50 Best Korean Restaurants in Chicago

“Amazing, a perfect evening.“

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

“Absolutely love everything about this place.

This restaurant was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The service was excellent—friendly, attentive, and quick without feeling rushed. The staff made us feel very welcome and were happy to help with recommendations.“

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

“Had a great time!! The staff were really kind and the service was great. The food is delicious, pictured is the Garlic Chicken Wings and fries.

As for the karaoke, the mics are definitely better than more expensive places I’ve been to as it can pick up your voice better. Selection is limitless since it’s connected through YouTube!

Will be coming back!“

“Adorable spot serving surprisingly traditional foods with a spin. Haven’t seen monkfish on a menu for a while! The squid salad was a bit skimpy with the seafood but the sauce was perfect. The service was quick and on point. The drinks were delicious also with a legit bar menu.“

“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. 🌻“

“Korean food so good it almost made a grown woman cry. Our many thanks to the staff for their kindness, attention to detail, and delicious food!

We ordered the sundubu jjigae, bulgogi kimbap, seafood pajeon, and fried chicken. The jjigae was especially great - pure comfort in a bowl!“

“Our Saturday lunch at Rice’N Bread was great. They have a tight menu of Korean and Western diner style food. We had the Buldak and Spicy Yang Nyum Chicken that were generous portions with rice and coleslaw and very tasty. Efficient service. Well priced. The washroom situation is a little different, walking through the tight kitchen. There is a liquor store next door for BYOB. A great find in the neighborhood. No frills, just good authentic food.“

“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.“

“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.“

“The food is good, but I’m gonna have to remove stars because of the customer service. 😕 When I first entered, I wasn’t greeted. The associate just stared at me, as if to say “I don’t have all day. Are you gonna order anything?” She had the most stony expression… It was only my second time here, so I was quite sure I had not had any negative encounters with anyone. I was trying to get suggestions and ask questions about certain things, but every time I asked a question about something, the server just dumped it in the bowl. He never answered the question. When I got to the cashier, I apologized, because I wondered if I had done something wrong. But he just referred to me as “diva,” and tried to assure me that nothing was wrong. I told him I didn’t appreciate being called a diva. I just don’t like being treated like I’m a problem when I haven’t done anything. I gave two stars for service, because my first experience was so amazing! I don’t know what happened.“

“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!!“

“Photographic proof we smashed some delicious, well prepared, food at the 88 market location. Looking forward to trying their Snow Onion Chicken. My date and I were curious about the sauce that comes with it. Is it gravy, is it wasabi, is it both?!? Maybe a cheese sauce? 🤤🫠🤭🍗“

“Korean/Mexican mash-up, most delicious, unique burritos and tacos I’ve ever had. We had a pork burrito and a taco sampler (1 pork, 1 chicken, 1 steak), pork taco was the best. Sweet and spicy, not too much of either. Trying to figure out where the delicious flavor in each bite comes from but you can’t because it’s such an awesome combination. All of the menu options come with either pork, chicken or tofu for your protein, you can add bulgogi steak for $2 or $3 depending on which item you choose. It’s a simple menu, 7 main choices and they do have about 8 different sides. Clean bathrooms, free water cups, friendly staff, really nice ambiance for a little place, nice decoration (paintings, old boomboxes, old ceiling tiles) and lighting. Very highly recommend. Zero complaints. The prices are fair for what you get too, especially downtown. I barely ever write food reviews either but this place earned it.“

“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.“

“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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Wonderful food & service! Highly recommend!“

“We visited Dancen on a Saturday night and it was super busy but we got seated at the bar immediately! Got a front row view to the grill and service was great.

It was our first time here and we were blown away by the food - everything had so much flavor and want too spicy. Truly incredible, every dish was amazing. We got the fire chicken with cheese, spicy rice cakes, spicy pork skin, and the seafood pancake. The pancake was our favorite but you truly can’t go wrong. Will definitely be back!!“

“I mean, it’s just real.
There’s a limited menu, and what I got was the spicy beef and vegetable soup. Amazing flavor, only obstacle is not burning myself eating too fast. Seems like most of the other dishes are the more nutritious and rich sullungtang-style soups that can be less flavorful, so if you’re looking for a soup with more spice mine was i n c r e d i b l e. comes with banchan and the little grandma watching k-dramas in the back room. this place has amazing food and reviews to match yet never seen more than 1 group in here at a time. it’s like a magic place that picks you, not the other way around. if cho sun ok is the legendary place for korean barbecue, this is the legendary place for korean soup.
(i will say as someone with a dietary restriction i was a little scared because there was almost no information provided whatsoever. so for anyone wondering about gluten free, the soups come with glass noodles, probably made from sweet potato)“

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

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

“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.“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“My story of getting hooked to this place is kinda funny. I take metra to downtown for work and on the way back home, there was a random girl eating food on the metra, I had to think many times before I could approach her asking where she got her food from because it looked so appealing and smelled so gooood, guess what? Them Mukbang videos on TikTok made me do it, I ended up asking her where she got her food from and she told me about this hidden place located in Chicago’s French Market. I walked about 10 minutes from my workplace in this freezing cold weather and ordered Ramyun for lunch, I sat there to taste test it before I headed back to work and I told the guy (who seems super nice) that I will stop by at the end of my work to get 3 more orders of Ramyun so I could take them home for my family. I LOVED IT!!!“

“During my visit, the limits of my spice tolerance were tested and thoroughly surpassed. Despite the weakness of my taste buds, the food was delicious! The service was great, too - the waiter who served me very kindly helped me decide between two dishes and explained the differences between them. I had the tteokppoki and the soon dubu jjigae. I want to visit again sonetime to try the scallion pancake and the kimchi fried rice.“

“I've been coming here for months, and I'm fully convinced that CM Chicken has some of the best fried chicken in the city, hands down. The place is always clean and the staff always treat me well. Give this place a try, you won't regret it.“

“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.“

“Vegetable dumplings were fire 🔥“

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

“I finally tried CM after years of walking by it and it was fantastic. I walked in and ordered the Curry Chicken to go. Took about 10 minutes and I sat down at the bar for a beer while I waited. Service was great and will definitely be going back.“

“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 ☺️“

“Second time at Seoul Taco in Lakeview and it absolutely delivered again. I ordered the two chicken tacos and the elote bites, and everything was incredible. The spice level, fresh chives, tender chicken, and the sauce all came together perfectly. The flavors are bold and balanced, and every bite hits. If you're in the area and want something unique, this Korean-Mexican fusion spot is a must. I’ll definitely be back.“

“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.“

“amazing food and great service“

“Great experience, very friendly environment.“

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

“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!“

“Wife has gluten allergy, was super excited to find a place that was fully gluten free. 4 of us all ordered various versions of the steak bowls, all 4 of us LOVED the food. Also had an order of the fries which were cooked to perfection. We ordered online for pick up, easy process and was ready 5 minutes earlier than expected. Great service at pickup, super friendly!“

“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!“

“February 2026 ( the update)

After long 8 years of not visiting we decided to come over and try it again. It was amazing. This restaurant is an Urban Decay Restaurant style type of the venue. In Seoul or Tokyo you will pay a premium $ to experience a fake urban decay, but here it is real - run by real people!
The food was amazing!
The service was brutal by Korwan ladies and amazing equally to the food!
But the atmosphere was one of the best I have experienced from Paris to Doha to Seul to Tokyo and all the way back. I know a spot in Cape Town with the similar vibe (not telling). Open your mind and experience. Be emotionally stable.

8 years ago feom 2026
This is our second time at Cho Sun Ok. BYOB. Super crowded! Bulgoki was excellent. However, pan chan spread was mediocre at best, even kim chi was not good -with no flavor and not correct fermintation. I would go back just for bulgoki.“

“Great server, highly recommended“

“Friendly staff and great food! I would recommend their rice bowls, they're massive I usually have enough for lunch the next day! Their sweet and spicy sauce is delicious with their chicken aswell 😋 I would absolutely recommend coming here!“

“Ordered the bulgogi kimbap, bibimbap, and a passion fruit aide. This is our third time eating here and the Korean food is very very legit and good! Had the tteokbboki last time and that was also very legit! Can’t wait to try the rest of the menu! ☺️“

“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.“