Mama Kims

Hidden gem in downtown Charleston! We all got the hibachi plates, so flavorful and delicious. Definitely a hole in the wall dive. They have tables, but the ambience isn’t anything fancy. However, that adds to the charm. Probably a great place to get takeout, lots of people were picking up orders. The plate came with teriyaki chicken, fried rice, and onions and zucchini. The chicken was chopped up super small and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet. They produce yum yum sauce for no extra cost. The plate was about $18, which I think was a fair price. Would 10/10 recommend if you’re craving hibachi!

So good!! You must try it! We couldn’t stop eating! Portions are great and so much flavor! I have the shrimp and broccoli with fried rice. Not much ambiance and they need a better ventilation system but hands down I will be back. It’s THAT good! Flavor town!

The food here was delicious. It was my first time here, and I will be returning. I wasn't crazy about the dumplings but the hibachi dinner with chicken, shrimp,steak, veggies and fried rice was really good. I enjoyed the food and the service was great as well.

Mama Kim’s is an absolute hidden gem that deserves way more love. With plenty of vegetarian options, it’s a dream come true for anyone craving flavorful Korean food without compromising on diet. Every bite felt like a piece of heaven—so good it literally put me in a trance. And don’t even get me started on the side dishes—each one was absolutely perfect and added to the experience in the best way. Highly, highly recommend this spot to anyone who appreciates real Korean flavor done right.

So nice! I got the bi bim bap and beef dumplings and it’s so good. I recommend coming here! Food and service is awesome.

The food was so delicious and savory, the rice was so fluffy and perfect everything was cooked so well, and the service was amazing and kind, I highly recommend trying this place if you are in the area

We were pleasantly surprised how good everything was. As my son took us there for our first time for noodles even though I’m not a big noodle fan I loved the filet Mignon bowl and other items on the menu. The owner came out personally to greet us which was very impressive.

Portion sizes were perfect. I got the beef bulgogi and the filet and mushroom bowl. When I tell you that this meal made me eat all of my veggies, I mean it! This place is so delicious that it even has me craving the bean sprouts. Highly recommend! Can't wait to go again.

Ughhh I wish I could give this place a better rating since the ladies seemed sweet, but it was just okay. I'm often in Northern Virginia or Ellicott City Maryland and I'm surrounded by hundreds of amazing Korean restaurants. I fly to Los Angeles several times a year and have tried dozens of Korean restaurants in the West Coast as well. I tried the Tteokbokki here (rice cakes) and it was just alright... a little too sweet for my liking. Another thing that caught me off guard was the pricing - almost everything was damn near $20 a dish. How does a small mom & pop charge that much for regular Korean food. The rent must be high for them to tax the food that high... you guys should still support this small business if you have money to spend; the Noonas are very nice!

My husband thought the hibachi was not very good, "C for quality," is how he described it. The bi-bim-bap was alright; not as good as 843 in North Charleston. The edamame portion is a rip off... you get way more at a nice sushi restaurant for the same price. It's the type of place where you order/pay, then get your own beverages/forks/napkins/etc., and find a seat, bus your own table... as in no service besides bringing your food to the table. Not going to be a regular but would come back if downtown and craving Korean food.

My friend and I were walking through this area and saw that this place had Korean food, so we stopped by to get take out. I got the Bulgogi Bibimbap and my friend got the Green Onion Pancake. We waited inside for our food, wait time wasn't bad. Interior is kind of dated. I liked the Green Onion Pancake. The pancake is pretty thick, but I like how much pancake you get per bite. It was tasty. The sauce for the pancake was good, maybe a little too salty but good nonetheless. My bibimbap had a couple of sides, but I was disappointed at the amount of bulgogi beef I had. For the overall price of my entree, it felt too expensive to pay for half a serving of beef. The bibimbap tasted okay to me. Alright but not amazing. Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5/5.

Great food and quick service. The food tasted very authentic and was priced fair for downtown. Check this place out.

This restaurant is my newest favorite spot in Charleston. The Ramen soup is the best I even had. The atmosphere is quant and the staff is warm and friendly.

Ordered scallion pancakes expecting what I'm used to and got a pancake very thick. It came with soy sauce not a sauce that usually comes with it. Not a pleasant texture at all. Shard it and thoughts were the same. Nope.

I had mama Kim a lot when I was in college at CofC and there habichi is really good. I had the japchae for the first time as well as the green onion pancake. Both weren't bad but they weren't my favorite. The japchae usually comes with beef. But I got it without. (They don't let you substitute a protein) which is fine. It was filling and came with an unnecessary side in my opinion. The saucy was too salty in my opinion snd was overpowering. The green onion pancake is different from other Korean pancakes I have had. It's usually crispy and this one was fluffier. Overall I have had better unfortunately.

I'm from Orange County in Southern CA and was vacationing in S Carolina for a week. My daughter and I were craving Korean food and we came across Mama Kim's while shopping on King Street. The service was great and the food amazing and authentic. We had the bulgogi and kimchi jigae. Both were delicious and as a native Korean, born and raised in an area of CA that is a plethora of Kfood and culture and raised by my grandmother, a Korean immigrant, I can truly say that this was as authentic as you can get. Don't hesitate to try Mama Kim's!!

The pancake appetizer was absolutely delicious. The "mud" noodles were out-of-this-world good. The workers were friendly and very helpful. Try it. You'll be impressed.

Came all the way from Greenville to eat again at Mama Kim's. Ordered like always the spicy pork bulgogi. Was disappointed with the size of the food. Compared to last year the portion shrunk. The taste was the next shocker for us. It had a bad siracha flavor. THAT doesn't belong into Korean bbq!!! Never going back again!!!

Good experience at Mama Kims. The prices are alright. We ordered bibimbap and it's good but not out of this world. Hit this place up if you want quick no fuss service. But the people who work there are good.

The best food we had in Charleston!! The service was amazing as well! Please stop by this gem. Thank you!!

Great food! The atmosphere is ok when you walk in but don't let it deter you. The Korean bulgogi is bomb! Generous amount of meat!

I feel the four stars are a bit high for this place. Taste wise it reminded me of a Panda Express, I got the steak fried rice bowl and it was really lacking in flavor depth. My husband got the bulgolgi beef and his was much tastier and a much bigger portion. Mine came in a small bowl and wasn't filled as much as I think it should've been for $14. It's a sit down restaurant but no wait staff really. Won't be returning but if you're in need of food and enjoy Panda Express you might like it here as well

Tired food, hard fried rice and a dirty dining area. We tried the bolgogi thinking it was their signature dish and it was okay. would not go again.

I feel like I just got ROBBED at Mama Kim's. My family has been going there for at least 5 years. I ordered ramen (lived in Japan for 5 years and South Korea for 2 years...I love authentic ramen and ventured out at Mama Kim's). It was $11. They served me spicy beef ramen from what I am convinced was a ONE DOLLAR PACKET (see picture). No beef. No soft boiled egg. Not other added character. Nope, just a tiny bit of scrambled egg and couple of chives. Seriously?! 1100% markup on ramen. Just don't serve ramen! Do better, Mama Kim! (Note: I'll still go for Mama Kim's bibimbap.)

Stopped at Mama Kim's for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. I ordered a bibimbap and my companion a chicken bulgogi. We also ordered sodas as there is a machine where you can pour your own. My go-to soda is diet coke and I was disappointed that it was totally flat. I dont like non-diet soda and there were no other alternatives so i ended up just drinking flat soda. The food was rather disappointing. The kimchi and side dishes were tasty for the mains were rather bland. I had to ask for additional bibimbap sauce to have any taste on the food but, but it was not great and the egg was overcooked. The place is not very well taken care of and could use some renovations. For the price, there are a lot of places downtown with better food and ambiance.

Food didn't taste bad at all. I'd say it's better than most fast service Asian cuisine I've tried. Unfortunately, it's very overpriced. The service is nice though. The ambiance is very casual. A lot of college students and faculties.

We ate here for lunch and it was just what we were hoping to find! Lots of delicious Korean flavors in my pork bulgogi and my husband's chicken bulgogi with fried rice. I got white rice, which was sticky enough to use chopsticks with ease. Plenty of fun sides to enhance the meal: spicy zucchini, kimchi, plus sprouts and marinated veggies. Lunch was under $40 and we left quite happy.

Really good food but a little too expensive. The price is on par with a traditional hibachi restaurant and this is mostly a take-out joint. The staff was friendly and they obviously have a sense of humor.

Really good. Can't get much better than the teriyaki chicken I ordered here. Service was pretty quick considering the huge line we had. Ambiance was okay, average I suppose, nothing really to be complained about for sure.

The food itself is really yummy. I like the bulgogi rice bowl. but the atmosphere is lacking, so I always just get it to go. I've had some issues with getting not as many sauces promised, having to wait a long time to get someone to greet me, etc. Also, the prices are outrageous for the food. Compared to fire grill next door and other similar Asian restaurants in Charleston, this one is significantly more.

I was in Charleston from out of town on business and got a recommendation from a co-worker about visiting this place. He had ordered from there and the break room smells amazing. So when I got off work I went down there and it's a very small restaurant kind of tucked away on King Street. And walking in doesn't look like very much. But the food is delicious! The service was great, very fast, very friendly, great recommendation for what to eat. I got the bulgogi beef with traditional sides and their kimchi is phenomenal. The bulgogi had great flavor without being too overdone. Very tender very tasty. For some reason this app won't let me attach a picture to this review

I love korean food, I always do. When I eat on a korean restaurant for the first time, I always get bibimbap. The bibimbap was good, the veggies are seasoned great and not overcooked but I wish they added more meat on it. I probably had like 5-7 pieces of beef on my bibimbap which is a little bit sad. My husband ordered beef bulgogi, and this is what really disappointed both of us. It was served on a sizzling plate and there is no sauce to sizzle. It was really dry and lacked flavor. It should be savory and a little sweet. On the positive note, the banchan is great, the kimchi is really good. (Yep, better than the best store bought you can get.). The pickled radish and bean sprouts is a great way to cleanse the palate and give the dish a good crunch. Egg on the bibimbap is cooked perfectly, runny yolk with crispy sides.

Paid $20 for Bibimbap that was a box full of rice and 3 small pieces of meat. Pictures on their website were clearly taken from Google. Way overpriced for what you get. Not the same since the Real Mama Kim sold the business.

The food was absolutely amazing, light, healthy flavors, but so filling. My boyfriend says their yummy sauce is the best.

I was so excited to come here since the bf said that he used to come all the time during college. Ordering the food was strange already when we noticed add $3 for hot stone bimbimpap and the dude said well you also get more food then does the slight walk away cuz we took a little to figure out what we wanted. After ordering we asked for the soda cup and he gave us a water cup, forgetting that we ordered a drink ..... then food came. what the crap was this? bimbimpap's meat was sooooooo meager. Any korean restaurant wouldn't serve this absurd meager portion. Legit felt like they got 1 piece and cut it up into 6-7 small pieces to fill the 1/10th side of the large bowl. The entire bowl was filled with rice.... trying to do a cover up. Then came tteok buki, tastes gross. watered down and rice cake was over cooked/soggy. no egg... just not your typical korean rice cake dish. Honestly I get it, you might be recovering from covid or whatever, don't cut corners like this? it's so obvious and the price was helllllaaaa overprice for what we got. I'm not coming back. no thanks. go somewhere else for korean food

Great place for Korean food. I wish the prices on the ribs and some of the other items were a little cheaper. $35 for Gal-bi is crazy. Service is par for what it is. Gets busy when college is back in. Ambiance, not much lol

Ordered 3 dishes with Korean sides, received 1 set of sides. Asked for more sides, had to pay extra for food I should have received. The owners are very rude.

The veggies & tofu had a sweet taste, but not overwhelmingly sweet or unnatural. It had some of the best sauce I've ever tasted. The portion was great, and I'm not from SC but if I came back I would definitely be excited to return. My boyfriend loved his beef bulgogi too, and loved the unlimited white sauce (in restaurant).

Food was good and good portion size for a lunch menu but still kinda overpriced. It's expected downtown tho. Me and my friend got the beef bulgolgi

Best Place to eat while having a shopping day and becoming very hangry haha. Love Mama Kim's

My grandson absolutely loves Hibachi. We visited Mama Kim's yesterday at dinnertime. We ordered the Deep fried Yaki-Mandu Korean Dumplings, the steak and mushroom and shrimp and broccoli bowls. The food was hot, delicious and simple. The sauces are all homemade and the white sauce is savory not sweet. Mama Kim delivered our dumplings and she was very friendly and kind. We will definitely make a return visit.

Jap chae was incredible! Ive never had it before so i may be biased but, amazing!! Would return

I really enjoyed my meal at Mama Kim's. It seems to be a little overlooked because it's a hole in the wall, but the experience was wonderful. The best dish of the night was the bulgogi. We ordered the Mama's deal for 2 which came with a combo of beef, pork, and chicken bulgogi, as well as beef japchae and white rice and traditional Korean side dishes known as banchan. We also ordered beef dumplings with fried sweet potatoes, beef bibimbap, and a green onion pancake. The banchan included spicy fermented zucchini, pickled radish and carrots, two things of bean sprouts but from different plants I believe, spinach with garlic, kimchi, and some other shredded pickled spicy veggie but I'm not sure what veggie it is. I would say that if you're adventurous and like fermented veggies, get the banchan, but if you aren't a big fan of that, get the hibachi veggies instead. I also recommend that you have a tolerance for spicy food. The best part of the dinner was actually meeting mama Kim. She was a sweetheart and she really looks out for the college kids in Charleston. I'd go back just for her. Overall, I think this was a really authentic Korean experience and I hope to come here again if I get to visit Charleston again. (Also the photos included are not the full meals, some dishes have already been eaten when the photos were taken) TLDR; Mama Kim's has great bulgogi and you get an authentic Korean experience with the side dishes and the sweet owner. 4/5 stars, would come again.

The food here is good. Mama Kim is always very active on the scene she greets her guests. I can remember coming here since they was at the other location. Always a good place to eat hibachi food. The white sauce taste different but it was still good over my food. I should have said no onions or a little bit of onions. Seem like I got one big onion to myself lol. I ordered The chicken and shrimp dinner 3 of them price was over $60 bucks. If u pay cash you get a cup to get something to drink with your food.

Called in an order at 430, came in at 530, then they STARTED making my order. My bud passed as the handed me my food, as if I didn't call in an hour early. Guess if just sit at this bus stop for 50 minutes. Are the employees def or dumb? How hard is it to take an order at 430, fire it at 520, and serve it at 530? Do I get paid for the hour you made me waist???

We are traveling with some friends from Ohio to Charleston for Memorial Weekend, and came across this place after we walked up and down King St. searching for a quick bite with vegetarian options. We were impressed by the down-to-earth and wholesome atmosphere of the restaurant, as it's a long-standing local favorite. We loved seeing the photos of customers on the wall and enjoyed reading about the history of the place. It's lovely to see Asian businesses thrive in the South, especially this one because it's simple and homey. I ordered the Beef Bulgogi that came with two sides and white rice. The kimchi and the bean sprouts were savory but not too spicy, which I preferred. My friends ordered tofu stir-fry and vegetarian dumplings. They loved the stir-fry but found the dumplings overfried. They also took 30+ minutes for our food, which was a bit long, but it was worth the wait. If you like a quick, comfortable bite while traveling in Charleston, nothing too complex, this place is for you.

Went to CO across the street where no one greeted us and they gave us COLD dumplings. Left, came to Mama Kim's and had some delicious spicy beef ramen and chicken udon (my favorite) for way cheaper and way cooler staff. If that's not 5 stars idk what is.

We love Mama Kim and her food. Hole in the wall spot in the heart of King St, this is well worth the trip. They do have more traditional Korean and Japanese dishes but the best portion and taste is none other than the chicken hibachi bowl!! Also, they love cash. Check this place out for a quick bite, you won't regret it

It is easy to find. Friendly staff. Delicious food. The atmosphere is relaxed. It was easy to walk to.

Perhaps the only true Korean restaurant within 100 miles of Charleston. Soonduboo, bibimbap, bulgogi, japchae, you name it, they got it. It's coming up on 2 years since I've first started going here and I love them more and more each time. Upon entry, you're greeted by a setup of tables along the sides with a long counter spanning the length of the restaurant all the way to a secondary dining area towards the back. Staff here are very friendly and although management has changed hands since I first ate here, you can still see the OG Mama Kim chef'ing it up in the kitchen. I really enjoy the food here and it almost feels like I'm back in koreatown in Los Angeles sometimes. I come here and order a lot, but you get a very decent almost in all the dishes. Certain things you can order come with the traditional side dishes like kimchi and greens, and sometimes rice. They do not have the traditional purple grain brown rice that many traditional Korean restaurants carry, but they have a hibachi style fried rice as well as white rice. Their drinks include Coca Cola products, sweet tea, and of course soju. For those of you who have never heard of soju, it is an amazing flavored rice spirit that can be likened to Malibu mixed with a fruit juice, but better. It is hard to find soju here with the only other places I'm aware of being 843 KBBQ and Burning 99 KBBQ/HOTPOT. Definitely take a look at the Mama Kim's Special for 2 which includes Beef, Spicy Pork, and Chicken bulgogi (any of which can be swapped out for more of a specific one you enjoy more), 2 bowls of rice, the kimchi sides, and an order of the japchae. The japchae here is really really good and a must have if going with multiple people. I say that because the order is quite big. If you have already tried their japchae, you'd like their udon noodle stir fry. Their noodle game is on point. If going alone, the bibimbap is really hard to pass up, and they do it legit in the stone bowl too. If you are looking for a truly, authentic Korean restaurant in Charleston, Mama Kims is the go-to. They are my one and only, and I hope you find a new favorite in them.

A cute quiet spot to enjoy very yummy food, fast service, and amazing environments. I cant wait to come back again next time i'm visiting charleston.

Outstanding Korean food and such great service! If you like Korean food this is a must stop shop!

WOW. As an Asian-American, this has got to be the BEST fried rice I've ever had in my life. So many ingredients. So many tastes. You wouldn't even be able to tell that they just threw some plain rice onto an oily skillet and tossed some soy sauce onto it. I was just tossing and turning in bed right now just thinking about how incredible it was. I couldn't fall asleep without leaving a review.

finally decided to try mama Kim's. she wasn't there. looked like a bunch of college kids. ordered one meal with filet and one meal with veggiea. one order of fried dumplings. $44 approx plus tip. got home. one entree with filet and some soggy ass tempura veggies. that's a lot of money for one entree.

I had Mama Kim's one time and I was pleasantly surprised. However, this past time when I dined inside, I did not have a good experience. First off, "mama Kim" herself was very rude to us, and I thought she would be extra nice as I came with my Korean friend. I have heard a lot of things about her being rude to customers so I did not know what to expect. We got the tubokki (spicy rice cakes) and egg rolls (which is their version of the dumplings/gyoza) that came with sweet potato cakes. The tubokki was not good and fresh at all! You could tell it was frozen and you could barely chew it. The dumplings and potato cakes were pretty good though (pretty hard to mess that up). I got the beef bulgogi and it was super dry and not very flavorful. I was surprised because when I got it last time IT WAS SO GOOD!! It had so many fatty pieces on it as well which grossed me out. The fried rice that came with it was cold (not like how it was last time). It was so yummy when I had it last time. I know I am kind of an Asian food snob being from Atlanta and having really good authentic places unlike Charleston, but Mama Kim's let me down! My Korean friend I came with was like THIS ISN'T GOOD. So that's how you know it's not very authentic. Maybe I just had a very bad experience, but based on that, I would definitely not return. Their staff needs to be much nicer or they will lose a lot of customers.

There's not a lot of Asian restaurants in downtown Charleston so when I saw this I wanted to get a carry out but ended up eating there instead. I ordered a tofu and vegetable stir fry and it was delicious. Mama Kim added some banchan side dishes since I was eating there and they were all good. Nice friendly service as well. So glad I found this place!

YOU MUST COME HERE!!!! I have been to Korea and the food wasn't this good. Really. We yelp stalked the local places and this hole in the wall, although there is really a lot seating in the back, did not disappoint. We knew by the number of college students it must be either inexpensive or good. It was both. Portions were really big and the flavors were great. From the Chicken Teriyaki​ to the Bee Bim Pop it was flavorful and well prepared. And hey there is nothing like Mama Kim herself stirring your food to make sure you mix it up correctly. Yes, there is a Mama Kim and she made the rounds to our table. This experience is why I love Yelp. The app lets​ me know it existed and the community lets​ me know the deets. Wish Mama Kim was on my block. I will be back next trip. @kodiak_kuisine