BBQ Chicken is back and it's still good. If you're looking for some of the best Korean fried chicken in metro Atlanta, come here.
I'm not sure why the old BBQ Chicken location, which wasn't too far from where this location stands today, closed. It opened in March 2011 (http://bit.ly/3a7slOc) and used to be in the same nearby strip where, coincidentally, Thank U Chicken is now. I'm guessing the franchisees for this location are different from the old location. The brand, which is internationally-recognized (even in countries like Bangladesh, Fiji, and Iran), is the same. As far as I can tell, the menu is pretty much the same as the old location too. These guys specialize in chicken which is deep-fried in olive oil. It's delicious.
The "BBQ" in BBQ Chicken doesn't mean barbecue, but instead "Best of the Best Quality." It's their schtick. Depending on where you look, you might see the business name as "BBQ Chicken," "BB.Q Chicken," or "BBQ Olive Chicken." "BBQ Olive Chicken" is what's on the main storefront sign and what's printed on top of the receipts here.
This location opened in August 2019 in the old MyungDong Noodle space (http://bit.ly/35MgEsN) in between the shuttered Virtu Lounge and Dan Sung Sa (http://bit.ly/35JeLgA). It's a tiny little strip just off Pleasant Hill Road, not far from I-85.
As far which restaurant currently has the best Korean fried chicken in the Atlanta area, I think it's all concentrated here in Duluth with BBQ Chicken, ChoongMan Chicken (http://bit.ly/33A5FCv), and Thank U Chicken (http://bit.ly/2LRFZgm). Those are my top three. I think the single best flavor chicken belongs to BBQ Chicken with their "Secret Spicy" chicken. I also think BBQ Chicken has better sides, both in terms of taste and selection. Overall, if we're talking only chicken and comparing multiple chicken flavors and offerings, I think ChoongMan is neck and neck with BBQ Chicken, if not better (ChoongMan's garlic soy and hot snow onion are outstanding). Thank U Chicken currently comes in third for me, but I still like them a lot. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those three. Heck, I'm also a fan of Hello Chicken (http://bit.ly/2LUnesw) and Harue (http://bit.ly/381xVQ9).
This BBQ Chicken location has a simple, modern space. I estimate it can seat about 70 customers comfortably at a combination of tables and booths. There's bench seating along one of the walls. The kitchen is closed off, but they have open prep counters and a keg system with eight beers on tap. There's a counter for pick-up and payment, but if you dine in, service is seated with a server call button at every table. They have one large screen for the dining room; during our visit, they played both K-pop *and* J-pop with integrated speakers throughout the entire space, including the restroom. This place has a very casual vibe and it's great for groups.
Half chickens are sold at $11-12 each and whole chickens $21-22 each. You can also do half and half combos for $22 per order. The main flavors are Golden Olive, Secret Spicy, and Hot Spicy. They also sell boneless chicken and wings in a greater variety of flavors like honey garlic and "Gangnam Style" which is made with peppers, leeks, and garlic sauteed in a black pepper sauce. Orders for boneless chicken and wings cost roughly about the same.
For sides, they have a mixture of American and Asian foods. For example, sweet potato fries ($6) and fried dumplings ($7). They also have Korean snack foods, common of Korean fried chicken restaurants, like spicy stir-fried rice cakes ("ddeok bokki," $10) and fishcake soup ($10).
$10 lunch specials, which include a small order of boneless chicken plus fries and a soda, are available 11:30am-3:00pm. $17 late night combos, which include popcorn chicken plus alcohol (either a bottle of soju or two bottles of beer), are available after 8:30pm. Speaking of alcohol, you can buy somaek ("somac") here for $17 per set. Somaek is soju + beer.
We ordered a half and half ($22) of Golden Olive chicken and Secret Spicy chicken plus coleslaw ($3) and onion rings ($7). The sides came out first and we had to wait a while for the chicken (almost too long). We noticed the wait times for other customers were long too even though the restaurant wasn't particularly busy (there were a lot of takeout orders though). The Secret Spicy chicken was five stars alone. It was phenomenal. They take the Golden Olive chicken and toss it in a sauce made with tomato, onion, garlic, and spices. The taste and texture of the chicken was flawless. The taste was rich and sweet, but not spicy, contrary to its name. The texture was crispy and crunchy on the outside and incredibly tender and juicy on the inside. The Golden Olive chicken and sides were good too. The Golden Olive chicken crispiness and juiciness was equally amazing. However, the flavor was relatively lacking. Chicken portions were generous. The slaw and onion rings were above average and I recommend them. read more