Dae Gee Korean BBQ, a full-service Korean barbeque concept progressively blending Korean food tradition with American culture, has officially opened its first international location in Mexico.

Located just south of downtown Puerto Vallarta in the popular Zona Romántica neighborhood, the new restaurant was opened by Puerto Vallarta-based Restaurant Management Group (RMG), whose partners possess more than 100 years of combined restaurant and franchise experience with such brands as Jamba Juice, Nathan’s Famous, Mark Pi’s, Taco Maker, and more.

“We’re elated to have opened Dae Gee’s first international location, and to be able to bring the brand’s great food and exceptional dining experience to Mexico for the first time,” says RMG president Jim Roo.

Dae Gee founder and CEO Joseph Kim added, “This is a great time to be a part of the Dae Gee family. The opening of our first location in Mexico is a significant milestone for us, and we look forward to leaving all our new customers well fed with culture, humor, and top-quality home recipe style Korean food.”

Popularized by celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in 2015, Dae Gee exposes customers to an interactive experience that allows them to cook their own meat on grill tops at their tables when they dine. Customers have the option to choose from a variety of traditional Korean meats like Galbee (Beef Short Ribs), Sam Gyeob Sal (Sliced Pork Belly) and Dak Bulgogi (Chicken), which are marinated in DAE GEE’s secret marinade. Each choice meat, as well as fish and vegetarian options, can be enjoyed in a bowl, hot stone pot, or tucked inside lettuce and eaten as a wrap. Entrees can be piled high with your choice of side or mixings, including rice, fresh slaw, spicy sauce, and a variety of nine side dishes, such as kimchee, broccoli, radish and fish cakes.

Fieri said of Dae Gee, “This isn’t just any Korean restaurant. This one’s off the hook!”

“This is the customer’s chance to fill up, to indulge in eccentric flavors, and to experience diverse dishes,” says Roo. “This is the essence of Dae Gee. Soak in the sensations rather than tirelessly consume.”

Guests of the restaurant in Puerto Vallarta can enjoy many of the favorites found in Dae Gee’s U.S. locations, while also being offered a selection of fresh locally sourced seafood options including shrimp, octopus, and mahi-mahi. Dae Gee Puerto Vallarta also has a fully stocked bar that features handcrafted cocktails using Korean spirits, as well as local and imported beers, sake, a full wine list and all the usual favorites.

The new restaurant is the first of as many as 20 that RMG has committed to opening across various parts of Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City.

Their second restaurant is already under construction in Puerto Vallarta’s new Puerto Mágico cruise ship terminal and is expected to open in the Spring of 2024.