14 Deliciously Hidden Korean BBQ Spots In Los Angeles, California, That Locals Won’t Share
Los Angeles, a famous city in California, has thousands of Korean BBQ restaurants, but the ones that really matter rarely show up on tourist guides.
Koreatown locals have their own list of go-to spots – small, unassuming places tucked into strip malls, upstairs corners, or behind forgettable storefronts where the meat is pristine, and the banchan never stops coming.
These are the restaurants people whisper about at parties, the ones they hesitate to post on social media because once word gets out, the wait times triple.
I’ve spent years eating my way through Koreatown, following tips from friends who grew up here, chasing down recommendations scribbled on napkins, and stumbling into places that looked like nothing from the outside but served some of the best galbi I’ve ever tasted.
This list is a collection of those hidden gems – the spots locals actually frequent when they want Korean BBQ done right, without the hype or the crowds.
1. Soowon Galbi KBBQ Restaurant
Tucked into a low-key strip mall on Vermont, Soowon Galbi looks like just another Koreatown storefront until the grill fires up.
Inside, tables fill with locals who know to order the combo sets: shimmering slices of short rib, brisket, and pork belly, all ready for a slow, attentive sear.
Servers sweep by with an almost comical spread of banchan – tiny plates of kimchi, marinated vegetables, and crunchy bites that keep arriving until the table looks like a mosaic.
The vibe is relaxed but serious about meat.
It’s the sort of place friends recommend with a quiet “don’t tell too many people.”
Step back out into the parking lot and you realize how hidden it feels, considering you’ve just eaten one of the best KBBQ meals in the city.
Address: 856 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005
2. Soot Bull Jeep
Soot Bull Jeep is where you go when you actually want to smell like smoke afterward.
This Koreatown classic cooks everything over real charcoal, so the first thing you notice is the faint haze of grilling short rib and pork ribs drifting over the room.
The tables are simple, the metal grills worn in all the right places, and regulars barely glance at the menu before ordering marinated galbi and jumulleok, the house-favorite seasoned short rib.
Staff drop platters of raw meat, then you’re on grill duty – turning, snipping, and chasing the perfect char.
It’s not fancy, but that’s the charm.
Hidden in plain sight on 8th Street, Soot Bull Jeep feels more like a ritual than a restaurant, the kind of smoky, old-school KBBQ spot locals grow up with.
Address: 3136 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005
3. Sun Ha Jang
At Sun Ha Jang, there’s really only one decision to make: duck or…duck.
This long-running, family-owned spot off Olympic specializes almost entirely in duck barbecue, and that laser focus is exactly why Koreatown regulars adore it.
Heavy iron pans arrive at your table, and thin slices of duck slowly render and crisp while the fat perfumes the room.
The staff guide you through each stage – grilling, cutting, then finishing with fried rice on the same pan so every grain picks up smoky duck flavor.
The dining room feels unassuming, the signage easy to miss from the street, but inside it’s all about quiet confidence.
No trendy décor, no gimmicks – just a decades-honed duck feast that’s different from the usual beef-and-pork routine and feels like a secret passed down from someone in the know.
Address: 4032 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
4. Ahgassi Gopchang
Ahgassi Gopchang is the place friends mention in a half-whisper when they realize you’re ready to graduate from basic bulgogi.
Specializing in beef intestines and offal, this lively 6th Street restaurant turns cuts most people never consider into something craveable.
The grills here stay busy with gopchang and daechang sizzling alongside more familiar brisket and marinated short rib, all lacquered in the house sauces.
The room hums – K-pop videos, clinking metal cups, and staff darting in to rotate meats just before they hit peak char.
It’s also famously loved by visiting celebrities, but from the outside, it still looks like another Koreatown storefront.
Step through the door, though, and you’re in one of LA’s most beloved offal-focused KBBQ joints, where adventurous locals bring their friends to show off their secret spot.
Address: 3744 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
5. Yangmani
Yangmani has the energy of a restaurant that knows it survived one chapter and is thriving in the next.
After closing its original Olympic Boulevard location, this Koreatown favorite quietly resurfaced in a sleek space on Western, and locals rushed right back.
The new dining room is modern and bright, but the soul of the place hasn’t changed: immaculate gopchang and daechang on the grill, beautiful cuts of beef, and banchan that actually make you pause mid-bite.
A glass-front dry-aging cabinet hints at the care going into those steaks, while cold noodles and a rich soybean paste stew keep things grounded in tradition.
From the street, it’s just another unit in a Koreatown building.
Inside, it feels like an upgraded clubhouse for dedicated KBBQ fans who never stopped talking about it.
Address: 414 S Western Ave, Unit E, Los Angeles, CA 90020
6. Jeong Yuk Jeom Korean BBQ
Jeong Yuk Jeom feels like stumbling into a chic butcher’s private tasting room.
Tucked beneath an unassuming Koreatown office building, this Michelin-recognized Korean BBQ spot builds its entire identity around premium beef – beautifully marbled cuts, dry-aged ribeye, and butter-soft short rib presented like jewelry before hitting the grill.
The dining room is polished but warm, a place where families celebrate as often as date nights unfold over shared stone pots and bubbling stews.
Servers handle most of the grilling, turning each slice just so, then seasoning lightly so the meat speaks for itself.
Banchan arrives in a generous variety, making the table look like a composed still life of color and texture.
Outside, Western Avenue traffic hums by, mostly unaware that some of the city’s finest KBBQ is hiding just a few steps down.
Address: 621 S Western Ave, Ste 100, Los Angeles, CA 90005
7. Borit Gogae
Borit Gogae is the kind of place you’d drive past without a second thought – just another sign on 8th Street – until someone insists you go.
Inside, the mood is calmer than many KBBQ rooms, more focused on country-style Korean cooking and feel-good food than pounding music.
Their barley rice bibimbap is a signature, built in hot stone bowls with nutty grains, vegetables, and sizzling bits of meat.
Tables still center around a grill, so you can sear slices of beef or pork and then fold them into ssam with lettuce and barley rice.
Regulars rave about how light yet satisfying everything tastes, and it’s the spot health-conscious locals send friends who still want a full Korean spread.
From the outside, it’s modest; from the inside, it feels like a well-kept neighborhood treasure. Address: 3464 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005
8. King Chang LA
If your idea of Korean BBQ starts and ends with bulgogi, King Chang LA is about to expand your universe.
This Koreatown favorite leans hard into gopchang – beef and pork intestines grilled until they’re crisp at the edges and rich inside.
The dining room has a clean, modern Seoul feel, but the food is pure comfort: sizzling offal platters, bubbling stews, and banchan that beg for another bowl of rice.
Their signature combos lay out everything you need for an adventurous feast, so you can try a little bit of everything without overthinking it.
The storefront itself is surprisingly low-key, wedged among other 6th Street businesses, which makes the whole experience feel pleasantly under-the-radar.
Locals love bringing in curious friends and watching them turn into full-on gopchang converts by the end of the meal.
Address: 3732 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
9. KTeam BBQ
KTeam BBQ feels like a modern K-drama hangout that just happens to serve serious meat.
Hidden off busy Vermont Avenue, this spot balances polished style with a fun, slightly rowdy energy – perfect for late dinners that stretch into lingering conversations.
The menu is built for groups: combo sets of brisket, pork belly, and marinated short rib hit the grill while servers cruise by with banchan refills and cheesy corn.
There’s a playful, younger crowd here, but the kitchen doesn’t cut corners.
Everything from the steamed egg to the kimchi stew tastes thoughtfully done, not just filler between rounds of meat.
From the outside, the sign is easy to miss among other storefronts, which is exactly how regulars like it: KTeam still feels like a place you discover from a friend, not a billboard.
Address: 936 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006
10. Daedo Sikdang
Daedo Sikdang brings a classic Seoul steakhouse to a quiet Koreatown corner, and it shows from the moment you sit down.
The menu revolves around CAB Prime steaks and beautifully marbled cuts, often sliced tableside before hitting the grill in thick, luxurious slabs.
Servers manage the cooking with almost ceremonial care, searing each piece and cutting it into perfect bite-sized portions.
Instead of AYCE chaos, Daedo leans into refinement: clean lines, polished wood, and a bar that makes you want to linger longer.
It’s still Korean BBQ at heart – you’ll wrap bites in lettuce, chase them with kimchi, and scrape the last bits of fried rice from the pan – but it feels like a special-occasion secret.
From the street, the understated façade barely hints at how elevated the experience inside really is.
Address: 4001 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
11. Park’s BBQ
Park’s BBQ might be the worst-kept secret in Koreatown, but it still feels like a place locals guard.
The dining room buzzes with families, off-duty chefs, and visiting friends all chasing the same thing: gloriously marbled cuts of beef grilled to perfection.
Park’s built its reputation on top-tier meats – Prime short rib, pork belly with just the right amount of fat, and specials that change with what’s freshest.
Staff move like a well-rehearsed team, tending the grill while keeping banchan trays full of kimchi, pickles, and crisp salads.
Even with the accolades and long waits, the restaurant hasn’t lost its neighborhood feel.
Conversations jump between Korean and English, and there’s always someone celebrating something.
From the outside, it’s just another Koreatown corner.
Inside, it’s where many Angelenos learn what great Korean BBQ is supposed to taste like.
Address: 955 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006
12. Genwa Korean BBQ – Mid Wilshire
Genwa’s Mid Wilshire location sits along a busy stretch of Wilshire Boulevard, but once you step inside, the city noise fades into a soft clink of chopsticks and grill sizzles.
This is one of LA’s go-to nice dinner Korean BBQ spots – dim lighting, roomy booths, and an almost outrageous number of banchan plates covering the table before the first slice of meat lands on the grill.
Smokeless grills keep the air clear, so you can come here in real clothes and not worry about leaving smelling like a campfire.
The menu leans into quality over quantity: spicy pork belly, unseasoned short rib, Wagyu cuts, and carefully balanced stews.
Genwa feels less like a shouty KBBQ party and more like a lingering, grown-up meal, one that regulars recommend quietly when someone asks for a special Korean BBQ place.
Address: 5115 Wilshire Blvd, Ste A, Los Angeles, CA 90036
13. Baekjeong Los Angeles
Baekjeong’s new Koreatown flagship rises on 8th Street like a neon promise of meat and chaos, but the building itself still blends into the neighborhood’s tangle of signs.
After a hiatus, this beloved KBBQ name returned in 2025 with a bigger, flashier dining room – high ceilings, faux Seoul street details, and an energy that hits as soon as you walk in.
Combos of prime beef and pork arrive with Baekjeong’s signature touches: a grill ringed with moats of bubbling egg and corn cheese, and staff who expertly handle the cooking while you focus on eating.
It’s loud, fun, and undeniably popular, yet it’s still the place LA locals insist on when friends ask for the Korean BBQ experience.
From the sidewalk, it looks like another busy Koreatown restaurant; inside, it’s almost a KBBQ theme park in the best way.
Address: 3429 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005
14. Ham Ji Park
Ham Ji Park is proof that you don’t need a built-in grill to serve unforgettable Korean BBQ.
Hidden in a Koreatown strip mall, this cozy spot is legendary for its charbroiled pork spareribs – huge racks lacquered in a sweet-spicy glaze, grilled in the kitchen and brought out still sizzling.
The meat pulls cleanly from the bone, sticky fingers are unavoidable, and nobody complains.
Their bubbling gamjatang – pork neck and potato stew – is another favorite, the kind of dish that could easily cure a bad day.
Décor is minimal, bordering on plain, but that just makes the dishes stand out more.
Regulars treat it as a default choice for cold nights or hungry groups, and many Angelenos only learn about it when a local says, “Okay, now I’ll show you where we really go for pork.”
Address: 3407 W 6th St, Ste 101C, Los Angeles, CA 90020