Il Mee Korean BBQ Buffet - Annandale, VA

What’s NEXT: The Korean BBQ Buffet at Il Mee is definitely one not to miss if you’re a carnivore like me. During normal lunch and dinner hours, they offer a wide variety of hot food, sushi, and Korean food options.

DISCLAIMER: When I come here though, I’m talking about their late night 10pm-2am $12 AYCE Korean BBQ. You get all you can eat cuts of beef bugolgi, pork belly, spicy chicken and side dishes you want. They also have all the fixings such as spicy bean paste, garlic, jalapenos, lettuce, rice etc. They provide a grill for your table and you cook everything yourself. I usually add the spicy bean paste to everything to give it a little more flavor. 

If you’re more into the sides and tofu soups, I wouldn't recommend coming here. However, if you’re just really hungry and need a decent AYCE place without a long wait, definitely give Il Mee a try!

You can’t beat AYCE Korean BBQ for $12 after 10pm!

3/5 Stars

Lots of Meat Everywhere

Banchan

Kogiya - Annandale, VA

What's NEXT: Kogiya is the new kid on the block when it comes to Korean BBQ. While it’s only been open for a few months, it’s already making waves with the food community. 

Located in Annandale, VA (Korean Capital of VA), most people come here for the Grand Opening Special A for $18.99: All you can eat beef brisket, pork belly (regular, miso, spicy), and spicy chicken. The all you can eat option comes with those meats, unlimited banchan (about 10 varieties), steamed egg and tofu soup.

What separates Kogiya from a competitor such as Honey Pig is the atmosphere. We sat here for 2 hours and not once did we feel rushed by the servers. They bring out meat tray after meat tray once you’ve finished each one. In addition, since eating is more spread out, there was much better ventilation so all of your clothes didn’t smell like you’ve been eating Korean BBQ all day.

Service was great. The quality of the food was excellent given the price.

If you’re not into the buffet thing, they do offer food ala carte too. However, it’s probably more expensive in the end.

Overall, get the $18.99 Grand Opening Special A and you won’t be disappointed!

5/5 Stars

Banchan

Pork Belly

Spicy Chicken

DC United - Screaming Eagles Tailgate - RFK Stadium - Washington, DC

What's NEXT: Come cheer on the DC United MLS Soccer Team at RFK Stadium on any Saturday game and enjoy this fabulous Screaming Eagles Supporters Group Tailgate.(http://screaming-eagles.com/game-day/tailgates/)

"The Screaming Eagles gather for food, drink and camaraderie 4 hrs before every D.C. United weekend home game at RFK Stadium.

The tailgate is in parking lot 8 at RFK Stadium near the Soccer Celebration area (look for the large black SE canopies) and is open to members and their guests.

We do have a limited supply of chairs and a lot of shade under our tents, but feel free to bring your own blankets and/or chairs to sit on. Times for the tailgate will vary based on kickoff time and day of the week so check for updates on the website.

Our menus consists of the BBQ standards-hot dogs and burgers along with grilled chicken, bratwurst, chorizo, grilled pizza and ravioli. We also have plenty of vegan/vegetarian friendly options

COST

Tailgate pass includes buffet and drinks

SE members : $10
Non-members : $12

Drinks Only : Free for members with 2013 SE ID, $12 non-members"

Remaining 2013 Schedule:

Jun 29	vs Vancouver	7:00 pm
Jul 3	at Seattle	10:00 pm
Jul 7	at Colorado	9:30 pm
Jul 20	at Chicago	8:30 pm
Jul 27	vs New England	7:00 pm
Aug 3	vs Montreal	7:00 pm
Aug 10	at Philadelphia	8:00 pm
Aug 17	at Montreal	7:00 pm
Aug 24	vs Toronto FC	7:00 pm
Aug 31	at New York	8:00 pm
Sep 8	at Chivas USA	9:00 pm
Sep 15	vs Los Angeles	5:00 pm
Sep 21	at New England	7:30 pm
Sep 28	at Toronto FC	1:00 pm
Oct 4	vs Chicago	8:00 pm
Oct 12	vs Philadelphia	7:00 pm
Oct 18	at Sporting Kansas City	8:00 pm
Oct 27	vs Houston	1:30 pm

Hot Spot - Fairfax, VA

What's NEXT: Since the last time I visited Hot Spot, I've noticed a few positives changes to the restaurant which have made me bring my review to 5 stars.

The Changes are:
- Vegetable Platter to Start the Meal: Rather than picking both your starches and vegetables from the beginning, they provide you with a "variety platter". This accomplishes 2 things: Less wait time for food prep and allows people to try vegetables they've never had before. I believe they had most of the typical vegetables including enoki and shitaki mushrooms. This change benefits both the customers and the restaurant.

- Extra Spicy Broth: This was something that I thought was a major letdown when I first came. A number of my friends including me prefer a super spicy (mala) experience. There's just something about the szechuan peppercorns that can't be forgotten in a spicy broth. Having said that, they added it to the menu and it was actually quite satisfying. I'm extremely happy with this change.

- More Order Sheets: Since you order on a piece of paper listing what you want, it was challenging to continuously flag down the wait staff if you wanted another order form. This time, I was given 3 sheets when I initially sat down which allowed me to place a 2nd round of food once my 1st one game. During my last visit, we had 3 rounds of food and waited around 25 min each time.  This change makes it very easy for everyone and allows the turn of tables quicker.

Now I know a lot of people have complained by the slow service and long wait time. When my friend and I came on Friday night, the wait for 2 people at a table was an hour. The place was completely packed by 7pm. In addition, with limited staff, I bet people's drinks and food were refilled at a snail's pace. 

HOWEVER, I do have a secret to share. If you sit at the bar, you'll get the BEST SERVICE EVER. 

We sat at the end of the bar and there were so many benefits. Quick and easy drink orders, refills and it was very easy to catch one of the staff since they would walk right past us to-and-from the kitchen. Everything was great and I couldn't be happier with the service.

All in all, one of my new favorite restaurants in the DMV and I'm happy they opened up right before winter!

5/5 Stars

Meat and Seafood

Ready to Eat

Chima - Tyson's Corner, VA

What's NEXT: I really wanted to love Chima and for the most part I did. But what really disappointed me was for the SERVICE. 

When you're paying this much for a dinner. you should expect top notch service, and it was non existent on this night.

I had made a reservation to celebrate an occasion for 8pm. When we finally got sat, the hostess said that she would have a waiter come by and explain how Chima worked etc. We had never been there before. After 10 minutes, NOBODY came over to our table.

I HAD TO PHYSICALLY WALK TO THE HOSTESS AND TELL HER NOBODY WAS SERVING US. 

This was the first mistake. She should have assigned a server to us immediately. 
The meat that was got was absolutely delicious, tender and divine. I really enjoyed it. 
We enjoyed filet mignon, lamb, swordfish, and numerous cuts of meat. Everything is carved table side by "Gauchos" which is awesome. 

However, towards the middle of the meal, the gauchos stopped coming around. We had our cards faced up showing that we were waiting for more meat. Literally, we didn't have another person come around for 20 minutes and I had to tell the hostess AGAIN what the issue was. I would think that with there only being 8-10 tables served that evening, there shouldn't have been a problem.

Also, there was no apology when we received our check or deduction. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the food, but the SERVICE was extremely disappointing.
Maybe I will try to come here again, but it remains very pricey.

2/5 Stars

Meat or No Meat

Cuts of Meat

Greens From the Salad Bar

Hill Country BBQ - Washington, DC

What's NEXT: I made it to Hill Country BBQ for my 24th birthday along with a group of friends. It was a Friday night and we made a reservation a few days prior. It was pretty busy with happy hour and the dinner crowd so I was happy there were no issues with our reservation. We showed up and got escorted to our seats.

What's interesting about this restaurant is the meal ticket system. Each person gets their own ticket and can order meats by lb or their "packages" for 1, 2 or 4 people. Our side of the table decided to get a "Everything's bigger in Texas for $97". It comes a whole Pound of Lean Brisket, Four Pork Spare Ribs, Four Beef Ribs, a Whole Chicken and any 4 Sides. This meal is advertised for 4 people but it can definitely feed 6 people no problem. 

The meats were delicious! I would definitely get the Brisket, Spare Ribs and Beef Ribs again no problem. I thought the chicken could be better, but it was still decent.

As far as the sides go, a lot of people enjoyed the corn pudding, sweet potato bourbon mash and the collard greens. I thought they were A-Okay. Nothing amazing, but you wouldn't come here for the sides anyway right?

I also enjoyed heaping 32oz Sweet Tea here. It's perfect to pair with your BBQ.

Overall, I enjoyed the food and atmosphere here. It's a little pricy, but expect BBQ to run you around $20, especially in DC. I saw that they have $20 all you can eat Mondays and live bands daily so definitely can't wait to come back!

Stars 4/5

Storefront

Everything is Bigger in Texas Meal $97

All You Can Eat Mondays for $20

Delicious BBQ