Muguboka Restaurant

Korean barbecue restaurant · Inner Richmond

Muguboka Restaurant

Korean barbecue restaurant · Inner Richmond

401 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118

Highlights

Homey, no-frills spot known for large portions of banchan (Korean side dishes) & other hearty fare.

401 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118 Get directions

@infatuation

"Ask us where to go for a relaxed Korean dinner, and the answer will be Muguboka. This place on Balboa and 5th Avenue in the Richmond is chill, quiet, and homey—basically, all the words you want to hear if a quick dinner alone or with a buddy is on the agenda, and you have an aversion to overly fussy. There’s always a table, a big screen TV that plays things like Wheel of Fortune on mute, and the staff is attentive and friendly. A constant stream of neighborhood regulars pack this place to fill up on comforting dishes. The tofu soup is perfectly velvety, with a balanced spicy-sour broth, and the kimchi pancake is full of flavor and not overly oily. And turn to the Korean BBQ section, where you’ll find a reasonably priced and well-charred galbi and a beautifully marinated bulgogi." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

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Christopher Lee

Google

The seafood pancake was definitely the best, it had a chewy center and good amount of crust. But most importantly, they actually packed it with seafood unlike other restaurants. The tofu soup was good, not overly impressive, only had abit of beef. You get a decently large amount of food for the price, but regardless it’s still expensive and NOT $20-30 per person.

Kirsten Dominique Lee

Google

Annyeong to whoever sees this!! Hands down the BEST korean restaurant as always! If you love KFOOD, this is the place to be! Their portions and prices are fair and great!! servers, cooks, owners are all so nice korean people which i love seeing! Love love their ppl and culture—Meaning you can really get a taste of authentic korean home-made food right here 😩🫶🏻 nothing artificial nor commercialized unlike any other kfood restos! No bias! if u love raw beef, their yuk hwe is a must!! SUPER DELICIOUS AND PORTION IS OVERLY BIG 🥰 best part is, they give you free fried dumplings on the house which is very sweet of them! Now, this is top tier real customer service ❤️ my husband and i always leave with our hearts and tummy full & happy!

MAHESAK KAEWTHONG

Google

This is my probably thousand times coming here hahahaha I just love the food so much and I love to say hi to everyone there! They are all ones of the most wonderful people I have ever met; very friendly and very smiley 😊 We ordered the same things we usually ordered as well; Dok Bokki, Daeji Bulkoki, Jap Chae and Seafood tofu soup 🍜 They are all soooooo good and tasty as always!!!!! 😋😋😋 Thank you so much for always filling our stomach with good and tasty food. I really feel like mama’s home cooking ❤️❤️❤️ The ambiance is so cozy and comfy; really feel like home 🏡 Highly recommended this Korean place as I think it is the best one in SF we have ever tried. We have been living here for always 10 years now and we will come back for more!! 🥰🥰

Nellie Bee

Google

Tasty food and excellent service! Their chap chae is a little bit soupy. Overall, great food! Highly recommended. Will definitely go back.

Lilizhu Lee

Google

I have been thinking for a long time if I should write this review. Because the place is exceptional in all area and we just wanna keep it for ourselves, but that would be such a selfish thought! Everyone should be able to taste good food because that is the happiest part in life for many of us :) This place has everything you ever asked for. They are family-owned restaurant and my husband and I love Korean food. We have tried so many and agreed on this one as the best one in SF! The taste is just right, not too tasty but tasty, not too spicy but spicy. All the tastes are balanced out so perfectly! Speaking of the environment and service, it feels like they are family to us! They are such a cute and kind family and I think kindness is kinda hard to find these days. We are so lucky we have lived just 2 blocks away from the restaurant. We would come here every week and every other week because we miss the food and we miss everyone who works there so much ♥️ If you love Korean food, you should not miss this place. It will be another perfect spot for you. It tastes just like mama’s home cooking to me 🥰 I would give 10 stars if they have 10 stars for us to fill! We’ll be back for more!!! 🫶🏻

Yulee Nguyen-Park

Google

Nestled in the quiet Inner Richmond, this homey Korean restaurant is definitely underrated. All the food we ordered was like someone’s Korean grandma cooked it for us. Portions were great, all the eemos were friendly, and I would say this is as authentic as you can get. Don’t waste your time on overpriced Korean food elsewhere! (Not pictured is the Soft Tofu Soup. It was healing :)

mai rabil

Google

Best Korean restaurant in the city. Food is consistently delicious every time we come. Portions are generous. Galbi jim is my go to. Service is good. Homey atmosphere. The best part is they always give us something that we don’t order on the house!! Be prepared to bring home some leftovers. Can’t recommend enough.

G. Kim

Google

Cozy neighborhood Korean joint frequented by many locals of all ages. We hadn't been here in 10+ years and the food has definitely improved. The kimchi jun and the ji gae (stews) are delicious. The dolsot bibimbaps lacked flavor (possibly due to mediocre gochujang sauce). Good variety of banchan, so-so flavor. Large portions in general. We did not try any of the grilled menu items (next time!). Service is gruff and somewhat efficient. Don't let that turn you off!