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    Bonchon Cambridge - John F Kennedy St

    3.2 (525 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Bonchon Cambridge - John F Kennedy St Takeout or Delivery

    Bonchon Cambridge - John F Kennedy St Photos

    BONCHON CAMBRIDGE - JOHN F KENNEDY ST ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Soggy chicken
    Perkins L.

    Absolute horrible customer service. I ordered chicken strips and what I got was cut chicken breast with no crust on it. When I came back into the store, I was told that that's how they serve their chicken strips. I explained to them that the picture on the website is nothing like what I received. She said there's nothing they can do. I asked if I can order something else or get a refund and she said I cannot do either. I tried to explain to her what I received is not what's on the website. She kept repeating herself. I told her what I received was thinly sliced chicken breast. She said they do not serve chicken breast. I told her that's exactly what I received. Even the rest of the food I received was subpar compared to other restaurants in the chain. When I asked to speak to the manager, she said that she is the manager. Then she said all she can do is take down my phone number and have somebody call me. I said to her, I don't even live in the area. What's the point of doing that? So when I told my fiancé that they messed up her order she decided to go into the restaurant herself. She spoke to the same lady. I spoke to and asked to speak to the manager, and the lady said that the manager just left. Lol. When she explained to her who I was and that she just spoke to me, then the lady behind the counter said "oh I am the manager." This restaurant is an absolute joke. I even contacted corporate and all they sent me was a an apology letter and no offer of a refund.

    Joy L.

    Super authentic. Love the spiciness!!!! Bulgogi is just okay but a good side for wings.

    Takoyaki
    Kelly C.

    Last night's dinner was so spicy, but delicious! To start with we had takoyaki, spicy wings and strips and spicy fried squid. The hotter the better am I right?! The takoyaki practically melted in my mouth and each bite was just delicious. Bites of octopus, so yummy. The wings and strips were so good! I've never had the strips and highly recommend them! Perfectly fried, not fried and full of flavor and spice. Their calamari was okay, I personally don't like sauce on my calamari. I'm more of a sauce on the side kind of person. All in all it was a great meal!

    Bibimbap
    Adina S.

    My roommate ordered food from Bonchon and it hit the spot! The bibimbap was great - lots of great veggies and a tasty gochujang sauce. We also had wings (not pictured), which lived up to the hype! It took a while for the food to come, but it was worth the wait.

    Chicken Combo
    Alma C.

    $9 Lunch special. Recommend the drumsticks over the wings. Could've been hotter. The coleslaw was good. Radishes were good, but I wish I would've gotten rice as my other side. Water was filled frequently. Staff was friendly. Interesting basement location. (anyonghaseyo) means hello in Korean.

    Seafood pancake
    Brandon G.

    The prices are pretty reasonable, especially with their lunch menu on weekdays! You get to choose two side dishes, which could include fries. The fries are a pretty big portion, and so, this could be a fairly filling lunch for its price point. This was my first exposure to Korean fried chicken, and I must say, it's still the one to beat for me. The drumsticks are so wonderfully moist and tender. I will say, though, that the chicken strips are very dry... I'd definitely recommend the drumsticks or wings over the strips! The seafood pancake is also quite hearty and filling. I must say that the restroom quality is kinda poor. It's often quite dirty in there. I'm also saddened that there aren't as many side dishes offered as at standard Korean restaurants, but that may be because this is ultimately a fried chicken joint.

    Takoyaki
    Maria G.

    Review #1056 What a great location right off of Harvard Square! You do have to enter through this building lobby and then go downstairs (either by the super slow elevator or take the stairs). The food is solid, as you can expect from any Bonchon locations. However, this location does not serve side dishes. Does it apply to Bonchon everywhere or just Bonchon Boston? They have an excellent selection for its lunch specials. I am not sure if I like the basement ambiance. Definitely not my first choice for lunch for Harvard Square, but will be an option in mind for sure.

    tteok bokki
    Elizabeth Y.

    Large sharable chicken combos and table booths with removable dividers that seat two groups of 4-5 or one group of 10-11 make Bonchon a good choice for eating out with a group of friends. Some of my meat-loving friends shared a bunch of chicken combos, while a couple of us ordered dishes. I'm not crazy about having a meal of just meat, so I got tteokbokki and tried a few bites of a miso soy chicken wing. Bonchon's tteok bokki is pretty good--it's quite large and comes with an egg and a good amount of rice cake and fish cake. There are also ramen noodles, but I didn't feel like there were quite enough. The miso soy chicken was quite sweet and very tasty. I like the crispy outside and personally prefer it to the spicy wings (which I didn't try this time), but my friends all said that the spice level has gone down considerably from last year to this year. Bonchon is a fun place with reasonable prices, which is great for fried chicken eating contests or if you want Korean food without leaving Harvard Square. It has a pretty laid-back, fast-food atmosphere, so I would only recommend it for casual meals.

    Boneless chicken - see the breaded chicken. It's salty and not at all like any Korean fried chicken I've had before. I had to toss it.

    I am re-reviewing based on the wings at bonchon. These were crispy, actually fried with a nice skin crust and hit the spot when I was craving Korean fried chicken. The smaller bits might have been slightly overfried and the meat itself is not that flavorful, but I think it's not bad at all. I got soy garlic flavor. The spicy is pretty good if you can take the heat and power through the pain of eating it. Just stay away from the boneless (first pic) which is breaded nuggets covered in sauce, and you should be good to go!

    Patrick O.

    I've had lunch at Bonchon twice and I have been very happy with it both times. As someone who used to live in South Korea, I can emphatically state that the food I have seen/tasted is indeed authentic. For lunch, they have a lunch menu that features a decent assortment of staple Korean dishes. I had the kimchi soup and the soft tofu soup and both were on par with food you would find in South Korea and both tasted great. Apart from the food, there isn't much to talk about. I wish they had the small side dishes that you normally find with South Korean meals but that isn't the case. Also, there really isn't much in the way of ambiance. It's downstairs in a basement and has sort of a dungeon feel to it. But that isn't a deal breaker. The service was tolerable both times but far from great. I don't see myself ever giving this place five stars, but the food alone warrants a solid four stars. I'll continue to return to get my Korean fix. If you're looking to change things up and need a spot I'd suggest dipping in.

    Chicken drumstick

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I'm not sure what happened. I love Bonchon, however, the chicken was way too salty today. Unfortunately, we were unable to eat it.

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    Page 2 of 14

    Ask the Community - Bonchon Cambridge - John F Kennedy St

    Hi there! Do you have any vegetarian options on your menu, or is everything meat-based? Thank you!

    Hello! Yes we do have vegetarian options !

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    Blue Ribbon BBQ

    Blue Ribbon BBQ

    3.9
    (758 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    The institute's extravagant afternoon tea came from this long-established American barbecue…read morerestaurant, opened in 1995. Burnt Ends: Best of the day. The beef brisket was tender, flavorful, and juicy, not dry at all. The tomato-based barbecue sauce was sweet and refreshing, with a rich but not overpowering smoky flavor. It's said to have been smoked for 14 hours before being slowly stewed--I admire the restaurant's dedication. Pulled Chicken: Average. While the chicken thigh wasn't dry, it wasn't particularly tender, and there wasn't much juice. The North Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce was also bland. Coleslaw: A good way to cut through the richness, but nothing special. Cornbread: Soft and slightly coarse, with a natural sweetness from the grains. Delicious with sour cream. Chocolate Chip Brownie: Surprisingly, a BBQ restaurant's homemade dessert was also excellent. Soft in texture, with a bitter and fragrant flavor.

    It had three tables and a stand-up counter. I was there at rush hour so all the table were full…read more I had brisket, pulled pork with cole slaw and Cajun cabbage. I had never heard of Cajun cabbage so the man at the counter gave me a sample. How is that for customer service? The brisket had bark so I know they have a smoker. They also had Mac & cheese. My plate was full. A piece of cornbread came with it....... like I had room after my meal for cornbread. There were five different types of barbecue sauce. The hot one was my favorite. I had them give me the sauce on the side. I would recommend. Remember to bring an appetite.

    Photos
    Blue Ribbon BBQ
    Blue Ribbon BBQ
    Blue Ribbon BBQ

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    Wings Over Somerville

    Wings Over Somerville

    2.6
    (431 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    I have been coming here since college. Always have a soft spot for here. I have long loved the…read moreboneless wings. Tonight I got the 8 piece boneless with the fries. We got the Cajun fries. Much to my surprise, even after delivery, they were warm and crunch. For the tenders I always get honey bbq, they're perfect. I also got the second to hottest buffalo which in my opinion isn't that hot. The only reason for the 4/5 versus a 5/5 would be the consistency. Orders aren't always consistent, tenders are often not fully covered with sauce. Tonight's order was a 100/10. Great job. We will be back!

    If you're looking for wings or tendies, Wings Over Somerville will deliver (literally and…read morefiguratively) but in our humble opinion, it's not quite the best in town. We placed an UberEats order: a 6-piece tenders meal with fries, and while the packaging was neat and everything arrived intact, the food was just... okay. We totally get the soggy fries situation (delivery life), so we're not knocking them too hard for that. What did get me excited was the variety of flavor options, for both tenders and fries. I'm a girl who loves having choices! I tried something new: dry rub Cajun Voodoo and Garlic Hot Buffalo for the tenders. My boyfriend went with his usual double buffalo obsession: Garlic Hot and Hot Lemon Pepper. For fries, I went garlic parm, and he picked Cajun. (We're a no ranch/no blue cheese household, in case that sways your judgment.) But honestly? The flavors didn't really land. Even with all those choices, everything felt kind of underwhelming. The fries were soft (expected) but didn't wow us, and the tenders, while decent in size, were kind of lacking in boldness. We found ourselves wishing we had some dipping sauces, which is rare for us! Overall, it was a mid experience. Not terrible, not amazing. If the wing craving hits hard and nothing else is open, we might return... but we'll probably check out a few other local spots before crawling back to Wings Over.

    Photos
    Wings Over Somerville
    Wings Over Somerville
    Wings Over Somerville

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    Parlor Sports

    Parlor Sports

    4.6
    (88 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Cozy spot for sports and local vibes. Food exceeded expectations - burger was pretty good and cajun…read morefries were fresh, solid bloody mary, and service was attentive and friendly. Place was full of regulars, families, couples, friends. Tvs everywhere, even in the bathrooms. Prices pretty reasonable for this area. Fun spot to have a meal and see a Premier League game, would return!

    I wanted to find a sports bar that I could watch the Pacers game AND have above average bar food…read more Parlor Sports hits it out of the park ! It's unpretentious and welcomes all. It is ok the smaller side, so I would arrive slightly early if you would like good viewing of a specific game; however, there is TVs throughout the small-ish space. I ordered the cheese curds to munch on, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that they were some of the best cheese curds I've had. The breading wasn't thick like most, just an ultra thin layer. Added fresh jalapeños. And for dipping it was a ranch-styled sauce. So SO good ! I had a local, canned beer to drink. Service was good and it gave off a local/community vibe since the bartenders seemed to know who the regulars are. I will definitely be back! I typically don't drink cocktails at this sort of establishment, but the White Russian 2.0 has perked my interest. If the food is that great and it's only $13 for a cocktail... I'll be back to give it a try.

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    Parlor Sports
    Burger and bloody mary
    Burger and bloody mary
    Cheese Curds

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    Cheese Curds
    The Coast Cafe

    The Coast Cafe

    4.1
    (427 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    I ordered from Coast Cafe expecting something special given all the awards and recognition--but…read morethis was a major letdown and honestly felt like a waste of money. Let's start with the "Jamaican" patties. These were not patties. They were empanada-style, lacking the flaky crust, seasoning, and depth you expect from a true Jamaican beef or chicken patty. At $5 each, that's not just disappointing--it feels misleading. Then the soul food. This is where it really fell apart. The chicken was dry, under-seasoned, and surprisingly small--more like an afterthought than a centerpiece. Soul food should be rich, flavorful, and comforting. This wasn't! The greens were another miss. No depth, no richness, and completely lacking the traditional pot liquor that gives them their signature flavor. It felt like a stripped-down version of what should be a staple dish.The only bright spot was the candied yams--they actually had flavor and were enjoyable. What's frustrating is the gap between reputation and experience. When a place has awards and hype, you expect authenticity, quality, and consistency. This didn't deliver on any of that. Overall, I wouldn't return. There are too many places doing this food the right way to spend money here again.

    I was craving some soul food in the Boston area and I found The Coast Cafe on tik tok. Let's just…read moresay I was super happy I did! This place is super cozy with delicious food in Cambridge. I got the mixed chicken plate with Mac n cheese and candied yams. The chicken was very good--fried very well with great seasoning, a crispy exterior, and juicy interior. The Mac was very gooey and cheesy. And the yams were excellent as well. I thought the texture of the yams was near perfect--not too hard but not too soft and mushy either. Also not overly sweet. I also felt like the price was very fair. A lot of times, similar entrees can cost near $30, but this was just over $20 which was super reasonable especially for the quality. The staff was very kind and friendly as well. Keep in mind that the interior is quite small, so plan ahead on whether you're going to eat inside or take it to go. But overall I'd recommend this to anyone in the area, and I'd love to go back!

    Photos
    Fried Chicken
    Fried Chicken
    Fried chicken thigh, corn bread, mac and cheese and green beans
    Fried chicken thigh, corn bread, mac and cheese and green beans
    The Coast Cafe

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    Shine Square Pub

    Shine Square Pub

    4.5
    (39 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    Hanging out in Boston on business and it's #WingWednesday! So I did some research which lead me to…read morethe Shine Square Pub in Cambridge, MA which is a little east-northeast of Boston. Here's how it went! Atmosphere/Appearance: It's a bit of a dive bar and there's nothing wrong with that at all. There's lots of seemingly random swag that covered the dark wooden/brick walls of the open floorplan style restaurant. There are lots of TVs and this place just gives off nice sports bar vibes! Service: Ron the bartender/owner himself was taking care of the entire restaurant so he was killing it! He still was quick, efficient, did things with a smile and still made time to chat! Food: I'm here for the wings and I was able to try out 4 flavors! There are 14 sauces to choose from, but I only had enough room for 4. Lol. First up were the Cinnamon Chipotle Dry Rub. They were a decent size, super juicy, crispy, cooked perfectly. The seasoning was a bit on the salty side and I didn't get a whole lot of cinnamon, but it was there to cut the sauce and give it a extra layer of flavor. Next up was the Honey Honey which had great sauce coverage. They gave me a bit of a grilled/caramelized feel. These had a good kick to them and the honey was blended in nicely. Next up were the Roasted Garlic & Aji! These had a more traditional flavor profile that reminded me of your favorite straight-up roasted chicken. Very class and very good. Lastly, was the hottest sauce on the menu, Chernobyl. These were a BRIGHT RED like a poison dart frog warning you not to eat it. Lol. It didn't smell too intimidating, but Ron did say it was a ghost pepper based wing. Upon tasting them, there was an immediate sensation of heat. Good, pepper-rich sweetness up front. These were very good, but not as spicy as I had predicted, which is totally okay! Value: You get 6 wings for $11.00. A little on the pricey side, but it's Boston, sort-of downtown, but it's okay! It's not bad at all and the food was totally worth it. I loved this place and I'm so happy I finally found a good wing spot here in the Cambridge area. I'll surely try some more flavors and other things from their menu!

    A great place to watch a game and eat some grub. Lots of TVs, Boston spots memorabilia up, it's…read moredefinitely a dive bar but it's pretty spacious tbh since they didn't pack us all in like sardines, has quick bar service, and the food was good too. All around a great time!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Seasoned Fries
    Seasoned Fries
    Cinnamon Chipotle

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    Cinnamon Chipotle

    Bonchon Cambridge - John F Kennedy St - korean - Updated June 2026

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