Seoul Garden Restaurant

Reviews

• Girl R.

  star star star star star_border 16 May 2026

  I have eaten Korean BBQ now in the 3 main states known for having good Korean BBQ (Cali, New York and Houston). And Seoul Garden has to be one of my top 3 favorite places.
  If a friend of mine has never tried Korean BBQ and I had to pick one place to take them to, this would be it.
  
  Location and parking is in a sketchy part of town, but you'll be fine, just don't leave anything in your car and lock up, it's not that bad but better safe than sorry. Plenty of parking too.
  
  Restaurant is cozy and cute. Large enough for big parties and spacious but not too large and crowded. Great for birthdays, work stuff or date night etc...
  
  The food is de-lic-ious so come with an empty stomach !!
  I have been to many, many Korean bbq restaurants and this is the only one who brings you so many goodies along with your bbq order.
  Once you order bbq, your meal comes with miso soup, large salad for the table (that has a great sweet/spicy dressing) and lots of Korean Bapsang (which are the small sides like kimchi) and they refill the sides, just ask. This is the only place I have gone to that gives you the soup and salad with your order.
  
  The prices are pricey but you get a good amount with your order and the meat is fresh and so well flavored.
  Typically when we go we order 2-3 meats (if you order 1 meat they automatically cook it for you so you have to order 2+ orders if you want to do the cooking). Bulgolgi is the basic, the one most people get but be adventurous and try the others, you won't regret it. Our favoite is the Galbi. Then we also order along a soup or a seafood pancake. There are plenty of yummy other things to try on the menu, and everything is good.
  ** Ask the waitress to also bring you Samjang, it's like a Korean spicy dipping sauce
  
  There is buzzer on the side if you need anything, so if you feel like you're being ignored, don't get offended, you are not getting picked on, just use the buzzer. This is not the Olive Garden where they bug you every 5 minutes to see if you need anything.
  
  BTW
  I am shocked that this establishment has only 3 1/2 stars but then I sat and read some and realized that many of the low star ratings comes from complaints about the service and rude staff. Honestly I have never experienced this and I have been coming here for 5+ years.
  Just remember sometimes certain behaviors and attitudes someone perceives as "rude" may just be cultural thing.
  But honestly even if the service sucked id still go back, for what I consider, the best Korean bbq in Houston, YUM!

• Wendy D.

  star star star star star_border 16 May 2026

  Houston's greatest flaw is their lack of great Korean restaurants, but Seoul Garden is here to save the day. Authentic food, great atmosphere, and wonderful service. The biggest problem with SG is that it's too far for those of us living closer to inner Houston.
  
  Seafood Pancake (+++): so good, this is a must get because it's free with a yelp check in and it's actually one of the best seafood pancakes I've had. The dough is slightly chewy, crunchy on the edges, and somehow they manage to not make it greasy! It includes shrimp, squid, and large chunks of green onion.
  
  Kimchi jigae (+++): this is one of my favorite dishes and SG does it pretty well. Kimchi jigae is essentially a simple soup made of kimchi and beef, and here they make it with the right amount of savory and sour.
  
  Bulgogi (++): Yum, bulgogi is one of my favorite meat dishes. It tastes fresh and well cooked here, although I think it could use slightly more seasoning.
  
  Japchae (++): I'm a huge fan of japchae but I think they could have used more sesame oil and more flavoring here. It's a glass noodle dish with bell peppers, and beef!
  
  Banchan (+++): omgosh, love the banchan here. The potatoes and beansprouts were my personal favorites and of course it's free refills!
  
  Overall, I'm so happy I drove out here to finally try out the Korean restaurant that everyone talks about! The service was also quick and accommodating, and don't be mislead by the dreary outer appearance because the interior is actually quite clean and well decorated in the typical fancy Asian style. This is a place I'd definitely come back for if I had time and needed a Korean fix.

• Na L.

  star star star star_border star_border 15 May 2026

  I have been coming to Seoul garden  for the passing 20 years. It used to be my favorite place of all Korean restaurant. I used to think it's super authentic, very tasty and service was good.
  
  It has been a year since I came back, the ownership has changed, I was hoping for the best and for a second I thought it would because they offer a combination meat platter to choose from and the price is great for what you get. But I was wrong.
  
  I do feel the service is even better than before, but I am really not sure about the food. Side dish kimchi are not as tasty as before, just not very flavorful, very bland. The meat in the combo platter are not marinated and they only have one sauce for it which didn't do it, so I wasn't very satisfied with what I got as any other time.
  
  Hope they will improve in the near future.

• Victoria O.

  star star star star star_border 15 May 2026

  This is my go to place when I take my friends and family for unli kbbq... (PSFP)
  
  Place: this is a hidden gem. I feel like not much people come to this part of Houston to eat. Everybody goes to the obvious places like Jin. Ya'll should try this place next time you crave (samgyeopsal)
  
  Service: GREAT! All the ladies are nice and friendly
  
  Food: love it. Now, for the unlimited meat, they do not have a wide variety of meat. They only have 3 kinds for that option. BUT personally, it's all you're gonna need so check it out. If you don't want it, they got other per order meat options
  
  Price: korean food tend to be a bit pricey and this place is just the same as the others

• Colin K.

  star star star star star 9 May 2026

  TL;DR: One of very few places in Houston where you can get fairly authentic and high quality Korean food. For a little over $20, you can enjoy an AYCE menu with three items, but the dishes here are also good, in addition to being accompanied by excellent service.
  
  Houston suffers from a dirth of good korean food, especially when compared to cities of comparable size. The area around Seoul Garden is as close as you get to a Korea Town in Houston, and there are a few spots in the region where you can actually enjoy a good Korean meal. Seoul Garden is one of the best ones.
  
  Seoul garden has a fairy large menu that encompasses all sorts of stews, dumplings, shareable hot pots, noodles, and Korean Barbecue. If you're okay with spending a little more for better quality KBBQ than most other places in Houston, I suggest the AYCE option, which includes thinly sliced beef brisket, thinly sliced pork shoulder, and thick (seriously thicc, not like the crappy stuff at Jin) cut pork belly, served with salad and a stew of your choice.
  
  The thing that stands out about Seoul Garden is the meat quality. Compared to Jin, it's about 3 or 4 times better. Thinly sliced meats are actually thin and have a pretty good meat to fat ratio. In addition, the grill here is actually hot and uses flames at the bottom rather than an induction top like at Jin. This means it's easy to get a good sear and nice char on your meat. The flame is a little close to the grill top, though, and it's not difficult to have your meat catch on fire if you're hanging a piece dripping with fat over the grill.
  
  Though the brisket and pork shoulder were excellent and already pretty amazing on their own, the highlight of the AYCE option is the samgyupsal, or pork belly. Served one humongous slab at a time, this pork is easily 3/4 to 1+ inch thick, and has a great layering of fat and meat. When you combine great meat with a good sear and some char, it's no doubt a 5-star item.
  
  Banchan here are also worth a mention, simply because of the huge variety that they provide, without sacrificing quality. Each one, including mat kimchi, radish kimchi, and bean sprouts is a better rendition than any place in Chinatown, and they have quite a few more unique additions, such as a savory potato or tofu based banchan.
  
  Though the KBBQ is excellent here, the Kimchi Jigae isn't bad either. Though I might have been biased since I was enjoying free flow piles of delicious high quality meat, I recall the kimchi jigae as a very flavorful, spicy, robust stew with plenty of kimchi, pork, and vermicelli mixed in.
  
  Finally, service also deserves a mention, as waiters are extremely attentive and kind, and can communicate in fluent English, as well as tolerate broken first year Korean. Make sure to ask for a plate of raw garlic to enjoy your samgyupsal with, or any other condiment you'd like.
  
  If this spot was in LA or even Dallas, it would face stiff competition. For Houston, though, it's definitely a 5-star spot worth returning to again and again.