I visited Mashita Galbi Jjim on a Sunday evening around 6 PM with a party of four, and to my surprise, there was no wait—we were seated right away. With only two staff members working the floor, the restaurant still managed a steady rhythm of service. The space itself is inviting, with a high ceiling that makes it feel airy, a clean bathroom (always a plus), and a generally cozy environment that sets the stage for a comfortable meal.
For food, we ordered two dishes: the pork tonkatsu and their signature galbi jjim. The tonkatsu arrived quickly, golden and crispy, delivering the kind of satisfying crunch and savory bite you’d expect from a well-executed cutlet. The galbi jjim, however, was a different story. It took about 30 minutes to reach our table, which seems to be the norm based on observing other tables. While the wait did build anticipation, it also disrupted the pacing of the meal. When it did arrive, the flavors were solid—rich, hearty, and braised with care—but not quite at the level of depth or complexity I’ve had elsewhere. Personally, I still prefer Daeho’s version, which leans more memorable in both flavor and overall experience.
Service was professional and efficient given the limited staff, though not particularly warm or engaging. It felt more functional than personal, but everything we needed was taken care of without issue.
In terms of ambiance, Mashita balances casual comfort with a slightly polished feel, making it a nice spot for a relaxed meal with friends or family.
Value-wise, the restaurant is fairly priced for the quality and portion sizes. While the food is solid and the dining experience smooth overall, I didn’t find it compelling enough to make this my go-to spot for galbi jjim.
Final verdict: 4/5. A reliable option with cozy ambiance and decent execution, but not quite distinctive enough to stand out in a city with strong competition.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Peter Lu
Better than Daeho, LFG
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
L
Mild (level 1) galbijim - 4.5/5 delicious, bigger portion size than Daeho, would be better if less sweet. Good banchan
Brazilian lemonade - 5/5
Too loud at 7pm
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Debbie Lowe (3jamigos)
Korean restaurant on Polk St for Galbijjim. The star is the short rib stew, it comes with rice cakes, cheese and noods. The meat is tender and flavorful and off the bone. We initially thought the portions were smaller than Daeho but without bones, it’s a lot of meat. Don’t skip their other dishes, garlic chicken noodles, dumplings and fried chicken were all very good. The Banchan was pretty standard. Luckily we made reservations, a Thursday night yet it filled up quickly. If you are in the mood for Galbijjim this is a great option. Service was friendly but slowed as they got busy, a little understaffed at this point. Maybe they didn’t anticipate being this busy! Recommend checking them out! The place is on the small side so reservations are advised.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Braised Beef Stew Galbi Jjim, Korean Beef Mandu Potstickers, Korean Fried Chicken
Amade Colenbrander
Amazing food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Beef Soup
Ananiya Shenkut
Food and service is great!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Yap
Mashita is my favorite restaurant in SF. Better galbijjim than Daeho. 🐐
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Honglu Wang
Good food for portionsz the galbijjim is stuffing for 3 people. Slightly pricy for non tech but pretty good.
New found go-to spot for kfood! I’m a picky korean restaurant goer cuz every other Korean restaurant to me just taste the same, but this one hits differently just like MuguBoka Korean Resto in Balboa here in SF ~ which is still my top 1 fav resto. FOOD AND PORTIONS ARE MWA A CHEFS KISS!
we always order the spicy beef soup, organic wings and unagi bowl! MUST TRY <3
had dinner here tonight, came right at 5 pm because we were so excited to try! the side dishes were amazing, they had salad and japchae along with the classics like kimchi and cucumber! we tried the spicy chicken wings, the beef dumplings and the classic galbi with the cheese! Everything was so good, only downside is I got too full too fast lol I wish I could keep eating. The portions are great and we have enough food for lunch and dinner tomorrow! Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Taylor Surh
Not as good as Daeho but still good. The chicken was nice to have as well
I dabbed tears eating the Galbi Jim - it was sooo good….
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Beef Stew Galbi Jjim, Chicken Wings
This place is never open at 5
I visited Mashita Galbi Jjim on a Sunday evening around 6 PM with a party of four, and to my surprise, there was no wait—we were seated right away. With only two staff members working the floor, the restaurant still managed a steady rhythm of service. The space itself is inviting, with a high ceiling that makes it feel airy, a clean bathroom (always a plus), and a generally cozy environment that sets the stage for a comfortable meal.
For food, we ordered two dishes: the pork tonkatsu and their signature galbi jjim. The tonkatsu arrived quickly, golden and crispy, delivering the kind of satisfying crunch and savory bite you’d expect from a well-executed cutlet. The galbi jjim, however, was a different story. It took about 30 minutes to reach our table, which seems to be the norm based on observing other tables. While the wait did build anticipation, it also disrupted the pacing of the meal. When it did arrive, the flavors were solid—rich, hearty, and braised with care—but not quite at the level of depth or complexity I’ve had elsewhere. Personally, I still prefer Daeho’s version, which leans more memorable in both flavor and overall experience.
Service was professional and efficient given the limited staff, though not particularly warm or engaging. It felt more functional than personal, but everything we needed was taken care of without issue.
In terms of ambiance, Mashita balances casual comfort with a slightly polished feel, making it a nice spot for a relaxed meal with friends or family.
Value-wise, the restaurant is fairly priced for the quality and portion sizes. While the food is solid and the dining experience smooth overall, I didn’t find it compelling enough to make this my go-to spot for galbi jjim.
Final verdict: 4/5. A reliable option with cozy ambiance and decent execution, but not quite distinctive enough to stand out in a city with strong competition.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Better than Daeho, LFG
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mild (level 1) galbijim - 4.5/5 delicious, bigger portion size than Daeho, would be better if less sweet. Good banchan
Brazilian lemonade - 5/5
Too loud at 7pm
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Korean restaurant on Polk St for Galbijjim. The star is the short rib stew, it comes with rice cakes, cheese and noods. The meat is tender and flavorful and off the bone. We initially thought the portions were smaller than Daeho but without bones, it’s a lot of meat. Don’t skip their other dishes, garlic chicken noodles, dumplings and fried chicken were all very good. The Banchan was pretty standard. Luckily we made reservations, a Thursday night yet it filled up quickly. If you are in the mood for Galbijjim this is a great option. Service was friendly but slowed as they got busy, a little understaffed at this point. Maybe they didn’t anticipate being this busy! Recommend checking them out! The place is on the small side so reservations are advised.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Braised Beef Stew Galbi Jjim, Korean Beef Mandu Potstickers, Korean Fried Chicken
Amazing food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Beef Soup
Food and service is great!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mashita is my favorite restaurant in SF. Better galbijjim than Daeho. 🐐
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food for portionsz the galbijjim is stuffing for 3 people. Slightly pricy for non tech but pretty good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Braised Beef Stew Galbi Jjim
Restaurantji Recommends
New found go-to spot for kfood! I’m a picky korean restaurant goer cuz every other Korean restaurant to me just taste the same, but this one hits differently just like MuguBoka Korean Resto in Balboa here in SF ~ which is still my top 1 fav resto. FOOD AND PORTIONS ARE MWA A CHEFS KISS!
we always order the spicy beef soup, organic wings and unagi bowl! MUST TRY <3
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Beef Stew Galbi Jjim, Spicy Galbi Jjim, Kimchi Dumplings
had dinner here tonight, came right at 5 pm because we were so excited to try! the side dishes were amazing, they had salad and japchae along with the classics like kimchi and cucumber! we tried the spicy chicken wings, the beef dumplings and the classic galbi with the cheese! Everything was so good, only downside is I got too full too fast lol I wish I could keep eating. The portions are great and we have enough food for lunch and dinner tomorrow! Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not as good as Daeho but still good. The chicken was nice to have as well
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Beef Stew Galbi Jjim, Soy Glaze Wings
they are so so good
long wait though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really great food and the staff were all so so kind - definitely go!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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