Best Korean BBQ in Houston: Long Point, Chinatown and Beyond

Houston's Korean barbecue story starts on one stretch of Long Point Road in Spring Branch. Seoul Garden, Korea Garden and Tree Garden sit at 9446, 9501 and 9504 Long Point, practically within sight of each other. Two of them have been grilling for about three decades. From there the scene spread to Chinatown's late-night all-you-can-eat rooms, a charcoal spot in Meyerland and a Korean steakhouse in Katy.

This is the list we'd hand a friend who says "I want Korean BBQ tonight." It starts in Spring Branch, the heart of Houston's Koreatown, then fans out across the city. If you've never done KBBQ before, read the next section first. It will make your first night a lot more fun.

How Korean BBQ works

Korean barbecue is a meal you cook together. Every table has a grill built into it, gas or charcoal, and the restaurant brings raw cuts to the table in rounds. You grill, cut with scissors, wrap and eat, then do it again.

• Banchan come first. Small side dishes land on the table before the meat: kimchi, bean sprouts, fish cakes, pickled radish. They're part of the meal, not appetizers you order.
• Two ways to pay. All-you-can-eat (AYCE) rooms charge one price per person for unlimited rounds within a time limit. A la carte places, often called Korean steakhouses, charge by the plate and usually serve higher-end cuts.
• The whole table orders the same AYCE tier. At Gen, for example, everyone at the table has to choose the same menu level, and there's a fee for leftovers, so order in small batches.
• Wrap it. Lay a slice of grilled meat in a lettuce leaf, add rice, a smear of sauce, a slice of garlic or jalapeño, fold and eat in one bite. That's ssam.
• Who grills? At some places your server does most of the cooking, which helps when you're new. At others it's on you. Ask; staff are used to first-timers.
• Drinks. Soju is the classic pairing, and many places build cocktails around it. Hongdae 33's bar focuses on soju and makgeolli, a cloudy rice wine.

Insider tip: grill the plain cuts, like thin brisket and pork belly, before the marinated ones. Sweet marinades caramelize and stick, and once the grill is coated it's harder to get a clean sear on anything else. Ask for a fresh grill plate when it starts to blacken.

How we chose

We picked restaurants where tabletop grilling is the point of the visit, not a side menu, and where each one brings something distinct: a long history, real charcoal, late hours, a premium cut, or a strong value. Every restaurant on this list was confirmed open on its own official website in October 2026, with an address and hours posted.

We left out a few well-loved names, including Korea House and BBQ Garden in Spring Branch, because we couldn't find an official website or page to confirm current details. That says nothing about the food. Hours and prices change often, so treat every schedule below as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go.

Spring Branch: Houston's Koreatown on Long Point

Spring Branch sits north of the Katy Freeway, northwest of the Galleria, and Long Point Road is its Korean main street. Our Spring Branch area guide and Spring Branch restaurant guide cover the rest of the neighborhood.

Seoul Garden

Long Point Road · full-service menu plus tabletop grilling · open daily

Seoul Garden says it opened in 1994, which makes it one of the longest-running Korean kitchens on Long Point. It's a traditional full-service restaurant: tabletop barbecue on one side of the menu, soups, stews and entrées on the other. It's typically open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it takes reservations online and has a banquet room for big groups.

Order: a grilled meat for the table plus a stew, so you get the full meal, not just the grill.

Why it's here: for a first KBBQ night with parents or grandparents, this is the calm, classic choice. Seoul Garden's site

Korea Garden

Long Point Road · grill-it-yourself BBQ in a garden setting

Korea Garden calls itself one of Houston's oldest Korean restaurants, with more than 30 years in the city. Its own description promises a traditional meal "in the midst of a beautiful garden and fountain setting," and the menu runs from grill-it-yourself barbecue to stews and a wide range of kimchi.

Order: barbecue for the table, and a jjigae (Korean stew) to share.

Why it's here: it's part of the generation of restaurants that taught Houston how to eat Korean food, and it's still going. Korea Garden's site

Tree Garden

Long Point Road · a long menu with cuts you won't see everywhere

Tree Garden's menu is long, and it's the place on this list to try something beyond brisket and bulgogi. Alongside short ribs and ribeye, the barbecue menu lists fresh and marinated duck, pork jowl, beef tongue and grilled beef small intestine (gopchang).

Order: marinated duck. It's an unusual barbecue cut in Houston and worth trying once.

Why it's here: for the adventurous eater in your group. Check Tree Garden's site for current hours.

Bori

Witte Road in Spring Branch, plus a second location on Lovett Boulevard · Korean-inspired steakhouse

Bori calls itself a South Korean-inspired steakhouse, and it's the upscale pick in Spring Branch. The menu includes A5 Wagyu from Japan, dry-aged steaks, filet mignon and the restaurant's favorite, marinated boneless short rib. Servers are trained to cook at the table, so you can relax.

The story behind the name: bori means barley. On its website, the restaurant explains that barley has been farmed in Korea since as early as 1000 B.C. and carried people through famine and war, so the name is a nod to gratitude and perseverance. The Spring Branch location also has a terrace called the Peace Garden, which the restaurant says honors the unity of Korea.

Order: the marinated boneless short rib, plus one premium steak to split.

Why it's here: for a birthday, an anniversary or a client dinner where you want KBBQ to feel like an occasion. Bori also says its ventilation means you won't leave smelling like barbecue. Bori's site

Chinatown and southwest Houston: the all-you-can-eat strip

The Bellaire Boulevard and Beltway 8 area is where Houston goes for AYCE, and a few of these rooms stay open late. Pair a night here with our Bellaire and Chinatown restaurant guide.

Hongdae 33

Dun Huang Plaza, Bellaire Boulevard · AYCE · open late every night

Hongdae 33 is named for Hongdae, the Seoul neighborhood that comes alive after dark with neon signs, and the room is built to feel like a night out there. It's open late daily: the restaurant lists hours to midnight Sunday through Thursday and to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with last seating an hour before close.

The menu says it uses USDA Prime, USDA Prime Black Angus and USDA Choice meats, with options like Texas Wagyu beef belly, garlic or miso flat iron steak, LA galbi and spicy baby octopus. Despite the 33 in the name, that number isn't the price: check the current AYCE tiers and time limit on its menu before you go.

Order: miso flat iron steak, pork jowl, and cheesy corn to bubble at the edge of the grill.

Why it's here: the best late-night KBBQ option on this list. Hongdae 33's site

Handam BBQ

West Sam Houston Tollway, Chinatown · AYCE · smokeless charcoal

Handam's selling point is in its own tagline: smokeless charcoal grilling and high-quality Korean meats. You get the char of real coals without the smoke cloud, which matters if you're heading somewhere after dinner.

Order: pork belly and a marinated beef, and save room for the side dishes.

Why it's here: charcoal flavor at AYCE pace. Handam's site

Bon KBBQ

West Sam Houston Parkway South · AYCE with a banchan bar

Bon is a premium AYCE restaurant with galbi, chadol (thin-sliced brisket), samgyeopsal (pork belly), bulgogi and Black Angus ribeye on the menu. Its banchan table, with fresh vegetables and house-made dressings, sets it apart from rooms where side dishes come pre-portioned. It takes reservations online.

Order: galbi and chadol, then a trip to the banchan bar between rounds.

Why it's here: for a big, hungry group that wants variety. Bon KBBQ's site

Around town

KOL Korean BBQ

South Post Oak Road, Meyerland · real charcoal · a la carte

KOL is built around fire. Its website explains that it grills premium beef and pork over real charcoal on grills imported from Korea, and that the Korean word for charcoal is soot. There's a full bar with soju, wine, cocktails and draft beer. It's typically open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it takes reservations for parties of 10 or more.

Order: marinated short ribs. That's the cut charcoal does the most for.

Why it's here: the charcoal pick for southwest Houston, and a reason to know Meyerland beyond its restaurant guide. KOL's site

Gen Korean BBQ

Midtown (Louisiana Street), west Houston (Westheimer) and Webster · AYCE chain

Gen was founded in Los Angeles in 2011 and now runs more than 50 locations, three of them in the Houston area. It's a predictable, rules-on-the-website AYCE experience, which is exactly why it works for groups. The rules are clear on its site: unlimited rounds within two hours, a fee for leftovers, and children 4 and under eat free, with kids 5 to 10 at half price. Vegetarians can grill vegetables and order japchae, soft tofu soup or doenjang soup.

Order: start with brisket and pork belly, then work into the marinated meats.

Why it's here: for a family dinner or a big group close to Midtown or the Clear Lake area. Gen's locations

8oz Korean Steakhouse

Katy Grand, Grand Circle Boulevard, Katy · Korean steakhouse

The name is the concept: the restaurant says it serves 8-ounce portions of its finest cuts, with an emphasis on high-quality meat and seafood grilled at the table. It typically opens for dinner Monday through Thursday and from late morning Friday through Sunday.

Order: a beef cut to share and a seafood plate for the grill.

Why it's here: you don't have to drive into town for serious KBBQ if you live west. More ideas in our Katy restaurant guide. 8oz's site

Save this: a Long Point Koreatown night

1. Start early. Weekend dinner is the busiest time. Book where you can: Seoul Garden and Bon take reservations online, and KOL takes them for parties of 10 or more. Elsewhere, check each site.
2. Pick your style. Classic and calm: Seoul Garden or Korea Garden. Adventurous: Tree Garden. Special occasion: Bori. Late and loud: Hongdae 33.
3. Order in rounds. Plain cuts first, marinated cuts last, a stew in the middle.
4. Wrap, don't just eat. Lettuce, rice, sauce, garlic. Make at least one ssam per round.
5. Wear clothes you can wash. Except at Bori, which says you won't need to.
6. Make a night of it. Long Point is also home to Korean bakeries, cafés and grocery stores, and Houston's Korean bathhouses are a good next stop on a Saturday.

More Houston meat

If your heart belongs to Texas brisket, start with our best BBQ in Houston guide. For dry-aged steaks and white tablecloths, see the best steakhouses in Houston. Thinking about moving close to all this? Read living in Spring Branch.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Koreatown in Houston?

Houston's Koreatown is in Spring Branch, along Long Point Road northwest of the Galleria. Seoul Garden, Korea Garden and Tree Garden all sit on the 9400 and 9500 blocks of Long Point.

How does all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ work?

You pay one price per person and order unlimited rounds of raw meat to grill at your table, usually within a time limit. At Gen, for example, the limit is two hours, everyone at the table orders the same tier, and there is a fee for leftovers.

What is the difference between AYCE and a Korean steakhouse?

AYCE restaurants like Hongdae 33, Bon and Gen charge a flat price for unlimited rounds. Korean steakhouses like Bori and 8oz charge by the plate and focus on premium cuts such as Wagyu, dry-aged steak and marinated short rib.

Which Houston Korean BBQ restaurants use charcoal?

KOL Korean BBQ in Meyerland grills over real charcoal on grills it imports from Korea, and Handam BBQ near Chinatown advertises smokeless charcoal grilling.

Is there late-night Korean BBQ in Houston?

Yes. Hongdae 33 in Chinatown's Dun Huang Plaza lists hours until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with last seating an hour before close. Check its site before you go.

Is Korean BBQ good for kids and vegetarians?

Usually, yes. Gen lets children 4 and under eat free and charges half price for ages 5 to 10, and vegetarians can grill vegetables and order noodles, tofu soup or soybean paste soup.