Very friendly staff and incredible food, one of the best barbecue experiences I've had in chicago.

Nice, little Korean / Japanese BBQ tucked away in a northside neighborhood. Fast, friendly service and lots of menu choices. Someone here is an autograph fan as they cover the walls. The food was delicious. But, don't wear your best clothes here because the place is a little smokey - the current ventilation doesn't take everything away from the tableside grilling. No problem though for us carnivores. read more

Chicago Kalbi - A wide range of beef and pork to choose from. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife and I got to Chicago Kalbi early on Friday, a few minutes after opening. I did not know you could make a reservation by phone, still, we got a seat shortly after arriving. The first thing I noticed was the countless pictures and autographed sports memorabilia proudly displayed throughout the restaurant. As a fan of the Bulls, it was captivating to see so much history and familiar names, such as Steve Kerr and Luc Longley. Cubs fans will appreciate it tenfold as there were even more Cubs players gracing their walls. I knew I was in for a treat. Our waitress, who I believe was also a co-owner, took our drink order first. I got a Japanese white peach cocktail and my wife ordered a sweet Japanese plum wine. The cocktail was refreshing and subtle, and the wine was sweet like candy but still tasted great. After the drinks, we ordered food and got the pajun as our appetizer (Korean seafood pancake). For our mains, we ordered the hone kalbi, bulkogi, and Japanese sausage. First was the pajun, a generous portion of food that could be shared among four people. It was light, fluffy, salty, and felt like it came straight off the heat with its freshness. On top of that, it had added texture from the squid, beef, and crunchy onions. The squid felt chewy, but everything else hit the mark. Once we finished the pajun, the staff prepared the grill at our table, and instead of a gas grill, we used a wood/charcoal grill to my delight! The banchan (Korean sides) shortly followed, and the meats. We were all set to start cooking and digging in! Both the hone kalbi and the bulkogi were unbelievably tender. The bulkogi dipped into the sauce provided for us was a perfect sweet and salty bite. Mixed into the side of rice only made each bite feel more heavenly! The hone kalbi tasted of high quality yet was chewier than the bulkogi. The flavor was as great as the bulkogi, but it did not have the melt-in-your-mouth characteristic of the bulkogi. For my money, I would have ordered another bulkogi rather than the hone kalbi. As for the Japanese sausage, they were basically cocktail wieners and tasted fine; nothing that blew our minds. Between bites of meat, I tried each side, and they were all delicious. My two favorites were the kimchi and potato salad, which tasted made-in-house. If we had enough room, we would have asked for the wagyu beef menu they have available, but we were close to exploding by the end to try their wagyu. We saved it for next time! Chicago Kalbi is a restaurant that's great and knows it. It does not need a flashy sign or marketing to flaunt itself and has trusted its food, service, and word-of-mouth to stay in business for decades. My wife and I were lucky enough to get a table at this packed hidden gem, and I join the fray of people that chant their greatness. This place is the real deal and offered us a delicious meal with friendly service. read more

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The food was pretty good, I get half way through my bowl and I find a hair in my food (Picture below) . It ruined my whole experience !!! read more

Chicago Kalbi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The owners are the nicest people I've ever met!! They've been running the restaurant for over 35 years and treated us like family. Besides that, the meats were of high quality and the side dishes were delicious!! Will definitely be coming back and bringing my friends just from the warm energy this restaurant had itself. read more

I remember watching a comedian talking about a Korean BBQ restaurant, and he had to cook his own food. It was funny, even though I've been to a few and didn't mind. This place does lack a little in the atmosphere and decor, but the food is delicious. It's worth the visit, read more

Omg this is a great place to go for Korean bbq and isn't very expensive! The tables are blocked off in what almost looks like private rooms! We ordered the Kalbi, Bulgogi and kobe beef rib eye. Personally, people make a big deal about Kobe. It was a bit on the overpriced side but it did taste very good. The Bulgogi was my favorite. It was a seasoned beef marinated in some awesome sauces. The Kalbi was less flavorful, but it's not marinated. They have a style of meat for everyone. Of course they gave us a million little side dishes for appetizers with the K-BBQ and they were all great. You were able to cook the meat yourself. Service wasn't bad, but it could be better. They also made you pay $1 for refills, but this was during the Cook County soda tax. It's a great place and I'll go back! read more

Chicago Kalbi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a place you can eat that Japanese people cook the authentic meal. It's Korean bbq that Japanese prepare. Recommend to everyone

Best korean bbq in chicago! I've had plenty of korean bbq, but Chicago Kalbi is def the best!! The quality meat, splendid service and overall experience deserves 5 stars. Definitely go to Chicago Kalbi if you have the chance. Love cooking the meat on the table! They have several "tiers" of quality per meat selection. We've ordered the "top" or toku-jou, medium (jou) and regular, all delicious! I recommend getting one of each quality. Their tongue, Kalbi, short ribs, bulgogi, prime rib were our favorites. It's so nice that the traditional korean sides also are provided right when you sit down. Their kimchi is great, ask for seconds! read more

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Awesome spot! Very good authentic food and the nicest staff you could ask for! Will definitely be back

Server was respectful and food was edible and 35 dollars good price. The environment was nice with no kids or monkeys screaming and yelling. Had a very pleasant evening vibe. read more

great food, tasted great there was quick service and the flavors were great. Can't wait to come back

Great food/service! Overall service is amazing. You will definitely leave full and content. The small business is usually always packed or some kind of short wait time; especially for holidays! Whether the traditional mixed drinks or the unique bbq experience I would give this place 10 starts if I could. They give you a "at home feel" and your appetite will thank you once you are able to process everything that is given to you at the time of your order. My fiancé and I always choose the two meats and seafood option and we usually never have to order more. The portions and quality are unmatched. read more

Chicago Kalbi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

this place NEEDS to have five stars. i had such a wonderful experience i almost told the hostess i loved her on the way out. seriously, go here. additionally, it's gorgeous inside. read more

Can't go wrong with anything on the menu but the bulgolgi was my favorite. Service is very warm and friendly. Nothing overly spicy, just tasty. We're coming back. read more

Great food but a little expensive and the portions are very small. This was the second time we went here because it was close to us BUT after looking at their menu, I remembered to why this was not one of our favorite place to gI would have gone for sushi or a big steak restaurant instead. The meat were very thinly sliced and the portions were very small. You will still be hungry even after paying $150+ for two people. read more

My favorite Korean/japanese barbecue spot. Try the yakigyoza, kalbi, hone kalbi, and the wagyu. Also don't forget the beef fried rice and their delicious homemade sorbet for desert. I recommend the mango sorbet. read more

Let me start off by saying WOW an order of fried rice is supposed to be shareable but NOT HERE! Paid $14 plus tax for a small bowl of beef fried rice paid $26 plus tax for BULGOGI also supposed to be shareable.. it's even less than the fried rice. What a great neighborhood over price restaurant! Must've very small appetite to eat here. My boyfriend 9 year old son just finished a $44 meal fried rice and bulgogi by himself that's how very little serving it is.. There's PLENTY OF DELICIOUS KOREAN restaurants for more of a serving than this! Robbery! HUNGRY AND ANGRY! read more

Even though I live within walking distance of Chicago Kalbi, I've never been here until very recently. The Korean / Japanese style barbecue meal is just not really ideal for the solo diner, so I was very excited to talk someone else into dining here with me recently. We wandered in on a random Saturday evening, and fortunately we faced a mere ten minute wait for a table. The interior looks very cozy and atmospheric. Apparently this Albany Park establishment is a big destination restaurant for Asian baseball players, with numerous photos and autographed baseballs proudly displayed to emphasize that fact. My date and I were soon called into a secluded dining space, our table situated with its own little grill. I am certainly not a great chef, so I was pleased that the adjacent table consisted of a nuclear Asian family (dad, mom, son) who certainly looked like they knew what they were doing. We enjoyed observing the dad preparing and subsequently savoring the food - it was like having a cooking guidebook with us. We ordered a combo set menu, and that turned out to be the ideal meal for us. We were presented a platter of three uncooked meats (we went with beef kalbi, beef bulgogi, and chicken), along with bowls of white rice, miso soup, and a bunch of little side dishes. The thin slices of beef bulgogi redeye meat were probably my favorite, possibly because they took the least time to cook on the grill. The slices of kalbi (marinated short rib meat) were not as fatty as the bulgogi. Chicken is chicken, probably the least exciting of the three meats but it went well with everything. All the little side dishes were colorful, and ranged from delectable to digestible. The lettuce leaves were super crisp and fresh, and you could create delicious meat "tacos" with them. It was fun to try out all the saucers with potato salad, cubes of daikon, cucumber, and dipping sauces. Surprisingly, the kimchi was not too spicy which was fine with us. Even more surprisingly, the miso soup had a few slivers of jalapeno, which added a spike of flavor but also made me choke momentarily. Hey nothing that could not be cured by a swig of ice cold Asian beer. The dessert of our set meal was a scoop of green tea ice cream, which was the perfect capper to our memorable dinner. The service was friendly and spot-on, without ever being too intrusive. Sure the dining area can be a bit smoky from all the grilling meats, but that comes with the territory. Even if you are not a big-time baseball player, you should have an excellent dining experience at Chicago Kalbi. read more

Excellent, Excellent spot. Again, not sure why it's taken me several years to check this place out but we are glad we did on Saturday night. The space is unassuming with several 'private' type rooms along the East wall. Four to five open tables in the main dining area. Lots of great options. The dumplings, both meat and shrimp, were great. The beef katsu was aslo awesome. Tongue is available several different ways. We got the miso glazed tongue. It was light, flavorful and a good start to the meal. BBQ items were awesome. Along with the sides. Lots of sake and shochu options. I had a few of the Japanese shochu and they were all excellent. Aromatic and flavorful. Staff was super friendly and welcoming. They had a whole kids set up for my daughter. Can't wait to go back. read more

This is a great place for foodies who really appreciate flavors and food. Right off the bat, the staff is extremely warm and inviting. I cannot emphasize enough how incredibly sweet and attentive everyone was. They are very respectful of everyone's privacy but also willing to engage in conversation. My boyfriend and I shared the combo set with chicken, beef, and squid in spicy sauce, and an order of the kobe ribeye. The set came with miso soup and green tea ice cream. The meats were all cut to bite sized portions, and all were lightly, and perfectly seasoned. The squid and Kobe were the highlights of the meal. The texture of the Kobe was especially buttery and literally melted in your mouth. Make sure you babysit your food so you do not overcook it! The miso soup and green tea ice cream surprisingly both packed a lot of flavor! We were comfortably full after our meal and extremely satisfied. I had such an enjoyable dining experience here that I would gladly recommend it to anyone. read more

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The food is fantastic and the service is really next level. The place has very nicely divided tables and moving wall units so a space can be created and reconfigured easily. read more

Honestly sooo fun! I've been wanting to come here for a really long time but it's so far up north and a lot of people said it's kind of pricey for the amount of food you get, but I don't think it was too expensive. We got one of their "packages" and it came with a variety of meats and veggies. it was the perfect amount where we were full but not too full. I know this place is kind of really far up north but it's worth the trip! read more

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This is a great little spot I cannot believe I had not known about. My husband and I tried it for the first a few months ago and I find myself craving it often. I can tell the quality of the meat is incredible. Their yukhwe is amazing too. I loveee yukhwe and it's hard to find a good one in Chicago so I'm glad I have a good spot for it now. I like to get the Kobe Short Rib Set because it comes with soup (get the spicy miso!), rice, and side dishes. I also get the lettuce wrap on the side which costs extra. I thinkkkk it's like 5-6 pieces of meat per serving which is very little but I think it's because of the quality? I feel like they should really throw in an extra piece or 2 of meat in their serving size but that's just my opinion. The service is okay, older woman who I believe is the owner is enthusiastic and kind. The older man who is the owner is nice too but one of the times we visited, he didn't really acknowledge us. Some of the servers don't speak English I think so it was tough sometimes when we asked for things and no one ever came back to help or bring us what we asked for. Nothing too bad though. If you don't mind spending ~$100-$200 pp to eat enough to be full, it's a nice treat. I felt like giving 4 stars but I have to give 5 because the food is good enough where I always crave it, their service is nice enough that I tip well, so a 4 star just doesn't seem to do this restaurant justice. read more

Good food. Terrible service. Ventilation is awful so be prepared. I have to say more to fulfill the limit requirement. read more

Chicago Kalbi - Stuff we ordered - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Best Yakiniku / Japanese BBQ in Chicago by a huge margin. Best meat quality and use of authentic charcoal grills. Try the spicy miso soup and karagee to start and order as much wagyu as you can. Wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu Wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu Wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu Wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu Wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu. read more

5* all above; must plan ahead and be patient bc so worth the wait! Very busy at peak times, so best to go elsewhere rather than give CK any grief, JS. read more

Chicago Kalibi is a must stop for us whenever we are in Chicago. We just love the food here so much. They have pictures all over the restaurant of famous people and autographed baseballs who have visited them over the years. We ordered our usual: Kara-age (seasoned fried chicken wings), beef fried rice, bulgogi, squid, and lemon sherbet and green tea ice cream for dessert. The Kara-age are petit, but have such a delightful flavor to them. I do not know what they put in their beef fried rice, it is simple but has such an amazing taste to it. Their bulgogi is marinated and tender and just melts in your mouth. And we always get a kick out of the lemon dessert being served in a lemon. We have been going here for quite a few years now and the wait staff is always so friendly and the owner always recognizes us even though we only go about once a year or so. It does get a little a smokey in here and when the fans get going it can be quite loud, but all of that is worth it for the food. read more

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Should say they have fresh and delicious food here. But the small size and the high price will still make you feel over priced. The owner is a nice lady and I will come back for food for sure~ read more

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Super cute kbbq place. They use real charcoal for their grills which is a different kind of kbbq than you usually get. The owners are a very nice couple and there's lots of baseball decorations and photos everywhere. They're open late and have great service! It's a little pricey but the meat is very good quality. They give you lots of sides with the food so just a couple meats are good to share for two. Will definitely come again! read more

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This is such a great place for BBQ! You could see all those signatures from famous baseball players when you enter their front door. The BBQ is actually more like a Japanese style grill, but they do have a lot of small fish appetizers such as kimchi, pickled radish, spinach, pickled cucumbers around the table like in Korean restaurants (and free for refills). There was a lot to explore from the menu. Got the tartar as appetizer-raw beef mixed with green onion, an egg yolk on top, and sweet radish in the side. It was a delicate experience to have good quality beef, and the radish on the side cleans your palate. Kalbi (short ribs)-had this from combination b. The beef was so beautiful. After a few seconds on the grill, we were amazed by its texture and taste. It was tender, and the taste was sweet without any sauces or lemon. The taste was so good that you wouldn't want to try it with any dippings or lettuce or rice with it. Chicken-also from combo b. I did not have any expectations on this item but it was amazing. The chicken was marinated well, very tender and juicy, and would easily become a child's favorite. Bulgogi-also from combo b. Was an ok item. I would recommend to dip it in some sauce and wrap it with the lettuce. Beef tongue-We went with the regular, but there were also a few more options that sounded very fancy. This is definitely a must try! It was tender, crispy, chewy, and flavorful all at the same time. Intestines-not so much into it. The green tea ice cream was also very soothing as an after-dinner dessert. The only thing to improve was probably their vent hoods. They weren't doing great so that there were a lot of smoke by the grill inside the restaurant. But still, overall, it's a great place to have BBQ. Would definitely recommend it to anyone that is in the area! read more

Came here on a Sunday night around 8 and still had to wait for half an hour, but the food is definitely worth the wait. This Japanese bbq place's meat are all very fresh and we really liked the charcoal grill (better tasting than electric or fire grills). We ordered the chicken karrage as our appetizer, it is crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The pancake is really good too. For entrees, you could not go wrong with any of the bbq items here since everything is so fresh! The wagyu beef is especially awesome, just look at that marble! very fresh and tender, but it only comes with 6 pieces. read more

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The prime ribeye beaf is the best and the pork is good. Also, the complimentary miso soup and side dishes are very tasty. We will definitely try kalbi next time. read more

Chicago Kalbi - Prime Ribeye - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cannot say enough about this place, I love it so much. I moved away from Chicago 25 years ago, and absolutely every time I come back in town for a visit I make sure to have at least one meal at Chicago Kalbi. Not just because of the excellent food (truly unparalleled), but because of the spectacular hospitality. I came in last month after a four year absence and the owners hugged me and welcomed me back!!! Try getting that treatment in New York! Even if you've had Korean Barbecue before, you've never had it like this! The restaurant attracts a predominately Japanese clientele, and the flavors of the food they serve cater to that palate. The yukhae is the best I've ever had anywhere, and worth the trip alone. This is not only my favorite restaurant in Chicago, it's my favorite restaurant anywhere! Do not miss it. read more

Definitely the highest quality KBBQ that I have had in the Chicago area thus far - friends and I ordered the marinated short rib (kalbi) and the non-marinated short rib (american kobe style) - both were excellent cuts of meat and high quality. The banchan (side dishes) here were also very good. The meat portions are fairly small for the cost, so you will likely have to order 1.5-2 meat portions per person (meat will cost probably around $35-45 per person). It is definitely on the higher end side but the quality justified the price. They use real charcoal grills, which adds a nice flavor to the meat. Would gladly come back here again for my KBBQ fix. Service was excellent as well. read more

We had BBQ and it was good, the food was fresh. The shrimps were my fav along with the marinated kalbi. We had the crispy pancake appetizer and that was nice. Everything we ate here was great, but the service was very very slow. I'm not sure if we came on an off day, but I would give them another try. read more

great service by Joseph. the food was so good as well as I go there at least twice a month‍thank you! will be back next month

We visited Chicago Kalbi and as it was my first time experiencing Korean BBQ. The food and service were amazing. We started off with the appetizers of Yakimandu, which were delicious dumplings and the chicken wings, also very good. For our grilling entrees, we chose, Kalbi, Bulgogl, Oeji-Gui, and Gui. The quality of meat was excellent. The accompanying sides were all very good as well. The staff were very helpful and friendly. We will definitely be back! Also, the is a very busy place. Reservations are probably a good idea. read more

We have been in 3 times. Most recently yesterday, w a party of 8, celebrating the end of my daughters swim season. I feel like I'm being welcomed into someone's home. The owner/hostess/chef/wife is like an old friend treating us so warmly and kindly but also w a great dose of humor. This loosens everyone up and fills the room w laughter. The food is outstanding, fresh, and a unique mix of Japanese and Korean cultures executed masterfully by the chef and staff. So many meats! Such wonderful ban chan. And being one of the few charcoal table grills left in Chicago certainly adds to the experience. The rest of the support staff are efficient and friendly. Going all out I would expect to spend about $50 per person which is very fair for the quality of experience. A true family restaurant read more

We were told by very go friend to try this restaurant so we did . We almost drove past and yes it doesn't look like much from outside , but the service was great and food was you cook Korean BBQ. We were more than satisfied. Portions were a little small but overall we good. read more

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