The food is solid but not the best Korean fried chicken I've had. When I visit DC my friend always insists we come here to eat so I've been here 3 times. The service is welcoming and friendly. read more

This is a great Korean spot that has your traditional favorites and then some new ones and all that pair well with Soju. I will definitely have to come back to try some of their other dishes. We came in around 7:30 on a Friday night and it was pretty busy. There wasn't really a host or hostess at the front and groups that came in after us tried to cut in front of us a few times so be aware. We ordered the pork belly, galbi (short ribs) and kimchi fries. The fries were generic and wouldn't probably get them again. The galbi was definitely the best cooked out of the meats. They were tender and flavorful, compared to the pork belly which tasted a bit tough, although still tasty. I do wish we got some banchan with our meal or some kind of vegetable and found it strange that we didn't. I looked at other Yelper's pictures after we got back home and realized that we were supposed to get lettuce wraps for our meats. Kinda strange that it skipped our table. Regardless, I really enjoyed the food and will be back to try their KFC. read more

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Service was incredible (shout out to James, our really personable and accommodating server). The fan favorite was definitely the seafood pancake with the dipping sauce. It was pretty authentic and definitely a good shared plate. It could have been fried longer so the texture was an even crunch on the outside and the softness of the inside, but the flavors were yum. The jjampong was unpleasantly spicy with the addition of so much jalapeño. I've had this soup my entire life and I wasn't a fan of it here. The jalapeño spice took away from the flavor of the soup itself and I've never had to pay additional for noodles as it's traditionally a noodle soup, so I found that to be odd. The dubokki was spicy and was alright. My friends loved their ssams. There was a generous amount of pork belly and galbi and both of them took leftovers for an additional meal. The vegetables served alongside were fresh and the atmosphere was really pleasant. It was great to show my friends what some authentic Korean food is like, and it's certainly worth checking out in Adams Morgan! I'd recommend the original makgeolli for a traditional light alcohol to share amongst friends. read more

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This place was good but not great. The chicken was a little dry for our taste in Korean Fried Chicken. The bulgogi fries and tacos were ok. Would order something else next time unless you really like it. Did not like the flavor of the white sauce drizzle. Soju was good! The restaurant also was cool looking, and packed. We sat upstairs. Try to make a reservation. read more

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Fantastic restaurant. I'm sure everything that they have on the menu is delicious. We had Corn Cheese, Fried Octopus, Kimchi Dumplings, KFC & Soy Sauce KFC. So yummy and worth going to. The Soy Sauce KFC was spectacular. I do not live in this area and am so bummed I won't be able to go any time I want! Highly recommend!! read more

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We tried the KFC, and it was not good. It was overcooked, dry, and tasteless. There was no sauce on it at all. And it was $20 for an appetizer sized portion of six chicken wings. Not that that's important considering I didn't even finish it. I threw it away; it was that bad. Will not go back. read more

First time coming here and it does the job. I feel like ethnic food has a certain bar that should be kept up with and this place doesn't really do that. The service was really good though!! And the space was fine too. I liked the old Korean bar kind of vibe that I am used to seeing in Korea. My qualms with this place was the food. The army stew was basically just kimchi jjigae which is fine because I love kimchi jjigae just not exactly what we were expecting. The tteokbokki was all right but also small portion for the price. I think if I try some more options, I may have more thoughts. And I know it's DC but the prices are pretty steep here. Again, this place is good because I'm not picky but it's just disappointing the authenticity it lacks. It's one of the few Korean restaurants in DC so I'll still recommend going if that's the best option for you. Otherwise, go to Maryland or Virginia. read more

The owner is the nicest and coolest lady ever. She helped make our experience 11/10, besides cooking up some seriously delicious Korean cuisine. The fried chicken is intensely amazing. Order it. The kimchi dumplings are insane in the membrane. Every ingredient and element in Bul's bowls taste fresh, expertly combined, and lovingly prepared. But beware!You might burn your dang tongue off. Pouring your friend their drink all night is pretty fun for some reason. I wish I lived close by so I could taste everything on the menu. The atmosphere is great - feels authentic and even romantic. I've never been to Korea, but I would imagine it might just feel and look as cool as this place. Now you might be thinking, wow... what an overwhelmingly positive review... this reviewer must be getting paid for this. But I ain't. This is real. If you've been following my reviews over the last few years, you would know I'm as harsh a Yelp Critic as they come. But this place really rocked my shit. But what do I know? I'm only a doctor. Best regards, Dr. Stroker read more

Bul - Spicy pork Dolsot on top Bulgogi Dolsot on bottom Both very good - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Staff and manager were super friendly and helpful. I got the Spicy Chicken Bibimbap and it was very delicious. It comes with a spicy sauce (not too spicy) that adds a lot of flavor. My friend got the Spicy Pork Tacos and he them enjoyed very much. It only comes with 2 but still very filling. We also had soju out of a watermelon and it was super tasty. I don't think the alcohol was too strong - I had maybe 4-5 shot glasses of it and didn't feel that drunk (but maybe I'm just built different). There were no negatives of my experience at Bul so of course I have to give a 5 star review. Would recommend! read more

Bul - Spicy Chicken Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My party had 11 total and the staff was very kind in helping push tables together so we can all sit at the same spot, and since we got there at 5:30 we didn't have to wait! It got crowded and busy near 7 so we were pretty lucky. I got the sweet n spicy KFC and it was amazing. The table also got the bulgogi bibimbap, japchae, tofu BBB, and BUL KFC and it was thumbs all around! read more

Bul - Sweet and Spicy K.F.C - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A great place for good and drinks if you like soju. I stopped here to get cover from the rain and ended up enjoying the food. The servers were super friendly and helpful with menu questions. read more

Bul - Korean Fries - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Walking by on a Sunday late afternoon, baby in stroller, we stopped in for dinner and were glad we did. Although the place was moderate-to-busy, the quite distracted manager quickly seated us and made room for the stroller (although he seemed a big taken aback at the idea of a stroller in his restaurant). The waitress was great, friendly and with good recommendations, and the food came quickly. We had the sweet and spicy KFC, the bulgogi tacos, and the kimchi pancakes, all very, very good. And good-sized portions (we might have gotten by with one less food item). Cost for all that plus a large Hite beer was something like $50 including tax and before tip, which I thought was pretty reasonable. We'll definitely come back some time. read more

I had an amazing experience at Bul. Our waiter was lively and she had great recommendations from the Soju to the dumplings to the KFC. My group and I had a great time. The food was great, I haven't have wing like. read more

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Top notch Korean food. Everything we order was incredibly delicious and the food did not take long to reach our tables. Aside from the food the service was top notch. The Owner Emi greeted us at the door and tended to all our needs. The setting is small but intimate and staff all seemed very friendly. I highly recommend and will def be back to try some more of their amazing dishes in the near future. read more

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UPDATE: Even better the day after! A lot of food for the price. PREVIOUS REVIEW: Really creative food, however it wasn't for me because everything we ordered had the same spicy red pepper paste. The KFC (Korean fried chicken) was extra crispy and medium spicy. The spicy style chicken wings was a bit sweet. We also had a Korean bone-in meat which was sweet. I asked about the Korean kimchi fries and the waiter explained it and I said I didn't want it but he put it in my order anyway so I just paid for it because I didn't want to cause problems. The wait staff was nice but our waiter didn't speak English very well so there were some problems with the order, but we liked him a lot. I ordered a rice drink soda which was surprisingly good. Sitting outside was difficult because zombie-apocalyptic homeless people kept coming up to the tables and drooling and asking for food and money. It's not just here, but at every restaurant in that area. That street smelt of weed and had a lot of drug dealing. Would not recommend to dine outside in that area due to those issues. Final note: feel free to give it a try. Personally, I don't intend on going back because everything had the exact same chili paste flavor and the neighborhood was very gritty and scary/unsafe but out of all the restaurants in that area, this one seemed the best because the food was very unique and the staff was nice and food came out fast. read more

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Stone pot was great! The server was very knowledgeable about all the questions we had about the cuisine. Kalbi was tasteful and tender, Veggie dumplings (steamed) were also quite amazing. read more

Bul - Bulgogi Bibimbap Veggie Dumplings DC Kalbi Ssam - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

One of the tastiest and most genuine Korean food in the east coast. Super fast and friendly service. The owner is super awesome and friendly and she's an Army so expect lots of BTS songs playing :) MUST VISIT!! read more

I was craving Korean comfort food and this is the perfect place to get traditional Korean and more modern/fusion! The yukgaejang was just like my mother makes! So much beef and lots of veggies! Definitely more than enough for two. The pork belly ssam was a little dry and they forgot to pack the wraps for the ssam, which was disappointing, but was great with the rice. It came with grilled garlic slices, sliced jalapeños, and cooked kimchi and onions. That was awesome! The potato shrimp was such a delightful surprise! The potato was so crunchy and cooked perfectly. I could eat a bucket full! The tartar sauce was delicious! The kimchi pancake was a little disappointing. It had hardly any kimchi and was too thick. Overall, very satisfying and will definitely order again. read more

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Not authentic Korean food or service. Missing key items like kimchi and veggies in order. This is the only place Korean restaurant I know that charges for kimchi. Dishes that weren't wrong were just ok. Mandu is way better. read more

Some work friends and I met here to catch up! We had an absolute blast. I think it helped that one of us had spent a few months living and studying in South Korea -- she knew traditional Korean drinking games and the ins and outs of the menu. The reason I am happy to give this place 5 stars was because their staff was so genuine and receptive that I believe they are well equipped to help any customer navigate their menu and make good recommendations! I'll be visiting again and when I do I'll get some photos of the food and restaurant so I can give a more in depth review! read more

Spicy seafood yaki udon was very richly flavorful with generous portions of seafood and udon noodles. I'm a girl of big appetite, but I actually thought the portion was a bit TOO big! That's saying quite *a lot* from me. I was so full after finishing up the entire plate (yes, I just have to finish the entire meal lol). My friend enjoyed his spicy squid rice dish as well. read more

This Adams Morgan shop has a hip, Asian bistro feel...and a polished presentation. I enjoyed sitting at the bar to eat my piping hot Korean bowl of spicy soup (Soondubu with tofu) with deep flavors of Gojujang, that earthy warm spice of Korea. The wait staff seem so hip and flexible. There are cocktails built on Asian ingredients (melon, yogurt with soju the rice-based liquor) that make normal cocktails like a "Manhattan" or a "Vodka Tonic" seem so yester-year. Move over all the ethnic dives in Korea-dale (Annandale VA) because Bul has grabbed all the best Korean concoctions-- scallion pancakes, omlettes, and hot spicy soup-- and made a brilliant and accessible presentation while skipping traditional feel. Bul brings modern Korean into the heart of a diverse American, Washington DC pantheon. Late nights seem particularly fun at this spot...a bunch of Germans were ordering up fun Korean dishes and drinking beer when I visited. You are guaranteed good food and you won't be ripped off with lukewarm left-overs and make-dos. Korean food could conceivably take a high spot on the modern U.S. palate because it's so delicious, so excellently served, has high standards, and feels warm. Bul has such a hip vibe, and is a great representation of this trend. read more

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Great vibes for a Friday night fun dinner out! Love everything we had tonight and service was amazing - Everyone was so attentive and sweet! Food was honestly top notch, this is a MUST. Do not miss out! read more

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You gotta go to Bul. First time trying Korean food and I loved the fried chicken and dokbokki. Seriously, I'd come back just for the dokbokki. We found seats pretty quickly and the service was really good. I didn't love the seafood pancake but everything else was phenomenal. I'd definitely come back here in the future if I'm ever in the mood for Korean food. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Bibimbaps were both awesome, and the honey butter fries were okay. My party of two was seated right away at 5:30 on a Saturday night, but by the time we left at 6:30 there was a line out the door. I don't think they take reservations so I definitely recommend getting there early! Overall an awesome experience. read more

Bul - Honey Butter Fries, Bulgogi Bibimbap, Tofu Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Omg yes. My classmate and I enjoyed our meals here. We had such a great experience that we agreed we'd both come back if we were ever in the area. Crab puffs/rangoons - just like any other crab rangoon, laid on top of sweet sauce. The filling was very rich and delicious. The pork belly - not as charred and crispy as we'd like but still pretty good. They were pretty thick and juicy. Not the same as the ones at Honey Pig and Iron Age. Came with lettuce and gochujang. Came with kimchi and jalapeño peppers or some kind of peppers. Soy chicken - holy mother of God. That stuff was juuuuuicy and delicious. It was hot when we bit into them, but in a good way. The meat was perfectly white, thick, and dripping with juices. It was just... perfect. The skin was nice and crispy, which balanced well with the juiciness of the meat. My classmate and I were very impressed. Also, it tasted like there was a hint of ginger in it. It wasn't bad; it was just different. I recommend it. Lastly, the interior was really nice. It had a very modern look and feel to it and had two levels. read more

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A good casual Korean spot that satisfies the Korean craving but isn't phenomenal. The KFC and popcorn chicken are popular. I thought the popcorn chicken flavor was a little underwhelming and the chicken inside a bit tough. The KFC chicken texture was great, but the sauce was so so spicy and couldn't taste much of the other seasoning The chicken bibimbap was a good bibimbap with all the basics but it could use a side sauce. On the down side, food took a really long time to be prepared, but not a big deal read more

The food was amazing and full of flavor, the service was great and everyone was super nice, and the place has a very nice vibe.

I came to DC for a conference. Time away from husband and kids and can actually enjoy food without any interruptions. I was craving for Korean Tofu soup. Found this place walkable distance from the hotel. I ordered some fried squid legs (o-Dari) and the seafood soondobu jiggae (tofu soup). Apologies if my spelling are incorrect. The squid legs was good but can be less breading and maybe a sweet and sour sauce would be better. The sauce was a creamy horse radish sauce but was still delicious. Oh but my main course was the best. It's usually a hit and miss on the tofu soup but wow this soup was so flavorful and had the right amount of spice. I asked for an egg to go with it. The proportion of tofu, veggie and seafood was very balanced! Too bad I don't live here. I would come here again. Picture of the soup is a little blurry but I was anxious to eat! Haha. read more

The food is great, but it is so expensive compared to what you can get in Annandale. I'm sure that it's because rent in Adams morgan is a bajillion times more than Annandale. Service is pretty bad here. They take your order, drop the food off, and never return to fill up your water. Service is so slow that I had to go up to the bar and ask for the check. It wasn't even that busy, because it was a weeknight. As a former waitress, I would have never left a table waiting for a check for over 10 minutes. Food is good. I like the fried chicken here more than other korean fried chicken places. My favorite soup is the budae jigae. It is very hearty and flavorful! All of the small bites are good. I wouldn't recommend the kimchi fries though. It's pretty overpriced considering they just sprinkle kimchi on top of fries that you can buy in the grocery store's frozen section. read more

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Amazing food! We had kimchi jjigae, kimchi fries, and bibibap. Highly recommend it all. The chef was also circulating asking guests how the food was. read more

OMG this place is amazinggggg. We ended up spending a lot of money but it was worth every penny! You can go the small plate or entree route. We kinda did a combination. Highlights include: Korean fried chicken, seaweed salad, avocado salad, cheap wontons, and potato shrimp. The octopus balls were interesting. The soft pudding like texture inside was strange but kind of cool? The raspberry wine was fantastic. We actually ordered two bottles!! Definitely check this place out. The food is incredibly tasty and the dishes are well composed. Very good service as well! Comfy high top chairs to boot! read more

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This restaurant was one of the first I visited in the city. Thanks to a friend's recommendation, I discovered this gem and got in without any wait times. The casual ambiance instantly put me at ease, allowing me to focus on the flavorful food served. The interior, tastefully decorated, offered a delightful backdrop for my dining experience, complemented by entertaining background music and TV. While the prices leaned towards the higher side, the fantastic service made it worth it. A standout item on their menu was the yogurt soju which had a pretty good size portion for the size. read more

I went to Bul for a large (30 person) gathering yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the service, portion size, and the quality of the food. To be able to accommodate such a large group and still get all our food out to us in a timely way was impressive! The owner of the restaurant came to greet us and she was so sweet and hospitable. I tried the Korean fried chicken which was the crispiest fried chicken I've ever had that came with a delicious gochujang sauce. And my main dish, the Rabboki, was delicious and came in a huge portion that could have easily fed two people. I would definitely eat at Bul again. read more

Just a little back story about me to help shed light on why I am so critical of the authenticity of Korean restaurants in the area. I spent most of my childhood summers in Korea and I have several chefs in my family there. I can confidently say Bul caught me off guard. Unlike most Korean restaurants, Bul does not offer banchan. And while I prefer home made, Bul uses store bought kimchi and mandu. That being said, Bul does use quality meats. Their kalbi and pork belly is very good. Their ssam is fresh and in true Korean fashion, they have a decent drink selection. read more

Bul - Ssam - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Have to give major shoutouts for the best chicken around, amazing Korean specialties, and one of the few reasonably priced meal options left in the neighborhood. Love the half and half KFC as a shared main for a group along with kimchi pancakes. Amazing read more

Pleasantly surprised. In the middle of Adams Morgan lies this Korean food gem. Upstairs, downstairs, and outside. Seating is not heavy but the staff is friendly and food is good. Good portion sizes and taste was yummy. For beginners and expert Korean food lovers this is a good choice. Korean fried chicken with sweet and spicy sauce was very good. read more

Bul - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As a Korean-American, I've tried this restaurant numerous times when a craving comes along, always hoping for an enjoyable and delicious meal. Unfortunately, the only thing on the menu that they get right is the soy-garlic fried chicken. Instead of using authentic Korean flavors, almost all of their food is soaked in an excess of gochujang, drowning out all the natural flavors of the ingredients in an attempt to taste Korean. Additionally, since so many dishes use this same "technique", they end up all tasting the same. The servers are kind but seem a bit confused most of the time, and the quality of the side dishes is questionable as well. The only time I plan to return to Bul is when I have a craving for soy-garlic fried chicken and don't feel like driving 20 minutes to a quality Korean restaurant in Virginia / Rockville, MD. read more

Bul is one of my go to spots in adams morgan and it never disappoints! The menu has good variety starting with their drinks (lots of soju options) and on my most recent visit I was pleased with some newer vegetarian options. The bibimbap guksu might be a new go-to, especially for the summer for a very refreshing (and very generously portioned) meal. It was fantastic and easily could be shared between at least two people. I've had different pancakes on different visits, but I think the kimchi one is my favorite, super savory and delicious. My friend ordered soondubu this time and it was great as always. I love getting their soondubu in the winter because it is so warming. I love the amount of spice in their dishes, and it's worth noting that if something is labeled spicy on the menu it probably will be quite spicy (although the bibim guksu wasn't as spicy as other dishes I've had). It's a really great atmosphere and comfortable seating as well. read more

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Really enjoy this place! Even on a Friday night, it wasn't too crowded and they were able to seat our party of 8 right away. My group shared an order of pan-fried vegetable dumplings which were solid. I ordered the Kimchi Jjigae which was definitely very spicy (so beware if you have a low spice tolerance) but pungent and aromatic in the way that I wanted. The rice was perfectly cooked as well. I appreciate that there are plenty of vegetarian options. I love this place and will definitely come back soon! read more

Bul - Veggie Dumplings Kimchi Jjigae - Korean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia