Horrible experience. Arrived on a weekday 7pm, nobody inside, so I just sit. The lady waiter served some side dishes and a menu, when I tried to have some side dishes, the lady told me to order before eat, coldly. So I ordered, then she said this is for only one person balabala, I insisted to order that. She seemed to be so pissed off that she directly walked away. I’m so surprised that I come here to help your business as nobody in the restaurant, and you want to teach me a lesson. If you don’t want to run business, you do not need to. Thank🤐
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Albert Chiang
Everything good. Super organized because they want you in and out in a hour.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
M Kim
Korean food was not bad. However, waitress came running towards us after paying with small tip for a larger tip. Kinda ruined the whole experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Kien Lam
Tobang is *good* but it's somewhat odd in that only select meats can be grilled at the table. Those meats are the bricket, beef belly and pork belly. Every other meet -- e.g. kalbi, bulgogi -- come pre-cooked. They are delicious, though, so no issues. Finally, go ahead and order the Special meal packages, which are cheaper and generous portioned.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Akankshya Mishra
5 stars is too less for this place! This is now my favorite Korean bbq joint—a special with 2 meat options here is enough for 2-3 people, with unlimited side dishes. The vibe is homely, with big parties and conversations being loud. The waitresses are also very sweet and kept checking up on us and helping us cook the meat. I’ll be returning here in the future for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Louis Lu
We visited this restaurant for the first time with 4 adults and 4 kids (oldest 6 years old, youngest 2 years old). We planned to order Special C, which suited our group. However, the owner insisted that because we had “8 people,” we were not allowed to choose Special C, and must order Special A + B for “more meat,” even counting our 2-year-old (who didn’t eat) as an adult.
This forced us to order much more food than we needed, leading to waste and extra cost. To make it worse, when we decided to leave a smaller tip due to the experience, the owner insisted on charging 18% tip no matter what.
This kind of rigid and inflexible service, especially when it results in wasted food and extra charges, left us with a bad impression. Not a place we will return to.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Lorraine Song
Food is really great, refillable side dishes, and THE BEST SERVICE I’ve had in the area…HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
。 ̊.*
One of the best Korean BBQ spots I’ve been to! The kalbi was super tender, and every cut of meat was flavorful and perfectly cooked. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, which made the whole experience even better. Side dishes were fresh and varied, and the prices for drinks were surprisingly low. The tofu soup and bean paste soup were also really tasty and comforting. Highly recommend – I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Glennore Alejo
If I could give The Rusty Spoon more than five stars, I would. This place is a hidden gem! I stumbled upon it while walking downtown and decided to give it a try — and I’m so glad I did. The decor is quirky and fun, with vintage spoons hanging on the walls and mismatched chairs that somehow just work. I tried the crispy pork belly with apple slaw and their signature sweet corn chowder. The flavors were rich and layered — like someone really cared while making it. I even got to chat briefly with the chef, who told me they grow some of their own herbs out back. Love that.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Peter Pham
Nothing spectacular about the kbbq. Other places in the area can offer a more fun experience, like Yakini or Baekjeong. Felt kind of rushed to eat. Long wait even with RSVP. Was not helped often by the server. We saw the owner demand tip from another table near us and chased after them. Not sure if the tips even go to the workers. Very odd. Skip the drama show.
HOI WING NG, Top Realtor in Silicon Valley Bay Area
Great food. Great value. Servers always rush you to order tho...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Janine Nguyen
My family and I went to ToBang for a late Father’s Day meal, and we were extremely disappointed in how we were treated.
We had a reservation for eight people, but only seven showed up (including a toddler). When we arrived and asked about our reservation, the staff sharply told us to wait without any acknowledgment or courtesy. It set the tone for what would be an underwhelming experience.
The restaurant was not busy at all. There were plenty of open tables, which was surprising since this place used to have lines out the door. Even so, the staff seemed rushed and inattentive.
We asked for Set C but were told it was only for four people. They insisted we combine Set A and C or Set A and B. It felt unnecessarily rigid, but we went along with it.
When our meat was grilling and started to overcook, I politely asked for an extra plate to move it off the grill. They told us to use the same greasy plate that had our seafood pancake on it. Really? You cannot spare a clean plate?
No one offered to refill our banchan. And at the end of the meal, instead of preparing the kimchi fried rice tableside with the leftover meat like they used to, they just brought out a small premade plate.
When I went to pay, the cashier asked what tip I wanted to leave, 16 or 18 percent. I said I wanted to do a custom tip, and they reminded me that the minimum was 16 or 18 percent. It was an uncomfortable interaction for no reason. My group had fully intended to tip over 18 percent, but we just wanted to enter a flat number so it would be easier to split among ourselves. That interaction honestly made me not want to tip at all.
As for the food, it was just okay. Nothing to write home about. With all the Korean barbecue options out there, there is really no reason to choose this one in particular. Very mid.
ToBang used to be a solid go-to, but I will not be coming back unless it is a last resort.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Richard T
Great value, tons of food and even tho it's not all you can it you leave full and with togo box. Went with a large group of 13 the wait was about 45mins. Everything was fast and fresh plus they helped cook the meats for you. The side were great as well which I typically don't eat or enjoy as much as I did here. The noodles were delicious so much so that my 4yr ate 5 bowls on her own. Thankfully the sides are unlimited. The staff is fast friendly and helpful explaining everything and help get the food to the plates even. Definitely not you avg over priced over hyped kbbq spot. Definitely would go back and it's one of the better ones in the Bay area for sure worth every dollar
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
A Z
On their map they say the close at 9:30, we arrive at 8:46 and they say kitchen is closed 😂 very hungry and very disappointed. Food is good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Rong Mao
A popular Korean BBQ restaurant that has been around for many years in the Koreatown of Santa Clara. They have four sets of menu for 2-4 people. The waitress would ask you to pick out the meats as soon as you enter the door before you sit down at the table. Our waitress recommended brisket, pork belly, bulgogi (sliced beef), and galbi (beef short ribs), as well as the steamed egg for the kids. We also added a spicy BBQ chicken. The brisket and pork belly were a bit dry but still pretty tasty; the bulgogi tasted a bit too sweet; the galbi and the spicy BBQ chicken were the best. You can dip the meats in four different kinds of sauces (fermented bean sauce, soy sauce, spicy sauce, and sesame oil). Their side dishes were all very good. The set also cane with a seafood pancake and kimchi fried rice or plain rice. There was a lot of food for the set. We barely finished everything. Service was very efficient.
Horrible experience. Arrived on a weekday 7pm, nobody inside, so I just sit. The lady waiter served some side dishes and a menu, when I tried to have some side dishes, the lady told me to order before eat, coldly. So I ordered, then she said this is for only one person balabala, I insisted to order that. She seemed to be so pissed off that she directly walked away. I’m so surprised that I come here to help your business as nobody in the restaurant, and you want to teach me a lesson. If you don’t want to run business, you do not need to. Thank🤐
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Everything good. Super organized because they want you in and out in a hour.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Korean food was not bad. However, waitress came running towards us after paying with small tip for a larger tip. Kinda ruined the whole experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Tobang is *good* but it's somewhat odd in that only select meats can be grilled at the table. Those meats are the bricket, beef belly and pork belly. Every other meet -- e.g. kalbi, bulgogi -- come pre-cooked. They are delicious, though, so no issues. Finally, go ahead and order the Special meal packages, which are cheaper and generous portioned.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
5 stars is too less for this place! This is now my favorite Korean bbq joint—a special with 2 meat options here is enough for 2-3 people, with unlimited side dishes. The vibe is homely, with big parties and conversations being loud. The waitresses are also very sweet and kept checking up on us and helping us cook the meat. I’ll be returning here in the future for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited this restaurant for the first time with 4 adults and 4 kids (oldest 6 years old, youngest 2 years old). We planned to order Special C, which suited our group. However, the owner insisted that because we had “8 people,” we were not allowed to choose Special C, and must order Special A + B for “more meat,” even counting our 2-year-old (who didn’t eat) as an adult.
This forced us to order much more food than we needed, leading to waste and extra cost. To make it worse, when we decided to leave a smaller tip due to the experience, the owner insisted on charging 18% tip no matter what.
This kind of rigid and inflexible service, especially when it results in wasted food and extra charges, left us with a bad impression. Not a place we will return to.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Food is really great, refillable side dishes, and THE BEST SERVICE I’ve had in the area…HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best Korean BBQ spots I’ve been to! The kalbi was super tender, and every cut of meat was flavorful and perfectly cooked. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, which made the whole experience even better. Side dishes were fresh and varied, and the prices for drinks were surprisingly low. The tofu soup and bean paste soup were also really tasty and comforting. Highly recommend – I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If I could give The Rusty Spoon more than five stars, I would. This place is a hidden gem! I stumbled upon it while walking downtown and decided to give it a try — and I’m so glad I did. The decor is quirky and fun, with vintage spoons hanging on the walls and mismatched chairs that somehow just work. I tried the crispy pork belly with apple slaw and their signature sweet corn chowder. The flavors were rich and layered — like someone really cared while making it. I even got to chat briefly with the chef, who told me they grow some of their own herbs out back. Love that.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Nothing spectacular about the kbbq. Other places in the area can offer a more fun experience, like Yakini or Baekjeong. Felt kind of rushed to eat. Long wait even with RSVP. Was not helped often by the server. We saw the owner demand tip from another table near us and chased after them. Not sure if the tips even go to the workers. Very odd. Skip the drama show.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food. Great value. Servers always rush you to order tho...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
My family and I went to ToBang for a late Father’s Day meal, and we were extremely disappointed in how we were treated.
We had a reservation for eight people, but only seven showed up (including a toddler). When we arrived and asked about our reservation, the staff sharply told us to wait without any acknowledgment or courtesy. It set the tone for what would be an underwhelming experience.
The restaurant was not busy at all. There were plenty of open tables, which was surprising since this place used to have lines out the door. Even so, the staff seemed rushed and inattentive.
We asked for Set C but were told it was only for four people. They insisted we combine Set A and C or Set A and B. It felt unnecessarily rigid, but we went along with it.
When our meat was grilling and started to overcook, I politely asked for an extra plate to move it off the grill. They told us to use the same greasy plate that had our seafood pancake on it. Really? You cannot spare a clean plate?
No one offered to refill our banchan. And at the end of the meal, instead of preparing the kimchi fried rice tableside with the leftover meat like they used to, they just brought out a small premade plate.
When I went to pay, the cashier asked what tip I wanted to leave, 16 or 18 percent. I said I wanted to do a custom tip, and they reminded me that the minimum was 16 or 18 percent. It was an uncomfortable interaction for no reason. My group had fully intended to tip over 18 percent, but we just wanted to enter a flat number so it would be easier to split among ourselves. That interaction honestly made me not want to tip at all.
As for the food, it was just okay. Nothing to write home about. With all the Korean barbecue options out there, there is really no reason to choose this one in particular. Very mid.
ToBang used to be a solid go-to, but I will not be coming back unless it is a last resort.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Great value, tons of food and even tho it's not all you can it you leave full and with togo box. Went with a large group of 13 the wait was about 45mins. Everything was fast and fresh plus they helped cook the meats for you. The side were great as well which I typically don't eat or enjoy as much as I did here. The noodles were delicious so much so that my 4yr ate 5 bowls on her own. Thankfully the sides are unlimited. The staff is fast friendly and helpful explaining everything and help get the food to the plates even. Definitely not you avg over priced over hyped kbbq spot. Definitely would go back and it's one of the better ones in the Bay area for sure worth every dollar
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
On their map they say the close at 9:30, we arrive at 8:46 and they say kitchen is closed 😂 very hungry and very disappointed. Food is good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
A popular Korean BBQ restaurant that has been around for many years in the Koreatown of Santa Clara. They have four sets of menu for 2-4 people. The waitress would ask you to pick out the meats as soon as you enter the door before you sit down at the table. Our waitress recommended brisket, pork belly, bulgogi (sliced beef), and galbi (beef short ribs), as well as the steamed egg for the kids. We also added a spicy BBQ chicken. The brisket and pork belly were a bit dry but still pretty tasty; the bulgogi tasted a bit too sweet; the galbi and the spicy BBQ chicken were the best. You can dip the meats in four different kinds of sauces (fermented bean sauce, soy sauce, spicy sauce, and sesame oil). Their side dishes were all very good. The set also cane with a seafood pancake and kimchi fried rice or plain rice. There was a lot of food for the set. We barely finished everything. Service was very efficient.
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