UVU food court review: Cupbop

UVU’s food court has plenty of dining options. From classics like Chick-fil-A to more niche locations such as Aubergine or Fishbone Sushi, a surprisingly popular upstart can often be found among them.

Cupbop is a Korean-style barbecue restaurant. As the name suggests, Cupbop serves its food in large cup-like bowls, where the base is a comforting mixture of rice, cabbage and rice noodles. However, that base is always mixed with a variable topping, consisting of either chicken, beef, pork, veggies, tofu or mandoo (Korean-style, deep-fried potstickers). 

At Cupbop, the ordering process is simple. First, you pick the topping; from there, you select a spice level on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being the least spicy and 10 being the spiciest. Finally, you choose whether or not you want add-ons such as kimchi (a traditional Korean spicy, pickled cabbage), mandoo or a Korean beverage.  

For those who are calorie-counting, the individual cups (without the sauces) range from 560 to 970 calories depending on the cup. This can make Cupbop an incredibly filling meal. However, its largest drawback is the price. A single cup will cost at least $10.50, and to make it a meal, that price will increase to $15.00, despite the meal option only adding a drink and a couple of potstickers to the cup.

To better understand its newfound popularity, The Review interviewed a Cupbop student employee and asked questions about what they think of the menu, the work environment and regular customers.

Jason Garcia, a computer science major taking the semester off to work, graciously offered some of his insights. “It’s definitely busiest during lunchtime,” he shared. “Somewhere between 11:30 and 2:00.”

When asked about the most popular items on the menu, Garcia responded, “Definitely the Rock Bop, [(fried chicken cup)], or … it’s kinda strange because so many people order this specific thing, but the combo cup with beef and chicken.” Garcia also stated that he enjoyed the Piggy Bop (BBQ pork cup).  

Unfortunately, it seems that some items are quick to go in and out of stock as supply chains struggle. “We discontinued the Crunch Bop [katsu chicken],” Garcia explained. “A few months ago, I think it was in December, Sysco was completely out of stock, so none of the locations were able to order it.” (More information about the rising prices of chicken and eggs can be found on The Review’s website.)

As for those looking for a starting job, Garcia readily shares his experience. “I’ve worked at Cupbop since October of 2021. I like the atmosphere; it’s very chill, a very easy job, very straightforward.” 

For the UVU location’s popularity, Garcia explained, “You’d be surprised at how many people come consistently throughout the week. We have a lot of regulars. For a lot of [them] we have their order memorized and will have it ready before they order. It’s fun.”

Check out more information regarding Cupbop’s menu here. Additionally, stay tuned for more reviews of other UVU dining options published by The Review.