sure I understand what I'm eating and how to eat it. The first time I was here I ordered the ribs with ddeokboki and cheese and corn and the waitress demonstrated how to eat it and even dished up the first plate for us! Everything came out on a sectioned tray and they heat up the whole tray on the grill area in front of you so the cheese is melted right then and there. Let. Me. Tell you. This place has BOMB cheese and ddeokboki and corn. I am literally in heaven everytime I take a bite. Their bulgogi soup is also really really good as well! The only downsides with getting cheese with any dish is that you have to eat it fast or the cheese will cool down and get hard. If you continuously heat the cheese up, it will start to burn so there's that too. The menu is a little pricey but you HAVE to try this place at least once

I had heard about this place from my friends and it was part of the airline dining rewards program, so I though I would give this a try. It is located by Burlington Coat Factory off of 50. There was plenty of parking. I went on Labor Day weekend before the dining rush. Although I went in with almost no expectation (other than the strange combination of cheese and Korean BBQ), I came out severely disappointed and will not be returning here. I would much rather eat takeout or one of the Asian fast food places as they are cheaper and tastier. The inside is well maintained, clean, and modern. However the decorative lighting (hanging stars and a tree) reminded me more of Christmas decoration than year round decoration. The music played softly in the background. We were seated immediately and began looking at the menu. The prices for the cheese specials seemed high for customers that wanted a small sample of the cheese special experience. I wouldn't want to pay ~$30 for a dish that served 2 and end up hating it! We decided to order the pork cutlet (~$15) to share. I ordered the chicken yakisoba while my friends ordered other items. They first came out with a small portion of a salad. The dressing was good. Then they came out with side dishes which were decent although sadly they didn't have my favorite side dishes that are commonly served at other Korean BBQ places. Then our food came out. For almost $15, I was surprised that the pork cutlet was essentially a fried pork stuffed with cheese and served with a spoonful of coleslaw. There was nothing interesting about the taste profile of this dish. Furthermore, the chicken yakisoba was disappointing. The chicken was dry and it lacked strong flavor. The biggest disappointment was the service. The floor was empty of any waitstaff when we were ready to get our check. We waited for more than 15 minutes until someone came out from the back. There was only one other party in the restaurant too.

Came here during lunch special and price is pretty decent for the lunch boxes. Variety is was good in the lunch box. Food came out hot and quickly. Service was okay-we had to demand/request several times to get our hot teas refilled every time.

The service here is terrific-- kudos to the lady who served our group of seven confused customers! She was courteous, prepared w ample knowledge of the menu, and assertive, which we definitely appreciated. Whenever we needed water, or anything for that matter, the staff was diligent in serving us. As starters, everyone gets a small pumpkin porridge, which was delicious, and a salad w peanut-ginger dressing, which was as you would expect it to be. We ended up getting two orders (each serves 2 people; $34) of the cheesy pork ribs that come w a small side of spicy rice cakes and creamy corn. Honestly, despite this menu item being their specialty, we didn't love it. The ribs were fine, nothing special. But the cheese was weirdly flavorless. And by no fault of the restaurant, the cheese tends to burn quickly and then hardens so you can't really "dip" the ribs into the cheese, which is how the waitress recommended eating it. Seems like a good idea, but needs better execution. We also got, as individual dishes, the rice cake soup without dumplings, the spicy yukaejang soup, the dangjang soup, and an order of bulgogi. The soups were lacking in flavor... maybe they don't use msg so it's healthier but more bland? The best menu item was the bulgogi, which was fresh off the grill and a pretty decent portion size. Also, their side dishes (six different kinds) were on point-- loved the display and variety. While we left w full stomaches and in a good mood, we agreed that it wasn't the best tasting korean restaurant around.

Not greeted upon entry, menu undecipherable. Cold and foreboding experience. I left after the waitress could not explain the menu.

One thing I love about BBQ 21 is they are not skimpy on the banchan (biggest pet peeve!). If you're looking for good kbbq or Korean food in Fairfax this is it. My family ordered a lot of food -- jigae, Galbi, Korean seafood pancake, sushi, and the famous cheesy pork dish. This was delicious. If you're a bit skeptical trust me, this is a new trend with Asian food and becoming popular with Korean galbi and bulgogi dishes. All of the food is authentic and delicious. Thank you for a great meal, we will be back!

Had lunch there this afternoon with my boyfriend and had a terrible experience. The restaurant was almost empty but the waitress rushed us like there were 20 parties waiting to be seated. Before I could even take my jacket off she asked what we wanted to drink, I said water and she started to walk away without even looking my boyfriend's way to take his drink order. She remembered he was there and took his drink order. She then proceeded to rush us into ordering food. When she brought our food to the table she just pushed plates onto the table in front of us with little to no regard for anything that might be in her path. She set up the grill and then proceeded to put all the brisket we ordered on it (other places I have been asked if we wanted them to cook for us). Then she sternly said it was done and to take it. She then threw all the pork belly on the grill then walked away with the cart. My boyfriend picked up the tongs to turn the meat and she returned and pretty much scolded him. She picked up a pair of scissors and cut the meat into little pieces and again told us to take it because it was done. She never came back to see if we wanted anything else to drink or wanted anything else. She did shout at us as she hurried by our table 20 minutes later to see if "we were alright". Then she immediately brought the check. We weren't asked if we wanted desert...nothing. We paid, then she stood by our table and inspected the signed copy to see if we left a tip. The service was terrible and the food sub-par. Very unwelcoming experience.

Not bad, but nothing too special here. Stopped by for dinner to try out the cheese ribs but I wouldn't come back for them. We got the cheese ribs ($35) half spicy and half BBQ; the spicy ones were actually hotter than I'd expected (and I love spicy food), so I wouldn't recommend this for those who don't have tolerance. The ribs were flavorful but the cheese hardened up very quickly as it cooled off, so you have to eat it really fast - otherwise it lumps up and you have to scrape it off the metal tray. Also got a dolsot bibimbap with bulgogi and there was very very little meat in it. The side dishes weren't that great either. I will say that service was attentive, though. Overall an OK spot but not as good as expected. Might give this place another shot in the future.

the only thing good about this restaurant is the servers were nice. My family and I eat Korean BBQ all the time. We ordered bulgogi and were asked if it be cooked in back or at the table we said at the table. The server brought it out already cooked (seems like it was old and cooked the day prior) and put it on the grill still infront of us for about 2 minutes which shocked us. The egg soup was disgusting and that is usually my favorite it was not even soup it was basically just a cold egg. They gave us a tiny bit of kimchi and sides that come with the bulgogi when we ordered a lot of food. The only good item I would say was the dumplings but everything else was cold and dry. Not a good experience and everyone in my party agrees. Once again the servers were nice this review is strictly about the food quality and taste.

This place is CHEESY. Bbq 21 is a reliable korean resturant with a bunch of different options on their menu. It's very hip and modern to the younger generation. I mainly go here for the korean pork bbq ribs! Its a lot of food for two people, and the dish comes in a tray with rice cakes, corn and CHEESE. You usually dip the ribs in the cheese. If you like instagrable food, ribs and CHEESE. I'd highly recommend this place!

The food was ok. They had a very limit menu. Better if you came for lunch from what I saw. The udon noodle was really yummy. No sushi which was a really big let down. Also they say they have Apple Pay but doesn't work anymore? I would double check with them if that's how you want to do payment.

I've been here three times for dinner with a friend. My friend lived in this area and my friend took me this place. I didn't know korean bbq restaurant in this area but this was nice korean bbq restaurant. Our waitress was friendly, I thought my friend was regular here and that's why they're pretty friendly to us. Also you can eat sushi this place too. They've sushi bar and you can order it but I'm not sure sushi is good or not this place, I haven't tried that. This place side dishes were tasty and meat was fresh but brisket was too chewy and not thin. When you order bbq and meat looks like not fresh then you can request them to change. This place interior is modern and clean. Other places have to be careful when you walking because the floor is sometimes slippery, but this place is not.

Been wanting to check this place out for the BBQ ribs and cheese platter! At first we were hesitant that one platter could feed the three of us but it was more than enough. The ribs also came with cheese, dukbokki, and corn (sweetened). Also remember to request fried rice with it! The rice made the dish for me because it gave me something to eat the ribs with. As with many other Korean restaurants, they also gave us banchan which resulted in more than enough food for the three of us. One thing i noticed that was different than other Korean restaurants was the SUPAR service! The waitstaff was very attentive and always made sure to refill our teas/waters and checked up on us. I will definitely be back to try the other cheese platters!

3.5 overall. Came in with a craving for some dolsot bibimbap. Left very full. 4 stars service. 3.5 food so a bit above average. Location is very convenient to family whenever I visit so will definitely come back! Staff is friendly and everything came out quickly.

Great food and great service! Highly recommend it. Delicious bulgogi, banchan and soups/stews.

We were in the area and always looking to try somewhere new. This popped up and looks fairly promising and had well enough reviews to convince us to stop in and so we did. The bbq special grilled pork ribs with cheese caught our eye, so we ordered that. We have been coming back a few times after that just for that bbq special. The ribs are well tasting and fall off the bone good. The sides pair well with it, corn medley, and melted cheese is so good to eat but not good for you lol. We also requested fried rice and well that will make you super filled up! This is recommended for 2 people or 3 if you aren't looking to eat much. The other few times we've also ordered the calamari, sushi, seafood pancake, and the potato shrimp. The calamari and seafood pancake are good but pricey for quite a small portion. Sushi we've ordered twice but that's because we were craving sushi, I wouldn't recommend coming here for sushi only if that's what you're looking for. It's good but it's not cream of the crop best sushi in town. Service is so-so here, not bad when they're super busy but they're always friendly. We will come back next time we are in the area and want more pork