Picnic Garden

Came here for Friday lunch. I know it’s lunch time on a week day and it’s a buffet but one server for 10 tables? Come on man. And what with no beef? And marinated bulgogi doesn’t count. Weak. But it was cheap so I’m giving three stars. Not going there for lunch again maybe for dinner when they have the good beef.

I came here a couple of months ago with my SO and I have to say I enjoyed the food. When we first walked in there was a sign basically stating they didn’t have any alcohol. I was thoroughly disappointed by that because I love having a drink with my meal but I didn’t let that little fact disturb my meal. We tried a few items, like the chicken, beef, I believe, shrimp, and calamari. We also had some sides like the chicken wings and fried rice. All the items were decent, except I wasn’t a fan of the chicken. I didn’t care for the marinade that was used on it. Actually it didn’t taste like much of anything. Also, the crab was on the sweet side. I don’t normally like sweet dishes but it wasn’t bad and it was also sticky so hopefully you have some wet wipes with you. It was my first time at a Korean BBQ place so cooking the food was a bit of an adventure for me lol The one thing I will say is by the time we got there they didn’t have a lot to choose from, if I remember correctly. Overall, I would definitely come back to this place, perhaps some time in the afternoon when they’re more likely to have all their food stations filled with goodies to choose from.

Picnic garden is worth it when you only want bbq Korean ribs. It’s decent and you can eat as much as you want. There are other things to choose from but the Korean ribs are the best out of the crowd

Comparable to picnic garden in edison, but seems a bit older. Again, items are not always clearly labeled so it’s sometimes a guessing game what meat you are getting. Food is still good, although some of the hot food was getting cold and there could be more variety. Service is okay, but they do come switch out the grill frequently at least. Definitely catered towards a younger crowd as they play eminem and pac in the background which I find pretty cool, but maybe not so much for a family environment.

I was there today, the food was so delicious and fresh ! The employees were sweet and polite! We really enjoyed our time, can’t wait to go back

So, I have been here many times in the past and I just made another visit today with a coworker. How was the food? it was goooooood!
We had variety of bbq selections: Korean bbq beef short ribs, pork belly, spicy marinated pork short ribs and bbq grilled beef. All of them were delicious, except for the bbq beef short ribs. This was BANGING. Probably the most popular amongst Korean bbq selections because it is full of flavors and juicy; main base sauce for this marination is soy sauce. The waiters there were very nice and attentive, which is important because if you do not pay attention to the meat, it will burn. Overall, the food and service was on point! Only thing I would complain about is the thinly sliced meat. Originally, Korean bbq meat are thickly sliced so that the meat is more juicy and has a better texture. However, this buffet thinly sliced all of the meat, which is not that bad, but definitely makes a difference. I would definitely recommend this place to all you Korean bbq lovers! Go try it out– you wont regret it!
By the way, they have other Korean side dishes which are also good too. If you want to try Korean traditional dishes, try this place out!

The quality of the meat at this picnic garden is not the same as the one in Queens. Obviously, my friends and I came here to eat massive amounts of galbi. The meat was really thin and fatty. I also had some kimchi fried rice. I think because it was sitting out for so long, the rice was really hard and not edible. The samgyupsal was ok obviously. I wouldn’t come back here when there are better picnic garden locations elsewhere.

We went here one time after they 1^st opened and we really liked the food… we were so excited about it. However, when we got home that night both my husband and I had food poisoning :(
Again, the food was good in terms of taste/​selection. The only noticeable flaw was that it was definitely on the greasy side. Not sure what ended up making us sick, but that was one bad night for the both of us, so, that sealed the deal that we wouldn’t re-​visit this place.
Hopefully it’s gotten better since then.

I went here a little late for dinner with my boyfriend, was greeted by the servers and sat us down right away. But at 8pm they did not have much selections left, the price is like $ 32 and i think is a little bit overpriced. The fried rice, chicken and some side dishes looked so dry and on the soup section, it looked kinda dirty. But what I liked about this place is cooking the foods in front of you. The servers are nice and they keep going back to check, cut the meat, refill the water and change the grills.

As soon as you come in the staff approaches you. Very affable and kind staff bunch.
We sat down immediately set our stuff down and went to the raw foods first. This being a Korean BBQ spot you have to cook the good stuff yourself at your table which I don’t mind Cuz you can munch on the cooked stuff while the raw food cooks.
The staff continously come around to change the grills and cut your meat while it’s cooking. They are very attentive to that kind of stuff. For the raw foods I really recommend going for the ribs, they were the best there in my opinion they were just the right amount of juicy and sweetened just right.
At the end of it all they give you ice cream. The flavors range from coffee to, strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. I didn’t have an option to choose an ice cream sandwich but I’ll be sure to ask next time!
Only wish they had more food selection on the cooked side but overall great place and cool environment. Ps. Don’t run while your getting your food, floors are really slippery. Recommend bringing some ice skates!

The Story: Decided to come here after losing a mini golf bet (yes again!)
Food:ALL YOU CAN EAT KOREAN BBQ. Need I say more? Sure the cuts of meat isn’t as high quality as «other» (aka. where they charge you $ 35 for ONE dish) korean bbq places. Places are in business to make a profit.
I love their soups and side dishes and all the trimmings you need for a good Korean BBQ.
Price: I think it was $ 25 per person for lunch and $ 35 for dinner. I always liked going for dinner because I feel like they have better options in terms of meat.
Décor: Very clean and spacious.
Service: ½ and ½ on the service. The waiter will come around a lot to cut up my meat but won’t fill my water glass as often.
Parking & Finding the Place: Next to the 24 hr fitness in Englewood Cliffs NJ.
Additional Thoughts: I adore this place when I need ENDLESS MEAT!

If you’re starving and willing to splurge, this place is great. All you can eat Korean BBQ. You pick from a huge selection of pre-​marinated meat and seafood.
There is a personal grill built directly into each table and you grill directly onto your table.
Step 1. Once you order your drink, go and mix your sauces. They have a long counter with a variety of black sauces, sesame sauce, spices, and chili/​hot sauce. I also tend to go to the buffet section and add a few cloves of garlic to mine.
Step 2. Drop off your sauce at the table and go back to the buffet counter. Be sure to get the pickled/​spicy cucumbers and the glass noodles– Japchae.
I wouldn’t bother filling up on the rice or any of the other precooked items because you really want to get your money’s worth with the protein. We ended up getting one giant plate of both the items I listed and shared it family style to prevent the overcrowding of plates.
Step 3. Go back to the buffet table to get all the raw stuff. (Common sense: be sure to always keep a special pair of chopsticks or use the tongs to handle the raw meat and seafood and don’t cross contaminate with your personal chopsticks.)
Step 4. Start grilling. Once the meat is cooked, dip the meat in your sauce and wrap it in the provided lettuce leaves. My personal favorites were the short ribs, pork belly, and the bulgogi. The waiters frequently come around with scissors to cut the longer pieces for you, along with changing the grill plates (to prevent over-​charring.). They also have shrimp, tofu, squid, and full sized mackerels. The shrimp was decent, but I didn’t enjoy the fish that much.
Step 5. Continue eating and grilling until you’re about to bust!
I went with my family for dinner on a Sunday and it was 34 dollars a person, but you need to factor in tax and tip. It was definitley on the pricier side, but the food was good. Looking at the other reviews, I am definitely bummed out that we didn’t get icecream like everyone else. Maybe it’s good that we didn’t get the icecream because we were so full, but it would have been nice to be offered the dessert.
The place is laid out very well, but it isn’t the cleanest place in the world. My brother and I are familiar with Korean BBQ so we had no issues picking out the things to grill, but for those who are trying something new, I think it would be helpful if the owners labeled the marinated meats and seafood. Only 4 stars because it’s a bit pricey and the general cleanliness could definitley be improved.
Would I go there again? Absolutely, but I would go for the cheaper option and head over there for lunch instead.

Not worth it for $ 31. Barley any food left at 8:30pm.
But if you want to try diffetent korean bbq. Worth to try at least once.

Very interesting place/​experience.
Came here last night on a Saturday and it definitely took some getting used to. U pick your food from a buffet of raw stuff which u take back to UR table and cook urself in the middle of the table on UR very own grill. They had a pretty decent selection, I really liked the spicy pork and chicken the best. The bulgogi was good too. I kept going back to the pork and chicken though, and whatever sauce they have it’s like a red spicy sweet sauce is amazing. Tasted like a mild sriracha almost… Ohh so good! Our waiters were very attentive and coming over to cut our meat so it cooks faster and changing out the grill piece. The only thing I missed was some kind of noodle or carb… Other than that the meat smörgåsbord was well worth it. Will come again :)

Ok place for AYCE korean BBQ. The price seems to have gone up again. Total bill of $ 120 for 3 people. Each one had 1 soda or a beer. That works out to $ 40/​pp before tips. With tips, you’re looking at around $ 47/​pp which is pretty steep for mediocre meat and not a huge selection.
This place was worth it when it was in the low $ 20s per person. But at close to $ 50/​pp with tips, I’d rather go to a place with better quality meats.

Meat, meat, meat, meat. All-​u-​can-​eat is an understatement for this place. You eat til it hurts is more like it. Lots of choices for an ayce place. Kalbi, pork, marinated or not, squid, chicken. They have something for everyone and even got some decent sides. The bone-​in kalbi strips were actually better than the saeng kalbi. The latter was a bit chewy and fatty, but hopefully it was just that batch/​day. The price isn’t all that bad, especially if you can eat a lot. It’s worth about a serving and a half (just one serving at some of the more expensive places) at a regular korean bbq place so make sure you eat at least that. The service was great, had someone at the grill cooking for us about 85−90% of the time, which is really good for how busy it was.
The two gripes I have about this place is the lettuce and the drinks. The lettuce is some cheap, really hard, barely green piece of cardboard. Very hard to wrap and eat the food with. They need to step up their lettuce game. Gripe #2 is the overpriced drinks. 12 – 13 dollars for a bottle of soju… they go for 5 bucks at the liquor store. I suggest holding off on the drinks til after unless you reallllly want it.
Overall, I would come back here and eat til I hate myself and can’t move.

A fellow colleague posted the grilled meat on Instagram, automatically I wanted to go!
What’s great about Picnic Garden is:
1. There’s no time limit for your stay
2. You can select the type of meat you want to eat (beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and organs) and there are veggies and appetizers on the sides as well.
3. Endless entertainment from John, our waiter! Hi John!
Warning to the people who like wearing shorts/​skirts. Be Careful! The heat coming from the center of the table isn’t covered underneath the table, and it releases a lot of heat. Try not to burn yourself, as I did!
Will definitely be back when I’m in NJ again!
Fun fact! If you went to elementary school in the 80s-​90s, they have those ice cream cups! Super nostalgic!

Not bad! The buffet area was just one long lane of food on both sides– was expecting it to be bigger but no complaints here. We got a huge table for 2 people and the waiters were always available and cut out meat/​seafood up every time we put a new platter on the grill. We didn’t even have to ask for a grill change bc the waiters were changing them every 15 mins. I didn’t drink their water and ordered a ginger ale as chaser to our 2 bottles of soju. There’s beer available but only 2 types of Korean beers.
The food was surprisingly very decent, but I didn’t stuff my face like I should at a buffet. I’m a pretty picky eater and the quality was obviously subpar to non-​buffet Korean BBQ restaurants like So Moon Nan Jip. Buffet owners love people like me– who eat less than the amount they paid for. However, SO was hungry and ate enough to alleviate the remorse.
The vent system could use an update or complete facelift– it’s too far from the grill, meaning you’ll stink! A lot of newer Korean BBQ places will have vents that adjust to be closer to the grill as the smoke increases (and of course there’s Gaonnuri where the smoke goes through an internal vent downwards, so no smell AT ALL– beautiful).
I didn’t use the cabbage they give to wrap your meat in bc they vice you the type you make kimchi with– not the usual soft cabbage used at most Korean BBQ restaurants– probably a cost cutting method but I was disappointed… That is, until I saw they had sliced pickle daikon!!! Use that instead for wrapping your meat up — it’s a known method in Korea and I thoroughly enjoy it bc it helps you digest better.
I didn’t try their ice cream bc, who knows how old that is? Eh. we came around 6:30pm and we had to wait for 5 – 10 mins to get a table, so don’t expect to get seated immediately if you’re coming with a big crowd after 7:30pm on a Saturday.

I was actually really excited to come here because everyone would tell me how this Picnic Garden location is better than the one in Edison. I happen to disagree with anyone who thinks this. Maybe people feel this way because this location has been around for much longer?
Upon approval, the ambiance is already not up to par with the Edison location. Edison’s interior is much more modern, spacious and clean. Oh and there’s no BYOB here either! What?! Their liquor prices ain’t cheap either! I came here on a weekday for a birthday dinner and the service was not great. Our grill was not constantly changed like it’s supposed to be and the leftover chunks would just get super burnt. Service was pretty much nonexistent here.
This location doesn’t have as much food items as the Edison location either. At least the Edison location has dessert! Geez, if you are the going to charge the same I might as well go to the Edison location so I can bring my own booze.
Anyways, onto the food. If you are going to come here — come hungry, don’t eat much all day and wear stretchy pants so you can at least eat ¼ of a cow. No seriously, gotta get the best bang for your buck! But just make sure your eyes don’t appear larger than your stomach because they will charge you if you don’t finish your food. My personal favorite is the Kalbi meat, which is the short ribs. I think I could just eat this and nothing else.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be back to this location unless they step it up since the Edison location isn’t much further from me and way better (and also next to a H-​Mart, Tous Les Jours & Paris Baguette! This Englewood Cliffs location happens to be next to a gym which I find hilarious). But hey, if Edison is too far for you. this place is decent, just not as good.

I’ve gone here for two birthdays, it’s a fantastic place to experience real Korean BBQ without blowing a hole in your wallet.
The meats are fresh, wonderfully marinated. The sides, the rice, the sauces and fresh vegetables to accompany the meats are really good.
As you may have read, it’s a buffet BBQ, where you choose your meats, sides, and take it back to your table. Built in to the table is a gas grill with an overhead ventilation hood. You grill your own meats with the expert assistance of the very friendly, smiling, helpful staff who cut large pieces of meat such as short ribs, bacon, with culinary scissors, and tend to your grill wether you’re an inexperienced grill master or a newbie.
It’s a great place for family, friends, it’s brightly lit, lots of laughter and good times all around. How can you not be happy at a place like this? Lunch is a great deal that i plan to explore, but the amount of food would necessitate having the day off.
the Kimchi is awesomeness.