Yesterday,(Tuesday May 09, 2017) I went to have dinner in pretty big group. The waiter had very bad manner and bad service. I have never seen the way he acted. He went go to have some food with his friend while he was working as the server. By the way, the food from this restaurant is very good. P.S. If you meet another server (Mr. Kim) from this restaurant, you will be very lucky because his service is very good. Good take care his customers. read more

This place is truly amazing the food is amazing the workers are super freindly and environment is great read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Their fire chicken is super spicy. I always tell people that I can handle Korean spicy (which is totally different from Mexican spicy or Chinese spicy, know what I mean??) but this place is on a totally different level. I only had about 5 pieces before I had to switch over to the pork ribs. Super small restaurant and very dark on the inside. I wish that they had banchan (side dishes) like most Korean restaurants. They have cocktail soju here, which makes it one of the few Korean restaurants in Chicago that serve it up--- my go to is Yeowoosai, but it's good to know that this is an option. read more

My issues with this place: 1) Menu: The octopus sashimi was actually boiled octopus with a nasty sweet and sour sauce. Sent the Korean to a friend who confirmed that the translation was bad. 2) Value: They don't give you the little side dishes that many Korean restaurants do, so even though the place is a little cheaper it's not really such a value. 3) Service: I don't expect much, but they had one guy manning the grill, waiting tables, and doing the drinks. Food took a long time and I had to walk to the waiter/grill guy to order beer. Get a waiter!! The good: the spicy pork skin was tasty and the fire chicken was really good. All and all there are just so many better Korean places. The music was fun. read more

Food is good but the waiter is unreasonable and difficult. they also have a hidden 10% surcharge placed on everything that is added after tax that is NOT disclosed anywhere on website, menu or in restaurant. sketchy practices. read more

They do business like scumbags. They don't wear mask. They make up fees and taxes. They don't wear gloves. Stay away

let me tell you how this place got me one star if not a zero. i was craving for chicken with cheese and tried to find a korean restaurant nearby that serving this plate. yelp leading me here with all the food reviews, i called to make an order for chicken with cheese, and pancake. excited to pick up the food, the cashier told me "cash only", ok fine, went back to my car to grab cash. pay for the food, went home, found out they charged me for the chicken and cheese, but end up gave me regular chicken. where is my cheese???? do i have to buy cheese from market and put over my chicken??? i called back to talk it out, whoever picked up the phone said sorry. and says "now what do you want?" with a really mocking voice. my answer to him was "i clearly dont want to get charged for what i dont get. i clearly dont want to get treated like crap. lastly, i dont want to come back to the restaurant." ps: for all of the customers, double check your food and charged before you leave the store. read more

I would give this place 5 stars if you didn't walk out of it smelling like a bbq. This is probably one of the best hole in the wall Korean bars. Don't think it's an actual restaurant... it's a bar that serves Korean food. The buldak(fire chicken) is amazing but really spicy. By really spicy... I mean really really really spicy. You can get it with cheese to bring down the heat a little but it's still pretty hot. I also recommend the seasoned pork skin. Comes out super crispy, and girls claim it's good for their skin. I haven't really had any bad dishes their. Like I said before it would be 5 stars if I didn't have to change and shower after walking in their. read more

Very disappointed with the serving amount and the price. Ordered spicy rice cake, fire chicken w/cheese, seafood pancake. You get six pieces of spicy rice cakes for a $10 dish, three chicken drumsticks w/some meat w/cheese $13. Chicken was spicy and very salty. Seafood pancake was decent. They charge you $2 for a bowl of rice that's old. We were very disappointed with our visit here on 7/8/18. We will not be going back here again. Not worth the price at all. read more

A great little Korean bar. From outside, it looks pretty divey, but it's worth going in to check it out. They are very welcoming and service is polite and quick! It's a good place to eat some great food, drink with friends, and watch the game. They have a lot of big screen TVs throughout the bar and you can view one from any seat. You should definitely try the fried pork skins, which are so fatty but so good too. For 11 dollars, they are a great deal. They come with a dipping sauce. I would also recommend the strawberry soju cocktail, which is like drinking a slushee. It comes in a little pitcher and is plenty to share among 3 or 4. $20. Hides the taste of soju! You drink it in little shot glasses. Food overall is priced fairly and drinks are not too bad either. Lots of street parking! The interior is very clean too, including the bathroom, which is always a plus. read more

Ordered fire chicken for take out. Flavorful chicken lacking texture and crispiness. It definitely has the "fire". Little over $15 for this meal. Serves 1-2 people. read more

Dancen - Fire chicken - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What an interesting hole in the wall type of place. This place is really small inside, featuring only a few tables and a few seats at the bar. The dimly lit atmosphere and simple decorations make it feel very cozy in there. What makes this place special is the fire grill that they have behind the bar. Meats are grilled behind the bar and the aroma from that fills the place. I've tried the grilled pork skin, chicken kabob, beef kabob, and pork kabobs. All of the food was fresh off the grill and tasty. They offer beers and soju, but nothing on tap. That was disappointing, but understandable. It's just weird that a place offers pitchers of beers without having draft beer. I assume that they open bottles and pour them into pitchers. Weird, right? Anyways, it's a cool place to hang out with friends and enjoy some grilled meats and some drinks. I would come back if I was in the area. read more

This is legit Korean Barbecue. Small area, big taste. The FIRE Chicken is the most popular menu item, and for good reason. I am a Texan living in Chicago so I am skeptical whenever anyone claims something is spicy. THIS CHICKEN IS FIRE. Great rice wines and soju on the list to compliment liquor and beer. Gets crowded quick but worth the fight to get in. read more

Forget that this place is a dark, kind of sketchy looking dive bar and EAT THE FOOD! Oh, my God........................ !!!!!!!!!!! I have never had fire chicken soooooo FRESH and delicious! And I have an obsession with ddukbokki (rice cakes)........ Mmmmmmm! Good portions for four people (we went here with a pair of friends.) We also had their frozen blended sake (can't remember what it's called). It tastes like a pina colada but WITHOUT cream! And surprisingly, it had a nice alcohol kick to it... as my girl friend and I got a nice buzz from the carafe. My bf (who is Korean and a complete Korean food snob) really really liked this place. I would say it is totally worth the drive from the City (we hate to drive anywhere haha). I wish it was closer. If it was closer, I would give it 5 stars! Lol. read more

I thought this place was pretty decent. This is a very typical Korean style bar (In Korea I meant) where you will see this everywhere in Korea. They usually sell drink (beer and soju) and food that you can have with your alcohol. We ordered rice drink, then also ordered, grilled pork skin, soup with cod eggs (altang), spicy rice cake (dukpokki), and marinated rice. We also ordered marinated chicken, but it was just ok. Others were pretty good. Well, this place can be very busy, and your service may not be optimal. Also if you are there with party of 5 or more and if you only get one table, you may have problem with space. We had to put a lot of stuff on the ground to accomodate our food and drink. Well it is good experience especially if you haven't experienced a real Korean bar culture. read more

We visited this tiny Korean bar with unassuming storefront last night despite not having any of our usual Korean tour guides. Don't be scared by the slightly sketchy entrance, it's warm and friendly inside. We went over after stuffing ourselves at San Soo Gab San (I know, not my favorite, but the driver insisted). The day we went a single bartender/server was manning the place. Despite all the other conversations being in Korean, the signs in Korean, etc. we had no trouble ordering because their menu is in English and our bartender/server/grillmaster spoke fluent English. We tried the strawberry rice wine and found that tastes great with ice blended in. Not sure just how much alcohol is in there, I'd guess not much. Next time, I'd go for the soju and definitely want to try the famous fire chicken. It looked very good when he was grilling for other patrons. Also, they do bottle service for whisky, a fifth of black label was $90, which is a very reasonable $3.60 a shot. read more

Food is really good here. BBQ Pork, Fire Chicken, the Budehjjigae, and the Mussel Soup! We've tried the pork skin cause we heard awesome things about it. We ate it and it didn't meet the hype. Come early if you have a big group cause it gets packed even on some weeknights... read more

I'd never been to a Korean bar before, and I have to say this place is pretty cool. The decor is kind of drab and outdated, but the drinks were delicious. Warning: when you order drinks or cocktails, it's not one drink for one person, it's like a giant serving for two or more people. I was shocked that a drink was $14, but then it came out in a GIANT bowl that could easily serve 3 people. You get bowls or bottle of alcohol, then you drink it out of smaller cups they give you. We also had the seasoned rice balls, which were a great snack. Highly recommended if you like Korean liquor or food, otherwise just stop by if you're in the area. read more

Perfect for all your Korean bar food and soju needs. The spiciness of the food pairs super well with a cold, refreshing beer! Some may take issue with the smoke from the grill, but I say it's part of the atmosphere. No-frills, unpretentious, super real. read more

I always end up going to Dancen whenever my family comes over from Tennessee. The fire chicken (with or without cheese yumm) and spicy pork skins are a must. Too bad they limit one order of spicy pork skin per table.. and they don't do carry out orders either (ugh). Strawberry soju cocktail is another usual, which is way better than Yeowoosi's soju cocktail (I'll yelp about it later). If you go on a good day, you might catch drunk Korean ladies fighting! Even better if you have a Korean boyfriend to translate. read more

Dancen - Yogurt soju cocktail - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here on a Sunday evening with my sisters when we visited Chicago. The decor isn't anything special, but what they lack in decor they makeup with delicious Korean food that is super inexpensive! We ordered spicy rice cakes, fire chicken, chicken gizzards, and pineapple or mango soju (I forgot...had too much soju). It was delicious! So good that the next day after the Sam Smith concert we went back to the hotel and changed and came back for dinner on Monday evening. The guy that works there is practically a one man show, but he's pretty quick and super friendly. They play really catchy Korean music and the soju is so good. Definitely check this place out. I know I will stop at this place every time I'm in Chicago. Oh, one more thing, the kimchi soup is the bomb diggity here. read more

absolutely hole in the wall place with korean menu that i'd drove by many times and missed without our great korean food guide! we ordered strawberry slush drink - cannot get enough! fired chicken - awesome! spicy and crunch! crispy pork - crispy and spicy! yum! tofu with kimchi and pork - absolutely good contrast and delicious everything stew - ok, hot dog was weird will come back for drink and awesome bar food! read more

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My first time here, I came with my friends and my sister and I actually liked it! I'm not a a spicy food lover but I have to admit the food here were pretty good! Even though my mouth was burning I couldn't stop eating! I have to say their korean wine, don't know what it's called was just oh so wonderful. I drank it like sake..it was so smooth and I kept drinking it like shots. The environment is kind of small and it seemd a bit crammed but I guess for a small business or even a small restaurant it's not too bad. It's definitely a chilled place so coming here after work just to grab some appetizers and drinks is nice! read more

We came here twice under our Korean friend's recommendation. This small restaurant has really good vibe and nice quality food. We tried the beef intestine stew, the bbq pork skin (the most famous specialty), the fried chicken (which comes with cured radish), and the spicy squid. The beef intestine stew is a must try if u love organs and the fried chicken is crispy outside and super juicy inside. The pork skin is nicely flavored but it's relatively oily. Overall we had a good impression w this restaurant. The only reason I took off one star is due to the long wait for our food last time we went there. read more

This is a small, intimate and quaint place. I came to eat here with friends. We had put food in the family-share style way and the food was delicious! My favorite dish was the spicy marinated chicken. The seafood pancake was also very good. Definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

Fire chicken is probably one the best chicken I have had. It's spicy, tender and slightly charred. The portion is good for two. This place looks shady but when it comes to food it's a class act. Choose saki size carefully, large is too much for two. Food is pricey. read more

We loved this spot! Dark, steamy, smokey, in the all the right ways. We started with the Kimchi noodle soup, it was spicy hot and hot the spot. Next we shared the generous portion of Spicy rice cakes ~ could've split between 4 people for an appetizer, but there were only two of us... and we polished off the whole thing because it was so good! We got the skewer sampler so we could try a bunch of different things, but there were some clear winners and losers, I'd say you would be better off just choosing one appeals to you. Our Favorite skewers were the chicken, pork, garlic, and ginko nut. Beef was hard to eat but tender. The shrimp was dry. Mushroom was eh. Neither of us liked the quail. I really want to try the fire chicken, I bet it's awesome!! Will definitely go back to this place, it'd be great with a group... though we didn't partake they have beer pitchers and what I'm guessing were soju cocktail pitchers. Thumbs up! read more

Went for late night dinner with friends. The yogurt soju was sooooooo great. Can't stop myself drinking it. We order a lot. Personally didn't like the pork skin. The cheese chicken was good. Seafood pancakes was also good. Will come back again. read more

This place is very underrated. We came there on a Saturday near midnight and from the outside, couldn't tell if it was still open or not. It was moderately full when we entered. It's a very casual and warm place, but not upscale by any means. We ordered the spicy rice cake and fire chicken. We didn't expect the portions to be as large as they were. Everything was flavored extremely well. The wait for the for chicken was longer than expected but it was worth it. Also, take the name literally, it was VERY spicy. Each plate was approximately $13 plus $2 for a bowl of rice and we felt the price was a great deal for the service. Even though they were serving us close to their closing hours they were attentive and responsive. A side note, there's convenient metered street parking immediately outside-and if you're going as late as we did, you don't have to pay the meters. read more

i like! now, i still need to check out this "fire chicken". i love how they always serve you fried eggs as an (pre)appetizer. also, the best thing is the location. next door, seoul dan lan, is an awesome korean dive karaoke place!! like, "hourglass", it has a strange tiki-lounge atmosphere. read more

Dancen - Outside Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm bumping this up one star from my last visit... There must be some old school halmunee (grandma) throwing down in the kitchen because both times the food has been so tasty, like only a korean grandma could create. My Duk Boki fix is now cured but the tong dak craving has officially begun. read more

3 stars goes to the Spicy Fire Chicken, and Spicy crispy pork skin. Because that shit is legit "Fire" Service is slow, yet understandable cause the server usually cooks as well. Would have definitely gotten a 5 star if they allowed us to order more than just one order of spicy pork skin. Like seriously that little plate for 5 grown ass men? Plus can't order the spicy pork skin for to go? I guess this place wants to limit their money making. So what we do now is go and sit in separate tables, just so we would be allowed to order more than just one little plate. read more

No bells and whistles here. It's a small Korean dive bar, but definitely worth trying out. They offer some dishes that you normally don't find at other Korean bars like the fire chicken or chicken kalbi. Some of the items even come with fried rice at the end, like they do at Chosunok. Loved the prices & the free mini omelette! $2 skewers of marinated chicken, pork, beef $10 dukboki (spicy rice cake), donkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), tong dak (fried chicken) $4 bottles of imported beer, I think domestic was $3 The food was solid. The fat pieces of dukboki came with clear noodles, dumplings, and egg. A lot of places make donkatsu paper thin, but it was very thick here. The bartender Jay was friendly and able to speak Korean and English. read more

Dancen, one of the oldest and most famous Korean restaurants in chicago. Great place to spend time with friends.

The cheesy fire chicken was literally crack, great laid back atmosphere. Small and cozy dining area, we sat by chef grilling our food.

Random omelette starter: Yes! Seasoned rice balls: Hell yes! Fire chicken: Oh, you know this is a Hell Yes! We also ordered a tentacle-beast dish which was delightful, and a marinated pork dish that didn't disappoint (but also didn't blow minds.) Will be back. read more

The fire chicken here is HOT!!!! I love spicy foods but there is something about this bird that creeps up on you and sets your mouth on a sadomasochistic journey. It's a vicious cycle that doesn't stop because no matter how painful your mouth is, and how much beer you drink to wash it down, you'll still reach for another bite because it's so damn good. Great dukboki and kimichi pa-jun too. read more

We came in for dinner on a Friday night right when they opened at 6 pm, so getting a table was no problem. We ordered the sweet and spicy chicken and the fire chicken with cheese. The sweet and spicy chicken came our first, and while it was a VERY oily dish, it was delicious. There's a nice mild spice to the sauce, and it comes with a few spicy rice cakes which are always a treat. 20 minutes later, our fire chicken finally arrived. If you order this, I suggest skipping the cheese. There was more cheese than chicken on this dish, and it totally overshadows any spiciness. Unfortunately, the cuts of this chicken are pretty low quality. I saw the cook cutting the chicken I. pieces with scissors, and the finished product is a few bones with no meat, some smaller crispy pieces, and some larger, grizzly, skin-intact pieces. I get that this is pretty common for Korean restaurants, but it was pretty hard to eat/chew. Overall, I would come back, but only for the sweet and spicy chicken. read more

Dancen - Sweet and spicy chicken - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty good food but the waitstaff was on their phone the whole time and avoided waiting on us like the plague. We had to flag down the waiter to ask for water refills or anything for that matter. We waited at least 20 minutes after we finished eating for the check, which never came, so we asked for that too. If we were supposed to pay at the counter that wasn't made clear. Decor is also a bit weird and the tables are literally boxes with a circle glued to the top so you can't even put your legs underneath. read more

Good food service is eh. Art was kinda cool. It was next to a milkshake stand which helped sizzle down the fire chicken.