Jin Korean BBQ

Visited Jin on a Saturday night for an early dinner with a group of 8. DEFINITELY make reservations as it can get quite busy and the line waiting for seats when we left was quite long and hungry looking…
On this visit we used the Unilocal Reservations function from the business’ page and it worked like a charm. Highly recommended.
Pros:
— great selection of proteins and sides on the buffet.
— reasonable price for what you get/​can get. $ 20 pp for dinner
— nice selection of menu-​items for order. These are meats which aren’t on the buffet I’m guessing so that they can control the portioning. Nobody wants to throw out sliced ribeye or Galbi.
— service efficiency — every time we ordered from the menu or requested something like tongs or plates, our waiter was on-​point and never gone for any length of time.
— cleanliness and décor was spotless and very modern looking. It smelled wonderful as soon as you walked in so by the time you sat down and got settled, drool! It was a tiny bit cold in here but once you fire up your table-​grill, it warms up quickly.
Cons:
— layout is weird. If you have an option of booth vs table, opt for a booth. The tables are surrounded by partitions which essentially box you in so getting up requires everyone else that’s seated on your side to get up as well. Not cool. This also makes it challenging for the waiter to replace the grill-​tops when they get nasty.
— service friendliness was a bit cold. No smiles but it is efficient (see above), The hostess was very very nice when we walked in. I guess we just got unlucky. Those who know my re\views know that I don’t appreciate robotic-​service.
Also a note for newbies — pace yourself and don’t overindulge. Failure to finish the food on your plates may result in a fee as stated on the menu. I didn’t let that happen but I can see how some folks might get carried away with all of the options.
Hits on the food included the La Galbi (cross-​cut short ribs, similar to Tablitas) and the spicy bulgogi (beef or pork), it’s almost mashed up rather than slices or strips which made it interesting but both had a ton of flavor.
In fact all of the «spicy» dishes were really good, including the Hot Wings (which were HUGE btw)
I recommend Jin’s as it’s a great new dining option in our area and that is something the area needs so desperately.

I’m actually confused by the positive reviews this place has. I’m struggling with whether I went on a «bad» night, or if anyone here has even had halfway decent Korean BBQ before???
I have been to the Jin in Plano, before they changed to self-​serve. In fact, I had a birthday lunch there. I remember liking it back then, so again I’m left wondering… was it the buffet-​style that diminished the quality, or just this particular location?
Although the interior is quite nice, that’s about as good as it got for me.
The service was below average. Maybe it was his first day or something, but our server was so quiet and meek, no one could even understand him despite asking what he said over and over. Didn’t keep up with refills (no offense, but isn’t basically all you do is refill waters and change the grill since it’s self-​serve?), and did not pre-​bus our table at all.
The vents don’t seem to work. I know when you go eat KBBQ, you’re gonna leave smelling like it, but here… it’s just bad! I had to meet with someone directly after dining in here, and I was so embarrassed. Even my socks smelled like KBBQ.
The choice of banchan (and I love banchan) was extremely limited, and was not very good (was not pleased at all with the kimchi… c’mon, you mess up the KIMCHI?). The quality of meat is SOOOOO lacking!!! Are you kidding me?! I agree with another review, the quality of this meat is equivalent to dog food. Really had little flavor, and many pieces of the galbi my mom ordered was nothing but fat. When we asked for brisket, they literally gave us 6 pieces. (Both galbi and brisket are not on the buffet line) And the way it’s all set out on the buffet makes it all look so unappetizing…
I will never come back here… I’m not lazy, and I’m not broke, so I will DEFINITELY be making those drives to Dallas for REAL Korean BBQ, and I suggest everyone else do the same.

It’s good!
Not great. But good. Really good even. There’s a huge variety of meats and sides, but the quality of the sides just isn’t the best.
I’ve eaten here a few times and the service is fantastic. The servers are friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is pleasant. The restaurant is clean which is a big plus of course.
There are meats you can order from a menu, but then there’s a buffet style collection of meats, carbs, sides, and soups.
I always judge a Korean bbq place by its kimchi and the kimchi they’re rockin at Jin just isn’t very good. It’s super bland and doesn’t compliment the food very well.
I definitely like that I’m in charge of my own soybean paste, because I go through it quickly at other places. But yeah, in a nutshell — service good, restaurant clean, meats good, sides not so good.
Location is the biggest reason why this will become my new go-​to place for Korean bbq.
I definitely suggest going here for lunch instead of dinner for the price difference. It’s kinda annoying how much they charge for kids too. The kids price is another reason why I’m only giving this place three stars. Adults at $ 15 for lunch is great. A six year old kid for $ 12? What’s up with that. Three dollar discount when they’re barely gonna eat anything?

Ribeye was delicious. I also liked the thinly sliced pork belly. It’s like bacon. Very very thin. I wish they had more seafood. Tilapia is crap seafood. Don’t eat it. Anywhere. It’s farm raised in nasty pools and fed soy junk and is very low in nutrition. Other than that they only had squid. LA Galbi was good too. Don’t miss the dessert drink. It’s included. You can ask for seconds. I would have but it’s loaded with sugar.
Im not sure if it’s this places’ fault but the next day I was like hungover and I had no alcohol. I wonder if their salad bar foods have MSG? I had a bite of everything from it.

Let me start off by saying this is a good place to take family, friends, and coworkers. Also if you live in Fort Worth or Arlington, this is the closest Korean BBQ feel that is similar to the ones in Dallas or Carrollton.
Lunch $ 14.99. Dinner is $ 19.99 (Adults)
Environment– I personally like the environment. The blue lights give it a different, but nice feel. The interior is modern with an Asian style to it. It also looked clean, our table was well set and not dirty.
Service– The waiters and waitresses were attentive, polite, and easy to talk to. The main server for us was a waitress, but they all worked together to help us have a good experience. They routinely changed our grills without us requesting it to be rotated.
Food– I had several of their meats. The (spicy & regular) bulgogi, tilapia, and short rib was mediocre. The chicken was bland. The best meats were the hangjungsal, chadolbaegi and the Korean hot wings (get 3 – 5 wings).

Décor: ⁵⁄₅
–Very clean and modern, lots of seating
Service: ⁴⁄₅
–Use the light switch for service, service was decent overall however some language barrier resulted in me requesting tongs and getting a serving of tongue.
–Adult lunch is $ 15, dinner is $ 20
Food: ⁴⁄₅
–Kim chi fried rice and fried rice have a mild flavor which is great at balancing out the saucy and salty marinated meats
–Beef bulgogi and spicy bulgogi were my top pics followed by the squid
–I didn’t like the pineapple galbi nor any of the chicken options as they were all mediocre

I was looking forward to check out this new spot since it’s the first korean buffet in Arlington, as well as self-​serve and the pictures do look very awesome, even tho I was highly disappointed with the other Jin in Plano due to low meat quality and slow service. Haven’t been back to the other location in years, so maybe they have changed a lot.
We arrived around 2pm for lunch and were seated immediately. The only things your servers would bring to your table are drinks and any type of meat that’s not on the buffet line. Everything else from the side dishes, soup, to the meat, all self-​serve which I prefer.
There were at least 7 – 10 different types of meat to choose from during lunch. That’s plenty. I was happy with this. They didn’t offer any of the beef ribs, but their pineapple galbi was very good and a perfect replacement for the ribs.
Their hot dishes like fried rice, jap chae, spicy squid, bulgogi, etc… were decent, but nothing to rave about.
The vegetable side dishes didn’t cut it for me. The quality was low. They didn’t have fresh mushroom, onion, jalapeño, or the spicy salad. Maybe they did, and you’d have to ask for it, I’m not sure since I didn’t ask.
Overall it was a decent experience. For the price that they’re charging right now (probably just the matter of time until they increase it soon), $ 15 for lunch and $ 20 for dinner, it’s worth it to come here, especially if you don’t feel like driving all the way to Dallas/​Carrollton/​Plano.

Pros:
Prompt service
Clean counters
Fresh meats and cooked dishes
Very spacious interior
Good for large parties
Specialty dishes you can order for no extra charge
Cons:
It takes a while for the tables to get cleaned. We visted for an hour and the table across from us remained unclean with food all over the floor. (Plus, people, learn how to f’in eat. Food goes in your mouth.)

Great value! And no long drive to Dallas or Carrollton win!!!
The choices on banchan were a bit slim but what they had was tasty and no complaints on my part. Enjoyed everything I had pretty much!!!
Definitely going again. I know some friends who swear up and down Omi in Carrolton is better… You know what… Go ahead and drive all the way to bfe Carrolton. There was only one Korean restaurant in Arlington and I didn’t really care for the place it was expensive and wasn’t that great. But I went because I didn’t wanna drive almost an hour.
This place is all you can eat, delicious, and in town WIN sorry to yall Omi lovers. I’m never going back to Carrolton/​Dallas unless it’s conveniently nearby. Jin Korean now Arlington for the win!!!

The hubby and I had date night here a few weeks ago and it was pretty decent. The décor is very hip and lots of bright lights, the downside is that the tables are VERY close together so if you are not an 8 person group, you’re effectively going to be sharing your meal time conversation with another group. This is either good or bad depending on how extroverted you are, of course, or how romantic a conversation you plan on having.
We sampled many of the banchan from the buffet (they were fine, nothing exciting), a couple meats off the buffet (spicy pork belly was my favorite the first go-​round but the second was really fatty) and ordered a variety of the to-​order meats: LA Galbi (the best), Pineapple Galbi (didn’t like as much as I thought I would, but wouldn’t have minded the pineapple on its own!), pork cheek (didn’t care for this one at all), and I can’t really remember what else. I do remember though that we were of the opinion that we would mainly stick to the LA Galbi, though we need to remember to try the Korean Hot Wings next time. I didn’t care for the ginger drink, surprisingly, since I love ginger ale, ginger beer, and Vernors.
Service however was excellent. They brought everything out very quickly, replaced the grill several times, no complaints at all there. The restaurant was very clean.
I haven’t been to the Jin in Plano so can’t compare but I prefer Omi in Carrollton to the Jin in Arlington for AYCE KBBQ food-​wise. That said, Omi is really darn far and since the LA Galbi is available at lunch time at Jin, I am sure I will come back to Jin on a weekday lunch to just chow down on LA Galbi and banchan for $ 15. For special occasions or when we have company we’ll head to Omi.
Edited to add: We came back for weekday lunch and chowed down on banchan, LA Galbi, and the Korean Hot Wings. The hot wings come precooked; they ask you how many you want. They were very good! So we were very pleased with the lunchtime value. They were pretty busy for a Monday lunch and very apologetic if it ever took them more than a minute or two to respond to the call light.

YESSSS! Korean BBQ in Arlington that’s good! The pricing is standard at $ 20/​person for all you can eat bbq. You can also order special cuts of meat at an extra cost. I highly suggest ordering the pineapple galbi. It’s really good — don’t overcook it though.
The service here is good. They change out your grill regularly and are quick to clear your table.
The banchan is pretty standard. Nothing to brag about there. I really enjoyed the hot soup, it was very flavorful and perfect in this chilly weather– don’t forget to grab yourself a bowl.
The drinks were reasonably priced — most were under $ 10.
I came here with a group of girlfriends and it was a lot of fun introducing them to a new cuisine. Definitely come here when you have time on your hands– cooking meat yourself can take a while. :)

Came here last Saturday between the lunch/​dinner rush.
$ 20 is an awesome deal for all the meat you can eat. The ribeye was soooo tender. Don’t even bother with the meat on the bar. Get the good stuff off of the menu. The other Korean food on the buffet was okay. Only complaint was that it wasn’t as hot as I would have liked.
Also, get the shikeh! It was delicious. I would’ve drank that with my whole meal.
Service was awesome. There was always someone around when we wanted more meat or water. They also changed out our grill A LOT, so we didn’t leave completely reeking of Korean BBQ.

Get your gains here, meat for days!
I came here with my boyfriend around dinner time and the place was packed! We had to wait a little but we didn’t mind.
The kbbq here is so yummy. There’s plenty of sides to choose from but personally I found the salad, japchae (cold noodles), and broccoli to be the best of the sides.
As for the food itself, i found the bulgogi and chaldolbagi (thinly sliced beef brisket) were very under seasoned and lacked flavour. However; I personally enjoyed the Pineapple Galbi Steak, and LA Galbi. When grilling the pineapple on top if the steak, it makes the meat very moist and the sweetness is also absorbed into it hence making it very delicious. As for the La Galbi, it was super flavourful. These two meats have to be ordered though but you can ask for as many as you want!
In the end, the service was great and the food was very yummy.

I’ve been here two times since its opening in Arlington. The first time I really didn’t like. In comparison to other Korean bbq places that I have been to this place was lacking flavor. It tasted like Korean food but it was missing something. The service was great but I just really didn’t like the food.
The second time I came here is a different story. Unlike my first visit I ordered from the menu (which is included in the all you can eat) and got all the meats that I wanted. They even had kkakdugi this time to so that was a bonus!
The buffet line is good if you like marinated meats, and all of the banchan is also buffet style. The fish cake could use some improvement and they really need to start being more consistent with whatever they prepare. I got some bean sprouts when I first started eating and they were delicious. I got some more later and they tasted terrible. All in all, this is currently the best place in Arlington that I know of for all you can eat Korean. But there is other places farther away that is way better.

The last time I went here was in Plano when they have changed it to self serving like any other Chinese buffet and I didn’t like it, but I decided to give it another shot since I was craving Korean bbq and didn’t want to drive to Dallas or Carrollton for it.
When I walked in, I was greeted and seated right away. The server got our drink orders and we got up and got our food. There’s a lot of new choices since the last time I’ve been to the one in Plano, and it’s pretty good!
You can order additional items that they bring to you, I would recommend the Korean chicken wings and pineapple steak!
Overall it was a good experience, servers are very attendant and nice too.

Pretty unique location to open a Jin’s, but I’m not complaining about an awesome Korean BBQ place opening in Arlington! Great place with the same friendly owners and hip environment.
In a nutshell, everything here is self-​serve. There’s a food bar in the center of the restaurant that allows you to get all the things that you need (except a few special menu items, which you can order from the waiter). There’s a section of raw meats and another section for cooked items. Behind those, there’s a white rice and soup station. Definitely scope out the entire place before grabbing plates.
Keep in mind that everything is unlimited! Take advantage of your cheat day and fill up. I can’t go without the pork belly and squid. The seaweed and spicy tofu soups are also bomb too. I also recommend the thinly sliced pork and the Galbi (short ribs). You’re not going to find those two items on the self-​serve bar; you’ll need to order them from a waitress. If the meats taste a little bland, I always go with the salt & pepper (from the bar) and ask them for some sesame oil to mix.
Honestly, I prefer the other Jin’s better. I feel that the Plano location is much larger and does a better job of maximizing the space that was available. In the Arlington location, there’s awkward waiting sections in the restaurant that take up too much space (like walled boxes in the middle by the bar). Seating seems kind of randomized and scattered instead of orderly like the Plano location. However, Arlington still fits a lot of hungry friends and the quality of the food is just as good as the original.
A must visit in Arlington. If you’re looking for good Korean BBQ, this place is the one to visit!

Believe the buzz, Unilocalers! Jin was fantastic. Here’s a brief BeJinner’s Guide:
1^st and foremost: Do NOT wear your bright whites here. Grab an old outfit from your bedroom floor or the top of your hamper, and throw on a hat for good, grungy measure.
2. Settle into your table and turn up the heat, literally. Each table has its own grill.
3. Proceed to the buffet. Grab 2 plates the first time around, keeping the clean one under the other. Start with small samples of each meat, but DO try everything eventually, even if it’s to rule something out of your next round. Don’t forget the menu items! They are part of the all-​you-​can-​eat deal too ($ 20 dinner, $ 15 lunch)! There are both sweet and spicy options for the beef, pork belly, bulgogi, chicken, & squid. Just about everything was perfectly marinated and full of flavor!
4. Cook meat to your liking using the tongs. If you aren’t in the «Singed & Blackened» camp like me, remove your meat quickly (using clean or communal cooking chopsticks) and place them on the extra plate. Enjoy with the rice or noodles from the buffet.
5. Switch on the light nearby if you need a server. We didn’t even realize it was there for over 2 hours because they were all positively attentive! In addition to filling drinks, taking orders, and the usual waiter stuff, they also come by often to change the grill before it gets caked with charred crisps. Excellent service!
6. Eat and repeat!

Overall, this place is pretty comparable to the Jins in Plano — food, ambiance, and service wise. Came here at 6 on a Saturday night with 5 people and there was no wait. Also, this place is in between the chills and corner bakery on a strip. (my GPS was pissed at me and took me to the other side of the street)
Meat quality is still not as good as Sura/​Omis in Dallas, but its definitely worth it for $ 20/​person for all-​you-​can-​eat Korean BBQ. ($ 15/​person for lunch). Highly recommend the Galbi aka short ribs, the bulgogi premixed with vegetables, and pork belly.
Service was pretty good, especially for opening weekend. All of the waitresses were attentive to changing out the grill and making sure our waters stayed filled. We were getting sprinkled on by some type of water (maybe a leak?) and the owners + 4 waitresses immediately came over to move our jackets, drinks, and plates to another table.
Usually chains aren’t as good as the original, but I think this one matches up pretty well!
(Also, for all those first time AYCEKBBQers out there, make sure you wear clothes you’re okay with smelling like meat until your next wash.)

Man, oh man, does A-​town FINALLY have Korean BBQ of its own without the 45 minute drive to Plano with an excellent location right off Cooper by the Super Target and Chili’s! If you’re like me, you probably made frequent trips to HMart in Carrollton or to Plano for Omi’s or Jin’s, but now that Kalbi is well within our grasp! :)
South Arlington just keeps going up these days and more restaurants are popping in, so for the first time I can remember, parking in that shopping district may be difficult on a Friday night!
Ambience:
Jin’s always gives a classy and clean, modern vibe with the patriotic Korean colors and the blue LED lights all around. Korean music may be playing in the background and the smell of juicy Korean flavored meat leaves your nose with tears of joy and your clothes stained only with the memory of the short existence of your meal. Your girlfriend will be smelling your jacket for a while. Promise.
Food:
If your heart pumps craving the juiciness of Bulgogi beef and if your mouth waters at the sound of spicy Samgyupsal (pork belly) searing on the grill in front of you, then living without trying Jin’s may not be for you! Awesome interactive dining experience with friends and family!
Order off of the menu, or be a cool kid and order all you can eat for dinner for $ 20/​person! You won’t be disappointed as you can get up as often as you like to grab your meats varying from Samgyupsal, spicy pork belly (ate so much of that!), bulgogi beef, angus beef, short ribs, and more!
They also have a few other meat options off the menu that you can order (for free) that isn’t at the «meat buffet bar» area. Then toss your meat on that grill in front and cook it to perfection! If you’re new to Korean BBQ then probably ask the waiter for advice, or flip that kalbi around like it’s the back of your hand if you’re a pro!
Rice and side items are unlimited as well so toss those new years resolutions aside and save them for another day, my friends!
Do order some Shikeh! It’s a refreshing and sweet rice ginger drink that will compliment your meal well!
Service:
The host was friendly and they give you a pager when you need to wait and although they don’t give you a definite time when a table will be available, they are quick to smile and tell you that they’re working as quickly as they can to get you seated, fed, and pregnant with a food baby (it’s a boy! Congrats!)
The waiters are very attentive and just turn on the call light if you need more water, more space in your stomach, or if you just wanted to see if it works! :p
Conclusion:
Your stomach will be dancing «Gee gee gee gee, baby, baby, baby» and I’ll see you there there next week after! :)
Make sure you tell them «Mashisaeyo» (it’s delicious!) when you leave 20 pounds heavier then when you came!

Opening day was crazy here! As expected for such a good location. I had a reservation at 8pm and was seated very promptly (group of 2). The food was very good! All you can eat galbi! They have a new flavor called pineapple galbi that I would pass if I were you. Galbi itself is already sweet enough! The mini dishes are all you can eat buffet style and so is the soups and rice!
**Get the galbi, pork belly, beef belly and the thinly sliced pork!**