Bbq Garden - Niles

It's been awhile since I've been back. We wanted LA Galbi and naeng myun (cold noodles) so decided to give it a try. I've been here before pandemic where there was a buffet full of banchan and more. In the middle pandemic, there was no food at the buffet self serve area due to obvious reasons. Now in 2023, when there was some banchan and fruits at the self serve area.Today was first time getting deluxe menu $36 per person to get LA Galbi. We ordered chadol, sam gyupsal, LA Galbi, marinated pork steak, and squid. Personally I enjoyed chadol the most because the marinated meat was too sweet. It felt like it was too sweet. Squid is raw so it takes some time to cook. Service was great and meat refill was quite fast. We also enjoyed corn cheese and steamed egg. Employees changed our grill frequently.At first, walking in, the place was quite empty so wasn't sure if business would last. As I was finishing up my meal, place was quite filling up. Having self serve buffet area is what makes BBQ Garden unique.

Stopped here to check out their KBBQ after a long drive. When you walk in it reminds me of some typical Chinese buffet layout. They have a cold buffet table with bonchon dish area and then a small area for white rice, soup and Korean rice noodle.They offer 2 different menus and we opted for the standard. I felt like the meats were ok and I’ve tried better KBBQ elsewhere with better dish options.Service was just ok considering all they have to do was drop off the meats and take away dirty dishes. No one came back to check if we wanted to order additional items.

First time trying this place and I'm not going back! The explanation of what we can and can't order wasn't clear. The meat quality was tough and fatty for most of it. Service was also bad. Had servers hovering us nonstop during the first 30 minutes and then nowhere to be seen for another 50 minutes. I was also told to not grill my kimchi when I like it grilled. They also don't have kloud beer even though it's on the menu. The only decent food they have is the marinated beef and onions. The shrimp veins aren't cleaned out either. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone, especially if it's going to be your first time in a Korean BBQ.

Food was great and the selection was good. The atmosphere could be a little better one of the waiters was pushy and snarky but I think we eventually came to an understanding. Overall, I'd come back again. Regardless of personality differences, they did continue to take our order timely and switched out our grill plates often. There was a gentleman who eventually came to help us and was much more mellow and pleasant to deal with. The side dishes were self serve which is perfect for me.

So nice. The top one Korean bbq in Chicago.Food: 5/5