Kalbi Social Club

Kalbi Social Club was such a pleasant surprise. Service was great from start to finish and our server was friendly and attentive. The only odd moment was that the receptionist asked for my phone number and name to put me on the Yelp waitlist even though there wasn’t a wait. Not a big issue, just unexpected. We ordered the Butcher’s Experience, kimchi fried rice, and two drinks. Everything was delicious. There were lots of side dishes and the standout for me was the fresh kimchi that they shake in a bag and then serve on a plate. The meat was tender and flavorful and the kimchi fried rice was great as well. The drinks were fun and well made. My old fashioned was served in a bowl which I didn’t expect, but it tasted great. The ambience had mood lighting and was quiet and relaxed. The restaurant is located inside the mall. We walked around first to see what was available and ended up choosing this spot. Glad we did. There’s also a parking lot which made it convenient. I would definitely come back and try more items next time.

Really enjoyed my lunch at Kalbi Social Club last week. The spicy cold noodles and crispy potato pancake were both delicious. I also added a side of protein, the marinated short ribs, which is also much recommended. Service was great here as usual. Very nice looking restaurant and ambiance.

If you’re looking for elevated Korean BBQ in OC, Kalbi Social Club at the Irvine Spectrum is a must-try. The atmosphere is modern and lively, perfect for a night out with friends or a fun date spot. The cuts of meat are high quality, the flavors are bold, and the service is friendly and attentive — which made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. Definitely not your standard KBBQ — it feels more upscale but still approachable. I’d come back again with a bigger group to try more of the menu!

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.

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!

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

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.

The atmosphere at Kalbi Social Club was definitely a highlight — stylish, lively, and comfortable. The host at the front was welcoming and set a good tone for the evening. The food itself was pretty good, with a decent selection of meats and tasty sides. However, the service left something to be desired. Our server wasn’t exactly rude, but came off as inattentive and a bit dismissive. He was grilling the meat for us, but didn’t seem to care much about how it was cooked, and even tossed the receipt onto our table at the end without a word. Overall, not a bad place to try Korean BBQ, but the service could use more attention to make the experience feel truly enjoyable.

My boyfriend and I went here for a date night. We love Korean bbq and have tried over 10 places in OC, this is definitely top 3 for both of us. My Cons: It's pricier than most KBBQ in the area and no pork on the menu. The meats are high quality, but you're also paying for the ambiance and location of the spectrum. I love pork so I couldn't give full five stars. But it's in their name, Kalbi id their speciality! Pros: Appetizers are bomb, service was great, meat was very nicely done. Hayley was our server and she was amazing. We had a reservation and were going to be seated at the bar, I asked for a table and the hostess accommodated us very quickly! Hayley was very knowledgeable on the menu, explaining it throughly as it was our first time. We were in between a couple appetizers (corn ramen, dumplings, and potato pancake). We decided on the dumplings and Hayley recommended the pancake-which ended up being my boyfriend's fav appetizer! Kimchi was crunchy and fresh. Not as sour as traditional kimchi. I'm more of a fan of traditional but thought this kimchi was flavorful and crunchy for a good mouthfeel with the meats. Steamed egg was very fluffy. The brisket was nice and thin, was my second favorite meat of the meal. My boyfriend said this was the best brisket out of every KBBQ place we have tried. The table side marinated ribs were both of our favorite meat of the meal. Overall: a very nice KBBQ for a date night if you prefer beef focused KBBQ. Go for a set and bring your appetite!

This past Friday night my husband, daughter, our friend and I dined here for dinner. We made a reservation a couple hours ahead on open table (assuming it would be best for a Friday evening) and so happy we did! They were very busy, it took around 10-13 minutes to be sat after checking in. We didn't mind the small wait from seeing what we assumed was a manager actively helping guest to be sat and checking in with us when we will be sat and being apologetic for the wait. As soon as we sat we were greeted by our friendly server Julie. She walked us through the menu and gave a great recommendation for our unpredictable toddler! We ended up with getting the crowd pleaser with the second and third options for the meats. For our daughter the bulgogi fries with everything on the side. She loved being able to eat the fries and bulgogi separately. For our food, Julie cooked everything perfectly and had a lovely presentation! All of it tasted amazing. From the main meats, side dishes, egg and soup; My favorite was the shake that kimchi and the fact that they sell the bag is a huge plus !! (Currently eating it now on the couch thinking about the amazing experience) Lastly we got the shaved ice with ice cream but without the coffee, which I am so thankful they could be accommodating so our toddler could enjoy it too! I think just the condensed milk was perfect but that's just me hehe Thank you so much Julie ! From the moment we sat to the moment we left you were perfect and cannot wait to see you again girl !

Great food and wonderful service. The staff was amazing, with a special call-out to our waiter Nathan. Helped suggest the best sauce pairings and cooked every to perfection

I live in ktown in LA and this place has better quality meats than most of the KBBQ places I've eaten at in ktown. The ribeye and the kalbi were fire. They slice it perfectly and grill it for you and it's so tender and perfectly cooked and seasoned. I need to come back asap!!! No wait too but I recommend trying to get a reservation online if you can just in case it does get crowded - they have a lot of tables and seating inside though so walk-ins should be ok too. If not you can walk around Irvine Spectrum while you wait. fire fire fire our server Ray/Roy was the best too

Went out in search of a nice evening with my lady. Decided to give 'upscale ' Korean a try as something newish. The atmosphere is much nicer than normal k bbq as the air was very clean. As for the food it was nice, the meat was well marbled, a little less flavorful, but good quality. The ban chan was very good. Some new things I've not tried like unfermented fresh made Kim chee which I liked a lot (I really dislike fermented traditional Kim chee), fried burdock root, steamed egg, and cheese potato pancake were all quite good. For those not familiar w Korean style Julien potato's, they will not be deep fried, and fluffy like hash browns, expect something more like crispy par cooked potatoes. Service was slow to start. We had reservations at 5 and were not seated till like 520 even though place was 2/3 empty. But was well attentive once the food started coming. I'm always annoyed when they charge for steam rice, especially given the pricing. But all in all we liked coming out NOT smelling like charcoal grease and the food was good. I'll be back:)

I love this place. It's my second time here. Though it's pricey, they have some deals that help, sort of. Service is great. The people are so nice and you can make reservations here which is a plus. The sets are expensive but it's quality meat. They cook the meat for you, too, which is nice. When you order the sets, you can also add on one kimchi fried rice and one cold noodle for a cheaper price. If you order a second, though, it's at regular price. Wings: 8/10, good but not the star of the show. I would get it again, but it is a but expensive Cheesy potato pancake: 6/10. Not as good as I hoped and I don't think the sauce enhances it much. Still, pretty decent. Meat set: 8/10. I didn't like the first meat too much, but the last two meats were phenomenal. I feel like they could give you more vegetable though. Kimchi fried rice: 8/10. Really good and the egg is perfectly cooked so that the yolk can be mixed in easily. I love that it's served in a hot stone pot. Still, not the best kimchi fried rice I've ever had. Steamed egg: 9/10. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it's so fluffy and piled so high up Shaken kimchi salad: 9/10. So fresh and done right next to you in a bag which is cool. Banchan: 10/10 because of that burdock banchan. The banchan is excellent, especially the burdock. We couldn't get enough of it. They also have a bar section where you can order some foods, but not all are available there and you don't get the meat cooked in front of you there. Still a fun experience there.

Recomnended for good shaken kimchi, but its not really the best. I cannot figure out it is missing something that is different about their kimchi and all their banchans. It does have fish sauce but I think it is fish sauce and not korean anchovy or shrimp sauce. I aldo think they used more bell pepper powder and mixed with chilly pepper powder. The meats were good too, marinated kalbi was a bit on the sweeter side. There was like one off with everything served here and nothing really stood out. It was decent, good portion and in a pretty ambiance but for the price I think there are other options out there.

We enjoyed another birthday dinner here! 3 of our friends have never been to this restaurant and we told them how good it was...and I'm so glad it did not disappoint. This place is so perfect for celebrating because it's such a fun and interactive meal. We ordered the Royal Feast set and it was the perfect amount for 5 women. Our server Johnny was very attentive and took great care of us. We started with a variety of banchan and a fresh colorful salad with a light refreshing dressing. As we finished several of the delicious sides, Johnny was so generous with refilling each item. The only side dish that's not refillable is their specialty fresh shaken Kimchi that you can even purchase to go. Our Royal Feast included so many cuts of beef including brisket, prime steak and different types of Kalbi. My favorites are the 24 hour marinated and the table side marinated Kalbi. Although I loved the sweetness of the marinades, it was nice to balance out with the non marinated items that went really well with the sauces and the side dishes. The steamed egg was yummy and the soybean stew was good but a bit salty for my taste. We brought our own birthday cake which they helped put in the fridge for us and brought it out with clean plates and utensils after clearing our table. They also brought the birthday girl a complimentary dessert with candle and helped us take group photos. Throughout the meal, the manager Mario came around to check on us and made sure we were well taken care of. He even ran out to give us an item my friend had dropped on the floor in the restaurant as we left. Bonus points for wonderful ventilation because it's not very often you can enjoy Korean BBQ without smelling like smoke!

I recently tried Kalbi Social Club which I found out was the first ever korean bbq restaurant at the Irvine Spectrum and it was a wonderful time! Kalbi Social Club is more of an upscale & elevated kbbq experience offering premium cuts of meats, banchan & shareable sides. The interior was impressive. It was very stylish with beautiful decor and lighting to set a great mood for a kbbq dinner. The service was excellent with the staff doing all of the cooking & grilling and I thought they did a great job. There's a variety of delicious sounding items for their shareable sides but we decided to go for the Spicy Cold Noodles & Spicy Corn Cheese Ramen. Both are great options if you love noodles and spice. There was also shaken kimchi which I really enjoyed. That kimchi was so fresh & crunchy. For the meats, we got the Crowd Pleaser Set which came with usda prime brisket beef, prime ribeye, table side premium marinated kalbi & 48 hour marinated kalbi. Each premium cut of meat was very high quality and so tasty. It was buttery, tender, full of flavor and just melts in your mouth. The kalbi here is a must try! If you're looking for a fantastic Korean barbecue dining experience in Orange County, this is a great spot to check out.

Love the quality of meat and the service here. My kids are really picky when it comes to korean bbq and this place never disappoints. We have been here several times and the servers are always attentive and amazing. Even though the corn cheese isn't on the menu, we were able to order it without it being spicy for my little one. My favorite meat is the brisket and the table side galbi. I love that it is marinated but it is not too sweet because it is marinated at the table and the flavor is perfect!

Came tonight for dinner and had a total 180 of an experience compared to my last visit, largely due to where I was seated (I promise this will make sense keep reading). When we arrived for dinner, we were ushered into the bar area to be seated, which was odd as there was plenty of seating in the main dining area we'd come to know and love. The bar area has a couple grills in the middle and 1-2 chefs cooking for about 10-15 seats that surround them. The grills aren't your standard Korean BBQ grills either, it's a mix of a flat top griddle and a couple stove tops, which was a red flag for me. I wish I had requested to be moved because I had a feeling this wasn't going to be a good meal. The staff working were nice, but they're having to serve 10-15 other people at the same time which completely kills the vibe and leaves you waiting much longer than normal. Aside from this, here were the other issues: 1) The chef only used the flat top griddle to cook, so everything was VERY oily since the oils couldn't drain off and there was no direct flame to cook it off. I had the worst brisket of my life tonight because it was cooked this way. Every time the meat was brought over, it just sat in a pool of oil on the serving plate. 2) They put the cooked meat on this tiny serving plate that's not suitable for serving meat due to its tiny size. Every time they'd load meat on the plate, it'd end up falling off the plate, wasting food (and money). These plates should be removed immediately and a better serving tray should be used. 3) The chefs aren't able to pay attention because of the amount of tables they have to serve, leading to mistakes. Our chefs were cooking meat (on the damn flat top) that belonged to other guests, and then serving it to the wrong table. 4) The open air cooking leaves a film of oil everywhere, my cup of water had a film of oil on top, which was a first at any KBBQ spot. I think that this bar area should be used for lunch or pre-fixed menus and not for guests that are looking for a premium dining experience, because this was simply bad. If your host tries to seat you in this area, please request they seat you in the dining area, or don't bother eating here.

Woah woah woah, what's goin on here? It's Kalbi Social Club in Irvine!This joint is a restaurant serving premium KBBQ, and it's delicious! Okay okay, before we get into that, look how nice this place is! It's at the Spectrum, so you KNOW they're absolutely serving! Great decor, and super trendy vibes! First of all, the sides! Plenty of banchan here, to spice it up a bit! Radishes, pickles, potato salad, the works! For the meat, we got the Rendezvous set, which comes with thinly sliced brisket, a big ol' ribeye steak, and some 48-hour marinated galbi, or short rib. This brisket was super super beefy, and look at that marbling! Great staple to have with your meal. The ribeye? Classic steak with an excellent sear. Shoutout to our server for cooking everything really really well! Finally, this 48 hour marinated galbi. Jeeez, this is something else! Super tender, super flavorful, and the perfect balance of sweet and savory! There's a reason why galbi is in their name! Now, the meat is absolutely delicious, but what about these stellar side orders? We got soybean stew, which is a classic. And don't forget the steamed egg! Silky, slightly wet(?), and just jiggly beyond compare! Mmmmm. Did we mention? It comes WITH the set menu! Double tap to absolutely love that! We also got 2 more shareables: the kimchi fried rice and potato pancake! Holy crap, these were killer! The kimchi fried rice was really hot and flavorful, and it had a lil yolk!!! How could ya say no!? I really liked this pancake too. Crispy, crunchy, strands of potato with some cheese on top? That sauce it comes with is insane too~! Guys, If you're looking for a pick-me-up, I've got a proposal, love: It's time to head on over to Kalbi Social Club!

I feel like this is one of the higher end kbbq spots around. It's m quiet in the afternoons and they have a good lunch menu, but nights are pretty full; have a reservation or expect a 30 min wait. Aesthetic & Ambience: 8.5/10 following a more western take on Asian aesthetics and a giant led wall at the entrance. Ambiance is fun and festive. Service: 9/10 service was good and pretty quick, they cook food for you, but you can let them know if you want it more well done or rare. Banchan: 5/10 was okay just not usual kbbq Banchan, also I'm not sure what the salad was but it had no dressing and the peppers on iceberg was an interesting offer. Brisket: 8/10 it was fresh and the server cooked it well 48h kalbi: 9/10 meat was tender and flavorful - cooked well and even deboned for us Fried chicken: 8.5/10 a little sweet but the fry was perfect and breading was right consistency Japchae: 8/10 good, but a little light on flavor Only other note I have is about the bag of kimchi - it's fun it's a show, it's fresh, but it's not the same as a pickled kimchi. It has a lighter taste and not as acidic.

We celebrated a girlfriend's birthday at Kalbi Social Club tonight and enjoyed a Royal Feast for the five of us. The quality of the meats was outstanding, and my fave was the table side marinated kalbi which was tender and juicy with a hint of sweetness. The 48 hour marinated kalbi was super flavorful as well. The brisket was also excellent and paired well with thinly sliced pink radish. The presentation of the meat platter was super nice - a lot nicer than AYCE places. This is an elevated Korean barbeque experience not AYCE. The star of the banchan was the signature kimchi tossed in a bag (flavorful but not spicy at all and not refillable ). Other banchan were refillable - the salad, burdock roots and mashed potatoes were yummy. Our server Johnny generously refilled the banchan and grilled the meats for us. The Royal Feast also included steamed egg custard and soybean paste soup. The service at this restaurant was top notch especially since it was not busy on a Monday evening. The restaurant manager Mario even came by to make sure we were enjoying our meal. The ambiance was that of a high end upscale Korean barbeque restaurant, with high ceilings and a full bar. The ventilation was excellent and it was not smoky inside. The restaurant is directly across the theatre at the Irvine Spectrum, so it's in a good location for a special night out. Highly recommend!

Exceptional service, and such a nice spot! We got the large Korean bbq order for 3 people. Btw, I LOVED the shakin' kimchi (and we ended up buying two bags of them to take home, hah!). You can also eat their fermented kimchi, and compare which you like better. The meats were great, and I love my doenjang soybean paste soup...as well as the steamed egg! Btw, there are high chairs and changing tables-yay!

This is one of the more pricier KBBQ places in Irvine. We ordered the rendezvous set with the 48 hour marinated kalbi with the spicy cold noodles and the fried rice. I loved all the banchan (side dishes) that they had, there were so many that it made me happy, everything tasted wonderful. All the meats are high quality and you can taste the quality of the meats without it being dressed up in marinate. The steamed egg was fluffy and tasty. The dumplings were fantastic. I wish I had room in my stomach to eat more of this but maybe next time! We didn't even make it to the soybean paste soup because we were so full. Service was good, they come around and grill the meats and bring out the foods. This helps get the conversation at the table going and that one person isn't always stuck grilling the meat. The inside is clean and has a minimal aesthetic. I would highly recommend either going during their off hours or making reservations because this place does get busy.

High-end Korean barbeque experience, that's on the more expensive end of Spectrum dining pricing. Let's get this out of the way first: Kalbi Social Club is NOT an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) K-BBQ restaurant. This is intended to be upscale dining, with better service and quality of meats than you'll get at other spots. We had a great time here. The design of Kalbi looks great, the food is amazing, and the service is top tier. Our group shared a variety of appetizers, a Korean BBQ Set (Crowd Pleaser), and desserts. Everything we got exceeded our expectations. While the grill is at your table like other K-BBQ locations, your server can help prepare everything for you, to make sure everything is grilled to perfection. Random Info: Kalbi is part of the same organization as Robata Wasa, which is high-end sushi at the other side of the Spectrum. PROPS: Service, food, and location design is amazing SLOPS: Price is going to be something that makes Kalbi Social Club a turn off for local K-BBQ fans

Like many others, you were probably very excited that an upscale Korean bbq place opened in the Spectrum, well sorry to disappoint but keep looking. They definitely did a good job on their social media marketing because that's what attracted me and probably many others, but that's the majority of what they did well. The service was nice but ungraceful (hurried and rough), but the food was subpar. Let's start with the banchans since they are such an important part of the meal. Lacking. Honestly probably the worst selection of banchans at any Korean bbq place I've ever been to. For us to not request any refills on any of these small portions speaks for itself. The radish paper was soggy and soft and a bit warm and I think was the cause of some stomach problems that I felt midway through the meal. They did not even have rice paper. They had a gimmicky kimchi which is full of garlic flavor and is a fresher, crunchier take on kimchi, but it's completely different and not as good as the traditional fermented kimchi. The steamed egg was fluffy and good and the soybean paste soup was also good (2 of 3 positive things for the night). The salad was a probably the worst salad I've had at a kbbq place, with a random hodgepodge of cubed veggies thrown into a bowl with almost no dressing or tossing. We got the combo K for 2 and the brisket was hard to chew and overcooked by the time the waiter said it was ready. It's kind of really hard to mess up brisket but unfortunately it was and we didn't even finish it. The steak was surprising very good even though the marbling looked lacking, and the marinated kalbi was also pretty decent but a little on the sweeter side. So the steak was really the saving grace of the night and why this was got 2 stars instead of 1. We opted for the +$8 cold noodle thinking that it was naengmyeon only to be disappointed with a basically gochujang noodle with some cucumbers. I wish them the best for them but I will truthfully not be recommending anyone to come here and even almost 24 hours later, I still have an uncomfortable feeling stomach.

Kalbi Social Club brings KBBQ to the next level. It's innovative grill technology brings the ventilation into the grill, completely getting rid of the smells you usually get from KBBQ. I love that I can come here and not leave smelling like BBQ smoke. Their meat is truly high level and top tier. My favorite is the 48 hour marinated beef. Delicious! Their sides also blow me away with their unique Shaken Kimchi and other delicious and unique sides. The presentation is beautiful with every dish as well! Service is also top notch quality. I love the attentive and kind service from our waiter and all the staff. They really make the experience extra special! I love that they help us cook and will actively bring sides to our table when they notice us run out without us even having to ask!!! Such amazing service! Keep it up Kalbi Social Club! Can't wait for my next visit here.

Came here for the first time today and I gotta say, this place is mediocre at best and the portions are weak for the price. Ordered two $200 KBBQ sets which the server claimed a set to be enough for 4 people (we had 7 adults and one kid) but we come to find out that a set could easily be eaten by 2 hungry people. They served their kimchi in a bag which was an unopened bag of raw cabbage to which they open in front of you, add the sauce, shake up the bag and pour the contents into a bowl. It was so gimmicky. Just use regular fermented kimchi from a jar.... Nobody needs the show and the kimchi didn't even taste good. I actually had to ask the server if they served "regular fermented kimchi" which he brought out and tasted much better as expected. Anywho, not only did the set come with a meager amount of meat, but it was served with two thin pieces of squash and 3 shishito peppers for crying out loud. How can you split 3 little peppers and two thin pieces of squash between 4 grown adults? Ridiculous. You're definitely paying for the atmosphere here, not the food. And even the atmosphere wasn't even up to par. It was hot as hell in there - we were sitting inside borderline sweating so the servers were absolutely sweating bullets running around. I had to ask them to crank up the AC which didn't really improve things. So if you're a foodie like me and value quality/quantity of food over "ambiance" and "vibes", then avoid this KBBQ spot. Your money could be better spent somewhere else.

I love that there is an elevated Korean BBQ spot in town! The decor and service is modern and elegant so you can immediately feel the difference the second you walk through the door. I've been here a couple times and here's what stood out: 1. Their Non marinated and marinated kalbi are both very good but I really was put off by their 48 hour marinated kalbi. It was so marinated that it was super sweet and just mushy. Highly recommend the tableside marinade but not the anything more than that. Trust me, it is plenty sweet and soft. 2. Their side dishes are great and so are their appetizers so don't skip out on any of these! 3. I was not a fan of their shake kimchi and prefer the traditional kind. 4. The service... is not as good as I expected it to be. I have been three times and all three times something was either forgotten (like the shake kimchi the first time) or the server didn't understand that I didn't what the 48 hour marinated beef but also told me when it came out that it wasn't the 48 hour marinated kalbi. All in all, I would probably come back if someone wanted to try it but it also wasn't THE BEST service because I didn't feel that I was paid attention to.

It was my first time here and we put ourselves on the waitlist and got seated within 30 minutes. You have to put yourself on the waitlist in person and they'll text you when the table is ready. We got seated at the bar and the ambiance is super nice. They cooked the meat for us and each cut was delicious. I really enjoyed the marinated galbi and the cheesy crispy potato pancake. The side dishes were very fresh and delicious as well.

Kalbi Social Club is an elevated KBBQ experience from start to finish. This isnt your average KBBQ, this is date-night, come to impress, enjoy good company and have your meats cooked for you! The service was great, they cook each meat that come out to your liking, and it's almost a dinner and show. All the sides were amazing and different than your other run-of-the-mill KBBQ (Don't get me wrong, I love those too). Pricey is a little more but you get what you pay for and the quality of food absolutely shows. Will come back for special occasions!

Nice venue, surprisingly popular, but the place is so big that you can't tell from the outside haha. Its kind of a higher end, waiter grill for you, set menu kbbq style restaraunt. The service was very nice, its a medium noise level. Seating and ordering were very fast. Our server practically zoomed around cooking meat for two different tables LOL. It was kind of cartoony the pace he went. We went for the rendevouz set with the discounted add ons which was more than enough. It comes with banchan, shake shake kimchi, perilla seed salad, steamed egg, soybean paste soup. The server does all the shaking for you for the kimchi. I'm not sure if anyone else has this problem for waiter grilled kbbq, but I can never eat the meat at the same time they grill it. So we actually had to ask the waiter to stop grilling so we had time to eat the other food before the meat got cold. But he was very accommodating to it, serviced us with lots of water and bowls, and even grilled changed every protein. The rendevouz set is worth it for the variety, but the meats seem kind of small portion for the price. The 48hr marinated galbi was super tender and juicy and the waiter even tried his best to get the meat off the bone lol. The bone is ginormous though. He made sure to take care to grill it thoroughly (the prime rib was cooked perfectly), cut it into bite able pieces, and let us know when to eat so really feel like you're a baby hehe. Shake shake kimchi- good if you dont like kimchi, its fresh, kinda sweet and crunchy. Its a huugee amount. I would recommend offering leaving it in the bag as I doubt anyone finished the whole thing instead of pouring it out so customers can take it home. Steamed egg- my favorite, so worth it. Its hugee and has a slight fishy sesame oil flavor. But its actually jam packed full of egg like a thick dense mountain *Soybean paste soup- rich in flavor, has a few pieces of meat in it, robust, actually really well made and hearty Banchan- the banchan is refillable and of slightly higher quality. They have the typical pickles, radish, potato salad, the sweet potato chips? Mixed with gochujung and chives. Also a pretty spicy jalapeño salsa. Since you come here for the meat quality, you shouldn't need too much sauce. Perilla seed salad- okay idk what this was. It tasted nothing like perilla leaf and the veg kinda was just raw cut. For the price point, I definitely expect a higher quality salad (okay if small portion) where the dressing is mixed in and absorbed into the leaves. Bulgogi fried rice- cubed pieces of meat. Has distinct crunchy garlic/radish bits. Good flavor. Recommend. Wasnt able to get the crispy bottom but did come with a runny yolk Bibim cold noodle- looks nice, but nowhere near authentic. I dare say its even a little americanised? Not spicy at all. But i feel like the noodles weren't given anything to provide slip and kinda just glued into a mass. Since everything came at once its kind of hard to eat immediately, so id opt out. In my honest opinion, I feel like it was overpriced for the quantity of meat. Its like one plate of meat. The quality of the kalbi is definitely good, the meat is fresh but not like wow amazing meaty flavor. The soybean soup, egg, and fried rice were good. Maybe I'd try getting a la carte option. The potato pancake looked good. But this really isn't a place to "eat your fill", rather to enjoy the ambiance in a nicer setting of kbbq. I feel like more around 80 would be reasonable. Overall, this place is good if you can afford paying extra for convenience. I wouldn't say that this would be a treat yourself, but I can see this for someone of upper middle class & doesn't like to cook/save time. The service is attentive and the sets leave little decision making to be done. You just sit back and enjoy the variety. You get it grilled for you without moving a single finger. Its not really a chatting place as it can be moderately loud but its a good social time. I hope they pay their waiters well as they do make the exprience lol. I will say it feels nice coming out of kbbq and not feel greasy haha. Maybe id go back to try their lunch sets for more of the menu, but Im not sure of it'd be the same ambiance!

We tried the Rendezvous Set for $119, and honestly, it wasn't worth the price. The biggest letdown was the galbi, which is supposed to be their signature item (marinated for 48 hours). Ours came out dry and tough, and we even overheard the table next to us saying theirs was the same. The prime ribeye wasn't much better. It was also pretty tough and didn't have much flavor. The surprise standout was actually the brisket, which is usually more of a filler cut at KBBQ spots, but here it was the best one. The kimchi was also underwhelming. It tasted really fresh and unfermented, more like spicy cabbage than proper kimchi. Not authentic and definitely not what we were hoping for. Service was decent, and the sides were fine. Nothing wrong there. But overall, the experience felt pretty mid, especially for the price. Maybe we caught them on an off night, but based on what we got, I wouldn't come back.

Delicious food, great service! Came on a Friday evening with reservation for a party of 6. We ordered the large combo-- upgraded for cold spicy noodles and kimchi fried rice. Added on bulgogi fries and beef tartare. The meats were so delicious. The LA galbi in particular was crazy-- literally melt in your mouth. Our server was amazing. Forgot to catch his name. But he was super attentive and responsive to all our little requests. Beef tartare was great. Heavy on sesame oil and aroma and full of garlic. They gave seaweed strips to wrap. Fries/rice area definite must order. A great shareable for the table. Spicy cold noodles were blad for me. It was still refreshing but I would've liked a stronger kick.

If you're looking for an alternative to an enema, look no further!! Not only will you get a meal, you'll have your bowels cleared out in no time. To top it off, they'll charge you a 3% credit card fee for your colon cleanse. If you don't know what I'm talking about and are intrigued, read further!! I came here with my family for lunch. The place is nice and clean inside, and we appreciated the AC and good ventilation, especially on a hot day. We had reservations and were seated immediately. Our server was very nice and little did we know that we were soon to experience an unforgettable meal.. and I don't mean unforgettable in the way you're probably thinking. The banchan was small and disappointing.. probably the worst and most measly banchan I've ever had. Everything was either bland, hard to eat, or nothing to look forward to like scallions in a bowl or chewy burdock root that was all clumped together and tasted stale like it had been out for days. Their kimchi was uh, unique if I were being kind. *Insert forced smile emoji* It's basically a plastic bag of raw cabbage with spicy kimchi sauce on the bottom. The server comes and shakes the bag and pours it into a bowl. It was even cured, hardly authentic, and I could just hear the Korean halmeonis (grandmothers) rolling in their graves. Then came the *drum roll* MEEEEEAAAT!! Well, it was just ok.. the L-K sliced beef was meh, ribeye was not bad, and the marinated ribs were actually pretty good. Go for the marinated meat because the dipping sides you get are also pretty bland. Be sure to ask for extra salt and pepper because you'll need it. The dumplings had good flavor but we were a bit skeptical about the cooking.. not sure if the filling was fully cooked through. We also got rice, which you must order separately FYI, and got steamed egg and tofu soup. I also found it odd and quite unsanitary that they were using the same tongs and scissors to handle both raw meat and cooked meat. We had to ask them for another set for handling cooked meat only. Needless to say, the meal was mediocre at best. After we got the check, we were surprised to see a 3% total surcharge for a credit card fee, before tipping. That was a new one for us. After we paid, we got up from the table and started to walk around the Spectrum Center.. and this was when things took a turn for the worse. Literally within 20 seconds of walking out of the restaurant, my stomach started hurting. It was hurting.. it was gurgling.. it was bubbling.. it was burbling. Oh boy, it was not happy. My happy gait quickly slowed to a paced walk and as the angry pain in my gut got angrier, I had completely slowed down to a limp back to the car. As we drove home, my poor husband could see the agony on my face as he sped through traffic to get me home ASAP because I needed one thing and I needed it BAD - a toilet. I was clenching my buttcheeks like I've never clenched before. I was sweating, grabbing and biting the seat belt, goosebumps running down my arms and legs as I clenched the whole way home. It reminded me of the pain I felt when my water broke and contractions had started before I had my second baby. Finally, 18 excruciating minutes later we get home and I run like mad -- to make a deposit at the porcelain bank. I was so happy to see.. - the toilet!!! - And I kid you not.. *CAUTION* (Do not read further if you're sensitive to TMI) but I looked in the toilet and I swear I could see the one piece of kimchi I had and the tofu soup in the toilet. Never in my entire 40+ years of life, have I had food pass through me that fast before. Shoutout to my hubby for getting me home and achieving Mission Im-poo-sible. So, why 2 stars instead of 1? I'm giving a half star for our nice and humble server and another half star for my free enema because I do feel 2 lbs lighter now. Brownie points, if you know what I mean. So uh, this was what made the meal absolutely unforgettable. Thank you for that I guess! Or as they say in Korean, gamsahamnidaaaaaa!! Now if you'll excuse me, I think I've got some more brownies to bake.

My sister saw KSC on Yelp with good ratings so we decided to check it out. The restaurant is new, modern, and chic, and definitely screaming high-end KBBQ. Service was prompt and friendly. Food, however, was extremely mediocre for the $199/set price tag. No rice paper and barely any banchan selections. Rice is an additional $3/bowl. Salad was very out of place with minimal dressing and weirdly cubed veggies that were not tossed properly. The kimchi was extremely gimmicky with cabbage shaken with seasoning in a plastic bag. Sure, it's crunchy and flavorful, but I want the option to get actual aged and fermented kimchi. We also added +$8 for spicy cold noodle thinking that it's naengmyeon but it wasn't (menu picture looked like it had broth but actual product was just noodles, toppings, and gochujang). We returned the noodles since menu was lowkey false advertisement. The item pictured on the menu was dongchimi noodles but they switched recently to something closer to bibim naengmyeon. Meats were just okay. The kalbi was underwhelming with sweet marinade. It's clearly a red flag if my favorite meat is the brisket at a restaurant supposedly known for its kalbi. Sadly, I do not recommend KSC and will not come back. Go somewhere else if you're craving a satisfying, fulfilling, and authentic KBBQ experience.

We had dinner here and it was so good! I'm really glad Irvine spectrum has this gem now! We came in as a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) and got the Crowd Pleaser Set and it was plenty of food for all of us. The star was definitely the 48 hour marinated kalbi, even my young daughter who doesn't really like beef LOVED this one. They marinated it with Korean pear and garlic and it was so tender and juicy! The soybean stew and the steamed egg are great for kids, and we added on the kimchi fried rice and the cheesy potato pancake and they were also yummy. Hubby and I really enjoyed their refreshing house salad and their shaken kimchi salad, which you can also buy in a bag, 2 for $15 (which we did lol). I can't wait to try out their lunch menu as it seems well priced and has all of our favs in it. Ambiance: beautiful and chic Service: fast and friendly (they grill the meat for you here) Price: $$

Kalbi Social Club is where the cool kids eat their KBBQ now, or so I've heard. With flashy, club vibes, and large beautiful tables and bars, this place seems to cater itself to group hangouts. Service was enthusiastic and relatively attentive though it took a few tries to get some items requested. The best part was they cook the meat so you can enjoy and socialize. Some standouts included their well-known "Shake Kimchi", which comes in a big that gets - you guess it - shaken, to create instant fresh kimchi. And for those that like fresh kimchi, this was refreshing and had a nice tang to it. The banchan were limited but all tasty - especially the pumpkin. And the 2-3 person combo combined with a couple of large sides was enough to feed a group of 6 adults and 2 kids. The meat quality was top tier, japchae delicious, and their crispy cheesy potato pancake had a great texture that keeps you coming back for more. And to end the very filling meal, we all received complimentary vanilla ice cream with Yakgwa, a honey-rich, deep-fried cookie that has a pleasant chew. The prices are on the higher end, but the quality and vibes are there. It's worth a visit, especially with a medium to larger group. But with a fun, up-scale but casual vibe and top-tier meat and dishes, it's probably worth the occasional small-group splurge. Did I mention they also have beer towers? Another nice addition to the Spectrum!

Kalbi Social Club offers a more upscale and modern dining experience compared to traditional KBBQ spots. They are known for table side grilling. The staff grills the meat at the table, which elevates to the dining experience. I like the 48 hour melt in your mouth marinated Galbi. The bagged kimchi that is shaken fresh at the table is also a standout. The Kimchi is light, crisp, and flavorful.  In addition to the BBQ, I also got the beef tartare, fried rice, steamed egg, and soybean soup. The modern atmosphere also contributes to the restaurant appeal as a special-occasion destination.

This was my first time here. I've been wanting to go here ever since they opened but haven't had a chance. Solid k BBQ experience and the service is awesome. The shake bag of fresh unfermented Kim chi was so good we bought a few bags to go. It's pricey though, but what do you expect from Irvine spectrum. I preferred the fresh table side marinaded short rib over the 48 hr marinaded short rib. Nice vibes and good food.

Kalbi Social Club is an upscale Korean BBQ restaurant that blends traditional Korean culture with modern Western sophistication. The servers cook high quality meats for you at the table, and uniquely shake plastic bags with kimchi seasoning and chopped napa cabbage for a non-fermented take on kimchi and brush sliced beef short ribs in a sweet, savory sauce before grilling them tableside. We ordered their $199 Royal Feast BBQ Set which is perfect for larger groups and was incredible. You start with their unique banchan that also includes potato salad, radish wrap, perilla seed vinaigrette salad, steamed egg, shaker kimchee, and soybean paste stew. You sit back and watch our server, in this case, Preston, smokeless grill the beef brisket, ribeye, 48 hour marinated kalbi, tableside premium marinated kalbi and LA Kalbi Short Ribs to perfection. We also had the spicy cold noodles which was excellent and at the right spice level. My favorite was definitely the tableside premium marinated kalbi. Every morsel of food that we had though did not disappoint and was an elevated culinary experience. Service was excellent. Preston was our server and was knowledgeable, friendly, and was always available for us. They have a full bar but limited in their selection. Opened less than a year ago and located across from the Regal Theaters, Kalbi Social Club is a welcome addition to the Irvine Spectrum. It is truly one of the best upscale Korean BBQ restaurants in Orange County.

This restaurant felt more for the ambiance over the food. All their focus was directed to the decor. For such a high price point, the quality of the meat did not feel like it. Very small selection of sides, and the shake-it-yourself kimchi was appealing for a short moment. It was cool to make it, but it didn't have a good taste. Servers were very nice but did not attend to the grill often and left the meat to burn, so we ended up cooking ourselves. The one that I was excited for the most ended up being the most disappointing. The premium kalbi had no texture to it and just tasted like mush and marinade. Overall, a little disappointing, but I would say it's a nice place if you like ambiance and making your own kimchi.

I came here for lunch and hoping for a reasonably priced Korean bbq. And instead I got a reasonably priced lunch special because reasonably priced bbq does not exist here. Bring your bucks if you want to eat good here. The lunch specials were just decent typical Korean staples - might be on the little fresher side but still something you can get anywhere. Vibe is basically your rich boss will make a dinner recommendation and you're stuck here paying $100 plus for korean bbq.

We've had the pleasure of coming here a few times and each time has been great. The service is so friendly and the waiters do a great job explaining everything. Although a pricier mea,l, we feel the ambiance, service, and food quality is definitely worth it. We've left stuffed every time. Highly recommend!

Pretty good kbbq in Irvine at the Spectrum. Went on a Saturday evening, was pretty busy and had to wait until our reservation to sit - which was fine. Ordered the normal combo for 2 people. Came with banchan, salad, egg, and soybean soup. The kimchi was the fresh sort, and I think I prefer the more fermented ones to cut through the kbbq - so something to note. The meat cuts were of good quality and the server cooked well - they are smart about putting veggies underneath the meat to stop it from burning while on the grill (after it's done cooking). It's a good safe spot for kbbq - would go again if I'm in the area.

Oh this place is stellarrrr. Came here for my mom's birthday and it didn't disappoint! We were sat at a private table for our party of 6, and the servers were engaging, attentive, and really helpful. Robert and Esther were especially great! We ordered the Royal Feast, and everything was cooked perfectly - each piece of meat was juicy, tender, and flavorful! We also added on the kimchi fried rice and the cold noodles to the set, which were full portion sizes even though the prices were half of what they'd be if we just ordered them as appetizers. Definitely a nice touch and a good incentive to order the combos. The banchan and the fried chicken were also delicious. Nice that the banchan and sauces were refillable too :) Salads were fresh and we all really liked the tableside shaken kimchi! The only thing I wish they had was rice paper. Overall, this place is a great time and I'm excited to come again for a special occasion!

Definitely a better value than Fogo for the price. The service and drinks were excellent, and the overall ambiance and food quality were far superior to most Korean BBQ spots.

I came here for an early lunch around 6pm on a Monday and it was pretty empty. I made a reservation just in case since it was Memorial Day and spectrum can get pretty crazy but it wasn't too busy. The food was great, I really enjoyed the brisket here, we got the combo with the 48 hour marinated galbi. And while the galbi is the highlight here I actually enjoyed their brisket the most. Side dishes were pretty standard, the steamed egg was slightly over cooked. Their salad was really good and the fresh kimchi is different. Service was also really good, they were on top with refilling our sodas and side dishes so I appreciate that. They do not offer pickled radish or rice paper btw. I would come back if I was at spectrum, craving kbbq, and there was no wait. But idk if I would go out of my way to come here.

Wow. This place was amazing. The meat was great, the shareables were all so unique, and the SERVICE was amazing! Julie was our server and she really took the time to help grill the meat so exquisitely. I was genuinely surprised at the quality workers that they hire. The vibes of the place was great, and the place was decorated with cute and upscale decor. I really liked the plates they used as well. Fave dishes: -THE MEAT -the potato cheese pancake -ramen (they added bean sprouts) FAVE SIDE DISH: FRIED LOTUS ROOT (oh gosh) i wish they sold those separately cuz i would buy a jar full

We had a wonderful dinner at Kalbi Social Club. The quality of the beef was outstanding and everything was grilled to perfection. Our staff was attentive and cooked everything for our party. The banchans were complimentary (steamed egg was my favorite). The ambiance was airy, bright and festive (many were here to celebrate birthdays). Highly recommended!

We've been coming to Kalbi Social Club almost every weekend, and it has quickly become one of our favorite spots in OC. The food is absolutely incredible and truly on par with what we had in Korea. Every dish is so flavorful and fresh, and you can tell a lot of care goes into the quality and preparation. On top of the food, the service makes the experience even better. Shoma, Esther, and Vincent are always so welcoming, attentive, and genuinely kind. They make us feel at home every time we visit. It's rare to find a place where both the food and the service are consistently this amazing. If you're looking for authentic Korean flavors with modern vibes and top-notch hospitality, Kalbi Social Club is it. We look forward to our visits every week!

Came here to celebrate my mom's birthday, and it was GREAT!!! Delicious food, great service, and we got seated right away. We made a reservation for six and were given our own cozy seating area by the front door. The staff made sure to make our first experience at Kalbi Social Club one to remember, and I'll definitely be back!!

Lucky we got a reservation here! Our party of 6 got bar seating on Friday night, although regular seating was all booked. Everything we ordered was tasty. The combo feast had great cuts. Japchae was good. Potato pancake was bomb, to me resembled sort of like a savory Korean hash brown quesadilla but without tortilla. Try it! I enjoyed being able to see them grilling the meats in front of us. Servers were really friendly and offered great recommendations! They kept the cake for our birthday girl and kindly served it when we were ready. Overall loved the vibe here and would come back again.

Kalbi Social Spot is a high end Korean BBQ spot that just opened up at the Irvine Spectrum. They have lunch and dinner set menus as well as some a la carte items. The interior is sleek and modern, and all the meats are cooked table side by your server. I visited to celebrate a birthday with 2 other people and we settled on a set menu. This is not an AYCE restaurant, the meats here are high quality. Set Menu S ($160) - This came with beef brisket, ribeye, and premium kalbi beef. Sides included: steamed egg, soybean paste stew, fresh kimchi, vinaigrette salad and 4 banchan (sides). All of the meats were so flavorful and tasted incredible. Our server was extremely informative and did a great job entertaining us. This was some of the best Korean BBQ that I have tried and if I had to pick a favor it would be the kalbi beef. The meal also included some vanilla ice cream with a short bread cookie. Overall my group really enjoyed the food here and this was definitely one of the best Korean BBQ spots we have visited. The kimchi tasted incredible. I'd definitely be back for a special occasion.

This was my second time at Kalbi Social Club, and the food here is always so good -- everything comes out fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Julie was the best!!! She was incredibly attentive, helpful, and super friendly. She took the time to explain the menu, checked in often, and made sure we had everything we needed. She also recommended the Korean coffee bingsoo, which also did not disappoint. It was a nice treat to end the night with. Kalbi Social Club has one of the best services ever. Highly recommend trying this place out! :)

Rendezvous set is perfect for two people! Comes with brisket, rib eye, and choice of either Kalbi, 48hr kalbi, or ribeye cap(w surcharge). We got the 48 hr kalbi which was sooooo goooddd. I loved the way they made waffle slices into it which let the marinade permeate the meat. Also comes with a steamed egg (looks fluffy but a little too dense), soybean stew (yum), fresh shaken kimchi (unique to this restaurant and surprisingly loved it! Love the crunch), salad, and a variety of banchan. They cook the meat for you which I love and the staff are attentive enough without being overbearing. Cute and clean restaurant, would come back!

The food here is amazing. The service was super fast and really attentive. Overall, the place was beautifully decorated and easy to locate in the Irvine Spectrum. The prices are on the higher side, but it's a cozy spot that's perfect for a date night.