Gang Nam Korean Restaurant in Columbia: What to Expect

A neighborhood Korean spot with grilled meats and traditional sides

Gang Nam Korean Restaurant sits on Devine Street in Columbia and serves the kind of food you'd find in a Korean home kitchen—grilled meats cooked at your table, soups simmered in stone bowls, and the small side dishes called banchan that come with almost every meal. The restaurant is casual and unpretentious, the kind of place where families gather on weekends and regulars know the staff by name.

The core of the menu is Korean barbecue: beef short ribs, marinated pork belly, and chicken that you cook yourself on a tabletop grill. Each order comes with rice, soup, and a lineup of banchan—pickled vegetables, seasoned spinach, fermented kimchi, and others that change with the season. The kitchen also makes traditional stews and noodle dishes for those who want something already cooked and ready to eat.

Key Takeaways

• Gang Nam serves Korean barbecue where you grill meat at your table, plus traditional soups and stews that arrive in stone bowls.
• Every meal comes with rice, soup, and multiple small side dishes, so one order feeds more than the portion size suggests.
• The restaurant is best for groups or dates because tabletop grilling is a shared experience, though solo diners can order from the non-grilled menu.
• Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday nights, especially if your party is larger than two people.

What to order and how the meal works

Start with the bulgogi if you've never had Korean barbecue—it's marinated beef that's tender and slightly sweet, and it cooks in about two minutes. The galbi (short ribs) takes longer and has more chew, so order it if you want something that rewards slow eating. Pork belly, called samgyeopsal, is fattier and crisps up at the edges when it hits the grill.

The grill sits in the center of your table, and the server will show you how to use it if you've never done this before. Lay the meat on the hot surface, wait until it's cooked through (usually one to three minutes depending on thickness), then pick it up with scissors or tongs, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with a dab of ssamjang sauce, and eat it whole. It's interactive and social—the kind of meal where conversation happens between bites.

If grilling at the table isn't your style, order the bibimbap, a rice bowl topped with vegetables, egg, and your choice of meat, mixed together with a spicy red sauce. The jjigae stews—particularly the kimchi jjigae and doenjang jjigae—come in stone bowls that stay hot throughout the meal. Both are warming and deeply flavored, the kind of food that tastes like comfort.

Pricing and what to bring

Barbecue entrees typically run between $15 and $25 per order, depending on the meat and portion size. Stews and rice bowls cost less, usually $12 to $16. Because each order includes soup and multiple banchan, the actual amount of food is substantial—two people can share one barbecue order and one stew and leave satisfied, or each order one dish and have leftovers.

Gang Nam is cash-friendly but also takes cards. The restaurant does not have a full bar, though you can bring your own beer or soju if you want to drink with the meal—many Korean restaurants in South Carolina allow this, so it's worth asking. There's no corkage fee in most cases.

Timing and atmosphere

Lunch service is quieter and faster; dinner, especially Friday and Saturday, fills up quickly. If you're going on a weekend, call ahead or arrive before 6 p.m. to avoid a wait. The dining room is bright and straightforward—vinyl booths, tables with built-in grills, and a kitchen you can see from most seats. It's not fancy, but it's clean and welcoming.

The restaurant draws a mix of Korean families, college students from the nearby university, and people exploring Korean food for the first time. The staff is patient with questions and will explain dishes if you ask. Expect to spend 45 minutes to an hour on a meal, longer if you're lingering over conversation.

Parking and location

Gang Nam sits on Devine Street in a small shopping area with dedicated parking in front and on the side. Parking is free and usually available, even on busy nights. The location is walkable from some nearby residential blocks, though most people drive.

If you're using GPS, the restaurant's address will get you to the right spot without confusion. The shopping area is easy to spot from the street, and the restaurant's signage is clear from the parking lot.

What makes it different from other Korean restaurants in the area

Gang Nam focuses on the tabletop grilling experience and traditional home-style cooking rather than fusion or modernized Korean food. The menu is straightforward—no elaborate presentations or trendy ingredients. That simplicity is the point: the restaurant is built around the idea that good Korean food doesn't need to be complicated, just made well and served hot.

If you're looking for Korean food that feels authentic and unpretentious, Gang Nam delivers that. It's the kind of place you return to because the food is reliable, the portions are generous, and the experience of cooking your own meat at the table never gets old.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to grill the meat, or will the staff help?

The staff will show you how to use the tabletop grill when you order. It's simple—lay the meat on the hot surface, wait until it's cooked, then pick it up with scissors. If you're nervous, tell your server and they'll check on you and answer questions.

Can I go alone, or is this only for groups?

You can go alone and order from the non-grilled menu—the stews, bibimbap, and noodle dishes are designed for individual portions. Tabletop grilling is more fun with other people, but it's not required.

What if I don't eat meat?

The bibimbap can be ordered vegetarian, and the vegetable stews like doenjang jjigae are plant-based. The banchan side dishes include many vegetable options. Call ahead if you want to confirm what's available on the day you visit.

Is the food spicy?

Some dishes are spicy—the kimchi jjigae and the ssamjang sauce have heat. Others, like bulgogi and bibimbap, are mild or can be made mild if you ask. Tell your server your spice preference and they'll guide you toward the right dishes.

Do I need a reservation?

Reservations are not required for small groups on weekday evenings, but they're a good idea on Friday and Saturday nights or if you have a party of four or more. Call the restaurant to book a table.