Meet Korean BBQ (Seattle)

Overview

Meet is Capitol Hill’s sleek take on Korean barbecue. Tucked into the Pike/Pine corridor, the bright modern dining room (big windows, minimalist decor) feels more steakhouse than smoky dive. The focus is on high-end meat: as the owners proudly note, they serve only “premium meats” – Gold-grade American Wagyu, USDA Prime beef and Kurobuta pork – and even source A5 Kagoshima Wagyu. Unsurprisingly, it’s earned rave early reviews. One guide bluntly dubs Meet “the best Korean BBQ restaurant within Seattle city limits”.

Menu Highlights

The menu is feast-centric, not AYCE. The Signature Feast (for two) comes with four chef’s cuts of Wagyu and pork plus a sizzling skillet of kimchi pork-belly fried rice – Infatuation calls this “the best way to do Meet.” For true indulgence, the $249 “Finest Feast” brings A5 Japanese Wagyu NY strip, American Wagyu zabuton and prime bone-in kalbi short rib. Each set is served with a parade of Korean sides: four rotating banchan (kimchis, pickles, salads), indulgent corn cheese, an egg soufflé, soybean (soondubu) stew and lettuce ssam wraps. In short, every table becomes a meat-lover’s banquet with chef-worthy accoutrements.

Pricing and Value

None of this is cheap. The two-person Signature Feast alone is about $76 (and that’s before drinks), and the high-end feasts approach $250. Yes, reviewers note sticker shock – this isn’t all-you-can-eat for twenty bucks – but you are getting Wagyu-grade cuts and white-glove service. The upside: fans argue the quality justifies the cost. One happy diner exclaimed it was “worth every single penny” for flawlessly cooked beef. Bottom line: come ready to splurge like it’s a steakhouse.

Service

Meet goes full tableside. Forget fumbling with frozen meat – servers do the grilling for you. As the restaurant’s own FAQ says, “our well-trained servers grill a variety of premium meats to your preference”. In practice the staff lives up to the hype. Multiple reviewers name-drop servers (Larry, Andre, etc.) for being “knowledgeable” and constantly flipping meat at the right moment. Infatuation’s write-up jokes that you can simply “sit back, let a server handle grilling, and proceed to make fun of your friend whose glasses keep getting fogged up from the steam”. In short: you focus on the soju toasts and banter while the grill captain handles the rest.

Atmosphere

Think polished but pumped-up. Seattle Met calls Meet Park’s “meandering house of tabletop grills” on Pike/Pine – it’s spacious and sleek, more high-end lounge than smoky basement. Warm lighting and smooth stone or wood tables set a hip, date-night mood. Infatuation notes the “big-night-out energy” with mood lighting and even a stout wine list. The crowd skews young-professional (and even families on weekends), and everyone seems to be having a good time. Importantly, those built-in vents do work – you might smell a whiff of sesame oil, but you won’t reek like last night’s barbecue. Overall, it’s lively without feeling like chaos.

Parking & Getting There

Parking in Capitol Hill is a grind, but Meet offers a cheeky workaround. Street parking is scarce and metered, but if you do park (or pay a garage), simply show your receipt and Meet will comp you a $16 pork-kimchi fried rice. (Yes, free fried rice for your parking ticket!) There’s also a garage nearby if needed. In any case, Capitol Hill has good transit – the Link light-rail and several buses stop just a block or two away – so a car is not strictly necessary. Bottom line: plan ahead or take the train, and you’ll save yourself the parking headache.

Comparison to Other KBBQ in Seattle

Meet is cut from a different cloth than the AYCE joints. Seattle Met quips that newcomers like Baegopa and Bellwether “fixed the neighborhood’s ... lack of Korean BBQ”, but those spots focus on massive buffets and soups. By contrast, Meet is an upscale, a-la-carte experience. If Bellwether (and its sister spot Old Village) are about endless pork bellies, Meet is about premium slices and craft. In fact, the Infatuation guide frames it as Seattle’s top KBBQ: “Meet is the best Korean BBQ restaurant within Seattle city limits”. Simply put, rivals feed your belly – Meet aims to impress your palate (and Instagram).

Conclusion

So – worth the hype? For serious meat nerds, absolutely. Reviewers praise Meet’s “top-tier” tender beef and spot-on vibes, and many leave saying they “highly recommend this place”. It’s the kind of place you reserve for birthdays or reunions, not a random weeknight. If you’re ready to pay for prime cuts and premium service, Meet delivers exactly what it promises. Just don’t be surprised if your wallet grumbles on the way home.