24 Best Korean Restaurants near Birmingham

“This is a winning spot in downtown Birmingham, the food is always fresh, the staff is friendly, and the menu is deep - I’ve gotten sushi and General Tao’s Chicken in the same order and enjoyed each just as much as the other. Will definitely return here - 5 star food and service.“

“The variety of Bingsu flavors“

“Absolutely loved this spot! We came in craving Korean fried chicken and left beyond satisfied. The chicken wings were insanely crispy and flavorful—perfectly balanced between sweet, spicy, and savory. We also tried the omurice, which was surprisingly comforting with that soft, fluffy egg blanket over perfectly seasoned rice. The bulgogi burger was a standout too juicy, well-marinated meat with that signature Korean BBQ flavor and a nice kick from the sauce. 🔥

Everything tasted fresh, and the portions were generous. The vibe was casual but clean, and the staff was super friendly and attentive. Definitely coming back to work through the rest of the menu. Highly recommend! 👌🏼“

“Stopped in for a quick lunch and decided to try the sweet and sour pork. Not being familiar with many Korean dishes and with no images on the menu, I chose something I felt safe with. The portion size was incredibly generous. The pork had a light, crisp batter that wasn’t greasy, and the dipping sauce was perfectly balanced—fresh, flavorful, and not overly sweet. It came with a small side salad and pickled radish. Drinks are served in cans, and they offer Coke products. Service was minimal—I saw my server only twice: once to order and once to pay, with no check-in about the meal. The restaurant itself is charming, clean, and bright. I’ll definitely return!“

“As a frequent traveler for work throughout different states in the US, I always find myself craving Korean food, which brings me comfort while I am away from my house. Generally, I have been able to find high-quality and authentic Korean restaurants, although they've been elusive in some areas or states. Finally, I discovered Chung Ki Wa in Michigan. I've brought clients and friends there for numerous meals. Every visit has been worthwhile, and the restaurant offers a private area where I've been able to host my clients for an elevated dining experience and private conversations. If you're looking to experience authentic and high-quality Korean cuisine, similar to that of well-known Korean restaurants in NY, NJ, or LA, Chung Ki Wa is the place to visit“

“Based on the reviews I really wanted to love this place; when I walked in I was intrigued by the great menu of Korean street food, several ramune drink flavors and lively K-pop videos playing in the back. I attempted to ask what was recommended/popular dish and the cashier I did not make me feel very welcome to ask any questions.

I ordered a box of 12 wings (soy garlic/Korean sassy) and small sides of kimchi & pickled radish. The chicken wings were big, juicy inside and still crispy even with the generous toss in the sauces. Both were yummy with the sassy one packing a tiny bit of heat. I liked the generous portion and was able to share with 3 adults as a snack. Disappointed to say the kimchi was terrible! It was bland as in no taste (no heat, garlic, sourness) even if it were a “fresh”kimchi it should taste like something. The radishes were a nice crunchy and fresh break from the fatty friedness of the chicken. I would possible go back to try the bulgogi but there are other local places that are similarly priced with better food and friendlier service.“

“Since this place opened, I only eat chicken here. All the chicken is delicious, clean, and the staff is very friendly... Even when I see them occasionally, they always say hello and say it's been a while. I wish this place would stay around for a long time.

Parking: Clean and wide space between tables

Kid-friendliness: Clean and wide space between tables

Wheelchair accessibility: Clean and wide space between tables“

“Everything was delicious! I had the jangtuktukbap and barley tea. My Dad got the kimchi jiggae and beef jap chae. We loved all of it. The seaweed was also the best I've ever had.“

“Gorgeous place and clean enough to not complain. Food is damn good with respectful and patient employees. Love that the to go boxes are easily accessible and there are menus on the counter for those who can’t see the board up high.

Wheelchair accessibility: There are accessible spots, with ramps, plenty of room in the dining area for wheelchairs, main door swings easily.“

“excelente comida, servicio rápido y amable“

“Bibimbob was authentic and the best one Ive ever tried in the US. Its huge, all the ingredients were fresh, and they have various sauces for that. Also chicken was great, crisp but soft inside. The bread and milk tea were perfect for desert after meal.
Literally every menu I tried there were AMAZING!!“

“Sweet husband took me for my birthday! Great food! Decent service- Did not mention on menu or from server that tip would be automatically billed in. Would have liked to known at the beginning before ordering, just common courtesy. Idk if anyone else dealt with this. DELICIOUS DELICIOUS FOOD THO“

“From beginning to end, it was literally one of my best experiences! Come and see Emily and she will take you on a magical tour of some of the most incredible Korean food I’ve ever experienced, and the chicken is out of this world! Do not deny yourself displeasure in this life“

“Everything is fresh and delicious“

“Doordashed New York Sushi tonight. Philadelphia roll was meh, sort of room temperature and slightly soggy and slimey. Not great. Vegas roll however was fried goodness. Loved the coating, loved the crunch, loved the flavors, loved the jalepeno. The smell of the ginger was fantastic. The rice was cooked well and not hard. Philadelphia roll tasted like they got some lox from the bagel house and put them with a slimey avocado and everything sat on the counter too long. Hope I don't get sick.“

“Everything was really good and fresh! Got the potato half and half and the original half and half 10/10 delish. Although I couldn't eat all of it because they are pretty large. I had half and then the other half a few hours later and it was still good.

Vegetarian options: They have cheese options and a plant based dog my co worked got and loved.“

“Small little restaurant inside H mart.I ordered the black bean noodle and Korean fried chicken wings to go, and both dishes were great.The staff was nice and friendly, and it didn’t take long to get my food. The portions were huge and tasty.The black bean noodle was full of flavor, savory and chewy. It came with vegetables and small bites of pork.The wings were crispy and tasty with a little kick.I would def come back to try more dishes.

Parking: Big plaza with plenty of parking spots.“

“they were super fast and the waiters took time to assist several tables who were new to the menu and had no idea what anything was. the staff was all super friendly and accommodating!“

“I’ve been trying a lot of different sushi spots around town, and as soon as I tried Bahdah, it was an instant favorite!“

“I was quite surprised by the price and quality of the food. I’m no stranger to Korean food as my wife is from there and has become a staple in our house. The Japanese offerings are quite tasty too. The tuna & salmon sushi we tried was quite fresh was served at near room temperature which is difficult to master. Their main menu provided a wide selection of food including a smaller Korean selection. You can ask for Korean specific menu. I was excited to try their Gam Ja Tung, which is a potatoes & pork stew. It’s a difficult dish to find. While I only tried that, and a fried pork (Sul la tang), and a scattering of side dishes (ban chan) I was delighted on the freshness and taste. It’s my opinion that I consider this authentic Korea-lite. It’s certainly not an Americanized version, but rather a toned down alternative. In short this place is worth a go.“

“So glad I found this gem! Tried the yummy monster corndog and chicken bites. The yumyum sauce was sooo good! Totally changed our perception of Korean corn dogs!

While we waited for our food we looked at the food offered in the market. Lots of options I’ve never seen before and definitely recommend taking a look!“

“Awesome place for Karaoke 🎤! Definitely feels like going back to asia! And the staff is soo very friendly and nice! We had such a great time! Thank you soo much! 🫶🏻🤗💕🙌🏻“

“The food is excellent The Soy Garlic Chicken was excellent. Also had The Korean Tacos excellent. The customer service 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Amazing. I recommend this restaurant to everyone.“

“I am absolutely outraged with the behavior of the owner today at SOHO. My family and I went to this restaurant after Saturday little league games. We had 5 adults, 5 children and 2 babies. We have been to this restaurant countless times as a family. Today, after sitting and looking an menus, ordering drinks, we were met by the manager that came to our table and said “I’m sorry our limit is 8 people”. Confused, we asked for clarity because again, we have been to this restaurant countless times with the SAME group and number of people. In fact, we have NEVER been to this restaurant with less people. I asked, “wait are you saying we can’t eat here today because of the number of people?“ THAT is how confused I seriously was. The manager then responded, “Yes, I’m so sorry”. I pointed out to him that we had been sitting, getting ready to order for quite some time. Moments before this, the waiter came to take our orders but had to leave to grab us extra napkins. He said that his waiter called him all the way from his home because he couldn’t “do it” - referring to asking us to leave. There were quite a few other staff members there. So if this was a rule, why didn’t any of them point it out to the “new person” or let us know right away Of their “party limit”.? Please know we went on a Saturday around 330pm and there was two other parties in the entire restaurant - totaling only 5 other people. To me, if I had a party that was a few people over my “limit” I would not kick them out one, but definitely not when my restaurant is close to empty and the party has already been sat. Because of my “new team members” error- as a manager, I would have continued to serve this party. I need to point out that NONE of us in our entire lives have ever been asked to leave ANYWHERE. We are a Christian family of Pastors and ministers. I say this to speak to our character. There was no behavior on our end, that warranted this. I also pointed out that the table we were sitting at was DESIGNED for more than 10 people. We didn’t come into the restaurant moving tables and chairs together, the table was already set up for 12 people to sit there. I asked the manager why we were sat and waited on For all this time to then be kicked out? He claimed that the person who was our waiter was new and didn’t know their 8 people limit rule. I pointed out the fact that the table we were sitting at was set up for 12 And asked why that is if they had a limit of 8? He then said with our number of kids - it is not safe for them in the restaurant because their establishment serves alcohol. So first it was because our party was more than 8 and then it turned into being an issue with the number of kids? There is absolutely no reason for this behavior. To me, the only thing that makes any sense is it being racially discriminatory. I strongly urge you to no longer go to this restaurant. Of course, we left with no issue because if we are not welcome or wanted because of race or any other invalid reason- we don’t want to eat at the restaurant anyways. But point of my review is to prevent this from happening to anyone else. we used to love this place and our entire family would come. never again, even with 2 people will I step foot in this establishment and I will strongly encourage everyone I know and everyone that’s reading this to do the same.“