It took a flurry of innovation and opportunity for the concept of MGD Korean BBQ Express to come about in the heart of Chinatown. At a time when many restaurants are closed, drive-thrus have proved to be a huge advantage in keeping the restaurant industry afloat.
“The pandemic was the main reason we considered the drive-thru location in the first place, said principal and founding partner of DMI Real Estate Group, David Ahn.
We saw the success of a lot of Korean restaurants offering Korean BBQ kits to customers during the pandemic, and we thought we could offer customers the opportunity to get high-quality Korean BBQ without having to get out of your car.”
Taste the best of both worlds with the chicken and beef combo plate
Dubbed LA’s first (and only) KBBQ drive-thru, MGD Express offers a modernized drive-thru experience that allows you to pre-order your items online and wait until the order is ready before driving up to the pick up window. The process is simple and easy with menu offerings that focus on grilled Korean BBQ plates and Korean fusion appetizers
In a city brimming with food options, MGD Express stands alone in creating an elevated Korean barbecue experience to go. Even though they have a casual atmosphere, they don’t compromise on their quality. MGD offers Korean-style barbecue beef, pork, and chicken plates, Kalbi short rib, loco moco plates, in addition to savory bar bites and appetizers. To enhance your meal, they also offer a broad selection of sauces such as bulgogi soy, sriracha chipotle, white garlic and chimichurri among others.
“We know that drive-thrus and takeout friendly concepts are here to stay so we really had to develop concepts and ideas that were “takeout” friendly and could hold its flavor over a period of time, added Ahn.
We feel really good about the core menu that we’ve developed and we are now focused on finding more drive-thru type locations as we expand.”
Loaded Brisket Tots topped with grilled onions, cheese and gochujang BBQ sauce
Although the menu thrives off of its unique dishes, we recommend the chicken and beef combo – premium cuts of a half portion of chicken and half portion of prime brisket that you can enjoy all at once. Order a side of loaded loco moco tots made with a bulgogi-marinated beef patty topped with nacho cheese, jalapenos, fried egg, and kimchi gravy sauce with sriracha chipotle on the side for a delicious start to your meal.
If you’re in the mood for tacos, MGD offers mouthwateringly tender chicken and pork belly tacos made with a large flour tortilla, Korean onion and cabbage slaw and served with your choice of chile verde or sriracha chipotle sauce. More importantly, all the menu items hold their flavor perfectly over a long period of time.
As baseball season approaches, MGD Express looks to be a great option for fans looking for a pregame meal and can conveniently head to Dodger stadium without having to get out of their cars.
At MGD Kitchen in La Habra, the sister location offers many of the same menu items, but with a more interactive dining experience. The location offers a full bar with various cocktail pairings to choose from. MGD Kitchen is now open for patio dining, takeout, and delivery. 1464 S. Harbor Blvd. La Habra, 90631.
Korean-inspired tacos topped with caramelized kimchi and cabbage slaw.
In response to its success, MGD Korean BBQ is poised to continue its expansion with a third location currently in progress in the city of Northridge. An estimated opening date has not been announced.
Looking ahead, MGD plans to focus on drive-thrus and takeout-friendly locations as they continue to expand.
MGD Korean BBQ Express is located at 686 N Spring St. Los Angeles, 90012, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information on MGD Kitchen, visit: mgdkitchen.com
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