Where To Find The Best K-BBQ In Koreatown, Los Angeles

When people from out of town think about Los Angeles, they might first think of some of the city's great Mexican food. In a similar vein, the City of Angels is rife with delicious, indulgent Korean BBQ. I know this better than most because my first apartment in Los Angeles after I moved here in 2016 was in the Koreatown neighborhood — the most densely populated neighborhood in all of Los Angeles with around 112,000 inhabitants (according to Census Reporter). 

10 years later, I still live on the outskirts and can walk to a number of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in the city. With so many spots to choose from, it's hard to know which are actually worth the post-meal meat sweats. That said, these are three of my favorite (and undoubtedly some of the very best) Korean BBQ restaurants in Los Angeles.

Brother's Galbi, lovingly known as Brother's BBQ by Los Angeles natives, is a great introduction to Korean BBQ and an excellent restaurant to show out-of-towners. It's one of the first Korean BBQ restaurants I visited when I moved here a decade ago, and one of the few I still revisit regularly. Like all the best Korean BBQ restaurants, Brother's has an all-you-can-eat option that's a mistake not to take advantage of. It's a simple system here: customers choose between silver, gold, and diamond plates.

Truthfully, the silver menu at about $50 per person is more than enough to feed your whole family. The diamond plate has the added options of Brother's' famous bottom sirloin and beef ribs, which are delicious but cost twice as much. The silver, the cheapest of the three options, still offers an array of different meats to choose from, including marinated short ribs, shrimp, beef bulgogi, sausage, and thin pork belly. This also comes with a plethora of sides (or "banchan"). Personally, my favorite is the spicy pork bulgogi dripping in a hot red sauce; I always pair this dish with a side of pineapple for a bit of tart sweetness with every bite of spice.

Brother's Galbi is located at 3680 W 6th St, Los Angeles, California 90020.

Daedo Sikdang turns a traditional steakhouse into an interactive Korean BBQ experience right in the heart of Koreatown. This Seoul-established eatery has been serving prime cuts of ribeye since 1964, with the American locale opening in Los Angeles in 2021. I was one of the first hungry locals fortunate enough to visit Daedo Sikdang when it first opened after highly anticipating the restaurant's arrival in Los Angeles. Since then, I've been a regular customer.

The meat at Daedo Sikdang is top tier, only utilizing certified Angus beef prime steaks for a delicious, upscale experience. The "legendary" Daedo Cut is my preferred option on Daedo's short-and-sweet menu. This gives you a full 8-ounce ribeye cut into three pieces: the roll, cap, and strip. The cap, a small, incredibly tender, shrimp-like cut, is my favorite. These three cuts of meat are cooked at the table with only salt, mushroom, and a leek. The simplicity makes this a meal that really lets you sit and appreciate the technique that goes into making one of the best steaks of your life. Daedo Sikdang is a comfort meal unlike any other, particularly on one of those rare rainy days in L.A.

Daedo Sikdang is located at 4001 West 6th St, Los Angeles, California 90020.

If you've spent any amount of time in Koreatown, you've probably heard of Parks BBQ. A favorite of tourists and locals alike, this no-frills Korean BBQ restaurant serves heaping piles of perfectly cooked meats, as well as an impressive array of veggie dishes. Included in the Michelin Guide of the best Korean restaurants in Los Angeles, Parks BBQ is a must-visit, and one of my absolute favorite places to eat.

I usually make the trip with a group of three or four to split one of the Taste of Parks BBQ bundles, the best way to sample a little bit of everything that the joint has to offer. The P1 combo for $140 is usually enough for a small group; it comes with bulgogi, beef brisket, boneless beef short rib, thinly sliced ggot sal, and "Parks Gal-bi" ribs. Typically, though, I opt for the P2 for $190; this gives you everything in the P1, plus ribeye steak, pork belly, and mushrooms. The pork belly here is undefeated, and it's always nice to add a few vegetables to the Korean BBQ grill. It's expensive — and extremely daunting — to eat this much as a solo diner, but if you can manage to pull together a group, Parks BBQ gives great value for your buck and becomes one of the best places for cheap eats in Los Angeles.

Parks BBQ is located at 955 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, California 90006.