Went to Pelicana to try the Korean wings with absolutely no expectations. First impression: the place was very, each table has a touchscreen for ordering, so there's no need for a server hovering over you. Need napkins, chopsticks, etc? There's an option for that on the screen too. There's also a small play area in the back, which is a nice touch. Basketball, Jenga, etc. I'd been warned about the spice it's not the same heat you'd get at a taco shop, and they were right. It has a different kind of kick to it. I got the original recipe, and it was just right. Feeling a little adventurous, I added the "spicy"sauce separately (it's an add-on). I also tried the pork dumplings those brought some serious heat. Most importantly what these wings memorable was the CRISP/CRUNCH. Definitely a place I'd come back to. It's a good chill vibes, not too loud, and you can have a good conversation without any distractions. read more

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I'm a big fan of Korean wings (Korean fiancée), and do my best to try as many around me as possible given the opportunity. That being said, this review only covers two of their wing options -The Parmesan dusted wings, and the soy garlic wings. As well as their dessert deep-fried balls that had chocolate, caramel, and cheese, and we had to also try their Tteokbokki. Ordering was easy, and delivery was very fast. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to go with Bonchon, if given a comparison between the two. In my experience, regardless of what sauce you get, Korean chicken is always thick, crispy, with an extremely memorable crunch. Unfortunately, our soy garlic, although very flavorful, was very wet and very mushy. I was disappointed, And wished I had got something with more crunch. The Parmesan was also very unexpected. We expected a salty crunch, with overwhelming Parmesan flavor. Somehow, it was extremely sweet. The crunch was on point, and there was a lot of Parmesan cheese, but it had a taste like Korean corn cheese, and I'm not sure why. Surprising, but not in a great way. I understand that the sogginess could be due to the delivery time, and I look forward to trying them in the house to give them a better assessment, particularly with their dryer options! The deep fried chocolate and caramel dessert balls were amazing. Warm, gooey, crunchy, and overall very satisfying. The cheese one was a bit disappointing, probably because we did it last, but it honestly didn't have much flavor at all. I'm not sure what was going on with that one :( My Korean fiancée who loves Tteokbokki gave it a thumbs down. It was a generous proportion, but she thought it was extremely sweet, and not nearly spicy enough. For a white person's pallet it might be ok, but she also prefers Bonchon's. It's definitely overall not bad, but at this point in time, if given the choice, I will err to the side of Bonchon - being a chain, it can be a bit of a hit or miss, but the local one in San Diego near mission valley hasn't missed yet! read more

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I ordered takeout for us ahead of time, and the wings stayed pretty crispy despite the drive! It took about 20 minutes after I placed the order which was accurate to the estimated wait time. It also indicated that the food was being prepared fresh which is a good sign. We chose to get 3 orders of the crispy fried wings with sauce (9 pieces), because we wanted to try three different sauces. The crispy batter for all of the wings stayed quite crispy, even though the wings were tossed in sauce. My favorite one was the signature sauce (yangnyeom) which was the perfect mixture of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. It has a slight kick to it from the gochujang. My second favorite was the honey soy, and the third was the cheese flavor. They were all tasty though! We also got the tteokbokki which is chewy rice cakes with fish cakes. It was good, and a pretty decent size for $16. The only dish I wouldn't get again is the corn cheese because it was a bit overcooked. Overall, this is an amazing choice for Korean fried chicken in SD, and I'd definitely return. read more

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I was craving Korean Fried chicken for a weeknight takeout dinner and decided to try Pelicana Chicken. Parking was very challenging as this shop is located in the popular HIVE and CoCo Ichibanya plaza off Convoy Street. For food we ordered 3 types of chicken wings all 9 pieces: garlic dry rub, original, and honey soy. The honey soy was a MUST have! The honey gave the chicken an added layer of flavor that was incredible. The skin was crispy even with the sauces and the chicken was flavorful and juicy. I was very impressed by the quality of the chicken. We also ordered some sides: corn cheese and Tteokbokki. The corn cheese was very tasty but unfortunately was burned at the bottom. Additionally, it would have been nice to have some complimentary sides like a small side of radishes with the chicken like some competitor shops offer. Overall, this was a very delicious takeout and I am looking forward to dining in for my next visit where I'm sure the chicken will be even more fresh, hot, and crispy! read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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Parking wasn't bad. Inside seemed clean. Staff was friendly. Ordered from the on table tablet. Food was good. I forgot to take some pics. We got stir fry gizzards, boneless white crunch, boneless garlic and peli cheese balls. Everything was delish read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Gizzard - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had an office lunch to celebrate July 4th/owner's birthday and we ordered some fried chicken from here. We chose a variety of flavors! We also got some fries and cheese balls. The chicken was crunchy and flavorful! I've also dined here on a separate occasion. The atmosphere is lively! read more

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This Pelicana Chicken on Balboa Avenue in San Diego is, by far, the best location we've tried among all the Pelicana Chicken chains. We visited this Korean Chicken Wings Restaurant during our last trip to San Diego. We came here for dinner. The ambiance of this place was charming. The decor was warm and inviting, and K-pop fans will especially love the atmosphere. The upbeat music added a lively touch to the dining experience, making it a great spot to enjoy your meal while vibing to your favorite tracks. The menu was extensive, offering a variety of sauces that cater to all taste buds - from the classic No Sauce to the bold Blazing Mayo. We ordered Peli Cheese Ball and Half Crispy Fried Boneless Chicken. The food was served really fast. The Peli Cheese Ball was absolutely bursting with flavor, and I highly recommend the Half Crispy Fried Boneless Chicken for its incredible taste and aroma. It's a must-try! Their overall service was good. The staff were humble, friendly, and cooperative. The prices were very reasonable. Overall, Pelicana Chicken in San Diego is a fantastic spot for anyone craving Korean Fried Chicken and a fun atmosphere. We'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu in the future! read more

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I LOVEE coming to eat at Pelicana! They never disappoint. Whether I'm dining in or taking out, I always get the crispy wings with their signature sauce. The perfect tangy/sweet/spicy flavor, how can you not love it Not to forget the Peli-Shaken Fries! Such a staple in my orders, I love how they're always so crispy and covered in flavorful seasoning, so every bite had a lot of taste, not to mention how they're portion sizes are perfect, not too much or little. I went recently with my boyfriend and we had wanted to try something new for our side and came across the mozzarella sticks. We were so surprised when we had our first bite and got an amazing cheese pull LOL. Apart from that, the sticks were so crispy and fried to perfection. The dipping sauce gave this side extra points as it just added so much more flavor in every bite--I feel like I found my new favorite side . The staff at Pelicana are always friendly, and the service was quick. Ordering now mainly comes from a little ipad that's set up on your table, I honestly love it as you can can take your time deciding if you want to try something new without wasting too much of the servers time. Definitely a good spot if you're craving Korean fried chicken! read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love coming here! It's a great spot for family-style dining. We came with a party of four and ordered the beef gyoza, crispy fried chicken, cheese powder fries, corn cheese, soju, and beer. The corn cheese and cheese powder fries were so addicting! The crispy fried chicken was really good too, and I liked that it didn't feel overly oily. They also serve the sauce on the side, which I personally prefer since I don't like too much sauce on my chicken. read more

What a disappointment. We ordered the 12-piece -- half original, half signature. Some of the pieces came out shaped almost like a ball, and we were genuinely confused about what part of the chicken they were even from. On top of that, there was way more batter than actual chicken, with some pieces being almost 90% batter. Not what we were hoping for at all. read more

Great food, service, and great choice of beer on taps!! This place is a bit hidden but it's bursting with great flavor!! The restaurant is so big with some games on the side which is good for lunch or dinner with your colleagues or team party. So many different choices. I love my soy garlic fried chicken. I can't wait to try their new items also.. FYI they have great lunch menu!! read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

Pelicana is a great restaurant located in Convoy I love restaurants that allow you to order via a tablet at the table and think many more restaurants should open up like that. There is really good chicken here! I wish they had rose Tteok-bokki but other than that everything else is really good! Their peli shaken fries are really good and the other sides are good. The portion is pretty decent and I was able to take 2 or 3 pieces home. The service is very nice and they are fast to refill water! They bring out the food and everything quite quickly. The ambiance of the restaurant is also quite nice and is pretty clean! Overall, I would recommend going here! If I come back again, I would want to order the boneless chicken and the peli shaken fries again. read more

Pelicana Chicken - Radish and rice - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

Visited Pelicana on a Friday evening. Crowd was decent with a good number of tables filled, and the place was lively with the staff moving about. We ordered two orders of half wings, Soy for one and House for the other. Both were so crispy and delicious. The fries were a nice plus to the order, the seasoning was an incredible addition. Hands down one of my most favorite korean fried chicken places to go to. Service was fast, attentive, and great overall. Will definitely be back. Overall rating: Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Menu: 10/10 Restaurant Vibes: 10/10 Price to Overall Dining (POD): 10/10 read more

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Great chicken and beer. They serve the beer in a super chilled cup. Lots of seating. Parking is okay can get packed too. Staff is nice read more

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Good chicken here!! My friends and I ordered bone in chicken with the signature sauce. Waiter brought boneless wings but we didn't realize initially until we dug in. We didn't complain tho and just ate bc chicken is chicken. Waiter came by and gave us bone in, said they made a mistake, so we ended up with extra chicken (YAY)! Got cheese teokbokki, my friends really liked it. Inside vibes are nice and welcoming. Nice workers read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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We heard great things about this place and not sure if we just got a bad day but the chicken was just average. We had the garlic flavored sauce and it was just way too saucy it was hard to eat more than one. The soy sauce based ones were better but with so many other Korean fried chicken choices, I probably won't be going back. read more

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I've been here a few times now, and it's officially my go-to when I'm craving Korean fried chicken. The wings are big; crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and always fresh. I also like their Peli shaken fries. They come with a cheese seasoning that's addictively good. It's got a strong, cheesy flavor that sticks to the fries. It's a satisfying side to go with the chicken. I also enjoy their sea snail salad. I was hesitant to try it at first... it's a little different, but it's refreshing and has a nice little kick. It balances out the richness of the fried food. I'd say it's worth trying if you want something light and unique on the side. Good food and quick service. The spot is casual and clean, perfect for a quick meal or hanging out with friends. If you're into Korean fried chicken, or just fried chicken in general, Pelicana is worth a visit. read more

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Amazing fried chicken very crispy and tender! Cheese corn and the fried dumplings also so good! Inside is decorated just like how an authentic Korean restaurant is with the same style of wooden design with mix of wooden and metal tables. Service was great and speedy. Has table tablets you enter your orders in. Been here couple times and will be back for more! read more

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Pelicana Chicken located in Kearny Mesa area located in a little strip mall area. They have ample seating and bar service. Customer service was great and chicken was most delish naked with no sauce. I did not care for some of their sauce options. They do although have all the sauces available on the side. Chicken is crispy outside and moist inside (when no sauce is added)! We ordered: Crispy chicken - Best with sauce on the side. Crispy out and moist in Peli shaken fries with garlic sauce - AMAZING with the garlic sauce Spicy beef gyoza - AMAZING flavor with just the right hint of spice read more

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yes. must try. their corn cheese is amazing!! i got the cheese buldak chicken and my boyfriend got the dukbokki. all came with a bunch of cheese on top which i'm not complaining about. i love love love the cheese buldak chicken, it has like a nice sweet and spicy taste to it and it was topped with lots of cheese. their corn cheese is a must try!! it had a different flavor to it than most kbbq places! they added like their own sauce to it which made is sooooooo good. service is great! you just order on the ipad and they will ring your order out. ambiance is nice and chill, i'd say it's a good place to bring friends and drink beer lol. read more

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We came in for a late night snack and it did not disappoint! We got the classic fried chicken wings. They were cooked just right, crispy, flavorful, and hot! They were also ginormous! All the food we ordered fed 4 people. They seating was nice, you get to choose where. When you sit there is a tablet where you can order and continue to order as you eat. Which I enjoyed being able to request more without having to flag someone down. They were also super fast with bringing out everything we ordered. read more

Pelicana Chicken - Wings and sides - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

Pelicana is one of our stops to get Korean Fried Chicken, My son and I like their fried chicken( Crispy Banban chicken ) , and my wife likes her Ddukbokki here Their Fried Chicken is crispy and juicy inside and we always choose Soy for the flavor of our chicken . I tried their Ddukbokki ( Chewy rice cakes w/ spicy red sauce ) , but im not really a fan of spicy food, but my wife enjoys this a lot. Lots of seats inside and the Service is nice and fast. Not much space for the parking . read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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One of the best Korean Fried Chicken spots I've had in the SoCal area We had the boneless and the bone in chicken with honey garlic and korean spicy sauce. Very simply done -Super sweet and perfectly crispy. Would def come back and try their tacos/quesadillas/fries/kimchi fried rice/chicken sandos...man I want it all! ...and a beer or 5 =) read more

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I love fried chicken, and this place seriously has delicious food and fried chicken! Besides that, there are other food options like tteokbokki or noodles. The service was good overall, and the atmosphere was very pleasant. read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

PELI SHAKEN FRIES ARE THE BEST!!! Blazing mayo with a mix of the corn cheese or the fries MHMMM so delicious. They had good portions for everything!! Service was quick. A nice place to chill with friends or date. Def coming back!! :D read more

Pelicana Chicken - Peli Shaken Fries 9pcs Crispy Fried Wings with SAUCE ( blazing mayo) and Rose Dukbokki - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

Had a late-night craving for fried chicken and decided to give Pelicana a try, so glad I did! They have a small parking lot in front, which is a plus in the Convoy area. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious and has a clean, casual vibe. Ordering was super easy with their self-order tablets, and the food came out hot and fresh. The chicken was perfectly crispy, juicy, and packed with flavor, easily some of the best Korean fried chicken I've had in San Diego. Everything hit the spot, and I've officially added this place to my list of go-to late-night eats. Definitely a new favorite! read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious fried chicken! Tried the banban which came with original and a flavored one; recently tried the smoky hot which I enjoyed and was pretty spicy. Ordered white rice on the side which helped. The coleslaw also helps with the heat and adds some freshness after bites of fried skin. Service is good as they hand you your dishes or when you ask for things, but all of the ordering is thru a tablet on the table. Will def be back read more

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While in and around the City of San Diego, I decided to stop by Pelicana Chicken to have some Korean Fried Chicken and banchan. All went well as a first timer at Pelicana Chicken. The service was nice, and helpful. The Korean Fried Chicken was everything they claimed it to be in terms of crispy, crunchy, and flavorful. Preferring a sauce covered Chicken over the plain fried chicken is a personal preference. I did order the large corn chesse. Please note that if you order the corn chesse you will need a fork and a spoon to eat it. I really was hoping to receive a side of rice with my order, it turns out that you have to order a side of rice separately. The Banchan was a mayonnaise base salad and the other was daikon cubs...tasty. (see pictures) Expect to spend between $60-$100 for two people. Tip rate is 18%,20% or 22%. read more

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Pelicana and I go way back. I first stumbled into their Flushing Queens location in my youth, the kind of night where you do not know how you got there but you do know you need something crispy and spicy and capable of absorbing at least three questionable decisions. Pelicana delivered. It always delivered. Then I found them again across the Hudson in New Jersey. Same glorious chicken. Same ice cold beer. Same we are not judging you but we definitely know what kind of night you just had energy. It became the unofficial after hours sanctuary for me and my friends. A place where the lights were a little too bright, the chicken was a little too perfect, and the memories were a little too fuzzy. Fast forward to adulthood, responsibility, and a cross country move to San Diego. Somehow Pelicana followed me. I am convinced they opened this location specifically for me, like a long distance relationship that refused to die. And honestly I respect that level of commitment. The chicken is still elite. Shatteringly crisp. Sauced like it is a competitive sport. Engineered to pair with a cold beer and a questionable life choice. The flavors hit exactly the way they did in Queens and Jersey, which is wild considering my metabolism no longer does. If you have never been, go. If you have been, you already know. Pelicana is not just fried chicken. It is a multi state emotional support system. read more

Truly the king of chicken. Bow down and say no more. Great service and friendly vibes. There's an outdoor patio area with games for the kiddos too. read more

This seems like a great casual spot with the way the interior was setup. We tried this location during irregular hours in the daytime so we were the only ones inside. The chicken and fries came out pretty quick and were delicious. I was craving their chicken as the only other time I had it was in NY so this definitely hit the spot. Getting to the location was kind of tough but there's ample parking. read more

Pelicana Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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I tried pelicana for the first time this weekend and I was absolutely blown away! Usually if I'm in the area I'll get bon chon or bbq chicken but this time I decided to try something new. I'm glad I did! I went on a Saturday at 7 and there was a few parking spots available which was nice. The interior is very casual and welcoming providing a nice ambiance. At the table there is a tablet to order which I love. It makes ordering so convenient and easy. We ordered the doukbokki , signature wings, peli fries, and soy honey boneless chicken. The food came out fairly quick and it was love at first bite. Everything was cooked to perfection. The chicken was juicy and crispy. The sauce was delicious on both. The sides were ordered were also so good. I really enjoyed the cheesiness on both items. The service here is great and they are very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. I'll definitely be making this my go to Korean fried chicken spot. read more

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A chill restaurant however the food was lacking flavor that I believe a touch more of salt could have brought out. Our favorite part of the meal way the hallabong drink. The smokey spicy wings were as described but I think a touch of sweetness could have made them amazing. The plastic spoons for hot stone kimchi fried rice threw me off and are easy to replace to enhance the quality of the experience. Overall the food was fresh and hot with quality ingredients. read more

Pelicana Chicken - Smokey spicy crispy wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

Gotta say, the cheese-flavored wings and fries here are the best! especially with the pickled radish. It's the only flavor of wings I really like. The other flavors are just okay to me. read more

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Casual atmosphere with a full bar and tvs on the wall. Order from a screen/tablet at the table. Fast service with friendly staff. Food is great and comes out hot! Gloves are provided to eat the (saucy) wings. I was there with kids and was a bit uncomfortable with the profanity in their music selection, but I guess understandable since they're a bar too. read more

Food was really good. I forget what flavor I got but they were spicy. Get the noodles!!! Can't wait to come back

The chicken was pretty good here. A bit more on the expensive side but the food was crispy. We ordered the Banban and Onion Rings. We picked half Original and half Honey Soy. Onions rings were soft and yummy. We came for a late night snack. Inside was clean and tidy. Lots of tables and chairs. Place was only half full. I have been to other locations and they are usually busy. Service was nice and friendly. Ours was take out. For sure coming back if we were in the area. Private lot in front. read more

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Good customer service and friendly staff, they are cool and helpful. Food it bomb and flavorful.

*** parking is really bad here only maybe 15 spots in front of the shop. Parking is around back, but it's a paid lot not much street parking. Could possibly snag a spot in front of Hmart and walk over* Came here on a Friday around dinner time, and we were immediately able to sit down you can choose which table. They brought over water and copper iceberg salad with some sort of dressing . You order everything off of the screen menu there's not a lot of detail on each item like flavor description so you're better off reading some reviews to understand the flavors of each sauce that aren't self-explanatory. For example the signature sauce is a sweeter little savory sauce. It was nice to eat after a bite of the hot spicy. Honestly, not a long wait after ordering to receive our food and it all looked delicious. We ordered two boneless wings of hot spicy and signature with an order of fries. It was hard to tell if the garlic fries had cheese on them so we passed. The hot spicy is very hot. It's a slow burn and keeps getting more intense the longer you let it marinate in your mouth. We easily drink through the whole bottle of water they provided. My level tolerance is the medium level at Dave's, hot chicken or main chick. This was above it and made it hard to enjoy the flavor since it was so hot. The signature sauce was nice to come back to you after a few bites of the hot. The chicken is well cooked good crispy chicken skin, and well saturated in sauce. Fries were good but a little bland, but also a good neutral item to use against the heat levels . There are free gloves on the table to use so you don't have to get your hands dirty, which I appreciate in a little trashcan . The only issue I had here was our screen died so there's no way to call over for the final bill . I went up to speak to someone, and they were so slammed. Neither of the waiters were looking at the small crowd of people standing. After about 15 minutes, someone finally asked if we were all here for pick up, which I then said no I was here for the final bill. That was the only issue I really had especially with one guy who kept looking at us, but went to prepare more complementary salads, wiped down tables and prepared the water bottles instead of just asking us if we needed help . I did try to grab his attention, but he was too fast. read more

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Solid spot for fried chicken! We got the signature and i feel like it tasted like a sweet and sour type of sauce but I could be wrong. I'd definitely want to try the other flavors but the texture of the chicken was good. I personally wasn't a huge fan of the fries, they reminded me of the Smart food flavoring but those that ate with me really liked them! Service was ok - you order from an iPad so there isn't much communication with the staff other than when they drop off your food and you ask for the check. read more

Pelicana Chicken - Peli Shaken Fries - Chicken Wings Near Me - San Diego, California

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