50 Best Korean Restaurants in Chicago

“Amazing, a perfect evening.“

“Very tasty sundubu, delicious sides, and good service.“

“I appreciated the hostess & manager accommodating our small group without a reservation. Our ‘hour’ began late ( into the hour already at start ) and had to end ten minutes early to allow prep time for the next customers with an appointment for the room, but the atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming, and we felt safe. First visit; will return. Thanks, Greenlight!“

“I cannot say enough about how great TAK is! The atmosphere is cozy and the food fantastic. The staff is exceptional and aim to please, especially Karina. I would recommend for a special night out, or if you just want to kick back with good food and music.“

“Good food and great service. I will definitely be returning.“

“Ordered the spring rolls, beef bulgogi and a chicken noodle dish (I do not recall the name) - all were delicious - even the 3rd time around.

Short wait time, ambient lighting, and kind staff.

Thank you for a delicious meal. 🌻“

“Very creative cocktais; well balanced and creative menu. Loved the banchan to start, and we particularly enjoyed the Galbi with lettuce wraps. Kimchi fried rice was another hit as well as the mushroom bulgogi that blew us away. Staff were attentive and fun to chat with. 10/10 overall and we'll definitely be back!“

“been here a few times, each is better experience that the last, attempt to try most of their items on menu. So far, my favorite is their Mango smoothies with cloud cheese, as drink. Their cloud cheese is really good and a balance of salty taste with the sweetness of the mango, the tapioca in the drinks is plentiful but not overpowering the water content. I had it in other Chinatown restaurants, some had too many tapiocas that my teeth were tired chewing them. Cuckoo is not. Their Don (Japanese rice bowls) and their bibimbap (Korean rice bowls) are excellent. Have not decide which is better because each have their own uniqueness and tastes; I had 2 types of their bibimbap before and only 1 type of their Don. So far, I am leaning towards the Don but there is excellent amount of veggie in their Bibimbap, which is ideal for weigh concise person. Wish they have a loyal customer rewards style of drinks incentives, much like some restaurants, for example, buy 9 and get 1 free drink, or some % off after 5 drink purchases, and give customers an advertisable nice pocket size reward card to keep track of their purchases. That may also work with food item purchases as well. Crossing my fingers that this may happen soon. With summer in Chicago, cool refreshing drinks is ideal and as loyal customers, return for more drink purchases with rewards will be even better.“

“We had a fabulous dinner last night at Chicago Kalbi with Cummins Peru, Komat'su, and the VPs from Antimina copper mine.

Such a great place, where you cook the wagyu & kobe beef at your table. The food was delicious ?

Isao Tozuka, the chef and his wife Chiyo-san, are fabulous hosts, very friendly, and really happy to help and show you how things are do e.

I would definitely recommend coming here. It's a unique place. Make sure you book though ad it can be busy.“

“First time visiting Chicago, first restaurant I went to here. Simply the best Korean food I’ve ever had, hands down. And incredibly affordable. Thanks for making my visit to such an awesome city so memorably delicious lol the seafood pancake was irresistible“

“Rice N Bread is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Jacop is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Amazing Galbi burger. Must come back. 10/10. I liked the pictures on the walls.“

“Wonderful food & service! Highly recommend!“

“I visited Seoul Taco on a quiet night. The service was efficient and fast. The restaurant has a simple concept that absolutely works. The quesadilla I ordered was very tasty and spicy! Loved it! The tofu burrito my husband ordered was almost too spicy for him but he finished it anyway! That says a lot!“

“Parachute is one of my top ten favorite restaurants I’ve ever been lucky enough to enjoy! I think a lot about Chef Kim’s gem lettuce and fish sauce salad, I still Remember it four years later! I can’t wait to go back and to check out Wherewithall!!“

“I loved “Perilla” …Please do not think of this as your typical Korean BQ grill/Restaurant. This is the most excellent Korean BQ restaurant I have ever been in and I have been in quite few over the years both in Korea back in the day and in the USA…Tomba⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“CM Chicken is one of my favorite chicken places in all of Chicago (yes, including the Chicago favorites that you’re used to hearing about). They don’t miss. My recommendation would be to get the Sweet Korean fried chicken wings. I usually get the sauce on it, but you can opt to get it on the side (as pictured). The wings are hella crispy. I personally prefer the sweet Korean, but the Honey Garlic wings are also great. I’m going to give the Spicy Garlic a try next. And the staff are always super friendly. A+ experience here every single time.“

“I've been to many Korean BBQ's within the states and I have to say this was the best customer service we received. This place is pricey for the small portions you get. I'd definitely come back for the service tho.“

“Specialty Korean restaurant that offers several classic Korean dishes for a competitive price.

The restaurant has plenty of seating parties between 2-4 people.

The chicken bento box was a good value for the portions but it could've used a little more spice in the chicken bulgogi.

The service was consistent and the food came out promptly.

There is limited street parking. This restaurant is best accessed by public transit or by foot.“

“Authentic made by family Korean food. Consistently good food and service.“

“The food tasted amazing. Our server was friendly and helped us understand the menu options as well as make some recommendations for us as first-timers. We had the tebokki, unagi bowl, and jjigae. They were all delicious! The Makku maekgeoli was also a winning beverage. The atmosphere was great for date night, lower lighting and intimate. We're already planning to go back and try the other menu options.“

“Amazing little place. I normally would have thought they were closed just on the outward appearance. But a friend of mind said we should go there.
The Spicy chicken buldak w/cheese was my favorite. However the Spicy BBQ pork ribs were also extremely good. I could also have eaten probably 3 plates of the Tteokbokki if given the opportunity. Also give the chicken kabob a shot if you just want a little bit more without ordering another entree.

We arrived at 5, right when they open. And almost immediately after we ordered this place became PACKED!. So plan ahead, this is a popular place.

The atmosphere was interesting. They play K-pol on a TV and on a projector, and the lighting is kept very low. But it adds something to the experience that felt very cozy.

When we went, they were only accepting cash and zelle, so keep that in mind.

Cannot wait to go again because next time I'm going for the Budae-jjigae.“

“Authentic made by family Korean food. Consistently good food and service.“

“I loved this place! Excellent food and service. Very friendly atmosphere. Store front is well lit and nicely organized. Our table was clean. The plates were very nice.
Only room for improvement may just be deep cleaning aspects. Otherwise, I will be coming back for the authentic food!“

“I really enjoyed both the Bulgogi Soy Pork and the Jeyuk Spicy Pork! The portions were generous, the prices were very reasonable, and the owner was incredibly friendly. What I loved the most was how quickly the food was prepared—I received my order in about five minutes. Even after bringing it home and eating it 30 minutes later, it was still warm and delicious. I truly appreciate the excellent quality at such an affordable price and would highly recommend it!“

“The sweetest little grandma runs this soup shop and it feels so homely!! We loved the soups we ordered, and will definitely be going back again! If you’re looking for nostalgic Korean soup, this is the humblest, most affordable place, 10/10!“

“KFIRE spicy BBQ sauce is delicious. I use it on everything from chicken to steak. I highly recommend it.“

“best chicken wings,fried rice and fire chicken I've eaten. this place is a j hidden gem“

“I don't usually leave reviews, but I was SO impressed with K-Kitchen. I had some time to kill before my train so I picked up some veggie fried rice with fried chicken. It took a while for them to make it, but it was so, so good--and it was fresh and hot!

Absolutely recommend, but factor in the time it'll take to make your food. It'll be worth it, but it's not something you grab 5 minutes before you get on the train or bus.“

“Vegetable dumplings were fire 🔥“

“The pork bowl I just ate wasn't worth the $20 it kinda tasted burnt. the place was a nice after work spot with literally no parking..I was surprised I found any. I'll try this place one more time, that's if parking is available.“

“amazing food and great service“

“Definitely one of the best burgers I’ve had!“

“I tried the original fried chicken and the spicy garlic chicken—both were enjoyable, though the latter was slightly too sweet for my taste. The store could benefit from better cleanliness. That said, food was served promptly, and the prices were reasonable. I’ll likely return, but only for takeout.“

“Love the architectural design with the exposed Brick and HVAC ducts. The space exuded warmth through it’s wood tables and floors and low lighting. Bathrooms were very clean also. Now, i ordered the Bulgogi Bap and let me tell you 😍…the beef was tender, flavorful with a hint of bbq. The rice was seasoned to perfection and the portions were large enough to satisfy me and i hadn’t eaten since 9 am. Im super satisfied with my experience ☺️“

“Great experience, very friendly environment.“

“After a day of hiking within the Indiana Dunes National Park, my friends and I came here under the recommendation of one of us within the crew who was from Korea, referencing this establishment as her favorite Korean restaurant in Chicago, and it did not disappoint. We ordered some dishes that I normally wouldn't order in Korean restaurants, and it was the right move.

I am certain that the fact we were hungry played a role in elevating the taste for us, but everything to me tasted good. The free pancakes were too oily for me, and the free banchan was good in the most standard manner. The short ribs (galbi) didn't have enough salt on it, but had enough pepper which helped preserve some of the taste. Since it was Korean beef short ribs, I was already happy just having some available. These are just the dishes that I felt less passionate about relatively.

Apart from the dishes mentioned above, everything else was a hit. The charbroiled mackarel had really good flavor along with just the right level of crispiness, and adding a hint of lemon juice gave it a new level of flavor that elevated the dish even more. The pan broiled octopus dish had really tasty base sauce, which had a good amount of gochugaru and probably gochujang. I even mixed some of the base sauce with extra rice. The beef soup with ox blood contained solid blood chunks that had very good texture, and the soup itself was seasoned very well. Finally, the babyclam soup noodle wasn't too salty, and had the right type of ingredients to make this dish a very comforting experience after a long day of hikes in the winter season.

I noticed that some of the reviews mentioned that it was difficult to locate a spot. That wasn't my experience. The store was nearly empty when my friends and I arrived on a Wednesday evening at roughly 6pm, and the owner was able to point us to the round table since we had 5 people in total. He was pretty clear about a party of 4 using a rectangular table and a party of above 5 using a round table, in classic Asian grandpa fashion, and I loved it.“

“A true hidden gem for comforting, home-style Korean food, tucked inside Joong Boo Market and reminiscent of a classic Korean food stall. It’s no-frills, just hearty dishes with great quality at an excellent value. We especially loved the codfish soup and tteokbokki. It’s always a treat to grab some groceries and enjoy a quick bite at the snack corner.“

“Just swung by Seoul Taco on Belmont (Lakeview) and it was 🔥. Spent about $25 grabbing a Gogi Bowl and 3 Seoul Tacos, plus lime agua fresca. Flavor was bumpin’, that gochujang drizzle really hits. Portions are legit and they don’t skimp on protein. Super chill vibes, quick counter‑service, and perfect spot to grab a bite with friends. Will defs be back!“

“We went to the commerce to eat at a different restaurant and did not have a good experience. Tony D. stepped up and was so willing to help and made us some amazing food! The cauliflower is amazing and the bowl with white rice was perfect. I will definitely be going back when I’m in the area!“

“Good Buffalo chicken strips and onion rings!“

“Was my first time here and I like it! 10.26.2018“

“I ordered from here on a whim while I was picking up something else on a hot day, and it exceeded my expectations. The sauted mushrooms were so flavorful and I loved the sauces I got. I was already thinking about my next visit in the middle of my bowl. I might try the chicken next time, I'm very picky and weird about food textures and was loving the ribeye until I saw some fatty bits on it. I removed that and recognize it's more a me thing though, so take that part w a grain of salt. Oh and I almost forgot the fries! Cooked well with good amount of seasoning.“

“I brought my aunt, who has lived in Chicago for 50 years, here. She was very surprised by how authentic the Korean food at this restaurant is.

The restaurant’s atmosphere feels like stepping into Korea itself — like sitting down to eat a home-cooked meal made by a kind auntie.

But you also have to accept that the service may be a bit difficult, as communication can be a challenge at times.“

“Ate there for the first time tonight. I am vegan and my husband is an Omni. Chef Bill came out and waited on us personally, and gave us menu recommendations, all of which were delicious! The ambiance was so relaxing and peaceful; it was a nice respite from a busy day and I didn’t want to leave. Reasonably priced as well: shared appetizer, two teas, two entrees, and two desserts was $60. Will definitely be back for many more dinners!“

“I usually don't leave a review here but I want this place to get bigger and larger so I can have their tteokbokki wherever in the States so easily

Please try Chadol Tteokbokki ($20) and the kimbap combination set ($13) with your friend, which I did today with my friend. If there’s a God of Korean street food, Sang’s kitchen is that god blessed.

We were already full but we weren’t able to leave any leftovers since it seemed disrespectful for this god blessed tteokbokki. I barely go to Korean restaurants and rather cook at home, but this deserves my money

I would like to say this to Koreans who are sad from homesickness, so I hope you all enjoy the tteokbokki made by the Nobel Snack Prize winner, and I wish you all a Happy New Year.“

“Amazing place! We split the bulgogi burger, pork and rice and the kimchi kimbap and it was all spectacular. The flavors were so on point. The best part was the service though, our server made our day with how attentive and friendly she was. Can’t wait to come back!“

“10 minutes walk from Willis Tower. A Korean restaurant easily accessible while walking around downtown Chicago. The Korean owner is very kind and the soft tofu stew and rice are generous, as the owner likes. I highly recommend it because you can go to the Korean mart after eating. See you again.“

“It was my 1st time eating Korean BBQ. The food was delicious and it's fun to have the BBQ cooked at your table. I loved all the side dishes and all 3 types of meat we had were very tasty and tender. I didn't find the staff to be very friendly, that would have made the atmosphere so much better. I felt the price was unexpectedly high but it was definitely something I would do again.“

“Good portions, delicious food and cozy environment“

“Great server, highly recommended“