Seorabol Restaurant

Decided to give a try to this Korean restaurant but was quite disappointed. Will not return. Got some BBQ meat (bulgogi and spicy pork gui) and bibimbap. The meat was the least flavorful I’ve had among the Korean restaurants I’ve tried so far… I don’t know if it’s because our waitress almost burnt the meat… but it was not tasty, despite being pretty expensive ($40+ and $20+)… 😩 The bibimbap was fine but barely had any beef in it… At least, there was a good quantity of banchan, even though they weren’t the most tasty I’ve had. The service could be better. It is nice to have our own waitress to cook the meat for us, but not if it is to have the meat taste like burnt… She also kept cooking it whereas the thing on which it was was completely black already… She should have changed it in the meantime… not healthy. The atmosphere is overall good. Big space and large tables. Just a bit surprised that they were broadcasting the news on their TV screens… Not sure if it’s common in S Korea 🤔, but I had personally never experienced that before 👀.

In town on business. My first time trying Korean food. Won’t be my last if they’re anything like this gem. My favorite, and unfortunately the only dish I can remember was the scallion pancake. Our server was polite, gracious, funny, and very helpful. Since we were adventurous, she was happy to suggest many items for us to try.

I got take out from here. I was amazed but the amount of food! And the sides were different from other restaurants I had tried but they were very good. I found that the order was prepared quickly and was still very hot when I collected the order. The inside of the restaurant was very beautiful.

Second time here and service has declined. Lady was cooking our beef and all of the sudden ran out the door everything burnt. The other gentleman took over served us the burnt beef and then asked for a tip. Never will return not even free, even the sides changed. They had Oscar Myer wieners in sauce like wth 🤦🏽‍♀️

Amazing food! The place is an amazing place and the prices of the food are reasonable. We didn't get to try the Korean BBQ but it smelled and looked great. We had a few dishes and we were very happy with it. The portions of food are huge and pretty big. This place is just as good as advertised!

The food is great here. Has a truly authentic Korean taste. My team and I are originally from the DC area and we're here to cover the DNC. There's a well established K-town there, but no one can make food like this. We came in completely famished and left completely blown away. Needless to say this place has got my stamp of approval...whatever that's worth to you. 😉😊😋

Came here on a Thursday, parking lot was empty and we were the only ones that were eating in. Service was quick. Plenty of parking in the lot. Stone pot bibimbap: Just the way I wanted it to be and authentic. Fried Dumplings: I'm really glad this is not frozen dumplings, this is their own recipe from what I can tell. Definitely satisfied my cravings. I like the wrap and filling was good. The sauce was really good too. We dipped several things in this. Jjajang myeon: Authentic just the way I wanted it. Japchae: The noodles had so much flavor. Only downside is there was barely any meat. This would've been amazing if it did. I Would come here again and have been for years. Total was $70 food including a ginger ale.

Seated quickly on multiple occasions. Service was nice. A good place for families and groups. Their bbq option is set price for set ammount not all you can eat like some other popular Korean bbq spots. They do have individual dishes which is what we tried and we enjoyed everything we had. Decent place for a comfortable meal. Definitely older place and you can tell. Ample parking area easy to find parking in the lot.

Came back a few more times and I stand by this place as a consistent, authentic Korean restaurant! I love the variety of side dishes here and the ingredients are always fresh! Big portions too! I always leave here with leftovers.

We enjoyed the army stew ($40) and the special that came with Galbi, bulgogi, and two pork meats ($90). Love that they use charcoal for their grills. The waitress cooked everything for us. We really enjoyed our dinner. Our party of 3 had a lot of leftovers.

Party of 2 dined in on monday for lunch We ordered bbq galbi and cold noodle combo which was $50 and spicy galbi $39 and daegutang(fish soup) was $16 Taste and quality and quantity wise not worthy of $116 after tax and before tip.... Service was nice and kind but then customers go to restaurants for food not for service I would rather go to ayce bbq place for less price Never again..

I came here with my family for my birthday. It was such a great experience and the food was really good. I especially appreciated the diversity of the side items.

Coming from California, I have pretty high standards for Korean food as the Korean food scene in LA is amazing. Having recently moved to Philly though, I'm happy to have found Seorabol to get my fix! I had the bibimbap and the tteokbokki and while the hot stone bibimbap was great, the tteokbokki wasn't want I expected. I usually go to Yupdduk in California, and compared to that this tteokbokki was a lot sweeter. It also came with. A variety of veggies like mushrooms and onions which I've never seen. The rest of the group seemed to really enjoy it though! I'm just not a fan of sweet and spicy. Overall, I would recommend it. It's a large restaurant so great for groups! We came with a group of 14 on a Friday and had no issues. There's also a dedicated parking lot with ample parking.

One of my favorite Korean restaurants for 3 years now, always good options and price, service is good. I love their bbq and hotpot option so much. They are the special hook, I tried their sashimi and it was clean and fresh too. Definitely recommend because their meat quality and food in general is really good and flavorful.

Amazing spot . Some of the best fish in town. Tough to make a ressie if you don't speak Korean though.

I was dying to try some raw soy marinated crab (ganjang gejang) so we went to what seems the be the only place that has it! The location is a bit hard to find, the cutest restaurant with very homey korean vibes. They have a lot of seating which is great because when we went it was pretty packed! We ordered the tangsooyook, bossam, jajangmyeon, and of course the ganjang gejang! The tangsooyook was perfectly fried, crispy, and came in its typical sweet and sour sauce. Very comforting and the flavor and texture was great. The bossam was so clean tasting with great pork flavor, it came with cabbage, raddish, and even oysters on the side. This was one of my favorites. The jajangmyeon was lacking in a little flavor in my opinion, but the noodles were perfectly cooked. I LOVED the ganjang gejang!!! Beautifully marinated and the meat of the crab was so fresh and full of flavor. Eating it was a bit of a struggle but I got the hang of it. Wish they offered gloves because my hands smelled like soy even after washing them! Also heads up, this dish is SALTY!!! So I balanced it out with some rice. Overall I recommend to try this place out for super great authentic korean food!!

I had a small family birthday dinner here at Seorabol. I love coming here because I love their galbi!! I can never get enough of that. Their staff got changed up but provide about the same service. I was in a group of 5 adults and 1 kid and 1 baby. They seems to be able to keep their food quality the same since the last time I visited. My husband and I love ordering their galbi combo, simply because he loves to eat Korean cold noodle as well. Not many places serves cold noodle all year round like here. Definitely looking forward to returning back for another yummy flavorful meal.

Best Korean restaurant in Philly hands down. Their black bean noodles and cold spicy noodles are a must and they are the ultimate comfort food. Their spicy tempura chicken is also so good that me and my family have licked the sauce from the plate. Their japchae is also the best I've ever had and it's not even close. The service and banchans you get are so good abs they give you refills. 10/10 experience

Felt this place was a solid 3.5 - but opted to round down Service: The person who seated us was rude. Assumed it was because busy but even as the restaurant crowd slowed down, she still remained very rude and unapproachable. I asked for water 4 times and never got it. We were hoping to celebrate a birthday for a person in our party, so I privately asked the woman staff member if they had a dessert menu. She said "So what" staring at me blankly "it's her birthday, what do you want me to do." I was mortified and simply asking if there was a desert menu so I can prepurchase something but I walked back to the table defeated and not really sure what to tell the others about doing a little surprise for my friend. Food: Our table mostly got different types of bibimbaps. Some hot stone, some non hot stone. Dishes were decent - and normal portioned. The banchan wasn't my favorite but I liked the cucumber and potato ones best. Kimchi was average. Atmosphere: It is a BBQ spot after all so the air in the restaurant is a little mucky/humid. Overall didn't feel particularly enthused with our experience there. The food was decent, our table was spacious, service sucked. Some staff members were nicer and polite. Maybe stick to take out. Or eat somewhere else.

I came here looking for some KBBQ, and I got what I wanted. Food - Galbitan is good, bulgogi was also good. After you finish your food they give you a cinnamon tea dessert. Service - Good, there is an enforcement officer guarding the door outside. Super weird also interesting! Parking - there is a parking lot outside guarded by the said gun toting officer. Overall, this place is good.

Somehow this place showed up as the highest rated KBBQ place in Philadelphia on my Yelp search. So we tried it out when passing by Philadelphia. 1. Reservation: You could use one, it was quite packed 2. Entrance: GUNNED ENFORCEMENT OFFICER is placed right outside the restaurant. I have never seen such a thing in my life!! He was super nice and even held the door for us. But I kept wondering how bad can this neighborhood be for this to be necessary? Upon entry, you will see the police chief is friends with the owner/chef. Okay that's why they have their own enforcement officer with a gun visible. He is not a security y'all. He is not just sitting on his ass, no, he is standing outside and making sure customers actually went into their car and drives away and making sure no car is burglarized. Like what?! 5 stars! shocking but amazing! 3. Food: meh. Especially coming from DC, this place would barely get 2.5 stars, but here in philly they have practically flawless reviews. - worst banchan I had, kimchee is not good and everything else is soggy - Japchae- has meat, which is cool! Very oily - Samgyubsal: too thin cut, so it gets burned instead of getting delicious, there was no option of thicker cut - Bulgogi: better marinating is needed and was not good - kalbitang: just okay 4. Service: not good, all ladies are annoyed that you are (the customers) there and they are not hiding it. 5. Also, for the first time in my life I saw a place that has a counterfeit dollar picture ready near the cashier, so they can check it. I am soo used to no cash, credit card situation, this was eye-opening. 6. Cleanliness: bad my cup had lipstick on it, eww. The bathroom, everything was dirty.

Swung into this restaurant since we wanted to eat kalbi. The meat was tender and our table of four finished the 4 orders. Yes, we had four orders plus other items pictured. The spicy fish side dish was delicious. Reminded me of my mom's cooking. We enjoyed the fish side dish and kalbi the best. We love how the meat is grilled with wood chips, best way to cook kalbi. They grill it for you. Since one can't control the heat of the wood chips, you have to eat it when it's done. Not as tasty if you leave it on the side. So for those who aren't used to eating right off the grill, it's an experience to have and so enjoyable. Wood chip grilling is the best tasting! The jajangmyun was good, not too sweet. Mul nangmyun was ok. The broth was a little different than what I have had at other restaurants. The inside was spacious and servers were very nice. If we are in this area again, would definitely swing by again.

Fairly large place, but parking is tight - street parking is definitely the best choice. Service is attentive and friendly. Food is fantastic. Best soon dobu jjigae I've ever had.

The food is good as always but the price is too high. Hope they change it. We ordered bulgogi (could only order two orders) than the waitress cooked for us so took away the fun of grilling.

favorite of our family. right near Academy of Music and Kimmel Center. Great vibes. Food is delicious every time. best service. upbeat staff and very cool! we've been there dozens of times and never had a bad experience!!!

I've been coming here for ten years, and honestly, the galbi is better than anything I've had elsewhere, including Seoul. The people are lovely, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food is fantastic. One of my most-loved places in the world.

Food is a bit salty Service is slow and staff don't pay much attention Ambiance is soso.

My friend took me to Seorabol as my first meal after a long day of flights. She said the Korean presence isn't as big as Dallas or Atlanta but this restaurant absolutely knocked her socks off. This part of Philly doesn't exactly have a Koreatown, so it's kinda really in the middle of nowhere but that does not bring down the value of this restaurant at all. We visited late on Saturday and the place was fairly empty -- the interior felt like a traditional Korean cuisine restaurant and the waiter/waitresses were all extremely friendly. Their menu has more than Korean -- they have sushi, as well as Korean-Chinese dishes like jjajangmyun, but we wanted to embrace our heritage and we decided to order the bossam, spicy rice cakes and the naengmyun (cold noodles). We were first served with the side dishes, which consisted of stir fried sausages, sweet broiled potatoes, fish cake stir fry, kimchi, japchae and cabbage kimchi. The banchans were all amazing and they were all rice thieves (it's a Korean metaphor) Here is the review of the foods itself. Bossam (5/5) - The bossam was soooo good. Perfectly steamed and the kimchi came with oysters which is my absolute favorite. They also give salted shrimp and ssamjang and plenty of pickled cabbage to accompany the dish. I highly appreciated the oysters and it was an absolute delight. Spicy Rice Cakes (5/5) - Quite possibly my FAVORITE ddukbokee in America. I will say that I am not a huge fan of spicy foods so I don't look for spicy rice cakes that much, but this was not that spicy and it had the sweet taste and it tasted like the ddukbokee I used to eat in front of my elementary school in Korea! Sweet & spicy seasoned, and it came with plenty of toppings such as fish cakes, mushrooms, veggies and eggs. I think I might have liked this one over the bossam. Naengmyun (3/5) - If you are used to the sweet and sour naengmyun, do NOT order this. The naengmyun here is the Pyongyang style noodles, which present a rather bland taste and only people who enjoy this style will like it. I added plenty of vinegar but it was still not that flavorful. I do enjoy really good Pyongyang noodles but it just wasn't up to par. Overall -- everything was a hit (except the naengmyun) and apparently you're supposed to get cinnamon punch after your meal but we didn't so my friend got thoroughly upset, but I still had a great meal and experience. I think this place has a lot of history and tradition and I'm so glad I was able to stop by this place as my first meal in Philly!

Don't know much about the Korean food scene in Philly, but this place has some fairly decent BBQ if you're looking for that. Ordered the Combo Set #1 (SRB Kalbi) with both the Naengmyun and Soondoobo. The meat itself was delicious, really tender and flavorful. I love the fact this BBQ place cooks with charcoal, instead of gas. Really enhances the flavor for me personally. The naengmyun and Soondoobo were just ok unfortunately. Pretty under seasoned, and not something I would order again. I would absolutely come back here for the meat though, and try some other cuts.

This is my favorite Korean restaurant. The sushi is fresh and the hot pots are delicious. I also love the variety of banchan. The persimmon tea at the end of the meal is also a nice touch.

If you're looking for authentic Korean meal, Seorabol Korean restaurant is the place to go! I love the tiny little dishes that they provide as part of the meal! We originally went to do Korean barbecue and cook our meat at the table but decided to go with a preset dinner which was lovely.

Got Galbi for takeout and it was not barbecued at all, looked and tasted steamed (no grilled taste). Not recommended for takeout

I came here last night for my birthday. I wanted to go to So Korean Grill but they were closed. I've been coming to Seorabol for years but decided to write a review today because of my experience yesterday. We ordered a seafood pancake as an appetizer and three selections of meat, with sides of rice which were all pretty good. Unfortunately, the service was absolutely horrible. As someone who's worked in the food industry, I get it. Sometimes it's busy and as a result, service isn't up to par. This wasn't the situation here. Our server NEVER came to check up on us. He sat us, took our order and brought out the meat. That's it. In the meantime, he spent out entire dining experience tending and chatting with another table. We were the only two tables in the restaurant. He brought out our meats but did not bring out seafood pancake or rice. I had to walk up to the counter and ask about our seafood pancake and he rudely asked "So, you want a second seafood pancake?" and I had to tell him that we didn't receive it. He brought out the pancake which was cold (as if it was prepared but forgotten to serve). We didn't receive our rice as well and I had to walk up again to ask for it. Usually through-out a korean bbq experience, someone comes out to change out the grill as it gets burnt. So while our server was busy chatting with another table in korean, our grill was engulfed in flames and burning. If the smell of a burnt grill filling the restaurant didn't indicate that it needed to be change, I had to WALK up to the counter again. The server rudely asked "what do you want?" and I told him our grill needed to be changed. I gave them two stars because the food was actually pretty good but the service was horrible, and the overall ambiance was a bit gross. If you're in the area, just go to So Korean Grill.

We were a reservation at 5:30 for 4 adults, two kids and a toddler. The minute we sat down my toddler projectile vomited for maybe the second time in her life. They could not have been more gracious about it. We ordered and the waiter even cooked our bbq for us. When the toddler got fussy they brought her a yogurt drink and the waiter made her smile every time he came by. The food was also really delicious. It made us long for our brief time in Korea a few years ago! Amazing food, but the above and beyond kindness when we needed it the most will never be forgotten. I can't wait to go back (maybe we will leave the toddler at home)...

Ordered their raw crab and pork with oysters. Really good. Good side dishes. Definitely Worth trying!

Great location for those who want quality Korean food. The amount of birthdays, anniversaries, baby announcements, and graduation dinners we have had over the years! My only complaint is that the reception desk has declined over time. Sometimes I would arrive and my reservation would be written for the wrong date or "lost." I would pull out my phone for proof that I called a week ahead for reservations for my large family. Overtime, I opted for other restaurants that didn't give me this trouble.

My husband's favorite spot for Korean food. They still use charcoal grills what in my opinion adds more flavor to food. We love the bbq, kids love clear noodle and they have the best eel roll that everyone loves. It's expensive, but totally worth it.

Seorabol has been my family's go to spot for Korean bbq for years! The food here will give you that nostalgic home cooked Korean food feeling. I usually order the pork belly, bulgogi, and Spicy pork gui for Korean bbq. The meats are always tender and juicy! They give you a lot of side dishes as well that you can eat of bbq. Everything is so good which is why Seorabol will always be my go-to Korean spot

Came here with friends and family for some kbbq and other Korean dishes during my trip to PA. Made a reservation for 8 with 2 kids and had no issues for dinner time. They took our order quickly. We ordered lots of kbbq l, some soups, seafood pancakes, and bi bim bap. They came out with lots of ban Chan for appetizers, the rest of the food did take quite a bit of time to come out and they didn't refill the ban Chan when we requested. I think the service could've been a lot better since there wasn't a big crowd however the food was great. Covid protocols were all followed as well

I I used to come here a lot and we recently came back for my birthday. The food was OK but not as good as before and the customer service was terrible. The server (tall guy )he had really bad attitude and even though the restaurant was not busy, it took a long time for him to come and take the order.. looks like he serves the Korean better than other races!

Food is ok but service is terrible! They didn't have many tables when I went during the weekend but you literally get no service. Don't even think about them cooking your barbecue for you. Once they take your order that will be the last time you see your server. No one comes through even if you rang the service bell. I also had to go to the front and again there you see no presence of anyone. I waited for someone to come through so I could pay and leave. Never again!

Came here on a Thursday, parking lot was empty and we were the only ones that were eating in. Service was quick. Plenty of parking in the lot. Stone pot bibimbap: Just the way I wanted it to be and authentic. Fried Dumplings: I'm really glad this is not frozen dumplings, this is their own recipe from what I can tell. Definitely satisfied my cravings. I like the wrap and filling was good. The sauce was really good too. We dipped several things in this. Jjajang myeon: Authentic just the way I wanted it. Japchae: The noodles had so much flavor. Only downside is there was barely any meat. This would've been amazing if it did. I Would come here again and have been for years. Total was $70 food including a ginger ale.

I've had the pleasure of dining at both locations and the service was very good the staff was very friendly and welcomin. the food was delicious whe I'm in Philadelphia again both locations will be a must.fabulous family run business.

Place was very nice. Great atmosphere and servers. Very nice and gave extra sides which were . The meat was amazing quality and cut, they use charcoal to cook it so it gave good flavor and made it very tender. Meat was so good we got beef tartare to even try and the raw marinated crab was no joke, super good. I would definitely be coming back for more.

The food was fine - not exceptional. Nice place to hang out with friends. Ambiance is decent. I went on a Wednesday so the place was pretty quiet and food came out fast. Service was decent.

The food was great, but at the end, we basically got kicked out by an older lady. I guess because the restaurant got hectic.

Kind of terrible. We ordered kalbi as a splurge for visiting guests and the meat was stringy and chewy even though it was so expensive! No one was able to help or offered to help with the grilling because of the where the grill was. One grill was also not enough to cook three portions of kalbi at a 9-person table. Rest of good was just ok. Bibim cold noodles just ok. They forgot one person's order all together. Ddukboki and pan-fried dumplings also just ok. Ordering was super disorganized. Water barely refilled. The pachun, dolsot bibimbap were the best two things. Missing Mirim under the old management.

We moved here just over a year ago from the Chicago and there was a much larger Korean population there. This is the best Korean food that we have experienced in Pennsylvania so far. There wasn't one weak dish. This is now our go to Korean restaurant. We thought that the pajeun pancake was fabulous. The meat was good too. We thought that it was good that they had a wide offering on their menu and didn't just offer BBQ.

My 1st time here was ok. Food was alright . They share their handcrafted beer not a fan of them at all.

Everything we ordered was great! Seafood pancake, galbi, tofu soup with seafood, dukboki and jajaing myung.

The food here is good. But the service is extremely bad. Some servers hide their head to avoid providing service. There was an Asian lady services, she seated two tables from us, and never showed her service. I asked "excuse me ", she just turned around her head to talk to another server. OMG, why she was so rude. Disappointed. Do not expect service from this restaurant.

This is the original Seorabol, where you can grill the bbq at your table. The one in Center City is good, too, but it caters a bit more to American tastes, I think. This one reminds me of the Korean BBQ places they have in Korea. They give you so many banchan. The garlic paste for the BBQ is out of this world. I'm obsessed!

I came to this restaurant for the first time and it really surprised me. The service is excellent and the food is very delicious.

this spot has been a family favorite for years, and continues to not disappoint! they're finally open for dine in!! the food: so fresh quality, and i love their set menus that come with a sashimi boat, jungol stew, and meat option. the fish is always super fresh and tasty without that gross fishy aftertaste, and pairs so nicely with some soju and spicy stew!!! they also slide in steamed eggs and other things on the house here and there, so grateful the service: sooo kind! the lady who serves there (short bob with blonde highlights) has been there since the dawn of time and she is the friendliest server on earth! will really love upon u and ur family

I went here for my birthday. Service was terrible. Something wrong with the stove left my food uncooked they tried to fix couple time but end up wasting half of the course. Never come back.

Was ignored as soon as we came in. Called ahead to confirm if they had a dish. Was told yes on the phone then no in person. There was maybe 4 tables eating and we barely got seen or checked on.

My wife and I came here to get some korean bbq. We went there a few times but many years ago. The server toke us to our seats. We order 2 portions of meats and some grill fish. The servers brought some side dishes and open the lid for the grill. My wife saw the grill was dirty, it had some grease on the top and the side of the grill. We ask the manager if they can clean the grill a bit. She got mad and told us They clean the grill everyday. We were shocked from her behavior. My wife calmly take some napkin and wipe the grill herself, there were alot of grease that came off the the grill. The manager and server was quite and didn't say anything. But they look piss and angry. Half and hour later our food came. They put the on the table and left without asking if we needed anything. The servers went to take care of other customers but not us. We feel not welcome in the restaurant. So we eat as fast as we can so we can leave. We ask for the check, we pay the bill and left the restaurant. We will find another korean restaurant to go to from now on.

Seo Rabol, the Korean house on Old 2nd Street in the Olney section of Philadelphia, is one of the more established peninsula restaurants in the area. It is not far from the center of Seoultown on Cheltenham Avenue. They offer a full menu, but their specialty is BBQ grilled on the table. We were not hungry enough to deal with the mandatory 2 order minimum (@$20 per), so opted for their rendition of seafood pancake and pork gui - letting them do the grilling in the kitchen and serve it ready to eat. The banchan arrived first in small square plates. The ten or so dishes were all very good and a tour de force of spicy flavors and textures from steamed egg to mackerel. The pancake was frittata like, with plenty of shellfish within, and pan fried well enough to be firm, yet still tender. It was one of the better versions I have eaten. The gui was a large bowl full of pork strips grilled just right with an excellent spicy hot/sweet sauce. Much better than I could have done myself at the table, at less than half the cost. It was delicious and almost addictive. We couldn't finish either dish, so the remains were packed up for home consumption. We finished with complementary sweet ginger tea, which cleansed the pallet and was refreshing. Throughout the meal the large HDTVs were tuned to the Winter Olympics in South Korea. National pride for sure, but no one really seemed to be watching. The table conversation was dominant across the large dining room, as it should be while enjoying a good meal with family and friends. Service was efficient and cordial, but it certainly helped to have someone at the table speaking Korean.