Soot Bull Jeep - Los Angeles

One of a kind charcoal-pitted KBBQ. A Los Angeles K-Town staple.pro tip: order the baby back ribs and take the bones home for the best late night snack.

Like most people, I came because it's one of the few kbbq spots that still cooks with charcoal, which gives the meat a smoky, campfire quality.We were a group of 7 dining at 9pm on a Friday night and had no trouble finding a table or a spot in their parking lot. A few in our party were meat skeptics, but had been thoroughly converted by the end of the night.Meats: kalbi bulgogi chickenOther Dishes: spicy buckwheat noodles tofu stewThe ban chan was excellent and the meat was fire (literally), but the real stand outs were the tofu stew and spicy buckwheat noodles (I wouldn't come here just for those dishes, I just mean they paired really well with the meat). Neither were more than mild, spice wise. The tofu stew was so savory and well balanced. The cold noodles had such a good texture and were really pleasant paired with the kalbi, in particular.We were a bit confused whether the servers were doing the cooking or us. They started cooking the meat for us and got us through a first round but then walked off halfway through the next round never to return, so we tookover. Bit of a lapse in communication there.Because the charcoal is very hot, particularly in the middle of the grill, make sure to push the meat off to the side of the grill when it's cooked so it doesn't burn while you eat the other dishes.

Probably a 4.5/5. Came to this place because it is one of the few Korean bbq restaurants that still use charcoal.We came to the restaurant for lunch. There was a small parking area next to the restaurant and we found a spot pretty easily. We were the first ones in the restaurant, but it got busy pretty fast. There weren't that many servers because it was lunch time so they had to go around multiple tables to help with the grilling.What we ordered: Beef tongue Bulgogi Baby back ribs Cold buckwheat noodles Pros: Smoky taste in the meats, especially in the bulgogi Meats were higher quality and had good portion sizes Good banchan/side dishes (fyi 1 set of banchan per entree order) Very yummy cold noodles, one of the highlights of the meal. The meat cold noodle slurp is 10/10.Cons: A little on the pricier side Beef tongue was just ok Not many servers that day, one server was helping 3 4 tables at once

I decided to check out Soot Bull Jeep as it is one of the few Korean barbecue places using charcoal. As soon I stepped in, I could smell it! They do still use a gas grill base to ignite and maintain the charcoal, so it was not quite like in Seoul/Korea, but the flavor was definitely imparted to the meats.The menu is limited, but the cuts are quality. We ordered rib eye steak, shrimp, plus a tofu stew. The meat was cooked for us by the waiter, and was extremely tasty. The stew pot was also quite large.The salad and banchan were okay, nothing fancy. A bowl of steamed white rice was included. Service was attentive and friendly. The interior decor was simple but nice.Overall, food is definitely pricey here but quality is top notch, and obviously the draw is the charcoal.

First time visiting this venerable Korean BBQ restaurant. One of the last few KBBQ locations that still use charcoal for grilling meat at your table. And it's so worth your time! A mostly straightforward menu offering featuring their famous marinated baby back ribs, they do offer other selections like soups and noodle dishes.We ordered the beef tongue, jumullelok (sliced beef short steak) and baby back ribs eaten in that order. Also bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles). Each meat dish was better than the previous but all selections were superb in and of themselves. Quality of the meats was high and our server mostly took control of the cooking process.The banchan was simple and tasty, you can order refills at your leisure.Can't wait to go back!Parking: If you get there for an early dinner, parking is readily available in the parking lot. It also has an attendant. Dinner at normal hours may prove more difficult for parking or at least a very full lot.