If you want real Korean BBQ, this us one on the best kept secrets in Chicago... the meat is tender and first-rate! But best of all, you cook the meat at your table and it is on Real BBQ wood chips, not the gas grills many other restaurants have! read more

Overall the food was just okay. Portions are small and extremely pricey. I would add another $ sign to the review. The service was good and the waitress showed how to cook the meat and returned and cut it up in to smaller pieces for us. For me your money is better spent going elsewhere. read more

I'm going to start with hospitality which takes A+ from me and is very important to the business at hand. Next, the food is delicious, well seasoned, strategically positioned and presentation was off the charts.The ice water is also a plus. read more

Sorry Chicago. When it comes to authentic Korean cuisine, you've got nothing on LA. But beggars can't be choosers, right? At most, the overall eating experience warrants 3.5 stars. It could go up or down depending on what you're looking for in the rare Korean BBQ restaurant around the area. First impressions: small venue. The restaurant fits around 8 tables max, but the cramped space adds a cute cozy charm to the place. There were some people already seated, happily chewing away so that's always a reassuring sign that the food is decent. Our family of five came around to eat because my brother was craving Korean food. Poor boy. Although he's loving it as a freshman in college, he's been getting homesick and wanting comfort food-- aka. Woo Chon it is! We ordered the marinated kalbi, portion sizes just enough for 4-5 people's worth. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. The meat quality was okay; it could have been fresher. A sign of good quality marinated kabi is that when the plate of meat comes out, the meat should still be oozing a little bit of blood. If the meat doesn't do this, it means that it's been marinated for too long, and as a result, the beef is a bit tougher and drier than one might like. On the positive note, the side dishes were plentiful and DELISH. Most were very simply prepared, but that's the beauty of them side dishes: they're perfect appetizers when hungry, and wonderful compliments when paired with KBBQ. I particularly liked the eggplant side dish as it was steamed before cooked in order to take the bitterness away. Love love love! Another positive note, the service was decent and the waitress was always receptive to our needs. And Woo Chon's kimchi casserole? Delish. The chigae was prepared in a manner that reminded my parents of the traditional countryside. The broth was simple, and the overall dish made us feel warm.Served in a gold pot that resembled those you would use to cook instant ramen in, the chigae deserves a +1 star for it's homey heart-warming appeal. :3 Total came out ot be 120 + dollars... parents insist that it isn't that expensive but I feel like that cash could have been invested better elsewhere. Meh. . . Woo Chon satisfied the craving for Korean food but it did little to please the inner KBBQ snob. read more

We love this restaurant. Run & waited on by a family. Delish food, good service. Try the Jap Chai & soybean soup.

Well i went here at 11pm after calling and saying "please don't close, im coming now " and the family owned business said " sure, no problem". When i arrived there was a warm soup and a smiling faces. Many korean restaurant are not friendly like this one. And here they are always sweet and the food is always good. The price is reasonable, an overall great experience. MUCH BETTER THAN THE americanized solga read more

My family and I have known of Woo Chon for decades. I remember as a high school student coming here in the 90s. The ownership has changed multiple times over that time period. With the ownership changes, the quality of the food has oscillated. I heard from some friends that under the current owners, the food is quite good. My friends and I came here after seeing the lines at Cho Sun Ok out the door. The basic problem with Woo Chon is that the prices are extortionary for Korean food. I'm not sure how they are getting away with this, or if it's a sign that business has been tough (price makes up for lack of volume). After sitting down, I was sincerely inclined to get up and leave after the sticker shock of their prices. For example, BBQ Kalbi at your table runs $29 per person before tax and tip, when other restaurants normally won't exceed $18-19. Dolsot Bimbimbap, a fundamentally simple dish of rice, vegetables and some meat, runs $17, where other restaurants typically won't charge more than $10-12. A portion of 5 small fried dumplings costs $6, where other restaurants will typically give at least 8 for the same price. Kimchi Jjigae, an even simpler stew consisting of kimchi, tofu and some pork, cost $12, where I've never seen it priced over $8. All that being said, I thought the food was good, but not worth the prices. The pan chan (side dishes) provided were tasty but sparse. Perhaps that's why I saw few patrons on a Friday night (where Cho Sun Ok had a line equivalent to two times their seating capacity), and few actual Koreans. The reality is options for authentic Korean in Chicago have dwindled with the migration of Koreans to Niles, Skokie, Northbrook/Glenview. But two far better options in my opinion are the aforementioned Cho Sun Ok and San Soo Gap San. Cho Sun Ok, for example, despite being located in a neighborhood that has gentrified to yuppie-hood over the past twenty years, is still patronized by Koreans who make the trip for delicious food at a reasonable price. I will likely never return to Woo Chon. read more

LOVE this place. Been going here for years. Thankfully, it's still off the map when it comes to KBBQ lists in Chicago. Send the hipster crowds to Cho Sun Ok and (gag) SSGS! True, Woo Chon is not the cheapest on the block but an order of BBQ Galbi (which comes with all of the little sides and soup) will fill you up. But hey, if you wanted cheap and quantity, there's the AYCE Song Do buffet .. their Yelp reviews say it all. ;) Keep up the great job! read more

The waitresses were very friendly and attentive, but the food wasnt over the top delicious.. and also if I would've known it would be 29$ a plate for meat we would've gone elsewhere. We had a party of four and split 3 plates of the pork belly, Galbi, and this other type of beef that was so chewy i about gave up. read more

best lunch and best value for a lunch all at the same time. I love this place.

This is the best Korean restaurant I have ever been to in Chicago. Great food and great service. Peter, you rock.

I strongly recommend this restaurant to people who enjoy Korean cuisine. Excellent service plus delicious dishes especially the very fresh side dishes continue to bring me back every time I want to eat out. read more

One of the most enjoyable Korean restaurants I've been to in Chicago!! Very friendly and attentive staff. The food is amazing, a great array of banchan and the meat is really good quality. Highly recommend the beef brisket. I'm a fan of this place and will definitely be back to try the other dishes they have on the menu!! read more

I was craving sulungtang and soondubu so I came here with my friend on a whim. We ordered both soups and split them. Both were extremely good and hit close to home! Unlimited side dishes and you can always ask for more. Staff was friendly and accomadating. Would definitely come back when I crave sulungtang or even to try out their korean BBQ. read more

Anytime I am in Chicago and want Korean, this is my goto place. The food is as authentic as your can find and the service is second to none. I always feel like I am family when I go there. Parking can be a bit tight but there is off street parking in that neighborhood is your can't find a spot at the restaurant. read more

Solid side dishes. The salads are on-point (scallions). The meat is a bit thin but still good and has a decent amount of juice per bite. The service is the best I've gotten at a Korean restaurant so far and I am from Koreatown LA. Probably the most solid Korean BBQ joint in Chicago. read more

I really love this restaurant. The service is great and the food is phenomenal. Best side dishes of any Korean restaurant I have been to and their meat is to die for. It's perfectly seasoned and tastes soo perfect off the coals. Other places are just not the same and don't satisfy me the way this place does. read more

Came here with a friend, was immediately seated, we ended up ordering from their affordable lunch menu. My friend got two orders of bulgogi and I had one of the bimbimbop. Food was served fairly quickly, overall the food was great. The side dishes were also very fresh and tasty. The place is small but clean. And the service was excellent even while being served by only one waitress, she was still very attentive, kept checking in on us and refilling our drinks. Overall I will definitely come back to try the bbq menu. read more

We went to a restaurant called Montis horrible service and food then we found this wonderful restaurant it was absolutely delightful the way service was wonderful the food was excellent couldn't of been more happy read more

i come here when i am fed up with being thrashed about in other korean restaurants because a) i look korean, b) so at first glance am spoken to in korean, c) then at my pleading apology of true identity, d) am scorned for being a cheap substitute....even my earnest "anyongahsayoh" gets a suspicious response, and finally e) i am then relegated to 'even worse than a whitie' status. but i typically hang in there because i am addicted to all food korean. BUT when i step into woo chon, i am applauded ever so heartily for just being me. and even amidst all my counterfeit korean menu ordering expertise, i feel like one of the gang....an insider....an authentic card-carrying seoul sister. and for this alone, i'd go lengths to keep this place in business. read more

Highly recommend this! The samgyupsal was very good and the jap chae noodles. Actually all our food was good, the bulgogi and galbi, including the side dishes. Top if off with an excellent server, to think that she was the only one serving the other tables too. Will definitely come back for more! read more

I finally made it here and was glad I did. This is a great place and I would certainly come back in the future. Food: There's not a humongous menu, but's it's not too small either. All in all, there are enough options to make a choice but not too much to overwhelm. The same with the banchan. Some places offer os many that they have to stack them on the table. While that's cool, it's also nice to have a smaller spread such that you can go back and really evaluate each, rather than taste one and move on. The BBQ was good, but our beef strips were a little fatty. Maybe that's how they roll in Korea (I have no idea really), but I wished the strips I got were leaner. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate good marbling, but there's a difference between marbling and gristle. Otherwise the food tasted great, no complaints. I also love how they have real charcoal and not gas heating elements. That definitely adds a smokiness that you miss otherwise. Service: There was just one waitress and she seemed a little overwhelmed. We had to wait like 10 mins for a table to be cleared before we could even sit down, and had to ask for menus, water, the check, etc. However, when she was at our table, she was attentive and patiently answered all our questions. read more

Went with Cindy and the fam. Alright, just nothing spectacular. Pan chan is just ok, all other entrees just ok too. Kalbi, I actually liked, but it didn't make up for the whole experience. I'm gonna stick with Chosunok, SSGS and Solga from now on. Never going again. read more

Mehhh noooo what a disappointment. Since my last visit i always wanted to make it back here. I was craving korean food for almost a week and im really upset that they ruined my high hopes. :*( spicy pork with vegetables (they didnt have jeyug bugim, but they had it last time i swear) was ok. Small portion for $12. My soup. Disaster. It was just bunch of stuff swimming in spicy water. Broth has no flavor whatsoever. Pickled cucumbers were the best thing that happened to me at dinner table. Servers were freindly thats the only reason i tipped 20%. I guess i won't be back here. Goodbye woo chon. read more

I've been to more than dozen different Korean restaurants and this place has the best spicy soups I've ever had. If you like spicy soups I would recommend you to come here and try. My favs are Yuk Gae Jang, Kimchi Jigae, and lastly the Ttaru Gubab (I might have misspelled). They have their own parking lot and also right next to this place they have a Korean food mart if you want to check out. read more

Good quality meat. As a Korean I crave their ta-ro-guk-bab (meaning soup and rice) whenever i come down with cold.

One of my favorite Korean bbq in the city! Great service and side dishes are unlimited and always more available! Seafood pancake is one of the best!!!!! read more

Small business with a tiny parking lot. Their food was delicious! We got the kbbq brisket which was so tender and a good portion size! We also got sulungtang and mul naengmyun and the portion sizes were huge and everything tasted so flavorful and was made with great quality meat! The customer service was one of the best for a Korean place. I think I found my new favorite Korean spot in the Chi area! Pretty close to my high standards of LA Korean food! read more

Great! would drive in from suburbs for their authentic korean food!

A Korean restaurant where they are genuinely happy to have you! Wonderful food! Aside from the delicious meat, highly recommend the mackerel! Love this place! read more

Woo Chon is a really fun place to go for birthdays! My man apparently has his birthday parties over the sizzling delish korean meats annually. I got to partake this year since the ladies were finally invited, wooohooo! We waited for 30 minutes for our table that we had reservations for, they actually gave our table to a family instead of giving it to us. They then took 2 tables and put them together to accommodate us. The thing that was sketchy about this ordeal was the vents for the grills didn't line up which caused ALOT of smoke! Food was ultra tasty, ultra! All of the sides they bring are tasty, my favorite being the cucumbers. We ordered 2 kinds of beef and chicken to grill up. I look forward to next years birthday sizzle fest! read more

Great food and great service every time! I think this is one of the most underrated but delicious Korean restaurants in the city. The food is delivered fast and fresh. They serve delicious banchan (small Korean side dishes) with every meal. read more

Woo Chon has always been excellent for food and experience. However, a while back their prices ballooned. The *only* reason I've given them 3 stars is their price; if they were even a bit more reasonable, they'd be 5-star. read more

My brother suggested that we check this place out. I live downtown, so it's a bit of a drive for lunch, but this was a expedition sort of afternoon. So, despite that set-up for a review, I am a DEFINITE return! All tables have a grill for the barbeque, and the prawns and thin sliced beef were well prepared. A myriad of side dishes accompany the protein, and the server explained them to us as we dove in. Also enjoyed the bimbap. If someone else is driving I will be back! read more

Solid Korean restaurant. Food has been consistent over the years and is very reasonably priced. Location is a bit hard to find, but after their recent remodel, the place stands out a little bit more now. My favorite include Daeji Bulgogi (Spicy Marinated Pork), Kimchi Jigae, Soondubu, Yukgaejang. They also have Al Jigae, which most places don't carry - you get a generous amount of fish eggs here. Sides are good, especially when they have the pickled anchovies. Their grill stuff, such as Kalbi, etc. is pricey here. For Korean grill/bbq, I hit that place on Golf. ;) read more

Been going here for the past 8-9 years. Only a few true mom/pop Korean places left and this is being one of them. Every is made in house. From kalbi to the side dishes. Hope it will stay like this FOREVER! read more

This place is so small and unassuming, I accidentally drove by and missed it. It has a small parking lot with spaces in the rear, next to the alley, and alongside the neighboring building to the south. I went with a group of 8 adults and 2 kids. We made a reservation, but did not need it. Kind of slow for a Friday night, but so be it. To start off we had dumplings and some Korean Beer, Hite and OB. The dumplings were tasty and really hot. They went down nicely with the beer. Hite is a golden lager , and OB is a pale, both of which are similar to other foreign beers, so nothing too special about it. Dinner consisted of Galbi (marinated beef short rib), Chaldobegi (thinly sliced brisket - non-marinated), and Bulgogi (marinated beef sirloin). All tasted delicious. Of all the Korean BBQ staples, Chaldobegi, was the most foreign to my group and myself. Thankfully, our waitress showed us how to cook it. Along with the meat, we were served with the typical side dishes; different varieties of kimchi, salad, and vegetables. We also ordered Japchae, a cellophane, stir-fried noodle dish of vegetable and beef. Again, all good. Honestly, all the years of Korean food I have eaten, I have never been disappointed by Japchae. Seems to me, even a caveman can cook it! A yummy and filling dinner, I left happy. I was so full, I forgot about dessert. If there were anything to complain about, I would comment that the interior could use better lighting and nicer decor. BUT, I promise you, as soon as the food comes, the point is moot. I kind of like the "odd" atmosphere, it has a mom and pop-like feel. So if your looking for a feast for the eyes, and not the stomach, this place is not for you. Pros: Good food, friendly service, and good food. Cons: For the presumptuous, the place can use a minor renovation. Also watch out for the exhaust vents, I hit my head and I'm not that tall. read more

I've come here often with friends, and always enjoyed the food. Friendly staff & very affordable. Great place for Korean BBQ

Never had Korean restaurant treat me so kindly. Great food; I bring visitors from out of town here all the time and never receive complaints.. In fact, my brother insisted we go back twice during his recent visit. read more

I love love love this place. Affordable price plus GREAT MEAL. I have been to lots of Korean restaurants around the Chicago area and this place is THE BEST. I love their Bibimbab, Bulgogi (Marinated beef), Yukijan (spicy beef soup), and Galbitan (beef ribs soup). read more