Manna Heaven BBQ Downtown

**What makes this different:** While the rest of Gaslamp feeds you quickly or funnels you toward the next bar, Manna Heaven makes you slow down and actually cook. You're not ordering street tacos or grabbing a burrito to go—you're sitting at a table with an embedded grill, flipping meat yourself, and spending an hour doing it. It's the only Korean BBQ in the district's core, which means it's also the only spot where a robot might deliver your banchan while you're mid-flip on a strip of bulgogi.

The setup runs all-you-can-eat with two tiers—A1 and A2 menus that cover the basics through premium cuts. You order via tablet (unless you're seated near the host stand, where a server handles it old-school), and plates arrive fast enough that you're never waiting on the next round. The grill heat is inconsistent—some tables run perfect, others scorch everything before you figure out the dial. Ask your server to adjust it early, or you'll spend the meal rescuing charred edges.

The banchan spread is generous and self-serve, which matters when you're grazing between meat rounds. The kimchi's solid, the pickled radish cuts the richness, and you'll plow through more than you planned while waiting for your first protein drop. Stick with marinated options like bulgogi or spicy pork if you want flavor insurance—the unmarinated cuts depend entirely on your grilling skills and that temperamental burner.

Downtown location means tourist-friendly but also means locals use it for group dinners when they want something different from the taco-and-beer circuit. Waits hit 20-30 minutes on weekends, shorter on weeknights. The experience is hands-on enough that kids either love it or get bored, no middle ground. If you've never done tabletop grilling, the staff walks you through it without judgment—this isn't a spot that assumes you know the drill.