Written Forrest Martin
Illustrated by Madison Otten
I went to this Korean BBQ joint called Dae Gee that was featured on (Food Network) Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, as it was close to where we live in Westminster. (The difference between Korean BBQ versus American BBQ is that Korean has such thinly cut meat that has a quick grilling time where traditional BBQ is a slow cooking time.) This franchise has developed from one location to four since starring on ‘Triple D.’ When we went there our expectations were high, since Guy Fieri really raised the bar.
The service is the thorn stuck in my side. We were sat by a rushed hostess that didn’t even give us menus. The second we were ‘sat’, our server came up asking if we knew what we wanted. I hadn’t even taken my jacket off at this point so, already frustrated, I asked for menus. When our server handed them to us, she asked again what we want to eat. At this point we could see what type of service we are going to get. This wouldn’t be an issue if the place was packed, but we were one of three tables there on a Tuesday afternoon. The other issue is that this isn’t the first time we have gotten that type of service from the staff there.
Given the time of day, you would expect a pretty quiet atmosphere, yet I could barely hear my significant other from across the table. Which is how we accidently ended up getting the unlimited option, ($25 per person) as we were confused about anything the other person was saying. The music was overly loud, and on top of it, you had the wait staff yelling at each other. If you or whoever you are bringing has a hearing aid, have them take it out.
It turns out we ordered the best bang for your buck, especially if you have a larger party. (A side note to this is, if one person wants this, everyone at the table has to get it, so make sure everyone is on the same page.)
I think that if you are going with just one other person, it might be better to go with two dishes rather than the unlimited as they have a waste fee on the unlimited. Every meal comes with sides like kimchi, kimchi cakes, and pickled yellow radish (which is surprisingly sweet). All of these sides are always a nice and refreshing addition to the meats that you get. With the unlimited option, you get a very strict one order of short ribs that are covered in their house sauce. Along with that are the truly unlimited options like the chicken, pork shoulder, pork belly, rib-eye beef, and to top it all off: brisket. All of these meats are well marinated and appropriately proportioned for a sensible meal.
The thing that I learned was; go there for the food and nothing else with low expectations of service. With that being said, I would grade this location a solid B as it is great food, but the service is a low point for the location. I still will suggest this place, it will just have an asterisk following.
7570 Sheridan Boulevard, Arvada, CO 80003
11 AM – 10PM
Korean BBQ
Grade: B
