Seoulju Korean Kitchen & Bar

Good Korean restaurant with great food and ambiance to hang out . We love the Korean military hotpot and it is so flavorful . The spicy tofu is so flavorful . The soju and sake are decent . The service is good and cannot complain . The only downside is the wait time . The past few times we have had many hours of wait time even if we show up early as soon as they open . Sometimes we have had 3-4 hours wait time and we chose to go to a different Korean place which has similar food and probably no wait time . They need to work on this aspect to attract more crowd. Otherwise it is a great place overall.

Great place, good food. May it live on.

When you have a family-run business where the owners treat customers to other staff members like family, you know you have a rare place. It's interesting when I see the negative reviews, especially the ones where they say John (owner) is not compassionate, because he is the epitome of treating others like family. Simply because you pay for a service, doesn't mean that you can be rude to business owners. It's hard enough running a business, so please show empathy because everyone is trying their hardest. Now to the review! Pros: - Parking is abundant - Staff is utterly friendly - Feels "divey" yet put together - Chicken is freaking good! - Great Korean food selection - SOJU FOR DAYS! - Karaoke room for private parties - COVID-friendly - Diverse crowd - Full bar from whiskey to vodka Cons: - I stayed a lot longer, lol - Soju is the devil Drinks: - Jameson on the rocks - Seoulju Custom Soju - Soju for days Summary Honestly, the owners are family to me now. I see how they treat others, and it's no wonder you have so many people who come back. The owners + operators take pride in the food and the overall experience for the community. They truly care. The food pairs perfectly with the drinks, and the vibe is perfect for those nights where you need to keep it chill or need to let your hair down. When you think of Austin, it's hard not to realize how they are a part of the narrative of what makes this city so damn unique. Come through, try out their custom house-made soju, their juicy wings, or partake in some karaoke! You'll have a phenomenal time, but as heads up, I keep coming back, so prepare to stay longer - it's that great! Cheers!

Great experience. Make it to Seoulju before it closes on Dec 31. Create a memory at Seoul ju

The food and service here is always top notch. I've been coming here for years. The house made soju is so delicious as well! I love the yogurt soju. Sorry to hear they are closing end of the month of December 2023. I have so many fond memories of coming to this restaurant with friends. So, if you can, visit sometime before they close.

Nut-allergy friendly. Service is so good, they made sure to check with me twice and confirm that sesame was okay. It's a tragedy that I found this late-night Korean restaurant just as they're about to close at the end of the year. I feel like I've been missing out on the months since I moved to Austin, since I haven't made it out here. I first heard about Seoulju from a friend and social media that said "this is the place that chefs go to after their restaurants close." I can see why. A short waitlist will exist even past 10PM. We got there around 10:30PM and were seated pretty quickly. From the moment we tried their special soju cocktails (Mango House and Sunrise), we knew we were in for a treat. For those that don't know, a pocha-style restaurant is very much like a Korean comfort food restaurant, so imagine a Korean pub with music playing. First, let me highlight the efficiency of their ordering. All ordering is done via QR code - extremely efficient, with 20% gratuity added (these guys deserve it, trust me). Even when I wrote my allergy into the notes, the chefs came out nearly immediately to discuss with me. For food, we ordered for 4 people: Military Hotpot: Random meats, tofu, kimchi, and packet ramen noodles (like from a Shin ramen pack) served with rice and spicy broth make this the ultimate sharable late night food. It was the perfect amount for four people to enjoy a bit of hot pot. Don't forget to ask for a spoon if you need one. 4/5 10 Whole Wings: These might be some of the best Korean fried chicken I've ever had. We had 5 of the Soy Garlic and 5 of the Korean Sweet Chili Oil wings (I preferred the Sweet Chili Oil). All of the wings fell apart and the chicken was moist and tender. 5/5 dare I say 6/5. Cheese Corn Fondue with Chicken: We had too much food at this point but we were also a few soju deep so why not? Went with the extra spicy sweet chili oil, which was actually the perfect amount of heat to pair with the corn fondue. Why does this work? Who knows, but it's an insane hangover/drinking dish with a very generous amount of chicken. 5/5 For drinks, we got the House Soju-rita (very aesthetically presented with a sparkler), the Mango House, the Sunrise, the honey beer (which is like Asahi with a honeycomb???), and the soju apple cider. The soju cocktails go down like juice. They are very, very drinkable. The soju apple cider might be the best hot apple cider I've had in ages. A huge shoutout to the manager Paul for making our night a lot of fun, and for the staff for amazing service. It's a shame that they're closing, and I hope anyone reading this makes it out while they can.

Very fun atmosphere service was great. ❤️