Bonchon's always had a pedestrian reputation among Korean fried chicken places in New York, but hey, Irvine ain't New York. I tried it and it's not bad! Doesn't matter if it's my lowered standards or not, the chicken was consistent. Gonna be honest: I ate a medium combo by myself and I regretted it. They need to have an option between small and medium. Regardless, I was impressed by the crunch and texture of each wing and drum. They weren't the largest I've seen, but I'll trade size for quality. Service was decent, the wait was bad, and it's what I expected from a KFC-starved area like this. I'm not necessarily eager to return now that my craving's been satisfied, but it's good to know I can rely on Bonchon out here! read more

Love all the food here. Can't go wrong. The KChicken, Bao. Anytime I need my fried chicken fix I come here and I live I south oc

Updated review 7/20/17 Only reason why I'm keeping my previous review is because I do like the food here a lot. I try and come here once a month or try and bring someone new so they can try this place because it's good. But unfortunately I'm really upset and disappointed with the service and how the employees treated me. I was here yesterday grabbing a happy hour snack and drink with a buddy . Food was good but Bc we ordered from the happy hour I felt like they didn't put effort in playing out food and bringing it out felt rushed. When I was there yesterday I read an advertisement they had on every table about college night on Thursday's and all the food and drink deals they offer Thursday nights. The advertisement clearly read until 9:30 pm . I pulled up today Thursday7/20/17 at 8:50 pm and also saw one of their outside chalk signs ,Saying Thursday college night until 9:30 pm. We walked in and waited to be seated and no one paid any attention to seat us, as I walked in towards the bar the employees approached us saying they were closed . I then stated I thought you guys closed at 9:30 tonight like it says outside and on all your table displays . They just said no we are closed and escorted us to the door . It seemed like they were just trying to leave early and didn't want to stay until 9:40 to serve us. I was very disappointed and made me look at this place different . I had brought a new group of friends to try this place after me posting a picture of my food from the day before on my social media. They were all supper excited and we were all looking forward to the college night special that I had been telling them about all day. I will now limit my times coming here maybe just calling in for take out from now on Bc the food is still good but the service was horrible and maybe not come back at all. I was really bummed and disappointed in the type of service and the way I was treated these past two days here. I hope management can do something to improve their service and clarify their times and advertised specials with the staff. As I stated on my previous review from earlier this year . The food was great but service was bad . This is now multiple times my service experience here has been horrible . It's a shame because their food is really good. But having poor service can make this place somewhere I don't want to come back to or bring new friends to try it. Great place and great food . We ordered 30 wings half and half . Both taste great, spicy ones were pretty spicy but still good. Started with some fried calamari and some potstickers. The sauce on the calamari was delicious and both flavors of pot stickers also great. Over all good food and good taste . The service could have been better. They sat us down but didn't come take our order after getting us water for a while. Went on a random Wednesday night and it wasn't busy so I expected the service to be better. That's the only reason why I won't give his place the 5th star. Over all good food. read more

This review accounts for two visits. My party and I were greeted immediately which was great. I ordered the kimchi fried rice the first time and the tacos the second. The rice was flavorful and unique compared to other places, different I would say but on a positive note. Tacos I'd say I've had better nothing special there. Had a piece of the chicken as well and I could say it could use just a tad bit more flavor. More spices and and salt perhaps? Service was exceptional though. Tino, Nia, and Eric took great care of us both times. The service really shines here and makes the experience great overall. Very attentive and I will definitely be back because of it! read more

Picked up their chicken combo shortly after opening time, and never again will I go at opening time because the meat was so dry and jerky, I can only assume we were given last night's leftovers. If it wasnt leftovers, then they sure have horrible food. Very dissapointed. read more

Worst service ever had to wait over 30 mins for a order of wings and a sandwhich don't vist during lunch unless you have over a hour to wait read more

See all

I came back here to see if it has gotten better, food wise since the opening. My first time at this location was not very great. The chicken was real small compared to my experience in Alexandria. Chicken didn't have enough soy garlic and spicy sauce coat. The chicken skin was not crispy as well. Now, my second time coming back was much better. The chicken was still small BUT definitely tasted better than the last time. It was crisp and the sauce coating on it was much more recognizable in taste/flavor. -I tried the seafood fried rice which was good. Definitely recommend it. -Another item I tried was the Bibimbap (seafood) Sadly I was disappointed as it literally tasted like nothing at all. A bowl of rice seafood and veggies steamed in water and tasted like water with no seasoning. *The good thing though was that we had an amazing and very attentive server Lauren. Which I recommend asking for if you happen to be coming to eat here. She took care of our order and we were able to order the fried rice seafood which was delicious for our server Lauren for the chicken as I think it can get better in size and more sauce coating as it tends to get dry. read more

Bonchon Costa Mesa - Seafood fried - Chicken Wings Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I was hesitant at first and now I'm in love with the Crispy Korean Wings, parmesan fries, and they have a delicious japchae dish. Will be going back for some Korean Tacos. read more

We love Bonchon, but this was a miss. First time at this location and the chicken was dry and tiny. The radish wasn't pickled very well and had a dirt aftertaste. We ordered bibimbap and they forgot the egg that it was supposed to come with. They also put lettuce as a topping which I've never seen in traditional bibimbap or at any other Bonchon locations. read more

Heard about this place for a long time finally we made it here today. The soy sauce chicken is good but the spicy one is much more flavorful. However here are the Disappointments 1. I found some strange fibers stuck on my chicken wing. I showed to the waiter and he asked me is that the chicken hair? Then he said I will bring you A different wing. But then he said I will bring you extra one. 2. My concern is not to get A wing but about the sanitation of the restaurant and their food. A well known restaurant like this should be more concern about the health of their customers. 3. It was not busy at all when we were there but Kevin's attitude is not professional and friendly. During our meal he brought out the bill and started cleaning while I was still eating. 4. The floor was filthy with shoe prints and it very sticky. The food is good but you are not the only one that serves Good Korean fried Chicken. Please consider your customers' health. We aren't the only ones that found stuff in our food. read more

See all

Moronic service. Sign and notifications say you're "OPEN". People seated inside would indicate you're open. The ridiculous line (ZOMFG its korean food !!!) outside i stood in for 10 minutes before stepfather in to the "host" station, would indicative of a business that is open. We only wanted to get an order to go, take out. That's it. Simple. You're clearly already making food for the adoring masses inside. But no. After circling what is now OC's 132nd parking lot of malcontent (due to over stuffed businesses in TINY strip mall, as usual) 5 times, standing in a line i didn't need to be in and just wanting to order, wait and go i get: "oh, sorry -- we're only serving dine in." W. T. F. Ridiculous. Moronic. Idiotic. So yeah, probably won't be setting foot on your premises again. Can't wait to see what's in your lease space 8 months from now. read more

I've been waiting to try Bonchon for a while now, so I had some high expectations. I came in a group of 6 during dinner so there was a bit of a wait... but tbh the restaurant isn't that big. We ordered the double fried chicken because that's what Bonchon is famous on the East Coast for. For this, they only have two flavors, soy garlic and spicy. However, both were good and the spicy flavor will definitely make you drink a lot of water. The chicken was as crispy as they described, so I definitely wasn't disappointed. We also ordered the tacos which were pretty filling. It was a good first time. I'll be back. read more

We've actually eaten at the DC location and we're obsessed so when we heard that they opened in southern California, we had to try it. It was quite busy but were able to be seated right away. Given that they just opened, it was obvious there were many links to work out (slow service, forgetting orders, food taking 45 minutes to be brought to us). Not factoring in the new business follies, the server was incredibly kind (apologizing for the slow food service) and the food was delicious. Known for the chicken wings, we got both the spicy chicken and the garlic mixed. A small combo order ($13) was enough for the two of us. A side of seasoned fries ($7...Too expensive) brought it home. We enjoyed our experience and would go back. read more

Service was great. Friendly and attentive. Chicken not so much. Food came out fast but the chicken was OVERLY FRIED AND DRY. REALLY DRY. I guess they really wanted that crispy skin. They only have 2 sauces and both were salty without much flavor. Rice cakes were super spicy and but had decent flavor. Sauce seemed a little off and needs some work. The tacos were probably the only thing I enjoyed here. Oh and the beer. read more

I came here because I loooove Korean fried chicken. Bigger Kyo chon fan, but bon chon is pretty good. Tastes just as good, less sauce but crispy. Big wings, bigger than KFC hot wings. I call to see if I can place a pick up order, and they said they're still in soft opening so, no but the wait is 15min. Ok fine, I can totally respect that. I go in and order 30 wings and go grocery shopping. 30min later, still not done. Finally the food is ready so I grab and go. This was on the day where it rained 3inches so I just wanted to go home. Guess what, they give me 15 wings. I call and complain and they tell me they'll give me 30 wings and 10 free on the next visit but I have to drive back in the pouring rain. I say no, I want a refund, not worth it. They refund me the 15 wings only, for my trouble. Not even offering a full refund, which yes, can be perceived as greedy, but it's not about the money, it's about the respect for your customers. I drive in the pouring rain for your not even fully opened restaurant and you mess up my order and all you do is offer me a straight refund for the food that you forgot. Let me go microwave some IKEA meatballs to go with the bon chon to feed my starving family. read more

You should try their Soy Garlic Chicken it's the bomb. I wish they also have fish and chips like what they have in the Philippines

We got here at 12:15 and we didn't receive our food until 1 pm. Management needs to read this and fix the problem asap. There are many reviews which complain about the wait time. Also, there were people who came after us who received their food before us. Another sign that management needs to fix their process. The chicken itself was good and so was the fried rice, but I cannot recommend this place when the average wait time is 45 minutes. Completely unacceptable, especially for a work lunch. read more

Tried this place a couple of times. Service is not consistent, and two times took forever to get help. I made the mistake of ordering the boneless chicken wings. Barf. I told the waitress and she didn't care. I paid the bill and will never go back. They didn't care that the chicken was awful, made no attempt to correct the problem. Epic Fail. read more

I did not think I would like this place because of a prior experience with Korean fried chicken. Being the curious cat that I am, I did succumb to my curiosity and I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken wings flavor and texture were amazing! I tried both the spicy and the soy garlic chicken wings...I think I prefer the soy garlic. The chicken wings are kind of sweet which I don't normally like, but in this case it was quite tasty! The bulgogi tacos were also surprisingly light and delicious! Usually I don't like these type of tacos because for other experiences, they were too heavy and overly flavored making it hard to eat more than a few bites. These tacos were both tasty and not too heavy. The sauce they have is really good too. Kind of reminds me of a coleslaw salad with bulgogi meat. Yum! They also serve all sorts of beer (foreign and domestic) and I think soju as well. This is a good place to go if you just want to hang out and eat some casual dinning food. Their menu is quite extensive as well. I think I saw noodle soup, fried rice, stir fried noodles available too. Will come back to try those. The customer service was also on point. Very attentive and friendly. read more

B rating. Tbh, the drumsticks look unnaturally big. But the flavor (spicy flavor) is there. Wings are good (soy garlic) Fries are nothing special but get the job done. Fried rice is yummy! Service is great. Mayhaps, I'll be back again. read more

We have been getting chicken few times a week via DoorDash from Bonchon CM and it is very addictive. We had one open in our neighborhood in FV, so we tried it. We will only get it from CM location until they get it right. Today, we ordered from CM and it really hit the mark. I was so upset about Friday's order being so bad from the FV. It really is so crispy and crunchy. Made up for it. read more

192 friends 7 reviews 59 photos Share review Embed review Edit review 2.0 star rating 3/1/2017 Napkin, forks, spoon weren't set on the table when I came in. I asked them give me everything after they took the order. I had to wait more than 30min to get my order and water refill...you guys need to focus on that. I asked you guys TWICE! Where is the customer service? You guys can't even refill water without asking or set up the forks, and spoons? You server needs more training time. The food is too expensive! Edamame is what? over $5?! what a crazy over price!! How come other Entrees are same prices as some Appetizers? What the different? the portions are different and you guys charged same prices? That doesn't make sense! Also, why do you guys charge the Kimichi??? Is it kimchi should be free since this restaurant is Korean restaurant? I can't believe you guys charge Kimchi...really disappointed. I would not come back with this terrible customer service, and over price meals! read more

the food and service was good. i went there on saturday morning the waitress June always so nice when i go there. the best korean place in costa mesa. i'll recommend the bibimbap you should try. read more

Exceptional customer service by Lauren! I came in during lunch time and she was very welcoming and accommodated for my dine-in and to go order eagerly. Food, of course, is top notch! One of my fave KFC spots read more

Actually quite impressed with this lol Not sure why some reviews say that the wings weren't crispy enough, maybe I had a good batch but I'm happy I did? I'll come back if they keep it up lol. Ordered the soy garlic medium size. Prepare for larger sized wings and drumsticks cause these are not the usual size you are used to when eating wings. These were huge in comparison but not complaining! I'm impressed with the contradiction, how it can be both saucy and crispy! I usually only like eating fried wings with garlic seasoning but these were a saucy, lava texture and super crispy! Will be back :) The wait for the wings is longer than average tho. Also came on Saturday lunch and wasn't packed. Seated right away. Not sure when exactly rush hours are. read more

First time trying it after seeing it on Korean shows. The fried chicken was good along with the accompanying coleslaw, but I wasn't impressed with the shumai, seasoned fries or fried pickles. Definitely skip the seasoned fries. read more

The chicken is excellent! Coupled with the sea food rice and glass noodles with over the top delicious dumplings. I am giving 4 stars because the the chairs and floor were dirty and sticky and they were out of white wine. I will give it another shot simple because the delicious food. I recommend with a little caution. read more

Bonchon Costa Mesa - Chicken Wings Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

See all

We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon right before the lunch rush. The hubby and I split an order of 12 wings and an order of the bulgogi tacos. Wings: TINY. Itty bitty. They're also expensive for what you get. We tried to order the wings plain with sauce on the side, but were told they "don't do that." Fair enough (although, how is that so hard to do?). We then ordered it to be half spicy and half plain. The spicy sauce is not really spicy, but sticky and sweet with a tiny kick. The plain is PLAIN - not even dusted with salt. I felt robbed for how much we paid for these 12 wings. Tacos: unimpressed. The meat to slaw ratio was off as they were pretty skimpy on the meat for being $10 for 3 tacos. Just so meh. Service: Eh. This place just made me miss Koko Chicken. read more

Hmmm I came to Bonchon with a couple of friends. It's located in a plaza in Costa Mesa right next to Kickin Crab! I'm actually surprised by the 3 star review it has. The restaurant is really new, clean, and open. There's alcohol (soju and beers I believe) and there's also a happy hour which I was not able to make unfortunately.They close pretty early so make sure to check the hours before you come in! My friends and I ordered one large thigh, one small wings (soy flavored), and one fried rice. We had 4 guys and including me and I think (haha no one complained) were all satisfied?? But I was definitely satisfied because I don't eat much. It was about $20 a person with a large bottle of soju. I wouldn't say Bonchon is considered cheap for just wings, but I would say that the taste is definitely different compared to most wings I've had and the quality of the chicken is good. The food also came out quickly which was a plus! read more

I LOVE Korean chicken, especially the garlic soy. But I honestly feel like this place is not worth it. The drumsticks are small, the wings are small and their pricing just does not make sense. Usually if you're ordering more, the price should go down per wing right? But no not for this place... I don't remember the exact price but the combo with more wings costs more per wing than the combo with less wings. This was just very confusing to me and my boyfriend. We also got the bibimbap and the stone pot for it was NOT hot enough. When I order bibimbap I like my rice to be crispy but the pot was not even hot enough to make it remotely crispy. Overall this place is ok. I would probably come back only because there's not really good Korean chicken places around Orange County area. read more

One of my favorite Korean fried chicken spots in Orange County. The chicken is pretty crispy and juicy and the flavoring is really good! The service is really good as well. The only thing that I don't like is the wait for the food! Pretty long even when the restaurant was empty, but patience is required if you wanna eat some bomb ass chicken read more

I consider myself a tough critic, but this place exceeded the hype. We had the Fried Chicken, Korean Tacos & Japchae. My only issue was figuring out which dish I liked the best. The chicken was crisp and seasoned to perfection. It was spicy but not overwhelming for you wimps with bland taste buds. The Korean Tacos were a nice size and extremely fresh and light tasting. This was my first experience with Japchae so I have no comparison, but my soul was pleased with it. It tastes home cooked. Overall 5 stars. Thank me later. read more

Eric, Janet, Niha, and the other staff are always so welcoming and easy to talk to. Great food. Great vibes. Great everything!!

The food was great! But service and shortages of radishes is probably something management should work on. The chicken was delicious!! Some fried chicken the skin tastes so fatty and cloying but theirs is a thin batter that is super crunchy and you don't get any of the blobby chicken skin under the batter. 5 stars if it were just the chicken I'm rating. The service was another story. I asked for water without ice. I reiterated no ice after he read back the order. Got water with ice. I had to ask for it again. We order more wings after we demolished the first plate. After it doesn't come out we ask him to check on it. He says they ran out of chicken and they're making more. Okay... how does a chicken place run out of chicken? And if you can make more, then you didn't run out... I take it he just forgot to put our order in and was making some excuse for why it was taking long. Then when our chicken arrives he explains they ran out of radishes! What?! That's like a Korean BBQ place running out of kimchi! You use that every day. It's served with every order of wings. Radishes are pickled so they don't go bad. Why would you run out?! It's not like if you order a huge amount and don't use them in one day they'll go to waste bc you can't use them tomorrow!! I really don't get this one. This is not the server's fault. Management, you gotta take a look at this one... Overall, good chicken but some service issues. Will come back if in the area! read more

Shout out to Dave, our waiter. It was super busy, but he managed to handle everything! Food: -Seasoned Fries -Fries Rice w/chicken -20 piece wings: half soy/half spicy. The fries where fully seasoned! None of that half-assed seasoning where they only sprinkle it on top. Every bite was full of flavor. The spicy chicken will creep up on you! They reminded me of BWW's mango habanero. At first they're almost sweet and then BAM! Fire! The soy garlic was delicious too, but despite the imminent sweat and tears, the spicy were the first to go. The fried rice was great. A lot of flavor. Not bland but also not memorable. The atmosphere is basic. They seem to have a full bar. Not a cozy feeling place. I feel like they're missing something here? Maybe more decoration. I don't know. I didn't feel like staying around after the meal. Overall, nice experience. I'd come back if someone ever suggested it, but i don't think I'd ever crave it. read more

Lollicup tea is not applicable for pick up and to go check in! Crap deal. Even if I purchased worth $40, they can't give that $3 worth if lollicup tea. The server is annoying too "oh i'm sirry about that. I know it doesnt say on yelp but you have to dine in" read more

See all

Only saving grace to this visit was our server Andrew. Everything else was a culmination of a series of miscues which resulted in a not great experience. I cannot say enough good things about our server doing his very best for helping our feel welcome and important. Food is worth a trip if your in the area but the rest of the staff be forewarned made it feel like you should take it out. read more

Bonchon Costa Mesa - Spicy - Chicken Wings Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

See all

I just got back from a trip to Korea. This is exactly the way they do their fried chicken. It's much better than any of the "Korean Fried chicken" please in Korea town Los Angeles. Super friendly staff and great service. This was my first visit but I will definitely be back. Thank you Bonchon your amazing read more

First star was lost for the fact that the appetizer didn't come till after we finished the main dish. Second star was lost when we didn't get our drinks till half way through our food. Third star was lost due to the lack of flavor and average taste. No wow factor. My dish (katsu) was missing the vegetables. *If all of the above was remedied, it would still barely be a 3 star place. STAFF TRIED THEIR BEST. (Understaffed as usual, owners nowhere to be found) read more

This place have ONE server for the whole restaurant!!!! Way to go understaff!!! There were tables when we came in but we have to wait half an hour to be seated because the poor server was soooo busy, even though we are first in line!!! I am not blaming him, he tried his best but the management is seriously understaffed this place and let the poor guy run this place...The food is just like other Bonchon place but leaving one server to run this place is just horrendous management from the owners. Although I like Bonchon but I am likely won't be back to see this place work the poor guy to death!! read more