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Buga Korean B.B.Q. Restaurant Review

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WHAT'S NEARBY

Buga Korean B.B.Q. Restaurant

Member Rating: * 1.0 | Rate It
  • Address: 5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont, San Diego, CA | Map It
  • Phone: 858/560-1010

Fodor's Review:

The cook-it-yourself fun of Korean barbecue and Japanese-style shabu-shabu focuses attention on your table's built-in cooking unit, not on the modest surroundings. Suspended exhaust fan hoods create something of a draft when the restaurant is full of guests barbecuing sharply marinated cuts of meat and seafood. Shabu-shabu, a multicourse meal of paper-thin meats, vegetables, and noodles, is cooked in iron pots of boiling liquid that provides a final course of tasty broth. Order a combination barbecue dinner and expect a near avalanche of food. Pleasant servers explain the cooking procedures. The restaurant is a few blocks west of the Convoy Street corridor.

  • Credit Cards: MC, V

Member Reviews & Ratings:

I would not recommend!

Posted by SDNYC from San Diego, NYC on 2/4/08
I would not recommend, in fact I would recommend going anywhere but here. Food: Below Average Service: Horrific Price: Way Over priced Atmosphere: Bad Vibe I heard great things about Buga and was excited to experience it first hand. I went with my brother and my girlfriend who is from a Korean Family. I can’t understand the positive reviews on this place; my experience was anything but positive. We showed up for our 9:00 Friday Night reservation. My first reaction was that it looked like a mix between a high school cafeteria decorated for some kind of international food fair and Denny’s. But, I’m there for the food so I got over that real quick. We were greeted by the host who explained to us that they stop serving at 9:30 and they close at 10:00; I was a little surprised that this was the first thing they said. Despite this comment, it was only 9:00 so we would have plenty of time to relax and enjoy our meal. Not the case. We ordered appetizers, soups and salads and we got it all at once with the main meal and even the desert ginger tea - yup all at once – very strange. The server cooked as much of our food as possible all at once, (they did all the cooking) She then loaded our plates faster than we could eat it. I was still on my salad and she just dropped a handful of beef right on top of the salad -ridiculous. The management came over to our table a number of times before 9:30 to let us know they stop serving at 9:30 and then stood over us from 9:30 -10:00 telling us they are getting ready to close and we need to finish up. I asked if the pork was ready to eat, they told me no if will take a few more minutes and we could take it with us- Shocking. The entire experience was a very odd rush, the food was sub par, and it was way too expensive for what you get. I will not go any further into the food because its’ just not worth the time, I will just say if you go to this place you are getting charged top dollar for frozen Steakums and a bad attitude. I will look for another spot and you should do the same.

Food: 1.0 Atmosphere: 1.0 Service: 1.0 Value: 1.0 RATING: 1.0

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