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    1981 K Chicken

    4.7 (96 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

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    1981 K CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - 1981 K Chicken

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    10 piece wings - sweet chili & soy garlic
    Daniel L.

    Visiting from out of town, but would try some additional flavors if I come back! Owner(?) was very attentive and was super busy when I went for a weekday dinner, though there were a few open tables and I was seated right away. Ordered the signature 10 piece wings - sweet chili & soy garlic. I thought there was a bit too much sweetness and much chili, but overall the crunch was nice and the chicken was super juicy! Got an avocado salad which was said to have arugula but was a basic lettuce tomato onion salad that wasn't too appetizing. Tried the honey mustard but it was too sweet. Got a teobokki to fill my belly. Ordered spice level 2 since the sweet chili was spice level 1 and not much spice noticed, but the spice level 2 was pretty spicy. The rice cakes were soft and chewy - tasty!

    Mike O.

    This place is a total gem! [[HIGHLIGHT]]We popped in on a Friday evening, and were greeted to a lovely, clean, bright dining room![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were welcomed and seated promptly at a table along the windows. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There's plenty of bright decor, neon signs, and TVs all around playing everything from live sports to K-Pop music videos![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Upon request, our wonderful waitress walked us first-timers through the menu and made some recommendations (spoiler: all were fantastic!). We nabbed a couple appetizers - fries and mac and cheese - and ordered two half chicken servings: one thigh meat, one breast meat. With the chicken we tried four different sauces, and all were fantastic! Our favorites were the spicy sweet chili and the glazed honey soy! The chicken is perfectly fried - super crispy, but still moist meat! They know how to fry up a mean chicken here! We crushed ALL the food, and it was a perfect amount for four hungry people! Although the menu set expectations of the chicken being made fresh and taking up to 20 minutes to cook and arrive, ours arrived much quicker! Props to the cook for the prompt service! Also, I have to say that the value here is outstanding! A FULL family of four for less than $60 is headlining news these days! I guarantee we will be back often to 1981 K Chicken! Food = 5/5 Facility = 4/5 Service = 5/5 Ambiance = 4/5 Value = 5/5

    Jason G.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Came here on a Tuesday night and it was empty.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] So we got our food delivered to our table quickly. I had the kimchi fried rice and it was amazing! I'd come back just for that. We also had the wings. Which tasted like candied chicken wings. More like an after dinner wing than an actual entree. But there are several ways to prepare them maybe we just need to try the other versions next time.

    French Fries (L)

    Stopped in for dinner and ordered the family style meal. It came with 24 wings, large french fry, and two beers. The boneless thighs were juicy and fried well. The sauces were flavorful but could have used more on the wings. The french fries were served well before the wings... I wish they would have served them with the wings. We had a couple when they came out and they were very fresh and hot, but quickly cooled down. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The server was attentive, and the restaurant was clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their to go ordering system was alarming every order they received (which was a lot) so I did not enjoy that part.

    Signature Boneless breast with honey soy and sweet chili sauce (full portion)
    Brittne C.

    Stopped in today and absolutely loved it. We tried the French fry sampler with cheese sauce, Cajun seasoning, truffle oil, and the classic version, and they were all amazing but truffle was our fav. The chicken itself (even though the menu said "boneless breast") came pre-cut into small pieces, which turned out to be ideal. It made everything easier to share and enjoy, and we were surprised at how big the half-portion was....definitely more than enough. The whole meal made us excited to come back, especially to check out the lunch specials. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Everything felt casual yet fresh, and the portions were generous.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Bonus: there's free parking and a clean, friendly dining vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Totally worth a return visit to explore more of the menu.

    Crispy Fried Wings (Soy Garlic)
    Marcus L.

    Great selection of Korean comfort food. Staff is nice. I enjoyed the rose tteokbokki the most. The fried chicken was crispy and nice. I wish the lunch specials were a little more valuable but they were fine. Food: 4/5 Price: 3.5/5 Experience: 4/5

    Soy garlic and sweet chili wings
    Jeremy D.

    I love Korean Crispy Chicken Wings and 1981 K-Chicken meets my west coast taste standards. Parking was easy. The place is small and could easily run out of tables. Music was upbeat Korean music and multiple TVs. The waitress sat us down as soon as we walked in and she met our eye when we were ready to order. We ordered the melted cheese french fries, mac and cheese, wings of course in the flavors of soy garlic and sweet chili, and Sapporo bottle (wished it was on tap). Fries were fantastic because of a batter that coated the fries and was topped off with nacho cheese. The mac and cheese tastes original and in house made. The wings were crispy & crunchy on the outside and juicy inside which many restaurants get wrong because it's either over dried or not full cooked. I'm very impressed. I'd recommend this place for anyone looking for Korean Wings in the KC area. The prices were reasonable and matched the quantity and taste.

    Spicy soy garlic and regular garlic wings! Very flavorful and chicken is cooked perfectly.
    Rachel K.

    My favorite Korean chicken place in KC. As a Korean, this place really nails flavor and spice when it comes to Korean chicken. Friendly service every time I come!

    Jeff L.

    Service was outstanding as always Wings are amazing All the chicken is incredible. I'm not sure what the oil is but it's very light. K burrito lunch with spicy pork is great, very light - good kick

    Brittney H.

    The amount of times I've been here is actually embarrassing. I've been there enough to fill up the punchcard and get $15 off, I'm actually really proud of this lol. This is the best quality of Korean fried chicken I have had in the Kansas City area. I'm not sure what they put in the batter, but it's what makes them stand out. I also like how the sauce isn't drenching the chicken so much. It has a perfect balance. Also, I go crazy for the daikon they give on the side. [[HIGHLIGHT]]As an avid K-pop fan, I really appreciate how they always have it playing on the TV with the music videos.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It's also fun to get the gloves so you don't make a mess when you're eating your wings just ask the server for it next time and they will give you a whole packet. As I write this review, I'm really craving it! You might catch me there soon.

    Sarah G.

    1981 K Chicken might be my new favorite place. Life has been busy lately. With a baby and five year old we've been on the go a ton these days. A few weeks ago, we had family in town and my husband stayed over at my sister in law's house with our five year old so she could play late with her cousins and I took the baby home to get her to bed at her bedtime. While I was rocking her to sleep I was getting hungry and thought I'd DoorDash something as it was getting late and I was exhausted. 1981 K Chicken came up as a recommended option and having never been there I thought it might be fun to give them a try. I ordered some of their fried chicken with a kind of sweet/spicy sauce, and a side of fries. I added some extra aioli type sauces on the side and placed my order. It was here in a flash, and was piping hot! First of all, the packaging is adorable, which of course won me over. Secondly, the chicken is INSANELY GOOD. Like, I'm still dreaming about it good. The fries were also great and I had plenty leftover. I'm actually hoping to order from them again soon. Their menu has tons of flavor options and after tasting how crunchy and tender the chicken was I'm 100% sold on everything being great. Bottom line: if you like fried chicken just go here. You'll love it.

    Genuinely, this is our new favorite restaurant in Kansas City! It's owned by three friends whose passion for good food and service is evident. They nail every detail from the chilled beer glass to the mouth watering fried chicken! I've have listened to my wife for the first three years of our marriage say it's better in Korea every time we try her favorite dish ddeokbokki. Today I can officially say this is no longer true. We are exited to go back.. many.. many more times.

    Westyn R.

    1981 Chicken is a local Korean chicken joint that also doubles as a sports bar. Plenty of different Korean sauces for chicken wings, sandwiches, and other various dishes such as tteokbokki or Korean Stew. When I arrived the person working that night was friendly and sat me down and took my order from my table. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I looked over the fairly big menu while the same two songs kept repeating continuously in the background.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I instantly gravitated towards the spicy wings and ordered the 12 piece Crispy Spicy batter with spicy soy garlic and spicy garlic sweet chili. The menu said it should take about 20 minutes for wing order but it came out sooner that expected which was great because I was starving. What came out was some amazing looking chicken wings. They were glistening off the platter they were served on and neatly placed. I of course burnt my finger reaching for them and took a bite anyway. The crunch was perfect. The soy garlic sauce was good but nothing too crazy. Underneath the crispiness was some really flavorful chicken that was mildly tender. The other flavor, the spicy garlic sweet chili was my favorite. The sauce had a good range of spiciness and sweetness that kept me wanting some more after each bite. The sauce and crispiness of the chicken was 10/10. However I wish the chicken was a little more tender and that there were flats and drums instead of the "whole wings" as those are harder to eat.

    Spicy Rice Cake

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    1 month ago

    Was in town for a CEU, and saw this nearby. It was so good! I took it to go, and the chicken was still crunchy!

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    Ask the Community - 1981 K Chicken

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    92 Chicken

    92 Chicken

    4.1
    (95 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    So like Joe K said, it's great to see more Korean chicken places in the Kansas City area. (S)KFC is…read moreamazing - the crispness of the chicken, the fantastic sauces. It's special. I'm excited just thinking about it. But oh man was I hoping for better. And I think this place could get there, if they can change some things. Joyce and Brandy laid it out well, so I'll just echo some main points: - The food could be better. Apparently it has been before. What I saw felt pretty low effort, the crispiness wasn't there. (South) Korean Fried Chicken is amazing because even with those delicious sauces, the chicken stays crispy. Best of both worlds! These wings were soggy. I didn't feel great after eating the meal. It wasn't ideal. - The service was nonexistent. I came up to the human at the counter, who directed me not to talk to her but to put in my order on the screen to the side. I hate these. I hate them so much. The UX on the terminal was clunky, the navigation in particular was so bad that there were whole sections of the menu that seemed to be missing. I now know to swipe left on the headers to scroll right to a second page of root-level categories, but be honest, just reading that in a sentence is confusing and annoying. Some people may like kiosks. That's fine! But mandating them is awkward and obnoxious. - I'm still on the service. There's a big menu. There are paper menus. There are little signs advertising fun looking items. I already know what I want. It is so much easier and more enjoyable to order with a real human and get their help. Why put the added friction of learning a clunky interface? An employee would be fluent in the system even if it's bad. And if my case is any indication, it's not helping their sales. I would totally have ordered more dishes if I'd known that was an option. It just looked like they were out so it wasn't available. - After putting in the order, I was prompted for a tip for the service. Which just felt like a coup de grace to my psyche. - It felt like there was no heart here. That's probably an ownership issue. I'm sympathetic to a point, it's not easy in general and there's a lot of pressure to cut costs (especially with the tariff arsonist disrupting supply chains). But the vibe here was dismal, you could feel it in the food and the staff. The space itself seems set up well to have large groups and good times. Could be a fun spot. But right now, the impression I get is that aside from the wings the kitchen does a lot of prepackaged instant food. So I'm not sure what they're trying to be - a decent wing place, or more of a fast-food/gas station type of spot. A vending machine with a deep fryer. Like I said before, this place has potential to be great if they can change some things. They're just going to have to want to. I'm rooting for them.

    Food is amazing! Didn't know what to order and picked…read morerandom chicken and flavors. 10/10 Carbonara rice is 10/10

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    Remodeled inside counter and expanded dining area
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    Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews

    Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews

    3.4
    (181 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    We stared off with the JALAPEÑO BRISKET SAUSAGE & FRIED PICKLES, which are Jalapeño-brisket sausage…read morebites paired with our irresistible fried pickles and maple-aioli dipping sauce. We also went with the ONION RING TOWER which consists of onion rings served with ranch or Cajun horseradish dipping sauce. The Cajun is the way to go. Next we the wings, which have a wide variety of sauce options, we went with, MANGO HABANERO which is a very Tangy-sweet with a habanero heat, and the HELL'S FURY which is enough ghost peppers to blow your top. Flaming hot to say the least and not for the faint of heart. I selected the JALAPEÑO CREAM CHEESE Burger, which is a prime Wagyu beef patty topped with jalapeño cream cheese spread, peppered bacon, and pepper jack cheese on a brioche bun. It was moist cooked just right with a light sear. Perfection.My wife opted for the SICKIES BURGER which is a burger topped with Peppered bacon, fried egg, pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and American cheese, topped with onion rings and a splash of hot sauce. We conclude with one of their shakes, and they have several options to choose from, Banana, Butterscotch, Chocolate, Coffee, Oreo®, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Vanilla. I went with the Raspberry and my wife sent with the Oreo. Both were very filling. The staff is very accommodating and attentive that matched with a 1950s dinner vibe, it is a relaxing welcoming environment and this both enjoyable and comfortable. If you are thur the area you are sure to come away full. Highly recommend this place, it will not disappoint.

    Took family there for my grandson's birthday. Loved the theme…read more Started off with happy hour appetizers......tater kegs and two orders of fried pickles, our kids favorite. Tater kegs were good, taste and size-wise. But we wound up hardly eating much of the fried pickles. They were drowned in salt, so much so even the ranch couldn't compensate or cover it up. My wife got the unlimited wings. She tried three different flavor of wings, all very salty to the taste. Sweet Chili, the Popping Pineapple and the Teriyaki. And the teriyaki really didn't taste like teriyaki at all. My daughter had the veggie burger, and she said it was very salty. I ordered the deviled eggs and the jalapeno creamed corn. The deviled eggs were good; filling was a little runnier than I usually like in a deviled egg. The jalapeno creamed corn had some good spice, but another dish that had entirely too much salt in it. When my wife and first got there to get the table for our party, the host asked if we had the app. We did not, he instructed us how to download it, and told us we'd be getting an email for a free burger. He also told us about the 20% off "Vintage" discount for seniors, of which I am one. At the end of our meal, the server (who was really cool, by the way) gave us our bill, which totalled with tax $165 plus some change. I told him I was a senior and wanted the vintage discount. He brought in iPad over, entered a couple things and brought us a new bill. I glanced at it and it said $163 and some change. So I walked after him and asked him if I paid up front and that's where they gave the discount. He said no you pay me and I did give you the discount. Sure enough, on the receipt, it was saying vintage discount......$2.60. Now I use math in my head every day for work as an air traffic controller, so it didn't take me long to figure out $2.60 is WAY BELOW 20% off of $165. I was looking for some fine print somewhere that might explain this particular math conundrum. Couldn't find anything. I was going to find our server or a manager, but the family was ready to go, and since it was a birthday my wife didn't want me to make an issue of it, so we left. Not happy with the liberal usage of salt in everything, and with today's prices, especially not happy with the issue with the discount that was about 18% short. Probably won't be back.

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    Slim Chickens

    Slim Chickens

    3.2
    (132 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    We were at a football game in Arkansas, and they had a food stand offering Slim's Chicken. We…read morethought it was some of the best chicken tenders we have had. So, we were driving around in Overland Park and saw a Slim's Chicken. We hoped it was the same brand as we had in Arkansas. Turns out it was the same. The chicken strips were delicious. Hot, tender, good size and very juicy. Also, for the price, got a 4-piece strips meal, for less than $10 got a lot of food. Meal included Texas toast, generous serving of fries and a drink. They also, have over a dozen dipping sauces to pick from. It is almost overwhelming to select a sauce. There is another major chicken fast food chain, whose chicken tenders we use as the comparison point. Didn't think it was possible, however these are better. Now, with that said, and looking at some of the other reviews comments I do have to say that the disposition of the service folks could take some lessons from this other chicken fast food chain. It was okay service; however given the overall taste and value of the chain I would now put this as my preference for the best chicken tenders that I have had. The service differences are not enough to drive me to the other chain. One other thing. They do have chicken wings. I got one to give it a try. It was okay and I would say expensive for what you get. So, none of their chicken wings for me. Stay with the tenders. My rating is only based on the chicken tenders, not the wings.

    Slim chickens is a super cute restaurant. I love the design…read more That being said, the food is just mediocre. But it could all be a preference thing! For the fries, they aren't crispy enough for me. They are fried but somehow still soft. I like my fries to be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The buns taste good and are fluffy but are greasy. Not something I could expect from a bun. The chicken is fine. Alone it doesn't stand out and I think they rely on the sauces. Which there are a crazy amount of options. The "sweet" tea is anything but. I don't know what their recipe is or sugar percentage but they need to make some adjustments. Seriously, it didn't taste like they put any sugar in there. The staff is friendly and helpful. My visit today was specifically to try the new Nashville Hot Sandwich. Let me tell you, it lives up to its name! That sandwich is crazy hot! If you like your tongue and lips to feel like they are being burnt off have at it! I ordered the slaw on the side as it is mayo based and wasn't sure I would like it but I wish I had had more. It helped to temper the hot sauce that the chicken is covered in and then I also tried adding honey on top. I would like someone who has been on the show Hot Ones to try it and tell me where it stands on their line up!

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    1981 K Chicken - korean - Updated July 2026

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