Arirang Restaurant - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

This was our go-to spot for authentic Korean for YEARS! But, unfortunately not anymore! The new management acts like they don't want to be there (attitude), and randomly decides how many (or rather few) sides to give to each diner. Food is not as good as before. :(

I will never going back this place again. The food is great, but the woman server is not nice at all, she is very very rude!

It is a hole in the wall restaurant with history from what I heard. The food was recommended by many others, so we had a high expectation. It was very like "mom's kitchen" type of food and taste many native Koreans would approve. But the service was very disappointing. As we walked in with my little children, the lady who seemed to be the owner served two cups of water for the family of five. Before we even asked for more cups of water for my children, she chastised that we should not leave the cup near the kids. She said the kids would knock over the water and make mess. My oldest said later she even gave him a dirty look. We were super polite from the moment we walked in and kept kids under control to the point they got stressed out. We got stressed because it was clear they hated kids being there. Then when my husband asked for the check, she did not say anything. After waiting long 10 min since she seemed busy, I asked for the check again. Then she said I need to go to the front desk and pay. Why didn't she say anything before? Our first experience there and once is too many.

The soft tofu stew, served bubbling in a marble bowl, was a delicious fish broth vegetables, tofu, squid, oysters and shrimp. Outstanding! The crispy dumplings and banchan offered great crunch and cool contrast to the hot stew. Thank you for an excellent meal!

Stopped here for lunch on the way back to Charleston and the lunch option combo was pretty good. The ambience of this restaurant it self was okay, its like a hole on the wall type of restaurant. Its clean and decent. I assumed its mom and pop korean restaurant. The service was not fast. They don't have many staffs here. But the greeter also the only waiter for this place. He tried his best to serve everyone. So if you are in a hurry for lunch then this place probably not for you. I really like the soft tofu soup but and all the amazing side dish that came with my order. The bunchan (korean sides ) the most I have been served in some Korean restaurant...hands down the best! Their beef ribs was just okay. But don't stop from going. Check out this korean restaurant if you ever pass Decker Blvd in Columbia, SC. Also this restaurant next door to korean grocery store.

Restaurant is small and so larger groups are not encouraged. Food was good BUT service was terrible and the lady who served me was rude and impatient when I was trying to understand what to order and she was aggressive when I went to pay, she tried to force me to leave her a huge tip by pointing out the percentage on the recipt she wanted me to leave for terrible service. I don't recommend this place at all unless you are picking up takeout.

Update: We used to really like this place, but it seems new management has changed many things. Customer service and food is not as good as before. One thing we really liked was the side dishes they offered. They have cut down it from 12 to 6 and portion size is very small now and the food doesn’t taste as good as before. We really like the kimchi pancake we used to always ask for it extra spicy and it was amazing but recently it is not as tasty or as spicy as before. Sad that we might not return to this place….. ……………………………………………………………………………… This is the best Korean food that we have eaten. Served with lots of side dishes and portions are big. Everybody must check this place out. Don’t be fooled by the modest building, this place makes incredible food!! Nice and clean. good customer service. value for money!!

Excellent food and service. Restaurant very clean and orderly too.

I think this place went under new management at the start of the year, because the food and service have taken a dive since then. They no longer serve the side dishes with your meal like they used to, and the waitress is not friendly. I won't be going back.

Food is great. However, new management is not friendly and portions are now smaller than before. Love the food but we do not feel welcome there anymore.

Amazing bibimbap, kimchi stew and spicy pork. A new favorite!

Fantastic and cheap lunch option. One of my favorites in Columbia. Highly recommend.

I love the authenticity of the Atmosphere.. you can tell this is family owned. The staff was accommodating and nice. Food was fresh and hot.

The food was amazing 😍 amazing smells as soon as you walk through the door. The hot pot slaps

The customer service was Horrible!! The server kept going back and forth with me.. she didnt make sure we were good she just rude! I know it has new owners bc I've been going there for years.. we also don't eat certain things and kept trying to explain to the lady but she kept cutting me off.. this is definitely not the same caliber of restaurant it use to be.. I'll stick with Seoul restaurant and kimchi restaurant .. I've stayed in korea for 2 and a half years and never experienced anything like that

So incredibly disappointed. My mom and I have been going to this restaurant since 2020. We always received excellent food and service. The caliber of the cuisine has dropped tremendously. Today, my mom and I came for a lunch outing, and the waitress was completely dismissive of us both. She never came back for refills on drinks or to see if we were okay, and our food came from the kitchen with hands on the rim of our bowls. Also, we made several attempts to get her attention for a side of rice, that we were charged extra for. She sat down with her korean guests and had her meal with them, along of with several servings of soju. She made us feel like we were bothering her, but she gave her undivided attention to her guests, along with another korean family that was there. The side dishes her guests received were different in proportion of what we received. I celebrated my 20th birthday at Arirang this past year with the previous owners in charge, but today my mom and I were in a hurry to leave. The old owners will be deeply missed.

Prices are too high. Compared to other Korean restaurants in the area

If you’re looking for Authentic Korean food, this is it. Since I’m Korean, I would know. lol. They have well prepared meals and their side dishes will amaze you. Simply the best in town.

My daughter was stationed in Korea and developed fondness for the Korean cuisine. She introduced me to this little "hole in the wall" authentic, probably family owned casual eatery. It was an amazing delightful international treat and experience for me. I will follow my craving back!

Update: I think the place has been sold and has new owners. I have been a regular of this restaurant for several years now. The last time I was there, the food was radically different. I don’t care for it now I’ve been to many Korean restaurants and this one no longer is one of my go to. The woman who took our order Was clearly not happy to be working there. I placed a to go order and the side dishes were not there and I had to remind her. When I reminded her, she made a face and begrudgingly made a very small box of side dishes to go. I do not believe I will be returning there. It is a shame because it used to be an authentic Korean restaurant.

Disappointing service. I've been to so many Korean Restaurant, every single one of them serve side dishes before my order. I asked the waitress about it and she refused to provide the side dishes. I spent over $40. Her service and attitude was also terrible. Did not even bother refill the water or ask if i need anything the whole time I'm there. I feel like I've been discriminated against since I've seen pictures and they do provide side dishes for other customer. The food is decent.

Every time I eat here I leave with a belly ache... I should take togo boxes home, but I can't help it. Sooo good.

HOLY COW THIS PLACE WAS AWESOME!!! I would go hear regularly if I lived in Columbia. I desperately wish they had a place here in Maine. The food was simply fabulous and so absurdly reasonably priced. We got 2 subs and a soda the next day for $30 - Arirang cost only $65 for 3 people with enough food to last 5 days. I'm in love with this joint!

Went here for dinner and had such a great experience! We ordered the kimchi jigae and the spicy pork bbq. The pork was so delicious and flavorful along with all the yummy side dishes that came with it! The kimchi jigae was so warm and filling. We will definitely be coming back!

The lady is nice. They were out of green tea candy.

Traditional Korean restaurant good service and food and proces

I went here with my mom and friend. The customer service was awful as the waiter was rude and mean to us due to an issue with the food. When my friend asked to change her meal, the man became upset with us. We decided to pay for the food that was barely average and left. He followed us outside demanding a tip. As we left, he started yelling something in his language and throwing salt. Sir, the salt is not what’s going to keep us away…your mean, terrible attitude and customer service is what’s going to keep us away.

Went in as a family of 5 and got declined as they said No to group of 5. Seriously???? Saw a long table with only 3 customers there. The guy didn’t even look at us and just said No. the worst customer service ever

I’ve been going here for 4 years now. I coach a handful of Korean athletes and they love to eat here.

This place is 10/10 every time! Service and food are wonderful.

Fantastic authentic Korean restaurant! Highly recommend the lunch specials. The service is great and comes quickly with a lot of sides.

3.5 stars - I've been here several times. The service is always great but the food is just consistently kind of average. Never bad but nothing to get excited about either.

Such a delicious establishment. This with a coke cost $19 dollars and some change. The sides were very refreshing. The rice was beautifully cooked along with the egg. The food was served quickly. Great quality. They take pride in their food.

OMG. We ordered the pork BBQ & squid stir fried. Pork sweet & salty. Squid spicy & salty. The 12 sides are the best. 2 thumbs up!

Sat down took 15 minutes to get a menu. Then 20 minutes later no one took our order...so we left.

One of my favorite spots to eat! Enjoy authentic Korean food, cooked to order. Family owned, and a MUST if you love Korean food like I do!

This whole place and the food just felt authentic. Even though I'm not a fan of spicy food I really enjoyed this because the food itself was so delicious. I will definitely recommend anyone reading this review to try this place out.

I really like the food at Arirang restaurant. When I was in the military, I frequented the Korean restaurants in Dongducheon-si and Yongsan. I really missed the food and this restaurant is like a taste of Korea.

Even though they were busy with a Sunday lunch rush the waiter was moving quickly to seat and serve everyone. The restaurant quickly filled up so I'd suggest going on a not so busy day or getting takeout. I ordered bulgogi which came out hot,fresh and delicious. Very good place!

More interested in Korean drama on TV than work! Brought the wrong food out, then acted stupid like he doesn't speak English! I paid, put it in a to go and left! My wife will eat it! I even tipped his dumb-#@$%! NEVER AGAIN

Delicious food ! Great service!! Definitely coming back!!!

Next best thing to being in Korea!

Incredible just like being in Korea!

Good Korean place. Careful what you order cause it can get spicy. Owner is very nice as well. Reasonably priced too.

Ordered out, so can't attest to the atmosphere but can to the food and man there is just the right amount of spice and the food is just like when I was in Korea and I'm Korean so it is hard to find good Korean restaurants, especially since my favorite closed recently.

This place is always good and I will always want to visit when I'm in town. Great tea, bibimbap, spicy pork, etcetera

This was my first visit to this restaurant located on Decker Blvd, Columbia’s Korean Street. It's a small restaurant similar like a Korean home kitchen, and the food they made are very fresh. The owner is very friendly! On my first visit, I ordered the seafood kimchi pancake and stone pot bibimbap, both are delicious and generously portioned.

My husband and I stopped here for a quick bite. Service was speedy and pleasant. We will be returning very soon!

The best Korean food I had in the Carolinas. It's in a not so nice area, small place. But the owner kept it very clean, did not feel any stickiness or grease. Owner is polite and warm. Food is amazing! I haven't had this level of authentic Korean food in a couple of years! And I never had a restaurant that brings 12 side dishes!! The most I had was 8 and that was years ago in Texas. Plus, the price was also incredible, felt like I went back to pre-covid Texas, lol. Bibimbap is always my top choice if the restaurant has it, and if it doesn't, it's not an authentic Korean restaurant. Their Bibimbap is good! The soft tofu soup is also amazing, highly recommend!! Great place, look in forward to try other dishes. Will be my go-to restaurant everytime when I pass Columbia.

Foods were awesome. We ate 4 different dishes and all of them were good. The owner was very nice. Comfortable atmosphere. Strongly recommend. 👍

In town for training and where I live at its mostly korean fusion. Came here with a few people also attending the training and the food was FANTASTIC! I got the Kimchi Jiggae combo with Kalbi. And to say I could eat it everyday would be an understatement. If I ever get the chance to come back again this is a MUST stop for me!

Went there for my birthday and it was quiet with a nice atmosphere, I ordered the japchae and it was delicious, I could tell it was authentic Korean food.

A really comfortable spot for some good Korean food. Loved all of the food, they give you more than most Korean places, but really lacking on the meat they put into the dishes. Great taste though. The price matches most Korean places in Columbia. About $35 for 2 people dinner. I would love to come back soon, but I love bulgulgi! I hope there is more next time.

Great family run restaurant, delicious food.

Haven't been here in years so was pleasantly surprised how good the food was. Service was great and portion sizes were excellent. Banchan choices and sizes were the BEST for any Korean restaurant on the Decker corridor!! This is now the top of our list for weekly Korean lunch outing!!

Delicious! We had the bibimbap, and the server ensured that nothing had soy in it (since my husband has a gluten allergy). And every entree comes with this wonderful and colorful assortment of sides. We’ll be back!

Very few portions are very bad value

Our top choice of the 4 Korean restaurants around here. I always get the kimchijigae, this time we also got the kimchi pancake and chicken. They have a lot of sides and the service is always speedy and the food delicious!

Excellent family run authentic Korean restaurant on Columbia’s international corridor. Bibimbap arrived to the table still sizzling and all the assorted side dishes were incredible and fresh. Great experience and amazing food.

How can it get better than this? Maybe a bigger table? Lol

된장찌개가 짜다. 가격이 비싸다. (라면 9.99불) 한식먹으러 멀리서 왔다가 후회...

My family loves Arirang. We especially love the bulgogi and the bibimbop. We try to order something unfamiliar every couple visits and have had some delicious meals

Delicious and flavorful Extremely fast service I ordered Bulgogi with side dishes

Excellent food, very authentic.

My meal was delicious. Much needed to add more to the dish for its cost.

The inside and outside look very sketchy, but the food was great 😅. Food took a very long time to come out, but I think only a handful of people run the show. The tofu soup was my favorite. Seems like a nice local business you’d want to support.

Hola si bien soy fanática de la comida asiática toda, pero en especial la koreana soy originaria de north carolina y aquí hay muchos lugares y en verdad son riquísimos y su gente es muy amable asi que con esta reseña no quiero generalizar pero por cuestiones de trabajo fui a sur pero de verdad me sentí discriminada,la comida fue muy rica pero,me tardaron como 20 min para tomar la orden y el señor nos hacía sentir que no eramos bienvenidas en su negocio debería cambiar su actitud pues los hispanos somos muy buenos clientes y nos se les olvide que nosotros entra muchos les abrimos el mundo y su orizonte porque hace unos años nadie los conocía!!! En north carolina los coreanos son muy amables lastima que este lugar no alla sido así no le doy menos estrellas porque la comida si fue de mi agrado

Authentic Korean food. The dumplings are excellent and they have good lunch specials

Good food portions. Ordered the kimchi pancake which was gigantic! And kimchi soup. So much flavor!!!!!! Great amount of side dishes. Such a hidden gem of Columbia.

Super friendly, great food, awesome service. I've visited many times and always enjoy the experience.

Really enjoyed the Korean authentic dishes that's served. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Amazing Korean restaurant that is worth the wait for very fresh and very authentic Korean food. Small place that is family owned with 1 waiter who is very efficient in getting meals out and taking payments. Best Korean food I've had in SC, reminds me of the days in Korea. Definitely give them a try for true authentic Korean food

This place is very good and very expensive. Worth I though. You get lots of sides.

Very good Korean. Awesome Korean stews, Bibimbap and kimchi pancakes

First time eating Korean food. Interesting and will be back. Very helpful staff.

Arirang Korean Restaurant is by far one of Columbia's hidden gems for a delicious dining experience. Every dish is made with care and is deliciously outstanding. Yum!!

I lived in North Dallas before moving to Columbia, where I was lucky enough to be surrounded by dozens of Korean restaurants. Unfortunately there are only a handful in Columbia, but Arirang is as good as any I've been to. The atmosphere is nice and the service is great. The prices are a bit more expensive than other Korean places in Columbia but it's worth it. You are offered 12 banchan plates - the most of anywhere I've been - and each time the plates are a bit different.

Best Korean food that we have had in this region.

Everything was delicious. So full of flavor, you can feel the love that goes into making each dish. Will definitely come back! “You will need reinforcements to finish all the food though”

This was my first Korean BBQ experience and I enjoyed it. It's a small diner next to a Korean grocery store. This is a super casual venue that's apparently family-owned and operated. I only ever saw one server, so if it's busy you'll need to be patient. The quality of the food was excellent, fresh and hot. The portions were great and the spread is amazing. Just know going in that the prices don't match the establishment but seems to be comparable to other Korean BBQ spots.

Great food and kind customer service.

Real good and traditional Korean food served family style. Plenty of banchan. If you like spicy they have real good dishes too. Love this place. People are very friendly.

Delicious! Me and my husband normally go to Kimchi, but they were closed today, this was very close by and decided to try it. I'm glad we did! This may be our new spot!

Really busy night but the food was great and hit the spot. I've been to Korean twice so I know good Korean food!

Still great Korean food. Banchan is awesome if you exclude the weird experimental stuff. One of my two favorite Korean restaurants in SC. Recommended.

Food was amazing and decently priced. Staff was very friendly

I always love the food here. Out of the Korean restaurants in town, this one seems to give the most side dishes. Always tasty and flavourful. It's in my top 3 favorite places.

Very nice resurgent . This is the most Korean food I have ever eat . The best traditional Korean restaurant in town .

Great customer service and have so many options. This was my first time eating Korean food. The food was delicious.! I would recommend to go. And the food isn’t that expensive.

My first experience for Korean food. It was very good!

Best Korean food Ive had in the US. It's not Americanized Korean food like most places. Good fresh and authentic.

Arirang is among the best Korean restaurants in town. They have the BEST pancakes, and the variety of stews can't be beat!

This is the best Korean Restaurant next to Fort Jackson!!! The taste is close to the traditional dishes my mother feed me growing up! it's a must visit!!!!

The food here will take you on a journey to another place. Everything is so delicious that you can't go wrong.

Great food and service. Temperature checks to enter.

From the moment we walked in the door we were welcomed with a gracious n accommodating woman..we were seated and ordered and a feast was delivered....loved the food And the array of appetizers brought to us...it is now on the top of our favorite p li aces to eat...

I had a hankering for authentic Korean food and this hit the spot. Good food and fair prices.

Amazing food and the owner makes the experience even better! My go to Korean spot in Columbia! Highly recommend.

This is a great Korean restaurant. The food is amazing and quick.

This is the one I am please with food they serve! Very clean and food is best 😋👌