50 Best Korean Restaurants near Northbrook

“Love the vibes and food! Come here with your friends!!“

“As a Korean who lived in Chicago for over 20 years and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, I can say this clearly: this place is the real deal.

The food is exceptionally clean and well-balanced, made with high-quality ingredients and thoughtful seasoning. Nothing feels rushed or overly processed the flavors are subtle, honest, and comforting.

What impressed me most was that my in-laws, who recently came from Korea, said this place was better than many well-known restaurants back home. During their few weeks in the U.S., they liked it so much that we came back multiple times.

If you prefer bold, heavy, or highly seasoned flavors, this might feel a bit mild especially for younger diners who enjoy stronger tastes. But if you appreciate carefully prepared, wholesome food made with sincerity, this is absolutely a place worth visiting.

Highly recommended for anyone who values quality, balance, and genuinely good cooking.“

“I genuinely have nothing bad to say about this place. Both times I’ve gone, I’ve had amazing experiences. I highly recommend the yangji seolleongtang! :) I prefer it to the galbi tang. It’s a much milder broth and is still very filling.“

“This restaurant has the best rose tteokbokki I've ever had! The bulgogi and ramen are also delicious! The staff is very patient and will guide you through your menu selections. If you don't like your food too spicy, they will also adjust it to your liking. Very cute spot. Wonderful for date night.“

“I have spent 4 months in South Korea and was luckily able to experience and enjoy authentic KBBQ during that time. Since then, this restaurant has been the only one in the Chicagoland area that has been able to, not only match, but exceed my expectations. The food is authentic and super yummy (a solid 12 on a scale of 1-10). The customer service is beyond expectation and the atmosphere is perfect as well. I would absolutely recommend to anyone. I have been here on multiple occasions and I have had a fantastic experience every single time. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough! If I had the money to eat here every single day, I would. 최고입니다!!“

“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!“

“Food is amazing. Great place to get a lot of protein.“

“We finally got a chance to try this place, this has been on my radar for awhile. After reading some recent reviews, I want to clarify that they speak English here, people. Smh. They do have a good amount of parking here. It’s not huge but you should be able to find a spot. The actual restaurant is big so finding a table is not a problem. We got seated almost immediately. They do have a button on the wall to call for service when you are ready.

We ordered king kalbi, pork jowl, pork galbi, and seafood pancake. They have vegetable soybean paste stew that comes automatically with your meal. For banchan they have about 10 dishes including lettuce and salad. Yes they are refillable, you just have to ask. Everything tasted good. The seafood pancake was fully cooked. Please see picture. The pork jowl was juicy and a little fatty. It went well with the mushroom and onion. The king kalbi and pork galbi were delicious, you can cook the bone too. There is still meat on there. Service was very attentive, they checked up on us often and got us everything that we needed. I like this one better than Jin Soo.“

“CM Chicken in Vernon Hills is an absolute gem. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere and music set the perfect vibe, and the lovely gentleman who always serves me makes every visit feel welcoming and personal. I recently discovered this location and I’m already in love—this is my second visit just this week.

You must try the honey garlic chicken (it’s incredible), unless something else on their impressive 10-sauce menu catches your eye—honestly, you can’t go wrong. Everything I’ve had has been fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked.

I truly hope to enjoy this spot for a very long time. Do yourself a favor and stop by to support this fantastic Korean restaurant. Highly recommended!“

“Delicious your food 🍱 very friendly !!!!“

“Food is amazing. Great place to get a lot of protein.“

“As a Korean, i think this place has the best 해물파전 (seafood pancake). I truly loved how crispy it was without being greasy, and how packed it was with juicy vegetables and a generous amount of seafood. Everyone should order it here!

We also got the fish roe and spicy cod soups which were perfect in the cold winter weather.

The people here are very friendly and we had a great meals thanks to them! Would definitely recommend this place for authentic good Korean food in Chicago :)“

“A small, korean BBQ restaurant in a strip mall on Mt Prospect. We were greeting right away and sat at your table. The tables are separated and private from others. The servers was attentive and took our order quickly. Bottled water is sevred with every meal. We ordered the meat and seafood combo ( steak, chicken, shrimp, and squid) which it comes with a lot of meat. You get a dumping soup that was very filling. The meat is very well seasoned and cooks nicely on the grill. The side dishs were very good. I didnwish they had korean potatoe salad as one of the sode doshes. At the end they also give you ice cream bars. The food and service were amazing. The only negative thing I can say is that it does get smokey inside the restaurant. I definitely recommend coming here and will visit again myself.“

“This is my first time at this restaurant, and I was told it's good. So far, the Chicken Tender Lunch Special I ordered is great.“

“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.“

“Went for lunch special + had a delightful experience. Food is prepared to order with caring staff wanting everything correct. Food was ample, delicious + prepared/presented beautifully. For a casual spot, it was exquisite as well as the restaurant being incredibly clean. Will definitely be back very soon.“

“The Food Overall is on point & The service is Perfect 👌 Always We Love ❤️ eating the Variety of Choices Thank you for always serving Fresh Food 🥘 🙏😉😷 5 Star in our Book 😉“

“It’s like you’re being served by your relatives—they were so kind and accommodating, checking on us constantly. We had Galbi and the beef tongue. The banchans, especially the fish cake, were amazing. The portions were perfect as I didn’t feel overly full/overwhelmed compared to other places. We hope to come back to try their lunch entrees :)“

“Went in and love that its pet friendly. Had a good variety of hot dogs that I havent seen in other places, sandwiches and burgers, and bowls. I had the lemongrass grilled chicken bowl over rice. So good and unique flavors. The fries were crispy and delicious. Definitely returning with the pup.“

“Great food- meats , sides dishes could’nt ask for more. Service excellent . We loved the decore.“

“All the food we ordered was alll delicious!!“

“If you’re checking the reviews to see which spot is best to eat at I recommend you give this place a shot.

I’ve tried almost every spot outside of the chicken spot in the front and I have to say that what a dumpling is by far my favorite. Reminds me of my grandmas and mother’s food. Homemade dumplings and the broth tasted great. It’s a complete different texture compared to the frozen ones.

The Noona that worked there was great as well and I observed that all the customers that ordered from there were satisfied as well. When you see empty plates and bowls you know that’s a good sign.

Support this business! :) I got the traditional one. No 7 I believe.“

“Was the best! Great staff; fast and friendly service. Food was amazing!“

“This place is inside Hmart on the side by the checkout registers. The bacon cheese & egg toast was really good. It'd be easier to eat if the bacon was inside the sandwich instead of being right on top but not a big deal. They have corn dogs and tanghulu that alot of other people ordered but I didn't try those.“

“A real gem for gopchang BBQ with incredible hospitality. The cozy space and the friendly aunties greeting us with warm barley tea set the tone right away. We ordered beef intestines, NY steak, and pork belly, and soon our table was filled with an impressive spread of yummy banchan. The meats were all high quality, and the aunties grilled everything perfectly - the steak was flavorful, the pork belly crispy, and the beef intestines rich with a fatty textured that mellowed nicely after frying. The whole experience felt genuinely like family, and the quality and value are easily among the best in Chicago.“

“I’m so happy for that they’re bringing back their original taste, quality and also upgraded menu. New recipes are so yum. Really good. Our whole family loves this place. Also the owner lady’s service is lovely ☺️
If you craving something like sweet and spicy, I highly recommend this one. I love their Tteokbokki, original wings, my kids love their bibimbap, original chicken burger, fries and of course their boba drinks. I can promise their whole menu is so yum 😋.“

“This is a Korean Soup counter at the food court of the Park N Shop in Niles, IL. They have some of the best Korean Soups in the Chicago area. The Galbi Tang (Beef soup) is especially good. Also very goog beef and pork Bulgogi. All meals served with rice, excellent kimchi and soup (if ordering Bulgogi). We have been dining here or getting takeout here for 10 years and never had a bad meal.“

“Our go to restaurant.. the. best kimchi ever 😊“

“So delicious! The service was absolutely stellar!

We had more fun with the service ladies than each other. So much laughter!

The food was amazing! We had a 4 person combo. Highly recommend. We will be back many many more times!! 💕“

“Got the green onion chicken tenders. They were delicious. Also got the smashed pear drink. It was also great“

“Yeolmu Guksi is really delicious, pork cutlet, ugly tteokbokki (a lot of tempura), ramen, and gimbap are all delicious.Yeolmu Guksi/Kimchi noodles and pork cutlet are delicious. The best.You take pride in your radish kimchi, and you make all the side dishes yourself, so it's delicious❤️❤️“

“Fabulous and authentic! The staff were kind and helpful with recommendations and explaining the menu. I settled on a noodle dish. It was a large portion, very fresh and delicious. I also enjoyed the fresh packaged to-go items and took some snacks for later. Friendly and casual atmosphere. Easy parking.“

“This location is inside an HMart so it’s counter service. Very nice couple took our order- the hot stone bibimbop and the Beef short rib (LA Galbi). Oh and some fried dumplings. Everything was amazing. Will def be back and plan for some grocery shopping too!“

“We had Korean Café cater a dinner for over 150 adoptees (transracial/transnational), the menu was amazing! The food was fantastic and everyone loved every item. Mrs. Oh was so helpful determining the portions. It was an excellent experience working with them.

Vegetarian options: Many vegetarian and vegan options!“

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

“I recently had the pleasure of dining at JeonJu restaurant and it was an outstanding experience! The highlight of my meal was the Goat Meat Soup, which was incredibly flavorful and perfectly cooked. Providing excellent service throughout my visit. Additionally, the owner is incredibly humble and nice, making the overall atmosphere welcoming and pleasant. I highly recommend this restaurant.“

“The Jopok Army Rice Cake was excellent. Tons of fat, fresh ddeokbokki and lots of thick cuts of spam and hot dog. The flavor was authentic, sweet and spicy- a lot of the ddeokbokki I’ve had state side is pretty bland.

The owner did not seem to be in a good mood. Don’t expect a lot of explanation of menu items. But if you know what you’re ordering, it’s pretty good!“

“My husband and I we are KOREAN BBQ lovers and today we enjoyed the most delicious BBQ dinner in Chicago area, very good and delicious menu, nice and friendly service. We definitely recommend BBQ GARDEN to all our family and friends.“

“Unbelievably tasty! As a picky eater and someone who doesn’t clean chicken wings, I left nothing but bone! On top of that the service and packaging is beyond thoughtful :)“

“Had a great mini reunion with 2 surgical unit NSUH! Everything was good to parking, food, ambience and karaoke!“

“I had the Soon Tofu Soup with Kimchi & Pork. My friends had the Bul-Go-Ghee & marinated Chicken. We were all very happy with our dishes and the service was excellent! You can tell they didn't use shortcuts or just put the meals together in a half-hearted/haphazard manner because the flavors were well developed and the seasoning was spot on in all our dishes. I will definitely be back & would highly recommend this place!“

“Great place for simple, home-cooked Korean food. Feels like Im eating in my grandmother’s kitchen. Not cheap but give generous portions. Friendly and attentive service. Also has prepared side dishes for sale. Bought a bag of their frozen dumplings“

“First time having Korean BBQ. I could not have a gone to a better place! Everything was so good! The severs are very attentive and were very nice! Enjoyed my meal!“

“Authentic Korean food with generous portion and reasonable price. Small intestine pot was really delicious. The pig feet is def more spicy than we thought so just be prepared for that. But once u got a hang of the spicy, immediately fell in love with it. Parking is easy.“

“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!“

“10/10 will come back next year.“

“One of the best sushi spots in the suburbs 😍“

“Highly recommend. I had the most flavorful Miso soup I have ever had. Its a nice quiet cozy atmosphere and the lady serving us was extremely kind. I will be going back soon. Everything we ate was delicious. I recommend the Spring Train sushi roll.“