Gina’s B-B-Q

Gina’s is probably my family’s favorite Korean barbecue. Located in a small shopping strip next to H1, Gina’s is hidden from most by the tree shading the parking lot. There are a few tables, but takeout is best. You may have to wait depending on what you get, but strolling around the other stores are the best.
Good for large groups with their special packs such as the family pack, Gina’s has something for everyone. They even give you a box for larger orders.
Parking is not that plentiful being in a crowded mall, but even parking down the street just to come here is a must.

I didn’t realize I hadn’t written a review of Gina’s before and I was here the other day and had another awesome meal, so I just had to make sure I wrote a review this time. When you’re looking for Korean BBQ, this is one of my fave’s. The one thing you can count on at Gina’s is how much food they give you. You had better be hungry when you go here, or be prepared to have leftovers. They also offer mini plates, which is a nice option for those who don’t want as much food.
My son ordered the Meat Jun and Spicy BBQ Chicken combo and ordered cabbage, Kim Chee, Mac Salad and bean sprouts. I ordered the BBQ Chicken and Kalibi combo along with Kim Chee, Mac Salad, Bean sprouts and corn. Everything tasted very good. I like that they offered to cut my Kalbi ribs to make them easier to eat. Pretty much everything I’ve had here have been good.
The service here is alway very good. The ladies who work here are always very friendly.
Prices are reasonable, especially considering how much food you get. I always enjoy coming here, especially if I’m really hungry.

I remember the hype of this place many years ago; never understood why as there’s better Korean places.
The last 2 times I went here, today the most recent, my coworker ordered the BBQ chicken & spicy garlic fried chicken and it was extremely dry and tasteless! My other coworker ordered the kalbi which was oily and fatty and meatjun that was thin and oily.
The vegetables aren’t special as you can get tastier side dishes at Yummys. I felt bad for my coworkers as they were hungry and were left disappointed.

Gina’s is quick & delicious! Great convenient and affordable Korean BBQ. Most dishes offer 3 scoops of rice and 4 vegetable sides to include in your order! Their typical to go container can serve from 2 – 3 people.
Plenty of parking in Market City Center. Around $ 10 a plate.

Wonderful food. Excellent service. The guy behind the counter was so nice and kept asking if we wanted to try more sides or needed more rice.

It’s been over 20 years since I last visited this place. It’s just as I remember. It was crowded so that’s a sign the food here is still awesome. People had no problem standing in line to get a good meal. An «oldie but goodie» place for Korean food! Everything is delicious but I always get the Gina’s Special!

Summary: a dependable go-​to for to-​go korean food. «Ginas Special «is an easy crowd-​pleaser.
Ive been ordering take out from Ginas for years. Call ahead and place your order while youre on your way. One plate can serve two small people.
Hard to complain or go wrong with no-​nonsense food to-​go.

The bf and I ordered dinner from here via 941-​Dine. I always heard good things about this place and was excited to try. My bf got a combo with sweet and sour chicken and shrimp tempura, and I got the combo with kalbi, chicken katsu, and meat jun. Both plates were huge and everything (including the sides) was so good. My only complaint is that they did not give me any meat jun sauce or my bf any shrimp tempura sauce.
Each plate cost about $ 16 but it was a lot of food. I could only finish half of mine and my bf couldn’t even finish his as well. We will definitely be eating here again.

This place has always been my favorite place to order Korean take out plates. They are reasonable, fast, and service is good. Their food is okay, but I like their prices and quantity. The best meat I like is their Kalbi. I’m not too favorable of their Teri Beef. I think they need to put more sauce cuz it could get a little dry. I have catered with them multiple of times because of their prices. They will do deliveries if it’s over a certain amount I believe. They supply forks and napkins with your order. It’s located in a busy shopping center, so you’ll be lucky to get parking. I wish they had more room to sit because it’s very limited. This place is more for take out. Anyhow, if you’re looking for something which is fast, big quantity, and ok food, then this is for you.

Being Korean myself I think is it hard to find good Korean food. But Gina’s reminds me of my mom’s good old home cooking.
I always get the meat-​Jun or kalbi ribs.
The best part about this place are the generous portions AND the delicious side dishes. I would suggest the jap-​chae, bean sprouts, seaweed salad and of course to keep the Hawaiian flavor, Mac salad.

I’ve been very busy with school & work lately so I’m behind on my reviews my list of restaurants to review is currently about 8 places long, Gina’s being toward the bottom seeing as it’s one of the more recent places I’ve eaten at. So how did it all of a sudden jump to the top of my list? I assure you the reason is NOT a good one.
THERE WAS A HAIR IN MY TAEGU!!! And it didn’t look like just any hair if you know what I mean. WTF!!! SO GROSS!!! Needless to say it went straight into the trash. Im actually thinking about sending my pictures to the department in charge of issuing those green, yellow, red placards. Like for real, that is incredibly disgusting. I don’t think I’ll ever eat at Gina’s again because thinking about my plate the other night makes me sick to my stomach, & you know, that’s a shame because before this incident, I actually really liked Gina’s. Their meat Jun was the bomb, & I really like their hamburger steak, & tonkatsu. But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get past this. Fricken disgusting!
Oh, they also jacked up their prices by a lot.

LOVE GINAS! Spicy BBQ Chicken is where it’s at. You also get 4 sides and lots of rice. Can’t beat the the amount of food for the price — my husband and I eat here once a week the portions are enough for at least 2 meals!

Was near Kapahulu so my friend’s decided to eat at Gina’s Korean Food. I have not been here in a long time and did not have their regular fried rice in a while too. I used to like their fried rice bc it has a light butter flavor and not too strong in taste. Today it tasted almost the same but I needed to add a little shoyu.

Came here based on a recommendation from a former colleague/​native/​local/​genius. Meat Jun is delicious, but definitely not the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I can see why this is a local go-​to but I wasn’t totally blown away. That being said, it is affordable AF and you get a ton of food (from what I remember) for your dinero.
Sorry — I’m spoiled with Korean BBQ in LA. I do always appreciate an underground/​local spot, however.
Thumbs up on service, too!

Today I was craving Korean food, so what better place to go then Gina’s! They have a convenient location in Market City on Kapiolani. The parking there is a little troublesome, especially around lunchtime when I went. I ended up parking in the parking lot area down by Ben Franklin because there were no parking spaces in the main area.
The ladies who run Gina’s really know what hard work and efficiency is all about! There were a decent number of people inside waiting for their food as well as dining in, and once I walked in they were ready to take my order. They quickly scooped out my 4 side choices into my plate and before I knew it, I was on my way! I ordered the meat jun plate with Mac salad, corn, choy sum, and Kim chee. The plate was packed and so heavy! I definitely have half a plate left to eat for lunch tomorrow.

I am conflicted about my feelings towards this place. This is usually my go to spot for Korean food. However the last couple visits here have been lackluster. But since they’ve been in my life for so long I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that this is a solid option for Korean barbecue. The dish that I order when I come here is the barbecue chicken, fish jun, and the Ika. All are really tasty and they give you a huge portion. Speaking of huge portions how about that banshan?! Usually places will skimp out on the banshan, but here they really load it up! The ladies here also really friendly sometimes curt but always take care of you. They can get super busy around lunch and dinner time to where the line goes out the door and parking can also be hard.

Recently with the rain and cold weather, I’ve been craving spicy tofu and kimchee soup. I’ve had it at some restaurants but they didn’t fill my craving till I ordered the spicy tofu soup here and added kimchee to it. The kimchee was one of the sides for the order. My craving was finally filled!
Not only do they have great soup here, this restaurant has lots of great plate lunch options. I always share the BBQ Chicken here with my bb. The portions are so generous that it fills us both. You get a mountain of white rice with the order and 4 sides. We normally get the bean sprout, cabbage, choi sum and long rice.
They are a very busy place especially during dinner so I recommend that you call in your order. It’ll shorten the wait time so you can eat their yummy food sooner. They accept cash and credit. You can dine in or take out. If you dine in, they offer complimentary water or you can order a soda. I love this place because you get a lot of good food at a very reasonable price. Must try restaurant!

My mom and I recently placed a take-​out order from Gina’s for an early Sunday dinner. We called in our order, but we still had to wait for about 10 minutes before our three entrees were ready.
This popular plate lunch place is located in the Market City Shopping Center, just a few doors down from the Japanese nabe place I really like. I was surprised by how many other customers were in the small shop at the same time … some had just come in to order; one was dining and a few were like us, and had phoned in their orders and were waiting for pick-​up.
When our three plates were finally ready, I had to hold the package with both hands because each plate was so heavy! They were packed to the brim. Gina’s is great if you’re looking to get your money’s worth.
Overall, my parents and I were pleased with our experience and we would order from Gina’s again. Here’s what we got:
«Chicken Katsu»: I was pleased with the amount of katsu that came with this plate; it was definitely worth the price. This entrée entailed a large slab of katsu, served over three scoops of rice and with your choice of four vegetables. For my vegetables, I opted for two mac salad and two seaweed (half and half). This chicken katsu is definitely unique in many ways. Bring your appetite because Gina’s doesn’t skimp on portion size! The chicken itself is thick and a little more rubbery, but I liked the breading — it was crunchy and slightly oily, but not too oily to enjoy. But more than that, I really liked the katsu sauce. It was thicker – just the way I like it – and had a slightly tangy and sour aftertaste, but they also included two containers so it’s enough for all the katsu in there. I savored every bite of that katsu, but I wish the chicken was a little more moist and tender. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the mac salad most of all; it contained more mayo that I probably would have liked, but it was thicker and not liquidy, and it didn’t contain chopped-​up carrots and other ingredients that I wasn’t fond of. I wasn’t crazy about the seaweed just because it was really chewy, but I had no other complaints about this dish. I didn’t even make a dent in my rice, but that turned out to be okay because my mom just made fried rice with all the leftovers.
«Squash Jun»: This plate consisted of zucchini that was lightly battered and fried, and it came with three scoops of rice and your choice of four vegetables. For some reason, I didn’t think squash meant zucchini, but my mom really liked this entrée. She said the zucchini tasted fresh and she liked the assortment of vegetables, especially the mac salad. In fact, my mom was so inspired by it that she made her own «squash jun» the next day — she bought zucchini from the store and fried it.
«Gina’s Special»: This is one of the most popular entrees at this popular plate lunch place, and it includes BBQ chicken, kalbi, three scoops of rice, two small egg rolls and your choice of four vegetables. My dad chose seaweed, bean sprouts and two sides of corn as his vegetables. Even though this is one of the more popular entrees here, my dad didn’t enjoy it very much. He said the meat was really tough and chewy, and next time, he would opt for something else. Perhaps the cook was just having an off-​day, because the restaurant is famous for this plate lunch option! If you haven’t been to Gina’s before, I wouldn’t discount this entrée and say to give it a shot, since it’s so popular. But, if kalbi isn’t your thing, there are lots of other entrees to choose from!
«Hot Fried Chicken Wings»: I would have to ask how hot these wings are before I order them, but if they aren’t ridiculously spicy, I would be down to try them. I like chicken wings because of the slightly smoky, savory flavor they have, and I do like a little heat with my food. But if these wings are super spicy, I would have to pass on them.
«Fish Jun»: I do like fishcakes and breaded mahi, so if this entrée is anything like that, I’m sure I’ll love it! If I get poultry of any kind, it’s usually chicken or fish, so this entrée sounds delicious. I would probably go with three mac salad and one corn side for my vegetables if I get this dish, but I anticipate trying fish jun from here.

Haven’t been here since U.H. days. Memories and pure comfort food. Had the kalbi & meat jun combo. Huge portions! This place was busy with carry-​out customers, and the phone was off the hook.
The banchan was a little on the salty side, but fresh. The two ladies at the counter were delightful.

Yummy Gina’s BBQ! The Kalbi and BBQ Beef and Gina’s special are delicious and you get banchan (side dishes). BBQ meat is tender and juicy and well-​seasoned. Side dishes are equally tasty. Love it!

I love Gina’s!
The portions are really big and the price is very reasonable.
I usually get the Gina’s Special which has meat jun, bbq chicken, and teriyaki beef plus 4 sides + rice, thats more than enough for me and my Bf to happily share. DELISH
TIP: Order on the phone before you get there because they are POPULAR. The service is usually pretty quick if you don’t have to wait in line.

The compliments on this food spread through our house like wildfire the first day on vacation in Oahu. Of course locals we spoke to while waiting had nothing but great things to say about Gina’s as well.
While there are a couple tables here, it’s definitely more of a grab and go restaurant. So, if you’re looking to eat in, maybe consider another place as most of the seats will be occupied by those waiting for their food. However, you HAVE to eat here at Gina’s.
I, and other friends, had the Gina’s special. It was a huge amount of food for a great price. The meats were well seasoned and flavorful, and The rice with it was cooked perfectly. We also tried the spicy pork which was fantastic. The Gina’s platter came with 2 small spring rolls and a choice of 4 sides. While the side were all good, I strongly suggest the kim chee and the glass noodles; they were delightful.
I will certainly be stopping by again before leaving!

I came across Gina’s on my adventures of finding the best BBQ chicken. It’s amazing how much food you can pack in there boxes, really! At first I flinch at $ 10 – 15 lunch until I quickly realize it’s easily 2 – 3 meals. The spice was perfect, if you can handle something like sriracha then you’ll love this.
However, now that I’m looking at the menu at my leisure without a hungry stomach I now realize the Ginas special is the way to go. For only $ 2 more I could try a bunch of meats and sides.
The restaurant is small with a couple of long tables to share. I came around 1 and although it was busy it probably took 5−10min to get my food.

The food here is good and the prices are reasonable. I’m a kalbi person. Whenever I’m at a Korean BBQ place, I always have to get the kalbi. For $ 10.50, you get 3 pieces of kalbi, rice and the standard 4 sides. The other Korean spots give you 4 pieces of kalbi and will run you about $ 14. This is the only place that I’ve been to where you actually get taegu as a side. However, they don’t have the mayonnaise potatoes or shoyu potatoes that the other places offer.
The kalbi here is tender and nicely marinated but it’s on the thin side. It’s not like Soon’s, where the kalbi is thick and meaty. The give a lot of rice. It’s not the standard 2 scoops. The sides that I got today were 2x choy sum, taegu and corn. The sides were fresh and served at the correct temperature as it was on ice.
If you’re looking for good Korean BBQ in town, Gina’s is the place to go to.

Good Korean AND inexpensive?! This place is definitely one of my go-​to Korean restaurants for good Korean food on the cheap (well, its actually slightly more expensive than most places, but I’ll explain that later)
Gina’s is located in Market City and is a small shop operated by only a small handful of workers. It can get pretty packed during the dinner hours, so its best to call in your order. If not, you’re looking at about a 15 minute or so wait, but definitely worth it.
Alright, back to the «expensive» thing. The average plate there is around $ 10, which is slightly higher than most plate lunch places. ($ 12 for the Gina’s special which comes with 2 pieces of Kalbi, BBQ Chicken, BBQ Beef, and spring rolls) However, the portions here are VERY generous. Definitely enough to do at least 1.5 meals (unless you’re one VERY hungry person). Each plate comes with a very generous amount of protein, a nice helping of rice, and FOUR choices of sides. Sides will sometimes vary by day, but the regulars are usually available (kim chee, choy sum, bean sprouts, etc.)
The only «issue» is that since its at Market City, parking can be tough, but its not really an issue since theres usually parking. The workers there always seem grouchy, but that might just be a «Korean» thing (?). I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good meal and still have left overs for lunch the next day.

There are many similar places like Gina’s but I was glad I came here.
Atmosphere: Off of Kapiolani. Plaza restaurant with fairly old décor.
Service: fast casual, the owner was very nice offering me extra rice if I wanted more.
Food: Great food, I had the spicy fried chicken wings with all the regular banchan.
Intangibles: Many similar places like it but still worth visiting.

Oh, how I love me some Gina’s when I am famished and looking for some nice home style Korean cooking!
Every time I have gone to Gina’s, I usually have just finished a day of hiking. Even when I am beyond my hangry state, the food here puts a smile on my face and often times I can barely finish what I order. If you go, I would say be prepared to spread out whatever you order over two meals or share with someone. What’s even better is that the price for the amount of food you get is super good.
I usually order the Gina’s special which comes with rice, 2 bulgogi, 2 chicken, 2 mandoo (fried dumplings), 2 galbi (short ribs) and four sides. Sure, there is no special sauce or marinades for any of these items but they are all cooked well and nice portion sizes.
Plus, that’s where the sides come in! There are a lot of choices to choose from but here are my personal favorites:
Seaweed salad — mixed with vinegar and slightly sweetened, this is a nice refreshing contrast to all the heaviness of the rest of the meal.
Kimchi– the kimchi here is pretty on point! When kimchi is fermented too long, it tends to have a sour taste. While when it is not long enough, it tends to not have much flavor. Gina’s is pretty good in between and –I say– a must for any good korean meal!
Pickled radishes– these things are also flavored similarly to the seaweed salad. It has a nice refreshing taste like the seaweed but has a nice crunch to it.
A lot of people have mentioned their meat jun as something to order. If you haven’t had it, it is basically meat that is wrapped in an egg tempura type batter and fried. While it is definitely filling and helps to eat with the sweet soy sauce dip that they provide, it is super heavy and possibly food-​coma inducing. Be warned!
Be prepared to order the sides you want because the service is pretty quick and efficient and they expect their customers to be too. Parking can be tricky especially during peak hours in the lot which it shares with Foodland and Walgreens.
Overall, if you are looking for good and affordable Korean cooking, definitely come to Gina’s!

To be honest, if you’re visiting Hawaii it’s not a «must eat» on your list, but if you’re just looking for a cheap meal this is your spot! There isn’t much seating room, but we were able to grab a table for our group of 8. The portions are very large, enough for 2 people, and very affordable. It’s a cute mom and pop shop with very sweet service.
I got the meat jun, which came with 4 sides. I really needed my veggie fix on this trip, so the sides were my favorite part. I got daikon, sprouts, mixed veggies and cabbage. The meat jun was pretty standard. Cat P got dumplings and shared them. It was a good meal to have but as a previous Ktown resident, this isn’t top notch kbbq but it’s a cool place to grab some grub.

At first glance this placed seemed a little sketchy but If you like hole in the wall restaurants and great food then this place is for you! They are very generous on their portions and inexpensive. It was my husband, myself and our teenaged daughter and we could have easily shared a combo plate. The kalbi and kimchi were on point! One of the best dishes that we had on the island during our trip.

Ordered the Gina special and it did not disappoint. Intimidating menu for your first visit– so many options!
But the food is so.good. and definitely worth the wait

Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2015: ²⁄₁₀₀
I was too lazy to cook dinner so my bf and I headed over to Gina’s as it is one of his favorites when I am not around to cook for/​with him — it was my first time.
They gave some extra sample food, a spring roll and a meat jun. I liked the meat jun and would order that next time. For 12 $ we got Gina’s Special and it filled us both! Their Kalbi is delicious, I will definitely be back for more!
Though we didn’t eat inside, it does have a small seating area but it gets really cramped in there as people order and stand around. Also parking can be difficult as it is located in Market City next to Toritos.