DJK Korean BBQ(Dae Jang Keum)

Great Korean BBQ spot! They use real charcoal grills, which makes a big difference in flavor. The staff doesn’t speak much English, but they’re very friendly and super attentive they made sure everything was cooked just right. Would definitely come back!

We came here as a group of 6 to celebrate 2 birthdays. The staff was friendly and helped us with our order. Also my wife got an extra salat because of her allergies to certain ingredients. Meat was great, also well marinated. The waitress took care of our food and came often to check on us and provide a good service. Only downside and that’s why only 4 stars. When we came in it was really smokey inside because they use charcoal. Later is became a bit better.

Honestly when I first walked in I was confused, I didn't know there was regular eating and then there's the Korean BBQ, so if your new to this place ask to be seated in the BBQ place not the normal seating!!. Besides the confusion when getting seated the food was absolutely amazing!!! The service was amazing (I forgot my wallet and they walked out and reminded me I left it!!) This Korean BBQ is nothing like you will see before, they will cook it in OPEN FLAME!! FLAVORS ARE BURSTING ON MY TONGUE 👅👅. 100/100 please please if your debating going here, GOOOO IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!!!!!!! I got option A AND ATE THE WHOLE LOT!

Way better than Mana!!! The prices are there but you’ll spend just as much in the end maybe less! Be careful these portions are BIG! This literally felt like you went to a friend’s house and their family cooked for you. The service was so sweet and helpful. Be ready to EAT would recommend coming super hungry or with a decent amount of people. Don’t let it fool you those meat bowls were packed. The flavors alone will push you to a limit. It’s also charcoal so the meat comes out better imo. We left happy and full!

One of my favorite korean bbq places. They use charcol instead of a gas grill which gives the meats a nice finish. The meats are always high quality and the banchan is delicious. They also have combo meals starting around $ 70 (2-3 people) going up to a higher price point. Most of the combos (excluding the lowest option) will have a selection of meats for bbq, bean paste soup, soju, and banchan (at least 5 -6 different varieties plus salad). Since its just 3 of us we usually order the 1st combo. Always end up overstuffed and with some leftovers for my daughters lunch/dinner the next day (usually bean paste soup, the extra banchan, some meats, plus salad). Parking is tight in the center unless you get there right as they open, so street parking is the norm. It does get busy, so if you dont want to wait you can either get their earlier or if you dont want the bbq experience you can ask them to seat you on the non bbq side. Their menu is pretty extensive outside of just serving korean bbq. Their seafood pancake is so yummy! Its hard to choose sometimes. Also they have lunch specials and you cant go wrong with that.

It's a fantastic restaurant. When you walk in, they will ask if you want barbeque or non-barbeque, and both are great options. The food felt very traditional, although I am not Korean so I am not qualified to say whether it actually was. The room was a bit cold so the food got cold kinda quickly after they served it, but when they served it, it was piping hot. Overall, the food was great. Some side notes, parking is really hard to find and there aren't that many servers so it can take a bit for them to make the rounds.

Now I usually like to visit somewhere 2 or 3 times before I leave a review. The food alone made me want to drop a 5 star immediately. But now I'm glad I'm a regular. The staff is so friendly, if I had a korean aunt or grandma this is how I think it would be. They make you feel at home and welcome, nothing is ever a bother and they're always happy to help. The food is a whole other area, one of the only charcoal grill kbbq in san diego and it's always more than enough. The banchan is to die for, typically prepared fresh everyday and you'll always get a large assortment that can differ slightly from day to day. Want more kimchi just ask some more oil sure it's never an issue for them. If you haven't been i highly suggest eating here spending about an hr eating at a BBQ table and enjoying your time

The best Korean BBQ in the San Diego area. The grill actually uses wood that is red hot and cooks with some amazing flavor. The kimchee had a phenomenal assortment along with fresh salad and soup. The portions are generous - so be prepped to eat. Service is very fast and attentive. Tons of choice in other dishes with lots of veggie options.

Impromptu visit by a friend's suggestion here as we are in town for a concert at the amphitheater in Chula Vista. My five star experience here is for their regular menu service -NOT with the BBQ GRILL. We received our meal very quickly. They did not bring out our banchan until our meals arrived, i noticed. We ordered individual entree items and EVERYTHING my friend recommended was DELICIOUS!!! BEST KOREAN restaurant I've ever been to thus far in San Diego. I'm excited to return to try their bbq over the charcoal grills. Aside from Soowon in KTown/LA, DJK is my new next favorite Korean restaurant. LOVED: GALBI GIM (BEEF STEW) with rice cake- absolutely my favorite Korean dish to date!!! The way it is presented is exceptional! Arrives bubbling, steamy and hot in their stone pot. The beef, vegetables all are cooked and seasoned perfectly. It's a rich and flavorful sauce smothered over the beef and rice cakes. This dish again, is my favorite Korean dish I've ever gotten to try. Easily share as a full meal with a group of 2-4 Banchan (different from most Korean restaurants) and all delicious. The usual steamed rice, soybean/mung bean, spinach, kimchi, spicy radish, potato salad, but unique too with banchan like steamed egg, a type of brisket beef, so tender and flavorful!) Naengmyeon- very refreshing on a hot summer day -while my Korean friends said it was a typical cold noodle dish, not exceptionally different, I enjoyed it very much. THE REST OF OUR ITEMS included a mackerel fish, I believe it was fried- just expect lots of bones to pick out, beef bulgogi- delicious, a seafood tofu stew (broth didn't have much flavor to me), and another beef and seafood stew with glass noodles- another dish I enjoyed very much. I can't wait to return! !!I Already craving that galbi gim again! I included a photo of our receipt in case I forgot a dish I tried. We had a group of five and although we ordered a lot, I left feeling very content and not too full.

Party of 6! We made reservations for group of 6 for 430pm on a weekday. We came in and it wasn't busy just yet. The tables are nice and large, so our group was able to sit comfortable around one table with the charcoal grill in the center. We ordered the fix menu that can feed between 6-8 people. It does come with a bottle of soju! There was plenty of meat options to delight in. The banchan was nice and plentiful. The older Asian ladies were cooking at the table and made the experience that much better. The food kept flowing and we were all stuffed.

food was great, service was poor. our large party seated in the back corner and they came to get our order too quickly, before we were ready, then sounded annoyed when they had to come back a second time. the food took a while to come out but once they started bringing it out it all came at once. the portion sizes are really good although a little pricey. they were soooo annoyed sounding when we asked for extra bowls or for the sauce that's supposed to come with the seafood pancake. they also seemed reluctant to refill our bonchon the beef and onion casserole was perfect for 3 people. really good portions of udon, rice cakes, beef, and octopus. also not too spicy. the seafood pancake was a little thick for my preference but still tasty. it was crispy on the edges and top but just a little too much batter overall imo. it was still super tasty but don't expect stellar service here. they do have a bell to ring if you need to call them over.

Throwback korean BBQ! Interior is nothing fancy, but the use of charcoal and HUGE portion sizes a definite +. My bro-in-law worked at this location in high school 40+ years ago. Likely under another name.

5/5 - literally the best Korean food I've eaten in San Diego. The japchae was super flavorful, like I was really surprised how good it was. The seafood pancake was the right amount of batter and fillings. It was delicious! My sister's soup - she said it was so good and easy to eat because she didn't have to fight the meat off the bone. The yukgaejang was definitely the best I've had in San Diego. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was after I was done eating, that's how good it was to me. The place is clean, air circulation is great. Bathroom is clean. Parking is kind of hard, but convoy is always hard. However this place has a lot of street parking. The service was excellent. They were super sweet and quick. They cut our noodles and pancake for us at the table. I couldn't say enough great things about this place, I'll definitely come back.

I come here at least once a month but this is just to say that with San Diego's rare pickings for good Korean food, I think DJK has the best spicy galbijjim. The meat is always so tender and the seasoning is perfect. It's just pricey ($50ish) but compared to woomiok I still think it's better. The galbitang is meh and tastes like ddukgook. The Ojinguh boggeum (spicy squid dish) is a 5/5. It's one of the best on their menu. Not pictured : their bossam is gigantic and a 3.7/5 but good. Their budaejjigae and haemultang are pretty good too. Mandu is good but not good enough to go out of your way. I still say this is where to get nengmyun but would also say their highlight is the spicy squid and galbijjim. Service is always sort of meh especially when we have a baby. They're not the friendliest and especially on Sundays or peak times, expect to wait to get served. Their banchans are always super yummy though.

I highly recommend this place. The food is great. The price is not bad. Everything served super quick, servers are nice. Food is fresh and very, very tasty . Overall, we have a great experience in this place and I will be happy to come back soon.

We came in with five kids under 4, so bless them for that alone. I was not impressed with the precarious way the grill was set up on our table. The grill plate was placed on top of a flimsy rack and was partially resting on a regular bowl meant to catch fat drippings (maybe?). Several times while cooking, it shifted and tilted; it's a searing hot grill grate so readjusting it was nerve wracking and difficult. It could have easily fallen over and been a huge issue. This alone may prevent me from coming back unfortunately. Maybe it was just our table? But in all honesty, there is no way that is proper or up to safety code. Banchan was pretty standard - vegetarian kimchi, cold egg custard, quick pickled cucumbers, salted greens, bean sprouts, etc. The pork belly was fine, I did enjoy the dipping sauce it came with. Bulgogi was a little sweet, but fine. I really enjoyed the kimchi jigae. Wouldn't order the seafood pancake again - felt very overpriced for what you got. Pork bone soup was ok, a little forgettable but the 2 year old at the table really liked the broth. Ultimately, I will look elsewhere for kbbq I think.

I was watching this Korean soup Netflix show and it featured all the tradition Korean soups and saw the Yukgaejung soup and wanted to try it. I checked out some menus in San Diego and saw that DJK had some tradition soups. Yukgaejung is a hot and spicy beef soup with shredded beef and veggies. It's different from what I usually get- the soondubu, so wanted to try it. They give you so much soup! I brought half home and ate with a ramen noodle the next day. The soup had tons of flavor. It was great. I did miss the kimchi in the soup though, but at home I added some to it. My husband got the short rib soup with dried cabbage (woogugi galbitang). He said it was good, lots of cabbage. It wasn't what he expected though, I think he was thinking the clear beef broth one. The sides were great too! We came during lunch. There were plenty of seatings.

Was in town for work meetings and a small cross section was interested in getting Korean BBQ while here. I did some research about locations near where we were staying and this one not only touted they were cooking with charcoal- but it offered the most options. Only 6 out of our 10 went, so the reservations we made ended up not being accurate and I felt bad about that. Some members of our team have limitations about what they can eat, so we chose to go with a combination meal D that fed between 5-6 but swapped out the beef tongue with marinated chicken (thanks to the restaurant for being flexible). We started out with a seafood pancake, which had plenty of squid, shrimp, and onions that people went out of their comfort zone to try. I think there's people that definitely enjoyed it with the sauce- soy, garlic, onions, peppers, and sesame oil. I thought the price was a little high ($28) but it was a work dinner. The D combo came with side dishes (banchan), picked radishes, Kim chee, rice noodles, and mung beans along with romaine and cabbage salad with soy sauce vinaigrette. It came with soy bean paste soup, which people really loved. They liked the texture, flavor, and heartiness. The meat options were Unmarinated beef brisket (with a trio of sauces to use for flavoring), rib eye steak, marinated and Unmarinated short ribs. One of our group wasn't feeling the meat cooking on the charcoal so I was able to get him an order of Kim Chee fried rice on the side so he could eat something he enjoyed and was comfortable with. The combo came with soju so some of us enjoyed the drink, others didn't try it. One person went with a beer and enjoyed that. All in all, the service was excellent, people enjoyed the experience of charcoal style BBQ flavored nicely with smoke and texture created by the heat. Looking around, the restaurant was filled with Korean people, and it's in a strip mall that featured different Asian flavors and services. My company has a diverse group so it was nice to be able to bring some of my heritage and culture to them. Thank you to our server I didn't get her name but she was so busy with other groups that I didn't want to keep her away from servicing them as needed. Support small businesses! The only available charcoal cooked Korean BBQ in San Diego!

Love this place! The coal fired grills add a special taste to the meat. The service has been great as well when I've been there, even with over 20 people for work. It's been there a long time and is a staple of Convoy.

I love that this kbbq doesn't use gas grills. Charcoal grills make the food taste a lot better! I gotta have a variety of banchan with my kbbq and this place did not disappoint. Their Sundubu-jjigae (Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew) was really flavorful; I couldn't stop eating it! I like adding it to my rice. The service was good and quick!

Right when you walk in, the ladies will ask if you're eating kbbq or no kbbq. My boyfriend and I opted for no kbbq bc we didn't wanna smell and we were craving soup. The restaurant is split in half for those who want kbbq vs regular dishes. Bibim Naengmyeon (Korean spicy cold noodles): 3/5. It wasn't really spicy to me and maybe it's not supposed to be? The ladies cut up the noodles for me before serving it so that was really nice of them! Galbi Tang: 5/5, really rich broth and it was a perfect hangover cure. Came with lots of meat and the noodles were so soft. Ban Chan: 3/5. Highlights were the rice cakes and kimchi radish. The Kimchi was kinda bland imo. It was cool to see korean pancake? be included as a ban chan I would definitely come back to try the kbbq option or just the other dishes they offer :)

I typically go for ayce but the portions and quality here were just right. I left full and happy. The service was fantastic, the sweetest aunties, and the ambiance felt like family. If you're there with a big party, there are private rooms to be seated in where it makes you feel like you're just at a family dinner. I highly recommend coming here for your next outing!

Amazing just amazing! Food, service top notch! Love the side dishes, kalbi, bulgogi, and fried mandu

We were going somewhere else but we had trouble finding a parking spot so we ended up here. There was no one to sit you, just write your name down and wait for someone to check if there's anyone waiting (I had to go in and find someone to assist us). I didn't think it was sanitary- the bowls and dishes looked dingy. The taste of our food was okay, nothing stood out for me to rave about. The overall place looked unkept and old- definitely need a makeover. I won't be coming back.

One of the best galbi tang around but it'll cost you. I had it for 2 meals so that made it more worthwhile. Service was alright- my friend waited outside in the lobby for 10 mins because they have separate entrances for KBBQ and regular dining. You have to poke your head into one of them to get seated. Seemed a bit understaffed and wouldn't (not allowed to or ran out?) give extra japchae for the banchan. They have comfy booths and TV for you to watch sports. Small parking lot so might have to park in the street.

I love this place! I came here for dinner and ordered the galbi-jjim which is a braised beef short rib dish. While I waited for my order I snacked on some banchan with rice. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up asking for a second round. When my food arrived, I was surprised to see how large the serving size was and instantly regretted eating so much banchan. The galbi-jjim was garnished nicely with scallions and sesame seeds and the meat was very well marinated. The sauce was sweet yet savory and oh so very addicting. I managed to eat quite a lot. After I finished eating I realized I forgot to snap a picture of my meal so I took a picture of my leftovers to make up for it. Unfortunately, my mess wasn't as aesthetic as the initial presentation. In the end, I was very happy to find this restaurant. I can't wait to come back and try other menu items, especially the kbbq since they have charcoal grills. My experience here was great. The food was delicious, menu options were endless, and the service was friendly.

Must try Korean restaurant in the Convoy area. Food is authentic Korean. Ordered the Bulgogi beef and also kalbi bento boxes. Super yummy. Both came with side beef broth soup and side banchan and salad. Place was clean and can get busy by lunch time. Ahjummas were very helpful with questions about their menu. Customer service was great. They periodically checked with us and refilled our water glasses and asked if we were doing okay. You can also grill your own barbecue if you want. They had a variety of Korean dishes. Place was not too fancy but they made you feel like you are having a home cooked meal.

I tend to go overboard when eating kbbq especially when it's AYCE because I always feel like I need to get my money's worth. With that in mind I wanted to try a different place that served a la carte and found this spot! I've always passed by this spot for years and finally pulled the trigger to try it out. What caught my eye was the use of coal which from my experience makes it all so much better. It's full service here meaning they cook your food, but they don't really do it all the way for you, which I'm not sure is the norm, but thought it was strange that they'd cook it halfway and never come back. I wasn't sure if it was rude to take over, but I had to since our food was starting to burn. Eventually I became the full time griller, which I don't mind at all, but just felt weird having "half service." Overall food was surprisingly good. Not the quality I expected for a la carte, but was definitely etter than some AYCE around town. This is a place I'd come back to and bring friends to.

Service was not good, didn't respond politely. Asked for the second round small dishes but the server reluctant to give. When we asked for the ingredients of some dishes, she didn't explain well and had no patience. Not many tables when we were there. It was not very busy but there were only two servers. The size of my beef rice in hot bowl seemed ok. But compared to other Korean restaurants, the dishes were a bit small. Taste was ok, not top level.

My husband had the kimchi soondubu and it was pretty good. The galbitang was pretty good as well. The banchan was alright. The service was good. The one thing we really didn't like was that the doors were open to outside and there were several mosquitos buzzing around us nearly the entire time we were dining in and that wasn't fun and we got a couple bites as well as strong second hand smoke from patrons smoking right outside the door. That was very unpleasant.

No problem getting a able for 10 at 1:20pm because it was not so busy. After ordering, it took about 15+ minutes to get our small dishes and another 10 min for the main dishes to come. Another table of 4 that arrived about 10 min after us immediately were served with water, small dishes... AND Foods came for them rather quickly. Food quality was good and the 3 stars go to that. However, the servers were not friendly and had attitudes that they didn't want us there. When we asked for some small dish refills, the server said we had to order them from the menu and some of us already have those in our bento sets (meaning don't ask for more). Too bad that their foods were good but we will not bring our friends here again. Their attitudes were the reasons they drag their business down to a 2 star.

We got the 'combo c' and it was a good amount of food for 3 people. The meats were quality and nicely marinated. The soup was included in the combo but didn't come out until we were almost done with the meats. There were only a few servers running around but they still managed to come by and put the meat on our grill (and kind of cooked it for us)

Is it another Korean restaurant that is going to close??? We always come to this place with the family ( Korean in laws) for birthday dinner, etc. This past week was the first not great experience. We ordered the chadolbaegi, and a bento with galbi. The chadolbaegi always comes with a sauce tray per person that has a red chili sauce, a sweeter soy type sauce and the sesame oil with salt and pepper. I noticed the salt n pepper was not in sesame oil, but vegetable oil. When asked the staff said that is because the non Korean customers don't like the sesame oil flavor. She said this my omma in Korean. ? For a table of Koreans and one non Korean. Next the pan chan. Ok, good variety. Japchae wasn't the best, tasted vinegary. Chadolbaegi was fatty, again they pulled the age old trick of decent pieces on top, and fatty on bottom of the platter. Really fatty. The Salad had quite a few brown prices in it. The galbi was ok but my son did comment that the place we are last week had better galbi. Lastly, has anyone noticed that the exhaust fans don't exhaust the air over the tables? The smoke goes up, and around the big hood and meanders the ceiling, instead of being sucked in.

This is probably the most authentic Korean restaurant in San Diego. They make all of their side dishes in house, including the kimchi. The only downside is that the charcoal grill emits a lot of smoke and the hoods don't work that well.

Love this place!! The charcoal grill is amazing, although it can get very smokey in the restaurant. We ordered Combo D and it was a great deal!! I always judge a Korean spot by the banchan and the banchans were all tasty! The meat quality is obviously higher compared to AYCE. We enjoyed every meat that came in the combo. The staff is friendly and they also cook the meat for you. And there's a specific order the meat needs to be cooked in as well so let them cook for you :)

I really enjoy this place because they're one of the few Korean barbecue options where you cook your meat over charcoal. It's not an AYCE place but there are combo menus that are priced reasonably and you get a good amount of food. I like to get the combo for 2-3 people and swap out the chicken for an extra order of brisket. I like that they let me do that and hope they continue to let me do that. I also like that they give complimentary salad with the combo. I like the atmosphere here because it's lively. The wait here typically isn't too long either. Service is attentive.

Outstanding BBQ! Shout out to the servers for taking care of us despite arriving at last call. Hit our craving for Korean BBQ spot on. Indeed non all you can eat but outstanding quality meats. We left full and super satisfied. The cost is reasonable when split among several people too.

Definitely looks like a hole in the wall spot from outside, but we all know hole in the wall spots are some of the best! Disclaimer: this is not AYCE kbbq - DJK has multiple meal options based on how large your party is. For example, I came here with about 6 other people, so we ordered the option to feed 8 people, which totaled to $200 (and came with soju!!!). You're probably thinking that this sounds like a lot of money for something that isn't AYCE, but if you divide the number of people by the total price, it's really the same amount as other KBBQ spots. What you're really paying for is the QUALITY of meat and the excellent service! Not to mention, you're more than welcome to add on additional side menu items like japchae or additional soups just to name a few. However, the option we chose already came with soup included. Also, the grills are not gas powered - they're charcoal grills! Don't sleep on this place!

Don't come here. I don't want it to be crowded. I am selfish. High quality food. No care spent on fixing broken flumes. Tons of smoke. Don't call the fire department.

Family style Korean eatery. You can grill your own food or order dishes that are pre-cooked. Food is delicious. Service is okay. Been here many times over the years

Paid by card. Went on a Friday night at 6:00 PM (made reservations) and was easily seated. DJK is located in the same plaza as Thang Thang and parking is terrible. The plaza lot is pretty small and the surrounding areas read that you'll get towed since they're for other businesses. There is street parking though. Good luck... My party and I ordered the combo for 3-4 people (we had 4 adults and 1 child) and it was definitely not enough for all of us. On top of that we didn't even get sides!! We were halfway through the meats and realized we didn't get sides, so we asked and the waitress asked us what kind we wanted. Huh? We didn't even know what kind they had. We noticed all the other tables got sides (the typical variety) and we couldn't figure out why we didn't. We asked for a manager but the waitress said there was no manager. We were also charged extra for a bowl of rice for the child... The meats and salad were good but for the price and portions I don't think it's worth it. I don't think I'd recommend this place or go back. We were also not happy with the service and not getting sides. I think this was the first time in my life I never got sides at a Korean restaurant.

We used to come to this place all the time, but I have to say that the quality has significantly deteriorated while it's really nice that they have a woodfired Grill as opposed to gas. The meat quality is just simply unacceptable. The pork belly was dry and very chewy. The short rib seem to be rather old and not fresh for $30 for the pork and $50 for the beef. This quality is not acceptable I won't be back.

Overall disappointment :( Food: For four people, we shared Combo B, rice cake, cold noodles, and mandu - all decent but we've had better. Combo B had three beef cuts, soybean soup, and "premium" soju. The portions were small, definitely good for only 2 people rather than 3-4 that was stated. Again, they were good, but had better elsewhere, which is a unfortunate for a place that is not AYCE but rather a la carte for quality meats. If you like slight sour lukewarm soup, the combo came with that. Nothing premium with the soju as well. Food was cooked on charcoal however. The other dishes: rice cake was not too chewy and more on the spicy side than others. The cold noodles had god texture and was not overly spicy. The mandu was soft and flavorful. Spent more than what we would have at AYCE for similar quality meat, and had to get our fill on banchan - no go. Service: Our waitress was not the best. She was preoccupied with serving maybe three tables simultaneously, so we couldn't really get the things we need - water refills, the sodas we ordered upon seating. We were confused as to who was cooking - us or her. We understand at AYCE we cook ourselves. Here, she threw the meat on, came back to flip, and then moved them on the side for the next meat. However, there are times she did not come back in a timely manner and the meat overcooked. We also felt rushed and sensed annoyance in the voice of the waitress when we requested stuff. HERE'S THE KICKER - on the way out after paying and leaving a tip, we were chased down by our waitress and told to leave a bigger tip. There were no signs stating to leave a minimum percent gratuity, and if there were, why was it not added automatically? Anyways, we just asked her how much she wanted, added that to the total, and left dumbfounded. Atmosphere: Just an okay place aesthetically.

After waiting for ~1 hr on Friday night, my group and I enjoyed combo A. The charcoal flavor was quite nice, but our room didn't have adequate ventilation. I want to give 4.5 stars.

Absolutely excellent Korean barbecue restaurant. Very considerate staff. I came in on a slow Monday and a lovely waitress was kind enough to help me grill my items since it was slow. The quality of food was also surprisingly high. Highly recommended.

Terrible service (didn't even refill drinks and side dishes) and auto charge of 20+% of tip for our party. Don't come here if you have a large party since you will be mistreated. Food is ok but not worth the negligent service.

Great and delicious KBBQ, we had our Christmas dinner here it was about 12 of us and got the private room . This place is probably one of the top KBBQ I have had, all of their meats were tasty with great flavor . The service was also very fast and efficient especially being such a large group. Loved that the meat is cooked on charcoal , I personally believe it gives a better flavor ! By the end of the night we were all stuffed ! Highly recommend!

Not surprisingly on this Friday evening, parking was hard to get, even with the parking lot. Family and I had a reservation for 7:30pm. Five minutes late, not the worst thing in the world, I don't think. Cousin and I walked in as everyone else looked for parking. No acknowledgment inside whatsoever, and there was no one at the stand to greet us or anything, so we really were not sure what to do. We finally got to speak to an employee about 5 minutes before 8pm. Our meal was also reasonably priced. Aside from that first impression, no problems with the service! Onto the food: Tasty Korean BBQ and side dishes. Really loved the light dressing on the salad. The soup was also good - not watery and had chunks of potatoes and tofu.

Husband and I went in for dinner around 6pm on a Friday and were seated right away. We ordered the combo for 2-3 people since it was our first time and we wanted to try multiple items. The banchan were great and I asked for extra ssamjang, fresh garlic, and jalapeño- highly recommended! Our server forgot a few items and got our beer order wrong, BUT she was so friendly and helped guide our meal along well. Charcoal obviously can't be controlled like a gas grill so the order of how you eat your meat is important. I'm a big rice eater but found myself barely touching the 2 portions we were provided because the meat was just well seasoned and great on its own. I would definitely come back here and feel more confident in ordering the pricier a la cart meat options.

Good food, great charcoal grills, not AYCE but decent value for what you get, rude service

I was disappointed by the amount and quality of meat according to the price they charge. Nothing is better than other all you can eat Korea bbq restaurants nearby. I feel I wasted my money and time here.

We wanted to go to the sushi place next door, but they weren't taking walk-ins. So we looked to our right, and DJK BBQ looked promising. Well, we could look through the open front door and see a haze of smoke in the dining room. So we shrugged and took a chance, braving this place without even glancing at Yelp. Gasp! As we sat down in our booth, I could hear the blowers cranking. This is a charcoal KBBQ place, not gas. So even though I could barely see my wife from across the table, I knew it would be good. (OK, visibility was low, but not that low. I'm exaggerating here for dramatic effect.) We ordered a Combination A which, according to the menu, served 2-3 people. We also ordered a bibimbap. Turned out we over-ordered, for there was enough food to serve at least 4 people. Everything was delicious. They brought the Banchan first, along with a green salad. Then the server brought the raw meat and cooked the first batch for us. I admired her because she was flinging hot boxes of charcoal and cooking plates as if she had been doing this for decades. (She probably has.) Then, as each batch of meat finished cooking and we cleared the cooking plate, she came over to put on the next batch. I'm super glad we rolled the dice and took a chance. Will definitely come back here with the kids next time.

I've been on the hunt for Korean food ever since I moved to SD and I think I finally found my go to. My main complaint is that most of the other Korean restaurants have a super sweet marinade which I'm not used to. DJK offers high quality meats and their marinade was well balanced. Also not to mention that they use real charcoal to grill; nothing beats that high heat and charcoal flavor. We ordered the bossam as well and their portions are HUGE. It was just my boyfriend and I dining here and we had to take a majority of it to go, but we had no problems with that. You def need a decent sized party to finish it. Everything from the service and food were amazing. I will def be back!

I loved our waitress she was an OG and this place is full service. They bring out the food and cook it for you. The food comes out in waves but at a good speed and every meat was pouring with flavor. Super great hole in the wall place and i was happy to find it. Parking is a headache but well worth it!

No complaints. Meat was decent. side dishes, I was happy with it. We were worried the quantity was gonna be enough since we are so used to all you can eat, but i ended up spending almost same amount compared to other all you can eat places. Only disappointment, I wanted to use the mesh grill. They had a metal plate to go over the charcoals. I been here many years ago, I had the pork belly over the charcoal grill. Ohh I remember how it snapped on each bite and I was hoping I can experience that again.

We just moved from LA to SD. Me and my husband were spoiled with access to good Korean food that we took for granted. We're on the hunt to find good spots and this restaurant was highly recommended by my mom's friend. The banchans (side dishes) vary every time we go and the food is solid! I liked their fish jorim and cabbage kalbi tang best. My husband said all the dishes were pretty good! We'll definitely be back!

Hidden in an industrial area, DJK is a good little korean spot to quench those k-bbq cravings! Ordered the kimchi soontubu and kalbi and it was delicious! The service was prompt and friendly. The ahjuma brought extra helpings of the banchan when it ran out. Overall, good experience and food. Definitely will be back!

Normally, this place has quick service. Today, we were seated right away. But waited 15 minutes for a server to take our order. I got impatient and rang the bell for them to take my order. After they took the order, service became quicker. Bon chon arrived right away with our Hite and soju. Bon chon is always delicious and their kimchi is the best. Salad they gave was really fresh and crips. Unlike other KBBQs, salad they give usually ends up soggy by the time it gets to the table. Now let's start the review on why I gave them this rating. We had the Chadolbaegee and SamKypSal, and seafood soon do bu stew. We could have skipped the stew because the brisket and pork belly was plenty. The quality of their meat is superb. We've been to many KBBQ restaurants in San Diego and nothing compares to the quality of the meat here. You dont even need any sauces to dip in. It's just that good. Not sure if it's quality or the cut of meat they buy. But hope they don't change. There are things they need to improve on. But I still rate them 4.5 stars. Not a perfect 5 but close enough. I will always go back to this place.