5 Best Korean BBQ Restaurants in Boston

Korean BBQ in Boston can mean settling in around a grill with several cuts of beef and pork, or ordering a plate of bulgogi with a bowl of stew. Those are different meals, and choosing the right restaurant starts with knowing which one you want.

These five places cover Boston, Cambridge and Medford. Naksan has staff cook the meat for you. Sura offers all-you-can-eat barbecue. Seoul gives downtown diners barbecue combinations alongside a much broader menu. Gather people who are willing to share, then work out the order together.

Naksan Korean BBQ is on Commonwealth Avenue, where staff handle the cooking at your table. Its beef and pork combinations come with egg soufflé and a choice of kimchi or soybean stew. For a bigger meal, the Grand Tour adds beef tartare with caviar, several beef cuts and ice cream. Japanese A5 Wagyu is another option.

This is a place to look at the combinations before adding separate dishes. Let the size of your group and the cuts you want guide the order. Naksan’s reservation policy says Friday and Saturday dinner is walk-in only, and parties larger than seven should call.

Sura Korean BBQ in Medford is the all-you-can-eat choice on this list. The Boston menu currently lists a $30 regular package and a $40 premium package per person, before additional charges such as tax and drinks. Everyone in the party must choose the same package. Premium adds short-rib options and beef tongue.

You select meat from the self-service area and cook it at your table. The meal also includes the appetizer and salad bar and made-to-order Korean dishes, including pancakes and steamed egg. Reservations are offered. Start with a manageable selection; you can decide what to repeat after the first round.

Korean Garden in Allston offers both tabletop barbecue and dishes cooked in the kitchen. The barbecue menu lists short ribs, beef brisket, pork belly, chicken and shrimp, with a minimum of two orders for table cooking. The broader menu includes kimchi pancakes, rice cakes, soups and bibimbap, which helps when a group wants more than grilled meat.

Its posted hours run later Thursday through Saturday than on the other nights. Confirm the last kitchen order if you are heading over late; the closing time alone does not tell you when a full barbecue meal can still begin.

Koreana gives Cambridge diners a tabletop barbecue option on Prospect Street near Central Square. The built-in grills have ventilation above the cooking area, and the menu includes galbi, bulgogi and pork belly. Seafood scallion pancakes, cold noodles and tofu stews give you several ways to round out the meat order.

Choose it for a meal where the table is sharing, rather than trying to fit barbecue into a rushed lunch. Ask the restaurant about the grill setup and ordering requirements when arranging your visit. A pancake for the table and a couple of different meat dishes make a more varied starting point than everyone choosing the same thing.

Seoul Restaurant on Cambridge Street offers Korean barbecue plates alongside sushi, noodles and stews. The barbecue combinations pair choices such as beef bulgogi, pork belly or LA kalbi with soft tofu stew, cold noodles or stone-pot bibimbap. That gives you a way to order barbecue as part of a complete individual meal.

It is a useful downtown option when everyone wants a different dinner. One person can choose a barbecue combination while another orders soup or sushi. Reserve through the restaurant’s website if you are planning an evening visit, and specify what kind of meal you have in mind.

Before booking Korean BBQ in Boston

Ask for a barbecue table if you want the grill, and confirm any minimum order before sitting down. Compare the price of a meat combination with its recommended party size, rather than assuming every listed price is per person. At an all-you-can-eat restaurant, agree on the package with everyone at the table and order quantities you expect to finish.

For drinks afterward, our Boston speakeasy guide includes choices in Boston and Somerville. If part of the group would rather skip barbecue, the restaurant guide offers shared plates and other dinner options.