Food is delicious , good portion sizes. Recommend the soondubu if you are a vegetarian too, the veggie one was great. Otherwise there’s so much good soups especially on a cold day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
lead blimp
4.3 is too low, they need a 5 overall. best beef ramen, and by extension, best beef short rib I've had at any restaurant. highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wesley Winston
I am writing to bring attention to an absolutely unacceptable and deeply troubling experience I had at Star BBQ, one that involved not only blatant racism and unprofessional conduct but also a serious food safety violation that put my health at risk.
I came in recently intending to place a takeout order. From the moment I walked in, I was treated with obvious disrespect and hostility. While other customers — notably non-Black patrons — were greeted with smiles, patience, and polite service, I was met with dismissiveness and cold stares. When I asked simple questions about the menu, I was met with eye-rolling and curt, unhelpful replies. I attempted to remain calm and respectful despite the clear shift in tone, but it was evident that I was not welcomed or valued as a customer.
To make matters worse, when I tried to place my takeout order, I was told rudely that “they don’t do takeout,” even though there were multiple visible to-go bags on the counter and another customer walking out with a to-go order right behind me. The staff’s tone and body language made it painfully clear that their treatment of me was based on bias. This wasn’t simply poor service — it was targeted, racially motivated discrimination.
I should have left then, but I was already hungry and decided to proceed with what little of the order I was allowed to place. What followed was the most shocking and disgusting part of the entire ordeal: after getting home, I opened my food only to discover not one, but two cockroaches inside one of the containers.
I cannot describe how sickening and infuriating that discovery was. Not only was I subjected to humiliation and disrespect while trying to order, but I was also served food that was contaminated and dangerous. This is a serious health and sanitation issue that should prompt an immediate inspection by your local health department.
This experience was appalling on every level — from the racist behavior to the revolting hygiene standards. No customer should ever be made to feel unwelcome because of the color of their skin, and no one should be served food that poses a risk to their health and safety.
I strongly urge management to investigate this matter immediately, both in terms of staff conduct and kitchen sanitation practices. An official apology is the bare minimum, but more importantly, something must be done to prevent this from happening again.
Until these matters are taken seriously and corrective actions are implemented, I will not support Star BBQ in any capacity. I will also be informing others of this experience and filing the appropriate health and consumer complaints.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Emily Harmon
Delicious food with A+++ service. We ordered the Beef Bulgogi Bibimbop and the Fried Rice with Beef Bulgogi & Kimchi - both were wonderful. They provided 4 fresh, delicious sides: broccoli that was crisp with a mild peppery garlic flavor, the best potato salad I've eaten (was whipped and little sweet with just the right amount of mayo), a cold cucumber salad that's so fresh, and crunchy raddish marinated in a sweet beet juice. Perfection! We also couldn't pass up on the seafood pancake which is divine there. Shin provided top notch service helping us make decisions, encouraged adding their homemade (so yummy) hot sauce to my bibimbop, and she was so friendly too! We can't wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Celia Jeremejevs
Came in during graduation weekend a d despite a reduced menu for the occasion I was pleasantly suprised!
The cucumber kimchi and beef bulgogi were my favorite dishes! Our waitress made us feel at home and took time to get to know us. The service felt like I was a guest at ones home.
Joe Oliver
The beef Bulgogi was absolutely incredible and the staff was very nice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Allen Zhang
For some reason the number of grills that you can use is determined by the number of meats that you order. It would have been nice to know this before we were seated in a separate room. We originally wanted to use the two grills inside of said room, but we were waved off of the second one, one of the Korean ladies mentioning something about how we didn't order enough meats to use the second grill. So now, we have 7 people huddled around one stove where 3 people have to sit on the butt end of the table to even reach the grill. This is unacceptable and it should be written somewhere in the menu or at least mentioned to larger parties. I've had better experiences with just 1 other person, but this time with a party of 7 was truly disappointing.
J Wang
Don’t come if wanna get scammed. Extremely negative attitude and S service :) We are a party of 7 and we waited to be seated in a room without told how long we were going to wait or if we can split up tables. After that we got in a room with told two stove but the owner told us to only use one because we didn’t order enough meat. We got 4 types of meat and some other stuff the total is 200+. Side dishes were not free and extremely small portion. Also the ribs are three pieces with the size of a hand for 40 something dollars. Chicken is just cut breast. Seasoning is bad. No service at all and 18% service fee is mandatory which is ridiculous. Asked for lettuce but never arrived after an hour. There were very few customers during our visit so I’m not sure if you did it on purpose or not. Wish there is a zero star option. Honest suggestion if you want to avoid the cost of gas to use stove just don’t run a restaurant. So don’t come if u wanna get scammed lol
Peppe Luke
This place is fantastic. I came here with some friends and everyone was super friendly and helpful. One of the best restaurants I've been to.
Christopher Donley
Hidden gem in savoy. Best kbbq I’ve had in town, and there’s some good contenders. Gotta come back for the AYCE special!
The food is good but apparently we are a party of six, and they served us with really, really slow pace. Especially when we know that we are going to finish the meat (which we did), they took almost 20 more minutes for round 2 ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
eden east
Went here with a friend and had the AYCE at $34.99 per person. The portions are smaller, so if you have a smaller appetite, it will work for you. Staff was very friendly and were kind to me when I had forgotten my headphones in the restaurant. Recommend if you're a UIUC student looking to eat KBBQ!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue
Kingkongkingston
Very few kbbq in the area so, I was happy to have one. However, understand that you are required to eat all the meat the bring out first before you can order what you want. 18% tip automatically added and if you split the bill then they add another 18% in. Your meal actually will cost you $48 without any drink order.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue
Tom
Hyunju was amazing. She treated us as if we were her children and took care of us. She is very kind & helpful. We will visit this place again in the future!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue, Spicy Pork Sundubu Jjigae 돼지고기순두부 辣猪肉豆腐汤
Samurai Pokemon
Amazing bbq. Probably one of the best Korean bbq place I have been to. Best services, amazing food from appetizers to bbq meat. Not just the Korean bbq but their individual food are also good too. Always good every time I go.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue, Chicken Yakisoba, Galbi Dolsot Bibimbap, Beef Yakisoba, Bulgogi BBQ, Beef Short Rib Soup
Food is delicious , good portion sizes. Recommend the soondubu if you are a vegetarian too, the veggie one was great. Otherwise there’s so much good soups especially on a cold day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
4.3 is too low, they need a 5 overall. best beef ramen, and by extension, best beef short rib I've had at any restaurant. highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I am writing to bring attention to an absolutely unacceptable and deeply troubling experience I had at Star BBQ, one that involved not only blatant racism and unprofessional conduct but also a serious food safety violation that put my health at risk.
I came in recently intending to place a takeout order. From the moment I walked in, I was treated with obvious disrespect and hostility. While other customers — notably non-Black patrons — were greeted with smiles, patience, and polite service, I was met with dismissiveness and cold stares. When I asked simple questions about the menu, I was met with eye-rolling and curt, unhelpful replies. I attempted to remain calm and respectful despite the clear shift in tone, but it was evident that I was not welcomed or valued as a customer.
To make matters worse, when I tried to place my takeout order, I was told rudely that “they don’t do takeout,” even though there were multiple visible to-go bags on the counter and another customer walking out with a to-go order right behind me. The staff’s tone and body language made it painfully clear that their treatment of me was based on bias. This wasn’t simply poor service — it was targeted, racially motivated discrimination.
I should have left then, but I was already hungry and decided to proceed with what little of the order I was allowed to place. What followed was the most shocking and disgusting part of the entire ordeal: after getting home, I opened my food only to discover not one, but two cockroaches inside one of the containers.
I cannot describe how sickening and infuriating that discovery was. Not only was I subjected to humiliation and disrespect while trying to order, but I was also served food that was contaminated and dangerous. This is a serious health and sanitation issue that should prompt an immediate inspection by your local health department.
This experience was appalling on every level — from the racist behavior to the revolting hygiene standards. No customer should ever be made to feel unwelcome because of the color of their skin, and no one should be served food that poses a risk to their health and safety.
I strongly urge management to investigate this matter immediately, both in terms of staff conduct and kitchen sanitation practices. An official apology is the bare minimum, but more importantly, something must be done to prevent this from happening again.
Until these matters are taken seriously and corrective actions are implemented, I will not support Star BBQ in any capacity. I will also be informing others of this experience and filing the appropriate health and consumer complaints.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Delicious food with A+++ service. We ordered the Beef Bulgogi Bibimbop and the Fried Rice with Beef Bulgogi & Kimchi - both were wonderful. They provided 4 fresh, delicious sides: broccoli that was crisp with a mild peppery garlic flavor, the best potato salad I've eaten (was whipped and little sweet with just the right amount of mayo), a cold cucumber salad that's so fresh, and crunchy raddish marinated in a sweet beet juice. Perfection! We also couldn't pass up on the seafood pancake which is divine there. Shin provided top notch service helping us make decisions, encouraged adding their homemade (so yummy) hot sauce to my bibimbop, and she was so friendly too! We can't wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came in during graduation weekend a d despite a reduced menu for the occasion I was pleasantly suprised!
The cucumber kimchi and beef bulgogi were my favorite dishes! Our waitress made us feel at home and took time to get to know us. The service felt like I was a guest at ones home.
The beef Bulgogi was absolutely incredible and the staff was very nice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
For some reason the number of grills that you can use is determined by the number of meats that you order. It would have been nice to know this before we were seated in a separate room. We originally wanted to use the two grills inside of said room, but we were waved off of the second one, one of the Korean ladies mentioning something about how we didn't order enough meats to use the second grill. So now, we have 7 people huddled around one stove where 3 people have to sit on the butt end of the table to even reach the grill. This is unacceptable and it should be written somewhere in the menu or at least mentioned to larger parties. I've had better experiences with just 1 other person, but this time with a party of 7 was truly disappointing.
Don’t come if wanna get scammed.
Extremely negative attitude and S service :)
We are a party of 7 and we waited to be seated in a room without told how long we were going to wait or if we can split up tables. After that we got in a room with told two stove but the owner told us to only use one because we didn’t order enough meat. We got 4 types of meat and some other stuff the total is 200+. Side dishes were not free and extremely small portion. Also the ribs are three pieces with the size of a hand for 40 something dollars. Chicken is just cut breast. Seasoning is bad. No service at all and 18% service fee is mandatory which is ridiculous. Asked for lettuce but never arrived after an hour. There were very few customers during our visit so I’m not sure if you did it on purpose or not. Wish there is a zero star option. Honest suggestion if you want to avoid the cost of gas to use stove just don’t run a restaurant. So don’t come if u wanna get scammed lol
This place is fantastic. I came here with some friends and everyone was super friendly and helpful. One of the best restaurants I've been to.
Hidden gem in savoy. Best kbbq I’ve had in town, and there’s some good contenders. Gotta come back for the AYCE special!
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is good but apparently we are a party of six, and they served us with really, really slow pace. Especially when we know that we are going to finish the meat (which we did), they took almost 20 more minutes for round 2 ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Went here with a friend and had the AYCE at $34.99 per person. The portions are smaller, so if you have a smaller appetite, it will work for you. Staff was very friendly and were kind to me when I had forgotten my headphones in the restaurant. Recommend if you're a UIUC student looking to eat KBBQ!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue
Very few kbbq in the area so, I was happy to have one. However, understand that you are required to eat all the meat the bring out first before you can order what you want. 18% tip automatically added and if you split the bill then they add another 18% in. Your meal actually will cost you $48 without any drink order.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue
Hyunju was amazing. She treated us as if we were her children and took care of us. She is very kind & helpful. We will visit this place again in the future!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue, Spicy Pork Sundubu Jjigae 돼지고기순두부 辣猪肉豆腐汤
Amazing bbq. Probably one of the best Korean bbq place I have been to. Best services, amazing food from appetizers to bbq meat. Not just the Korean bbq but their individual food are also good too. Always good every time I go.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Barbecue, Chicken Yakisoba, Galbi Dolsot Bibimbap, Beef Yakisoba, Bulgogi BBQ, Beef Short Rib Soup
Loading...