The day of dread has finally arrived. Welcome to the last week of classes Trojans, and also the very last iteration of Dining Dollars! Although I’m stoked to be free from the shackles of 9 a.m. classes and finally graduate, I’m mostly disheartened that my time at USC is ending in what feels like the blink of an eye.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers of Dining Dollars for following my unofficial guide to eating on a budget as a broke college student in Los Angeles. After being the first in my family to attend college out of state, I used my love for food as a roadmap to exploring my new surroundings, and I hope I was able to serve L.A. justice during my journey. 

As a final goodbye gift, I’d like to leave you all with the restaurant that started it all. I’ve reviewed countless restaurants, from high-quality cuisine to budget street food, but one of the only restaurants that I have found to balance both tastefully and has kept me crawling back for the last three years is Meat Love Korean BBQ. 

The all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant specializes in an expansive selection of marbled and marinated meats as well as various endless side appetizers. Situated in the heart of Koreatown, the shop is open from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. from Monday through Thursday, with lunch hours and later hours on weekends. 

The menu is divided into two separate protein price tiers with standard meat options such as smoky beef belly, prime brisket and marinated beef bulgogi coming in at $27, as well as the premium package, including cajun shrimp, beef short rib and baby octopus on top of all meats, which is set at $32 per person. 

MeatLove is priced $3 more than my budget-friendly KBBQ pick of BBQ AYCE, but stretches the few extra dollars pretty far. 

One of the crowning jewels of the restaurant is the unlimited side appetizers and soups that come with the packaged prices. Ranging from kimchi rice boxes to fried dumplings, there’s a nice variation of textures for short breaks in between meat. It can be easy to fill up solely on side dishes, but the key is to portion your appetizers with friends and to prioritize the main course. 

However, my favorite part of the restaurant is actually not the food, but the merch. Meat Love sells a restaurant-branded T-shirt featuring their logo for $13. For patrons who bring the shirt to their visit, they can claim a free soda each time they come. As a soda connoisseur, this has been a groundbreaking deal that has earned me my money back three times over by now and has lasted me longer than some of my college friendships since I bought the shirt during my sophomore year. 

Each time I swing by the restaurant, it feels unchanged and routinely efficient as it has been for the past three years. 

Upon entry, the staff is friendly and quickly seats us with little to no wait, even during peak dinner hours. The floors are slick from the grease of the meats, but the atmosphere is welcoming, emulating a bar or pub setting with wooden tables and that day’s basketball game playing on the TVs. 

The banchan is already laid out on the table once sat, with selections of macaroni salad, japchae, kimchi and plans to order more — Meat Love’s banchan is one of the best and I stand by that unapologetically. 

I spill my memorized order to the waiter as massive plates of meat come flying out of the kitchen just moments later. I typically just dump the meat directly on the grill for efficiency while munching on the banchan and side orders in the meantime. 

The beef belly is my all-time favorite KBBQ meat in general, with nice ribbons of juicy meat that I like to char to a crispy texture. Admittedly, the beef belly at Meat Love is a bit more greasy and saturated than other KBBQ restaurants I’ve tried, but wrapped with the house salad or rice paper adds a refreshing twist. 

The prime brisket has a quality feel and a nice, tender texture when cooked with close attention. Over the years, I’ve also grown to love the marinated beef rib fingers and beef bulgogi, which add a flavorful, sweet and savory conclusion to any KBBQ feast. 

The fried dumplings, steamed egg soup and kimchi soup always come out piping hot, with the dumplings adding a crispy crunch to the meal and the soups offering a sense of homey warmth and comfort for an all-around cohesive eating experience. 

From the complimentary soda to the endless side appetizers and wide selection of Korean comfort foods, Meat Love is a dining destination that caters to all tastes and palettes. I may be biased with my love of Korean cuisine and Koreatown, but Meat Love will always hold a special place in my heart as my first regular go-to spot in L.A. 

Whether or not you agree with my biases, at the very least, I hope this column series has inspired readers to stretch outside their comfort zone and find affordable ways to connect with community and culture.

Jason Pham is a senior writing about affordable eating and restaurants in his column, “Dining Dollars,” which runs every other Monday.