Gen Korean BBQ House

⸻ Extremely Disappointed – Worst GEN BBQ Experience Ever (Austin Location) I’ve been a loyal customer of GEN BBQ for nearly a decade, frequently dining at locations in Dallas, Houston, and Pflugerville. Today, I decided to try the new Austin location, and unfortunately, it turned out to be the worst GEN experience I’ve ever had. Despite being a brand-new restaurant with very few customers, the entire front-of-house staff seemed to consist of just one receptionist, one server, and one manager (possibly with an additional team lead). Service was painfully slow from the start — it took forever to take our order and even longer to bring the food out. Knowing there was only one server, I tried to be efficient by ordering multiple items at once to save them repeated trips. Even so, the young Asian server was clearly overwhelmed and extremely inexperienced. He was slow with everything and even forgot to bring us water while we waited over 20 minutes for food. No dipping sauces were brought out, no grill change was offered even though ours had burned completely black, and several items we ordered were missing entirely. To make things worse, during this frustrating wait, a young white female staff member brought over two complimentary sample plates to “try out” some dishes. But how are we supposed to enjoy any food when the grill is burnt, there’s no water, no sauces, and half our original order hasn’t arrived? It was honestly such a buzzkill. We finally decided to just pay and leave. I asked to speak to a manager, and the same young woman who brought the sampler came over, offering a half-hearted apology and a vague promise to do better next time. Still, we were given a full bill — $69 for two people to eat a few pieces of meat and leave frustrated. I didn’t mind paying, but what I do mind is the complete lack of professionalism and the terrible customer service from a brand I’ve supported for nearly 10 years. This location needs serious staff training and management oversight before it can carry the GEN BBQ name with pride.

Had the lunch special and it was absolutely delicious. Fabian was the server for me and he was awesome. They didn’t try and rush me or try to prevent me from ordering anything off the menu. He also gave good recommendations! Great service and atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

I know new Korean all you can eat open by IG. Restaurant was clean. I pick premium set. Meat was good I like beef belly, spicy pork belly.Also side dish was good and not too much. I like it because I can try everything.Hotteok was very delicious. Service was very good and attention they are good team work and friendly. Price reasonable. I recommend for everyone to lover all you can eat style. 😊

Came for lunch which is a great deal. Our server was Jason and he was always attentive. Food and service was good as well. Our favorite cut is the premium steak. it has great marbling and came out thick. Restaurant was also very clean.

I grew up eating Gen on the West Coast and this location did not meet my expectations in terms of the food. The kimchi did not taste fresh, the meat was frozen and came rolled up making it difficult to cook the meat evenly and the rice paper came in one uniform blob. The staff was very attentive and the atmosphere was nice, but I think there are some kinks to work out for this location.

Avoid at all cost if you don’t want food poisoning. Ordered the unseasoned prime steak and marinated beef finger. The steak is half fat and tasted spoiled. And can tell the marinated meat is not fresh. When we told the server about the spoiled steak, they said they will told the food prep and asked us if we want to order more. No thanks. Paid $40 per person for a few bites of salad and the a la carte beef tongue. The only two edible items for the whole meal. And we decided to run away asap. RUN!!!

I’ve been to several Gen Korean BBQ locations, including ones in Hawaii and Los Angeles, and unfortunately, the Austin branch didn’t quite meet the same standard. The Japchae lacked the authentic Korean flavor I’ve come to expect, and some of the side dishes—like the rice (which was very dry!) and salad—were delayed in being served. Overall, the service was quite slow, which I understand given that there was only one server handling around seven tables. That’s a lot for one person, and it clearly impacted the experience. That said, kudos to Thomas, our server. Despite the heavy workload, he remained patient, attentive, and hardworking. I truly hope the management recognizes his effort and dedication, because he made a big difference in an otherwise underwhelming visit.

Was interested to try this location for Gen and wasn’t too impressed, only the 2 side dish were okay being the pickled radish and potato salad but the cucumbers and kimchi were lack luster. I was surprised to hear that as a Kbbq place didn’t offer lettuce wraps when that is a staple when eating kbbq. We got the premium dinner which is an additional $20 from the $30 price point and nothing from the premium selection stood out. I would have just eaten the thin sliced anus and marinated short rib as I couldn’t really tell the difference as to why they are a premium cut. Over all food took some time to come out and we had to wait for meats when our current batch of meat was already done grilling so there was awkward moments of just sitting there mid meal waiting. Our Server Richie was very nice and pleasant which results in giving the experience a 3 star vs a 2 star but we did have another waitress that helped a lot and she was very helpful, but wasn’t as personal as Richie which I found odd as she came to our table a lot when I assumed Richie was our server. I don’t recall her name since she never introduced herself or anything just stopped by a lot to check on us and apologize. Also our rice paper side dish came out as 1 big piece when it’s supposed to be stacked pieces and by the time we received our replacement we were done with our meal. Overall of you’re new to Kbbq Gen might be worth trying, but if you’re a Kbbq enjoyer you might be disappointed like my wife and I were.

Had an amazing visit at Gen Korean today! It had such an assortment to eat from, so many different cuts of meat, pork, chicken, and seafood I may have to be rolled out of this place. The price was great the service was awesome as well. Kathryn was an amazing and welcoming manager who checked on us often and made sure we felt taken care of. Jason was a great, attentive serve very on point and professional, especially good with his personal recommendations. The drinks were very tasty as well. With service this good, I'm surprised the place wasn't more poppin'. It's probably due to the location being kinda of under the cross point of 2 major highways. The restaurant was very clean and well kept, the music helped to create the perfect vibe, I do wish that the place had more windows for natural light but other than that no complaints. My friend and I left full and satisfied, with out the pain of a pricey bill. I will definitely recommend this place to my friends and family.

Service was slow. Only one server with 5ish tables. Manager and 2 others just stood around talking. You'd think if the one server is overwhelmed the manager would step up and help but no the manager didn't help. It looked like our server was serving tables and getting the meats himself. Only saw one person in the kitchen but no idea what they were doing. This location doesn't seem like it was ready to open. I'm not blaming our server. He did his best to serve us and the other tables. He had a lot on his plate and did his best to balance everyone. I believe that the manager could've stepped up to help serve tables if he noticed his only server was in need of help.

I've been to quite a few Korean bbq places and this one was super extensive with their meat menu! You can't beat the price and what they offer. The service is prompt and the atmosphere is very nice. I do like their side dishes but would have to say one dessert option if a red bean pancake is not enough for me, maybe add a soft serve ice cream machine would be simple and nice.

I definitely enjoyed this location more than the one in Pflugerville! The brisket didn't stick to the pan and tasted much fresher. The galbi was marinated perfectly--so flavorful. I also loved the hotteok for dessert; such a nice touch to end the meal. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. The only thing I didn't love was the japchae--it leaned a bit too sweet for my taste, as I usually prefer it more savory. Overall, great quality for the price, and I would definitely come back!

Last night was our second time at Gen Korean BBQ and it was even better than the last time we went! We are located more south and often go to Gangnam Korean BBQ, when we first came to Gen the quality and flavor of the meat stood out to us (I'll put our favorites at the end!), but the appetizers were lacking. This time however they had brought in some new apps/ lowered them to the regular dining from the premium menu and we were SOLD. The dragon shrimp were so good, kimchi fried rice with cheese was great, and the dumplings were good (nothing special but still good!). The meat is definitely still where this place shines, our favs: honey soy beef belly, beef bulgogi, Hawaiian bacon pork, yangyum galbi! Things that we wouldn't order again: tonkatsu, calamari, or rice cakes. We tried the the calamari and rice cakes the first time and they both were not properly cooked and were over tough. However since the shrimp came out so good this time it may be worth trying the calamari again. They were having issues with their ordering system when we went, that didn't bother us, but we did have to check in with items multiple times. Pictured: Hawiian bacon pork

Came here on a Sunday and it turns out that they only offer the lunch menu on weekdays but I guess $32 for AYCE isn't a bad deal either. The meat selection was pretty decent and I really enjoyed the galbi and pork belly. The side dishes were not good though. I felt that every side dish was lacking. The tofu stew has no meat, japchea has no egg strips or beef and spicy rice cakes is not real spicy rice cake at all. However they have these fish bowl cocktails call Itaewon punch for $17 and it's an amazing deal. Overall it's a pretty good AYCE KBBQ for amazing price. Just don't bother with the side dishes.

I went with my family last night and it was a terrible experience. We arrived around 9pm and they were almost out of everything (including rice). It was never communicated what they were out of and they only had one server. The server was kind and genuinely was trying his best, but it was slow and took a while to get any orders placed. This is probably a problem related to management. This location is semi-new but at this point it still needs a lot of work.

I've been to many Gen Korean BBQ locations all around the country and this one was one of the better ones. My only complaint really is that they have the AC blasting by some of the tables and so when you're cooking the meat and you take it off the grill by the time it's on your plate, it's super cold. Other than that the meat portions were good and I really enjoyed the ambiance. It isn't super big and I did go on a busy day but it didn't feel like it was too busy or crowded.

Service is incredibly slow. I see how they want to make money. Ycu can't eat if the food isn't delivered. Ayce, at a snail's pace.

Great food. Great vibes. Great people. What more can I say? Heard GEN was coming to Austin so I had to give it a try. Host sat us quickly when we arrived but it wasn't terribly busy so didn't expect to wait long. Food came out quick and our server was very personable. Had a blast and will be back soon. Thanks GEN!

Food was horrible. I did not know that anyone could destroy rice. It was slimy and sticky. We were too scared to order any of their dishes. We ultimately ended up with food poisoning. I called the next day for a refund. Was told I get one in 3-5 business days. I am not seeing it. But oh well opened a dispute with my cc. Also I have it recorded that Richard said we would get a refund. So sad that this one is the worst one.

Highly recommend this place for anyone craving authentic and high-quality Korean BBQ. We'll definitely be back!

I've been to a couple of gens and this one does not disappoint! Hayley was my server and she was very nice and gave great service. I've had both premium and regular but I really enjoy splurging on the premium when I can. The marble and long bone short rib are both some of my favs and the ribeye is much better than the premium steak. I like that they have a good amount of appetizers options that come already cooked from the kitchen and the spicy tofu soup and pork gyoza are the best ones. If you're getting the regular the garlic or spicy pork belly, spicy pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, Hawaiian steak, honey soy beef belly, pork cheek and galbi are all good. One of the best deals you can find in Austin for AYCE galbi

Food was amazing, especially the Premium Ribeye and the Premium Center Cut Marbling, ambiance was great, it was dark but the tables lit up like a night club, service was super fast and really attentive! Would definitely come back again!

Let me start off by saying I love Korean barbecue. I have got it down to the perfect meat to side ratio. I knew gen before they were bought out by a different company and remodeled. I miss the old gen. That's a Kanye reference. I didn't think that you could get any more cheaper than the lowest quality rice you can serve. But the rice was clearly old and chewy, but also dry. The meats that we ordered or mediocre. The sides that we ordered were extremely big proportions. The only thing I really liked as far as the meats were the marinated short rib that was chewy. They had a smoked pork belly that was horrendous. I think we got their Angus prime. But it was thinly sliced marbled meat, and it was freezer burned. As far as the service. They frequently checked up on me, asked me how the food was. It was fine service. And I feel bad for the waiters because they're just doing their jobs but the food was absolutely below average. My thing is if you wanna charge me $20 extra for prime meat but you can't even get the basics figured out. Why would I wanna spend an extra $20 if you're giving me shit Food. The KFC was a massive proportion, was really crispy, but flavorless. The Japchae was given to you in a big bowl, but also flavorless. The Hawaiian steak which used to be my favorite was extremely thin and brown. Let me not forget to add it was extremely chewy. I think I ordered thinly sliced meat that had jalapeño and sesame sauce on it. That one was OK, but very poor quality. Alcoholic drinks standard price were $16-$17. Those are crazy prices first of all. Crazy prices for poor quality food. They gave me a side of potatoes and it was obvious at that potato purée was from instant potato box. Bring back the old gen. I will never be eating hair again, and I was so disappointed because the reviews looked good. But I have been utterly gutted that one of my favorite places to eat has gone down the drain. I love going to Korean barbecue because it's such a beautiful experience to be with family friends sharing food but this isn't an environment. I would like to be in. It was cold and unwelcoming. It was also empty and lackluster. I think the word I'm looking for is cheap down. I am never one to ask for a refund, especially because the actual service was fine but I regret paying for it. I regret spending money there and I regrets ever going there. It was a waste of money. I'm new to Austin area so I wanted something that I knew I could trust in and this was the furthest thing from a great experience. Do not come eat at this place.

I had such a great time at Gen! My favorite was the spicy tofu soup and the spicy rice cake. I also really liked the Hawaiian steak, it's my favorite meat. I received great and extremely fast service!! My server was so sweet. I love the vibe and ambiance of the place. I highly recommend this restaurant! It's become a favorite in my friend group.

Was in town this past weekend for graduation. Came across this restaurant while driving in. The plaza was lively, the host greeted us and the wait was not too long since we arrived just before the dinner rush. Food came out quick and the servers were all very informative. Had a great experience, looking forward to coming back next time we are in town.

First time going to a Gen KBBQ and had a great experience. The food quality was amazing and the service was outstanding. The staff were attentive and personable. Can't wait to go back!

Had a great experience at Gen Korean BBQ thanks to our server, Tarek. Super chill and friendly, made us feel welcome right away. He explained the menu clearly, checked in often without being overbearing, and gave great recommendations--definitely try the premium meats if you haven't already. Service was fast and the vibes were on point.

This was my first time at the Austin location, but I've been to two different locations in the Dallas area. First walking in, the host who greeted me tried gas lighting me into thinking there was only one option for the AYCE dinner option- the "prime" option which is $20 more than the regular dinner AYCE. After sitting down, the waiter immediately asks if we wanted kimchi fried rice, but FAILS to mention that it is $10 each order! It wouldn't have been a big deal if it was actually good, but it was so mushy! The service was sooooo slow! It was a Wednesday night with less than 10 tables occupied, that's why I so confused as to why we were so neglected! There was a 15-20 mins period where we had zero food on our table, not even rice or the little side dishes! The meat options were decent except the brisket. It was so paper thin that it disintegrated on the grill. I do not recommend this location and will not be returning!