50 Best Korean Restaurants in San Francisco

“Great food and service. I highly recommend this place for date night, family and friends. The only downside is parking is hard to come by in this neighborhood.“

“The beef shortrib is amazing!! Got the extra meat, extra beg and tteokbokki and the flavors meshed so well. The mild spice level was really nice with some light heat, but still had all the flavor. The melty cheese on top was fire (literally) and obviously the soju went great with all the flavors. I did wish they gave us more banchan or refilled our dishes, but thats just because I'm a fiend for daikon kimchi. We did have to flag down the waiters a couple times to get refills on water and for drink orders, but they were crazy busy (for good reason!). The restaurant was also super loud, so expect to shout to talk to your table. Some noise dampening in the restaurant would probably be helpful. We waited an hour for our table and i 100% would wait again.“

“What a treat , the decor, the atmosphere, the service , the presentation, the flavors… it was our first time and for my wife s birthday who turn out to not “typically” like most of what was on the menu (except the lobster but she was hoping for crab but was no longer in season) but LOVED every dish she had and so did I. They offered an extra dish but there is already plenty. I would have been very happy without the quail dish which felt like a lot after everything else but we just came out of a detox and tend to tend toward vegetarian (not a good place for those purists!); still an amazing place we will get back to when we can.

Vegetarian options: No options it is a lot of seafood plus quail topically with no option to swap .

Dietary restrictions: No way to tweak the menu much, a no go for our vegan and vegetarian friends !

Parking: Busy street paid parking until 8p Mon-Sat but can find it in back streets with patience ?

Kid-friendliness: No, very quiet and very strict / fancy menu

Wheelchair accessibility: Seems so, table are quite spaced out !“

“It was my first time trying raw marinated shrimp, and they were delicious. I was a little bit hesitant because I originally came for the crab, but they were out of season. Our waiter convinced me to try the shrimp, and he was honestly one of the reasons why I gave this place 5 stars. He was a total vibe. I will come back to this restaurant every time I’m in town.“

“The small tapas were delicious, especially the tomato kimchi—it was light and refreshing, paired perfectly with the grapefruit. The uni scallop toast was flavorful, though I found the price a bit steep. The Galbi Ribeye with lettuce wraps was satisfying and filling, while the kimchi fried rice stood out as unique, with a nice touch of egg yolk and cheese on top. The presentation of all the dishes was thoughtful and well-executed. I'd gladly order everything again, except for the uni scallop toast, mostly due to its price.“

“Respectable Korean bbq, good cuts of meat, nice sides, friendly staff, and nice that it's a little bit off of the beaten path and so usually it's not as crowded as other places. The spicy Ribeye is excellent.
This is not an all-you-can-eat establishment so be warned. But overall really good food.
Note: I've never had Korean TERRA beer before, but man, it went perfect with the meal!“

“Great food and at a great price. Can’t wait to go back“

“Just incredible Korean contemporary fusion cuisine. Kept the fundamentals of the Korean authenticity with unique broad appealing western gastronomic desires. Well done!!!👍“

“Love this place so much! Ina, Nick the whole fam and staff are the best! Know you are family and are taken care of when you walk in the doors of the korner store! The food is delicious! There’s a drink for everyone and for whatever mood you are in! Strong,sweet and even non alcoholic offerings! The music is great and they have great event nights - from kpop nights, game nights and even learn and practice your dj skills nights! It’s a great late night addition to the Excelsior and worth checkin out!

Kid-friendliness: Able to dine with kids before the evening crowd arrives“

“Zajang Grill is the best restaurant“

“food is incredible!! i’ve only had takeout from them but i’m so glad i finally found a place that makes raw marinated crab! i’ve always wanted to try it and it’s SO!!! GOOD!!!!! their mapo tofu is also delicious! their shrimp fried rice is not very flavorful, but it’s passable. the quality of their other dishes completely makes up for it“

“We had a fantastic dinner at Manna! Our group of 6 arrived before 6 PM and were pleasantly surprised to be seated right away. The service was excellent, not rushed at all (even though a crowd was building outside), and our server was very attentive.

Everyone at the table was thrilled with their meals. The kimchee pancake, japchae, and dolsot bibimbap were standout dishes. We were so happy to find such a great Korean restaurant right on the same street where we were planning to spend the evening playing board games at The Game Parlour. It was the perfect combination for a fun night out in San Francisco.

We highly recommend Manna for anyone looking for delicious Korean food in San Francisco. You won't be disappointed!“

“The service was excellent!

The meat was great quality and it was enjoyable to watch the meat cooked right in front of you! The pork belly rice and soup is very tasty!

The cocktails are creative as well.

They have a beautiful wine cellar and private dining room.“

“Yummy yummy yummy! 🥰 1st time here with my daughter and it was so yummy! We we will be back! 😋😋😋“

“Combination oxtail soup and dolsot bibimbap were incredible. The tendon pieces were perfectly cooked and the broth was milky and delicious. The bibimbap had great crispy bits and a Smokey smell. Honestly, eating this in the H-Mart food court just adds to the experience.

The woman at the front was very friendly and always wore a smile. Great food and great workers.“

“A hidden gem. Really, really nice food, served fresh and piping hot. The veggies are nice and crisp, unlike so many places that serve soggy veggies. I love that the food isn't bathed in salt. The beef is tender and tastes like beef, not just salt and soy sauce. The staff is super friendly and welcoming. On top of that, the prices are shockingly low, especially considering the quality and size of the dishes. My new fave.“

“Came upon this Cafe by mistake visiting Dr Bri with my wife. While she was by the doctor, I went across to get something to eat. Best decision ever. Excellent Food, Staff was so welcoming and interacted with me telling me about their establishment. My 7 year old son loves art, and they have so many Art services to choose from if needed, and you can call and reserve such services if needed for group activities. I will definitely be coming back with my son and wife to experience Arts Cafe, and it's activities. Coming from Chaguanas to Sando 💯 Definitely recommend 💯“

“Total Score: 7.05


Usable but slightly grimy

Customer Service: 3.5/5
Nothing notable, didn’t speak much

Ambiance: 3.75/5
Nice moody lighting, very simple and cutesy

Food: 4.25/5
Was decent Korean food. Everything was right amount of sweat and spicy. The sides were delish too. Nothing to complain about the fried rice either. Everything was right texture too.


Normal Korean Restaurant

Total Score = BR + CS + 2*AM + 5*FOOD + WOW“

“Delicious sandwich. Looks small but filled me up. I liked the egg and cream and the bread. I expected it to hurt my stomach but it did not! Good service. Unique drinks. Cool decor and there’s outdoor seating in the back! Nice bike parking out front too.“

“Injeolmi (home made Korean rice sweet rice cake)croissant: The best thing about these injeolmi croissants, is that the rice cakes are wonderfully stretchy when they're warm, so you get that gooey "cheese pull" effect. (It's part of the kalbijjim croissant's appeal as well--and one of the reasons the bakery has a dedicated oven for reheating pastries.)

Croffle: a delightful light snack with a sweet glazed waffle crust hiding buttery soft & chewy croissant layers within.

The honeycomb latte will melt the honeycomb crumble and make it sweeter over time. Just eat the crumble to stop sweetening the drink.“

“H Mart is a asian grocery store
H Mart plays with music ? that is great to hear and feels relaxing when entering the store

Inside by the entrance, their small restaurant for you to eat

The produce and product are ? ? ? good
thier alot of varieties of ? noodles“

“Hidden gem! The grilled octopus is a must!“

“Better than Seoul Sausage and they won the Great American Food Truck Race! Perfect balance of spice, sauce, and crunch. The outside is amazing and the Parmesan was a nice touch!“

“order online pick up when ready.“

“Annyeong to whoever sees this!! Hands down the BEST korean restaurant as always! If you love KFOOD, this is the place to be! Their portions and prices are fair and great!! servers, cooks, owners are all so nice korean people which i love seeing! Love love their ppl and culture—Meaning you can really get a taste of authentic korean home-made food right here ??? nothing artificial nor commercialized unlike any other upscale kfood restos! No bias! if u love raw beef (like steak tartare), their yuk hwe is a must!! SUPER DELICIOUS AND PORTION IS OVERLY BIG ? best part is, they give you free fried dumplings on the house which is very sweet of them! Now, this is top tier real customer service ❤️ my husband and i always leave with our hearts and tummy full & happy!“

“Nice place to dine in with family and friends“

“They had some of the tastiest, most generous servings of those little appetizers one gets in Korean restaurants. My pork rib and chicken wings dish was yummy. The ribs came with the regular sugar glaze but I suppose it can be ordered without.“

“This place is wonderful! They serve really high quality food in heaping portions. It’s really delicious and the people who work here are super kind. I rarely write reviews for local spots so this place really made an impression. Highly recommend!“

“3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

Kimcheese Smashburger: Patty has a decent texture, but may be too mushy for some people. Not very tasty and a bit plain - definitely did not feel like I was eating a Korean food item.

Fries: Good texture, although a bit hard. Under-seasoned.“

“Very nice staff and attentive… Food was excellent and fresh.. The establishment was very very clean.. highly recommend“

“Fantastic food and even better service! Stumbled upon this restaurant and after abysmal service from every other restaurant I’ve tried in SF, we were blown away. The galbi tang was piping hot and so comforting and the pork belly was so delicious. The drinks were very good and also reasonably priced! The highlight of our night was definitely our amazing server Hazel. She was so incredibly sweet and personable and really made everything 10x better. Would highly recommend if you’re in the area.“

“Delicious food, went there about a year ago and have been going there ever since. Big menu selection, large portions, great price and most of all, great service and staff.

Vegetarian options: Salad, breakfast sandwiches and veggi bowls.

Kid-friendliness: There's a school near by and kids go in for breakfasts.“

“I originally planned to go to another Korean restaurant nearby but it was too popular so I gave up on the long wait list and decided to come here. Definitely no regret at all! The decoration is not as fancy but the food is quite authentic and delicious! The service was also great (the owner gave us separate small bowls and plates so we could share). We loved the sizzling bibimbap and tofu soup, spicy bbq pork is not spicy for us but we still enjoyed it, beef udon is also quite tasty!“

“We returned to this restaurant twice during our visit to SF, it was that good. Very much enjoyed the garlic soy chicken wings, salmon eggs benedict, kimchi, bulgogi, pimped up ramyun, and of course the bacon.“

“I knew exactly what I wanted as I walked in. I smelled the Bibimbop and my tummy was already smiling. the service was great! and the food was delicious! our 3 year old approved the Chicken Cutlets with their special sauce! we're definitely coming back the next time we're in town!“

“it’s our favorite take out food in the city. the best poke bowl is the island style!
however, they‘ve raised their prices A LOT - six years ago when I first went, a bowl was $12.50
now the same bowl is $20…
i understand - inflation and higher labor costs. but +60%?? that is too much.“

“The BEST Galbi I've ever had. Wow the quality & cut of the meat is grade A with minimal fat, marinated and seared to literal PERFECTION. I'm happy but sad it's over.
Can't wait to eat here again whenever I'm back in SF.“

“Great service and food 😋👍🏻“

“Super nice/friendly folks. Food came out quick. Nice large portions. Was super satisfied“

“Yesterday our first time there. The food was delicious and the service as well we definitely will have to come back soon!!! Thank you!“

“This is our local, “go to” place whenever we’re craving Korean food. It never disappoints. At night, they generally project K-pop music videos onto a large wall, which brings the whole room to life. Lotsa fun!“

“Tell me why when I first opened the delivery box of galbi boneless chicken and stabbed what I thought was a French fry with my fork, I literally did a chew double-take and removed the tteokbokki from my mouth because my taste buds were so thrown off from what I was expecting. I really should’ve known better, but I’m accustomed to seeing tteokbokki drenched in a gochujang based sauce, so they deceptively resembled fries. To be fair, from this experience, I learned they taste way better dry and seasoned, but I digress.

Onto the main part of the review…

As I’ve written in a couple other reviews this week, I’m “researching” the best Korean fried chicken spots in San Francisco to determine which to order from for an upcoming Friendsgiving. I looked up a ton of options in the city and narrowed them down to a shortlist of 3 spots, this place included. A few things I examined to create my short list were varieties/flavours of chicken, quantity to price ratio, other customer ratings, images of the chicken, and proximity to my neighborhood or deliverability to my friends’ neighborhood where the Friendsgiving will be hosted.

When I took the first bite of K Soul chicken, I knew I’d found a winner. I’m very particular about KFC having spent the last few years living in LA and Orange County, home to copious dedicated KFC restaurants. K Soul’s chicken tastes the most similar to my favourite spots in SoCal. It has the perfect texture and crunch, the meat is neither dry nor greasy, and the umami flavor is on point. They’ve created a perfectly balanced KFC, and that’s why I’ll be taking this to Friendsgiving.“

“Looking for Korean places in the neighborhood and was delighted to find this gem! They are super accommodating and made several dishes vegan for us. I really appreciated them asking about food allergies as well. Rice cakes, soft tofu soup, and bibimbap were all stellar. Highly recommend!!

Vegetarian options: Chefs were very accommodating and happy to modify dishes and make them without fish/meat/eggs“

“I recently revisited Valencia Street after a few years and decided to try out a new restaurant. I was impressed by the excellent customer service. I visited on Sunday, May 19, 2024, after 5 PM. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet, which was perfect since I have a toddler who likes to run around.

Although it wasn't my first time eating Korean food, the meal was outstanding. I had the Spicy Pork Bowl, and it was absolutely delicious. If you enjoy spicy food, I highly recommend it!
we will be back :)

Kid-friendliness: yes !

Wheelchair accessibility: yes,“

“I’ve never been to Korea so can’t say if it’s authentic, but the tteokbokki is better than all other places in SF that serve this delicious dishIt still has a kick for the non-spicy level but I think it’s what makes it great. Awesome flavor, nice thick sauce. Warmed me up on a really cold day.Pairs really well with Soju. I’m going to be ordering this a lot going forward.Ordered through Uber Eats so going to try and eat it at restaurant next time with the extra cheese.“

“Located in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill, ZZAN offers a mix of traditional and modern Korean dishes. Here’s what stood out during my visit:Cold Noodle Soup: The cold noodle soup is a refreshing choice, especially during warmer weather. The generous portion of noodles combined with kimchi creates a satisfying and tangy flavor. It’s a must-try for those seeking a cooling dish.Beef Soft Tofu Soup: While the cold noodle soup stole the show, the beef soft tofu soup didn’t disappoint either. The broth lacked a strong fragrance, but the flavor was decent. It’s a comforting option, although it doesn’t stand out as much as the cold noodle soup. Broth fragrance could be improved.“

“This was a great ramen spot. I had the spicy Tonkotsu ramen without green onions, and everything was cooked to perfection. The pork bone broth was incredibly rich and comforting, especially on a foggy day. The service was attentive and friendly.“

“💕 the Fries n Awesome poke’ Ate lots time wen ur @ Presidio Food Fest😋👌“

“Love their marinated meats, pickels and fermented vegetables. Their Kimchi is my favorite.“

“My foodie coworkers have nothing but praises every time you guys cater for us. Impressive how you pull off such tasty AND healthy food. Thank you!“