Kalbi Social Club

Definitely try this place! Quality of meat is fantastic. Banchan is fresh, tasty, and unlimited. Yes, it’s pricey but you would have to put in effort to not leave full, if not overly stuffed like you would after a holiday meal. The only criticism is the salad is a waste - very Americanized and not enough dressing - and the shake kimchi is super fresh - which is great for people that love crunch and to avoid sour/aged kimchi.

I absolutely love Kalbi Social Club located at the Irvine Spectrum. It opened its doors in late November. I like that it is an elevated Korean BBQ restaurant. My cousin and niece have been wanting me to try this restaurant. It is totally worth it. We ordered the Combo K which is good for 2-3 people. There were four of us. So we ended up ordering another meat dish-LA Style Kalbi, Crispy Potato Pancake and another bag of Kimchi. This was definitely enough for 4 people. Featured: Drinks Cloudy Hanging River $16 Soju, Milkis, Blue Curacao Syrup, Lemon Juice, Cotton Candy Mak-Sey Old Fashion $18 Combo-K $109.99 Brisket Rib Eye KSC Premium Kalbi 48 Hr Seasoned Rib Shake That Kimchi Soy Bean Stew Steamed Egg LA Style Kalbi $55.99 Crispy Potato Pancake $17 Shake Kimchi 4 Combo Dessert Fire 📍529 Spectrum Drive Irvine, CA 92618

We’ve been here several times, and it feels only right to finally leave a review after consistently great experiences. As a fan of Korean BBQ, I used to gravitate toward AYCE spots, but this place has completely won me over. The atmosphere is modern and inviting, perfect for a relaxing meal or date. The food quality here is on another level compared to typical AYCE KBBQ. Everything tastes fresh and well-prepared, and the portion sizes are generous. We usually go with the K menu and are never disappointed (one of my favorites is the 48-hour marinade). The service has been outstanding. We’ve had multiple servers over our visits, all of whom have been warm, attentive, and friendly. Most recently, we were helped by Esther, who was especially welcoming and made the experience even better. We also enjoy sitting near the bar, where the chefs are not only skilled but also friendly and engaging. One thing we also noticed is the presence of a gentleman who seems to be a manager. He’s always on top of things, stepping in to help wherever needed and ensuring everything runs smoothly. That level of attention really stands out. This has officially become our favorite spot at the Spectrum; for the best experience make a reservation ahead of time!

03/21/2025 - What a BLESSED surprise. Our first time to try Kalbi Social Club. It seemed a bit pricey when we looked at the menu, BUT it's worth every dollar we spent there. Tiffany, our server was FANTASTIC. She was so nice, friendly, catering and has a pleasant attitude. The food was FLAVORFUL, and Tiffany cooked our meats just perfectly. We enjoy eating at Korean BBQ restaurants for the variety and taste, BUT Kalbi Social Club is now our new STANDARD. THANKS Tiffany and Kalbi Social Club for the BEST Korean BBQ experience.

First time here and it was a neat experience. The food was good, but not GREAT. Flavor was good, pricing was a bit high, and bummed out the salad that comes with the combo was an extremely small portion for 4 people (with no refills). The potato salad was flavorful. The steamed egg was yummy and huge. I actually enjoyed the non fermented kim chi a LOT. I realized I like it more than regular kim chi. The rib eye was tender and flavorful. I got a gin and tonic and it wasn't that great. Honestly, I'm glad I got to try this place. It isn't somewhere I would go on a regular basis because I would personally prefer a traditional KBBQ place. If you haven't been, it's worth a try.

Came here for a mom’s night out with 2 other girlfriends. 1. We got the combo set S for the 3 of us to share. It was more than enough. We were recommended to go with the table side sauce which did not disappoint. They cook everything for you and the grill was awesome because the room was not filled with smoke. The premium Kalbi was the best. Should have started with that first but the marinade was good. 2. Crispy Cheese Potato Pancake was so good. Kind of heavy because it’s potatoes and cheese but crispiness was perfect and I loved the sauce. 3. House made Kalbi Mandu was so good and juicy. Onion toppings was perfect too. 4. Dongchimi noodles were good and the flowers were a nice artistic touch. Was not as vinegary as I prefer and unfortunately they didn’t have any to provide on request. 5. Fresh shake that kimchi was pretty good with the sauce. Kind of cool that it comes in a bag and they shake it up. 6. Loved the service. Everyone was very attentive. We had dinner at 4:15 though but we were there almost a solid 2 hours. They got us water when we asked and we were asked if everything was going well several times. We got everything we asked for in a timely manner. 7. Drinks we got Makgeolli (Sang is the brand). It was pretty good. And the Creamy Makgeolli Shake tastes like an alcoholic horchata. Sweet but good. 8. Combos come with a dessert too- vanilla ice cream with a cute yakgwa snack. Side notes: the jalapeño sauce that comes out with the Banchan was good and spicy. Also we requested sesame oil for the salt and pepper. They also provided samjang on request. Had to knock off one star because I think the brisket was overcooked a bit because it was dry. This also could have been us because we were talking a lot over dinner- so that that star reduction with a grain of salt. The overall lighting is good- not too dark and it was not noisy at all. Def can have a nice conversation without yelling.

Kalbi is right night to tender greens. Don’t do the rookie mistake where I parked by target and made the trek to Kalbi. Server was super friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. Will come back for their amazing kbbq

I visited during my trip to LA and I loved the quality and the details of the menus. Especially geotjeori(shake kimchi) which is a side dish that we eat so much in Korea, was a nice touch to be interpreted like this. Kalbi and dongchimi(cold noodles with radish soup) was delicious!! Great place to meet up with friends, family, or even for casual business meetings.