🔥 Best in NYC
The best Korean BBQ in New York City — from Cote's Michelin-starred dry-aged beef to Koreatown's 24-hour grill rooms on 32nd Street.
4 picksNew York's Korean BBQ scene is anchored by two very different experiences. On one end is Koreatown — the dense stretch of 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues that packs more Korean restaurants per block than anywhere else in the country, where grill smoke fills the stairwells and service is loud, fast, and designed for large groups eating late. On the other end is Cote in the Flatiron District, the only Michelin-starred Korean BBQ restaurant in the United States, where dry-aged prime beef and a wine program built around the grill transformed what Korean BBQ could be in a fine-dining register.
The Koreatown cluster on 32nd Street operates differently from most restaurant neighborhoods in New York. Many spots run 24 hours or close well past midnight, making it one of the city's best destinations for late-night dining. The format — banchan-covered tables, ventilated grill hoods, servers who manage the fire — creates an environment built for groups, birthdays, and the kind of multi-hour meal that ends with everyone smelling faintly of char. Jongro BBQ on the second floor of a 32nd Street building is one of the best of these, known for its intestine and marbled beef cuts that go beyond the usual galbi-and-bulgogi offering. Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, the chain founded by a Korean celebrity wrestler, remains one of the most reliable options for first-timers and experienced KBBQ diners alike.
Don's Bogam offers a middle-ground between Koreatown volume and the Cote fine-dining register — a wine bar attached to a Korean grill, the kind of place that works as well for a date night as for a group. The pairing of Korean BBQ and natural wine is increasingly common in New York and feels more natural than it sounds. The banchan, the smoke, the shared ritual of the grill — it carries better with wine than most cuisines do.
America's only Michelin-starred Korean BBQ — dry-aged prime beef, a serious wine program, and tableside grill service in a sleek Flatiron dining room
Must-try: Butcher's Feast, Wagyu ribeye cap, Steakhouse aged beef selection
📍 16 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10010
The Koreatown standout for adventurous cuts — intestine, chadolbaegi, marbled short rib — with late-night hours and a raucous second-floor dining room
Must-try: Pork intestine, Chadolbaegi beef brisket, Galbi short rib
📍 22 W 32nd St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001
The celebrity-founded Koreatown anchor — consistently excellent galbi and bulgogi, reliable banchan, and one of the most recommended first-KBBQ experiences in the city
Must-try: Galbi short rib, Bulgogi, Egg soufflé
📍 1 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016
Korean BBQ meets natural wine bar — a more intimate 32nd Street option where the wine list actually pairs with the grill, good for dates and small groups
Must-try: Wagyu brisket, Spicy pork, Wine pairings from the somm
📍 17 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016
Cote Korean Steakhouse in the Flatiron District is the most refined — it's the only Michelin-starred Korean BBQ in the United States, with dry-aged prime beef and a serious wine program. For the traditional Koreatown experience with late-night hours and adventurous cuts, Jongro BBQ on 32nd Street is the best pick. Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong is the most recommended for first-timers.
Cote is a Michelin-starred Korean BBQ restaurant in the Flatiron District that merges the Korean BBQ format with a steakhouse sensibility — dry-aged prime beef, tableside grill service by trained staff, and a wine program designed around the grill. The Butcher's Feast prix-fixe runs around $65 per person and is the most efficient way to experience the range of cuts. It's genuinely worth the price for a special occasion.
Koreatown is concentrated on 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, sometimes called K-Town or Korea Way. Most restaurants on the block are open late — many past midnight, some 24 hours. It's one of the best destinations in New York for late-night Korean BBQ after 11pm.
Jongro BBQ is better for experienced KBBQ diners looking to go beyond the standard cuts — intestine, offal, and specialty marbled beef are the draws. Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong offers a broader, more approachable menu and is one of the most recommended first-KBBQ experiences in the city. Both are on 32nd Street and both are open late.
Cote is the best Korean BBQ option for a formal date night — reservations required, polished service, and a wine list worth exploring. Don's Bogam is the best mid-range option, with a more intimate setting and a natural wine program. For a casual but memorable date with a group vibe, Jongro BBQ works well if your date appreciates the full Koreatown experience.
The Butcher's Feast is the most popular option — a prix-fixe that rotates through several cuts of dry-aged and prime beef grilled tableside. Individual highlights include the wagyu ribeye cap and the aged galbi. The wine program is worth exploring; the staff can recommend pairings for the specific cuts you're grilling.