When Akira Back, who has multiple restaurants in Asia and Las Vegas, opened a steakhouse in LA, the original idea was to do a sort of Korean fusion with a focus on grilled beef. Now it’s an unabashed high-end Korean barbecue, with banchan and requisite side dishes that give it a complete Koreatown-style experience, only more west. At the moment, there might not be a more impressive place for Korean barbecue, from the sleek ambience to the helpful service.

One of the older, more established premium Korean barbecue spots, this focused restaurant has fantastic lunch specials and versatile dinner combinations that won’t break the bank. The mostly Korean crowd considers this one of the most reliable restaurants in town. Ten-raku also has a new AYCE spot in Lynwood.

All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue is a staple of the genre, but few execute the concept as well as Yerim, which offers very good sub-$40 menus with a wide array of high-quality meats like marinated short rib, beef tongue, and intestines. After a few drinks, tax, and tip, expect to pay $60 a person, which is a solid deal these days.

Hanu’s trick might be the banchan robots roaming the space, but the restaurant placed on the ground floor of one of LA’s larger spas serves some of the neighborhood’s best Korean barbecue menus. The smallest combination feeds potentially four people, and comes with an impressive array of jun, or fried vegetables and fish filets, and even galbijjim as a part of the package. The included galbijjim isn’t world-beating, but it’s nice to have on the table. Servers grill better-than-average meat (don’t expect Park’s or Chosun-level) but the whole table filled with dozens of different bites is what makes Hanu a fun meal.

Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong has proliferated around Los Angeles, and still remains a fun place to gather with friends, sip shots of soju, and partake in mostly very good meat on the tabletop grill. Some people prefer its neighbor Quarters, which is operated by the same restaurant group, but Kang Ho-Dong is the O.G.

Opened just before the pandemic and still holding onto premium-level meat, this sprawling, dimly lit Korean barbecue restaurant has a little bit of everything. Jeong Yuk Jeom’s best offering is dry-aged beef, something of a rarity in Koreatown these days. The butcher’s pride sets take a page from New York City’s award-winning Cote, with prime and dry-aged cuts at three different prices. Jeong Yuk Jeom is a good high-end KBBQ alternative for those who are tired of Park’s, Daedo, or AB Steak and want to try something new.

A big chain in Asia, Magal BBQ continues to prepare some of the best mid-range Korean barbecue in town, featuring flavorful off-cuts and non-primal selections that still offer plenty in the way of flavor. The combination plates work best for groups of four or more. The egg and fried rice volcano is a fun way to cap off meals here, too.

It makes sense that the former Honey Pig space would become another Korean barbecue restaurant dedicated to pork. Using a similar wide cast iron grill that allows the juices and fat to slowly season and flavor spicy bean sprouts, onions, and kimchi to the sides, the show's star here is thick-cut Korean samgyupsal, or pork belly. The combinations here are very reasonable, about $100 for the combination beef and pork tasting that easily feeds four people.

This classic Koreatown spot is a tad run down, and perhaps too bright, but that doesn’t deter families and locals from digging into the ample portions of marinated galbi and unmarinated beef tongue (the house specialty), finished with heaping bowls of cold dongchimi noodles. At this point, there’s no better old school Korean barbecue spot in Los Angeles.

With new management from Yangmani owner Jennifer Choi, Ong Ga Nae has been spruced up from top to bottom, with Choi’s husband now designing upscaled Korean barbecue dishes like an immense bulgogi jeongol laced with spinach, or hulking cuts of short ribs on the bone. Ong Ga Nae might not have the history of its prestigious neighbors Soowon and Park’s, but it’s a solid contender for a city always craving new Korean barbecue spots.

When people ask what the best Korean barbecue is in Los Angeles, most people will mention Park’s BBQ first. It’s hard to argue against over 20 years of excellence, with an energetic vibe inside and fantastic meat quality from start to finish. Chef and owner Jenee Kim does an amazing job with the non-meat dishes as well, like the delicious spicy braised black cod or the gochujang jjigae. Park’s is truly one of the most consistent Korean barbecue meals in LA.

One of Koreatown’s most reliable barbecue spots, Yangmani has an expansive outdoor tented area for quality beef, pork, and offal cuts that younger diners tend to prefer in the neighborhood. Yangmani might be the best place if you want to take down bottles of beer and soju, and just have a good time with friends or coworkers.

A higher-end Korean barbecue restaurant when so many places seem to change hands or vary in quality, Chosun Galbee is a family favorite for the Korean community when they want solid service, a nicer ambience, and excellent beef. The cold naengmyeon is a must-order.