Iron Factory

Jan 16, I celebrated my 50^th birthday and I couldn’t be anymore happier!!! Service was great, food was great as always and my guest and I had a great time singing, laughing, and drinking!!! Will be coming back for graduation karaōke !!! Thanks for everything!!!

We came here because the reviews were good and they were able to take a reservation for a big group on a football Friday.
I’m a fan of the food. It wasn’t authentic, but it was tasty. I recommend the bulgogi. Several people in our group had never had Korean BBQ before, and they seemed to enjoy it. The service was also friendly, and they had a nice little selection of beers on tap.
I didn’t like being seated next to the karaōke room. We could barely have a conversation because there was so much noise blasting from the booths. That was a bit unpleasant.
But fair dues — my rating is probably on the harsh side, considering they were able to accommodate our group on a very busy night.

I love Iron Factory. The beef and chicken are seasoned really well. I wish they gave us more rice though. I liked that they ‘cooked’ it in front of us.
However, the sauces weren’t great and the lettuce was kind of wilted.
I got the green tea ice cream for dessert and it was pretty good.

If you are expecting Duluth-​style all you can eat KBBQ, I would say don’t waste your time. They simply don’t have that option here. However, the décor was nice, the waiters were really respectful and the food options, while a bit pricy, tasted alright. If you can though, go to Duluth for your KBBQ craving instead

What a great experience. They weren’t even open when we arrived, and still welcomed us inside. We decided to sit outside as the afternoon on Sunday was perfect. The steak bulgogi was off the chain. Had not had one this good since college. Our waitress was Kayla and she was super friendly. Especially with my kids. I love Korean bbq, and glad Athens has such a cool spot.

Went here after the Alabama game Saturday night and had the bulgogi, angus steak and pork belly and all were great. All the other places downtown were either telling us no more spots or 1 ½ hour waits and we tried Iron Factory half out of desperation and it turned out to be a great choice with a short wait. This is a very good option for weekend evenings and I will be going back. I’m no expert on Korean BBQ but both food and service were great to me.

I’ve had a lot of Korean bbq, and I was excited to find out we had one here in Athens. I was sad to find out that there was no all you can eat option, but decided to give it a try. I knew it was going to be pricey, but I guess my poor college student wallet couldn’t handle the price tag.
It was kind of hard to find it. Iron factory is behind another restaurant and you have to pass by that restaurant’s outdoor seating to get into the place. That was weird, but they did what they could.
The place was modern and dark, so they were going for that kind of kbbq place. By that, I mean it seemed like it was trying a little too hard to match Iron Age, which they almost seemed to rip off their name too. No loud blaring kpop though, so there’s that.
Me and my date waited a bit for our table, and it took a few minutes, cause it is moderately small restaurant and it was a Saturday night. When we ordered, we got one order of steak and one order of pork belly; staples of the KBBQ experience. There was no side dishes or banchan like in other kbbq places. Only some lettuce and 2 – 3 other things.
The server recommended the crab rolls? I think they were called. They were little egg rolls with a crab and cheese filling, kind of like a crab rangoon at a Chinese restaurant. Those were really good, but for $ 6 for 2 little skinny spring rolls they were not worth it. When our plates of meat came, our faces sank. It was so small. You’d think for $ 20+ a plate, we’d be a little more full. I was hoping we’d be full with 3 orders of meat. With what we were given it would’ve taken me 3 alone to get full. I was not about to pay $ 60+ for a meal that I could get for $ 20 back in Duluth, with an unlimited option too.
The meat was good quality, but like I said, so few. There was like 10 pieces to share between us two for each order. A lot of it was just onions and kimchi to grill, so the bulk of our meal was vegetables and rice.
They tried too hard to be cool, and it became more of a place for expensive grilling with «Korean» attached to the name as a brand. There seemed to be nothing Korean about it besides the kimchi we were given and the rice.
We left after two orders, which I think there was a sign saying that there must be a minimum of 2 orders for something? Credit card pay? Not sure. After leaving, we both agreed we were still hungry and left for fast food.

We came here with some friends during our football weekend retreat. Excellent food and service. It reminded me a lot of some of the places I used to go in K-​Town when I lived in LA. The service was great and the food was delicious. Even my less adventurous friends were raving about it throughout the night. I highly recommend it.

I’m knocking them down a star because the last time I ate there, the meal was disappointing Same items, yet they seemed to be of a lower quality, particularly the pork belly, which was tougher and gristly. Maybe they switched to cheaper meats for the summer due to decreased traffic, I don’t know, but I hope they return to style, because the two times I’d eaten there before that, I’d quite enjoyed the red wine pork belly.

Group of five of us ate there and had a great time. Really enjoyed the steak, sprouts, and shrimp. Service was as good as anywhere we have been in Athens. So many great flavors.

I support business that have the best intention to please their customers with a fun & memorable meal. Iron Factory is not a *traditional* or super authentic K BBQ… but it isn’t trying to be. I am Asian & know traditional as well, but honestly, this place is pretty awesome.
The interior is modern, spacious but classy. There are private rooms as well as a full bar & patio for live music. The service was prompt, knowledgeable & friendly. Prices are very reasonable for appropriate portions & unlimited kim chi & bean sprouts. Additional side dishes are extra but they weren’t terribly impressive. Seafood pancake is small, basically portioned for one. Bean paste, mushroom entrée, & side salads were right on. Boneless Galbi was marinated lightly & surprisingly tender despite large uneven cuts.
I hate to see harsh criticism for a restaurant that is making good effort to be modern, Americanized & affordable for the UGA college clientele, with still appealing dishes. Yes, you can drive an hr away for probably more authentic, buy I’d say before accepting someone else’s harsh opinion of this place, give it a chance & see if it fits you.

One of the coolest experiences in Athens. Good food. Our waiter however was not the best. Luckily the manager came over and saved the day with free drinks. With the service, this could be one of the best places to eat in downtown Athens.

Got really impressed by this place. Can’t help go there the second time next day. If you like the Korean bbq, this will be the perfect place to go! Even if you don’t have any Korean food before, they will explain everything for you. Very nice waitress, and very nice environment.

Amazing food! Fun service. Good atmosphere. You will spend $ 14-​$ 18/​person but the food is phenomenal. Highly recommend for a $ 50 date night with drinks and tip.

The name seemed a bit misleading, like a grungy biker bar, but it clicks when you realize «yeaaah Korean BBQ!» Exceptional service right from the start. Clean and industrial décor, and some interesting use of pulleys and hanging Edison lights that set a unique environment for delicious Korean BBQ.
The waitress was quirky and knowledgeable about the cuisine, she had spot on recommendations for appetizers and the main corse. The food was prepared quickly and with interesting conversation, no strange silences. Everything was delicious and decent proportions. I would recommend the pork belly, kind of like bacon steak, and the kimchi stuffed mushrooms.
Bonus! They have 2 keroake rooms, well designed and spacious for all kinds of shenanigans :)

Everyone who doesnt give 5 stars is a jabroni. i’m not from around here (hence my use of jabroni) but this food was delicious and the service was beyond exceptional. Zack, Mckenzie, and Joe make a great team. Top knotch

The food is very delicious. I will come back next time when I’m in Athens. HOWEVER, they don’t give free side dishes; they charge for kimchi; and they even charge for rice. It is well known that in any Korean BBQ, they serve unlimited side dishes, kimchi and rice is always free of charge when you order your meat. In addition, my tabletop cracked in the middle of my dinner and I jumped up out of my chair because I was scared! It was kind of funny.
One tip: The atmosphere is a little bit up-​scale. But don’t try to cook BBQ yourself if you bring a date in. You both will get strong cooking smells after the meal. =)

Man.. . Where do I start?
As a Korean, I truly support any and all expansions of Korean businesses, cuisines, and culture in the USA. I’m the type of dude who grins whenever I see white people driving Hyundai cars on loop 10.
So behold my silly face when I walked into this restaurant two or three months ago smiling from ear to ear. Finally, the ROCK HAS COME BACK TO. . oh wait. .. FINALLY, THE KOR-​E-​UNS HAS COME BACK. .. to Athennnnsss… o_​ó
I was sat at a table and was greeted by some white dude waiter. Okay, I’ll let that pass. Because in Atlanta, you’re greeted by a woman who looks like your uma (mom). What’s better than having served food by a mature woman who tells you to eat up so that you become strong and healthy? That’s the best.
So on to the course. What. .. $ 18 for. .. bulgogi? Alright, fine. Whatever. That’s cool. The waiter comes with the bulgogi. Okay, the beef looks pretty meaty and the kimchi smells deliciously «fermented», but where’s my sesame oil? Son. Koreans cannot survive without two items: KIMCHI and MOTHER OF GOD SESAME OIL! As for the banchan. .. . fresh lettuce *check*. Some yummy red sauce *check* But what’s with the jalapenos and this «yellow» sauce that looks like the same «yellow» sauce they give you at a Japanese Hibachi? What in the world.
And lo and behold. .. I said to the waiter, «Look at me. I am the Captain now.» Dude was turning meat like they were a slab of steak or something. I asked him to let me do the turning because my God, I’ve been barbecuing bulgogi since I was 10 years old.
At the end of the meal, I really wasn’t content with my food. I apologize to Iron Factory, but I can see where costs are being cut. I know how much sesame oil is because I buy those bottles in Atlanta, and they aren’t cheap. I know it’s not cost-​effective to marinade the beef, but giving me raw meat to eat without sesame oil mixed with salt isn’t my thing.
Waiter — White Guy/​5 — 2
Food — Yellow Sauce and NO SESAME OIL!?/5 — 2
Price — I wasn’t happy to pay so much for a half-​full stomach/​5 — 2.5
Korean — ⁵⁄₅

I’ll start by saying I absolutely love Korean food. I try to go whenever I travel, as there isn’t a non-​fast food place in Athens. Until now. And let me just say, Iron Factory does not disappoint.
I went with a group of 10 on Saturday. We went later than normal, so didn’t have a wait. It looks amazing inside — such a transit ration from Farm 255. It looks so classy, and they have a variety of tables with cook tops to help seat different sized groups. The big booth was perfect for us.
The food was spectacular. Though not completely traditional (no small plate «appetizers» you always get, no bibimbap, no kalbi ribs), everything had the flavors I’ve come to love. We started with both pork and kimchi dumplings (manjoo) which were great, and had a variety of alcoholic beverages (they have beer, wine, cocktails, and Korean «sake»). We planned out different meats to order for the main course so we could share — I’d recommend it. They ranged from $ 15−20ish, and come with a salad, rice, and kimchi and bean sprouts.
The owner/​manager and our waiter cooked our food right on the table. It was awesome! The kimchi was spicy and just what I’ve come to expect at a Korean place, and the sprouts were really spectacular. Spicy, crunchy, and full of flavor. Surprising stars of dinner.
We tried the bulgogi, kalbi steak, shrimp, and wine-​soaked pork belly. All were awesome, and we were stuffed after. I thought the bulgogi had great flavor, was tender, and the onions that came with it got amazingly caramelized as it sat there. My order was the kalbi steak. Though it was not the shortrib, the flavor was fantastic and it was cooked to the temperature I wanted. Would totally order it again. The shrimp was nicely seasoned, and the pork belly was unique and delicious. If I went back, I’d love to try the mushrooms.
The portions are really nice, so I think it’s one of the best dinners for price and quality compared to downtown Athens. Honestly you are paying the same price at a hibachi place and this food is so much better quality. I think it is a better value than the handful of places I’ve been to in Atlanta, so I disagree with other reviews on that.
Service was fantastic. And our only complaint was that the karaōke was pretty ridiculous and loud (the rooms are along the corridor next to the big booth). But as the owner/​manager was cooking he joked with us about it and made every effort to keep the karaōke door closed and us undisturbed. The service was honestly great enough to get me back into the door even if the food was just average. But, the food was some of the best in town, and add that to the experience and atmosphere — it’s worth the trip. Put it on your list and go.

This place is GREAT! Service was on point, food was delicious and the atmosphere is really cool… You can either handle the cooking yourself or the server will do it for you… Fun and interactive which is perfect for a first date or just a fun dinner to share with friends and family… If you haven’t been here, you are missing out!!! Keep up the good work guys. :))