The Korean hype is real. Entertaining how people will overlook basic balance of flavors and accept everything being sweet. This bothers me because most Korean food is not sweet, it is not how real Korean cuisine is. Korean tacos - A soggy mess is the nicest way to put it. These contraptions fell apart after the second bite and sat in there own sauce and craptastic iceberg lettuce. Beef - bulgogi 3/5. The sauce and the iceberg lettuce was the star of the dish. Not the beef. Unbalanced and tasted more sweet then beef. Spicy pork 4/5 - Well balanced. Good flavors and with another soggy soft taco. Just go light on the sauce and veggies, toast your shells and you will be golden. Unexperienced kitchen staff really shows here Duk buk ki 4/5. Close to being authentic and similar to what you will get off a street vendor. Well done, raise the spice level or have a spicy option. Spicy chicken wings 3/5. To be honest this is the reason why i came here and sadly they came up short. Medium grade chicken, thick panco shell. Just to sweet and the chicken inside was dry. Decent attempt but more of a Korean general soas chicken with sweet and spicy sauce. Yogurt soju 5/5. - expensive at 17 but it was mixed well and with a full bottle of soju Overall decent experience with modern twists of Korean food but its hard to say, it was great. read more

I could not be happier that a korean place has finally opened in Adams Morgan, and Bul satisfies in every way. As soon as we entered, I was impressed with the trendy decor, all brick with really cool art to admire. They have a small bar on the first level with tables for dining, and a loft with additional seating slightly above the rest. We started with the spicy popcorn chicken, an interesting americanized appetizer that is great - very moist chicken with delicious spices and sweet spicy sauce, but not overpoweringly spicy. For entrees, I tried a standard, the dolsot bulgogi, served in the classic stone bowl and sizzling to perfection with beef, rice, and veggies. My date had the bibimbap, and it also satisfied. She said it was probably the best she has had in DC without having to trek out to the suburbs. Who wants to make that trip? It used to be necessary if you had to satisfy a korean craving, but no more. Bul is where it's at. I had the great fortune of dining a second time, and I went all new with the options. Bulgogi tacos to start, and oh baby. These are not only some of the best korean tacos in town, they are some of the best tacos period. Amazingly flavorful corn tortilla packed full with beef, I cannot recommend it higher. Next up was the k-pork fried rice, a kimchee fried rice that is very flavorful with cubes of tender pork. On this second visit, it was a Friday night, and the place was packed and teeming with life. Definitely make a reservation. The energy is great in the place, so it's a perfect location to start a long night out. Bonus points for the echigo stout on the menu. Good stuff. I need to give them huge bonus points for high re-visitability. They have a large and varied drink menu with sake, shoju, and korean wines, all on top of your standard beers and liquors. They also advertised regularly scheduled karaoke nights. I don't have the confidence to do it myself, but it seems like it would be a really fun time. read more

The first time I came here I had the Korean tacos. I tried one of each: bulgogi, spicy chicken, and spicy pork. Each bite was full of flavor and it was so delicious! On my most recent visit I came for drinks and got the Melona, which was the most interesting drink I've had in a while! It includes soju and a Korean melona ice pop right in the drink. This is a great spot for dinner as well as drinks at the bar. Can't wait to come by again and try the dumplings and fried rice! read more

Bul - Melona - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here for the fried chicken (picture is the sweet & spicy chicken). The taste was a bit too sweet and not too spicy. It was a really good value for the price though- I believe this was $13 (check their website for the half chicken) and shared between two was more than enough. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love Bul so much. The pork ssam is the best I've had anywhere, and I've never had a bad dish. Owners and staff are incredibly friendly and hospitable. I've ordered delivery directly through the restaurant a few times during COVID, and it's always prompt and delicious. Best Korean in DC for sure. read more

I thought this place was DELICIOUS!! Came here for dinner on a chilly night, and ordered the Spicy Seafood Dolsot and shared the spicy soft tofu stew. The Dolsot came with a raw egg cracked on top of sizzling white rice that was crisping at the edges where it came into contact with the iron-hot bowl... those crispy rice bits mixed with the spicy sauce, creamy egg yolk, and squid elevated this meal to one of the best I've had along the strip of AdMo restaurants/bars. The soft tofu stew is average spicy for someone who can tolerate spice well, and goes along very well poured over your dolsot/bibimbap. Would 100% return on another cold, winter night. read more

Bul - The seafood dolsot (Forgot to take a pic before...) - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This restaurant is a hidden gem. Do yourself a favor and head to Bul. You won't regret it.

The owner and employees are so kind and welcoming! The food was great and the service was greater! Will definitely come back each trip. Sending love from Hawaii! read more

The owner and staff were FANTASTIC!! I went with a big group for my birthday last weekend and they seated us pretty quickly considering how big our group was. The food was outstanding and they had so many options for our group (which included vegetarians). PS the music playlist and vibes at this spot are the best!! Thank you!! read more

Was looking for a Korean restaurant in DC and thought I should give this place a try as it had decent reviews on Yelp. First, it was a bit hard to locate as there wasn't any signs of the store name on the front of the bulding. Not too big or small inside but the tables seemed a little close to each other. Music was on so it wasn't very awkward dining but it was not too loud so it was good. The food was decent, on the better side, however. Got the spicy pork belly ssam, small odeng soup, honey butter fries, and the soy wings appetizer. Price was a bit expense compared to the portions but I was expecting that especially in Adams Morgan. The odeng soup was pretty good but it stayed super hot for nearly 30 minutes. Verdict- decent place to go for Korean food around Adams Morgan, DC but they do not provide any free side dishes like most Korean restaurants do. And beware of their spoon, as it's heavy and oddly shaped, making it awkward to use. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Bul is honestly going to be a hit or miss for people in search of a "Korean" restaurant. It's a cozy little spot right in the middle of Adams Morgan and only a few stores away from Dan's Cafe (The "best" bar in D.C.). I wouldn't say the food at Bul is mind blowing or that it is horrendously fake Korean food. The food at Bul is fair. Of course they have some Americanized/Modernized dishes that are tasty but don't expect them to be traditional "Korean" food. WITH THAT SAID. I usually go to Bul for happy hour and their green bottles (aka soju). As a Korean, I just can't stay too far away from my soju and cass (a Korean light beer). I have heard some people have problems with the servers/service, but my 20+ times there, I have yet to have any issues with service of drinks or food. They have a very small patio that may sit roughly 10 people at most (where I usually sit) and when you walk inside they have a tiny bar to the right and dining seating to the left; and a loft with additional seating. If you're looking for a chill night to sit, eat, and drink, this isn't a bad choice. Maybe you'll see me =P read more

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Let me start by saying I don't have much against this restaurant. It's just they are more targeted towards diners with Americanized taste. As someone who has been to South Korea for many times and tried their authentic cuisine, this is not for me. So if you want something authentically Korean, definitely consider any restaurant in Annandale before this. We started with their yogurt soju, which by the way was pretty strong(definitely much stronger than how I would make it at home). For $17, I would call it more than a great deal! For those who are not very familiar with Korean cocktails, this is a must try and it is absolutely delicious. We also ordered their fried chicken and steamed egg. The half portioned fried chicken was kinda small and the chicken weren't chicken wings or drumsticks. The soy garlic glaze was a bit too sweet as well. I guess this is what you get from a place that doesn't specialize in Korean fried chicken. The egg curd was a major disappointment. I expected it to be something like you would get at a restaurant in Annandale but boy was I wrong. The dish was too watery and the eggs not hard enough. On top of this, it burnt my tongue, leaving me almost tasteless for the rest of the meal. For the main dish we ordered the budae jigae to share. I thought it would be a safe choice and also both my friend and I were craving it. However, the taste was just wrong. I swear the packaged thing from hmart is better than this. What's interesting is that they consider seafood pancake as an entree. The good news is they actually did a good job for the pancake. There were a lot of seafood on top and it was yummy. Word of advice, this is a really popular restaurant in Adams Morgan. So try to get there early or make a reservation since it tends to get overly crowded later in the evening. And if you do decide to visit, I would recommend the yogurt soju and the seafood pancake. read more

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A more modern take on a Korean bar in the heart of Adam's Morgan. I absolutely love the vibe of this place, from the lighting to the wide variety of people who come here. My girlfriend and I order their $5 Sake ($5 each) and they surprisingly give you a good amount for that price. Who honestly wants to spend a million bucks to get mildly drunk? Charming atmosphere and cheap sake - add 2 stars. We order their Kim Chi Fried rice with an egg on top and their Soy Garlic Korean chicken wings. The Kim Chi Fried rice wasn't the cheaply made version I'd usually get in Annandale (Northern Virginia's Koreatown). Bul infuses every grain of rice with kim chi flavor, almost like paella, but better! Their Korean wings were on par with the Bon Chon chains (maybe even better) so we were very impressed. The service was fast and thoughtful despite them being very busy. Delicious food and good service - add 2 stars. The deciding factor for a 5 star is whether I'd come back and I totally would. Bul is one of the best Korean bars not in Annandale VA! read more

Overpriced , terrible service Food nothing special. Overpriced I was there by myself. Asked for a recommendation. Was told to order the grilled beed dish that comes with white rice ($25) For $15 I could upgrade my rice to a special rice. What a deal. So spend $50 on dish for 1? Cheapest glass of wine $14.00. For a place that serves water in cloudy dirty plastic cups. Waiter dropped off the food. No one ever came back to see if I like the dish , if I wanted anything else. Will not come back. read more

Searched up a place that had pork belly ssam as my boyfriend was craving it and found Bul. With quarantine going on we ordered delivery. The delivery took 1.5 hours. Food was way way overpriced. We got the Chicken & Green Onion which is $16 dollars and had like 8 pieces of popcorn chicken and a crap ton of green onions. Pork belly ssam didnt come with lettuce. Hotteok, which on their website has the description of "sweet pancake with brown sugar in it with vanilla ice cream." It did not come with ice cream at all. By the time our food arrived it was barely lukewarm. I really wanted to enjoy this place and come back but this was just one big disappointment. Their kimchi is good though. read more

Pretty happy with my experience here. We walked in fairly late on Friday night but since they close at 2 so it wasn't an issue. Two of us were still a little hungry so we ended up getting the Spicy K.F.C. as well as the Haemul pajuhn (Seafood pancake.) The pahjun was pretty good, we got the small so it but between that and the chicken we were pretty satiated. Since we were eating Korean bar food we ended up drinking soju. They had a soju that was reportedly from North Korea, despite my reservations about its provenance the soju wasn't bad. We had a couple of bottles of that before moving onto their apple flavored soju which was made in house and a lot smaller than the others. We ended up getting another bottle and as it turned out we ended up closing the place down. Our server though was really cool with us staying around until everything else was cleaned up and we couldn't stay there anymore. After having spent a few hours there and trying their food and drink I'm pretty happy with it and look forward to another visit. read more

My experience wasn't that exciting. It was Saturday night and decided to try Bul because I heard many positive reviews about it. Interior was nice and it suited the whole town it doesn't look like your typical Korean Restaurant, it's more Americanized. As soon as I opened the menu, the price seems to be on the high side but its expected because it was in DC. However, when we ordered watermelon soju it tasted bad and stale. The watermelon was very stale and it tasted like they just poured soju in it. After that we decided not to try their food, but who knows maybe Ill give a another try. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very disappointing visit to BUL. Their kitchen is not supposed to close until 10. We walked in at 9:22 and were told the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes. That was fine because we knew we wanted some wings. When the server came back to take our order he let us know we could order anything but the wings. Really!? That was a bit of information he should have shared when he let us know the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes. Waste of everyone's time. Ended up down the street at the Diner which is one of my fave spots in Adams Morgan. BUL or BS... won't be back. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in DC! The food is delicious there. I highly recommend the kimchi pancakes, pork belly fried rice, and pork tacos. The service there is also great and loves to share and teach their patrons about Korean culture. read more

I've been getting into Korean food a lot lately and stumbled across this place on Yelp. It's an interesting twist on Korean fusion, so Sunday night I gave it a try. I ordered a martini to learn they don't have a full bar, only an extensive soju, sake, and beer selection. Knowing little about soju, I asked the server for his expertise. He was very knowledgeable - impressively, actually. He described the differences between the types of Soju they offered. He even knew how each was made and the alcohol contents of them all. Side note: Soju is surprisingly high in ABV, one even around 26%. We got that one! And mixed it with Kloud beer, per our server's advice. Not super flavorful but still enjoyable. As for the food: The O-Crab Puff crispy wontons were pretty standard. They were atop a tasty sweet and sour sauce and had a light crisp to them. They were delicate and not as crunchy as most wontons, I enjoyed that. The Korean Fried Chicken was average. The skin was crispy, but not as crispy as KFC is usually known for! That was sort of a bummer. We ordered two sauces on the side to try, the sweet chili sauce and the hot. WARNING WARNING WARNING: THE HOT CHILI SAUCE IS FEROCIOUS. I'm someone who loves spicy hot food, and almost shed a tear. My mouth was tingling with fire and it kind of hurt a little lol. I ate some radish to cool it but it was so unbearable that I asked our server to swap it for the soy ginger sauce. He did at no extra charge :) Apparently, that's a common reaction to the hot chili sauce at Bul... so again, I repeat, THE HOT CHILI SAUCE IS DANGEROUSLY HOT. Try it if you're into that, but consider yourself warned. Overall, the food was 3 stars but I gave them 4 because our server was impeccable. He was insanely knowledgeable about the menu and even more helpful. He did warn me about the sauce before I ordered it, but I swore I could handle it lol. Then he graciously swapped it. Even offered me a towel since I started to sweat a little. Fun experience! read more

Oh this is my new favorite place for take out! I enjoyed eating there in person in the past, for sure. For starters, you cannot go wrong with the fried chicken - mmmmmm, something so delightfully better about this chicken, and I'm not sure what. Really hits the spot. My favorite last night was the spicy pork with vegetables - comes in a bento box with all the trimmings like kimchi, rice and daikon, plus some unidentified delicious garnishes. The pork was heaven, really well done with excellent flavor, moderate spice and all the gojuchong on the side if you need it spicier. I also got their japchae which was tasty and mild with those delicious earthy mushrooms. Tasted my friend's bulgogi and rice - also delicious. This food holds up well to getting it home, so no reason to hesitate! We will definitely be adding this to our rotating short list of restaurants to get us through the winter. read more

Since I have been in DC, I have been searching for some authentic Korean food - and the search continues! The only place to get it unfortunately is in Annandale. Speaking as someone who is from the west coast (where Korean food is abundant) and who lived in South Korea - my expectations are pretty high, and I refuse to pay these high prices for americanized Korean food. We got the chicken wings (spicy and soy), the bulgogi tacos, and the jjampong (seafood soup). Everything tasted good, and we had a pleasant experience here overall with good service - however, I would not recommend Bul if you are looking for legit Korean food. read more

I am happily content with this restaurant :) Great service, nice interior with a relaxed/modern feel. The waitress was very accommodating for a group of 6 crazy people. I highly recommend making a reservation on opentable, but it didn't seem super crazy busy on a saturday night (which was nice). I recommend getting their kimchi dumplings $8 (fried), they were delicious, fragrant and crispy! I also really loved their bibimbap, which I usually never get in Korean restaurants but it was super good here. Two thumbs up. I haven't tried their soft tofu soup yet, but the prices seemed pretty decent for Adams Morgan/DC in general. I wouldn't get their seafood spring rolls next time though, they were just too tiny & not worth the price. Also, their fried chicken, definitely go for spicy instead of soy sauce, the soy sauce was a bit too salty and the spicy really wasn't that spicy. I'd probably not order the fried chicken again tho, it was a little underwhelming. I also absolutely loved their seafood pancake. It was so good!!! Chewy, not crispy - just the way I like it. All in all, I think there's more on the menu for me to order and I'd definitely come again. read more

WARNING: the spicy KFC was SO spicy I could only take one bite and had to take the rest home. Unexpected. The fries were really savory and crispy, barely any bulgogi though. Again, pretty pricey for bar food but people still like it anyways! Debated on getting kimchi fried rice, might try in the future. read more

very niceeee！good！ I really recommend the korean restaurant. cheap and tasty～yeeee Beef Short Ribs read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here with friends on a Friday night . The wait time was not bad as we did came on a Friday diner hour. The watermelon soju is worth the price because we couldn't even finish it among the three of us! Food and ambiance is ok . read more

Bul - Watermelon soju - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I LOVE THIS PLACE. Every time I have gone here, the staff were very friendly and attentive, the food was amazing, and I left with a smile on my face. Their KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) is absolutely amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone who likes meat. In addition to their chicken wings, the starters: O-Dari and Korean Fries, are heavenly as well. So good and such a nice portion size! This place is great. I cannot say if it's authentic Korean food, but I can assure you, it is GOOD food. read more

They don't take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays between 7-9pm. We arrived around 7:45 and there were a couple free tables. By 8 the place was filling up and there was a line. We waited just a couple minutes before we were greeted by a very sweet waitress. I was disappointed to learn they were no longer serving watermelon soju, but moved on quickly after learning about a lemon soju cocktail. We decided to share a large between the 2 of us, which ended up being a mistake, but I digress. So, for the food: I chose the spicy squid rice bowl with an egg and my partner chose the bulgogi bown with an egg. I didn't find the rice bowl spicy, but it was still delicious, especially with plenty of the sauce they serve alongside the dishes. We both loved our dishes. The large soju ended up being a bit too much even between the two of us as we had plans to go for cocktails after. If it's all you're planning to drink or if your tolerance is higher than mine and it probably is, I say go for it! I highly recommend this place! read more

Awesome customer service, and great korean food and snacks. I was expecting to break the bank considering the location...however it was actually quite affordable. Must try: kimchi fried rice read more

Pros: Location, Great Service and just an all around great atmosphere. Con: Location, Description of Food didn't match what came to the table, Under Seasoned and just subpar quality. So want brought me to this restaurant was the thought of tasting a nice bowl of "Budae JJigae" after reading over the menu and all of the ingredients for each item I chose I decided to try the Pork Belly SSam and Budae JJigae Soup. My partner ordered the Kimchi Dumplings as an appetiser and I must say although the Kimchi was not really seasoned well if you dip it in the soy sauce provided it offered a very unique dining experience. So eventually our entrees arrived and I was a little disappointed with the soup because traditionally it has tofu, hot dogs/ sausage, spam, glass noodles and ramen noodles, beans and topped with a slice of American cheese. Everything was there except for what makes this "Army Base Stew classic there were no beans, no glass noodles (or should I say you had to pay $2 extra for something that was suppose to be there in the beginning) and it was not topped with cheese. I just felt if your going to offer something as unique as Budae JJigae at least get it right. The Pork Belly was fine again if you don't add the soy bean paste you will be disappointed. If the staff wasn't so awesome I may have given this place a rating of 2 stars but I genuinely loved the staff and the vibe of my fellow patrons. #HappyEating read more

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Bigger than you think from the outside. The service is super friendly and quick. And the food we tried was all great - quite big portion sizes for the money too. Would def come back any time I'm craving Korean. read more

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This place is charming and the food is pretty good. I'd recommend it with some caveats. The service was a little strange -- we ordered dukbokki and chicken wings as appetizers and then bibimbap. The dukbokki came out hot and delicious. The spice was great, the rice cakes were perfectly cooked, and it was wonderful. Then just a few minutes later, the server brought us the bibimbap. Dolsot bibimbap isn't good if you let it get cold, so we had to abandon our dukbokki to eat that. It felt rushed and confused. Meanwhile, the table next to us (who came in after us) had their chicken delivered 15 minutes before we did. Our fried chicken came out while we were half-way through our bibimbap. Too late, kind of cold, and with way too much sticky syrup topping. If you're in Adams Morgan and you're craving Korean, this place seems great (but you might need to very clearly articulate what you're ordering and when you want it). But I probably wouldn't travel from the other side of town to eat here again. read more

Bul serves large portions of yummy Korean food at great prices. I'd recommend coming with a group of people and trying a bunch of dishes. We enjoyed the seafood pancake and the sweet and spicy KFC fried chicken. I deducted a star because service was a bit slow and inattentive. read more

This place is amazing! The corean tacos are legit! I went with friends and we ordered different plates to share. The size is surprisingly big and we ended really full! We also share one of their famous cocktail in a watermelon (I do not remember the corean name) and it was fun but we ended ordering beers to finish the dinner. I recommend to go al the least one time if you are having fun around Adams Morgan and you like asiatic food! Come back is always an option in my head! read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here after being turned away trom Mandu after a problem with a reservation - one of the best things that happened during this first time trip to DC from MA!! The food was AMAZING. There is no dish there that was not completely PERFECT. The jigae is deep and savory and spicy, the chicken is perfectly crispy with skin that's not too thin or thick, juicy chicken meat, and BOMB sauce. The bibimbap was fresh and flavorful, and the kalbi ssam was to DIE FOR. I'm not kidding when I say this is the BEST korean food I've EVER had, and I've been to NY, MA, and IL all over. Shoutout to the owner/one of the head chefs (I think?) - my fiancé, cousin and I came for the cherry blossom festival, and after a long day of adventure, she made my night just by being so friendly and courteous. The service here is IMPRESSIVE. Total chaos as people flock to the restaurant for the food (as they should) but James is a BOSS and handled it impressively. The whole team there was so friendly and attentive! I'm gonna miss this when I go back home to MA! read more

Huge portions of food that are reasonably priced. The portions are so large that the "appetizer" is meal sized. All the food I had to take Home reheated very well. The customer service was great. I can't wait to return and eat here again!! read more

3.5 Stars Is Bul the best Korean restaurant in the DMV? No, for that you need to go to Northern Virginia, but it is convenient if you live in the city. It's also a testament to how much more mainstream Korean food has become; the night I stopped by there were several (non-Asian) families with children, but there were also Koreans eating there, attesting to its authenticity. Anyway, to the food: Our table had the honey butter fries, bibimbap (mixed rice with seasoned vegetables and egg), and kalbi (thinly-sliced, grilled beef spare ribs). While tasty, there were a few minor disappointments: there are is no-table top cooking (to my knowledge this is not available in any Korean restaurants in DC), the bibimbap is not served in the hot stone bowls that give the rice a crispy crust, and the meals (including kalbi) do not come with panchan, the little dishes that normally accompany grilled meats in a Korean restaurant. On a positive note, it was very family friendly with some of the best the best service I've had in DC in years. Bonus: for the gastronauts out there, Bul serves Pyongyang soju from North Korea (yes, surprisingly this can be legally imported to the U.S.). read more

This place took me right back to Korea! Keep in mind many dishes are bigger than you'd expect. The fried chicken, pancakes... basically everything is delicious you can't go wrong! read more

SERVICE TOTALLY BLOWS! Came hear as a party of 2. There were 3 empty tables but they wouldn't seat us because the tables were only for parties of 4. When we pointed that out they didn't care and told us to wait at the bar for one of the tables for 2 to open up. when we walked out they didn't even look up. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Just a great dining experience at a reasonable price with unique and tasty food, and especially with very friendly, helpful and kind staff. Earlier in the evening that I dined here, I had a horrible experience at a Peruvian restaurant down the street and this just completely made the evening 100% great. I had the Bulgogi Tacos - delicious beef tacos with a Korean twist and pretty filling. Plus I also had the Korean Fried Chicken with this restaurants custom sweet and spicy sauce on the side. Both were just outstanding comfort food and made for a great meal with a unique DC experience. Highly recommend this restaurant and cannot say enough good things. We'll make a special trip back the next time I visit DC. read more