DuBu

This is the one place I go that satisfies by cravings for good Korean food. Their tofu soups always hit, and the starter salad and yellow croaker is a comforting traditional touch. While the food is consistently good, I find that the service varies. They provide everyone with a glass of iced barley tea but sometimes refill it with water and other times refill with barley tea. They’ve also said they don’t do refills on side dishes about half of the times we ask, so it really depends on who’s there. There’s usually a wait on weekend nights so I recommend going for an early dinner or on the later end.

WOW!! As a huge foodie (especially all kinds of Asian food) this place hits it out of the park every time I visit… arguably the best Korean food around! They are very generous with their free side dishes and free hot tea (it’s a nice change of pace from other cheap restaurants that stiff you and charge extra). Always leave them a generous tip as the service and food is exceptional! Literally everything we’ve tried has been amazing, but my favorites are the spicy mixed seafood/beef tofu soup and the stone pot bibimbap! Already looking forward to the next visit.

I recently visited a Korean restaurant that impressed me with its authentic flavors and warm, inviting atmosphere. The menu offered a delightful mix of traditional dishes like bibimbap and kimchi stew, each bursting with well-balanced, robust flavors. Coupled with attentive service and a cozy ambiance, it’s a must-visit spot for anyone craving genuine Korean cuisine.

I came here to celebrate a birthday with friends (we reserved in advance). They were so nice and accommodating. Our main waiter was Charlie. He was very attentive. We felt welcomed and not rushed at all. The makkeoli (rice wine) was refreshing. For appetizers, we started with fried mandu (they were vegetarian). Standard dumplings, they were good. Then tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), which definitely had some kick to it (good for those who love spice). Two friends had the braised pork bibimbap, one had the seafood dubu soup with noodles, and another had the mixed dubu soup. I totally forgot that my friends didn't know dubu meant tofu. One tends not to like tofu as much, but she said it tasted great with this particular soup. They also gave us side dishes, such as kimchi, salad with dressing, and a small fish for each person. I had the galbijjim, braised short ribs I think. Omg, it was sooooo good. I thought it would be spicy, but it was sweet and definitely not as spicy as the tteokbokki. I brought cake and candles. They put the candles on the cake, lit them up, and sang the Happy Birthday song in Korean (like "생일 축하합니다"). I would come here again to try out other menu items for sure. 10/10. Highly recommend.

Some of the best Korean in Philly!! Great selection of soups and tasty side dishes as well

Ordered a large meal take out, everything was correct and delicious. Friendly staff on the phone and in person. The waiter even offered to go out of their way to bring a bag to my car since I couldn’t carry them all in one trip! Premium service and very authentic (almost full on a Tuesday as well, good sign!) Would highly recommend and will be a repeat customer for sure. Thanks guys.

I recently dined here, and it was great! The menu offered a delicious variety of authentic Korean dishes, each bursting with flavors. When ordering, I did feel a little rushed by the person taking the order, but other than that the rest of the dining experience was excellent. The food came out in a pretty reasonable amount of time. I recommend this Korean hidden gem!

My experience at DuBu Korean Food on a Saturday night was fantastic! Despite arriving at 6:30pm and waiting 20 minutes for a seat, the wait was well worth it. The service was impressively fast and attentive throughout our meal. The seafood pancake was perfectly cooked and flavorful, while the beef ribs (La Galbi) were tender and savory, easily becoming my all-time favorites. The atmosphere was lively yet cozy, making it a great spot for a weekend dinner. Highly recommend for anyone craving delicious Korean cuisine with excellent service

I didn't take any photos of my food but I have lived in Korea and let me tell you...this is one of the best Korean places I have been to outside of Korea! They serve a barley tea instead of water that is absolutely heavenly - it inspired me to buy barley and make my own. The banchan is spectacular as always and my dolsot bibimbap was so good I went home and immediately ate the leftovers hahah. I will 100% be back!!

DuBu is our favorite Korean restaurant in the Philly area! We moved from LA last year, and we haven't found a Korean restaurant that is as good until DuBu. The food and the vibes remind us of KTown in LA! We usually get the soondubu (either mixed or seafood). They make their tofu in-house, and the soondubu comes boiling hot with a side of rice and fried fish. We always leave feeling super full. Service is quick, and they refill the bonchon without you even asking. Then we like to go to the HMart next door to stock up on groceries!

Probably some of the best soondubu I've had in my life, but also I might be biased because I LOVE the army one which has my favorite sausage, spam, and beans. Such a generous portion of toppings!! Comes with rice! Other places usually charge MORE for army stew , but this place charges same for that and regular soondubu. The restaurant was so kind to let our table of 8 get seated first despite half of us running late. They were packed, so definitely go during off hours if you can! The fact that banchan included kalbi was so cool! You get three banchan to share, then a salad and a fish to eat individually.

Absolutely delicious food at DuBu! We started with the seafood pizza which was awesome. I had the Chef's special Galbi combo with eggs and fried rice and my husband had LA Galbi. Both of us greatly enjoyed the food, and the sides were excellent as well. Unfortunately, the service was pretty bad once our food came. No one came to our table to refill our waters or ask if we needed anything. We were dining around 8-830 so this may have been due to the time, but it definitely fell short. We were able to get seated right away, as opposed to the last time we tried to come around 6:30 and had to leave due to a time conflict after about 30 minutes of waiting. I'd absolutely come back for the great food, and maybe I'll just bring my water bottle next time lol.

I got the Dumpling soup, comes with a side of rice and also had beef bits in the soup. You can choose level of spicy, I did "Spicy " and it was perfect for me, someone that likes spicy but doesn't want to suffer. I tried asking a question about a menu item and both waiter and another employee couldn't answer. Otherwise service was fine. Food was good.

The quintessential Korean restaurant in Philly. Best soondubu by a long shot and I love their kimchi. Service is consistently good and you get tons of food, plenty to take for leftovers. Ambiance is casual but slightly upscale. Perfect family dinner location.

One of the best Korean spots I have ever been so far. Their dishes are all so delicious and portions are also big enough to share between 2. I really enjoy their house made kimchi especially with the fresh oyster taste to them! I also enjoyed the yellow croaker fish served in the free appetizers. This time we ordered Galbi Jjim (Braised short prime rib stew and vegetables) highly recommend, it is absolutely amazing, the stew and slow braised ribs speak for itself in the photos. Business is always booming but service is always efficient and friendly, definitely a must visit spot for all the Korean cuisine lovers!

You know this place serve authetic Korean food because entree automtically come with fry fish. they specialize Dubu soup like the restaurant name. everything is good even the korean side dish.

If you are craving good Korean food, Dubu is the spot! I always get one of their soups, usually the kimchi or beef soondubu. I've also tried their galbi tang which was so hearty and delicious. Its clear broth was light yet very flavorful, and they gave us so much meat. Paired with a bowl of white rice, it's a comforting meal that will warm you right up. To share, the tteokbokki is really good, and the portion is huge! Also can't go wrong with an order of pajeon. Their banchan is mediocre. Service is generally pretty fast but the place can get super busy depending on when you go.

What a hidden gem! This is my all time favorite Korean restaurant. The name DuBu actually translate to "tofu" so this place specializes in tofu dishes. I'm a sucker for tofu so I got so excited when I saw all these options that included tofu. Usually at Korean restaurants I either go for the spicy squid, tofu soup, or the galbi ribs. I can't believe they have the spicy squid with tofu option. That's like two of my favorite protein in one dish, of course I cannot resist! We ended up ordering the spicy squid tofu and my partner got the spicy pork kimchi tofu. I like how the sauces are different in both of the dishes. They lean towards of a sweet and savory type of sauce combo. I definitely like the squid one better. It is also not spicy which is good because we're not the best with hot spicy. Okay let's talk about the bonchon. They are unbelievably generous with the complimentary side dishes they serve. They came out with marinated short ribs, fried fish, broccoli, side salad, and kimchi! You can also ask for unlimited refills on any of the dishes and the staffs are so friendly and nonjudgmental. Although items like the salad and broccoli are kind of a strange Korean bonchon, we still enjoyed those vegetables. The short ribs were so good my partner couldn't stop talking about it. The entree portion sizes are huge! You can easily share one of those entree with two people. We ended up taking half of it to go which was the perfect amount for another meal. Some of the bonchon we didn't finish so we also packed that to go as well. Side note on the water they serve - it's infused with barley tea. That's why is has an ashy taste! (Barley tea is healthy for you and good for digestion) This place is located right next to the HMart so if you're ever shopping for your Asian grocery, this is a place you can't miss! I can't wait to go back again.

Dubu Dubu Dubu is my chant whenever we go to Philly. I've been here 4 times now this year and counting more! I always look forward to Dubu and will always push for it. Who doesn't love spicy hot tofu soup? Came on a busy Wednesday night for a party of 8 and were were seated right away. The place is huge and there's a larger seating area near the back. I normally go for their Dubu and decided to try their Army one this time. As always, their Dubus come with a side of salad and fish (yellow croaker). I really love their banchan specifically their kimchi. The kimchi was crunchy and spicy. Something about their seasoning makes me wanting more. Most of the other Korean restaurants I've been to normally have sourish kimchi which isn't down my alley. Army soup was very flavorful and came with spam, pork belly, and hot dogs.

Oh my oh my, such a great culinary experience last night. We love Asian food, and were in the mood for some Korean this time. I didn't want Korean BBQ so that limited some of our options. We got there around 7:45pm and it was still a 20 min wait. No reservations , so first come first served. Ambiance : Nice, cozy, casual setting and the restaurant was adequately staffed - I only say that because I've been to places over the last 2 years where places have been severely understaffed. ++ Appetizers : Fried potstickers. Perfect. Good blend of veggies and the right level of crispiness. A slow dunk or bath in the soy sauce made for a great beginning to our meal. Mains++ now the fun stuff begins La Galbi - this was the marinated beef ribs in the house sauce. It came on a sizzling plate. The spices and taste was subtle. The pieces were chopped finely and was an easy going first bite of the entrees. Jeyuk Dubu Kimchi - Marinated pork loin and kimchi, stir fried with hot pepper and dobu. By the time this dish came, we realized that we were starting to get filled and we had ordered too much. My wife claims that it was intentional and she wanted to box them and eat during the week. This dish was how you'd expect it to be. The pork and the kimchi was a perfect blend. The dobu was so tender and soft, probably will make me rethink my dislike for tofu. We asked for super spicy. Jeyuk Dolpan Bibimbap - Probably the best dish we ordered. Stir fried spicy pork over vegetables served with rice on a pot. If rice did not contain so many carbs, I'd have loved to eat this dish more frequently. With that being said, I loved the way our server prepped this for us. She mixed the pork, veggies and the rice to deliver a well balanced blend of the final dish. The rice was moist, the pork was juicy and well marinated delivering a totally sublime dish. Oh, and the pre-apprtizers (kimchi, fish, egg, salad, and some meat) was also delicious. I'd totally recommend this place to anyone who likes a good Korean meal.

Lots of seating in Dubu and the downstairs in a karaoke bar (Duba). This is a great place for an authentic Korean meal. They are big on gochujang (red sauce) and the food is flavorful! They first greet your table with a couple of bonchons (appetizers) and it seemed like unlimited. They gave us kimchi, brocolli, marinated eggs, salad and fried fish. My favorite was the fried fish. Something interesting/a "must try" for the experience is that at the end of your meal, they will take the rice stuck at the bottom of the rice bowl and mix it with tea. I personally did not like the taste, but it was no added cost for the experience!

I finally had the chance to eat at DuBu. I totally enjoyed it! It was clear to me that it was a restaurant that is on people's food rotation and I understand why. The food was good. The staff treats you like you're a regular/local. Ill definitely go back to try different things on the menu. Someone was eating the raw crab and making it seem like his grandma made it. I'll have to give that a try sometime! I forget what we ordered, but it was all good! The beef was especially tasty and tender!

I love DuBu for the karaoke and only recently learned that its restaurant is good too. It's a fairly authentic restaurant that feels like something between where you would go with your family for a nice dinner and where you would hang out with friends late at night. Before now, I only tried the wings and picked off friends' Korean dishes during karaoke. The actual restaurant itself has even meatier options that make for a great dinner without singing. I split the bulgogi with a friend and was glad I did because the portion was huge. It came simmering in meat and onion juices, which helped with the tenderness and flavor. All of my friends' dishes, including the galbi, were good too. The dinner also came with Korean side dishes, which was nice (and pretty standard for any authentic Korean restaurant). Overall, it was impressive enough that I would come again if I were in the mood for reasonably priced, high-quality Korean cuisine.

This is my third time dining in DuBu. Its Grilled beef ribs is one of the best so far I have tried. King Galbi stew is good as well. However, it hasn't been consistent on the size of its king beef ribs. The first two times ordering the Large size of King beef ribs stew were great. Meat was tender, soup was good with beef flavored. Nothing to complain about. Our family enjoyed it very much. When we came here to dine in the third time, ordered again this large size of flavorful king beef ribs stew, the ribs were 1/3 smaller. The grilled galbi was 1/4 less than last time as well. Taste is the same but quantity was less. Otherwise, they had served us a good meal.

Came here for dinner. Easy parking outside and inside lots of space. The bonchon that came with the food had a nice variety and was pretty tasty. For mains, I tried the La Galbi (Grilled beef) and Jeuk Dolpan (pork and veggies). Overall, everything was pretty tasty. Portions were good. Only downside we felt service was really slow to get served even though it wasn't too busy. Overall was pretty good and would recommend it.

DuBu has been a staple for me since way back in my college days. It's a very fast paced restaurant, but it always does the food right. From the side dishes and the fish, to the topokki and the soondubu. Service is always super quick, and it can be a little overwhelming to someone who doesn't know what they want. The staff will come back to you every few seconds asking if you're ready to order-- which gets a bit annoying. But none the less, the food is always super quick and tasty! Full of so much flavor and a lot of good old memories

We came here (I usually do delivery) because doordash messed up one of our orders and Dubu was kind enough to replace for us; no questions asked. This is my favorite Korean place near Philly (maybe even east coast). You can tell they put a lot of care into the food. Everything on the menu is delicious but I definitely recommend their dubu (tofu) soup.

Gejang Jeongsik $25 lunch special with soup option was highly worth it! I chose the seafood soup. It was good. Not salty. The other option was beef which my brother got and said was also good. I've always wanted to try raw marinated crab so was excited to have it here. Very saucy, soft, and enjoyable. Even the lunch special was a good portion size to share with two people. My brother and I both agreed, you do get tired of the the flavor so having the lunch option with soup was nice to bounce back and forth between flavors. Continued to enjoy the bonchon after ordering. Got a refreshing salad, kimchi, sauced cucumbers, and a fried fish per person.

Excellent food and great service. Ambience comfortable. We had a great time. Will be back.

DuBu is just an average Korean restaurant. Not the best, but one of the few decent spots to grab Korean food in Philly. The quality is not that consistent and their banchan (side dish) game has declined over the year. They used to serve better side dishes and more of a variety. The kimchi isn't made from napa cabbage either so I wouldn't say it's the best. The soon dubu is just okay here, but I recently tried the 왕 갈비탕 (king short rib stew) and it was SO GOOD!!! The stoneware that the soup comes in keeps the soup PIPING HOT!! I am a firm believer that Korean soups taste 100x better when they are so hot that they almost burn your mouth (just clarifying, but it definitely wasn't hot enough to actually burn your mouth haha). It came with three bones full of galbi meat. The broth was homey and flavorful and the soup came with shredded egg, scallions, radish, and glass noodles. Definitely comforting! This dish is seasonal though so get it while you can!

Came here on a Sunday evening craving good Korean food. This is the first Korean food I had in a while. And it was sooo good! Large portions of appetizers and Seafood SoonDubu had a lot of seafood in it. Very good. I'd like to come back for other kinds of SoonDubu!

Delicious food. Amazing atmosphere. Wonderful Customer Service. I love this restaurant. The food is amazing, and the employees are kind and helpful. In addition, I greatly appreciate Dubu staying true to serving traditional Korean dishes and ensuring that its cultural influences are incorporated into its modern style. Many Asian restaurants tend to strip cultural decor away and default to pure white walls in attempt to appeal to more non-Asian customers, but I love how Dubu is steadfast in keeping its Korean restaurant Korean. Everyone is welcome and restaurants shouldn't have to mute their cultures to make newcomers "comfortable."

DuBu is great for all Korean food enthusiasts! The soups are personalized to any palette. I especially like the kimchi soft tofu stew. I get it spicy and allow the egg to mellow out the flavor. I usually get the seafood pancake to share and the portions are more than generous. Another dish I love is the spicy raw marinated crab. It's perfectly seasoned and if you don't like it spicy, there's always a soy version. I wash it all down with the rice water, it's nutritious and a great cleanser. Everything is scolding hot, so please be patient when enjoying the meal. Their ban chan varies, my favorites are the kimchi, the cucumbers, and the potato salad!

Got the seafood soft tofu and the jae yuk dolsot bibimbap. It's typical of a Korean restaurant to give you banchan, small dishes like kimchi, seasoned cucumber, salad, fish. Some are refillable by ask, some are charged extra. If you get a soft tofu, they provide you with a raw egg, which you crack open directly into your hot dish. The staff was fast, and the food was pretty good, served hot.

Good food. Busy and bumpin. Lotta traffic for just a Tues night- that's a good sign. And a lot of different age groups of Koreans eating here so that's another good sign. Huge portions so that helps w the prices. I'd come here again as it was a decent 1st time experience. And next time hopefully singing some tunes downstairs.

It was my first time here thanks to my bestie, this place is very hidden. Everything was great, absolutely no complaints!!!!

Good value and good taste. Besides BCD tofuhouse in Manhattan, this restaurant also offer fish and salad as a part of their banchan. The budae jjigae was decent but I definitely have had better ones before. Food arrived pretty quickly and staff were kind. The space was pretty spacious and we didn't need to wait to get seated. I can see myself returning in the future!

Loveee eating at Dubu. Although at times I do feel rushed when the servers come and want to take my order right away.. Other than that, the service is great and food is wonderful. My favorites are the spicy raw crabs and oyster tofu stew. David was our waiter tonight; he was so nice and funny!!

It was our first time dining here on a whim. It took a while for someone to acknowledge us at the front and get us seated. Shortly after settling down with menus on the table, the waitress wanted to take our order immediately. We barely even held the menu in our hands and told her we needed some time to look at the menu since it's our first time here. A minute later, another waitress comes over to rush us to order. We told her the same thing. Before you know it, the first waitress comes back again rushing us which was getting annoying. We told her we needed a few more minutes. Omg. Then 30 seconds later, a different waitress comes over. At this point, we felt pressured to order whatever. Geez. Not sure what the rush is but the vibe felt more like a fast food establishment. We ended up getting the pork bulgogi, jap chae and hot stone bibimbap. Just the typical Korean dishes since we didn't really get a chance to look through the menu. The only thing I liked was the kimchi which taste fresh and not acidic like the store bought kimchi. The bibimbap was so bland, so not a fan. The jap chae was too mushy and not as good as the ones that are premade at Assi or H-Mart. The bulgogi was ok. It looked like a big portion, but only the top surface had the meat. The bottom was filled with onion, so $29 for the dish is definitely not worth it. Then when it comes time to pay, they are so eager to make sure you pay enough tips. They grab the receipt right away to check the amount of tips before you can leave which is kind of rude. It was an expensive meal. The food was meh and service was poor. Probably would have gotten a better dining experience at the food court next door and saved a few extra bucks to get bubble tea as their food was overly salty that you will get super thirsty after eating there. Some Korean restaurants offer a complimentary yogurt drink after your meal, but this one doesn't.

the bulgogi a were really good and so was the seafood jigae. The bibimbaps were okay and not as flavorful you definitely have to add more sauce. My favorite thing was the pork bulgogi. It's definitely on the pricier side and make sure you make reservations because it can get packed.

Good authentic food. Wonderful staff. When ordering be cognizant that they give you tons of Bon chon. And you'll want to eat it. The king galbi is awesome. New menu item. My favorite is a kimche/porkbelly/tofu dish (e5 on the menu) Enjoy!

A bit disappointed from all the good reviews. First, there were so many seats during off time for us. It was between lunch and dinner times, but we were the only group in front of the heavy traffic kitchen. I had a feeling that it was because we had a toddler. Spicy pork stone pot rice - shredded lettuce sprinkle on top. Never seen other Korean restaurants use shredded lettuce on rice. Anyway, strike for me was that the food was burnt. End up didn't eat any part on the bottom of the pot. Dubu soup with soy bean. Mushroom wasn't listed but there were so much like it's a mushroom soup. Not a fan. Spicy rice cake with seafood - not a fan either. And no Korean fried wings??? Which Korean restaurant doesn't have Korean fried chicken wings?? Server was so indifferent, or it's just that they dislike kids so much.

This is by far the best Korean restaurant in the Philly area. I live in center city and happily drive the 40 minutes it takes to get to dubu. The banchan is simple and delicious, fried fish and less fermented kimchi with another veg and fish cakes. The real standout here is the selection of seasonal chewy naengmyeon and stir fry dishes. The gejang - raw crab - is a spicy sauce bibim version, but it is delicious, refreshing, and truly a rice thief. The army soondubu has a slightly smoky flavor and tons of delicious spam and sausages. The hameul paejeon is crispy and loaded with seafood. Best part of this meal? The SOJU! Make sure to clear your schedule if you take advantage of the lunch specials here. 1pm somaeks anyone??? If you're looking for a Korean food experience that isn't typical BBQ, has some Korean booze, and some flavorful more unique Korean dishes, this is the spot.

I was there yesterday afternoon for lunch; I thought the ambience was very very nice. However, ambience isn't the only thing to win me over; good and good service is mandatory -- and paramount. I've had Korean food before; unfortunately I didn't find their choices delectable. I had ordered a soup which contained an ingredient I was allergic to; the menu did not state tofu was included in the soup. When I informed the server I couldn't eat this, she was rude, condescending and disrespectful to me -- and my companion; if it weren't for another server coming over to diffuse the situation, I probably would've been stuck with the soup. She was determined not to help me -- and ignored us afterwards. From that point on, I felt uneasy, with no intentions of ever eating there again. The ambience saved me from giving it two stars. When it comes to service, no one should be treated badly--and vice versa with customers towards servers; when you're dealing with the public -- and out in public -- keep the attitude at home.

Usually, I like eating the soondubu (tofu stews) from Dubu but this time, I decided to get something different: the gejang (raw marinated crab covered in spicy sauce) and doenjang (soybean) soondubu. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Since this was my first time trying raw marinated crab, I didn't know what to expect. The texture is a bit slimy since it's raw and the spiciness was a bit too much for me. I wouldn't try it again, and I would only recommend it if you already know that you like spicy raw crab, instead of trying it for the first time. When it came to the soybean soondubu, I realized that I prefer the regular spicy soondubu based compared to the soybean soondubu (which also had thin beef, tofu, and zucchini) since the soybean paste has a rather strong flavor and gives the soup a slight grainy texture. I do appreciate how my food came with lightly fried croaker, different types of kimchi (cucumber, broccoli, radish), marinated egg, and rice. I do not recommend the broccoli side dish though since it did not taste fresh. Overall, I would recommend getting the spicy soondubu instead of the two items I ordered.

There were 19 of us celebrating my nephew's 21th birthday. Our waitress was terrible. Very unprofessional, rude and impolite. Her tone through out the night was condescending, like we were there inconvieniencing her. Not sure if this would happen if we were Korean. But if she doesn't like to serve other nationality, should've say so and we would request another server.

We went to DuBu a while ago. Here's a rundown of the food I tried (I use ^ to indicate a half-star and * for a full star. So, ***^ means 3.5 stars): **** LA kalbi was pretty good. It was the best thing we ordered. *** Ojingeo bokkeum (spicy stir-fried squid) was all right ** Soon dubu, spicy tofu soup: The soon dubu was too bland, not as flavourful as I'd expect from this dish. * Mushroom Tofu soup: very bland There's a good variety of side dishes, which I enjoyed.

Do I like driving? No. Do I like driving outside of the city? NO. Would I do it weekly for this food? YES. Honestly was really sad that the Broad Street Run wasn't inverse so I could run up from South Philly and finish up here for their spicy tofu soup. We loved the seafood pajeon and dumplings to start. The dumplings were very large servings (the fried ones are veggie)! The soup is served with refillable banchan and even a little steamed fish haha. The soup you can get at a variety of spice levels like 1-6, three being spicy and 1 being no spice with 6 probably being actual lava. It was hard to tell for me if my 3 was too spicy or just too hot. The stone bowl they serve it in keeps it hot for so long. I want to get it again though to test it out and will report back.

Pleasant atmosphere, delicious wine, good staff, near the house, good parking, round tables

The best Korean food in the Philadelphia area. Highly recommend the LA galbi, the japchae noodles, the mushroom tofu soup, and the bibimbap!

According to my friends, this is one of the few plazas in the Philly area with lots of Korean establishments. I've heard about DuBu from multiple people who have raved about the amazing soondubu and banchan. I'm only in town for three meals, but I made sure to try out DuBu during one of them. There is a large variety of soondubu here that you can choose from! The wait for a table for three was less than 2 minutes on a busy Saturday afternoon (a bit after 12 PM). The interior is definitely more on the modern/sleek side rather of the old school mom-and-pop shop vibes I had envisioned. Within a few minutes, we each got a cup of iced barley tea and fried yellow croaker. I have never gotten this kind of banchan before, but the fish was crispy and tasty! Be careful of the bones though as they are pretty small. We also got even more banchan after placing our order. There was a large plate of kimchi (super spicy, pretty fresh - couldn't stop eating it), house salad with a delicious ginger sesame dressing, broccoli with gochujang (?), and then to my surprise, a small plate of galbi jjim (absolutely delicious, apparently they only have this on the weekends). This was a good selection of banchan and I was blown away by the portion size, too. I was nearly full by the time my soondubu came out since the banchan was filling. BEEF SOONDUBU - 14.99 I heard from multiple friends that the spice levels here are legit and after eating the kimchi and broccoli, I believe them. So I got the "less spicy" level for my soondubu which was a good amount for me. Even then, I had to blow my nose several times while eating. I love that we get to crack our own eggs into the soondubu! The broth was clean (doesn't feel like they dumped a lot of MSG in it) yet flavorful. There wasn't much beef in mine which is fine and there were lots and lots of tofu. Overall, large portions. Most definitely worth the money. My friends also shared a HAEMUL PAJEON which was quite good as well. There's a good amount of seafood and green onions mixed in the thin, yet crispy pancake. I would recommend this as an appetizer to share! I totally get the hype for DuBu. The soondubu is quite good but I was more impressed by the banchan they give out. Overall, would highly recommend it if you're in the Philly area. It's worth the drive for good food!

Food was tasty, especially the Gochujang Samgyupsal and Pajeon. Service was excellent and ambiance great for large parties.

Food is ok. Not the best Korean food around Staff just in hurry to serve you and kick you out. All about tips. Soft tofu has no scallion touch . They don't really know what Korean food should be. My 2nd time here. I'm very disappointed.

I am very excited that I finally got to try this place It's always busy and it smells so good from the outside. The menu wasn't too overwhelming and of course, it's a la carte. I got the seafood pancake and the dumplings for appetizers and they were good. For the entree, I got the tofu stew with pork along with the nutritious rice. It also came with a small fried fish and salad on the side which I thought was pretty great. The service was good considering it was busy and the food came out at a reasonable time. I would come back to try other dishes.

I really, really want to like DuBu. Having been here a number of times in the last few years, I can say I've had some really great meals (usually at the very beginning or at the very end of service hours) and I've had some...huge disappointments. I'm a creature of habit: I'll almost always order haemul pajeon to start, then seafood or mixed soondubu or LA galbi. This past time, the haemul pajeon was too thick, so the middle was completely undercooked, the pancake was mushy instead of crispy, and the batter around some of the larger pieces of seafood was slimy. We immediately stopped eating it and were going to send it back, but then we saw that all of the pajeons coming out of the kitchen looked exactly the same. Honestly, if the kitchen staff working that day don't know how to make a dish, just don't make it that day. It's unacceptable that they were serving undercooked, completely incorrectly made food to paying customers. The soondubu are generally great and the LA galbi is always tasty. The last time I went, I had some kind of beef soup special served with the full bone, which tasted intensely beefy in a good way. I always enjoy the banchan - their kimchi is some of the best I've had. Service really only slides when they're very busy; usually it's quite good. Sometimes the haemul pajeon is outstanding - it's just such a bummer that sometimes it comes out inedible. I guess if I'm in the mood for Korean food at 10:30am or at 9:00pm, when no one else is there, then I'd turn to Dubu. But really, I'd just love to see a bit more consistency from this place.

Love this place - especially the house special tofu stews. We make it a point to visit at least a couple of times a year, even though it's more than an hour's drive. I think it's the best Korean we've had outside of NYC Koreatown. Great for groups, service is always great from the kimchi appetizers right after you sit down throughout the meal.

The Yukejong (sp?) was amazing, great broth and the meat was super tender. Broth was a little more fatty/oily than I thought it could have been but overall the spice + flavors made this one of the best dishes I've tried. I can't emphasize enough that the meat basically was falling off the bones in this dish. We also got their whole fish, interesting menu item but pretty tedious with picking the little bit of meat off of many bones.

Great spot if you're craving Korean food! They serve the best banchan, complimentary side dishes like salad, fired mackerel, spare ribs, potato salad, broccoli, and kimchi anything. You can ask for more too! Their LA galbi (LA style grilled beef short ribs) and soondubu (spicy tofu soup) so always my go to. The LA galbi is so flavorful and tender. The soondubu tends to be spicy if you can't handle any spicy (customers do have the option to ask for no spicy but I would highly recommend getting some spicy). There's a lot of free parking in the lot. They get really busy around dinner time. There's usually a 45-1hr wait during peak hours. If you can try to come before 6pm for early dinner to beat the crowd.