Gen Korean BBQ

I think my first and last visit to Gen Rowland Heights has definitely killed my appetite for all AYCE KBBQ.
I used to love Gen Tustin, therefore I came here expecting the same quality and taste as Gen Tustin. Oh boy was I disappointed. Since they have been expanding exponentially, I’m just going to spectate that their quality has gone downhill. Quantity over Quality.
Meat marination are over salted to the point where my sister was unable to eat any of the marinated chicken. The quality of the meats are chewy, veiny, and beyond unacceptable. Side dishes are left out sitting for who knows how long. Taste in their stews, noodles, and anything non-​meat related was unpalatable.
My sister and I came here after a long and hard workout and we were disgruntled that we wasted our appetite and calories at this place. From that moment on, my sister and I agreed to never eat AYCE KBBQ ever again, especially not Gen.

KBBQ is important in an LA girl’s diet, so ladies, listen up. Gen knows exactly what they’re doing. If you want prompt and friendly service, delicious foods to cook, and an awesome place to eat then you gotta try this place.
Food is DELICIOUS and copious here. Their selection for lunch is large and their banchan is fresh. Everything is clean, and the male servers that are always working between the times of 12:00pm-4:00pm for the lunch rush during the weekdays know what they’re doing. I never have to flag a waiter down because they always keep everything restocked and make sure that you get enough meats and seafoods to cook. Drinks are also always refilled as well as the sides.
I love the ambiance of this place because although everything is colorful and hypnotic, it is all spacious and full of air vents with subtle lights above all the grills to help customers cook. It’s always clean and the grills are unique and changed frequently throughout the meal.
Of course, clean restrooms are available and there is plenty of parking in Diamond Plaza depending on what day and time you choose to eat. It can get pretty busy, I heard, but for lunch time I never have problems parking or getting seated for a table.
If you want to eat lunch and have a fantastic KBBQ experience, then go here. I highly suggest it!

Boyfriend and I decided to come here last minute since Benihana’s was a three hour wait.
We were seated immediately at the bar.
Our server was on top of her game since it was a pretty busy night that night.
I’m only giving it five stars because I do like the atmosphere and customer service.
I’m not a big fan of all you can eat kkbq like my boyfriend is, but he liked the beef brisket and beef tongue. The beef bulgogi was okay for me, and the spicy tofu soup didn’t have much in it since I couldn’t eat shrimp.
I’m planning to give this place another try for either their dinner or lunch menu.

Love Gen! I’ve been to another location before yet this is way better. The services are nicer and its less chaotic. Shoutout to our server Andrea who took care of us the whole night!
Tip: parking at this location sucks. Be aware.

Gen oh Gen besides the diarrhea I will get in the morning because of how much beef tongue I have eaten, you are one of a kind. I have been going to KBBQ a lot recently, and boy let me tell you this. Gen is in The top 3 in our area (Excluding LA) that’s for sure.
The atmosphere is great and the waiters/​waitress are fully attentive and kind. Jessica, Mark, Laura, and Iris made us feel like we were V.I.P, well because we are. Just kidding. We never had to ask for more meat, they were in a double once they see our last plate of meat on the grill. Our Glass were never empty, which is also a plus.
Meat Quality A+
Customer Service A+
Atmosphere A+
Menu Choices A
Price $ 19.99 A+
Every time I go to an AYCE KBBQ I always go for the beef tongue, prime steak, brisket, and finger meat!

This is the second gen I’ve been to, and I’m still really satisfied with everything. Compared to the other locations, this location has loads of room, and the ceiling is really high. The ambience of the restaurant has a really modern feel, with cool lights.
Even though my group and I got here at prime time: 7pm on a Saturday night, we were seated in less than 5 minutes, which was really amazing. However, I feel like the meat was not as fresh as the Alhambra location I went to (like the beef tounge) but the meats were still super delicious. However, the staff at this location are super on top of everything, and checked on us often.

S/​o to Danielle, Brian, Linda, and Eunice for the excellent service today (²⁄₆)!
Ate at the bar for lunch, and everything was delicious. My drink was never empty, and all my requests were granted promptly. Always a good time at Gen Rowland heights! Will be back soon!

This is my first time writing a review for a restaurant but I personally think this place deserves one from me!
I finally decided to go try Gen Korean BBQ after getting so many of my friends telling me how great this place was. It’s a typical set up, all-​you-​can-​eat and what not, however, what makes the place special are the servers! I was lucky to have a server name Josh. He was always there whenever we finish our meat. Fast. Quick. Excellent. Just what I need to fill my hungry, hungry stomach with delicious KBBQ. I never had to wait more than a second to get my order coming. Also, he kept refilling my water. without me asking! Amazing, not many servers do that! I cannot stop complimenting this server, he was simply great. It made my first experience at Gen Korean BBQ a wonderful one and I cannot wait to come back for more.
As for the food, I love the brisket, it is my favorite!

Man, after a hard workout at the gym, my buddies and I like to get some KBBQ! Gen is the best closest KBBQ place around at La Puente area. Their meat is amazing, and their service is even better!
My friends and I are such pigs because of how much we eat. Fortunately, we had a server named Josh (ua) who kept busting out plates and plates of raw meat and refilling our drinks while keeping a smile on his face for us. We never felt pressured to stop eating, nor that typical stink eye you get when the staff wants you out. You don’t see servers like that often, so thumbs up to that guy!

All You Can Eat Korean BBQ but cheaper than Moodaepo and much shorter lines/​wait times than Moodaepo (probably because this restaurant is relatively new and slightly hidden waaaaay back of Diamond Plaza)
Best service that I have ever had at ANY Korean restaurant. Servers Nicholson and Justin made a great team and helped out each other frequently.
HUGE restaurants with tons of tables.
I do wish that this restaurant had the «Purple» higher fiber rice instead of white rice
The maximum number of people per table is 6 which is not unusual for Korean BBQ restaurants. Gen Korean BBQ can arrange for groups to sit near each other.

Love this place, great food, large celections and the waiters are always there when you need them with no wait time.
The food here of course you cook yourself but the quality and the freshness of the food is amazing, I have been to a few places like this and this is by far my favorite place to go eat with my wife and son.

My favorite KBBQ place. I come here when my siblings and I are really hungry and have a big appetite. Literally, it’s all you can eat! The price and quality of food here is really good. $ 19.99 for dinner, I can’t complain. They have all my favorite meats as well: galbi, premium and Hawaiian steak, shrimp, etc.
I rate the service here a 4 star only because it sometimes takes a while for the server to come back with the food or even just check back up on us. I ask for water with the cup full of ice and it comes back with at most a quarter full of ice. I have to ask for a separate cup of ice. But when we have a waiter that is on point, damn. They come back frequently and have everything on point!
The cleanliness of the place is good, except for the floor. It’s always greasy. I have to be careful when walking because I almost slipped already. Make sure to wear some shoes with grip. That would be my last time I wear flip flops coming to this place.
The hostess Jen is really nice. Easy to talk to and accommodating when it’s really packed. She always try’s to fit everyone in. I choose this location over others because it’s the closest location to where I live, but all others are good as well. If you’re hungry, have an appetite and love meat, you have to visit this place.

All around perfect!
Love the service, they are so on top of things here, barely any wait to get any other dishes you may want to order.
$ 20 for all you can eat is more than fair considering the quality.
Love the décor and vibe as well, very club like.
Best bet is to go when they open as it gets packed, so be expected to wait when you go in the evenings.
Even so, very much worth a try and returning!

Interior ⁵⁄₅
Food ⁵⁄₅
Customer service ⁵⁄₅
Came here on a Saturday night. This place gets busy very quick. If you want to make reservations, they need to be made at least 24 hours in advance. I tried the beef bulgogi, prime steak, garlic chicken, brisket, beef tongue, & Cajun shrimp. Everything I tried was yummy!

I came here for the first time with my girlfriend, and I was so amazed at the meat quality. I loved the interior design with blue neon-​ish lights, and service was impeccable, but THE FOOD, MAN! I could not stop eating the #2 spicy pork. Basically, this place is amazing. Best KBBQ experience hands down. Let me leave you with some tips:
Groups of 4 are perfect. Don’t wear clothes you don’t want to have to wash, because you’ll definitely get that notorious KBBQ smell afterwards. Also, you can order fractions of plates if you just want a little bit of something. For example, «a half-​order of the spicy pork». If you come for lunch, and you think that you might be missing out on some dinner items, I personally don’t think you are, because all the goodies on the dinner menu are also on the lunch menu. You are limited to 2 hours to finish up your meal, so keep that in mind if you’re coming with a big group.
My top two MUST-​HAVE favorites: #2 Spicy pork Bulgogi and #8 Neukgansal (Beef Rib Finger)

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: LIQUOR LICENSE
Came here for lunch with my fam as soon as I got out of the LAX airport. The wait was quick, and we were seated in under 10 minutes despite the restaurant being overwhelmingly crowded. Drinks were summoned, and the meat hit the grill in a matter of minutes. Our server (two gents) seemed magically ontop of their duties. As soon as meat was low, drink was nearing empty, and the grill gathered crispy meat pieces — action was taken! In fact, the family sitting next to us was becoming irritated that they were not receiving adequate service when compared to us (and they don’t have Unilocal I think because their reviews would have been scathing).
Overall, the staff, the atmosphere, and the quality of the food was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and I bet the waiters did too (dropped that cash monayy). Love you guys Gen KBBQ in Rowland. Keep it up!

You get what you pay for and then some at Gen
They have a wide selection of different meats which can at some times seem overwhelming. They have a neat system where the waiter can key in what you want to eat and a runner will bring it for you.
Despite being good there is other options in the area that one should consider! (MrBBQ)

Gen = «the beginning»…Ringing in the NEW YEAR with some KBBQ! I was in the area with family and we were debating between AYCE KBBQ or AYCE Hot Pot.
**FOREWARNED: if you are looking only for meat, this is the place. If you are looking for side dishes and other nibbles, you’ll need to try elsewhere.**
After calling around the area to see which places were open with little wait time, Gen seemed like the perfect option for the stellar deal! I came at 6 PM, and there was only a 5 minute wait as they were getting ready for the rush. WOOT!
We were quickly helped by our server, Andy. Andy explained to us that you can only 4 meats at a time for an unlimited time. LIFE HACK: You can order an unlimited number of side dishes with your 4 meat orders!
Since there were 37 different types of meat options… let’s get right to it!
We ordered:
-*Gen Signature Prime Steak /​/​MUST GET! We ordered this 6 times, and each time did not disappoint. DELICIOUS! Takes a while to cook but patience is the key!
–Hawaiian Steak /​/​Not bad, but not impressive. If you like sweet, this is sweet!
–Premium Chadol /​/​Recommended by Andy! Yummy and the classic meat to get!
–Beef Bulgogi /​/​A bit too sweet for me but delicious!
-*Gen Signature Yangyum Galbi /​/​MUST GET! YUM! Perfect amount of fat and meat. Flavor is good, and not too sweet.
-*Pork steak /​/​I love big slabs of meat… and this satisfied me!
-*Woosul (beef tongue) /​/​MUST GET! YAS. I LOVE beef tongue and this hit the spot. Don’t overcook it though!
-*Gen Signature Pork Chop /​/​MUST GET! YUM! It comes with a dipping sauce on the side which you can heat up on the grill.
-*Bistro Harami /​/​MUST GET! Super last minute decision to order… but no regrets! DELICIOUS. Ordered it so many times!
-*Shrimp /​/​Not super fresh, but satisfies your seafood craving. The shrimp was kind of crummy inside.
–Calamari Steak /​/​Sprinkled with sea salt and green tea poweder! The flavor wasn’t infused but the calamari was fresh. Definitely an acquired taste though!
–Spicy Popcorn Chicken /​/​Meh. But I needed this since my family eats a lot of beef! Tasted more like fried flour than chicken.
–Steamed Egg /​/​This isn’t specified on the menu but you can ask for it! Comes in a little aluminum tin which you «steam» over the grill. It takes a while, so be patient! It also has sesame oil in it to make it more flavorful.
–Assorted Vegetables /​/​Basic vegetables! Needed this out balance the red meat.
–Soondooboo /​/​Spicy, but my parents liked it. They added the rice noodle sheets into this to make it their own «noodle soup».
–Japchae /​/​Mehhhhh. Was expecting better but it wasn’t flavorful or chewy enough.
–Dwenjang /​/​Mehhhhh. I’d go with the soondooboo. This was a bit too salty for my liking and not enough tofu either.
Pros:
–Awesome service. Every server I interacted with were amazingly friendly and had small talk with us!
–Great ambiance. Classy, edgy and great spot for all ages/​groups. They have the bar seating for individuals and then large seating area for families. I love the neon blue and «spotlight» seating so it feels like you’re eating alone (or with a group) without having to look at other people in the «audience».
–Clean environment. And spacious seating! YES! Super duper clean. Restrooms are clean!
–Awesome meat options! I was amazed at all the beef, pork and chicken options. Limited on seafood but if you are a carnivore like me… you’ll be happy.
Cons:
–Limited side options. Only a few on the bottom of the page. And not too great either. But no worries! KBBQ is for the meat!
–They started slowing down halfway. Maybe we took too long to eat… but
–Confusing drop-​off systems. The meats were sometimes duplicated or not ever brought to us. I understand it’s NYE, but it would be nice if we had a specific servers (besides Andy, who took our orders).
Tips/​Observations:
–They do not take reservations! So be prepared to wait!!!
–I’m sure they have a lot of off menu things that you can ask for (ie: steamed egg, different sauces, more vegetables, etc) but you have to ask to know!
–They added a wine selection! If you’re into that type of stuff.
–Parking is abundant! Lots behind Gen! There is also a parking garage.
–Awesome plaza with other dessert places if you want to grab something after!
My parents were impressed, and that says something. They loved it (and my wallet thanked me for it too) and can’t wait to come back (or try other KBBQ places in LA)!

Great night of beef eating. Calvin and the staff here did a great job with service and accommodating our needs. From loads of raw sliced garlic to miso paste, countless plates of brisket and beef tongue, some small intestine, pork belly and with a new favorite –pork jowl.
Get in my belly!!!
Definitely will be back to this location.

Before they opened: half day journey to Tustin to eat here.
After they opened: 5 minute drive for lunch.
I’ve been here 3 times since they’ve opened earlier this year. Each experience was the same. tasty, delicious, and filling. This venue previously was a supermarket, so there’s A TON of space. Upon entry of the restaurant, first thing noticed are the lights. Very nightclub feel. Wanna dance? Haha. There’s nothing bad about this place at all. Price seems a few bucks cheaper now there are multiple Gens in other cities. Service is on point and staff is friendly. Can’t get enough of that beef brisket. They don’t have beer yet but why need it an AYCE place? You’re only going to get full and have less room for meat.
I’ll be back here when I don’t feel like messing up my diet lol. Just avoid the lunch/​dinner rush hours.