Hodori

If you want authentic and traditional Korean cuisine, this is the place! The portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable. The food is the best Korean food I’ve had outside of Korea! (I lived in Korea for 7yrs) Don’t tell my Korean Mom, but this place makes daeji bulgogi (#23 on the menu) better than she does lol. And it is my favorite item on the menu. It has a nice smoky flavor that mingles well with the spiciness of the dish. The meat is also oh so tender. And it’s just a joy to eat along with their fabulous assortment of bonchon. Although I am half Korean, I’m not a fan of traditional cabbage kimchi…. except for the one here. The kimchi here has a nice crunchy texture and with a burst of flavor that is unmatched to most I’ve eaten. The kongnamul (bean sprouts) reminds me of my grandmother’s recipe. I devour every bit of it every time. If I lived in the Phoenix area, I would be at this restaurant at least once a week. Go give it a try!

The banchan are incredible. They didn't give us refills not sure if we had to ask.. ttobeoki was also very good and fresh! if going on a Friday or weekend night, come early and expect a little bit of a wait. it's worth it!

I’ve been going here since 2013 and I’ve brought a lot of friends and family that ended up regulars as well. The food is always delicious, the staff are always friendly, courteous and attentive to what you need. If I can give 10 stars I would! I absolutely love this restaurant and the amazing people that run it.

Delicious, authentic Korean food with tons of tofu hot stone pot options and unlimited banchan (side dishes). Rice is free too! Servers are very friendly.

Hodori Korean restaurant liked by many locals serving traditional Korean dishes and tasty complimentary sides aka “banchan” like kimchi, bean sprouts, fish cake, sweet potatoes, pickled cucumbers, etc. There’s a Lunch Special Menu available Monday - Friday, 11:00am - 2:00pm (excluding holidays). Dined in for lunch with a large group aside from being already busy they were able to accommodate us and reserved tables for us. Service was good and staff were working hard. Had to wave a couple of them down for refills at times, understandable it was a packed restaurant. On the menu: Jap Chae Haemul Pajun - Seafood Pancake with scallions Spicy Pork Bulgolgi Chok Kalbi - marinated Short Ribs Bibim Bap Kimchi Chigae - Kimchi Stew with Pork O Jing Uh Bokum - Squid sautéed in spicy sauce with vegetables All the complimentary Banchan Everything we ordered was pretty good! Food seasoned well and the spice levels were on point too. Everyone enjoyed dining here for lunch we were all happy and bellies were full.

Pure comfort food! Balanced taste that by far is the best soft tofu soup and sides we’ve had in Arizona. All good, plentiful, and flavorful. That said, they really need to fix their AC! A bit warm on a hot summer day. Otherwise, perfect!!!

This is my favorite restaurant. We come here every Friday. Food is so good. My favorite is the kimchi stew. Eel is also very good. Service is fantastic. Really attentive and pro active. This place is perfect. Seriously, food is so good. This is what I am looking forward to all week.

Loved everything about this visit! The service was good, atmosphere is casual, and food is 10/10! I loved all the food items and would get them again. There was a lot of flavor and authenticity to it all. I would highly recommend the boneless short rib and the kimchi pancake! You can’t go wrong with any menu item here.

Hodori is hands-down my favorite Korean restaurant in town! My go-to dish is the seafood pancake , perfectly crispy on the outside and loaded with plenty of seafood inside. I usually get the soon tofu soup combo with galbi, which is always super flavorful and customizable to your spice level. (Sometimes I even splurge and add ramen which is totally worth it!) When I'm with a group, we often order the bossam which includes steamed pork served with napa cabbage. It's a generous portion and feels surprisingly healthy with the balance of meat and veggies. Service can be a bit slow during peak hours, but the staff never forget about you and always make sure your food comes out fresh. The place itself is casual and cozy , definitely a bit of a hole-in-the-wall vibe but that's part of its charm. I'll definitely keep coming back for more of their comforting tofu soup and Korean favorites!

First time here. We actually ate at the ramen and Sushi restaurant next door, and saw Hodori. The pictures and menu looked so good, so we had to come back the next day for lunch! We came early, so seating was not a problem, but when we left, the place was packed and had people waiting for seats. Everything looked good, prices were very fair. Ordered seafood pancake, mushroom stew, codfish stew, and broiled eel. Everything was pretty good, just the Eel, served on a hot plate with onion, had a little funky taste. Not spoiled or anything, just tasted a little different. Overall, everything was delicious! Service was good, no complaints.

I loved the food at Hodori! We ordered the bibim naengmyeon, kimchi jeon (which has pork in it), and tteokbokki. The banchan was really good and I especially loved the kimchi, beautifully full bodied and perfectly spicy and fermented. I could've eaten a plateful. The tteokbokki was decently spicy! The waitstaff were efficient but pleasant and welcoming. I will definitely be back!

Highly authentic style Korean dishes, having great variety and flavor! My first time here with friends and family, None of them were much more aware of what was offered other than a friend that had tips on basics. Service was great, helping us understand the menu and offering minor tips on ordering. From seeing other reviews, there's plenty of photos that mirror our orders, so nothing new there. A basic cafe-style setting, built mostly for groups, with a few couples only there. We arrive when the restaurant opened and it filled up very quickly! Service was quick for everyone moving customers in and out with ease.

I've been to Hodori multiple times, and I usually get takeout because I am always craving it. It is such great, authentic Korean food. I just tried their spicy cold noodles for the first time and they were delicious. They are more on the saucier side rather than soupy, but still packed with great flavor. I always order their kalbi because it truly has the best taste and is one of my favorites on the menu. When you order, it comes complimentary with sides like kimchi, cucumbers, fish cakes, broccoli, and sprouts, even with takeout. The service is always quick and everyone is super welcoming. It is a great little spot for authentic Korean food. Also good tip, you cannot order directly from their official website and have to use other platforms, but if you call, it is usually a dollar or so cheaper!

Everything about Hodori is incredible! It is one of my favorite places to go for a hot, flavorful meal.

Great find. A Korean food place and the menu looks amazing. A lot more f traditional dishes and actually plenty of seating Music is playing, not Korean music but music. Staff helped me decide. They were friendly and made the experience better Food is great!!

What a hearty meal! We ordered the dinner special along with the kids' kalbi and kids' beef bulgogi, and everything was delicious. The kalbi was especially tender and flavorful, while the Hodori special soup had such a comforting taste with perfectly soft silken tofu. Totally worth because I got the soup + kalbi for $23.95. I really enjoyed their unlimited banchan assortment. My favorites were the spicy cucumber and kimchi. We also got the seafood pancake appetizer ($13.95), and wow, it disappeared in minutes. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with lots of seafood. I liked the sauce they paired it with because it balanced the flavors really well. Definitely something I'd come back for and order again. Service was a little slow at first, but the food was absolutely worth the wait. The staff was attentive, checking in on us and making sure we had refills. The restaurant itself has plenty of seating, so we were seated right away, and it's nice that they accept cards too. Overall, a great spot for a delicious and satisfying korean meal. I'll definitely be back!

Had a nice time getting some Korean food. The soup was pretty decent and the apps / meat dishes were pretty solid. Favorite was the kimchi pancake!

Hodori is one of my team's favourite and I'm not just saying that because I've only been here for lunch - although, let's be real, lunch is the best. It's always bustling, and the fact that Korean folks flock here is basically a food quality guarantee. Plus, the staff is super friendly, so you really can't go wrong with Hodori!!

We got 4 dishes and loved all of them. The seafood pancake was crispy on the outside and lots of seafood inside. The Korean short ribs were tender and not burnt, which is good sign for me. The kimchi fried rice was huge, and I like the flavor of their kimchi. The cold noodles was refreshing for summer! A little bit acidic and sweet, really balanced. Will come back again to tried different dishes.

I've been here a lot, it has a great homey vibe and the food is really comforting. Their menu is huge so it's pretty hard to choose. My favorites are the kimchi fried rice, and the grilled pork belly. Not a huge fan of their kimchi soup, I think it's too sour, but their seollangtang was really amazing! Workers here aren't always super nice, but they're usually very busy serving many tables at once so I never mind, I'm here for the food. Banchans are always good here too! Always gonna be a hodori fan

Ambiance is very outdated and in need of a refresh. Our food was very good. The customer service was fine but no outstanding.

Delicious, authentic Korean food with tons of tofu hot stone pot options and unlimited banchan (side dishes). Rice is free too!

I've been looking for a restaurant with good Korean food and we found Hodori. I was unsure of what to order because they have so much to choose from. We started off with a kimchi pancake, it has onions, pork, and kimchi. I was a little surprised with the flavor, it was absolutely amazing. I don't think I've ever had anything like it. I'm not a huge kimchi fan but this combination of food was delicious. I went ahead and ordered the Traditional Bulgogi, it had a soup base, cabbage, carrots, onions, vermicelli noodles, and ribeye beef. The flavor of the broth was a little sweet but flavorful. It does come out very hot, boiling actually, so it stayed hot the whole time we were there eating. My boyfriend ordered a tofu combo, so it was a tofu soup and it also came with a kids kalbi. The kalbi was Korean BBQ short ribs marinated in kalbi sauce. The flavor of these ribs was unreal. They were packed with flavor, it had a smokey taste to it, and the meat was so tender and juicy. Next time we come here again, I'll definitely be getting an order of those ribs. They also give you some white rice with the food, as well as some broccoli with garlic, kimchi, potatoes in sweet sauce, cucumber salad, and bean sprouts. The cucumber salad was tasty, also the potatoes, and broccoli. Everything we ordered was more than enough food, we had plenty of leftovers. Our waiter was very attentive, he always came in to check in on us, gave us what we needed, and was very friendly. The place was pretty spacious and had a lot of seating options. When we got there it was very busy, we had to write our name down and wait like 30 minutes but the food made it worth the wait. I definitely recommend checking this place out!!

3.5 Kimchi jjigae was delicious and 100% authentic with tons of lean pork and kimchi. My husband loved it. My skate nyengmyeon (hwae nyengmyeon) was bathed in an overly sweet gochujang. What a pity, because the noodles and contents were good. It was so sweet that it started to taste repetitive. I couldn't finish it all. The banchan: broccoli, unusual but ok. Potatoes in soya were sweet and the oyi kimchi had a sweet gochujang. After a while, things started to taste sweet and one-dimensional. Not sure if Korean-Americans like things sweeter. Next time I'll stick to ttukbegae dishes. Prices were extremely reasonable. Service was pleasant.

Hodori Korean restaurant liked by many locals serving traditional Korean dishes and tasty complimentary sides aka "banchan" like kimchi, bean sprouts, fish cake, sweet potatoes, pickled cucumbers, etc. There's a Lunch Special Menu available Monday - Friday, 11:00am - 2:00pm (excluding holidays). Dined in for lunch with a large group aside from being already busy they were able to accommodate us and reserved tables for us. Service was good and staff were working hard. Had to wave a couple of them down for refills at times, understandable it was a packed restaurant. On the menu: Jap Chae Haemul Pajun - Seafood Pancake with scallions Spicy Pork Bulgolgi Chok Kalbi - Marinated Beef Short Ribs Bibim Bap Kimchi Chigae - Kimchi Stew with Pork O Jing Uh Bokum - Squid sautéed in spicy sauce with vegetables All the complimentary Banchan Everything we ordered was pretty good! Food seasoned well and the spice levels were on point too. Everyone enjoyed dining here for lunch we were all happy and bellies were full.

Hodori is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's unassuming, yet you can tell it focuses on more authentic Korean dishes and flavors. It was nice to find a Korean restaurant that offers a variety of authentic dishes instead of just the well known Korean BBQ. If you want to explore other Korean foods beyond BBQ, this is the place to go! Their menu features a variety of options including different types of soon tofu soup, cold noodle dishes, casseroles/hot pots, rice plates, seafood, and stews. As is customary, all meals come with the standard Korean banchan side dishes. My husband and I shared the Haemul Pajun which was a seafood pancake with scallions as an appetizer. The pancake was wonderfully crispy and packed with ingredients. My husband wasn't a fan of the octopus tentacles, but it didn't bother me! Lol For my entrée, I ordered the Yook Gae Jang which is the spicy beef brisket soup with green onions and vermicelli noodles. If you like spicy food, this definitely has a bit of a kick to it! I also love vermicelli noodles so it was a perfect addition to this soup. Overall, we had a delicious meal and it was a nice change from the usual Korean BBQ. A bonus tip: if you don't live nearby in Mesa like I do, swing by Best Hong Kong Dining and grab some roast duck or roast pork to go for a delicious treat later in the week.

Haven't been Hodori for so long, but I think their food tastes better than before. Banchans are simple but all yummy and healthy, I got to try their Mixed (beef and seafood) tofu soup and traditional bulgogi. Tofu soup was yummy, broth was good and traditional bulgogi was huge with glass noodles and lots of veggies. It was a bit sweet, but was yummy! Service was ok though, it took them like 15 minutes to give us check..

One of my favorite restaurants in the valley! Any time I find out a friend hasn't been before I have to take them. The prices are super reasonable, especially for the huge portions they give. I also appreciate the generous portions of banchan that come with each meal. I usually get the yook gae jang (spicy beef soup) or nakji dol pan (spicy octopus on rice), both of which are amazing. This time around, I got the yook gae jang along with the sea food pancake, which is also a must for an appetizer, very crispy and overall just great texturally and flavor wise! Service is reasonable, it can be a little hectic at busy hours, but it's really not an issue. I recommend this place to anybody, especially if you're with friends as the portions are huge and shareable!

Ordered to go the bibimbap #27 item in the menu. I got it cold but you can also get it hot which is also listed on the menu. Picked up within 15 minutes of ordering on a Saturday afternoon before the dinner rush. When I got there I was immediately helped by someone at the cash register. Bibimbap and the side dishes were AMAZING! So flavorful and the sizes were very generous. I absolutely loved it.

First time at Hodori and we had a small feast. We got the kimchi jun, pan fried potstickers, bulgogi and Kimchi fried rice. Everything was really good, no complains! My favorite was the kimchi fried rice, I made it spicy and it was so good. Everything was really flavorful, great portion size, lots of side dishes to eat with our meal. The bulgogi was seasoned and tender, we ate with the side dishes and rice. I can't wait to be back and try different dishes.

Very awesome food, the flavors just stand out! The bulgogi was very good, way too much fat though. All of the food was amazing. Service was really good, employees ate super nice. The restaurant is nice its self 9/10 overall!

So upset we did not try this place sooner!! One of the best Korean food spots we've found. They had all our favorite banchan (side dishes), tons of kalbi and yummy spicy bulgogi chicken. Don't forget to get add beef soondubu. We definitely will be coming back to this location. The place was packed and it's quite large with lots of seating. The service wasn't the fastest but again, it was a busy Saturday that we decided to go have lunch. Great food will keep this place busy and in business for a long time!

Hodori is such a gem in Mesa! The food here is absolutely delicious--the kalbi is especially amazing, so flavorful and tender. Every dish I've tried has been tasty and super filling. The service is always good, and the staff is very friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better. I also appreciate that their to-go orders are just as fresh and flavorful as dining in.

What a gem in Phoenix! One of the best Korean restaurants I've had, ever! (Not just in AZ!). We went on a Saturday afternoon and it was busy, so seems Hodori is quite popular. The service is really friendly and helpful, but they are stretched a little thin servicing all the tables. There is a great variety of food at very fair prices, and everything I had was great! Seafood pancake: one of the best I've had. Very crispy and light, great flavor Bosam: a simple dish by nature so the flavor comes down to the accompaniments, and they delivered! Bean paste was delicious. Seasoned Napa cabbage was also very good. Kalbi: REALLY good! Savory and a little sweet, perfect flavor. Bibim bap: I got the bibim bap with kalbi instead of bulgogi. Nothing to complain about, very good. All the banchan was great as well. Definitely check Hodori out!

Solid Korean spot in Mesa. Located in a small complex with other restaurants so there is ample parking. The space is pretty large and there was no wait for lunch on the weekend. We got a tofu soup, dolsot bibimbap, and a haemul pajeon. Everything was standard flavor wise and left nothing to be desired. Bibimbap quantity was a little lacking though as it wasn't filled completely, though that did make it easier to mix. The galbi they used in it was tender. Large Cass and sake was $10 bucks which was solid to go with the meal. Would recommend.

Food was amazing! Great spot in Mesa to get korean comfort food. Love how the place has pictures of their dish, very inviting. Staff are all attentive and would check on you to make sure you enjoy what you ordered.

Loved everything about this visit! The service was good, atmosphere is casual, and food is 10/10! I loved all the food items and would get them again. There was a lot of flavor and authenticity to it all. I would highly recommend the boneless short rib and the kimchi pancake! You can't go wrong with any menu item here.

Delicious food Cold noodles soup excellent Banchan five stars Service very good Price reasonable

I don't go to Mesa very often but know it's meant to be a mecca for good Korean food. I reached out to a Korean friend to ask his opinion and he said, "hands down Hodori". I have to agree. It was a friday night and it was hopping. Despite the crowd, we were seated pretty promptly. Our server was friendly and helped me order. I put photos below but unfortunately cannot remember the names of the dishes. It was very good. We were served promptly and I will definitely go back. My husband ordered an eel dish which was not to my liking but that's about me and not about the restaurant.

First of all food is excellent and prices are reasonable, but service is pretty bad. They only had 2 servers working . Hard to get anyone's attention to get more napkins and couple more of the side dishes. No one ever came around to check to see if we needed anything. Food-9. Service-3

Authentic Korean dishes - my friends and I ordered tokbuki (spicy rice cakes with veggies and fish cakes), bibimbap on hot stone, kimchi fried rice, and kalbi. Everything was delicious, they seemed to be understaffed this last time I went, they were really busy, the staff is always friendly. I love that they have huge photos of their dishes on the wall. Must try!

Ordered takeout from here while I was in town. Got the special sundubu jjigae, which had beef, prawns, and mussels. It was still steaming hot when I got back to my hotel 15 minutes away and they packed the banchan so nicely, I was impressed. Everything tasted amazing, as well. The banchan were all fresh and delicious. It was quite busy when I picked up around 7pm on a Tuesday, but they cranked out my order quickly. Great spot, will definitely return.

Food was ok. Service was horrible. Ordered seafood pancake and chicken bulgoi. Seafood pancake was burnt but too hungry to wait for a remake. Waited 20 minutes and the table right behind us sat down at about 16 minutes in and they received their seafood pancake about 4 minutes after us. Excuse was the kitchen is busy. B.S.

Ordered the ham tofu soup w/o green onions in spicy and it was great. Very comforting to eat and had a nice kick to it. Decently affordable too! Service did take slightly long but admittedly it was pretty busy today.

There is definitely a reason why this place got best Korean in Phoenix! Might not be much in terms of ambiance but the food is incredible. We got their tofu soups and wow they were delicious. This is a place I'll come back to anytime I am in AZ now

Food is amazing and has great lunch specials Def recommend! Is a bit hard for larger groups serviced becomes slower and took longer than usual to be served.

Authentic Korean restaurant in Mesa. We had a variety of dishes and all of them were good - Bosam Appetizer (boiled Pork Belly with Napa Cabbage, spicy noodles, garlic slices, spicy pepper sauce), Seafood Pancake (a very crispy version perfect for dipping), Spicy Cold Noodles (large bowl), and a Combo of Spicy Pork with Mushroom Pork Tofu Soup (very good). Decent service with constant resupply of water and clearing of plates.

We had a great experience here tonight, the food was amazing, we will be back for sure, thank you !!!

my fav korean place in az . very close to what yoh can get in koreantown in LA. portion was huge we split between 2 of us and still have leftovers

One of the best cuisines I have tasted my whole life shout out to the staff and management always friendly. Amazing service food is out of this world !!!

I was quite disappointed with my recent visit. The service and food quality have both declined noticeably. After placing my order, no one checked in to see if I needed anything, and even when I made a request, it was forgotten. The food wasn't as good as it used to be, and overall, the experience didn't feel worth the cost. I hope the restaurant can improve, but unfortunately, I don't plan to return for now.

Absolutely LOVE this place! This was the first time we stopped in for dinner since we usually come by for lunch and it was completely packed and the vibe was lively inside. Our server was very friendly and gave us some great recommendations. The food always tastes very fresh and full of vibrant flavors.

I go here all the time honestly my favorite place to eat. I went here for my birthday and had a wonderful time! The foods delicious and you always will have leftovers. The service is great we get water refills often! Honestly i have a obsession with the food here. I try to come every weekend and the food is always great. The atmosphere is so friendly. You always see people and sometimes have to wait for a table. The foos is so good!!!! Honestly i eat usually then take pictures as i cant help myself!

We were promptly greeted upon entering and shown to a table. The food came out quickly and everything was absolutely delicious! The Korean wine is a must try! The flavors were so unique unlike any kind of wine you'd try in the US or Europe. The atmosphere of the restaurant was what you would expect for a small, local, authentic restaurant. Prices were reasonable as well. Definitely recommend giving this place a try if you're hungry for some Korean food in a laid back place.

We ate dinner around 6pm on a Tuesday and this place was busy. We were seated immediately and at the last table. The menu had a lot of choices and a lot sounded good. We ordered the Mushroom Soon Tofu with Beef ($13.95) (added ramen noodle for $1.50), the Sam Gyup Sal ($20.95), and the Chicken Bulgogi ($20.95). I don't see a lot of places that had Chicken Bulgogi so we ordered that. The staff were nice to us as well. The place was large and lighting was low. The food came out slowly. The Mushroom Soon Tofu with Beef was good and hot the spot on a chilly day. The Sam Gyup Sal (pork belly) was good and the Chicken Bulgogi was delicious with the char taste to it. I would recommend any of those if you can't decide on what to order. The food was good and we will be back in the future to try other food on the menu.

I haven't been here in nearly twenty years, but it's exactly the same as it was the last time I was here (which I count as a good thing). I had my old favorite, the bulgogi lunch special. Three perfectly cooked meats with the most amazing flavor and spices. Probably the most pleasant surprise was that I don't think the price had changed one cent in all that time.

I visited Hodori and was enjoying my meal until I noticed something fall from the ceiling. To my dismay, it was a roach. This really put a damper on my experience. The seafood pancake and pork belly appetizers were good, but seeing a roach fall from above was pretty gross. We finished our meal quietly and left. I wish I had mentioned it to the staff, but unfortunately I did not do so. Not sure if I'll be back.