Koreana Restaurant Reviews

Service is prompt. Excellent food. I had one of the lunch specials--LA Kalbi (marinated bone-in Korean BBQ beef short ribs). Simply excellent. I counted eight pieces so it's a very good serving. Banchan or side dishes were good, but not as good as I've had elsewhere. It provided enough variety in the bento style serving dish. Overall very good lunch deal. If you like Korean cuisine, you'll enjoy your food here.

Excellent beef bulgogi and amazing side dishes! I had a great time! It's my second time having Korean food ever, and I was blown away! The service was also great and quick!

Started with the fried shrimp appetizer and it was not good, frozen breaded butterflied shrimp with dipping sauce so in was nervous. Ordered next the mackerel #44 on recommendation if he owner and holy moly was it fantastic!! Two grilled whole mackerel in a sizzle plate with all a nice array of 12 sides...will go back again and again!

My dear sweet Korean friend brought me here. The food is great! I've been a few times and tried the bento box type lunch special and it was great!

Some friends of our's had eaten at this restaurant and encouraged us to try it. We all went together and had a great experience. We were not familiar with Korean food other than some BBQ beef on one occasion. Trusting our friends but not knowing what to expect led us into a very unique and wonderful event! I wish that I had taken notes as now I can't remember all of the names of the dishes. I had what I think was considered a "box lunch" but not the kind that one might think of. It wasn't "boxed" but laid out on a type of tray that allowed for the separation of each of several different items. It was called beef bulgogi and was thinly sliced and extremely flavorful. It came with many small sides that were a joy to try. The lunch was a tremendous value for the money and filled up this enthusiastic eater! One member of our group had a chicken bulgogi version of this "box lunch" and another had a huge bowl of dumpling soup I sampled the soup and found it the best I have eaten. The portions were very satisfying and more than some could finish. We also tried the egg rolls and even ordered a second serving of two additional egg rolls (not because we needed them but because we HAD to have more!). We only ordered from the lunch menu and found those prices to be attractive. We can't speak for the dinner prices, which higher but we're not sure how ample the portions would be. Another amazing suprise was found in two side dishes, each a different version of radishes. Prior to this I had no desire to try another radish dish but I am SO glad that I tried them before knowing what they were. The best one was a radish salad or slaw that was very tender and wonderfully flavored. I could have eaten much more of this new favorite! The staff was very pleasant and patient with these newbies and were very willing to answer all of our questions. We have gone from a "what is this" attitude to a "this is it!" revelation. We look forward to eating here again and plan on introducing Koreana and it's offerings to more people!

Koreana Restaurant is a great authentic Korean restaurant. This is not a fancy restaurant, but if you are looking for traditional, delicious Korean food, this is the place! They provide plenty of banchan with your meal. The soon doo-boo kimchi jigae was very, very good.

I had the beef ribs- they had a savory sweet taste. The kimchi was delicious. My lunch mates had seafood soup that was out of this world.I would go back if I was in that part of town.

My favorite restaurant hands down. This truly is that hole in the wall that never fails you. Located in the construction next to Fort Sam should not deterre you. The place is old and looks bad however the inside is cute as cozy. It gets packed with military personal and college kids but it is worth it. I have tried the hot pot, the dumplings, the seafood pancake and never been disappointed. Stop at the Korean market behind the restaurant in the shopping plaza for sweets!

Came here for a friendly business lunch. This place is a small hole in the wall joint and I couldn't be happier. The food was excellent and the service was top notch!

This is a nice Korean restaurant that is worth several visits to explore the menu. I had goat meat with vegetables soup which was virtually a stew. A small dish of Korean spices was served on the side. This is good, because I find Korean spices very potent and a little goes a long way! Lightly spiced, the soup was excellent. i also enjoyed the usual array of little Korean side dishes. It was a very good dinner, and I will try something else on the menu next time.

Wen here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon with my wife and we enjoyed it very much. It was a drive by on the way to Ft. Sam. The place was clean enough, although older, and just what you would expect when you want close to real authentic Korean food. We were please with the kimchi, beef bulgogi, yakimandeu and the bowl of her main dish and I forgot the name. It was a little on the pricier side around $40 for all that, but the flavors made it worth the money. Not to mention they actually speak South Korean too! Staff was very friendly and we will visit again i am sure. I also received a nice Korean style haircut at the barber shop next door. Brought me back to my days on the DMZ. Thanks for reading. RetiredArmyRANGER

I don't know what everyone is raving about. Our Jap Chei had two pounds of sugar, and our bulgogi was so overcooked, it was like maid rite. Not impressed. And I'm Asian, with parents that have owned Chinese/Korean Restaurants for 40+ years. Very disappointing. Let me put it this way...my Caucasian husband wouldn't eat it and the man eats it ALL! It was awful. The only dish worth much was the NakGiBokKum.

I have lived in Korea and have dined at many Korean restaurants in the U.S. and this was the worse. The food was okay and the service was excellent, but the place smelled like wet carpet from the 70s. I understand Korean restaurants have strong smells, but this stench had very little to do with the food. It was so bad that I could not enjoy the good food they served. I will not return.

Food was very good especially on lunchbox. Since I am a Korean and I must say this restaurant sells good good.

Me and my fiance, we always try to eat Korean food from different states to find that authentic Korean food taste here in the States. Yes, this place was delicious and gave us very generous amount of food but their customer service could be better. If server lady and her son I'm guessing would smile just a little bit then this place would deserve all 5 stars!

The best Korean food I have tasted. I must learn their recipes. Everything and everyone is awesome.. I eat there as much as I can.

If you are looking for authentic Korean food in San Antonio then this is the place. I have eaten here twice. The first time, I ordered Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap (rice topped with assorted vegetables, beef, and egg in a hot stone pot). The rice was burnt (BLACK) but one of the side dishes was a spicy beef soup which was tasty and I highly recommend! The second time, I ordered the pork kimchi fried rice. It was very tasty but the kimchi was scarce. Bottom line, if you like authentic Korean food try Koreana. If you have lived in Korea, you will be disappointed by the Korean restaurants in San Antonio.

Bibimbap with tofu, no egg. Wonderful. Also very good with children, i.e. seating us in a corner so we didn't disturb other diners.

I was quite pleased with the food and service at this restaurant. The food was definitely genuinely authentic, but I did find that the bulgogi did not seem to be grilled on an authentic Korean grill. It was somewhat overly moist for my taste. I also had the bibimbap, which was excellent. I would recommend for anyone to give this restaurant a try. It reminded me of my time in Korea.

My friend and I go to Koreana often whenever we want to have Korean BBQ (ribs, pork belly, pork bulgogi). We always feel welcome here. The staffs are always nice and that what brings us back to this restaurant. We have tried other Korean restaurants in San Antonio and found one that had more varieties of bbq meat but its staffs were unfriendly.

My favorite Korean restaurant. Everything is good. I have not eaten anything here that I don't like. My favorite are the lunch specials.

I lived in Korea for three years and this is the only place in the US that comes close to it. Very friendly staff and fresh made food. It's a go to while in San Antonio. A little small palace so don't blink or you could miss it.

Had the bibimbap with beef and it was delicious. The best part of the meal was the server. Great service. Nice atmosphere. Very big portions for reasonable price. Would highly recommend coming here for lunch or dinner. Kimchi and pickles were delicious as well!

Tough neighborhood but very good Korean food. The place is clean too. The seafood pancakes and stirred fried squids are my favorite. Their bulgogi is on a very sweet side; I do not recommend. Side dishes are good. Limited beer and red wines are available. I like this place and go here often. Reasonable price for the food.

We are dedicated Korean BBQ fans and seek Korean restaurants out wherever we travel. This was some of the best we've ever had ! Delightfully flavorful and a very generous serving. We had beef Bulgogi and bone-in ribs, both were outstanding ! An excellent array of nine side dishes added texture and flavor to our main dishes. Our very attentive and pleasant waiter asked us if we'd like more of any of the side dishes, so we chose a few of our favorites and he cheerfully brought us a fresh serving of each. If we lived here, we would be regulars !! The rest of the menu looked very interesting as well. Do yourself a favor and stop by and taste for yourself. We hope you like it as much as we did ! ! !

I was so happy when I found Koreana Restaurant when I decided to go to through the Rittiman Gate from Fort Sam Houston military post. It is near the Seoul Oriental Food Market where I buy my favorite Asian snacks and food. The service is quick specially during buys lunch hour and most people are rushing. I love eating the bibimbap, beef bulgogi and spicy Korean Beef soup they serve here. The staff has always been friendly whenever I visit and since I've been going here at least once a week for the last couple of months they are more familiar with me now and my co-workers who are starting to love and appreciate Korean food. You get the veggie kimchi made from raddish, zucchini, bean sprout, cabbage, and egg plant with most of the meals. They also serve teriyaki if you like Japanese food and miso soup prior to your main order. Lots of military and civilian workers from the base and SAMC that I know eat here when they want Korean food. It is close on Sunday by the way. I recommend it if you have are craving Korean dishes, it's worth the visit.

Koreana has been a part of my family's San Antonio restaurant scene for over 20 years. The food is good, but the attitudes has truly turned me off. My father and I both agreed on Koreana and got in around 2 on a Tuesday afternoon. The lunch rush had disappeared, and there was one other family finishing up their lunch when we walked in. The cashier and waitress (2 different women) told us to pick any table we wanted so my father and I placed our orders and waited patiently for our lunch. My bibimbap was fine, the rice wasn't as hot as usual, and the banchan not fresh, but I don't sweat the small stuff. Service was non existent after we got our food, which is cool, we wanted to eat, not talk. As the other family is leaving, the woman customer is letting the cashier and waitress know a tip was left on the table. The waitress is swooping over and around the dining room looking for the tip. The cashier is ringing out the family telling the waitress the cash tip was on the table in Korean. My father and I sat there, eating our lunch shaking our heads at the whole act. Two young guys walked in, sat at the counter and placed a take out order and were curious as to what was going on. For the remainder of our lunch, the cashier and waitress are going on about tips. We finished our lunch and I left a small tip on the table. At the register my father is looking over the bill and paying the cashier while the waitress is still yapping about tips in Korean with the cashier. My father is an American and I'm the daughter of a Korean mother, and we both understand and speak Korean. After paying the bill, my father told the cashier we left our tip on the table, which seemed to embarrass her. We have no problems with the speaking of Korean, or any other language, don't assume your complaining and conversations about customers and tips is as private as you think they are. Work on your service before you start worrying about tips.

Our grandson, an Asian food lover, told us about this place right after they had moved to San Antonio. Went for lunch last week, and all his praise was proven correct. Where we live in Florida we are hard pressed to find good Korean. This was excellent. We shared galbi and pork bulgogi (spicy HOT as advertised) and loved everything in the bento boxes. Don't judge the restaurant by its outside appearance; their food is wonderful!

Tried this restaurant once while in town visiting family who had been here before several times. The dishes are interesting and tasty. Even satisfied the two teenaged boys with the group. Service was quick enough and waiters were friendly. We will be back when in town.

Great food; good service. It's a small restaurant that seems to be ran by the family. The couple of servers do an excellent job running around keeping up with all the customers. Banchan (variety of Korean side dishes) served with meal. My favorite is bibimbap (rice topped with veggies and egg), which comes with chicken, beef, or tofu. Portions are ample, and food is consistently good. One of our favorite lunch spots.

Having lived in Korea and growing up with plenty of Korean friends, this place is decent to get your fix of spicy pork and bulgogi. The biggest turn off for me was the dirty mop water smell as soon as you enter. If you want better Korean food try the place right behind this restaurant!

I liked that the lunch special are always reasonably priced, and we'll served. One thing that I disliked about the restaurant was a rude customer the sat right behind me. I don't think she understood that this was a Korean Restaurant, and not a Chinese Buffet. She criticized the decor and just went on. I really lenjoyed my meal, but it would have been much better without her comments. Take your time to check this restaurant out. It really will be worth your time.

I visit Koreana every time I am in San Antonio for a reliable Korean dinner experience. The restaurant does not look like much from the outside, and the inside does not make an effort to appear "upscale." If you want atmosphere, go elsewhere. If you want delicious Korean food at a good price, this is the spot. I love Korean food and eat it often. I have a few decent Korean restaurants in North Carolina, but only one of my local spots can compare to Koreana. This restaurant serves delicious, fresh, authentic Korean food at a reasonable price. Korean food generally runs a few dollars more than what you might pay for an entrée at a comparable American restaurant, but it comes with a lot of extras. The food is generally served with panchan (a variety of pickled vegetable dishes) and complimentary Boricha (Korean grain tea). My favorite is Dolsot Bibimbap, which is a rice dish served with julienned vegetables, a bit of meat (usually beef or pork) and an egg. You stir in Gochichang (probably misspelled...but it is a pepper paste that packs a lot of flavor) and you are ready to dig in. The stone pot comes out sizzling hot, so you have to be aware not to touch the pot. If you allow a minute or two before stirring the ingredients together, you also get the added benefit of Gumbap (caused by the rice touching the hot stone...a nice crispy rice texture). My meal is consistently good. My wife alternates between Chigae (usually kimchee stew) or Nyangmin (cold noodle soup). The service at this restaurant is always quick, efficient and friendly. I don't speak Korean, but my mother-in-law does. So, when we take her, it makes things interesting. I never know what she is saying, but it usually ends up with something delicious landing on our table. Overall, this restaurant is a solid value, reliable quality and friendly service. Don't let the outward appearance fool you.

I had eaten here before many years ago. The experience was okay so decided to return. Upon entering the establishment, there is a very distinct moldy odor. May be some underlying issue there. My mother and I were eating together at the time, but she isn’t a fan of Korean food and wasn’t very hungry, so she just wanted a few bites off of my plate. Waitress seemed annoyed at the fact that we both did not order our own plates and also when we asked for an extra plate and utensils. When I got my soup, it had a small hair in it. It was gross but I wasn’t too fond of the soup so I just ignored it. When I went to pay, the cashier was extremely rude to me after I refused to pay a minimum of a 15% gratuity, which I did not think was deserved. She was being very confrontational and loud and basically trying to force me to pay it. At that instant I got very upset. She had no idea if I was going to pay a cash tip and just assumed I wasn’t tipping at all. I told her to put no tip at all after she started making a scene and arguing with me. She still persisted with trying to get me to press a button, which had a tip varying from 15% to 25% only. At that point, she became extremely loud and made sure everyone in the restaurant was aware of what was happening. I couldn’t believe her attitude and sense of entitlement. She harassed me for a tip for a very uncomfortable amount of time. After getting my receipt and being forced to take a pic of the itemized bill she refused to give me a copy of, I finally told her to shut up and I walked away. At that point she started cussing at me. Totally uncalled for behavior and just in total disbelief that this type of behavior is acceptable against customers here. Will never eat here again. Not sure how the reviews here are so high when the food is not that great and the service is absolutely terrible. Employees have horrible attitudes and treat their customers like crap when they don’t get what they want. There are way better Korean restaurants out there! Stay away from this one!

Hubby and I went there for dinner earlier this month. The bibimbap was very good and we would order it again. I had the beef bulgogi. The plate was huge and the meat well marinated. It was a bit soggy for my taste; used to bulgogi meat that is grilled rather than what appeared to be stewed. Still tasted good, but I would trend towards something else on the menu next time, possibly the galbi. The highlight for us was the banchan, especially the kimchi. It was fresh and flavorful. Also highly recommend the kim bob, Korean style sushi. Service was very good and the place does a great business. I would return for a second visit.

I always come here to eat the jajjangmyun when I come to San Antonio. The service is good and the food is decently priced. The Kimbap is good here too and you get alot for the price.

Wow!!!! Hands down the best Korean meal I've had in years! Everything was super flavorful and fresh. Generous portions and very the staff were so very nice! Absolutely coming here again on my next visit!

Drove to Koreana on a Friday night with friends to celebrate a birthday and was well pleased with the food. I love Korean food, and they served a broad range, from the standard bulgogi to even a full octopus. While the drive seems prohibitive for someone living across town to make frequent visits, it was definitely worth it last night! It was a bit pricey, though, and the receipts are difficult to discern as they don't actually list what you bought.

Delicious and Authentic Korean food. Affordable and nice service.

It is very hard for a restaurant to duplicate the taste of their home land, however this place is the real thing. I can say this because I have a Korean spouse and we travel back to the Korea often and dine.

Last night in SA and wanted Korean...went based on reviews. I was a little hesitant at first based on lack of patrons, but we were apparently early because it filled up quickly. The food was excellent. Bulgogi was good (sweet, which is how I like it), jap chae was excellent, banchan was plentiful and fresh, rice was sticky and warm. The mandu was OK, not like I'm used to but the dipping sauce made up for it. Overall its a really good place to eat if you like authentic Korean food at a great price...oh, and our waiter was really nice and funny :)

The service is A+ and the food is even better. My wife had the Kalbi ribs and I had the Bulgogi (spicy). It was one of the best Korean dishes we have had in years. Too bad we don't live in San Antonio or we would be eating here a lot. If you have a chance, check this place out. It's worth it.

Decent meal. Fast friendly service. Food was flavorful with wide variety of side dishes. Third Korean restaurant for me. Well worth the price. Would definitely go back again!

Went back for our bulgogi special and the food tastes the same as the first day I discovered this restaurant. Ensuring that everything is consistent time and time again is one of the reasons my wife and I continuing to frequent this restaurant. Best in town in our opinion and she enjoys the seafood soups! Highly recommend. Thanks for reading. RetiredArmyRANGER

Authentic Korean

I eat Korean often and wanted to take a group of people from work to try for the first time. The first experience form many was not a good one. Not only did the restaurant have a horrible smell (to me it smelled like Cats) the service was lacking as well. Everything moved very slowly and it was hard to keep our water glasses full. I recommended to the group, usually a "safe" dish, beef bulgogi, it was terrible. I ordered the same thing and no taste at all and very bland. Overall this experience was lacking and the odor was almost unbearable.

I was so looking forward to lunch after flying into San Antonio for my annual summer warm up. Dad suggested Koreana, because he had a taste for fried shrimp and an order of Yaki Mandu (fried dumplings). That's his 'light' lunch. I was torn between bibimbap, my longtime favorite dish, and stir fried spicy squid. I'd pick both, but wouldn't be able to stand up when it came time to leave. I went with the spicy squid. The ban chan was varied and so good, kimchi, soy bean sprouts, Korean omelette, and radish kimchi. A bowl of rice and the ban chan would make me a happy camper! My stir fried spicy squid dish was a good portion of well cooked squid, not tough and rubbery. The squid was nicely spicy by the red pepper paste sauce (gochujang). There were slivers of green onion, carrots, and onions mixed in the dish which is the norm, if there was a downside to the dish, there was just a bit to much sauce, and not enough rice to finish it all off. The level of spiciness in the dish was just as I'd expect, enough to cause a sniffle, but not so much so that you wouldn't be able to eat. There was good sized crowd for a Saturday afternoon, and service was okay, as others have mentioned, the ladies do sometimes act like they are doing you a favor. Just chill with the attitude and be thankful people choose to eat here. You aren't the only place in town.

Tasty, reasonably priced, portions are more than adequate. You will enjoy it, I really did . This picture is of my order alone . I was told it a traditional Korean style..

Noticed several Korean gentlemen in the restaurant and that is always a good sign in a Korean eating establishment. I had a fish egg soup with brown rice and that came with a bunch of little dishes of kimchi, potatoes, etc. My wife has "LA kalbi" or something like that. Overall we got some pretty good food for our money...

Visiting town and wanted some Korean. This is the classic don't judge a place by its cover which I have learned from being in San Antonio previously and eating at many places. The inside is clean and the staff is friendly. Service is very quick and food is great. Will definitely go back. Oh, when they say spicy sauce they aren't kidding. It is about time I order something spicy and it is just that, spicy.

Definitely a hit and miss in term of customer service and food. We used to come here often but the last few times, food was cold and some dishes were too sweet. We don’t come to this restaurant anymore. There are many options in town.

Went for lunch after a nice haircut and once again ate the yakimandeu and Beef Bulgogi while the wife ate Bimbap in the nice hot cast iron bowl. Quality, service and price was all as the same when we first visited back in December. Love this place and will always return as long as everything remains as it is, highly recommend! Thanks for reading and if it helped give a thumbs up! :) RetiredArmyRANGER

After having lived for several years in South Korea my family got hooked on Korean food. This restaurant is family owned and run. They are always friendly and the food always delicious. Our favorite is Hot Pot Bibimbap and Kimchi - YUM!

Pretty shady neighborhood but good Korean food. I like the stir fried squid dish. I always ask for extra spicy. Good rice and side dishes. Services have always been good to excellent.

I don't know how this place got such good reviews. This place had the worst food. The service was horrible. They were rude and acted like they were doing a huge favor for us when we asked to have our water glasses refilled. It was dirty and lacked any form of Korean hospitality. Not a place I will return to. They must have friends and family do false reviews. Went because of the reviews won't return because of the horrible food and lack of service.

Good Korean food. Basic fare. Restaurant smell and atmosphere below par. Food made up for smell but not a nice place for a date.

We live near this place and have driven past it for years since it's kind of hidden at the edge of a small strip mall. Friends recommended it and we all visited for dinner recently, our first trip. The interior space is nothing to write home about. The staff is extremely friendly, efficient, and good humored and the food - everything we tried - was outstanding. We'll be returning to this great spot.

the kitchen has roaches and they get it sprayed with the take-out boxes just left out.. food that has fallen on the floor is put back on the plate. rib bones from the lunch boxes are put back on the PLATE AFTER CUSTOMERS HAVE EATTEN THEM and thrown away FOR SOMEONE ELSES new PLATE. the cooks wear their aprons to the bathroom. dishes washed are touch by unwashed hands. the garbage is right next the the seasons that are open. MEAT THAT IS CUT IS LEFT OUT ON THE FLOOR FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY.