We have been hearing about this place for a while and finally had an opportunity to try it. We tried several dishes: Half Secret Sauce and Half Original Boneless Chicken portion was great for sharing and chicken was juicy and flavorful. Radishes come with the chicken.French fries were good but what really stood out was the Kimchi Fried Rice. The Stir fried rice included chicken and vegetables in a classic kimchi base with an egg on top. It was savory and delicious. The Seaweed Rolls were okay not for me but my husband really enjoyed them. No wait to get seated and service was great. read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Kimchi Fried Rice - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Their chicken was surprisingly good! Went here during lunch and basically had the place to ourselves. They even had a bar area. Service was great and I would return. Only pics I got was when the plate was about empty lol read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Gangnam Wings Combo - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I love bbq chicken! Stopped by tonight with dinner with some friends, and had a couple sweet guys working that told us they're actually going through a "soft reopening" under new management. So there wasn't any table service, only takeout, but we could eat inside! (I'm assuming they didnt have enough staff yet for full service). But it was totally fine, we got the menus and ordered at the register, and they brought us to food in takeout bags! Food was amazing as always, and piping hot. Chicken fried to a crisp perfection and the honey garlic was amazing as always. (pics from last time i was there) read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - honey garlic - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

The best chicken and tokboki ever for me. Pls reopen again. This is one of the restaurent my family can eat in Gainesville.

I went here for the first time and boy was amazed with the flavor and the taste of the chicken, the garlic the Caribbean jerk. What's the unbelievable taste that live impression on you that I will be coming back very soon. I was telling my friend about this place and that he need to pay them a visit because he will not be disappointed. If you don't believe me try it for yourself and see that I'm not wrong. read more

Service was on it and friendly. Chicken was above expectations. We ordered online and had an easy time. The only tricky part was finding a parking spot. But worth it! read more

Real Korean Fried Chicken! Amazingly delicious! Super light and crispy. Everything on the menu is perfection. read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Boneless chicken- Honey Garlic glaze. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We visited on a whim on a slow afternoon. Service was good, we thought the price was a little high until the wings came out. You definitely get your money's worth. Wings are big, the secret sauce is delicious! read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Wings with special sauce, we had already eaten 3 wings before we took this photo. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

So I only had this in a takeout setting and experience, however now I can say I love KFC - Korean fried chicken. We ordered online for pick up and based off the reviews we went with the original, honey garlic, and Caribbean Jerk. We had a total of 24 wings (8 of each flavor) and I must say, as a Southern girl, fried chicken is a staple in our meals. This fried chicken is light, airy, but crispy as well. The crunch was giving ASMR vibes! The chicken was flavorful and juicy. It was almost addicting like Lay's - you couldn't just eat one! The wings were also a pretty decent size and for 8 wings I believe it was a little under $14 which can be pricey. My favorite was the honey garlic. It was a soy and sweet base with a slight hint of garlic. We also ordered a side of the secret sauce for dipping with the original chicken. The secret sauce was sweet and tangy and had a hint of spice. I would recommend take out over dine in as my mom said when she went to pick up the food it was super hot inside and since it's summer in Florida that's a no go for me. Also, the food does take some time to prepare I believe it took about 30 mins for our order to be ready, but understandably it's made to order. I really would like to try their ddeok-bokki and other flavors like gangnam style and spicy original on my next visit but overall this is a great fried chicken restaurant. read more

See all

I got the rose tteok-bokki with cheese. It tasted mainly of fish cake, which I straight up do not like. The rice cakes were so mushy. They should have been chewy and bouncy. This had a single flame, so I thought that there would be a little bit of heat, but it was completely mild. The sauce to rice/fish cake ratio was way off. We ended up getting a side of rice because there was so much extra sauce. The floors here were so unbelievably sticky. Our server barley provided service. They were on their phone for most of the time we were there. We needed water refills but they just never came by. The restaurant was completely empty except for our party. read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The chicken here is very tasty. They have a variety of sauce options to pick from on their menu with varying levels of spice. I picked the Gangnam style chicken which I thought was very balanced in its flavor and spice levels. The pieces of boneless chicken and of the chicken wings are a very big size, so although it seems a little pricy at first it is a lot of food. Additionally, they have lunch specials where you can get chicken, fries, and a drink for about $15 which is a great deal with the size of the portion. They seem to be a very small staff. While I was there I only saw one server, so sometimes the service was a little slower or it would take longer to be able to ask for something. That said, once something was asked for they attended to us quickly and were very helpful. The location is in Big Top's previous location and still has the bar and tables set up similarly. They play Korean music lightly in the background so it is not noisy if bringing friends or group of people to talk with. read more

Server was extremely helpful and friendly . He even offered water during my take out order

The chicken is really tasty and crispy! !!!! Fries were also goood!!!!!! Want to visit again read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Golden original - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The food was very good! I went with my family to eat chicken and we also ordered tteokbikki and cheesling fries. The workers were very friendly and the service was excellent. I would go again to eat dinner! read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - honey garlic chicken and cheesling fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Everything we ordered was amazing! The honey garlic and galbi chicken were both great, but the galbi really stood out--super flavorful and super crispy. The kimchi fried rice was also a highlight. On top of that, the service was great. Highly recommend. read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Galbi and Honey Garlic Fried Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

The Gentleman who assisted me was very helpful, I came with a app deal that I was having trouble getting to work. He patiently explained how to use the deal and what my options were. This was a very pleasant experience and the food was hot and freshly prepared. This is my 2nd visit to this location and I must say they are always so nice and helpful whenever I have a menu question or just need assistance in general with ordering. ( Also the food does taste amazing) read more

Perfect Korean chicken wings. I got the soy garlic and original. Totally satisfied my craving. Waiter was very nice and attentive read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Soy garlic wings - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

"Absolutely amazing food! Finally found perfection . Every dish was high quality, perfectly seasoned, and packed with flavor. Great service and personalble staff. Great value for the price -- can't wait to come back!" read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Chicken fried rice, and Onion Rings - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Food and service was superb!! Recommend the fried chicken and fries!! It was cold outside and the owner brought us out hot tea that was delicious! read more

Great food and very good service! Peaceful ambiance! thank you so much! We will be back!

So, to be fair, I only got take-away. The restaurant itself right now is in a bad way because their air conditioning is out of order, but beyond that it seems a bit of a bland space yet with enough seating. The service was fine, attentive even, but my take-away order of fried chicken, mandu, and a small order of rice took nearly half an hour to prepare and they didn't seem busy, either. On top of that, I had ordered boneless mala wings and I got apparently the mala wings, but bone-in. Not what I ordered. The mandu were fine but not exceptional and the chicken? Not as good as Bonchon in Orlando and at Bonchon, orders come up much faster, too, even when they're slammed. I will try it again probably: I cook a lot of Korean food at home and fried chicken is one dish I don't do, so it would be nice to have a source for that. I was actually embarrassed I was out of cooked white rice and had to order a small container with my dinner but at least I had some banchan already at home. They probably do deserve another go, but I was less impressed than I'd hoped tonight. read more

Heard that this place is open, so I had to check it out. bb.q used to be my childhood go to k chicken place, so I was excited to try it. It was quite busy and servers were new, but they really tried their best to accommodate all the diners. We got half and half and cheesling as well. As expected, their original chicken (without any sauce) is the best and the chicken is so crispy as expected. Great place to get chicken/beer in town and hang out with friends/coworkers for sure. Recommend checking this place out! read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Half and half (secret sauce) - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Great service and food, must stop every time I'm in downtown. Great Ambiance and atmosphere

I am a crispy chicken wing gal, so Korean fried chicken wings usually hit that mark for me! Korean fried chicken is double fried, so that's what gives them that amazing crunch. The breading they battered them in almost tasted like funnel cake meets tempura, which I enjoyed. I ordered the 8 piece bone in wings in Gangnam and it was a sweet and savory kind of flavor. My friend ordered the boneless wings in secret sauce, and after trying mine he said he should've ordered his bone in. I tried one of his secret sauce and it was pretty good, but I preferred my gangnam flavor. We ordered some fried dumpling and cheesling fries as appetizers and we loved the dumplings! The cheesling powder is a bit too much for my liking, but the fries themselves taste great. The serving sizes for everything are great portions. This is an awesome place to come with a group and order a bunch of different things to try and share amongst each other! Looking forward to coming back with a bigger group to do just that :) **was too excited when my chicken came out and forgot to get pics of them, but got the appetizers read more

bb.q Chicken Downtown Gainesville - Fried Dumplings - Chicken Shop Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Great food, service, and ambiance. Get the golden original when you come, it's my personal favorite! The Gainesville restaurant is my go-to spot, but the also have an Orlando location if you can't get enough !! read more

The food was great and service was even better! Will definitely be coming back for more.

It is a great fried chicken store. The environment was clean and quiet and the waiter was friendly! I will be here again.

Amazing place to get Korean food!!! Ordered the Bulgogi Rice and it was amazing. They also have awesome oniion rings

Hands down best service ever! I had ordered online and had a glitch with the ordering process and wasn't sure if it went through. I drove there and arrived 15 minutes before closing and they were so helpful and nice and insisted on making the order for me. The online order had not gone through. Not only is the food amazing-the service from the employees is even better! Thank you guys so much!!! read more

Great venue. Very large and open. Has a large bar with a great selection of draft options. The chicken is plump, juicy and very crispy. I loved the honey garlic but my husband and son did not. Get the original w a side of one of the flavors. My son did this and it was a great idea. You can really taste the difference. My husband got the hot and spicy. Definitely on the spicy side, so pay attention to the pepper icons as they are spot on. We ordered the cheesy fries. Did not care for these as it's just powder coated. Got the kimchi rice. This is good in small portions but again was not a fave. When we went they had huge fans blowing because the windows and doors were open. This still didn't deter the flies though. We didn't want to sit right in front of the fan (pretty powerful) and feel like I had the top down in my car. That's the only way it was going to keep the flies away. All in all a great place for the college kids to get pricey wings. read more

See all

To say that my friends and I had been eagerly anticipating BBQ Chicken opening in downtown Gainesville would be an understatement. Weekly Google searches for updates and when the doors finally opened, we tried it out for lunch. The menu is pretty simple but the flavors pack a punch. The restaurant has plenty of seating and I have never had to wait for a table. I always go with the boneless chicken and for those that have not experienced Korean fried chicken, you are in for a treat: it is fried but does not feel heavy, it is extra crispy but does not feel burnt. This unique way of cooking the chicken takes a bit longer than your typical deep fryer, so be prepared to wait upwards of 30 minutes for your order. It is worth it, though, as the portion sizes are very large and I usually order enough to bring home for the next day. The spice levels go from very mild to wild, so choose accordingly. I have tried the Caribbean jerk, Galbi, and Gangnam style. I love the fresh-cut green onions over the top and the cubed pickled radish that comes with the chicken, it serves as the perfect pallet cleanser. The only negative of my two experiences is the wait staff. Not the time it takes to cook the food (Korean fried chicken takes a little bit longer) but the actual servers. On my second visit we sat at the table for nearly 30 minutes past when we had all finished eating because our server never circled back around to check on us or offer us the bill. Keep in mind the restaurant was not busy either so it is not like they were taking orders, serving food, or cleaning other tables. Other than that, I really enjoy this new restaurant in downtown Gainesville and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try a new take on fried chicken. read more

See all

They need to fix the women's restroom. You have to yank and push the door very heavily or else you'll be standing outside for 10 minutes.

If you're busy and are craving some fried chicken, this is a solid option. I love their original fried chicken wings and rosé tteokbokki. Their service is hit or miss - sometimes they're slammed and running late and sometimes they're on point. Otherwise, they would be 5/5 from me. read more

Food good as always. Wish the online menu matched up a bit more. One online menu has a combo platter and the standard does not.

Was contacted by the owner to come back and give them another try. This time I decided to try the bone in wings instead of the boneless. The chicken was so juicy and crunchy. My bf had talked with them after our last visit that didn't go very well. The owner was receptive and asked us to come back whenever we wanted to make up for our poor service. I highly recommend bone in wings . The difference is very noticeable. It is so moist. We tried the special sauce this time and got our usual honey garlic. Both were amazing and hot to the touch when we got them. Based on this experience I am glad they were so generous and understanding. I appreciate their professionalism. We weren't expecting anything in return but wanted to let them know of the kinks since our past visits have been incredible. I highly recommend getting some rice as a side. We always have leftovers and this time is no different. I wish them well and will be bringing more friends and family here. read more

See all

How I missed Korean bbq chicken! This place is very good! I got their spicy wings and Gangnam wings. Both were very flavorful and crispy. The rice cakes were really spicy but also again super good. We only got take out from here but the place looked really clean and modern. It's going on our list of favorite dinner night dates! read more

Truly lives up to its spicy level! My husband and I tried this and immediately decided that this is the best place to go for truly spicy Ddeok-Bokki! If you love spicy that this is something you definitely have to try! read more

See all

I'm not sure why Yelp thinks I work at BB.Q, but it's probably because my review is very informative. I'm a health professional, so I'm not affiliated with any restaurants in Gainesville. I'm just a food critic who writes detailed, factual reviews.. If you look at my reviews for other East Asian restaurants, it would be quite obvious. I tried prett much all BB.Q menus since I was in Korea and already tried BB.Q in Gainesville several times including golden original, soy garlic, jamaican spice, rose teokbokki, and mala teokbokki. BB.Q Chicken, also known as Best of the Best Quality Chicken, is the largest Korean chicken franchise from South Korea. Fried chicken was introduced to Koreans by U.S. African American soldiers during the Korean War, and over the past half-century, it has become extremely popular in Korea, leading to the creation of numerous unique flavors. Koreans often enjoy their fried chicken with beer after late work hours, giving rise to the term "Chi-Mac" (Chicken + Maekju, the Korean word for beer). Nowadays, there are about 87,000 fried chicken restaurants in South Korea alone, which is more than all the McDonald's in the world, despite McDonald's being the world's largest restaurant chain. BB.Q's Golden Original chicken is renowned for its exceptional quality and extra crispy texture, achieved by frying the chicken twice. In addition to Golden Original, I recommend all their flavors, including honey garlic, soy garlic, galbi, spicy galbi, hot mala, gangjeong, and Gangnam style. All of them are unique and are absolutely delicious. Additionally, cheesling chicken is quite distinctive, featuring a Cheetos-like shell coated with sweet cheese powder. Their hot spicy and secret spicy flavors are Korean-spicy, distinct yet comparable in heat to the "Hot!" level, the third spiciest at Hattie B's Hot Chicken from Nashville, TN. One Korean chicken variation that BB.Q does not offer is Padak, which features chicken with green onions. However, this dish is available at Seoul Pocha. Additionally, BB.Q offers delicious Tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cakes), a popular Korean street food. For a rich, creamy, moderate spicy taste, try the Rose Tteokbokki, and for those interested in spicy options, the Mala Tteokbokki is a must-try, reminiscent of street food stalls in Seoul. Please keep in mind that when BBQ Chicken stores open, there are always very long lines for several weeks after opening. I would suggest ordering over the phone or online and expecting at least a 1.5-hour wait time. This was the case for both BB.Q stores in Orlando and Tampa. It took about 6 months for these stores to reach full speed, and currently, it still takes about 30 minutes in the Orlando and Tampa stores, mainly because they make everything fresh. read more

1 star is a reach. Food, service, and prices were very poor quality. Luckily my date was a good time, otherwise I'd be completely underwhelmed. Way too much breading on every fried item we had. Fried rice was even too fried and the cheese dust they use came straight from the county fair. read more

Ordered food to go. Food was ready at the time the staff stated. Staff was nice and professional. Nice and clean inside. Food was packaged nicely and was smackin! read more