Tucked away in a small grungy shop in LA's Koreatown, Soot Bull Jip offers an authentic Korean BBQ experience with traditional charcoal grills. Amidst the glitzier spots, Soot Bull Jeep stands out for its down-to-earth vibe and focus on quality cooking over open flames. Sure, it may not have the flashy decor of newer joints, but who needs that when you've got mouthwatering pork ribs and some cold noodles to wash it down with? The flavors here are on point, and that charcoal grilling adds a delicious smokiness you won't find elsewhere. Now, let's talk about the price. It's definitely on the higher end, around $60-80 per person, but trust me, it's worth every penny. Sure, I wish the meat was a bit more seasoned for the cost, but that charcoal grill experience? Priceless. What really sets Soot Bull Jeep apart is its commitment to tradition. As one of the last spots in the area still using charcoal grills, dining here feels very authentic to me as a Korean. Overall, if you're craving authentic Korean BBQ with a side of nostalgia, Soot Bull Jip is the place to be. Just be prepared to smell like KBBQ for several days--you won't regret it!

Gotta support this OG Korean BBQ restaurant. One of my faves in town especially since Chosun Galbee's standard have dropped. The only restaurant in koreatown that is still using good ol' charcoal. It doesn't look fancy as the new ones but the food is great. Definitely get the baby back ribs and spicy cold noodles. On the pricier ($60-80 per person) but well worth it. Service is iffy when they are busy but food's solid and I keep coming back. Also, be prepared to smell like bbq!

Food was good, but honestly for the price I'd've expected the meat to be better marinated and seasoned than it was. Honestly, it tasted like nothing much had been done to it. Still, you can't beat charcoal grilling, and it wound up being wonderfully tasty. The meat is so expensive that it's a little insulting to be charged if you want more banchan. Garlic in foil is $2. It would be much classier to give these away. Still in all, a good experience.

You would have never guessed it from an outsider looking at the storefront, but this place is epic! Their meats are amazing. I came here with my sister in law who raved about it and it did not disappoint. You are getting what you're paying for... good quality meats and ingredients, and the server will also cook the meat for you. Easily the best KBBQ spot I've been to that I can remember. It's always a good reminder to note that AYCE BBQ never rivals that of premium a la carte ordering.... From their ban chan to the grill, I already can't wait to show this place off to my loved ones. I feel like I just got the low down of the best K BBQ spot in LA!

They say we don't appreciate what we have, and that we want what we can't have. There's undoubtedly significant truth in that axiom, because of the 3 KBBQ restaurants (the other 2 being Bak Kung and Soowon Galbi) offering charcoal grills that I have been to in the past, this is the last of the 3 remaining that still has them (the other two have apparently switched to gas-only grills - Bak Kung I confirmed firsthand, Soowon Galbi I confirmed via a recent phone call with their staff). There are undoubtedly others of its kind still in operation, but Soot Bull Jeep is the last one standing that I have actually been to. And as such, I appear to have a renewed and greater level of appreciation for it than I did in the past. The consensus in my dining party was that the Short Ribs were definitely the winner of the meat options we had sampled during our visit. The delicious Bulgogi was a close second. The Baby Back Ribs were decent (I would not mind getting them again), but it's probably rightfully ranked 3rd. The Jumulleok was definitely the least appetizing of the 4 ... while not "terrible", it was by an order of magnitude the blandest of the 4 (even with the salt and sesame oil dipping sauce), and I would not recommend ordering it - stick with the marinated meat options. Ok, let's discuss the elephant in the room ... the pricing (this place is not AYCE). Before tax and tip, it cost me $255 to feed my party of 4 adults here. It would have cost significantly less to feed us at pretty much every AYCE KBBQ we had ever been to (and the experience would honestly have been more or less comparable, sans the rich smokey charcoal flavor). Was it worth it? The TLDR answer: Yes. "Value" is certainly a subjective matter, and there are so many variables to consider here - in particular, the consumption capabilities of the diners in question, as well as the financial means of said diners. Life has been *very* good to me since my last visit here, and as such, I have no regrets about spending money here. Your mileage may vary depending on the degree of your discretionary income and price sensitivity. I'd definitely say that you have passed the point of diminishing returns if you choose to eat here. But if you want the unique feature of charcoal grills as part of your KBBQ dining experience, that's just the price of admission. Besides the aforementioned matter of pricing, the only real con I can think of to this place is that the complimentary dipping sauce is on the blander side compared to the dipping sauce provided by some other KBBQ establishments (and I'm probably just nitpicking there if I'm being honest). The service during my most recent visit was a lot better than I remember from my prior visit in 2015. The restaurant still has the adjacent parking lot, which adds to its attractiveness as a dining option for the area if you are driving your own car here.

First time at this Kbbq. Don't let the neighborhood scare you off . The service was spot on and very friendly. The meat was very tender and popping with flavors. The short Ribs were the best. Marinated and cook on charcoal table top. The shrimp was the next favorite. All in all a great night out.

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.