Past Memories

This place is about 8 miles from where I live but is always worth the drive. Food is delicious and is served right away. The price is cheaper compared to other Korean bar/restaurants. The army soup was slightly bland, but still hot the spot. Seafood pancake had enough seafood - they didn’t just put a ton of dough. The music was very loud though - I felt like I was at a club.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Seafood Pancake, Military Stew, BBQ Ribs - Galbi, Steamed Pork Belly - Bo Ssam

Love the atmosphere here. Feel like I am at the night club 😆
Food is good too.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Always a great time to be had at Past Memories. You always get a homey feeling when grabbing a bite here after a few rounds. Come happy, leave happy. It’s more of a happy memories type of place.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Korean BBQ House – Where Smoke, Sizzle, and Smiles Collide

Fresh off a food high from Casa del Rey, we kept the flavor train rolling and hit up Korean BBQ House in Garden Grove the next day—and whoa, talk about back-to-back culinary victories. This place wasn’t just dinner—it was a full-on experience, equal parts campfire cookout, meat lover’s paradise, and family bonding therapy (the delicious kind).

We sat down, fired up the grill, and things escalated quickly—in the best way possible. My son went full carnivore mode on the beef, grilling it like he’s been doing this his whole life. Perfectly marinated, juicy, with just the right char—he was in his element. If there had been a trophy for “Most Focused BBQ Enthusiast Under 12,” he’d have taken gold.

And the kids? Oh man, the kimchi rice and grilled octopus were hits. I half-expected some picky eater drama, but nope—those little food critics dove in like they were born in Seoul. The kimchi rice had that perfect balance of heat, tang, and umami, and the octopus? Tender, just spicy enough, and charred to perfection. Not a single “ew” or “what is that” was heard—just satisfied chewing and chopstick clacking.

The vibe in there? Cozy chaos. It smelled like heaven (if heaven has a meat smoker), the energy was upbeat without being overwhelming, and everyone looked like they were having a good time—because they were. You grill your own food, you talk, you laugh, you maybe smoke out your eyebrows a little—it’s all part of the fun.

Korean BBQ House is now locked in the family memory bank as one of those meals—the kind we’ll randomly bring up years from now, like “Remember the time Elijah grilled 10 pieces of beef like a little BBQ boss?” Yeah. That kind.

Two days. Two meals. Two totally different cuisines. One happy, full family. We call that a win.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Past Memories is a Korean pub that is a favorite among locals. The warm, moody lighting, wooden booths, and decor create the nostalgic atmosphere that is true to the restaurant’s name. Even on my first visit, the restaurant’s homely vibe made me feel that I had been there before.

My “past memories” include the seafood pancake and sweet and spicy chicken wings. These are non-negotiable for me on every visit. The seafood pancake has crispy edges and a soft, almost gooey center filled with delicious fried batter, squid, and green onions. The sweet and spicy chicken wings are presented in lollipop style, and are more sweet than spicy. I have a bit of a sweet tooth so they are perfect for me.

My favorite memories, however, have to be sharing soju cocktails with my friends. I like to get the lychee and yogurt soju cocktails. The alcohol taste is almost undetectable and the cocktails are yummy and sweet. No night at Past Memories is complete without a refreshing drink to complement your meal.

Have been going here for over 13 years. Great place for a late meal and drinks with friends. The older ladies that ran the place were so sweet. The new staff is amazing too, appreciate their hustle and hospitality. Will def be coming back

Cozy and enjoyable place for Korean foods.

The service was ok and the atmosphere was great. The food was not quite the quality we expected even though, to give the restaurant credit, they do give decent portions. The flavored soju was good though.

So first of all the food is good. However, they automatically added an 18% tip without asking or telling us that was like $30 and they came to our table twice. They didn’t really ask if we needed anything and no where was it posted that they would be adding gratuity on our bill and it wasn’t listed on our actual bill. We had to call our server over to explain the 30+ charge that wasn’t adding up,

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Spicy Seasoned Chicken Wings, Kimchi Fried Rice, Korean BBQ Pork with Cheese

Excellent food, a bit overpriced but with large portion. However, the waitstaff was a bit rude and dismissive. The guy was alright, but the lady gave no attention to our table whatsoever. She came with an attitude and didn’t care to stay until we finish our request( we asked for add-ons and utensils but she immediately left before we even have a chance to mention about it.)

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 2

Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken

Rude waitstaff lol but the food was fire

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Seafood Pancake, Spicy Ricecake w Ramen, Kimchi Fried Rice

One of my favorite places in the area to grab a drink and a quick bite in the late evening! Try the spicy seasoned chicken wings. ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Spicy Seasoned Chicken Wings

Just a pre-warning, if you go here don't be fooled by the outside, typical hole in the wall look. All I can say is, wow the food is amazing! Everything comes out hot and timely. The employees are friendly and they play K-Pop ax throughout the day. When I travel back, I will be going back to this place and highly recommend you check this place out.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheese Corn, Spicy Seasoned Chicken Wings, Tteobokki, Kalbi, Korean BBQ Pork with Cheese, Beef Tartare

I came here, and never come again

First, waiter attitude so rude, he threw and dropped the dishes on the table (disrespect customers).

Second, I have to way 10-15 minutes for nothing (even I wrote my name on waitlist), when I come inside I saw several table still empty.

Third, foods is very salty, over price also

Fourth, whole restaurant does not have any physical menu.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

It opens from 5pm to 1:30am serving dinner food that go easy with beer, great place to hangout at night or for drinks

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Spicy Seasoned Chicken Wings, Grilled Chicken Gizzards, Fried Chicken, Korean BBQ Pork with Cheese