I have been to Jin Ju in the past with my wife and neglected to review it. My wife and I took our daughters there this evening and it was, again, terrific. The owner was gracious and kind and our server was excellent. I have come to expect less attentive service in nicer restaurants when we take our young children (who much to my embarrassment are so uncool they don't rack up a huge bar tab), but that was not the case here. Also, the bus staff was excellent, great service without the overbearing nonsense. The food was excellent. We had the Dok Gan Jang (chicken wings), Pajun (scallion pancake) and the fried dumplings (forgot the name) for appetizers. They were all great. Main courses were Bi Bim Bap, Kalbi and Bulgogi. I heart Jin Ju's Bulgogi. It is delicious. My wife and daughters loved their orders as well. Great ownership, great staff and great food. I hope they thrive in the neighborhood for a long time to come. read more

My wife and I love this place. The cuisine is basically yuppified Korean food. We are are big fan of the pajun (Korean pancakes) appetizer and their mixed drink menu. Also, the prices are reasonable and the service is good. We will be back. read more

This is not the best Korean restaurant in Chicago. It's a trendy place that caters to non-Koreans. Given that, the food was fine. I would've given it an extra star, but the service is terrible. They rush you out the door as soon as you take your last bite of food. That makes sense if business is really busy or even if this were a typical Korean place. But it's neither, so there's no excuse for rushing patrons out the door. I will not be back. read more

Unbelievably delicious food! OMG, I can't stop thinking about it. We are from out of state and we were visiting friends in that area. This is the first Korean restaurant I've been to and it was phenomenal. Only issues were that the main chef was sick that night so everyone's orders were delayed since the kitchen wasn't fully employed. We waited almost 2 hours for our food. The restaurant is super dark too...maybe a bit too dark but I think that's the look they're going for. Go eat here, you'll love it!! read more

Jin Jun is awesome, it is a must if you are visiting Andersonville, a must if you like Korean food and a must if you simply like a good time. This wonderful, fun place is one of my top five in the city of Chicago because the food is amazing, atmosphere spot on, drinks are Fabulous (go for a Soju-Tini) and you'll meet the friendliest people in the world. Everyone at Jin Ju is fun and very knowledgeable. You will have a good time! You can not go wrong with anything on the menu. Never tried Korean food? This place is you best introduction. Honestly, I have tried everything. My favorites are, for appetizers: Sang San Jun; Mandoo (steamed or fried); Daeji Kalbi; and the Kim Bap. And for entrees: the Dol Sut Bi Bim Bap and the Dak Bulgogi. Both the House Salad and the Crab And Cucumber Salad are done perfectly and quite satisfying. Please, just fo. 'Nough said. read more

My fiance and I were looking for a quick bite on Clark Street on a Wednesday night and we walked into Jin Ju. I immediately thought the ambiance was a little over done for my taste, which is not to say it's a bad thing, just not my scene. The staff was lovely and our food was spectacular. I had bulgogi (no mushrooms) and my fiance had the spicy dak bulgogi. Food was quick and waiter was personable and not pushy or uppity. The pan chan side dishes were also very good. There were 3 small portions of different food which I couldn't identify now if you held a gun to my head, but we loved them. Not a place to bring rowdy friends on a Friday night, but a great date spot with stand out food. read more

As residents of Andersonville and Korean food lovers, my girlfiend and I have always complained about having to journey to the west side to get our fix. Thanks to all the great reviews on here, we decided to give it a try. As many other reviews suggested, we used the great pre-set meal offered through gdine (www.gdine.com). It's really a good deal and we might not have tried this place otherwise. For a Thursday night at 8 PM, it wasn't too busy but the atmosphere, service, and food were absolutely excellent. We will be back soon! read more

The food is amazing. We definitely always order ourselves the pajun for an appetizer with cocktail drinks. The Bi Bim Bap and Chap Chae are our favorites. The service is friendly and great. The ambience is also nice for more intimate occasions but you can always go with a group of friends or family. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago would have to be Jin Ju. It is not your typical Korean barbecue place. The food is finger-licking delicious! Jin Ju is a contemporary bar and lounge located in Andersonville. The ambiance is very zen and romantic. Great for a date night! The food is authentic but served with a contemporary flare. For starters, their seafood or vegetarian pancakes, and Kimchi Mandoo (choice of steamed or fried dumplings) are amazing! They have many main entrees but my favorite there is the Bi Bim Bap (steamed hot pot filled with rice, vegetables, beef chunks, topped with raw egg) and the Dak Bulgogi (chicken slow cooked and simmered in a special sweet and sour spicy red sauce). They also have many vegetarian options but being a meat lover I naturally gravitate towards the meat and seafood dishes. Being a neighborhood joint, it is family run and the owners are always around and super friendly. The staff and servers are also phenomenal and always remember us (even if we haven't been there in a while). I cannot say enough good things about this place!! read more

Very tasty bibimbap. Great plating and presentation. Ambiance is dark and verging on mysterious, but also can be passing as romantic.

Excellent authentic Korean food, great service and excellent drinks. I love the kimchee and the chap chae. Both are super spicy but that's to be expected. The dark atmosphere is very nice. This place is good for a date or an adult gathering. I love it. read more

I love Jin Ju! I ordered the seafood bibimbap (chu gu mi dol sot bibim bap and WOW- the presentation and taste was absolutely wonderful and blew me off my feet. My husband and I came here on a date and were really impressed by the authentic traditional korean food taste and beautiful display. The service was so wonderful too- everyone was extremely kind and friendly. We also ordered the seafood pajeun and it was SO deliciously crispy! It's different than other restaurants that serve pajeun- here, they put toppings on it where it adds to the crispiness + gourmet feeling. read more

Jin Ju - Seafood bibimbap - delicious!! - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A-MAZ-ING! This was my first experience with Korean food and I must say - we found a VERY good thing with JinJu. This swanky minimalist spot in andersonville has a very relaxed vibe - we saw couples having a quite evening, families out for an adventurous dinner with their young ones, and singles meeting after work - all equally enjoying themselves. They are known for their soju - which i believe is a korean grain liquor made from sweet potatoes - i had the asian pear which was yummy and my fiance and our friends thoroughly enjoyed thier cucumbers cocktails. This is also one of the first places we have been in a very long time that when something on the menu is offered as a spicy entree it actually is. My fiance was completely wowed by his entree as someone who prescribes to the "spicier the better" philosopy - he enjoyed the dak bulgogi which was an excellent recommendation made to us by the bartender. I LOVED my dish - Dol Sut Bi Bim Bap- a rice,beef, vegetable, and fried egg dish mixed tableside in a steaming stone pot. They didn't have much for a wine list or desserts but it was so delicious that it would not deter us for even a second from coming back. read more

Very forgettable. Came here with a friend using gdine. best dish from the options we chose was the kalbi appetizer and it wasn't even great bbq for me either. read more

As a Korean person, I don't like this place because the food is very Americanized. It just doesn't taste good to me. The flavors are bland and not authentic. However I give it 2 stars because I can see how people would like it for its hip atmosphere. read more

Was on our way back home after a friends party at some brewery in Evanston and a few slices of pizza just wasn't cutting it. Korean is my go to comfort food and of course being Korean can eat it for every meal. I wanted to head to Dae Rae Jung, but they were closed to had to yelp the next closest one and Jin Ju came up so I said let's go! We get there and not what I expected, I'm Korean and when we go to Korean restaurants, they are mom and pop restaurants where cleanliness is questionable, menu is hardly in English and customer service is non existent, but we go for the food. At Jin Ju, they did not disappoint, In the heart of Andersonville, this place is posh, great decor, super friendly service and the food was on point. No fusion here, just great tasting traditional Korean food without the frills, just presented better lol. Drinks were great, but one thing that lacked was the number of side dishes (pan chan), but understandable since they're marketing to a different demographic. Highly recommend. read more

I chose this place for my birthday dinner. Myself and 3 of my friends went out 2 vegetarians/3 omnivores. To say the least everyone really enjoyed their meals. We started with the veggie panchan. The veggies ordered the fried vegetables, and the other the chap chae without the meat. I ordered the dolsut bibimbap, my other meat-eating friends the regular bibimbap and the beef chap chae. The dolsut bibimbap was fantastic, sizzling in the bowl and making the rice all crispy and delicious. MMMMM. Not gonna lie, I ate from my friend's plates too. The fried sesame leaves were so yummy, and the beef chap chae was flavorful and the noodles were perfect and chewy. My friends were initially put off by my K-birthday and were debating on eating something before going so they wouldn't starve, but they were impressed and really enjoyed their food. I too was very happy. A great bday dinner, and cannot wait to go again! read more

I really enjoyed my experience here. I thought the food was very good. I've been there in a while but I do remember having a spicy chicken dish that was excellent. I say try it if you are looking for something a little different and a nice chic atmosphere. read more

I purchased a dining experience from gdine (www.gdine.com) for $16/person dinner to Jin Ju. I went ther on Saturday night and the whole experience was seamless with exception of a small inconvenience with the host who told me upon arrival that my party and I had only 1 hour time to dine at the restaurant which I thought it was absolutely offensive and disrespectful. I've never heard this before at any restaurants I've been to. Other than this the food and drinks are commendable. The appetizers we ordered were almost entree sizes, the scallion pancake topped with squid and mussels is delicious as well as the spicy fried chicken legs. For entree the traditional Bi Bim Bap is very flavorful and fresh. The service was very knowledgeable and attentive. read more

Not bad if you're looking for Americanized Korean food. Hwae dup bap is a nice weekend special.

went there tonite for the first time - amazing! Fabulous steamed mandoo and bulgolgi. Really delicious + high quality. (nice cava too)

I honestly love the food at Jin Ju, but let me tell you how disappointed I was this weekend. We were so looking forward to going out and enjoying a nice dinner this Saturday, January 12, 2013 -- our first restaurant reservation of the new year. We had a reservation for 2 at 8:15PM. We arrived at 8:05p and checked in with the host who said our table should be ready shortly. Conveniently, there were two chairs open at the bar so we decided to take off our coats and order a drink. The bartender was very overwhelmed with drink orders so about 10 minutes later he apologized for the wait and asked us what we would like to order. I ordered a Ketel One Cosmopolitan and we sat at the bar waiting for our table to be ready. As we are sitting there, it was very busy, but several parties of 2 people, then 4 people, wandered in the front door and were expediently seated. At 8:35PM, 30 minutes after we arrived and 20 minutes past our due reservation, the host comes over to us and said that the people at our table are "lingering" and we needed to wait some more. Sure enought, 9:00PM approches, I am now done with my cocktail, and still NO TABLE -- 45 minutes past our reservation. We were so upset and now the host was no where to be found, we grabbed our jackets and left. What a DISAPPOINTMENT for a Saturday night dinner we were so looking forward to. No apology, no one trying to "make the situation right," just nothing. I really wish this evening went so much better and I can honestly say that we are not sure when we will return. read more

I love this place and not in love with Korean food. But their food makes Korean food yummy. The service here is awesome and their menu is simple. Have yet to try a dish I don't like. My favorite is the bulgugi. Tender beef with crunchy vegetables in a light soy sauce. My husband loves their bim bop's and the egg is always cooked perfectly. It's a cozy environment and usually not a long wait but I recommend reservations. We done take out before and amazed at the quality of containers and how nicely it is packaged! Jin Ju we will be back. read more

Jin Ju has a dark candelit atmosphere that makes it the perfect setting for date night or ladies cocktail hour. The service staff is extremly professional and helpful which is especially good for people like me who have not sampled korean dishes before. They really seem to care that you are experiencing the dishes at their best. I have been to Jin Ju twice and every appetizer, entree, and dessert has been amazing.The cocktails are all made with the korean liquor, soju and are truely phenominal. The Jin Ju staff will be seeing a lot of me! read more

Best place in the area. Intimate setting. Love the appetizers, Mongolian beef, and all the sides that come with the entrees.

I love Jin Ju. The food is unique and delicious, the atmosphere low key and friendly, and the service is always fantastic. I probably eat here three times a month. read more

Went on Saturday night with my wife and some firends. We had a reservation & had no wait (other than finding a parking space). We thought the front room was a little loud but fortunately we were seated in the back room which was more intimate & quiet. We shared 3 apps, Daeji Kalbi, Pajun & Kim Chee Mandoo, all were outstanding. The Bi Bim Bop was very good (get Dol Sut style so the rice gets crispy/crunchy!). THe service was very good, our server was great, very helpful. read more

I'm so happy I found this place! I often find the drinks are amazing, food is fresh (and spicy!!), and the service is great. Great trendy ambiance. Exactly what Andersonville needs more of! read more

well, it was better than soju, on north avenue (in wicker park). i need to try again and re-evaluate. . .

It's better than the real Korean food! I happened to visit Korea many years back and boy how awful was their food. What Jinju does better is to recognize that their traditional cuisine lacks flavor and is not afraid to enhance with sauces. I ordered Bulgogi and strongly recommend it. The beef is tender, fresh, thinly sliced and lightly flavored with soy sauce, onion and spices. Food here comes in small proportions so you will have room for some scallion pancakes (another must try). For drinks, I tried Kiki Lychee, a cocktail made from a Korean "vodka" but with only half the alcohol content. In the beginning, it tastes a little bitter. Allow the lychee to settle in a bit it'll be really fruity but not too sweet. It is still strong for me though but I'll put it on my alcohol list. :) read more

First, I would like to say that the owners, hosts, and wait staff were wonderfully nice. We chose this establishment, because Korean food is generally not made with any nuts, which is what I am allergic to. We had the pajun (spelling?), which is a pancake filled with green onions and other vegetables. We had it topped with seafood. This was amazing, however too greasy. The Korean chicken wings were fantastic! Then, the main course; a hearty chicken stew that was divine ... Simply delicious Korean comfort food! For dessert, we had the ginger and green tea ice creams ... Very flavorful! read more

I went to this restaurant for the first time for a bday party with some friends. I am giving it a 3 star review because the food was OUTSTANDING but the service kind of sucked - for me at least. I have never had Korean food before and after literally having to hold a candle and try not to set myself on fire trying to read the menu, I ordered a dish that will not be forgotten. I have no idea what it was, but it was chicken and it was spicy and it was GOOD. VERY good. Amazing, actually. But then when we were trying to pay the check the waiter had me sign my credit card slip right when my bday friend was making a big announcement - so I missed that. THEN he messed up the credit card charging and had me sign another slip right when we were all singing Happy Birthday to the bday boy. WTF? I realize this is a fluke, but our party had like 18 people in it - it was obvious it was a party. Stop bothering me! And then the lighting in that back room. The night sky of Chicago almost blinded me when I went outside, it was just too dark back there. But the food....YUM! read more

This really is a great date night restaurant. The ambiance is comfortable and inviting. The food is exceptional and the staff has always been wonderful. A long-time favorite. I'm only sorry I took so long to review. read more

Great food, great service (we also had a really cute waiter) and very good cocktails. The only thing I'd like to see different is more choices on the menu. Other than that, I highly recommend. read more

I've never had a bad experience here. The food is always great and the drinks are always fast and made just right. I prefer to go here during the week because there is less of a crowd compared to weekends which are a little loud. read more

Just ate at Jin Ju last night and it was delicious! The service was super quick, it was well priced and the Korean food was very flavorful. They also had wine specials which was great! I will definitely be back. read more

6 years! It took me almost 6 years to go back... what an idiot I am! The place was great! Dick, the bartender, rocked out some phenomenal cocktails. Our waiter was kind and attentive and the food was outstanding. I do not understand why it was not packed on a Thursday unless it is just the average Chicagoan being unfamiliar, as was I, with Korean food. Everything is super easy to understand and was really good. Highly recommend read more

It's a nice little Korean fusion restaurant. The environment is a little dark, not much light and a little noisy. Service was great and the food was very good. Their menu had a lot of stuff I've found in Korea, but also a few things I haven't. They do have awesome mixed drinks and they even have soju! Good place if you're craving Korean and in the area. read more

Delicious chap che and spinach soup! Also loved the steamed kimchi dumplings. My partner and I came here aroubd 9pm so didn't need a reservation. Only taking one star off because one of us wanted the 3-course dinner for $27 and the server told us that everyone at the table had to be getting it or no one could get it... read more

Started with the Man Doo soup! Also Myuk Soup, Both were great. This place is amazing... I will be a regular.