Rocco Smith
Tampa is a city full of international culture, so you can bet there are plenty of Korean restaurants to try.
You can expect everything from a casual diner for a date to a family-friendly eatery, whatever your Korean fix may need.
The best part is that the Tampa cuisine scene constantly changes, so you might find a few other favorites if you look.
You might even find a new favorite across from a favorite museum or hangout spot.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the best Korean restaurants in Tampa.
SaRiOne Grill B.B.Q
7525 W Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33615
Phone: 813-280-9558
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While SaRiOne Grill does not have an all-you-can-eat menu, they have plenty of large combos.
More than once, I’ve ordered two for myself and a friend and walked away stuffed.
If you need to take home the leftovers, you can pack up the raw uncooked meat and take it with you.
SaRiOne Grill uses electric tabletop grills instead of open fire style, so there might not be much flair to the cooking.
Even so, the food is delicious. The buchan is always fresh and tasty, and the meats have a lot of flavors.
The kimchi mandu is my favorite because they are pretty tasty and fill me up fast.
Gangchu Chicken & Beer
6618 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604
Phone: 813-723-4264
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Gangchu is excellent for casual and comfortable dining after work.
Work your way up to the bar or sit near the giant open window with your friend or date.
You might even find yourself there on a karaoke night. As you can guess, this restaurant’s menu focuses heavily on chicken.
That means plenty of Korean fried chicken and chicken sandwiches, but they also have pork-based dishes, like the galbi sando and fried pork dumplings.
I enjoy the Korean bbq chicken, loaded fries, or some cheese corn dip after a long work day.
They have some excellent cocktails, too, like the Minnehaha and the Ganchu Red Sangria.
One Family Korean Restaurant
7030 W Hillsborough Ave Suite B, Tampa, FL 33634
Phone: 813-901-0153
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It couldn’t be more evident that this is a family-friendly place to introduce the kids to Korean cuisine.
The atmosphere is warm and cozy, and it helps that there are lunch specials from Monday to Friday.
One Family serves some of the best golbi I’ve ever tried and goes great with Korean beer, as does the Korean bbq chicken, dumplings, and banchan.
The soup and stew, in general, are worth a visit.
Plus, a Korean market is next to the restaurant, so you can bring your favorite Korean dishes home.
If you’re lucky, you might get a visit from the owner.
Soul of Korea
7612 N 56th St, Tampa, FL 33617
Phone: 813-989-9030
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Soul of Korea boasts that they are the number one Korean restaurant in Tampa. It helps that they try to evoke the feeling of being in Korea and the service is friendly.
More importantly, the meats are tender, and the whole menu is full of flavor.
I like to get the halal short rib, spicy beef broth, chicken wings, and fried rice, which come in huge portions.
It’s also an excellent place to get squid, such as fried squid and fried squid with vegetables.
Every menu item comes in generous portions, so feel free to bring you, your friends, and your appetite to this place.
K-DELI
11840 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612
Phone: 813-632-0822
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K-Deli is a great place to go if you want a cozy, intimate Korean experience. They cook the spicy pork so well that it melts in your mouth.
The cucumber kimchi, spicy pork bibimbap, spicy beef soup, and bulgogi bibimbap are also delicious.
The bento lunch box, especially the bulgogi beef, works great if you need something quick to eat.
There is even an in-restaurant microwave if you need to reheat some leftovers.
K-Deli is also a mini Korean market, with many Korean snacks and drinks available for purchase.
Feel free to talk to the owners at the register about their favorites, and you might find a new favorite too.
Dosirak
1325 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33612
Phone: 813-415-2263
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Walk back far enough in a Korean corner store, and you’ll find Dosirak. Like K-Deli, it’s a great place for a quick Korean bite before heading out.
They pack every order with lots of meat, rice, and veggies, and sometimes you might find little surprises, like an egg cooked into the shape of a heart.
I like the seafood soondubu, pork cutlet, chicken bulgogi, and kimchi here, all of which come nicely packaged.
My good Korean friend took me to eat here, and she said it was as authentic as you could get.
Just to note, they turn the spice up a little high in the soups.
They also like to play K-pop music in the market and restaurant, which was a pleasant surprise.
Boil Spot | Hot Pot and BBQ
1120 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612
Phone: 813-374-9947
Boil Spot has plenty of meal packages to pick from, and my favorite is the Korean bbq and hot pot.
However, the coolest part is the conveyer belt that comes across each table with noodles, veggies, dumplings, and more.
You can even add spices, seasonings, and sauces to your hot soup at your leisure, and there is ice cream available for dessert.
If you’re worried about using tabletop grills for cooking your food, Boil Spots’ grills are intuitive and have default settings for cooking your food just right.
The restaurant is a little small, but any wait is worth it.
Again, be careful of spicy soup if you do not enjoy too much spicy flavor.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to go wrong with Korean cuisine in Tampa, especially with the number of places with Korean markets. With luck, you will find a place to learn more about Korean food and enjoy some new favorite treats.
If you prefer something with more flair, some places have alcoholic drinks and special events, like karaoke. Still, the best Korean restaurants in Tampa are simply excited to have you come to visit.
Check out some of these amazing Greek restaurants as well once you’ve had your fill of Korean!
Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment and we’ll check it out!
Best Korean Restaurants in Tampa
- SaRiOne Grill B.B.Q
- Gangchu Chicken & Beer
- One Family Korean Restaurant
- Soul of Korea
- K-DELI
- Dosirak
- Boil Spot | Hot Pot and BBQ
