Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ

Even in a city like Houston, which has its fair share of Korean BBQ restaurants, we find ourselves circling back to Hongdae 33, the all-you-can-eat KBBQ spot in Chinatown. The decor at this restaurant mirrors that of most new school KBBQ joints: sleek, industrial-chic interior with glowing neon signs strategically placed to brighten up the room. And while it’s certainly cheerful, there’s no question about why guests are here: to indulge in just about every KBBQ dish imaginable for just 33 dollars.

Long gone are the days of moseying through a buffet line like at other AYCE KBBQ spots. Instead, plates and plates of sweet bulgogi, tender beef brisket, and sizzling cheese corn are ushered directly to your table for 90 glorious minutes (or until it’s physically impossible to have another bite). Thankfully, the servers here are dedicated to maximizing your time allotment—they dash around the room so fast we had to double check that they weren’t secretly on roller skates. Come to Hongdae 33 to catch up with friends over miso soup, flip pieces of pork belly as you celebrate your bestie’s birthday, or to be reminded that good things still exist in the world.

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

Food Rundown

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

Cheesy Corn

Hongdae has figured out the right ratio of salted cheese and sweet corn to make this classic KBBQ side dish. Make it a priority to order for your table.

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

Garlic Butter Jumbo Shrimp

Giant pieces of shrimp arrive at the table butterflied and coated in a thick coating of garlic marinade. As big as they are, the pieces go fast so don’t be afraid to order another plate, or two.

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

Miso Marinated Steak

An unlimited hunk of beef marinated in savory miso delivered to you on command. What’s not to love?

Steak Bulgogi

Few things evoke joy in us like the steak bulgogi at Hongdae 33. The sliced beef is covered in a slightly sweet sauce that caramelizes while it’s cooking on the grill. We can’t get enough.

photo credit: Quit Nguyen

Scallion Pancake

Cut perfectly into sections for sharing (or not), the scallion pancakes are tender in the middle with crisp edges. And unlike other scallion pancakes, the ones at Hongdae 33 don’t completely disintegrate when you grab them.