This place wasnt even on my radar! But thanks to a friend, i was able try it. Their Army Soup was really good perfect for 5 or 6 people just add some ramen. Their fried chicken was amazing. A kick of spicy but it was really good. Place is small, simple and service is on point. Definitely coming back to try more stuff on the menu Happy eating! read more

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Has quality gone down or have people just not spoken up? I feel completely taken advantage of and don't understand the high reviews. I've been here twice and both times were awful experiences. First time was just extremely over cooked shrimp skewers and slow service, whatever. But this time was a Valentines Day take out order with "Spicy" Marinated Chicken w/ cheese that cost $40 with barely ANY chicken (literally 5 tiny pieces) and 1 soup. It was basically just veggies, very mild sauce, and cheese. On top of this sad meal, their prices online were cheaper than the current prices of the meals. I told the guy working and he just laughed it off. $74 absolutely wasted. Happy Vday. :( read more

Dancen - This was literally just vegetables for a CHICKEN meal - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My cousins had RAVED about this place and told me I had to try this place while in Chicago. I'm so glad I did, because I actually visited in May 2024, and I still think about this place every single day, deadass. The dish that has me on a chokehold, the fried pork skin. The intestine stew was good, as was the kimchi pancake, but the fried pork skin, yes. It was just so flavorful and crunchy, the flavor was addicting, and it paired super well with the nutty soybean powder. The place itself is fairly small, the table was pretty tight for 5 people, but luckily we had come in while it wasn't packed. The service was quick and easy, and the pork skin was a little bit of a wait but it is 100% worth it. Sacramento needs this ‍ read more

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Amazing Korean bar food! The space is pretty small so there may be a wait but it's usually not super long. Even though it's small the vibe is great and the food is even better! Their pancake is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside - the perfect texture. My FAVORITE thing there is the pork skin - it was delicious and such a surprise! I saw a lot of people getting it so decided to try it and what a good move it's my favorite thing here now! Another highlight is the fire chicken with cheese it is so Smokey and delicious. 10/10 would recommend this place read more

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The food is amazing, unique, and perfectly balanced. Service is great, the owner is one efficient person and super amiable. I love the ambiance too. When I'm craving Korean food, it's always Dancen read more

Solid spot for Korean bar food. The ambiance is chill n laid back. This place is great for a casual night with friends. There's K-pop music vids playing on a big screen. I believe it's open late on the weekends! The tuna and kimchi soup was super tasty and comes out piping hot in a stone bowl (IYKYK). The fire chicken with cheese had tons of flavor (the marinade is awesome), but there were lots of cartilage pieces we had to eat around. Unfortunately, the seafood pancake was kinda mid. The batter wasn't crispy at all. However, the flavor was good and there was a good amount of seafood. read more

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This was actually really bad. When you first get there the place looks broken down like it is closed. The food was super bad! I wanted it to be good and we tried to power through. But the meat actually tasted like saw dust. The vibe inside was super weird too. read more

Dancen - Pork skin - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The fire chicken is the bomb. Crazy cool vibe with Kpop on the tvs . Fun hang out and the fire grill is pretty cool.

Small but cozy. We got there around 7:30pm. The place was pretty much full the whole time until we left. Very few tables for seating. We ordered the fire chicken with cheese. I highly recommend the fire chicken. The cheese is not necessary but get it if you like it. I was surprised by how delicious the chicken was. It was marinated just right. Spicy but tasty. I would order a bowl of rice or two to eat with it. It was enough for two people. Most of the menu prices felt a little bit pricey. I would definitely come back to get fire chicken though. read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Honestly, we live really close to this restaurant and it's always been our go to spot. They've never did us wrong All the food that we've ordered for them has always been good and like the ambience of the area even though it looks broken down, it's giving hidden in the wall type you know.. if you are so used to seeing bright lights and fancy stuff than this place isn't for you it's supposed to be a small cozy Korean restaurant with Kpop songs playing in the background. read more

Been here a couple of times, the food was good and services were alright. This time the fire chicken was more burnt not edible, food was mediocre, and the services were horrible! Not that busy but still ignored, rude and non-existing customers services. Spent over $100 and felt stupid wasting it on this place. I don't know how places like this stay in business. You can go to another Korean restaurant or Hmart, Joongboo or google how to make the food. Rather spent money at different place. read more

Really love the fire chicken and seafood pancake, specifically. Service is fast. Ambiance is cozy

Dancen is always a must try Korean restaurant in Chicago. One might be fooled by their exterior but it's very cozy inside. The food and the service is always excellent! The fire chicken with cheese is definitely worth the trip from the downtown and a hit about my friends. read more

Dancen - Fire chicken with cheese - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came on a Sunday night with a couple friends, my partner and toddler - as reviews will attest, it's small inside, but not cramped. However, they also don't have any high chairs so we had to just hold our little guy. They had K-pop playing on the TVs and projectors so that helped to distract him, and I myself was distracted when TWICE came on screen. We ordered the rice balls, rice cakes, their famous fire cheese chicken, sweet pork ribs, seafood pancake and strawberry soju. Well, we didn't actually order the balls, but I think we confused our server and ended up with them anyway. That worked out ok though since what we ordered was the perfect amount for us five. Rice balls - well, we didn't actually get balls, we got a bowl of seasoned rice with seaweed and a couple plastic gloves. These were surprisingly flavorful Rice cakes - I was expecting a plate full of ttoekboki (little rice cylinders in a spicy sauce), but what you actually get are a few large pieces of ttoekboki, a couple mandu, an egg, potato noodles, and those rectangular flat fish cakes. Really great for sharing and weren't too spicy for our baby to have some Seafood pancake - Pretty standard, good quality and also good for baby to munch on Fire cheese chicken - I get why this is their signature dish. The fresh grilled flavor really comes through and it had the most spicy kick out of any of our food. The cheese doesn't do much for me but otherwise the star of the night Sweet pork - Also good, and nicely contrasted the spiciness from the chicken. Solid, but I think the chicken and rice cakes stood out more as things you need to try Strawberry soju - I expected one of those small bottles of soju, but our server told us it came in a pitcher meant to be shared. Turns out it's actually a frozen drink mixed with fresh strawberries, and was perfect for both the heat from the food and the heat from the humid summer. If it wasn't a Sunday we could've polished off a couple more of these pitchers Overall a really fun place with great food, just make sure to get your order confirmed. Also their credit card machine seemed to be down the night we came - not sure if this is a perpetual thing like most taxi cabs suffer from, but they accepted Zelle as payment too. read more

I'm always on the hunt for the best Korean food in town, so when I saw the booming reviews for Dancen, I knew I had to check them out. The interior reminds me of a pub/bar and it's quite small but it didn't feel suffocating. Service was standard. The star of the meal was the seafood pancake- the best I've had in Chicago. The texture was super chewy and it was cooked well. Also got the spicy pork which had a spicy kick at the end. Noting super special in my opinion- I've had better pork elsewhere. I wish this place offered bonchons (at least ones for free) since it would've added more flavor to the meal. Total for 2 dishes and a side of rice was about $50. read more

Dancen - Seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Have been meaning to come check out Dancen for a while! Came by on a Saturday early evening, and the place was fairly busy. We were able to nab the last table before there started to be a wait. By the time we left around 9pm there was a fairly long wait of people outside. Interior is very small and divey, with fun light decor and a very large open kitchen with the grill. The menu has a lot of grill top favorites as well as a long list of stews. They have soju and makgeolli cocktails as well as bottles of soju for sale. Service was pretty hit or miss but they look a bit understaffed with just one waiter/host and a grill chef. We got the budae jigae which came in a huge serving filled with hot dog and spam. The broth was rich and spicy, and served over a burner. Very tasty to share. The fire chicken was a bit of a miss for us but definitely very popular. The chicken wasn't as spicy as we expected and the portion was a bit small for the price. Overall definitely worth a try. Dancen is a pretty low key vibe with good food! read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Genuinely such an amazing place. Some things aren't to my liking which kinda turned me away at first until I found out the right thing to order. Now I come here often and I am in love with the food. The place isn't all fancy and they plays K-pop 24/7. I love that the space is very minimal and that the music is out of the norm from regular restaurants around town. Will always support this establishment! read more

Divey neighborhood spot we discovered on YouTube! Came for the fire chicken with cheese and also did the pork skins and seafood pancake. To start, the seafood pancake lived up to all of the reviews. It was huge and not shy on filling. Huge bites of seafood and green onion. Probably the best I've had. Next up was the pork skins. We regret not doing FIRE as we think the seasoning would have moistening them up a bit? They were good but just plain I'd say way too salty.. Fire chick with cheese - delish! Make sure you order a side of rice (even kimchi) to go with it. The cheese is melty and the chicken was savory. I Iike spice but can't tolerate extreme heat and this was just perfect. One thing is I wish I asked for some slaw or dressing to balance out the savoryness of the meal. read more

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Interesting divy like place but great unique food that is very filling. It's small on the inside with orange walls and playing K Pop. It's a fun different vibe but just know going in it's nothing fancy at all on the inside. Food seems pricey but every dish can feed two and I think is best shared. It's pretty fast service as well. I would go back read more

Dancen - Sweet Chicken - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Dancen has a great ambiance! If you are looking for a laid-back spot to hang out with a small group of friends, then this is the perfect place for you. All the dishes we ordered were super delicious! I strongly recommend their seafood pancake as it is probably the best I've had. I will go going back when I crave for some authentic Korean food again! read more

Dancen - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you enjoy spicy food you'll love this spot! They are popular for their fire chicken with cheese, it's so good! It's a small space so be patience if you have to wait. The food is worth the wait! My go to is always the fire chicken with cheese and the spicy pork skins. read more

Eclectic crowd of people being served, but the vibes are fun as hell! An orange space filled with K-pop music videos plastered on screens throughout. Beer towers, big portions, bigger rice cakes. That spicy pork skin is everything. And it's rare to find a Korean pancake that has crisp to it and isn't just floppy. We will for sure be back read more

Interior: it was small and dark but still very clean. Food Pork Ribs: Amazing! I could taste the charcoal on the meat to give it a Smokey flavor. The meat just fell of the bone Sweet & spicy chicken: great the sauce that it came it was so good. It had the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. They both complimented each other. I was thinking one would be overpowering but it wasn't! Kimchi pancake: this was huge. It was like you typical kimchi pancake Rice balls: this come with gloves, kimchi, and rice. You mix it together and make little rice balls to eat with the meats Fire chicken with cheese: this was spicy and full of flavor! If you are sensitive to spicy food I recommend not getting this. The meat was juicy, and each meat piled with cheese. I will definitely be coming back again! read more

Dancen - Rice balls - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love coming to Dancen. It's small and dark and kinda hidden but I love it. You can't go wrong with ordering spicy rice cakes, spicy chicken and cheese or the marinated pork and a beer. It's the best place to catch up with a small group of friends and share all the entrees. Service is always prompt and efficient but never rude. read more

Dancen is one of the best Korean joints in Chicago. Their toekbokki is the best of any place I've ever been. It's a small spot and they give you basic plastic cups and throw out bowls but the food is so good it doesn't matter at all. All their pork and chicken dishes are incredible I would put this as a top 3 Korean restaurant in the Chicagoland area. read more

First time checking out Dancen! it's a small place with a chill atmosphere, giving off that Korean bar feels. My bf is quite obsessed with their spicy pork skin so I had to see what the hype was about. We got the spicy pork skin and fire chicken with cheese and let me tell you, it's quite worth obsessing over. The prices of the food are a bit overpriced, but pretty normal compared to other Korean bar/restaurant. The spicy pork skin comes with powdered dried beans as a dipping sauce which is usually used to cover Korean rice cake called injeolmi. Such an unexpected combination but it works SO well together! The spicy pork is best when it's freshly served. It's so hot, juicy, and flavorful! Some pieces are tough and hard to chew, but it's so addicting, it's hard to stop. Spice levels for both dishes were just right, not very spicy, but then again, I love spicy food. I've had better fire chicken with cheese in the burbs, but it was solid here too. Portions were reasonable and filling for two people. Food here was solid, but a side of soup or salad would be nice on the side cz the dishes are really greasy (in a good way). Definitely got me craving for some sorbet after our meal. The only downside would be the slow service, which isn't very surprising. ‍ id definitely go back for those spicy pork skin read more

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Small place and very short staffed. The one waiter was also the server and chef as well. We ordered the sweet & sour chicken, spicy chicken with cheese, seafood pancake, rice cakes and they were all delicious. The portion is decent but definitely cannot be compared with Yeowoosai's huge portions. If you love spicy chicken, come here to try it. It's a dish everyone gets and you will not be disappointed. read more

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Decent food. Fire chicken met expectations (quite good), but all people in my party of 4 got food poisoning from this restaurant. This is a small and cozy place, but when walking to the restroom I was able to see men chopping chicken pieces not a foot from the floor. This may have been the "vibe" but the lack of actual plates and cups felt low rent and grungy, if anything, it's wasteful. I do not, and will not, recommend Dancen to anyone in the future. read more

Experience: On Vday during the evening, I was able to be seated fairly quickly. Which I am very surprised. Staff was very friendly and professional. Parking: It appears to be paid street parking in front of the business. However, there is a possibility of free spots in the surrounding area like residential. Just ensure you check parking signs so you don't get a ticket. Worth: Oh yes, definitely worth the visit. I only came here for the Fire Chicken with cheese (as pictured below) and it was amazing! Definitely worth the hype. Just be aware, it does pack a punch so I ordered some drinks and rice to balance everything out. Also, make sure you bring cash just in case. Something happened with their system and at the time they were only accepting cash. read more

Dancen - Fire Chicken w/ cheese - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I almost don't want to review so this place doesn't get crowded. Went on a Sunday night because my pregnancy craving has been spicy food. Did not disappoint. Loved everything we ordered. Will be back! read more

This place is extraordinary! On my trip back home, i was clocking them to find out how they are approaching a COVID dining world, but found they have zero online presence to confirm anything. We went yesterday to find they are open for dine-in(no outdoor seating), curbside pickup and carry out. They conduct temperature checks before you're seated, have limited seating to adhere to city legislation and have reduced operating hours. The food stays impeccable, that fire chicken w/cheese still hits! Please see attached photo for their current temporary hours. Hope this helps folks in ordering/dining in there! read more

Dancen - Photo taken on 8/2/20 - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Second visit here and it did not disappoint. My first time here, I ordered the fire chicken without the cheese and it was flaming hot. Came here the second time and ordered it was cheese, it was perfect. One bite gets you addicted. The meat was very tender and flavorful. We tried out other dishes as well: Tteokbokki - It was average, nothing out of the ordinary. Portion was a bit small. Pork Cartridge Rice Ball - Very tasty & flavorful. It comes in this bowl where you have to mix it and rolled up the rice ball yourself. Cute concept but beware, the rice comes out really hot. Seafood Pancake - Average. I wish it was crispier to give it that crunch. Overall, tasty but I just wished there was more to what was ordered. I didn't feel like I got my bang for the buck. Street parking in the front but around the corner is free residential parking. Just make sure to read the signs so that you are not parking in a permit zone area. read more

Great place to have nice food with small group of people, their pork and ramen were best.

Phenomenal food, reasonably priced, and the kpop isn't too loud to carry a conversation - probably the best korean street/bar food restaurant in the city. Oh, and the staff are all really great guys. read more

Cheesey fire chicken is awesome but you can't go wrong with anything here all the food is great

Bad attitude. Called to place pick-up order. Told that if you do pick-up order, you have to pay in cash. (Smells like under the table) But for some reason, they don't allow pick-up orders for the fried pork skin. This is fine and all - but why the crappy attitude on the phone? The food is great and that's why I want to order it... but a bad attitude is a sure sign to take my business somewhere else. read more

It was fantastic. The cheese fire chicken was good, not as good as everyone made it out to be. I found the texture to be off after the first few bites. However, the Sweet and spicy chicken with cheese was phenomenal, the Korean army stew was amazing, and the pitchers of Korean beer were cheap and good. Would go here every time I'm in Chicago. It has a nice small restaurant vibe, with a kitchen outside you can observe. They also play kpop, which admittedly is one of my favorite genres, so that was a plus. read more

Another OG Korean bar staple here in Chicago. They are famous for their crispy pork skin and charcoal grilled fire chicken. We felt safe enjoying our evening, as they temperature checked us and had plexiglass in between the tables. The bar itself is small to begin with, so call ahead for seating or go early. Today we went with pork skin, fire chicken, and gochujang stew. The stew was really thick and didn't taste the same as before. The pork skin and chicken was good but my friend and I wished the chicken was a bit spicier. Pair it with any korean beer, Soju, and/or makeulli! read more

Dancen. This place was my favorite when I lived I'm Chicago. A great go-to place for my friends and me. I've moved away, but whenever I'm in the area, I always stop back in. The place is cozy, and the service is excellent. I have so many memories of great nights spent at Dancen. On this particular visit, they were out of Hite and I had to drink Cass. No biggie. My friend and I ordered the pork cutlet, sweet barbecue pork ribs, and fire chicken. The pork cutlet came undressed, a bit of a surprise for a Korean place as in Korea, it comes dressed (undressed is the Japanese way of serving it). The sweet ribs were excellent: tender, moist, and the right amount of sweetness. The fire chicken, well, what's to say? It's the star attraction and one of the main reasons why people go and it never disappoints. Overall, if you're looking to change up your drinking spot with traditional Korean bar food, you'll definitely want to hit up Dancen. But do it the Korean way, with somek. ** read more

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Food selection limited, overpriced for below average quality korean food. Small boring atmosphere.