Sad to see so many shops in Telegraph Avenue closed, the whole area is now desolate.
Cara H.
Food: 3/5Service: 3/5Price: 4/5Atmosphere: 4/5 TL;DR: This was my go to spot during my undergraduate days. I returned after not coming for a really long time and was very disappointed by the food. The food quality has decreased significantly. I probably will not be returning for a while.Fried Garlic Calamari: 2/5; not as crispy as I would have liked and I would have preferred the pieces of calamari to be smaller.Ramen Dduk Bok Ki: 3/5; overall not very good or bad, nothing special but if you're having a craving for this, it will hit the spot.Gan Jang Chicken: 3.5/5; this was probably the best item from everything I got, though the chicken was a bit dry. The overall flavor of the chicken was very good. Yang Nyum Chicken: 3/5; the flavor of the chicken was good, but a bit too spicy for me. The chicken was also a bit dry.The ambiance of the place was nice, but the food itself was mediocre at best. The prices have also increased a bit. The service was really slow and it seems the place is understaffed.
Eric K.
Hope this place reopens in the future. Been a customer of this place since back in 1990s as a student at Cal. Many fond memories of eating fried chicken and drinking beers. It's night time ambiance was amazing back in the days. Will miss this place forever. Ttoekbokki, Korean fried chicken and other meat dishes were spot on.
Alex J.
Permanently closed. This was a great place in Berkeley. Will be missed. Owners have sold the establishment already.
Tammy T.
Always a yes when you're in the Oakland/Berkeley area! My mother-in-law is one of the pickiest eaters, and she swears by this place! Quick service and bang for your buck! The chicken pieces are HUGE, and the fried rice is delicious. I love the vibe of the restaurant as well! A great place to bring your friends and family for a drink and delicious food.
Jessica S.
You can trust me when I say this is one of the best places in the Bay for KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). All the other dishes are delicious too. Just note that the service isn't the best, so don't come here if you are expecting amazing service and experience. Also, if you have a sensitive stomach, prepare to take a few TUMS after (I warned you!)
Taylor C.
My family has been going here for a few years now and never disappoints. We usually get the Gan Jang (garlic and soy sauce) fried chicken. I like that the pieces are thighs instead of wings. The chicken is so crispy and has the perfect amount of flavor. Sweet and savory. Not drenched it sauce either. Will continue to come back!
Karen N.
KFC (Korean fried chicken) is definitely the bomb and OBTown gives you a solid heaping. It's not the best KFC ever but it's decent amount for the price. I used to go here regularly before the pandemic and I have to say the most recent visit, it's definitely looking a bit run down. I don't think I'd ever sit here for a dine-in experience, it's now strictly take-out. It's a good amount of food for what seems like a bit on the high side pricing. Inflation has hit them like other places. Wish they placed a bit more emphasis on quality and they'd be a home run.
Scott D
Awesome chicken, 10 years strong.Go support, they’re def slow these days during pandemic. Food still bomb by the Aunties. ?
Erin Y.
OBTown is a really good Korean fried chicken place in the area! The chicken is always perfectly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. I always get takeout because they are sometimes understaffed inside and that usually takes 15-20 minutes.The soy garlic and the yangnyum chickens are my go-to. The soy garlic is savory and a bit sweet. The yangnyum is the perfect level of spice, definitely my favorite out of the two. I would recommend the yangnyum for a more Korean flavored chicken.Side dishes include cabbage and radish, which are nice and refreshing for the chicken.It's a bit on the pricey side but portions are large. 2 servings would be enough to feed a group of 6-10 in my opinion.
Ordered to-go from here. Thursday night, 8pm, very quiet store. Service was nice. Took around 20 minutes for 2 plates to be made. Fair pricing. Cheese ramen with rice cakes was alright, the rice cakes were soft and spicy. Good flavor. The chicken serving was a bit questionable. It was spicy, but not that tasty. This is a pretty average place overall, would come if I was around the area.
Rui Zhong
This is some bomb Korean fried chicken. The sweet and spicy is very saucy. The garlic soy is more of a dry rub but still really deep flavors. I expected wings so I was a bit surprised to find out these were boneless. But they were thighs, thankfully, and were cooked to perfection. Tender, moist, and tasty. I had to slow myself down to better enjoy them. Pretty decent portions too considering the price of an order.
Recommended dishes: Korean Fried Chicken
Ali Herrera
okay let me be honest, the food here is bomb but dude, the service is sooo baddd like I understand the lady that works there must be tired but there is no need to rely it on the customers. It definitely ruined my mood and something else I noticed is that she didn't wash her hands and the gloves she uses to cook are the same gloves she uses to handle money but other than that, everything wasn't so bad I guess. They should definitely try to keep their place more cleaner tho.
Veronica C.
Really enjoy coming here! I hate the commute but whenever I'm in the area, I try to make a stop here when I can. WARNING-- I came here back in June (mind you last time I was here was before pandemic I believe), it was closed even tho website says open. There are times the manager will close for the day at random. So if you plan to come here, make sure to call first!My fave dish that I get here are the chicken gizzards, corn cheese & kimchi fried rice. They give a pretty good portion-- enough to share & their soju I remember the drink being in the pineapple.
Emily Hou
Just learned that Mrs Song (OB Town owner and sweetest lady) recently passed away :( We live nearby and frequent this place for late night take out often. They have great chicken! I wish the restaurant continued success and we will keep frequenting!!
Sad to see so many shops in Telegraph Avenue closed, the whole area is now desolate.
Food: 3/5Service: 3/5Price: 4/5Atmosphere: 4/5 TL;DR: This was my go to spot during my undergraduate days. I returned after not coming for a really long time and was very disappointed by the food. The food quality has decreased significantly. I probably will not be returning for a while.Fried Garlic Calamari: 2/5; not as crispy as I would have liked and I would have preferred the pieces of calamari to be smaller.Ramen Dduk Bok Ki: 3/5; overall not very good or bad, nothing special but if you're having a craving for this, it will hit the spot.Gan Jang Chicken: 3.5/5; this was probably the best item from everything I got, though the chicken was a bit dry. The overall flavor of the chicken was very good. Yang Nyum Chicken: 3/5; the flavor of the chicken was good, but a bit too spicy for me. The chicken was also a bit dry.The ambiance of the place was nice, but the food itself was mediocre at best. The prices have also increased a bit. The service was really slow and it seems the place is understaffed.
Hope this place reopens in the future. Been a customer of this place since back in 1990s as a student at Cal. Many fond memories of eating fried chicken and drinking beers. It's night time ambiance was amazing back in the days. Will miss this place forever. Ttoekbokki, Korean fried chicken and other meat dishes were spot on.
Permanently closed. This was a great place in Berkeley. Will be missed. Owners have sold the establishment already.
Always a yes when you're in the Oakland/Berkeley area! My mother-in-law is one of the pickiest eaters, and she swears by this place! Quick service and bang for your buck! The chicken pieces are HUGE, and the fried rice is delicious. I love the vibe of the restaurant as well! A great place to bring your friends and family for a drink and delicious food.
You can trust me when I say this is one of the best places in the Bay for KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). All the other dishes are delicious too. Just note that the service isn't the best, so don't come here if you are expecting amazing service and experience. Also, if you have a sensitive stomach, prepare to take a few TUMS after (I warned you!)
My family has been going here for a few years now and never disappoints. We usually get the Gan Jang (garlic and soy sauce) fried chicken. I like that the pieces are thighs instead of wings. The chicken is so crispy and has the perfect amount of flavor. Sweet and savory. Not drenched it sauce either. Will continue to come back!
KFC (Korean fried chicken) is definitely the bomb and OBTown gives you a solid heaping. It's not the best KFC ever but it's decent amount for the price. I used to go here regularly before the pandemic and I have to say the most recent visit, it's definitely looking a bit run down. I don't think I'd ever sit here for a dine-in experience, it's now strictly take-out. It's a good amount of food for what seems like a bit on the high side pricing. Inflation has hit them like other places. Wish they placed a bit more emphasis on quality and they'd be a home run.
Awesome chicken, 10 years strong.Go support, they’re def slow these days during pandemic. Food still bomb by the Aunties. ?
OBTown is a really good Korean fried chicken place in the area! The chicken is always perfectly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. I always get takeout because they are sometimes understaffed inside and that usually takes 15-20 minutes.The soy garlic and the yangnyum chickens are my go-to. The soy garlic is savory and a bit sweet. The yangnyum is the perfect level of spice, definitely my favorite out of the two. I would recommend the yangnyum for a more Korean flavored chicken.Side dishes include cabbage and radish, which are nice and refreshing for the chicken.It's a bit on the pricey side but portions are large. 2 servings would be enough to feed a group of 6-10 in my opinion.
Restaurantji Recommends
Ordered to-go from here. Thursday night, 8pm, very quiet store. Service was nice. Took around 20 minutes for 2 plates to be made. Fair pricing. Cheese ramen with rice cakes was alright, the rice cakes were soft and spicy. Good flavor. The chicken serving was a bit questionable. It was spicy, but not that tasty. This is a pretty average place overall, would come if I was around the area.
This is some bomb Korean fried chicken. The sweet and spicy is very saucy. The garlic soy is more of a dry rub but still really deep flavors. I expected wings so I was a bit surprised to find out these were boneless. But they were thighs, thankfully, and were cooked to perfection. Tender, moist, and tasty. I had to slow myself down to better enjoy them. Pretty decent portions too considering the price of an order.
Recommended dishes: Korean Fried Chicken
okay let me be honest, the food here is bomb but dude, the service is sooo baddd like I understand the lady that works there must be tired but there is no need to rely it on the customers. It definitely ruined my mood and something else I noticed is that she didn't wash her hands and the gloves she uses to cook are the same gloves she uses to handle money but other than that, everything wasn't so bad I guess. They should definitely try to keep their place more cleaner tho.
Really enjoy coming here! I hate the commute but whenever I'm in the area, I try to make a stop here when I can. WARNING-- I came here back in June (mind you last time I was here was before pandemic I believe), it was closed even tho website says open. There are times the manager will close for the day at random. So if you plan to come here, make sure to call first!My fave dish that I get here are the chicken gizzards, corn cheese & kimchi fried rice. They give a pretty good portion-- enough to share & their soju I remember the drink being in the pineapple.
Just learned that Mrs Song (OB Town owner and sweetest lady) recently passed away :( We live nearby and frequent this place for late night take out often. They have great chicken! I wish the restaurant continued success and we will keep frequenting!!