Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ
9380 Baltimore National Pike,Ste 105, Ellicott City, MD, 21042
Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Ellicott City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Ellicott City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Ellicott City for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
9380 Baltimore National Pike,Ste 105
Ellicott City, MD, 21042 - Phone (410) 461-6560
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Jenny H.
A solid place to get some Korean soon-doo-bu!!! It was pretty empty when we came here, but they refilled our banchan and our soups were really good. Our potato pa-jun (pancake) wasn't as cooked or crispy as we would have liked it, I think they rushed cooking it because they got our order wrong and had to make us another one.
(3)Hana K.
I loooove this place! Excellent food. Excellent customer service :)
(5)Eve C.
This place is good and has a small menu, which I appreciate. We particularly like the Soon Doo Boo and Kal Bi. The service here is much better than most Korean places. Its comfy too. I didn't give it 5 stars because they could do better on the prices and don't provide things like soups, steamed egg or lettuce.
(4)Derrick P.
Authentic atmosphere and great service. You feel like you're in Korea at this place. Out of the galbi tang, bugolgi, and Korean BBQ ribs, I would definitely go with the Korean BBQ ribs. They are out of this world - the perfect flavor and high quality soft/flavorful meat. I still have to come back here for the tofu soup, but so far so good!
(4)Stephanie S.
I went to this restaurant two weeks ago for the first time. The food was great! I really enjoyed the soup tofu dishes. I tried a couple of different ones at my table and they were all really tasty. The service, however, was terrible. It probably was one of the worst I have ever had. We repeatedly asked different waitresses (and a couple of the same waitresses) for boxes and the check, but were ignored. It took us 30 - 40 minutes to get the boxes and the check that we requested. I may try the other location to see if the service is any better.
(2)Mabel T.
This front of this restaurant is small and difficult to find, but don't let the appearance fool you!! Inside is clean and neat and the food is awesome! A party of four, we arrived around 10 p.m. on a Thursday night. The place had quite a bit of customers for this late at night and a pretty consistent stream kept coming in as we ate. Our waitress didn't speak much English, but the menu is pretty simple so we just pointed to what we wanted. We had: 1) Beef, Pork soft tofu stew (soondobu) -- very flavorful. You can pick the level of spicyness you'd like. We had normal spicy and it was spot on. 2) Seafood pancake -- great portion size and exactly what you'd expect 3) Kalbi -- I didn't think the portion was worth the price, but kalbi tends to be expensive anyways. Other than that, the meat was not overcooked and very tender.
(4)HowChow B.
Korean restaurants continue to pop up on Rte 40 in Ellicott City, and the new Lighthouse Tofu BBQ offers a casual, focused menu perfect for a weeknight or people learning about Korean food. Lighthouse Tofu is a branch from an established Rockville restaurant just like Honey Pig came from a Virginia original. It's a deceptive storefront -- a tiny sign at the end of a shopping center with a Jerry's subs. The door opens into a bright, spacious restaurant that was packed last Saturday night. The menu -- at least the one that I saw -- was only three pages long. There are many variations, but you basically choose between savory pancakes as an appetizer and between tofu stews, grilled meats and octopus/noodle dishes for the main courses. The prime dishes are the stews called soon doo boo. They're tofu stews. You pick your level of spiciness and whether you want beef, oysters, others seafood or kimchi as the flavoring. The stew comes out still simmering from the kitchen, and the waitress cracks an egg that you stir into the stew where it basically disappears among the other ingredients. The medium soon doo boo with beef and pork made a perfect winter dinner, warm and luscious in way that filled us up but didn't leave us stuffed at all. It's a simpler place than Shin Chon Garden. The panchan -- pickled side dishes that come to every table -- were limited to sprouts, chopped garlic, a cucumber salad, and two kinds of kimchi, including a "water kimchi" that was lightly-spiced and new for me. The bulgogi and other meats are cooked in the kitchen, and they don't come with the spicy sauce or the lettuce to make little rolls. But the waitresses welcomed us even though we were the only table in the room that didn't appear to speak Korean. They explained all the dishes, checked in regularly to refill tea and panchan, and kept asking if we were happy. And we were. The flavors were delicious, and it was just fun to enjoy different variations of Korean food. Lighthouse cooks its rice in stone pots, which they bring to the table. After the waitress spoons out most of the rice, she pours tea over the rice that has charred against the pot. That brews until they end the meal by ladling charred rice tea with some soggy grains into a metal cup. It tastes like charred rice, a palate-cleansing end to a spicy meal. The waitress said it helps digestion. (Read the HoCo Rising blog's report on Lighthouse: You're warned not to crack the egg in the charred rice tea. I avoided his mistake, but then poured most of my tea into my lap.) Overall, I recommend Lighthouse, especially on a cold night. Try the barley tea. (It's free.) Ask questions. Ask the waitress to refill your panchan if you finish one. Can anyone tell me about the wallpaper? It looks like Korean characters on all the walls -- and written on the plates as well. What are they saying?
(3)Maria M.
So I've been to the one in Rockville and I had high expectations for this one. I guess they completely didn't live up to my standards BUT it wasn't bad at all. I ordered the seafood soon doo bu medium spicy. Though I'd give the broth itself 4 stars, there wasn't much seafood in it. Not as much as the one in Rockville anyways. But the broth itself was delicious. We also ordered the seafood pancake and it was good too. Nothing to rave about, but I'd probably eat it again. The seafood in this pancake was pretty generous so that made me happy. As for the side dishes... well, I'm not sure if lighthouse is known for their side dishes, but there was the usually kimchi, cucumbers, and bean sprouts. The bean sprouts were great! Not too salty, and not bland at all, so pretty good. The kimchi was not as fermented as others I've tasted, so I liked it. =) Not a lot of parking right in the front, but plenty to the side of the restaurant so don't even try to find a spot in the front, as it is very hard to kind of back out of it. All in all a pretty good experience. We'll probably come back and try the other dishes since the people sitting next to us were enjoying their non-tofu dishes =)
(3)Mary W.
First off, I guess I should say that I'm not a huge fan of Tofu. Yes, weird. I'm Asian & I don't like Tofu? Well, I don't like hard tofu, but I really like the soft, silky tofu that's in Soondooboo :D I got the seafood & beef one, but I was disappointed in how little stuff it had :( And even though I read the warnings about how the spice level isn't as bad as you think it is, I still went with medium & it was definitely pretty mild. I ate a lot of side dishes to make each bite spicier haha. If you like spice, definitely go for the hottest level! Overall, I'd say it's a pretty good deal for the Soondoonboo, rice, side dishes (you also need to figure out a way to get the servers' attention to get more sidedishes) I didn't check out the other items on the menu, since on my 1st visit, I just wanted to try their signature dish. Maybe the next time I go, I'll explore the other options! Overall, definitely glad there's a fun, chill, atmosphered place for people to hang out & catch a good meal. Looking forward to coming back here in the winter for some Soondoonboo to warm me up!
(3)Sam Z.
this is my favorite tofu restaurant. their portions are huge, the meals are served in stone bowls. very authentic and mucho bueno
(5)Andrea C.
I was introduced to Lighthouse tofu at its Annadale location first, then eventually tried out at its Rockville and Ellicott City locations. I must say that this particular location is my least favorite. I usually order the combination tofu soup, and I could hardly find the seafood in my order here. The soup does not a good balance between tofu and seafood/beef in it, and therefore lacking in flavor. I'd still go back but I probably will have to adjust my expectation on what they have to offer. The Rockville and Annadale locations are far better than this one.
(3)Priscilla S.
Yummy O enough said. It's really good here.
(5)Jai S.
I absolutely love this place. I can go everyday and won't be disappointed. To be honest, I have yet to try anything other than potato pancake and beef & pork soon dubu, but both dishes are done to perfection. The potato pancake is done with just the right amount of crispiness and their dipping sauce provides the right amount of saltiness. But alas, it's their soon dubu that's their namesake and they don't disappoint. I get their beef & pork (but only ask for pork) and ask for extra extra extra spicy (they have 5 levels from white to extra spicy), but I've gone way hotter than that. One time one waitress stood by our table with a pitcher of water the entire time just in case I passed out from the spice. Granted, their spiciness varies from day to day, but it's always delicious. Go to this place now.
(5)Andrew K.
Second time coming back here. The service here has been excellent both times and I like that the food comes out pretty quickly. I got the seafood and meat mixed soondubu and I got mine medium hot which is pretty spicy for those not used to spicy food. If you get the spicy here, it means Korean spicy which is really spicy and I don't think I would enjoy the very spicy version although I could probably eat it. The galbi here is excellent and one of my favorite things to order. It's too bad they don't have the galbi bbq with lettuce and sauce but the galbi just comes out with onions on the bottom. It is very well marinated and tasted really good. The octopus with spicy sauce on the other hand wasn't that good. It tasted almost like they just stir fried the octopus and then poured some hot sauce on it. The seafood pancake here is pretty good too. If you get the small size, it comes with 4 pieces which is good for 2 people. The side dishes here is pretty simple and most people just come for the soondubu but I would recommend you get the galbi too.
(4)Stella L.
Good soondubu place but not my favorite! I've ordered the kimchi, seafood/beef combo, dahn jang, and pork/beef and my favorite has to be the seafood/beef combo. I usually order it spicy or extra spicy and sometimes I can't tell the difference. I never put the egg in because I feel it interferes with the true taste of what soondubu is supposed to be. I wish they had more banchan. Overall, very easy, convenient, and cheap for a quick, satisfying, korean craving!
(3)Yen N.
Love this place! Favorite of mine is the seafood soondooboo (verryy spicy!) and the seafood pancakes! service is great! the waitresses are so friendly. totally get your money's worth!
(5)Marko M.
Both my girlfriend Liz and I traveled out from Baltimore on Route 40 to give this place a try. We both had the beef rib soup, as we were in the mood for substantial dishes, and were ultimately dissappointed by its blandness. It really tasted like boiled beef bones in broth ... nothing I couldn't have whipped up myself in less than the time it took to travel here. Won't be going back.
(2)Max L.
yelp says i'm a regular so i should probably stop delaying with my review. i've been to lighthouse probably 6 or 7 times and its been consistently very good in all aspects: the service has always been superb, dining area and restrooms clean, side dishes endless, and sundubu piping hot and delicious. a typical visit: we usually get the pancake or pajeon to start off... my favorites are the kimchi (4.5) and seafood (4.0). i wasn't a huge fan of the potato (3.0); i found it to be pretty bland, but its probably just my personal preference for things with a bit more kick rather than lighthouse's take on it. of the side dishes, my favorites are the pickled cucumber and bean sprouts (no idea what they're called)--tasty, light, and refreshing; a delicious preview of the goodness to come. i've only had the seafood beef (4.0) and beef and pork (4.0) sundubu. nothing wrong with the stews, in fact i think lighthouse has the best sundubu in the area, just not the best i've ever had. i will say that the spiciness levels are not consistent from visit to visit. i usually order the very spicy and on different occasions my sundubu has been too spicy, not spicy enough, or just right (no i'm not goldilocks). all things considered, lighthouse is very good; food is above average and the prices are fair.
(4)Michael D.
Absolutely fantastic Korean food! Its a little pricey for lunch but well worth it.
(5)William N.
My new favorite place. I love miso soup and white rice. The soup comes out boiling hot in a iron bowl. Great for a cold night. The last bite is still steaming hot. I recommend placing egg in as soon as the soup comes out. Get the hot tea as well. Finishes off great.
(5)Kevin L.
This place becomes my favorite after I moved to Baltimore area. It is even better than the one in Rockville. The space is roomy. I like their indoor decor, especially the wall paper. Of course, the smell of food is fantastic. For dinner, my wife and I always order a small seafood pancake. Every time we think we will have room for more but actually not. Tofu soup is must. I like their seafood tofu soup as well as beef/pork. Tried BBQ once, not what I expected. For BBQ, you should drive another mile to HoneyPig. The waitresses are nice and patient. Make sure you ask them to refill your side dishes and drink. They don't check on you quite often. Price is not that expensive. So a good place to go if you don't want to cook in such hot summer.
(4)Kelly J.
I had never even heard of this place until going here last night for a friends birthday. O.M.G!!! Delicious!! This was my first experience for soondooboo and thankful I was here with some veterans to explain to me what was the best. Usually in places I'm unfamiliar with, I usual order my food in the mild spice range. Thanks to my friends, they suggested otherwise. I usually like my food spicy but not burn your mouth off. They told me medium was average and the best flavor. I took their word on it, and glad I did. I think anything milder would have been bland. I ordered the beef and pork, medium spicy soondooboo and it was beyond delicious! I cannot wait to come back here and try some of the other options (Note: the menu options are limited). I might even be more adventurous and try the spicy, or spicy spicy. We also got the pancakes (I don't remember the actual name) which were also delicious.
(4)Tim H.
If you like fast and quick Korean BBQ, then this is the place for you. The bulgogi was good and the kalbi was tasty. I would recommend these two items since this is basically all I ever get when I here. It's served with an assortment of small side dishes and a bowl of white rice. Check it out if you are in the mood. If you are from the Rockville, Maryland area and have eaten at that location, expect almost the same thing.
(3)Michael S.
I love soondooboo and this place does it as well as any other place. Only gripe is the portion size! Too small :( For those who aren't aware of what Soondooboo is... The translation means soft or silken tofu and the dish itself is a spicy stew (which can be made mild or incinerating upon request). The broth is usually an anchovy broth and the soup will contain a butt load of tofu, seafood, and veggies. The cool part is that they bring a raw egg to the table and you crack it right in to your bubbling hot bowl of soondooboo!!
(3)Emily L.
Why do more people not love Korean food? I can only conclude they are innocently ignorant, and it's my personal goal to enlighten them as soon as possible. Take, for instance, Lighthouse Tofu. In all the sleety-snowy-rainy winter weather of the last couple of weeks, I've been there twice, and I would have been back a third time if I'd had my way. The staff are friendly and helpful to non-Koreans (me!) and seem to take genuine pleasure in seeing our unbridled joy about their fantastic food. My joint Armenian-Scottish heritage is pressing me to let you know, first, how inexpensive a meal this will be. You can order a tofu soup or bebimbap for about 12 dollars, and that will be IT for the night. Add a bottle of soju (sweet-ish rice wine) for the table: about another 12 dollars. Even if you tip generously, as I do, you're talking well under $20 per person for a fantastic meal. About the meal: it begins with appetizers, which are unlimited and included in the price of your entree. Yes, you read that correctly. Bean sprouts dressed with sesame oil, spicy cabbage pickled in pepper sauce, sliced radishes and cucumbers in vinegar, and other delights: eat as much as you want and they'll happily bring more. Everything is packed with flavor and very healthy, consisting mainly of vegetables. And, best of all, it will be different the next time you come! I've only tried two entrees here, and they were both amazing. Bebimbap is white rice in a hot stone bowl, topped with mushrooms, beef, carrots, scallions and a fried egg: you top it with some spicy-sweet pepper sauce and then stir, stir, stir with chopsticks, incorporating the vegetables and meat into bits of crispy rice. It's served with miso soup, which you can add to the mix or enjoy separately. I'm usually a compose-each-bite sort of person, but in this case the mixing is paramount to a classic end product of varying textures and flavors. The tofu soup for which the restaurant is named is also wonderful. A hearty, spicy broth surrounds a TON of creamy tofu, along with vegetables and seafood or meat, and your first act is to crack an egg into the boiling broth (it's too hot to eat right away anyway!) It's a wonderful meal, very filling and flavorful. An interesting side note: Everything is served with rice (of course) which comes in its own stone bowl. The server scoops it out into smaller metal bowls, one for each diner, and then pours hot water into the empty stone bowl. The bits of rice that have stuck to the outside soften over a few minutes, and the tradition is then to scoop rice and water "tea" into a bowl and drink it. Our Korean friend told us this was born of thrift, but that many people really like the taste. To me it was pretty much just rice and water, but I enjoyed learning about the tradition. I'd like to try the barbecued meats, but I'm a little hesitant because I really prefer seafood and eat vegan fairly often too. However, with the track record of this place, I think I'll be brave, and I can't imagine being disappointed!
(4)Margaret N.
Very family-esque restaurant! Would definitely recommend their oyster pancakes!
(3)Isack L.
Always friendly, very good food, fair price. Most of the time I get bibimbap with tofu combination. (Medium spicy is about right for me) Their food is always fresh, delicious and their service is always very nice. A huge fan of this place
(5)Dan A.
Came here recently with my friends and realized I left out the Jjooggeumee bokkeum gooksu (octopus stir fry with noodles) from my last review. I hope I spelled that right. It is normally spicy but can be made non-spicy if you ask the waitress. However, if you can handle the spiciness, go for the spicy. It tastes much better because the hot pepper paste is added while the dish is cooking and the hot pepper paste caramelizes and adds a considerable amount of flavor. I can vouch for that because I ordered a milder version of the dish (some people I was with couldn't eat spicy), asked for the pepper paste on the side.... but it didn't taste as good. It's a fairly large portioned. You can easily share with a group of four if everybody is having the soondooboo as well. And yes, it tastes great!
(4)maurizio s.
Love this place. I come here often and I always get the beef and pork tofu soon doo boo. The broth has such amazing flavor. I just recently tried the BBQ pork rib and it was so delicious. I highly recommend this place.
(4)Jen W.
If you want tofu, tofu is what you will get. You come here for the tofu soup and the Korean pancakes. That is pretty much what is on the menu, but you can "have it your way." There are several kinds of Korean pancakes to choose. We enjoyed the seafood pancake and it was perfect - soft, salty and studded with seafood. We ordered the oyster but got the seafood pancake. The other menu option is what we came here to eat...the tofu stew. You have a choice of different soup bases including beef, pork, seafood, seafood with beef and kimchi with beef. In addition, they will ask you how spicy you want it. We enjoyed a medium spice level the kimchi with beef, seafood with beef and seafood. The seafood with beef tofu soup had the best depth in flavor. It was perfectly spicy where you can enjoy the flavor of the soup without the overwhelming spiciness and "sweats" from hot soup. It is a clean restaurant with attentive service and great food. I look forward to going back and trying other variations of pancakes and soups.
(4)Rob N.
Finally - a Korean place a newbie can get their head around. I personally find Korean restaurants to be a challenge - lots of menu items, little in the way of guidance available. The process of the meal is also pretty different from what western diners are used to. Here at Lighthouse Tofu, however, the menu is stripped down to a concise page and a half, a lot of which is composed of variations on a couple of themes. A great place to start is with the list of tofu stews, served with various proteins added and a handful of heat levels. Pick your meat (or lack thereof) and how much chili paste you require, and wait for the merrily bubbling clay pot of stew laden with silky tofu. Crack in the supplied egg and either stir, or ladle the soup over top to cook it (depending if you want egg-drop texture or a more-or-less whole poached egg). If you can take moderate heat, even the higher spice levels are manageable because the soup and tofu temper the chili. Go bold! Grilled/BBQ and rice dishes are also available, thankfully pared to a little over half-dozen or so essential classics: bibimbap,galbi, etc. The rest of the menu consists primarily of egg pancakes with various fillings, which are pretty damned tasty in and of themselves. Minimal confusion! All entrees are served with standard banchan (pickled condiments): pickled bean sprouts, cabbage kimchi, chili garlic, cucumber, and nabak kimchi. Definitely recommended for someone looking to try a Korean menu without being overwhelmed, and as an added incentive it's pretty inexpensive, too.
(4)Tunaidi A.
Lighthouse is one of my favorite Korean restaurants. This isn't one of the places where there's a grill in front of you and you manually barbecue your meats. Lighthouse specializes in soondooboo (tofu stone bowls) varieties, and they've nearly perfected their recipe for these dishes. I'm a huge fan of their soondooboo. Even if you don't particularly like spicy (like me), there are 5 grades on Lighthouse's spicy scale from not spicy at all to the super hot. Most Koreans like it nearer to the super hot extreme, but when my Korean friends tasted my non-spicy, they thought it was just as good as the super hot ones.
(4)Yimei W.
I usually go for the mushroom tofu stew; they use shitake mushrooms and usually they are nicely sliced and quite tender. The tofu is silky and soft. I got the medium spicy and it was not that spicy; had the spicy next time and it was too much. Coming from someone who puts sriracha in a lot of stuff. However, you can always thin out the spicyness with the stone bowl of rice + barley tea. The steamed egg was overflowing from the bowl. The side dishes were decent, a set of about 4-5 dishes including chili cucumbers, kimchee, and some pickled apple, sprouts. It was said that the kimchee is more fishy here. Only complaint is that the experience was over too soon :) And that for some reason they don't allow you to swap options even if it's a cheaper option (instead of beef and seafood, could I just have beef and mushrooms? "NO").
(4)Yaka H.
It's pretty much the same thing as the Rockville location. Though for the some reason the staff seems really hesitant to use English (which is weird, because majority, if not all, were from the Rockville location and I've never had this problem before there). Though the service was a little bit rocky, but still decent. The banchan offerings are the same (kimchi, chopped garlic, cucumbers, and beansprouts), menu items are the same (pah juns, soondoobu, stirfry-like dishes, and galbi), etc. The only thing that's different is that there's no casual menu already sitting on the table; here they seemed to have upgraded to an actual menu book (items are exactly the same though). Also, the place is pretty spartan looking inside. However, there is plenty of tables inside good for groups of all sizes. The place was pretty bustling for the first day open. So, it seems like they are off to a good start. Since it was the opening day, we received complimentary Lighthouse tofu magnetized letter openers. Super neato! yay! FYI, The parking lot here can be a bit tight. It shares the lot predominately with Boston Market. The quick and dirty, how-to for Lighthouse newbies: Opt for hot barley tea or tea on ice (barley tea = sounds like porli cha in Korean). Order (appetizer: pahjun, entrees: individual soondoobu, share galbi), get banchan, table gets own stone pot of rice, waitress divvies up the rice and pours tea into it, entrees come to table, immediately crack egg into piping hot soondoobu and stir, eat entrees, ask for extra banchan, ask for extra napkins, scrape the crispy rice leftover in the stone pot, divvy that up in the extra metal bowls (kind of like a pseudo-dessert), end meal with a complimentary peppermint patty and slowly descend into food coma.
(4)Edward L.
Came here Saturday night for a family dinner with my family and the wife's family. The menu isn't extensive which is nice cuz it keeps the choices easier. However, we aren't Korean so it was a little difficult deciding what would be good to get. Fortunately, our server was helpful in that area. The pancakes were delicious; we ordered two of each kind. We also ordered a few different soups, which some with that delicious crispy burnt rice. Order spicy spicy. It was a good amount that gave you flavor but didn't burn you up. The soups come in mild, medium (spicy), spicy spicy, and spicy spicy spicy.The server always offered to refill our side dishes of kimchi, cucumbers, etc. They have a nice barley tea, also. My father-in-law had bibimbap which looked good. I didn't try but can assume it was good. My brother had the Korean BBQ ribs which was delicious. They serve it on a plate with tongs and scissors so you can cut the meat up. We also ordered a jungol (sp?) which they finished cooking in front of us. In the end we ordered way too much food but it was good and they gave us carryout containers. It was a decent experience but nothing stood out to me. I'll have to try this place again and re-review it before upping the stars.
(3)Amy P.
Very good food. Ordered seafood tofu soup. It was fantastic. Also ordered seafood pancake which was also very good. I would definitely go back again and try out their other dishes. Staff was friendly and quick to meet your needs.
(4)Pastel I.
Went there for dinner with my husband and I love it!! Cozy and nice decor Staff was friendly and quick Food was yummy!!
(4)Bruce K.
This place is a hit or miss. The first time I went, it was great. The soondooboo is always good (I usually get it spicy), their korean seafood pancake is pretty decent and overall, the place is a nice size so the wait is never too long. The original is in VA and the place there is relatively smaller. Anyway, the last time I went with my parents, I got their mushroom jungol (bigger stew where more than 1 person can share it) and it was terrible. It was just bland and not enough seasoning or something. We ended up taking it home later and my mom re-seasoned and cooked it and was muchhh better. I guess you can't really compete with home cooking though. Overall, it's a great soondooboo place, especially there's not much to compare to around here in Baltimore. You can also have the order made for your taste in spiciness (not spicy, spicy, and very spicy) and they do a pretty good job of being consistent with the hotness level. If you look soondooboo, this place is for you, boo.
(3)Hyman L.
Average amount of food for the price. I would recommend the seafood beef soondooboo here. Some of their other dishes are good as well but are the typical generic Korean dishes.
(4)Nayoung L.
If you want Korean soft tofu soup, this is a place to go to. You can choose different toppings and spicy levels for your soup. I also like the spicy, stir fried squid/octopus dish. It has a sweet/spicy flavor to it. It is a good dish to share among 3-4 people in addition to the soup. The place is very clean and service is good.
(4)Avi S.
OMG. I've died and gone to kimchi heaven. I was in the neighborhood looking for a lunch spot and randomly happened upon Lighthouse via Yelp. We started with a veggie and a seafood pancake, hot tea (served in large water glasses), and all of the banchan described in the other reviews. The pancakes were solid, but the kimchi and bean sprouts were both exceptional. At the recommendation of other Yelpers we all went with the soon doo bu (tofu stew). The portions were quite large for lunch and the price was right. Each separate "flavor" really just changed a few highlight ingredients, all were mostly silken tofu in boiling spicy broth. The "spicy" option was just right for us, and cracking the raw egg into the boiling stew was a lot of fun. My brother pushed his egg to the bottom and at the end found a perfectly poached egg yolk at the end of his bowl. The burnt rice tea that they make with the remains of the stone pot rice was really a great end to the meal--cleansed the palate quite nicely. Above all of this, the staff was really exceptional. Both waitresses who helped us were eager to explain the whole experience to us newbs, answer any questions, and refill our tea and water with proper (but not excessive) regularity.
(5)Seungun M.
Really good Korean food! So much better than that CR AP PY Arirang place down at Rockville. I honestly recommend this place over Arirang.
(5)An T.
I love Lighthouse, and I love the fact that each and every single one of the their restaurants delivers the same quality as the others. No one does soondubu (tofu) better, and no one delivers the spiciness better either! Note that if you do order "spicy spicy", you will GET SPICY SPICY! Pair it with a seafood pancake, and you will be greatly satisfied, I promise. The pancakes here are the perfect blend of chewy and crispy, and by far, the best I've ever had. Kalbi is also delicious, as is their Nakji Bokkeum. They'll keep refilling your banchan dishes per request too. Love Lighthouse, because it's simple and no-frills in everywhere. Simple menu, simple decor, and great service and food. Open till 10:30 on weeknights. YAY!
(5)Ky T.
I thought the food was outstanding. I especially enjoyed the spicy tofu soup, banchan, and squid and vegetables entrée. Flavors and freshness of everything were remarkable however I wouldn't rate service very high because we were paid little to no attention aside from having our orders taken. I would have liked to been asked how everything was, if I needed anything, or had drink refills given without my having to leave my table to retrieve them from the waitstaff's drink station. Would probably give this place another try for takeout.
(3)Kyle M.
So as I mentioned in my review of Pho Dat Thanh, one of my first questions upon arriving in the Bal/Wash area was "Where do I find good Asian food?" Luckily co-worker and fellow Yelper Toni F. was there to guide the way. It's located on Rte 40, next to Jerry's Subs and Boston Market. We headed here for dinner on a weeknight. Now even though I had lived in L.A. for almost 8 years, and had many a meal in Koreatown, I had never experienced soondooboo. Somehow I never ventured past pancakes, bibimbap, and Korean BBQ in all my time there. And as much as I love some shaved pork belly, and bulgogi, I had to try the soondooboo. We started with a small vegetable pancake and a kimchi pancake. The kimchi pancake was the better of the two. It had more flavor, and it was actually crisp. The vegetable pancake was a bit underdone in my opinion, and needed a lot of the sauce to make it worth eating. Either way, I'd come back to eat here for the kimchi pancake alone. I almost ordered another one, but the food was already arriving. Ok, for those like me, who had no idea what soondooboo was, it's a spicy tofu stew that comes out boiling in a ceramic bowl. I had the pork and beef version. The tofu is silken tofu and almost melts into the stew. It comes with a raw egg to crack into the boiling hot liquid, and you could order it "white", mild, spicy, or spicy spicy. I had "spicy, spicy", and while it was hot, it wasn't so hot to overpower the other flavors in the dish, or so hot that my lips were burning by the end. The broth is the star of this dish, and I really don't think it would matter a whole lot which type of soondooboo you order. They'd all be fantastic. Hint from those who know better than me. Push your egg to the bottom of the bowl, and by the time you finish, you'll have an awesome hard boiled egg yolk waiting for you at the end of your meal. The banchan were tasty and plentiful. The chili cucumbers and the kimchi were my favorites, although none of them were bad. The meal ends with rice and tea mixed together for the table to share. I'll definitely be back to this place. I enjoyed the meal from start to finish!
(4)Garvin C.
Although the outside of this restaurant looks small, the inside is actually quite large and seats a large number of people. We ordered a seafood Korean pancake and vegetable Korean pancake for appetizers. These Korean pancakes (pah jun) were definitely the best ones that I ever had. I would strongly recommend giving them a try. We ordered soon doo boo as our main course. The nice thing is that they offer 5 different spice levels so you can choose what you can tolerate. They came out piping hot and boiling as they should. Each soon doo boo comes with an egg which should be cracked and put into the boiling soup right away so that it gets cooked properly. The soon doo boo here is delicious. The pan chan (side dishes) were also great, and they *voluntarily* offer to re-fill them when they run low. This has never happened for me in a Korean restaurant, so i was pleasantly surprised. My only complaint was that I thought the prices were a little high. Not too high, but higher than I would have expected. However, I still enjoyed the experience here and would recommend it to anyone.
(4)James P.
Soon Doo Boo here is nothing like the original one from Annandale. I was told the owner is different. I don't know what it is exactly, but Tofu texture is out of place. I've eaten here few times because of convenience, and their tofu is inconsistent. Soon Doo Boo is mostly about tofu, but they fail in this department.
(2)Tammy T.
I don't think I've ever seen such a comprehensive tofu menu. I didn't get an BBQ here, but when a menu is that focused around a single dish, I think that you should really considering coming here for the tofu! This review is really only based around the tofu dishes. As a kbbq place, it didn't look like the best place for that. There weren't any exhaust fans for BBQ, really. Instead, we just ordered lots of different tofu soups! Our table ordered 5 tofu dishes and they were DELICIOUS. There were a few side dishes that came out, including steamed eggs and we ordered kimichi pancakes on the side. The soybean tofu soup was really delicious, I had the seafood beef tofu soup which had just the right proportion of seafood to beef ... I had a sip of the kimchi tofu soup which I totally regret not ordering. All of the tofu dishes were so pipping hot, the service was so quick. This is a really wonderful place to go to on a cold winter night.
(4)Juliet K.
good solid soondooboo and you can pick the spiciness to your liking. their nakji bokkeum with noodles is freaking awesome. spicy, with tender veggies, squid, and the best noodles ever. their kalbi and spicy pork (jae yook bokkeum) is also really good. they have lots of side dishes that will please any palate, spicy or not. their seafood pancake is also really tasty. crispy on the outside but full of flavor. one thing to note, i speak korean so its easy for me to order. i dont know if the waitresses are very good at english so it might be best to take a korean friend. or at least be knowledgeable in the dishes. I believe they are on restaurant.com so you can get some discounted gift certificates as well.
(4)Joanna K.
I come here all the time almost every week when weather is cold! Nothing like hot delicious and spiccyy korean soup that'll warm you back up from the core!! Their specialty is of course Tofu but they offer many other delicious entrees than just Tofu soup. I especially like their seafood pancake, spicy pork, galBi is always good. I always find though that even though I may order lunch/dinner tofu, by the time the entree comes out I'm already full from spicy radish cold soup and (usually) two other appetizers (i lovvve to snack!! Can't help it!!) So I usually end up only eating half bowl of tofu soup and as they turn your hot stone bowl of rice into porridge, I take that home as well and there is my next meal!! I always choose the mushroom tofu.. They put shiitake mushroom and it doesn't taste too thin or flimsy.. Can't wait to go back here soon!!
(5)Rita Y.
Mediocre Korean food at most. The location is a little difficult to find as well. It's next to the Boston Market in the corner. Difficult to call the servers attention. Side Dishes - Kimchi, Kongnammul, Spicy Cucumbers, Daikon. Beef Bulgogi - Dry, barely any flavor. Skip this at all costs. Mushroom Soondubu - Was flavorful, with the combo it's pretty small. Short Ribs - This was the best dish here. The marinade was really good but you don't get too many pieces.
(3)Amanda C.
Definitely the place in the B'more area for soondooboo. The pajun is yummy too. And I love that they have mandoo (dumpling) soondooboo. Good service and good lunch deal combos too.
(5)Jenny B.
Just to start off - this is my first yelp review so hopefully people find it helpful! So I went to Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ for dinner for Mother's Day and the food was incredible. This place is famous for their soon doo boo, which is a Korean tofu soup. They have lots of different options (kimchi, seafood, beef, vegetable, etc) and you can adjust the spiciness to your liking. I got the mushroom soon doo boo with mild spiciness. I have a low tolerance for spicy food so mild was perfect for me. My mother, who eats spicy food all the time, got medium, which she said was pretty spicy even for her. That being said the tofu soup was delicious - when they bring the soup out for you it's extremely hot and is bubbling like crazy. That's when you crack the raw egg inside and watch it cook inside the stone pot! So cool!! Don't miss the bowl like my brother did. The soup was a mix of tangy and savory with a tinge of spicy - and the texture of the tofu was so soft and delicate, it felt like it just melted in your mouth. We also got the seafood pancake, vegetable pancake, fried dumplings and some bulgogi and galbi (krn BBQ) which was all very tasty! The service was great - all of our food was delivered quickly and they gave us lots of banchan (complimentary side dishes), which I personally like better than the complimentary bread that you get at most American restaurants. They were something fresh and light to eat before the main food came out (and you get free refills). I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves Korean food - even if you have never had it before, I feel like this is a unique dining experience that everyone should try!
(5)Marilyn K.
If you aren't coming here for the soon doo boo then you're missing out on their one specialty item. I will say this place is super legit and will really service you on the full experience even if have no idea how to eat what and what's going on your first time. I love that they pour the barely tea in the stone mason with the crunch bits of left over rice at this Lighthouse Tofu, since the one I went to in Annandale it was a struggle for them to understand what I was asking of them. I'm still not completely sold on the dish but if you want an authentic experience definitely come here for the tofu soup.
(4)Danny H.
Ahhh, Lighthouse Tofu...fond memories. The seafood tofu stew combo + shared korean pancakes are really the staples of this place. Sure there's bulgogi and kalbi but I never really ventured into those just from the looks of things. Pretty decently priced and the portions are large. It's all about the little side dishes and most of the time they are responsive when you ask for more but sometimes you have to remind them when it gets busy. Spice wise, I wouldn't dare venture past Spicy due to personal experience...its not the level of spice that gets to me...its the temperature + spice that makes it almost unbearable.
(4)Emily P.
Favorite place for soon doo boo. Also, their nakji bokeum gooksu and their spicy pork rice dish are definitely worth ordering.
(5)C B.
The soup is amazing and addictive. Started going here a month ago and now I am here weekly.
(5)Samuel C.
This place is really good. I love their food. it was nice and fresh when it comes out . First time eating there..!! the people are so nice and friendly.
(5)Hannah H.
Bit Goeul Soondooboo, otherwise known as Lighthouse Tofu, is known for their tofu soup. It comes in different varieties (mushroom, seafood & beef, seafood, kimchi beef, oyster, beef & pork, soy bean, and vegetable), and you can customize the spiciness level. They also offer LA galbi, bulgogi, nak ji gook soo (noodles with octopus), pajuhns (Korean-style pancakes), and lunch/dinner combo meals. We usually come here for a family gathering, and I really do prefer this place over than the one in Annandale. I just think their soondooboo just taste better, as it's not watered down as the one in VA. First, the banchans come out with a bowl of cold kimchi soup (that is filled with well-fermented slices of kimchi and a slice of jalapeno; it is pretty refreshing). They also prepare nooruhngjee (burnt rice) for you, where they scrape out all the steamed rice, set them into individual steel rice bowls for you (to eat with your soondooboo that comes out later), and the rice that are stuck to the big clay pot, barley water is then poured into - this turns into the 'burnt rice soup' that you can consume either before or after your meal. For the soondooboos, I usually stick with the Kimchi soondooboo, and this comes in a piping clay bowl, all bubbling - when they bring it out, crack the egg in, so that it can 'cook' at such a high temperature. I usually dump my rice into the soondooboo pot and just chow down. We also got the LA galbi, and while they are marinated well, they aren't so tender, 3 ribs come out, so just keep that in mind. Service was friendly, but extremely MIA, as you really need to hunt down the servers for refills and the check. The place definitely gets packed, and there is a shared lot for your car that is shared by the plaza. +cold kimchi soup (spicy dongchimi) +Kimchi soondooboo +MIA service T____T +located around to your left of Tous les Jours +lot for your car
(3)Ji Y.
When this place first opened up, it was good but one thing I noticed about this place is their soon tofu is inconsistent in taste. It tastes different every time I go. The kimchi and seafood pancakes are good but expensive for what you get. Overall, the food here is okay.
(3)Ariel Z.
My experience here was just ok. Not a lot of banchan dishes, though most of the items they had were pretty decent (the kimchi was super salty, though). The soondubu was good, but not particularly memorable (I had the mushroom version), and all throughout the menu, the prices seemed a bit higher than what I'm used to seeing for comparable food (even in other big cities like Seattle). Service is sort of what I expect from restaurants like this - brusque and barely there. There are so many other restaurants in the area, I doubt I'll be back.
(2)Stella O.
Good: This place is known for their soondobu. I like the seafood and oyster very spicy. You really get your money's worth because your dish comes with side dishes. As for the pancakes...Ive had better Bad:Service, the women seems to be somewhat disorganized at times. For example our waitress had 2 tables on opposite ends of the room and the place was not busy because there were other waitresses lounging around.
(4)Jill B.
So excited to have been turned into this place, though I'm an idiot and didn't try the dish they are most known for. I LOVED the pork belly dish I had, and the never ending side dishes, but now I have to go back for the soup. Can not wait to come back again!!! Edit: SAY YES TO THE TEA! It's brown rice tea served hot in a glass and it's amazing!
(5)Wendy O.
The food here is very good! We got some of the combo choices and, while I didn't think the bulgogi was the most flavorful I've ever had, it was still quite delicious. The mushroom soup was really great, too, and they actually made it SPICY like I asked for! That alone made me want to go back. :) The dumplings were great, too. I recommend it!
(4)Hana P.
Meh. I've been here twice. Both times when the wait at Honey Pig was too long. The kalbi is good and the spicy pork is decent. The customer service is blah. My mom is Korean and she didn't really care for this place either. They don't serve alcohol, but they have alcoholic beverages on the menu. They let you bring in alcohol from the liquor store nearby, though. All in all, just okay.
(3)Laura S.
Friendly service and tasty food. This is one serious Korean restaurant that remains friendly to newcomers.
(5)Ann P.
Light house tofu has authentic soonduboo (Korean soft tofu soup). The tofu in soonduboos are much softer than the typical tofu many are used to. You have the option of ordering your personal level of spiciness and protein. I love the seafood option with the mild spicy level. Also order the seafood pancake. It's a thin traditional Korean pancake loaded with seafood. The pancake is cooked in a lot of oil so it is oily. But that's how I like it. The pancake has a crisp and crispy outer layer. I do have to say that I have had better soonduboo before. But I grew up eating this as a child, so I may be biased in some way. As far as the wallpaper they use, I hate it. The servers wear a hanbok (a traditional Korean dress) and it's so beautiful. I love the idea of them wearing a hanbok to serve the food.
(4)Jean L.
Some people are all about getting as much extra stuff in their tofu stews... but not me. I have this dilemma because tofu stew is one of my favorites. However, I get ever so slightly turned off by the head-on shrimp that peek out at me with their big beady eyes from my bubbling stew. I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE shrimp. It's not even the heads that bug me--I ask for them as tempura when I go out for sushi. It's just that when the shrimp are in tofu stew, along with its other seafood buddies, they all usually take on an overcooked spongy consistency that I'm not a fan of. ...So why is it that most places in the E.C. area who serve tofu stew automatically dump a seafood mix into their stew? I mean, thank goodness I'm not allergic to it or I'd be S.O.L. I've been a longtime fan of the Rockville and Annandale locations because they don't do this. They also won me over with the noo-roong-ji + their cucumber (oy) kim-chee + their winter radish kim-chee (dong-chee-mee). I also like their hotpot rice. It might be mental but I think it tastes better. You get to choose what you want in your stew, be it soggy spongy seafood or a refreshingly unadulterated combination of kimchee and some beef. You also let them know how spicy you want it. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that they opened a location so close by. I got what I usually order: Kim-chee soon-doo-boo, bo-tong mehb-geh (Medium Spicy). I'd have to say that I actually think that it's a little bit less spicy at this location and will probably order the Spicy, next time. There WILL be a next time. If your party is an odd number, I'd order down for an even number and share because their stew+rice portions are generous. If it's still too much, they have to-go boxes ready too. I guess I should also mention: Some people find this strange but I also don't put my egg in. UNADULTERATED... that's what I go for. So don't feel too bad if you actually like seafood in your stew. :P
(4)Kim Y.
Love their food. The banchan are wonderful and of all the Korean spots around, this place has some of the best service. The servers are always pleasant. The vibe is open and warm. And of course the food is always the star. They just rolled out a new lunch combination special: Korean grilled Mackerel (Go Deung Uh) OR Korean grilled Croaker fish (Jo GI Gui) PLUS choice of mushroom/beef Soon Du Boo. Mackerel is $13.99 and Croaker is $14.99 at lunch. Add $4 for dinner portions. Today I am tried the Pork Belly Grill + Soon Du Boo lunch special for $14.99 and the food was beautifully seasoned, hot and filling. I'm glad I came here on this windy and rainy Tuesday.
(5)Toni F.
I had my first experience with soondooboo here last year and have been back many times since. Take my review with a grain of salt because I don't have any other version to compare it to, but Lighthouse's soondooboo is so drool-worthy that I find myself having monster cravings every couple of weeks. I get the veggie version (cabbage, carrots, green onions) and go with Spicy or Extra Spicy, depending on how I'm feeling that day. I hate when dishes are so spicy that it obstructs the flavor of the food. This is not the case here----even if you get Extra Spicy you can still taste everything clearly. The savory chili broth melds perfectly with the soft, silky tofu. it's comforting and satisfying, without being heavy. Make sure you crack the egg into the bowl and fold it down gently to the bottom. Once you've eaten down to the end, you have a perfectly cooked egg yolk to enjoy, hooray! Banchan is simple but flavorful, fresh and crunchy (kimchee, cucumbers, bean sprouts, chopped garlic) The pancakes are tasty, but I wish they were more crispy and less soft. I actually prefer them the next day, and fry the leftovers up in a pan at home, making them as crispy as I want. This place is deceptively small from the outside, just a small entrance next door to Jerry's Subs. Once you get inside, you realize it's a pretty big space, and even has a private party room in the back.
(4)Deepa K.
Went for a late lunch on a weekday so we had the restaurant to ourselves. As soon as we entered we were warmly greeted. We are vegetarians with no knowledge of Korean food and wanted to try bibimbap. The waitress helped us order a bunch of things include bibimbap with veggies, tofu and egg. Also tried the kimchi pancake which was really good! We will definitely be back!
(4)Jane P.
They have really good tofu stew here. They have a lot of flavors to choose from like Kimchi, seafood, beef, and so many more flavors. My favorite is oyster tofu soup. I used to get the seafood flavor in the past, but once I tried the oyster flavor I was automatically hooked. They give you a raw egg to crack into the stew and the heat from the stew cooks the raw egg when you mix it around. They give you rice that they cooked in a stone pot. The rice is freshly made and tastes so good and it is perfectly chewy. After they scoop the rice out they put water into the stone pot and you get a really yummy rice soup. It has a slightly burnt flavor and it is warm. It has pieces of rice in it. Their service was decent and our server was nice.
(3)Jay L.
Whenever we want to mix up our usual Korean BBQ routine, we come here. The food is solid, the service is friendly, and there is never a wait. We usually go for the tofu soups. I recommend the second from the top spice level. I enjoy really spicy food, but on top of the boiling temperature of the soup, it's really hard to enjoy any of the flavor of the soup with your mouth on fire. If you must still have some BBQ, they have some combos, of which the Galbi is pretty good. Baltimore's best bet for some good tofu soup.
(4)Sherry F.
Note: this visit was at the end of August Came here for a weekend lunch with my whole fam and bf - 6 of us total. Decent amount of parking in the little area next to the restaurant and it was moderately filled with people when we walked in. I've been to the Lighthouse Tofu in Rockville before, which has slightly less parking...but the interior space of the restaurant was pretty much the same - kinda old-fashioned decor, and a decent mixture of table/benches and booths. We were quickly seated at a table and it took us a little bit of time to figure out what everyone wanted, but our server was patient and was happy to give us a little more time to decide. Ended up ordering the seafood korean pancake to share, I got the bibambip, and everyone else ordered individual tofu soups - seafood beef; seafood; and soy bean. While we waited for our food to come out, our server brought our a plethora of complimentary side dishes that you usually see at Korean places - chilled, spicy (like kimchi spicy taste) cabbage soup, kimchi, bean sprouts, etc. The seafood pancake came out - filled with mussels, crab sticks, scallions...it was not very crispy, actually it was pretty soggy and limp, as I imagined it should be, but the flavor was good. The main food was coming out just as we finished the pancake. If you get the tofu soup, you get an egg on the side that you crack into the stone bowl - mix it in and watch it bubble and cook! My bibambip was pretty standard, (egg, shredded meat, assortment of veggies) but a little on the dry and plain (taste-wise) side so I ended up adding some of my mom's seafood/beef tofu soup and sriracha to it, which made it a lot tastier. :P Everyone enjoyed their tofu soups - definitely Lighthouse Tofu's specialties with that flavorful broth. We also got some rice on the side, which comes up a bowl of barley tea to prevent it from sticking to the bowl. It also adds a hint of roast to the rice (plus you can drink it)! Come here for the tofu soups - they're pretty cheap, filling, and yummy!
(4)Derek S.
Visited, with my wife, about an hour before closing on a Sunday night. The place was empty except for one other diner. We were seated immediately, of course, and our waitress took our drink order. Drinks arrived within a minute and she gave us a few minutes to decide what we wanted. She offered suggestions which was helpful. I got the beef bulgogi and my wife got the kalbi beef short ribs. I also ordered steamed eggs. While we had to wait for a bit for the main dishes, we were quickly served the traditional dishes of kim chi, sprouts, soup, hot cucumber, etc. Our food arrived piping hot and on a decent schedule as we were just finishing up the starters. The bulgogi was served on a hot iron plate with a wood base as it common. My wife's ribs were served in the same manor. We both received bowls of rice fresh from the iron steaming bowl. Our waitress spooned it into individual bowls for each of us and left the iron bowl with water for the scrapings as is traditional. The meats were cooked pretty well on point and were tender and juicy with plenty of flavor. Both were served on a bed of onions. It's been quite awhile since we were here last. A few years I think. Considering it's just down the street from us, we'll probably come back sooner. Overall, it's a decent place and I recommend it to anyone wanting a more traditional wait service Korean meal. It's a nice departure from Honey Pig in terms of atmosphere. So much more relaxed and person service to boot.
(4)Peter N.
Came here because my companion was craving for Korean, and supposedly its a legit joint. The people here are friendly, and the place is pretty clean. We had the following: - Mushroom Soon doo boo - mushroom tofu soup - pretty good, and spicy, well if you wanted it spicy. - Seafood Korean Pancakes - mixed seafood with vegetables - the pancake was mediocre, I had better - Jukkumi Bokuem with Noodles - stir fried octopus with vegetables in special sauce with noodles, this also was decent, I wouldn't eat it again unless I had to. Overall, this place was okay, grant it I went on a Friday of lent season and had to go with meatless options, I probably wouldn't come back.
(3)Jamaica C.
We went to Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ. I went to this place twice now since two months ago. There were a lot of sides and yey for free refills. My mom and I had 2 refills of each sides, which I can say means that it is tasty and filling. The hot tea is for free. Some restaurants charge hot tea nowadays. So we ordered the beef soondooboo and chicken bulgogi. I think the beef bulgogi would've tasted better (we should've ordered that). I always crave for their soon doo boo. I particularly like their beef tofu soup. There is literally more tofu than the soup, which is okay with me because I love tofu and the soup is amazing even without the egg! We ordered "medium" which is just perfect for those who doesn't like it that spicy nor mild. Last time, we ordered bibimbap which is in a hot stone. It was okay, not the worse but not the best. I still like the bibimbap in honeypig better. The servers were very friendly, all of them smiles at you whenever they see you look at them (which is not really in a creepy way). They anticipate what you might need. Eventhough some of them doesn't speak that much english, they understood what we're asking and they really try to explain what the dish is. It is reasonably priced. Almost all of the korean restaurants and other asian restaurants there in Ellicott City ranges maybe $15-30 per head, but of course it depends how hungry you are. For the chicken bulgogi, beef soondooboo, and a carryout order of dulsot bibimbap, we paid around $45-50 (not bad, right?). Overall, I would come back here and try the other dishes which by the way reaaaally look good when we see them in other customer's tables. I am not really familiar with Korean food, but I feel that this restaurant is kind of authentic. I would recommend this place to anyone who does not want to smell like they're food (like in honeypig) and to those who love korean food, like me.
(4)Tiffany L.
Nothing was as good as Rockville. Everything seemed weak or watered down. We ordered the bokkeum with noodles.. Tasted like a watered less flavorful version. Also ordered a spicy spicy seafood and beef which had only a couple clams one tiny shrimp and slices of beef. Flavor was completely lacking in the soup. We had two plates of kimchi and they both tasted different. We will def be sticking to Rockville.
(2)Kangkook L.
Ellicott city lighthouse tofu & BBQ is a good korean restaurant for being healthy person. I like mushroom tofu soup. It is a high protein & low fat food. Also, I like steamed egg that price is just $3.99. I don't like spicy food. So, I choose white soup instead spicy soup.
(5)Danny C.
Usually when you go to a Korean restaurant, the workers there may seem a bit angry or pessimistic, rude or unkind. However, the people that work here have always treated me and my family nicely. They're Korean and we're Korean, but that doesn't matter when going to a Korean restaurant. I've been treated like crap before at other Korean establishments, probably because I'm Korean. But this place's service is consistently good. And their food? Mmmm! If you're not adventurous then go for their daeji gogi (Pork with spicy marinade) and bulgogi (Beef with marinade). They're a bit sweet, salty, meaty, and some pieces are a bit fatty. If you're pretty open minded then try their signature Soondooboo. It's a hot and spicy tofu soup with either seafood, meat, kimchi, or veggies and all of em are great. However, if you want the best and most flavorful? Either get the seafood (If you don't like the head on shrimp then you shouldn't get this) or the combination meat soondooboo. They bring out the usual panchan including 1 raw egg per person, a big bowl of rice and a bowl of warm pohdija (Korean tea). They give you the rice from the big bowl and the rest of the rice that's in it, they put the pohdija in there and mix it with the rice. It might not sound appetizing, but it's pretty good. Then you have that with the soondooboo? A contrast between spicy and the opposite. A great combo. Service is always good here, food comes out fairly fast, panchan is always fresh and the food is always on point. I'm Korean and I know my Korean food, this place has good Korean food. It might not be as good as my mom's cooking, but it's still good for a restaurant. And wait till the Winter hits, this food will make you go crazy!
(4)Richard M.
Update: tried their hot stone bowl bibimbap tonight and it was excellent. Also dialed down the spiciness of the soon doo boo down a notch to medium and it was perfection.
(4)Kimberly K.
Alright guys, if you're into Korean food, make sure ya'll check out Lighthouse. Their soondubu jjiae is seriously legit. My fave's the mushroom soondubu, extra spicy - shitake and enoki mushrooms FTW. I have yet to try the other jjigaes but Kimchi soondubu is up next fosho. I haven't tried their other apps/dishes, but I hear their seafood pancake (aka BAMF app) is delish. Although I recently had the fried dumpling app (6 for $6.99). They were ok, but I've had better. A little less grease would've been nice but whatevs. The complimentary side dishes (aka banchan) were pretty good. I especially liked the sprouts (marinated in sesame oil) and radish/jalapeno medley (pickled in soy sauce). They also had cucumber kimchi and regular kimchi (napa cabbage) but that was "eh" in my opinion. All in all, I liked this place! It was clean, service was fast, and the soondubu was mighty yummy! I'll definitely be back soon. Maybe next time I'll try some of their BBQ, too.
(4)Ann K.
The variety of silky soft tofu here is definitely tastier than Shin Chon, Honey Pig, or Kim Na Ra. The spicy noodle number 18 is hand down the best. Even the Korean spare ribs are very good too. I especially like the mushroom tofu soup. They use fresh shiitake mushroom. They let me choose the level of spiciness. Of course I chose spicy. Pretty spicy. We have to ask for iced water instead of hot tea. The room is decorated with wallpaper in Korean. It reminds me of secret NSA code. Can someone crack the codes for me?
(4)Tiffany S.
My fiancee and I popped by this unassuming little place one night after our Korean study group. I suggested it based on previous reviews, and I was far from disappointed. This place gives far more banchan (free side dishes) than many other Korean restaurants in the area, and the quality was very good. We also ordered some steamed eggs, and were surprised and delighted when our very friendly waitress brought out a dish four times the size of what we were expecting. They were fluffy, savory, and melt in your mouth delicious! In fact, the only reason I am not giving this place five stars is because I'd prefer a smaller banchan version of the eggs to replace one of the kimchi dishes, and really I'm just being nitpicky. My fiancee ordered a white (absolutely no spice) vegetable soondubu while I had the mediuim heat kimchi soondubu. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the white soondubu was still light and packed full of flavor. I honestly thought that without the red pepper paste it would be plain and dull. I was happy to be wrong. My dish was like getting warmly hugged from the inside, even now I'm drooling just thinking about it! The real star of the show was the earthenware cooked rice and nurungji bap (the scorched rice left at the bottom of the pot soaked in hot tea). Never has something so seemingly simple tasted so homey and delicious! I am definitly going back to taste and review other dishes, but so far I am a big fan of this place!
(4)Starr C.
Even though I've lived in this area for over 7 years now, and heard wonderful things about both this location and the Rockville one, this was my first visit to Lighthouse. I sure am glad I came in today! A bubbling bowl of soondubu was perfect for a blustery autumn day like today. Lunch is DEFINITELY a good time to come in. A bowl of soondubu is $8.99 and there are some top-notch lunch combos, like galbi with soondubu for $15.99, etc. (Only on weekdays, no weekends or holidays.) I ordered a seafood tofu soup (haemul soondubu) and also split a small seafood pancake (haemul pajeon) for $6.99. We were brought a few standard banchan side dishes and little pickled radish soups? What is this stuff, I like the radishes anyway. :P We were also brought out a big pot of rice and a few bowls. The waitress scooped out rice for us and then poured hot tea into the pot. I was confused about this at first but by the end of the meal, there was a delicious tea-soaked rice porridge leftover in the pot, from the bits of rice that were stuck to the sides after we were served. Yum! We got our haemul pajeon with some sauce and and then our soups came out! They came out bubbling so happily away and were served with raw eggs for us to crack into them. Can you say YUM IN MY TUM? I got mine at the MEDIUM spice level and found it just right for me. I would've probably been just able to handle spicy, but I heard that spicy-spicy is VERY spicy, so beware! Service was good. Not amazing, not intrusive, not negligent. I had hot tea offered to me as I came in, and the wait staff was great about refilling and offering more banchan for us. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to come here and I will be sure to come back. Quick notes: - They do not accept AmEx. Not sure about Discover, but I'm going to guess MC/Visa? - Parking RIGHT in front of the restaurant is limited, so to play it safe, you're better off finding a parking spot before you reach the Boston Market rather than trying to park in one of the 3 spots in front of Lighthouse Tofu.
(4)Julia C.
I come here about once or twice a month for their tofu soup. The staffs are always very nice and welcoming. Tofu soup comes with different degree of spiciness so everyone can pick however spicy the soup they want. Also you can choose to have seafood, beef or mushroom in your soup. No matter what you order you will always have rice and some side dishes to enjoy your tofu soup with. Besides tofu soup I would also order some Galbi which is Korean style BBQ. These yummy ribs come on a very hot cast iron plate so it stays hot through out your meal. The portion is so big that I always end up taking some food home. The store is very nice and big, always busy but not to the point that I have to wait for a table. Great place to go in the winter when you need some hot soup to warm you up.
(4)Sarah J.
Lighthouse is known to be one of the good Korean restaurants in the area. It's a branch that came from its mother restaurant in Rockville. Being from Baltimore, I drove all the way here to get Korean food, especially the tofu soup, soondubu. Their signature soup comes in several levels of spiciness and can be mixed with different meats, seafood, kimchi, mushrooms, or other vegetables. The combos are great. You are given a raw egg to put into the boiling bowl when it comes, and a bowl of rice with barley tea to eat with or after the meal. Side dishes are decent, service was good, inside is clean and cultural, and food came out pretty fast (granted it was a weekday night). Notes: - You can choose to have cold water or barley tea as a drink. - It's nice to have Korean pancakes as an appetizer, or a meat dish (ex. kalbi, bulgogi) to share with a group. - Side dishes are "endless" - you can request for more when you run out. - If you order meats, you don't BBQ them in front of you (they do it in the kitchen). - Parking was easy.
(4)Jae C.
I went in expecting same great tofu soup that Lighthouse tofu offers in VA location. But to my surprise the tofu soul was C- at best. Good customer service and tasty side dishes. But what happened to the tofu soup? Disappointing experience.
(2)Sesshoumaru S.
The food here at Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ are very delicious. I really like the service from the waiters because they are very consistent on bringing the food early and hot. A friend introduce this restaurant to me and now I am a regular in this place. This a great place to try Korean dishes especially for pescetarians like me. I usually order the vegetable pancake and spicy-spicy seafood soon doo boo. It is making me hungry while writing this review, so this is my review and I am heading to Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ after posting this. Let's eat!
(4)Shiehan C.
For a place to satisfy my Korean food cravings, this place works. I've been here with family friends, and I've seen people of all ages eat here. This place isn't bad for Korean food, and they do the kimchi tofu pot decently. The bulgogi and kalbi aren't bad either, but I've had better in California. I wish they had more selections of food, and better banchan (side dishes).
(3)Michele C.
Cool, out of the norm spot. Service was great. Rice dish was good, served in an amazing hot pot. Seriously that pot could heat a small room :-) Stayed dangerously hot for the entire meal. No complaints.
(3)David M.
Sure - if you see BBQ in the name, don't expect to find vegetarian food, but then again, if you see Tofu in it... you'd expect at least some options! Soup is all made with beef or chicken stock, and every item comes with meet except the pancakes. This made for an awkward dinner with the vegetarian girlfriend - so you've been warned and I'll end the rant. Alright carnivores - lets dig in to the rest. The ambience here is a bit lacking, but the brightly lit restaurant did encourage lively conversation. So, its a bit noisy, but also fun in a way. The staff is really Korean, so you'll find some language barriers, but they are super friendly and want to help so don't let this scare you off, and do ask lots of questions so you know what you're getting. They weren't judgmental at all. After you put in your order the standard sides appear. Sample away, but be warned, much of it is spicy though delicious. There are a number of combo meals that come with a soup - the mushroom was once again spicy, but quite tasty. The tofu soup is beef broth with beef in it - but also quite warm and tasty. For appetizers was the KimChi pancakes - but these went to the vegetarian as that was all she could eat. I got what was effectively a plate of beef. It wasn't the best beef (I didn't want meat for days afterwards) but it wasn't bad either. I'd probably stick to the Bi Bim Bap if I went back. I've been to many better Korean places. But the price was really cheap and the portions generous ... so if you are in the area want some Korean BBQ in a lively environment and don't have dietary restrictions, this works.
(3)Rachael M.
To be honest, this place is just to expensive for what you get. The atmosphere is like a mismatched chinese restaurant (which is fine!) but for $18 a person, it's not worth it! I'm sorry, I'll stick to Kim Bap Na Ra.....
(3)Sandra N.
This is one of our favorite Korean restaurants in the area. The food is great. They have the best steak. It's very good and tender. Definitely leave you satisfied. I have also tried the bibimbop and the soup, which was also great. Love the sides. The servers are also very nice.
(4)Minna W.
I was always a huge fan of the Rockville Lighthouse Tofu and would drive nearly an hour to get there, so now that there's a closer location, it's a win for me! The restaurant is spacious and cozy in its own sort of way with the wooden interior and elbow-room seating at the tables. It's been getting busier and busier each time I've gone, so it looks like fellow Yelpers have made their way over to Lighthouse. Usually when an employee says, "everything is great," you take her advice with a grain of salt; at Lighthouse though, I've yet to be disappointed by anything I've had. The side dishes are small in number but high in taste. The mool-kimchi is the closest to my mom's homemade, so that's a feat in and of itself! You can always ask for refills of the banchan/side dishes, so don't be afraid to ask. ;) The soondooboo/soft tofu dishes come in a variety of spice levels and add-ins. I've had pretty much every single one but the pork soondooboo is my go-to dish. Add your raw egg as soon as the soup comes out so you can enjoy the swirled egg-y goodness. The boyfriend isn't a huge tofu fan but each time he comes, he says it's growing on him. I'd have to say that if their food can get him to eat tofu, then it's gotta be some goooood food.
(5)George T.
5 stars, i'm feeling generous today (maybe it was the company). Having been to the other lighthouse tofu in Rockville I had pretty high expectations for this location as well. And they were every bit met. Why come here? Great, great, great Korean soups. and cheap cheap. Korean spicy SOUPS: Everyone of their soups is amazing, The base is essentially the same for all of them, but you pick what other ingredients are in it in terms of meats or seafoods. They come out in the traditional korean pot, still BUBBLING hot. You want to eat it right away, but you know you should wait til at least the soup stops boiling over the sides :) SPICY: I love it when places can accommodate my masochist level of love for all things spicy. They will do it for you, but can also make it more mild for those less tolerant. seafood/kinchee korean PANCAKES: This places does them really well. The outside is cooked to crispy perfection and the inside is not soggy. On par with some of the best korean pancakes I've had. Korean BBQ RIBS: I actually didn't get these this time but had then when i went to the rockville location. They are on the pricey side, but competely worth it. You get a pretty big portion, the meat is tender and incredibly flavorful/smokey. Sides: nothing special here, you're typical, average sides. Overall: come here, fast service, easy parking. Great alternative to HONEYPIG if you're looking to try some soups instead of straight up Korean BBQ (you won't miss it a bit). Also, come here if you like things spicy.
(5)Corey W.
Flavor was excellent. Tofu and beef soup was amazing. But the main dishes were overcooked. The ribs especially. The pickled cucumbers were fantastic.
(3)Donna Y.
I've tried the lighthouse Tofu in Rockville and I have to say, I'd much perfer the Columbia one. Maybe the Columbia location is larger and can accommodate more people but that just means no wait!!. That aside, the columbia Lighthouse Tofu restaurant is located right behind/beside a Denny's. Parking is limited. I ordered the pork and beef spicy tofu and it comes with rice and an egg($10dinner). The tofu comes to the table sizzling hot so be careful don't burn your tongue like I did!
(4)Laura P.
There's nothing really wrong with lighthouse! The atmosphere is great(went on a Friday afternoon, pretty quiet, not many people there), service is awesome, and the food tastes good! The staff is mostly Korean, but they're really sweet and attentive. The first time I came here, I kinda thought the food was overpriced... But you get a lot of sides with your food and they're pretty decent portions! I had no problem getting totally full with my soondubu. My group also got steamed egg, which was a big size and we could barely finish lol. Everything comes out nice, hot, and fresh.
(5)Katherine B.
OMG I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE. Where do I start? I came in during lunch. I had called off work; I was sick and needed soup that was spicy and a magical food experience to make me happy. I so found it. The staff was really friendly, which I'm sorry, but is rare in Korean places if you're not Korean. I got the lunch combo with the beef rib bbq (Kalbi) and the mushroom tofu soup, spicy. I also got the Kimchi pancake which was REALLY good. Not greasy at all like it usually is. Next time I'll try the oyster pancake. OOOOOH let's start with the bonchon. Pretty good. Cucumbers, sprouts, pickled apples which i REALLY liked, kimchee and the waitresses always kept them full unlike honey pig where you have to beg and plead for anything. The soup was really good. This was the lunch combo thing, so next time I'll have to go back for the other soups people were ordering in larger bowls where you cracked the egg on them. But none the less. Spicy just like I asked for it and the tofu was really good. The mushrooms gave heartiness (you could have chosen beef too). The Kalbi....oh my....I'm drooling right now just thinking about it. Everything about it was perfect. I seldom give five stars, but bc of the service and the prices I had to. A great meal. I can't wait to go back. I may go today! You have to go here, preferably at lunch. Go Go Go. I posted pics BTW.
(5)Dan A.
Lighthouse Tofu is an authentic Korean restaurant. And despite having "Tofu" in the name of the restaurant, there were only two vegetarian items on the menu. When ordering the veggie tofu, I requested it be made as spicy as possible, which equated to "spicy spicy" on their heat scale. But unfortunately, it wasn't that hot and the tofu was just okay.
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