Zaya 1943 Korean Steakhouse

Reviews

• WV

  Whitney Vandal

  5 days ago
  5.0
  We had Joseph last night, a future environmental scientist (and definitely not a serial killer despite his black gloves and tools) as our chef. He was really concerned about cooking our steak correctly as my date and I fought over ordering it medium rare or medium. He was professional and adorable. He had a great head of hair. He will not go bald early like his uncle did, despite his concerns. The food and cocktails were beautiful and delicious & I love the staff’s uniforms as a personal side note. They look super cool and sleek and mildly intimidating. Will definitely come back & thanks for the hilarious memories/conversation.
• KK

  Kensley

  Jan 3, 2026
  5.0
  MUST VISIT KOREAN RESTAURANT IN CHATTANOOGA! Worth it for a special occasion!! Celebrated my friends 34th birthday here in 2026 and had a phenomenal experience! Waiters Carson, Taylor, and Caden did a great job explaining the menu and experience of Korean BBQ! Carson especially shared a vast knowledge of Korean cuisine and Zaya 1943! As a first generation Korean American that grew up in Chattanooga TN, Zaya is an authentic representation of Korean food! Panchan/Banchan had variety! Service was amazing! Overall had a wonderful time!!!
• SD

  Shannon D. Dufour

  Jan 2, 2026
  5.0
  Wow! The unassuming exterior gives no hint of the beautiful space and the excellent food and service inside! This is truly a hidden treasure in Chattanooga! Beautifully designed and decorated, upscale & refined, yet such a comfortable atmosphere. Our servers, Aubrey & Caden were simply exceptional. Recommendations and descriptions of dishes were very helpful, and cooking at the table was perfectly executed. One of the very best (and most fun) meals we’ve had in Chattanooga, and we can’t wait to go back. This will be a must-return destination!
• RD

  Rebecca Debenport

  Dec 26, 2025
  2.0
  The two stars are for the friendliness of the staff and the willingness of the manager to comp several of our entrees. However, you don't go to a restaurant for the friendly staff, so I will stick with just two stars total. My daughter and I got the dol- sot bibimbap and it was decent ... not worth $25 but better than the dry-aged ribeye bibimbap that the other three in our party got. That dish was horrid and not something we'd pay $5 for, much less $28. The beef dumplings were okay, but nothing special. We did not get any of the grilled items or the steak. This was an incredibly disappointing experience and we don't plan to return. (I will mention that our server was Chase and he did a great job ... he provided good service and was apologetic for the food which he had no control over.)
• KC

  Kelsey C

  Dec 21, 2025
  3.0
  My husband and I were visiting my mom from out of town and treating her for a birthday dinner, and had a disappointing experience. We arrived early for our reservation and were understandably told that they were still preparing our table. When the hostess came to take us to our table, she told us our table was on the second floor, up a large flight of stairs - and no elevator to get up there. My mom has a bad knee so we requested a table on the ground floor. The hostess said she’d look into it. When she got around to giving us an update, we were told it would be another 20 minutes (which brought us to 30 minutes after our original reservation time). We were very graceful about the wait and ended up sitting at the bar for a drink while we waited. We were finally seated a little over an hour after we arrived, and 45 minutes after our original reservation time. I had told the hostess we were celebrating my mom’s birthday, but it was not acknowledged by our server and we didn’t receive any apology for the wait. The food was good, but not worth upwards of $300 for three entrees and four drinks. They should indicate that some tables are upstairs vs. on the ground floor when making the reservation, or at least give a heads up when you arrive Also, why ask what the occasion for dining with them is if they don’t acknowledge the celebration?

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