




Sorabol Korean Restaurant
About
A Neighborhood Staple for Korean Comfort in Honolulu
Tucked away near the bustling heart of the McCully-Moiliili district, Sorabol Korean Restaurant has been a long-standing fixture for locals craving high-heat Korean BBQ and bubbling stews. If you are looking for an unpretentious spot where the aroma of charred galbi fills the air the moment you walk through the door, this is your go-to destination.
The Sensory Experience
The space is built for groups who don’t mind a bit of noise. Expect the rhythmic clatter of metal chopsticks against stone bowls and the hiss of marinated meats hitting tabletop grills. The interior leans toward the functional, prioritizing the communal act of sharing banchan—the small, spicy, and pickled side dishes that arrive at your table in a colorful parade of ceramic bowls. The kimchi here has a distinct, fermented sharpness that cuts right through the richness of the beef brisket.
What to Expect
This is the kind of place where the menu is extensive, ranging from comforting soups like sundubu-jjigae to platter-sized portions of bulgogi meant for the whole table. The staff works with quick, no-nonsense efficiency, ensuring that your tabletop grill stays hot and your water glass never hits empty. While parking in this part of town can be a bit of a localized challenge during peak dinner hours, the payoff is a meal that feels like a home-cooked banquet.
Sorabol is best suited for casual Friday night outings with friends or family reunions where the goal is quantity, quality, and a shared experience over a sizzling flame. It avoids the polished, upscale sheen of newer Waikiki eateries, opting instead for a gritty, authentic charm that Honolulu residents have relied on for decades.
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Location
805 Keeaumoku St, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814-2312
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Reviews
Showing 8 of 111 community reviewsJohn HaroGoogle Maps
Recently
I've been to Sura Hawaii before, and the quality of the meat is still very good. The galbi was soft, tender, and delicious, and the brisket was right on point. The food is definitely the reason to come here. The service was just okay during this visit. Our water glasses sat empty for a while, and it seemed like the servers were relying heavily on the new table ordering system. There are also new rules where you have to wait about 10 minutes for additional meat orders after reaching your order limit, which slowed things down a bit. One suggestion would be to install call buttons at each table so guests can easily get a server's attention when needed. Despite the service issues, the quality of the food was excellent, and I'd still come back for the meat.
James ReevesGoogle Maps
Recently
I have always had great service there. The menu is thin for meats and sides, but the quality was there. The timed plate requests were weird, but didn't effect us.
Jason BladeGoogle Maps
Recently
Food are great. However, waiters and the front desk people seem like they hated the customers. do not feel welcome here. I’m paying for the food and tips and got treated like they did me a favor for letting me in and bringing me food. hopefully yall could train yall staff better updates- my wife and i gave it another chance and came back. the service is definitely getting better. we’ll come back in the future for sure.
Anna RozsakhatskaGoogle Maps
Recently
Delicious food, fun experience. Great service. Prices are $30+ per person.
Leigh AntoinetteGoogle Maps
Recently
Great KBBQ experience! My first time here for lunch hour (~1pm). It wasn’t busy, we got seated immediately. Shoutout to our server who asked if we had our student ID (10% off for UHM students with valid ID!), she wanted to remember to give us discount! My friend and i definitely ate our money’s worth, the lunch special is worth the price! Everything was very clean and vibes were great. Also they have a call button system so no need wait long for them to get their attention—FIRE experience.
Will BarksGoogle Maps
Recently
We bumped into this place after a 13-mile walk. We were looking for some AC and a cold beer. My wife and I eat a keto/carnivore diet often. This place hit the soft. Lisa was our server, and she was excellent. It was fun to cook our meat the way we liked it. The sauces were excellent. We chose the shaved brisket, spicy pork belly, and steak. It was all very good. That said. I wouldn't do the steak again. Mixing the sauces and then putting the rice in the sauce was a perfect way to carry the flavor into the lettuce wraps. A small bit of rice with the meat on top was delicious. Don't let the grungy appearance fool you. It was a very good place to eat and the staff were nice. We noticed a lot of locals eating lunch there. That is always a good sign.
yai vongsaphayGoogle Maps
Recently
We canceled our reservations at a different Korean bbq spot to come here-and we were disappointed. We waited 30-40 mins to get seated. We opted to do AYCE Korean BBQ and were disappointed and shocked when our waitress told us we can only order 3 meats at a time and also 3 banchan at a time. This would be fine if they had more than one server to wait on 2 huge parties -plus our table and a couple other tables. She did not come check in with us, so we definitely DID not get AYCE experience -we had to flag her down to take our order. It’s not fair to offer AYCE and limit a table of 4 for only 3 meats, the portions are not huge either AND there is a 90 minute time limit. Each time our grill was burnt as we were waiting for the server to notice and come take our order. We still ended up flagging her down or asking the bus boy. We understand she was the only one serving our area,we tipped her well. We felt cheated with the whole AYCE ‘rules’ we would have been better off ordering the fixed meal for half the cost of what we paid at the end.
Britini ConnersGoogle Maps
Recently
Super fun eating experience. This was our first time having Korean BBQ. You have 90 minutes to eat and it’s all you can eat too! Very affordable price as well. I think it was $28 or $30 per person. The employees were very attentive, friendly, and they have buttons as well in case you need something before they come back around. My favorite was the bulgogi, garlic shrimp, and the cheesy corn.
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