I become regular customer.. I love their all lunch specials and wonderful service . They have the best ingredients and always fresh . I bring my family as well . All the lady's humble and sweet . The best Korean food in the town . Definitely recommend this place to anyone .. read more

Woo Chon Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was delicious but I was so mislead by the menu . I had never been so I asked our server and she pointed out some beef on the bbq menu, priced at ($30.99). I said that sounded great and my fiance and I would have that. I guess the menu said "Minimum 2 per order" which I thought meant a minimum of 2 people to order anything off the bbq option. We didn't order anything else and our bill was $70!! This is too expensive, considering at Cho Sun Ok the same meal (with more toppings) would have been $45 INCLUDING the rice. I was so sad about this but this is TOO EXPENSIVE for how much meat we got plus I did NOT like how misleading everything was. Unfortunately won't be coming back. read more

The service is excellent. There is a small charcoal grill in the middle of your table for you to grill your own meat. They constantly change our grill rack to make sure no burnt meat or cross flavored. The meat sliced into thin slices that fill a big plate. Flavored and non-flavored meat, both were excellent. The waitress would stopped by the table once in a while to grill the meat for you. This is a Korean restaurant, so you know how the side dishes go, unlimited!! There were variety of pickles, radishes, kimchi, and other stuffs that tasted great. Raspberry wine was good! Not too sweet, a good compliment with your meat. read more

I've been to many Korean BBQ establishments in the past and this was my least favorite in terms of value. The restaurant was quaint, and unassuming which is fine. However the servers did their best to convince my family to spend as much money as possible. I visited with my three children and was told that the entree size was suitable for a single person. I ended up leaving with uncooked meat due to how much I was told to order. Not to mention a $160 bill, which included a tip that I was forced to pay. I will not be returning. read more

Great food and kind service. I had the sliced beef and squid, charcoal is unique flavoring

A little bit pricier than some of the other comparable korean restaurants, but the taste and the quality is well worth it. Not too salty, nor bland. Service is top notch and parking in the back for extra convenience! Definitely will be back when craving good soup read more

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I was just craving for some korean food and found this place. I was not expecting much but wow the food was really good and the staffs are super nice and great! Recommend this place!! read more

Food: 4 Cleanliness: 4 Staff: 5 We came here as a party of 10. Perfect place for it! It was a Friday and not too busy. Staff was super friendly and inviting. Just like mom taking care of the kiddies :) Sides: a goood amount! APP: Vegetable Pancake was great. SOUP: Dwaen Jang Jigae, great. Soon Tofu, amazing. ENTRÉE: Japchae, just OK. BBQ: We recommend Galbi and Chadolbakyi BBQ, 2 of each. Meat was fresh and tasted delicious. The only thing is that it's pretty pricey for the amount of meat you get, especially for Galbi. For 10 people, we ordered 8 bbqs, 2 soups, 2 apps, 1 mackerel and that was just enough. I would come back if I was around the area, yes! read more

The food here is really good, but pricey, and according to the rule they are making it even more... it's so sad for me. They changed on the barbecue order you need to at least 2, this was my favorite but due to this nonsense change, m going to find something else considering they are already not cheap. read more

I never seen like this place. Food is so so service was horrible we were 4 people ordered 4 food but they gave us just one time side dishes . We were requested charge side dishes they want to charge for bill. Never come back ver bad experience read more

I didn't expect much of good service but the waitress was really nice and friendly. There was only us and one more table so not too busy on sunday lunch, and the waitress helped us cook the meat almost the whole time. Food was pretty good over all but was bit on the expensive side compared to other bbq places. read more

Woo Chon Restaurant - Pork belly! - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the best Korean restaurants that I've ever been. Staff was very polite and attentive and the foods were very delicious. read more

Woo Chon Restaurant - One word "delicious" - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food is above average. The atmosphere, not so much. I tried to make friendly conversation with the store owner, but she just brushed me off and laughed. When you are eating they would come to your table always and don't let you eat in peace. Check would come when you didn't ask for it. I think it your looking for a average food good atmosphere ban po chung is better. The owner is there and friendly to those learning korean. read more

Woo Chon Restaurant - Korean dashi soup - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Everything was spot on, but hey I'm not all that versed in Korean cuisine, it was a warm atmosphere and food was piping hot.

Had galbi and kimchi chiggae and they were both great! The venue was not as big as expected, but it felt cozy and still had enough seatings. Also has a small parking lot, which is convenient. read more

Our first time here and what a great first experience. We order 2 different meats to cook and our server because it was our first time cooked it for us but also explained how to cook it next time . The food was so flavorful and we can't wait to come back. Totally need to put 10 stars on this gem read more

This is a great BBQ place. They have average prices, friendly staff, live coals, and a comfortable setting. Interesting in that they don't have my favorite, bulgogi - they stick to a couple varieties of galbi, sangyupsol, gaemit gui - but they made up for it with an excellent marinated galbi, and the best bean paste sauce I've had in the city. Average panchan selection that get big bonus points by the complimentary pajeun (seafood pancake) that they give you to start off. 1 hour wait at SSGS? Skip it, head a mile north and come to Woo Chon. You get nearly the same quality food with less of the attitude and a much more relaxed environment. read more

I'm giving this place the benefit of the doubt that my upset stomach afterwards was due strictly to my own unrestrained overeating. The food was delicious and was heaven, going down. I think it was just so tasty (chicken, tongue, beef) (the squid was tough) that I couldn't stop eating. BBQing your own food at the table was fun. One star off for the lack of an on-site dry cleaners to unBBQstink your clothing. My clothes had that unmistakable "I just went to a Korean BBQ place and cooked my own food" smell. Oh....price: hands down one of the most reasonable places I've eaten that serves above average quality food. Dinner for 4 people, which was enough to feed 6 people, was $84 tax and drinks included. I'll go back for more but will eat less. read more

"Let's get out of this stinkhole" Yes, you may issue an exclamation like the above when you finally finish your meal at Woo Chon. However, I assure you that any deliciously pervasive barbecue aroma that will infect anything you wore into the restaurant is visited back over in spades in culinary deliciousness and taste bud satisfaction. The service is a touch erratic although they will ultimately get you where you need to go. They will help newcomers through an unfamiliar menu, but it is probably worth your time to give the menu a once-over before coming in. Either way, you know the wait for your food is over when you feel an unnatural warmth coming in behind your head and see a large charcoal brazier making its way to the center of your table. Most everything we had was absurdly good. The marinated short rib tastes unbelievably awesome, and the experience of cooking it yourself provides a delightful voyeuristic foray into the kitchen that you really can't screw up. It should be noted that this dish also comes with a piece of meat that is still on the bone which we were unable to figure out how to cook and/or eat properly. The confusion we felt here was matched only by the dizzying array of condiments and side dishes served with the BBQ itself. Advice for the American palate with these: 1) red = spicy; 2) if you can easily identify what something is, it is pretty tasty 3) if you don't know what it is, proceed with caution. We also got the Jap Chae, a very nice stir fry dish with glass noodles, and the hot pot bibimbap, prepared pretty much as you expect it but very tasty. And the kimchi pancake was a fantastic appetizer, spicy with an awesome crispy exterior. You are probably not coming here for ambiance or service, in which case you will not be disappointed, as you probably are coming here for delicious food and to walk out an hour later smelling like you just finished your shift as a line cook, in which case I cannot imagine you will fail. read more

I'm by no means an expert on Korean BBQ. That said, I live in a heavily populated Korean area, so I am an expert by geographic association. That said, I LOVE Woo Chon. It's friendly, amazingly-delicious and affordable. It's been a token date spot by many men I've gone out with, all of whom have referred to it as "their hidden gem." And every time I am super surprised about my first time there. "Wow, everything is so pretty! It really is a diamond in the ruff" I don't mind because I can pretend that every time is my first time and relive the deliciousness. Being that I've been here many, many times, I've tried a variety of items and I can't say there's one particular favorite. Everything there is made with love, so how can you go wrong? If you're reading this far, it won't hurt you to try it and find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed. read more

My family went back from Chicago and found this restaurant on yelp with 4 stars. We cannot believe how it can get so high rating. The BBQ beef and pork are over over over priced. Two ribs for over 28 and 4 pieces pork belly for over 22. The small free dishes are provided, but we have 4 people, they just provided once. It seems like they do not want give more. How much they can save on this...just some veggies. When we finish the meal, they just asked us if we need the rice. It seems like they do not want to provide the rice first. I still give them over 15% tip, I am a decent gentleman, but this restaurant is not. I have been to many Korean BBQ nationwide. Please skip this one. Waitress are always smiling, but their hearts are not. Avoid. read more

it's not SSGS, but we like it. reminds me of a greasy spoon, run by hardworking Korean family. the restaurant has horrible decor matched with horrible ergonomics, but no one cares because once upon a time, kalbi was $11. i haven't been for awhile, but it's a great alternative to SSGS/Kang Nam/Hae Woon Dae and I'd much prefer this old shack to the fancified Solga (with no live coals). Jang mo nim, one of our fave restaurants with a proper dolsot bibimbap, is dead. FDLT, our fave KBBQ house cum noraebang, is also dead. Woo Chon, by default, is now included in the top 4 KBBQ joints in the city. Panchan's actually only mediocre, but the kalbi was just as good as any other in this town. We like the fact it's close to Orange, it's unpretentious and my future mother-in-law could've worked here 10 yrs ago. read more

Woo Chon Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We wanted to give it a try since our favorite Korean BBQ restaurant was fully booked. Well! This will be the first and last time! We were 2 adults and a child. We ordered 2 dishes of meat which was the minimum recommended for the bbq and we were hoping it will not be too much! In the contrary it was not enough even for one person! The portion were so small it was ridiculous. On top, one dish of meat was so chewy it was almost impossible to eat it! We paid at the end 70$ for 2 poor dishes of meat and 2 little bowl of rice!!!!!! We came out frustrated and hungry! It is absolutely not worth it. I don't mind paying the price for good food but this place is absolutely not worth it. I will never come back! read more

I was just at Woo Chon with the girls this weekend. We had a great time. The service was amazing. The friendly staff was patient with us being unfamiliar with the cuisine. The decor added to the feeling of being in a family's home. It was very festive with a lot of big groups having a great time. We had quite a spread. We ordered far more than the 4 of us could eat. I highly recommend the bulgogi. I do agree that it was a little cold in there with all of the exhaust fans going. Yeah be prepared to smell like the restaurant all evening. Yeah don't get dressed up to go here. There is also the spillage factor with all of the sauces. Yeah the parking is a little tricky. There always seemed to be 1 spot left in the parking lot. read more

As a Korean-American, I think I'm fairly qualified to comment on Korean food. Of all the places in the city, this place is the best. Why? Service, food quality, variety and quantity of panchan. Plus, I've gone there with my parents and with my non-Korean friends and the treatment is the same. Don't worry if you don't speak Korean they have people that speak English to help. A few tips for an awesome experience: * make sure you wear machine washable clothes- especially if you BBQ. Your clothes and hair will smell. I love the smell, but just a warning. * try or taste each panchan- you'll be surprised how much you like things you didn't think you would. * no need to order an entree for every person- Korean dinning is about sharing and don't be shy. * there are no rules- eat how and what you like! I would give it 5 stars except the decor and ambiance is a little lacking. I still love it! read more

The quality of the meat isn't in question, but the portions are. Compared to other Korean BBQ places, the amount of beef served for each over $30 portion leaves a lot to be desired. The sides are just okay and do not compensate for the lack of protein very well. I left still wanting more after throwing down more money than I would have liked. Solid drink selection couldn't make up for an overall slightly disappointing experience. read more

I've never done the BBQ here, but I come here for the dolsot bi-bim-bops (bi-bim-bops in a hot stone bowl). It makes the rice crispy and extra delicious. This is my second favorite bi-bim-bop after Susie's Noon Hour Grill. They first bring out a korean pancake which is great. it is hard to eat with chopsticks, so sharpen up your skills if you are trying to impress a date. They cut it with kitchen scissors right in front of you which is kind of funny. The banchan here are always good. I always look forward to the potato salad one. I know that sounds a little stupid- but it really is tasty. I've always ended up fighting with my dinner companions over it. They don't always serve it, when that has happened we've asked the server for it and they've brought it out. The service is here is always very nice. Also, at the end they give you a little yogurt drink with the check, instead of mints. It does smell in here (like most Korean BBQ joints), so don't wear your Sunday best. This place is super cheap- 2 people can have have a few OB beers and dinner for under 30 bucks. Come hungry, because they serve a lot of food. read more

Tasty, but OMG IT WAS WAY OVER PRICED! $29 for a small amount of Kalbi. And $14 for a bowl of noodles and soup? Very disappointing, and then they didn't want to give us more pan chan? Skip this place. read more

First time going here. Good meat and banchan. I thought meat dishes were pretty pricy for the amount (due to COVID? I dunno. Almost all the items were white outed with new price) Service was good and I would come back. read more

The food is really good but you're there for an experience. The people there are too hands on for my taste. She was constantly coming over and cooking our food. Every time I touched my food, the woman would come over and redo it. There was one point where I had a plate of raw chicken that I was taking my time to cook, the woman comes over and puts the whole plate on the grill. I get it, some people don't know what they're doing, but I am not one of those people. So yeah the food was good and you've never done bbq and don't mind someone else doing your cooking, I'd say this is a great place to start. read more

A very rare family own tasty charcoal Korean bbq. My family enjoy every visits. Highly recommended.

YUMMY!!!!! woo Chon is my favorite Korean restaurant!!! This is the only restaurant my family goes to. I love the kalbi and all the pajeon (appetizers). I feel like you get your money's worth. Kalbi is NOT cheap ($16/pp) and you get to cook it yourself in front of a charcoal grill. It's pretty fun but YOU WILL SMELL when you leave! One of my sister's friends lives in Hyde Park and he takes 2 trains and 2 buses to eat here! Haha I think that's funny but he really loves this place. I like this place because it's not pretentious like other Korean places and the staff are nice. If you are in the mood for Korean food, go here!!! You will not be disappointed!!! read more

The definitive Korean BBQ place. Its use of old-school charcoal, the sweet smell of galbi marinade and garlic in the air - and later in your hair and on your shirt, tho' that's part of the experience - and simple decor are strangely inviting. Appetizers are plentiful and mostly delish. It includes some odd items (to non-Koreans like me) such as raw hard-shell crab in red pepper paste. Also comes with rice (with red bean?) and hearty vege soup. Parking lot is in the back and there's always a spot. Leave your Armani shirt in the closet before heading out. read more

I definately think solga or ssgs is sooo much better. The meat was on the sweet side plus, it seemed a bit chewy. We had 6 adults, so I thought we would get a good amount of panchan, however, we had to get the waitress every 15 minutes for something. Excuse me.. can we get some rice, can we get some more bean paste, can we get more kimchi.. etc.. I felt like we uncessarily needed to talk to our waitress alot more. Just give us more than 5 pieces of kimchi!!!! All the other food we got was OK, the seafood pancake, sundobu, jap chae, pork belly with kimchi. All was good.. but just that... The bill for us came out to be $200/with tip. Not the best value, but k-food is a bit on the pricey side compared to all the other asian foods out there. Would not go again.. read more

Really good authentic Korean food. We had the seolong tang (ox tail soup), yukaejang (spicy beef soup), and bibim naeng myun (spicy cold noodles). All were well flavored and balanced. Would def come back whenever I have korean food cravings. The service was also great. We came in for late night eats and the lady was super nice and attentive. There is also parking in the side of the restaurant! read more

Once I saw their sliding doors, I knew that I was in store for some down home Korean cooking. Stayed primarily with the kalbi and some soon dubu jigae. How or why it took me so long to find this place, I will never know. read more

The best Korean barbecue in Chicago can be found near the corner of Lincoln and California, tucked behind a foreign video store and through a strange back porch-style sliding door. Each night, Woo Chon doles out platters of myriad raw meats, piping hot stews and casseroles, and other Korean staples in a stark though strangely styled dining room. Several special touches render a dinner here superior to one at any of its North Side competitors. In addition to a well-edited selection of panchan, dinners arrive with a complimentary pancake and zesty salad. Standout samgyapsal (pork belly--the Koreans were doing it long before Paul Kahan) is prepared tableside on an angled griddle, eschewing any fat-induced flare-ups one might encounter if prepared on your live charcoal grill. Half an orange skewered with toothpicks provides a sweet ending to an otherwise spicy and funky meal. Despite its heavily Korean clientele, Woo Chon's service seems more finely attuned to the needs of western customers, and their palates as well. On one occasion, our dolsot bibimbap was accompanied not by the traditional pungent bean paste soup (think the bleu cheese of miso soups) but by a milder brew. When asked if their soup recipe had changed, we were told this is what they serve to foreigners. Closes earlier than most other Korean restaurants, and their hours are firm. read more

For korean barbecue they require a minimum of 2 orders. It includes soup and side dishes. You can ask for extra for some of the side dishes, like tofu, fish cake/kikiam. The soup was good. read more

We tried this restaurant recently. It has a nice atmosphere and awesome service! We ordered bibimbop, bulgogi, daeji bulgogi, and galbi. It also comes with soup and several other sides just cant remember their names. Food was very delicious but my favorite was the soup and galbi. It was actually fun cooking the galbi but wish the portion were bigger for the price... read more

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Now that I've been to Woo Chon a few times, I can honestly say that this is my favorite Korean BBQ spot. The prices are unbeatable, and they always have good service. Kim chi is great. If Woo Chon was closer to home, I would go once a week. Why are you so far away, Woo Chon? WHY? read more