Shila Korean Restaurant

This is a little hole in the wall spot, but foodies know that's often where you find the best food. Ultimately, this place did not disappoint. We had the kimchi pancake-very flavorful and large enough for all four of us. We had the croaker (whole fish) and the Galabi beef, which my party enjoyed. The kimchi options were also great, except the zucchini was a bit bland. I had the bimbimb and had them add shrimp because I'm a pescetarian. Getting this accommodation was a bit of a task as they didn't have any shrimp dishes on the menu, but eventually they did make it for me and it was good after adding a lot of Korean red sauce and soy sauce. The bimbimbab was fresh, but just ok with flavor without the sauces. Overall, we enjoyed our dinner. My only suggestion would be to have other seafood options, outside of the whole fish and the soup.

Wow. Just a random spot it heard about. Looked a little sketchy at first. Got here in time for the buffet. Amazing. Simple but delicious. They run out super fast. So get here early. A gem. I Will be making a point to go next door to the Asian market.

I had the Galbi ribs and they were perfect. The food here is excellent. The food came out very fast as well. I will definitely be coming back here. I should also add that i have a shellfish allergy, and the server was carefull to make sure nothing had shellfish in it.

This is our favorite restaurant in all of Fayetteville! Delicious food, great service.

Checked out Shila Korean Restaurant. It was very good. While orange chicken is not Korean, it was the best I ever had. It was perfectly crispy with the right amount sauce. The kimchi and pickles were tasty. The galbi was flavorful and not too sweet. The bulgoki could have had a little more flavor, but it was not bad. Surprisingly we enjoyed the OhSam Bulgoki which is a mixture of pork and squid. It had more flavor than the beef with a hint of spicy heat. Everyone liked the bibimbob. I liked the noodle dish. Go with a group like we did, order a bunch of dishes, and eat family style. You will have a fun experience that way and can pick out your favorites!

Yesterday was my first time ordering from here. I ordered the fried mackerel plate that comes with rice and vegetable sides. The food was nice and hot. The cucumber and onion salad was my favorite out of the sides of veggies. The fish was cooked and seasoned well. It had alot of meat on the bottom side without alot of bones. I will come back here. I would highly recommend coming here. Update: 09/05/22 We decided to go in and eat for the first time. It is very nice and welcoming inside. It reminds me of a mom and pop type of restaurant. We were greeted warmly by the gentleman in the front and he directed us to any open seats. We ordered sweet tea, sprite, fried dumplings, combination fried rice and beef bulgogi. The dumplings are absolutely delicious..served nice and hot and seasoned perfectly. The bulgogi is delicious as well as the fried rice. I would highly recommend coming here. We will come back.

I came here thinking it would be good via google😬 such a disappointment. I should’ve not stayed literally when walking in it was kinda ehhhh😬. It was dirty even the restrooms too like it haven’t been clean for few days or something. Also the food was expensive. Idk how I spend $30 something just for a regular bulgogi and a drink🫤. Never coming back. There’s much better Korean restaurants in Spring lake if you want to eat Korean cuisine.

Phenomenal food here! Everything is seasoned wonderfully. There's quite a bit of variety on the buffet. We may try the menu items the next time we visit. The food they were bringing out to various diners looked delicious as well!

If you know the taste and experience of traditional Korean food, don't disappoint. Yourselves. The food is terrible. The service is terrible, I was speechless. The ambiance...there is none. Food+Service+Ambiance= Spend your money elsewhere!

I love Korean food. Korean dishes is rising in American restaurants all over the US. Till they start improving the interior design and not having ahjooma her designated table for a work desk with Arby's leftovers sandwiches and curly fries laying everywhere. I will be back. If you really want to experience Korean restaurant. The smell, atmosphere, Korean speaking channels on tv, come down here. Especially those Soldiers that have been stationed in Korea. It really brings back good memories of the typical resto in S. Korea for real. By the time you leave, you smell like you just got off the plane from Kimpo airport. Nothing negative it's just that they have to renovate this decade old place. Don't get me wrong, the yakimandu's is on point, my bulgogi was server fresh and hot on a fajitas hot plate but the bibimbap was mediocre. Banchan was small portions. I love the radishes and kimchi. Server was on top of it. A lot of uncleaned tables that was just hanging out, watching Netflix and Korean channels. But pricey for what they can offer. I'm just sayin'

Food is expensive, mild in flavor and small in portions. Overall I don't really recommend going here. While the food wasn't bad it was overpriced by ALOT.

A hidden gem! The food is delicious and the service wonderful. We bring our family of 5 here which consists of several picky eaters and there's something for everyone. This is one of our top favorite places to eat.

I recently dined at Shila Korean Restaurant, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The ambiance was inviting and cozy, setting the perfect mood for a delightful meal. The menu offered a wide variety of Korean dishes, each one bursting with authentic flavors. I started with the bulgogi, which was tender and marinated to perfection. The banchan, an assortment of side dishes, was a delightful surprise, offering a range of tastes and textures. The kimchi was particularly outstanding. The service was impeccable. The staff was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, providing helpful recommendations. They made sure our dining experience was comfortable and enjoyable. Shila Korean Restaurant truly stands out for its commitment to quality and authenticity in Korean cuisine. I can't wait to return and explore more of their delicious offerings. If you're a fan of Korean food or looking to try it for the first time, Shila is the place to go. Five stars all the way!

Delicious food: rich flavors, authentic presentation...It was a yummy afternoon meal! The appetizers had distinctive and different flavors, there was no spice and minimal bite to the food (). Super tasty!

Everyone in the military must check out SHILA! The home made food is AMAZING!!! The banchan especially the kimchi so delicious and fresh! Be sure to meet Sunny who manages the place she is so caring of rhe customers and has such a fun, welcoming personality, we really enjoyed the food and ambiance because of her! 5 stars out of 5 recommend!!! The food is really so good!!! Recommend the bibimbop and bulgogi!!!

It was like I went to Korea and had dinner. The people made me feel like I was reliving my experience in Korea. I really enjoyed the food and the service was great! I have been here several times for my favorite Korean food. Thanks for the experience. See again soon.

It was authentic Korean taste and interior was like a Chinese restaurant in small town. Service was good. I walked in close to closing time but they waited until I finished my meal without pressure.

There are not too many Korean-only restaurants in this area, but Shila is one of them and is worth checking out. They have a multitude of Korean dishes that can be intimidating if you are not familiar with Korean food. For the most part, the main dishes will be either rice or noodle based with marinated meat (typically beef) and an accompaniment of fermented and/or pickled side dishes. However, this place has much more than just that (stews, soups, etc) and if you are feeling adventurous definitely go for it! A good 'intro' dish is BibimBop which is pretty much a rice-bowl with pickled vegetables, beef, and sunny-side up egg. If you like crispy rice then get the Dolsot BibimBop which is the same thing, but served in a hot ceramic bowl that will give the rice on the bottom a nice crispy crust. It's almost akin to fajitas that you would get searing hot cast-iron pan. Anyways, I wanted to try something different and got the Bibim Nengmeon which is a cold noodle dish made with buckwheat noodles served in a slightly spicy, but sweet chilled sauce and topped with half of a hard-boiled egg and julienned cucumbers. I liked it from a flavor profile, but I really wished that it had more protein or the option to add some beef. It could easily have passed for a vegetarian dish if it weren't for the half hard-boiled egg on top. All in all, I definitely will visit this restaurant again to try something new and to expand my understanding of Korean cuisine!

Sunny definitely lives by her name! She was an absolute blast to talk to, extremely friendly, and quick to take our orders! The food was phenomenal, and definitely some of the best I've had. I would recommend this place to anyone, and ask for Sunny if you go!

Love this place!! Food is delicious and servers are helpful in making sure you order items that you will like! Must haves include the Bibimbob in the Hot Pot (can't remember the phrase) but it crisps the rice and is perfection!! Just remember you're here to get great Korean food, and meet terrific people, both staff and fellow regular diners and don't let the dated furnishings fool you!

Truly sad that this place has went so downhill. The food isn't bad, but service is terrible. If you're not Korean you're treated poorly. They refused to cook more to go food an hour before closing. This place used to be so great. Sad

I came here after work. I've been craving korean food. This place is beside an asian store which is very convenient. I got the Dolsot Bibimbap and the Seafood Pancake. I highly recommend both especially the seafood pancake. It's crispy on the outer side and very tasty. I didn't even need to dip it in the sauce. I definitely recommend this place!

Me an my wife loved our food, everything we had was good and the gentleman helping us was friendly and attentive.

Amazing food every time I eat there. This is my favorite Korean Spot to go eat good food. If you haven't already tried the food your missing out.

Absolutely delicious food! Make sure you go early because they close up right on time and start to limit the menu items before that.....don't be late!

Im happy they are making u adulterated traditional Korean food! The dwenjangchigae (korean version of miso soup) was surprisingly really good, would've been nice if there was a few baby clams or seafood or something. The bulgogi lunch special very good. 1 suggestion, the cucumber kimchi needs a touch of sugar or touch less salt. Overall would definitely eat here again if i'm in north carolina for some strange reason

If you don't know Korean or haven't been in a Korean restaurant before, you'll probably need to brace yourself because the typical Korean restaurant experience can seem a bit rude. It's mostly just that the waitresses are stressed and when she has to speak english it's embarrassing and stressful, so keep that in mind when you go. That out of the way, the food was delicious and the staff was friendly. "Do you have ___ drink?" A man at a neighboring table asked "no but you can buy it next door and bring it in here" she responded and laughed, referring to the grocery next door. We got stone bowls and tofu stew and were thoroughly happy when we left!

The best thing here was the kimchi soup. The cold noodles were good, and the pork wasn't bad, but the food wasn't outstanding. The banchan was rather bland - a large variety but not great tastes. We might go back for specific items but we prefer other places for Korean food overall. My kimchi soup was also quite small for the price when compare to other Korean restaurants we've eaten at in the US and in Korea.

Excellent food! Authentic Korean food. Very casual. Only one server, so service can be slow if too many people.

It's been a very long time since we last visited Shila, and we remebered why. We ordered two spicy pork and rice dishes, and the dolsot bibimbap. Had to ask for the gochujjang for the bibimbap, and the pork dishes were not spicy at all...and I'm a light weight when it comes to spicy foods. The pork was very salty as so was 3 of the 4 side-dishes. The bibimbap was ok overall. I always ask for two eggs on top.

Tuesday evening, party of two...hungry! Always a warm welcome at Shila's. We've been several times for the lunch buffet and decided to come in for dinner. Same warm welcome and were greeted and brought drinks. Hubster ordered the Je Yuk Ppo Kum...Thin slice of pork, stir fried with hot specially prepared sauce = $15.95, I ordered the BulGoKi, Thin sliced beef, marinated in specially prepared sauce and stir fried = $17.95. This was served with rice and the usual Korean side dishes. Everything was fresh, tasty and SO good. I loved that the servers seemed to be watching Korean tv in the background and they are very friendly and attentive. We're new to Fayetteville and this is now one of our favorite places to eat. We've been here several times and the quality is consistent every time. Will be back and highly recommend!

We went pretty late on Saturday night. There were only two other tables full. The kitchen closes at 8pm and we didn't know. With that in mind, we REALLY appreciate the accommodations that the entire staff made for us. We got 3 different dishes and they all came out really quickly and the food was spectacular. Everyone was super nice and felt like family. Price wise, 100% worth it. The portions are amazing, we all shared. Left with enough to take home and it was just an overall wonderful experience.

Amazing Korean food--tastes like my Korean Grandma's home cooking! Service is fast and courteous, and the environment is clean. I come here every weekend!

Food is average and too expensive. I can have twice better quality food in NJ with same price! Working staff manners are horrible. They talk among themselves louder than customer. Went once and that was enough.

Lunch buffet is the best time to visit. Friendly staff and environment. Their side dishes - cold veggies are very authantic. We like the beef, pork, chicken, fried dumplings, glass noodles, and soup they offer at lunch buffet. The hot tea is good too.

This place is really good. Friendly staff, delicious food, decent prices.. what more do you need? I've eaten at a lot of Korean places and Shila's has got to be one of the best. Definitely a must! This is an authentic Korean Restaurant.

First night in Fayetteville and am very happy I found this place. Ordered the Kimchi pork and it was delicious, perfect blend of spice and flavor. I am going to have to come back before I leave. What it lacks in decor/interior is definitely made up with quality and delicious food! The cucumber kimchi was my favorite.

Ok, this isn't some Yuppy Chic Trendy Korean Joint that you'll find in Atlanta, LA, NYC, Etc. This is a simple but genuine Korean Restaurant. The food is just what you would get if you went to dinner at a friend's home in Uijongbu (where I lived for 4.5 years). The look of the place is very simple and not extravagant, but the food is quite tasty. Prices were a bit on the high side, but after enjoying the meal I didn't feel they were outrageous based on the quality and service. The ladies are very nice and very welcoming and happily refilled our Ban Chan (side dishes) when we devoured the kimchi.

We were a party of 4 and came for dinner. We ordered tofu soup w/seafood, bulgogi, bibimbap, and pork w/kimchi dish. Came with side dishes and rice. Pros - Korean staff who speak good English. I don't write this to sound rude, especially because I'm the type of person who understands English through very thick accents. But I know there are many people who don't. In other words, you shouldn't have problems communicating. - Good service. No complaints. Waitresses were sweet and checked in with us every now and then. - They give you chopsticks without asking! Yea, yea. Silly, I know. But hey, I'm an Asian food snob- I admit it! Table already comes with chopsticks, which I believe is a good sign. - Good side dishes. One of their side dishes was fish cake! Yea! - Good portions. You definitely leave full. - Freshness. When the bibimbap arrived, you could hear it sizzling. Definitely a good sign! When my tofu soup arrived, you could see it boiling. Always good when you can tell it was just made. - Ethnic clientele. One of my default rules for an ethnic restaurant is if some of the clientele are of that ethnicity, that's a good sign. There was a table behind us of Korean women speaking Korean who were eating. My friend has a coworker whose mother in law is Korean and she recommends this place. That's a good indication for me. Put it this way- they also have Korean writing on their menu. - My tofu soup came with good seafood. There was good bits of squid (tentacles and everything. haha...), shrimp, and baby oysters. Definitely made me happy. - Clean. Good hygiene is always important at a restaurant. Cons - High prices! Dude, some dishes are in the $20s and $30s. This is perhaps my biggest complaint. They have Korean soups that include seafood which are pretty pricey. The prices definitely made me consider for a decent amount of time exactly what I was going to order. I'm used to Korean food being more decently priced, but I come from big cities in Cali, so I'll admit I'm spoiled. - Limited menu. I was hoping for more options, but I'm from Cali, where there is a large and wide variety of Korean restaurants with a plethora of choice on their menu. - K dude, I know this sounds picky, but I feel like my tofu soup lacked a bit of a kick that I'm used to. However, I think it's because they cater to a more non traditional clientele. Observations - I'm uncertain whether all the dishes come with side dishes. The menu only said the "meals" section comes with side dishes. So I'm uncertain whether dishes like the tofu soups, bibimbap, and other dishes come with side dishes. So be aware and ask if you really want the side dishes! - Probably not as spicy as you think. Many of their dishes are noted with the flames, meaning spicy, but they're not that strong. Of course, it depends on what you're used to. - Heads up- I'm not reviewing their lunch, so their lunch crowd may be bigger than their dinner crowd. But we didn't have trouble getting seats. The restaurant wasn't full. Final Answer I've had better Korean food at better prices. Keep in mind my rating for this restaurant is largely dependent on the area, which is an Asian food desert. Good food, but be prepared for high prices.

Great service and food! Friendly atmosphere too! Fantastic Asian store next door. I only wish they had Korean BBQ on table cooking.

Must have been an off day for me when I posted my last review months ago. I have been back many times since then and have never been disappointed. The food is ALWAYS very tasty and comes out in a reasonable time. I really don't have any complaints or issues with any of the people here. This is DEFINITELY the best Korean food in Fayetteville... or even the south. I HIGHLY recommend coming here to eat.

Sun Supermarket is not the best of the best, but it suffices for my needs when I'm in the Fayetteville area. The owner is Korean, so they cater to Korean cuisine more than the other Asian cuisines, but they do try to stock up on Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Thai products. (+) They have a wide variety of ice creams--Mochi, Milk Bars, Magnolia etc. (+) Fresh fish is available. The selection is decent for a smallish store. They have snapper, grouper, shrimp, beltfish, croaker, pompano, etc. (+) Wide variety of sauces, noodles, and rice--the basic staples of Asian cooking (+) Fresh and moderately priced vegetables. They don't have that much space for a supermarket variety, but they have good stuff for what they have space for. They have eggplant, bitter melon, oyster mushrooms, lots of peppers, mustard greens, etc. (+) There's some selection of ready-to-eat foods at the front register. Pajun (veggie pancakes), rice cakes, kim bap, and other yummies! (-) One of the owners is a rude American grumpy McGrumpster. We tried walking in 15 mins before closing and he was so "busy" bringing in his inventory from the outside display that he refused to let us enter before the store even closes. I mean, what kind of business etiquette is this? You're here to make $$ old man! If you drive 1 customer away, I might be tempted to tell my other 'Asian' and 'Asian food-loving' friends to cease patronage of your store. So, if you're gonna post closing hours, abide by them! What a buttmunch! (-) One of the ladies that work the register have no idea what they sell at her store. I asked what kind of filling is in the yummy looking pastries at the register, and she just said "they sweet stuff". What is "sweet stuff"? If you don't know your products, you shouldn't be selling it. Nonetheless, I am not going to stop shopping here because the positives discount most of the negatives. I just wish I never see that old Grumpy McGrumpster again. ps. bring cash for purchases under $10 and stop by Shila Korean restaurant next door if you're hungry!

Big grocery store full of items. The workers are busy but very helpful. You can find almost anything here from seafood to cookware. It's located next to Sheila's Korean Restaurant too in case you're hungry before grocery shopping. Very good.

This place is great! Living in Fayetteville my whole life, you can definitely find some great Korean food close to Ft Bragg and this place definitely fits the bill. If you go mon-fri from 11-2 you can try everything on the buffet for a bargain price. I'll definitely be returning. Also, the health score posted on here is not correct. Inside the restaurant it is higher than what is listed here; I believe it needs to be updated!

We were greeted by a really nice ahjumma, however I'm really disappointed by the portions considering the price. We ordered LA Galbi (dont be deceived by the photos on the menu lol or on the wall) meat was kind of tough instead of soft like any other korean galbi.. 5 SMALL bone pieces. And I mean SMALL for $22.00 lol the portions here are really small, and the side dishes are were so sorry.. We got 5 side dishes. We also ordered the Beef Bulgolgi which wasn't as charred or as tasty, it wasn't horrible but you could find better elsewhere. Then we also got the Spicy pork, which IMO was the best. But again, super small portions. Only one nice lady working the entire store (not the kitchen but the store) so it took a while for her to come take our orders despite just one more table that had customers. There was a lot of Togo orders I believe because the phone kept ringing. She didn't refill our waters, but understanding that she was busy we didn't mind. To think of, I feel really bad now for not tipping... I'm almost always a 20% tipper.. I should've at least given her something... I guess the price of the small portions we got, got the best of me. I'm so Sorry Ahjumma, it wasn't your fault.

Pretty decent for the area. Service is always good and welcoming. I've been there for the lunch buffet and it gets pretty busy. I've also ordered at dinner time. Bibimbap is yummy. The fried dumplings are also quite tasty. They also have a spicy pork dish, which the lady there said was their specialty. It is by far my favorite thing on the menu. Overall, good little restaurant.

Decent Korean food. Living in California, we have a zillion Korean restaurants, so I was not expecting much. I came down here to visit my boyfriend in Fort Bragg and was craving Korean food during my visit. I tried their Dol Sot Bibimbap and Spicy Pork with rice. It turns out I've been eating bibimbap incorrectly. The lady/owner helped me and explained to me how to eat bibimbap correctly. Apparently you are supposed to mix it right away before the egg cooks a certain way. Then you add in the hot pepper paste. The waitresses there were dressed in cute pink aprons. Side dishes were not the best. But the bibimbap was certaintly delicious and on par with the ones in California. Spicy pork was decent. 4 stars for their customer service and Dol Sot Bibimbap. A little pricier than California, but it makes sense since there are not a lot of Korean restaurants in that area.

Based on lunch buffet. Walked in and the server pointed to an area in the back of the restaurant for us to eat. The ac unit was blowing solid cold air. Glad to know it works, but my hair on my arms were standing straight up and it was freezing. I didn't want to eat my food in the cold and asked nicely if she can tone it down. She rudely looked at me and said, "No. I'm busy." And walked off. Food was subpar. Wasn't anything special and not to many menu items to choose from. Couple of side items but even my favorites didn't satisfy me. I'd rather go elsewhere. Although, if you were Korean they greeted you warmly and definitely catered to you!

With half of my husbands family being Korean, he loves Korean food. He really enjoyed every option they had to offer for the lunch buffet. Really clean, tasted fresh and good service. I mainly love the sprouts and beef bulgogi. We will for sure be back.

Delicious food and wonderful atmosphere. The owners are super sweet and attentive. The spicy kimchi pork and bulgogi are the best around.

Loved the food! It was very authentic. Go for the lunch buffet. You won't regret it. I thought it was phenomenal!

Delicious meal of bulgogi and various sides. It was delicious and came out very quickly. The staff wise kind and helpful!

The worst Korean restaurant ever! Went there last week and saw a roach crawling crossed floor. AC was not turned on and when asked, server said its broken. Asked for a fan, which I saw on one of the empty table, she refused. The place was around 85 degrees. It took a very long time for food to arrive, and there was only another table of 3. If this was just a togo type of restaurant with price range of 5 dollars per person I would accept the dirtiness and rudeness. However, our bill turn out to be 20 dollars per person. I think they should at least provide ac and pest free environment!

Came in a quick lunch and ended up getting items from the buffet. Unfortunately, a lot of the items were not hot or warm in their sneeze guard covered areas. The miso soup was also well below warm. The veg curry was spicy, but also luke warm. The only hot item was the rice hanging out in the cooker. The raw vegetables were slightly warm sitting at room temp, but it was plentiful. This was a two woman staff, and they were very kind to my tot and attentive to our table clearing plates and refilling drinks. Buffet is $10 +tax per head. Most likely won't go out of my way to this place, but would eat here again if starving.

I ate here for a really late lunch, around 2PM. Let me preface this review by saying I spent a year in Korea while in the military. I ate every dish I could get my hands on while there because I loved it so much. Best tasting Asian food hands down. Anyway, Shila is a really wonderful place to eat, quite authentic except maybe the spice level, but I am sure you can have them adjust that when ordering. Top notch service BTW. Usually I order Bibim Bap as it is my favorite, but I had a penchant for spicy pork. My co-workers ordered Daegu Jigae (Cod Stew) and the other co-worker the meal the same as mine. All offerings were as advertised and authentic. I was satisfied with what I received and felt good after eating it. The Kimchi that was offered was superb so I imagine it was made in house by a very knowledgeable person. The only fault I could find was the price. All three of us were charged $17.39. Pricey, but worth it. I just was a little upset that I was charged the same amount for a simple Bulgogi as my friend who received a Cod Stew in a Dolsot pot. On a positive note it was an enjoyable late lunch and the service and food was excellent. Go eat and enjoy!

By far the BEST Korean restaurant in Fayetteville and the surrounding area. A must stop if you love authentic Korean food!

The service is always timely and the cashier is friendly. I'm away at school for most of the year, so when I'm in town I always find time to eat here with my sister. She lived in Korea and introduced me to the food, so Shila will always be "our" place to me. The pork and kimchi is the best!