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    Banju

    3.8 (491 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 11:30 PM

    Order Banju Takeout or Delivery

    Banju Photos

    BANJU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Banju

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    The sweet & sour pork - yummy
    Young B.

    A couple of friends and I came for a late dinner on a Friday night as my friend's wanted k-drama food. Lol. We got the jjajangmyun, the sweet & sour pork, and the bulgogi kimbop. The jjajangmyun was ok, not spectacular. The sweet and sour pork was very good - perfectly light and crunchy, and the dipping sauce was spot on. The kimbop tasted good but was giant. Never had such wide kimbop, so much so that the larger end pieces were almost impossible to eat in one bite. I didn't it, but it wasn't pretty. I would rather have regular sized kimbop but more pieces (same resulting amount of food). Service was good and fast. They have a variety of soju - we had the apple flavored. If you are craving the food in k-dramas, this is the place.

    Madison M.

    I came here two weeks ago with a friend and returned again this week with my boyfriend because I loved it so much! The main lady inside was both the hostess and server. She gave suggestions on the beer that helped us decide what to get to drink. For the food, I collectively ate some fried chicken, Bulgogi kimbap, the kimchi pancake, potatoes, and the seaweed appetizer. I think my favorite thing that I ate was the kimchi pancake! It was only slightly acidic, with a tasty dipping sauce - it reminded me of a Japanese bbq sauce with onions. I ordered almost all of the same things during both visits. The fried chicken was also extra crispy and you can opt to have it tossed in one of their sauces for an additional fee. I think my favorite was the tasty spicy sauce. They do drench the drumsticks in sauce so if you don't want something, super saucy, you can always ask for sauce side.

    Chicken Wings (6pcs)
    Bobby L.

    Walked in at 11PM on a Friday, 15 minute wait for a table for 6. Pretty close quarters and chill environment if your group is rowdy just keep in mind. Service was perfectly timed, not too annoying or absent. Food was a 10/10 and in my brother's words, representative of "a five star establishment". Thighs are the same price as the wings and in my opinion better bang for buck, but not the same eating experience as the wings. We will be back!

    Robert O.

    One day I really wanted to try sweet and sour pork and this restaurant showed up in my search, so it was worth a try. This is located in a little shopping plaza, not too far away from the mall and target. Since it's in a plaza, there is plenty of parking. The restaurant itself is has a nice modern feel to it. There are several tables, as well as a communal table in the center with several seats. The menu is pretty extensive with korean dishes, of which I definitely want to try more in the future, but I was here for the sweet and sour pork. It didn't take too long for my food to arrive, but I was one of the first ones to arrive after work on a weekday. I believe it was priced at around $15, but there was a lot of food. It's most likely meant to be shared, but I would say there was maybe 2 or more porkchops worth of fried pork given. They do give the sauce on the side, so pour or dip as you prefer. They also give radish and onions for side dishes. I'm not too sure if there was rice to order, but I just got the pork, but rice would have been a good addition. For a first time trying, it was good, but it ended up giving me the meat sweats. I should have probably brought half of it home. Soda was by the can, so no free refills to note. The staff was very nice and accommodating. I personally like raw onion, so I asked if I can get some chopped onions to eat with my food, and they gladly did so, and gave almost a whole onion. The food and service was good. Eating that much sweet and sour pork may have back fired on me, but now I can say that I tried it. I definitely want to return and try more of the menu. The price is a little high, but nowadays, that's pretty normal for a restaurant with a menu like this.

    Country-Chicken (whole chicken deep fry)
    Jessica S.

    Easy go-to late night spot for chicken and beer in the east bay, casual pocha vibe. The boneless chicken, country-chicken, and the kimchi pancake are the move.

    Danielle M.

    Came here for a visit recently since the place has changed from Pollo Pollo to now Banju. Arrived right before opening around 5PM, and was seated immediately. I noticed that the design of the place was a lot different than how it used to be -- there's a more dark and club-like look to the venue. It's a lot more intimate than how I last remembered. My cousin and I were interested in seeing how good the food turned out here, so we ordered the following: - Spicy/tangy wings: pretty good in terms of flavor, not as spicy as I anticipated, and it could've been a little crispier. Really liked the sauce! - Corn cheese: Yummy. Made well and there was a good cheese pull. - Kimchi fried rice: Solid flavor and abundant amount. Definitely more than enough to share between two people. Well balanced in terms of flavor too! Service here was decent. The staff seemed very hands off, but I have no complaints. Definitely want to come back to try other chicken flavors as well as their soju cocktails!

    Tangy spicy close-up
    Kevin C.

    Hungry late at night and was happy this was one of the only places open, as it was an awesome Korean Fried Chicken experience! All alcoholic drinks were half off, staff was super friendly, and they had a nice playlist on. We had a group of 10 and were able to seat us right away at the middle table, while having no problem splitting checks. Although I am more of a wing type of guy, I ended up ordering 6 piece thigh (same price as wings). They serve banchan which was fresh - pickled radish and a mild onion/jalapeño in a thing brown sauce. Even the salad and radish they serve with chicken was fresh and tasted perfect. They truly do KFC right! Honey Parmesan - 5/5 - Sweet, savory taste with a perfect crunch! Chicken thighs were juicy. Spicy Tangy - 4.5/5 - Super saucy with a tangy/sweet and mild kick. Very flavorful and almost candy-esque with how much crunch the chicken had. This flavor did become addicting. Loaded Fries - 4/5 - big waffle fries generously covered in cheese and a light drizzle of tangy sauce. Crispy & savory, the perfect appetizer. Cheese sticks - 5/5 - top tier cheese stick. Tasted like beer battered breading with juicy cheese that created a cheese pull every bite. Kim Chee fried rice - 4.5/5 - super flavorful with the kimchee taste spot on! Rice on the softer side. Cheese corn - 3/5 - great taste, big portion. Was a tad bit more on the creamier side that I am used to.

    Idy C.

    Love the atmosphere there. Very causal setting. We ordered the chicken wings with soy garlic sauce and Korean sweet sauce, corn cheese and kimchi fried rice. All the food are delicious. I like their corn cheese with kimchi fried rice! I preferred the soy garlic sauce over than the Korean one. Chicken wings are crispy but I little bit lack of flavor on the meat. Service is a bit slow but friendly. And they offered 50% off on alcoholic drinks!

    Spicy rice cake , pickled radish ,pickled onions & jalapeno
    Pam Z.

    Ordered to go around 9pm, the spicy rice cake cake was ready for me about 15 min or so. The service is always great and friendly environment. As for the spicy rice cake, for me was a little too overcooked, sauce was too salty & too sweet and it tasted like it has been sitting on the stove for too long. But I still enjoyed the food though. Usually I order during lunch time and definitely taste better than what I ordered last night . I hope next time I visit, the rice cake will taste more delicious and fresh .

    Bulgogi
    Denzell S.

    After a long day at Six Flags, my family of 7 just wanted to stuff our faces with some comforting Korean food. We had ordered a few items: bulgogi, honey parmesan fried chicken, soy garlic fried chicken, kimchi fried rice, seafood noodles, black bean soy noodles, and boneless chicken. Overall the food was good. My personal favorite would be their boneless chicken. It's very reminiscent of the Fried Chicken at Side Street Inn in Honolulu. Although, when we first ordered it the chicken was undercooked. I had told the waiter and they kindly remade our order and comped our Jinro and Boneless Chicken. Thank God I had said something because the second batch was crispier and cooked. I also enjoyed their kimchi fried rice and honey parmesan fried chicken. Next time I would pass on the black bean soy noodles. The Seafood noodles were better in my opinion.

    Thighs (6pcs) Drumsticks (6pcs)
    Ayem M.

    I first discovered this gem back in 2023, when it was known under a different name and primarily celebrated for its Korean fried chicken. Since then, it has blossomed into a true haven for Korean comfort food enthusiasts, now offering everything from chewy, spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki) to steaming bowls of udon and ramen each dish more tempting than the last. Yet, despite this enticing expansion, I find myself returning time and again for the star of the show: their Korean fried chicken. The quality and flavor remain unwaveringly consistent. It's the perfect destination to share with friends, especially considering the generous 12-piece chicken platter that promises to leave everyone happily stuffed. My personal favorite? The sweet chili fried chicken which is a balance of heat and sweetness that dances on the palate. Meanwhile, my boyfriend always braves the hottest option on the menu, a fiery delight guaranteed to bring tears (and plenty of napkins). Service here is warm and attentive, and while the food does take a little time to arrive, it only heightens the anticipation and assures you that each piece is freshly prepared. The ambience is minimalist and clean, with quirky decor touches that might feel a bit out of place culturally, but in no way diminish the authenticity and brilliance of the food itself. In short: a resounding 10/10. If you're on the hunt for the ultimate spot for Korean fried chicken whether to savor alone or share among good company.

    Drink menu
    Courtney A.

    for service - both servers were so so nice and attentive. I really enjoyed their warm and welcoming presence. for operating hours - the hours of operation is amazing. I think for late night post drinking food, this might have hit a little differently. for effort - when we ordered our kimbap, the said the time of delivery would be a little longer because they ate individually made which I absolutely love. This place has amazing potential, but I don't find the food to be authentic Korean or even quality mainstream Korean snacks. We went simple and ordered one of each kimbap - tofu, chicken, beef, and shrimp. We also ordered waffle fries. The tofu kimbap was definitely the best but unfortunately the rice was not seasoned in any of the kimbap. It left a lot to be desired and could be a great roll, just simply wasn't. The chicken was advertised as spicy chicken but there was nothing spicy about it. It also tasted incredibly fatty and of low quality meat. The beef w Wes's as advertised as bulgogi which was also not the case. Was low grade shredded beef that was minimally seasoned. When combined with the dipping sauce, it tasted like a hamburger which was really unfortunate. Lastly the fried shrimp was mostly fried and not a lot of shrimp. Again, with the lack of seasoning in the rice really made the roll unpalatable. I wish they would have had variation in their kimbap dipping sauces as the mayo ketchup combo simply ain't it. The waffle fries were fine, but there's no item description on the menu indicating the presence of shredded cheese which was a disappointment when they came out. Unfortunately, the price point also killed the experience. Paying $92 after tip was incredibly brutal because I would have preferred a kimbap from H Mart or even Trader Joe's

    I have only been once so far about a week ago, but when I did go I got 5 different dishes, and all were amazing. Soo good, I definitely will be going back. Service was amazing , there was no wait , and food comes out hot & fresh

    Corn Cheese

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    18 days ago

    Yeah went around 22:30 at night, stood there for 25 minutes to no greetings or hello.

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    2 months ago

    Used to be good when it was Pollo pollo. Now everything feels like a rip off. Not coming back ‍ it'sfood truck prices no

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    1 month ago

    Love that they open till 12 am. Great and friendly customer service. Food was good. Will definitely come back, thank you.

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    8 months ago

    Food is good here! It's always good here. Nice owners, nice ambience. Reasonable prices.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Banju Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Banju

    Is Banju Bay still closed?

    I'm sorry. I'm not sure about Banju Bay because it's not related to us.

    Do you use peanuts on any of the fried chicken?

    Hi. Peanuts are not included in any food. Thank you.

    How many pieces of chicken comes with one order?

    When will you open up DoorDash? Thanks!

    They're on Door Dash now! We just Door Dashed two days in a row.

    Is the chicken boneless?

    I am pretty sure they have one boneless chix me u ten. Give them a call to make sure.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Impression of Lanzhou

    4.6
    (408 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    I tried the Numbing Spicy Minced Pork Noodles yesterday, and they were delicious. I went with…read moretheir widest noodle option, and the noodles were thick, chewy, and bouncy. The minced pork sauce clung onto them really really well. The minced pork had a nice balance of sweet and savory, although it leaned towards a little sweeter than I personally prefer. But it wasn't a problem at all, since I was able to adjust the flavor to make it more savory by using the Chicken Granules, Cumin, Chili Oil, and White Pepper condiments. Overall, it was a very satisfying dish! We also tried their new shaved ice dessert. It wasn't like the Hawaiian style shaved ice which is based on frozen water, but more like Korean style Bingsoo with a milky shaved ice base. The flavor and texture were both good, but I thought it was missing the toppings. It relied solely on syrup, and I think it would've been much better with fresh fruit or other toppings to add more flavor. It was $5.99 per order as of July 2026.

    My 2nd or 3rd time here. I found this last time via Yelp!…read more Same consistency this time: like how fresh the noodles tasted and felt. The dumplings and beef baos were good. What I liked about this place was the both was not too heavy or salty: just about right plain and simple. The ribs noodle was good. Amazingly the chicken wings were very good. Got Pig Ears and Cold noodles take out at the end: very good. Not too salty. Service was quick, accurate and finely. Very clean, simple store. Not overly decorated. Parking was easy. Will come again.

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    Saneh Bangkok

    Saneh Bangkok

    4.6
    (210 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    After Sistory Thai in Albany closed, I was genuinely disappointed because I couldn't find anything…read morethat came close. I gave Imm Thai another try, tried Thai Table, and even Glom Thai (which replaced Sistory), but none of them had the same quality or flavors I had been missing. I also loved Banana Leaf in El Cerrito before it closed, so I figured those days were over. Then I found out the owners of Sistory had opened Saneh Bangkok in Pleasant Hill, so we decided to celebrate my aunt's birthday there. Wow, it exceeded all of our expectations. Every single dish was outstanding, and honestly, even better than I remembered from Sistory. We ordered the Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mao, Red Curry, Spring Rolls, and the fried chicken with roti and Massaman curry. Everything was perfectly seasoned, fresh, and packed with flavor. The noodles had that authentic wok flavor I'd been searching for, the curry was rich and delicious, and the roti with Massaman curry was absolutely incredible. The portions were generous, the service was warm and attentive, and the whole experience reminded me why I loved Sistory so much in the first place. We were so full that we didn't have room for dessert, but next time I am definitely getting the mango sticky rice! As if that wasn't enough, I also learned the owners are behind Thai Lao Pakaoma in El Cerrito, which took over the old Banana Leaf location--and it's only five minutes from my house! Now I'm even more excited to try that one too. If you were a fan of Sistory or Banana Leaf, do yourself a favor and check out Saneh Bangkok. It brought back everything I'd been missing, and I can't wait to go back.

    This Thai restaurant stood out for being very tastefully decorated with a cute and intimate…read moreambiance that was perfect for a casual date night. It was encouraging to see many Thai diners. We enjoyed the sous vide duck breast red curry, which had an amazing sauce, and a wide rice noodle dish. The menu was quite extensive and we look forward to returning to try other dishes. I really appreciated that the server steered us away from ordering three dishes! We were super full after eating two.

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    Pho Viet

    Pho Viet

    4.3
    (170 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    I was eating out with my partner and my parents. We wanted Vietnamese food, so we went to this…read moreplace to try. I have not been here before but it looks cozy. There is a lot of parking since it is in the Safeway shopping center in Downton PH. We were sat right away and looking at the menu, a lot of the dishes felt more modern than traditional (when I compare it to other Vietnamese restaurants I go to). Decided to go with my comfort dish, which is Grilled Pork Rice Plate. Grilled Pork Rice Plate: I opted for brown rice for a healthier approach. The pork was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. It was also not dry and had a good amount of flavor to it. It sat on a bed of lettuce, which gave it a nice presentation. Overall, a simple dish which I thoroughly enjoyed and had leftovers after. I had a great time eating lunch with my parents and my partner. I look forward to coming here again.

    Took the fam to Pho Viet a couple times, and we all enjoyed it. The quality of the meats in the pho…read morewas noticeably higher quality than a lot of pho we've had, which justifies some of its higher price points. Thai tea was solid. For appetizers, we tried their crispy rolls. The husband couldn't eat these because they had some shrimp in them, but more for the kids and me. Came with a side of fish sauce, and overall was pretty tasty. My son isn't too big on pho, so he tried a pork chop plate and the garlic noodles. He said both were good. He ate it all, so actions match his words there. My daughter mentioned the chicken pho she had contained a lot of chicken and she likes it that way. She also noticed the better quality of meat and bigger portions. Their special pho is an XL size and comes with the shortrib on the bone. I need to come back here very hungry to devour that or at least split that and other stuff with a friend. I've had their other beef pho, and they were good. Def good quality beef. There was a time where I wanted a certain combo without the meatballs and requested they added more of their tendon and tripe instead, but it seems they just took out the meatballs since there were just a couple pieces of tendon in there. The noodles really cooked within the broth. It was interesting since the broth didn't feel too hot as I was able to eat / drink it right away, but the noodles ended up much softer than I'd like. Casual setting here with the tables, cashier, some TV on the walls, etc.

    Photos
    Dining room 12 tables
    Dining room 12 tables
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    Banju - chicken_wings - Updated August 2026

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