After eating plates of brisket, my next favorite part about KBBQ is the side dishes. I love an assortment of sides, the more the merrier. I can't think of any Chicago restaurants that serve up as many banchan as San Soo Gab San does which is why they're my favorite KBBQ spot in the city. This is my version of unlimited breadsticks! Unfortunately, they're not AYCE and the meat selection is a tad more pricey than other spots, but the beauty of KBBQ is splitting the cost among friends anyways. Service was quick, I can recall how often the staff came to our table to swap out our grill when we needed a new one. The charcoal grills also added the smokiness I like with my meats. Appreciated there's a parking lot in the front as well. read more

My family held a reunion dinner last week at San Soo Gab San, on the north west side of Chicago, (10 blocks north of Lincoln Square), and the meal was fantastic. And it looks just like the K-BBQ restaurants that I have been to in Los Angeles and Korea. On the Plus-Side: #1). There is no Korean BBQ restaurant that I know of in ALL of America that serves as many different Banchan than the spread offered at San Soo Gab San. #2). The pan-fried Mandoo dumplings with dipping sauce was the best I've had. #3). The Service here was friendly and informative. #4). Each individual Meat Portion was large enough for two people to share (and it still came with all of the Banchan. #5). The prices are high, but it is still a good value. #6). The restaurant is large, with a back dining-room that is almost as big as the main room, making it perfect for big private parties. #7). I visited the restroom and it was spotless. #8). This is NOT an All-You-Can-Eat place, so you can take all of your leftovers home, including the Banchan and the rice (which are both bottomless). If you plan on doing this then I recommend bringing your own small containers for the banchan, or at least some aluminum foil that you can fold into little cups to place in one of the restaurants large to-go boxes (there are about 12-15 banchan, most of them 'Not to Be Missed'). On the Downside. 1). The aluminum chimneys that hover over the opening where the stone pot full of smoldering charcoal will eventually go are open to the elements outside, so the smoke can escape into the outdoor air instead of filling up the restaurant. This sounds good, except that in winter the icy outdoor air comes down that chimney and blows all over the diners, making the experience very unpleasant until the pot of hot coals plug the icy gap with fire. 2). You can only cook at your table if you order two plates of meat or seafood (around $35 each). They can be different but there must be two. If you order just one, the staff will cook it in the kitchen for you, leaving the chimney to the outside unplugged and the icy winter wind blowing on you for the entire meal. SO MAKE SURE TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO ORDER AT LEAST TWO MAINS. Overall, this is a top Korean place, IF YOU ORDER RIGHT. read more

My stomach and I fought a war today. I'm not sure who came out victorious, but I can't say I can complain too much. My friend and I ordered two meats, foolishly thinking 'a little pricy for no refills, but ah well- we'll each get one.' And then they came. Side dish after side dish. They started stacking them. We were used to 4 or maybe 5, but after the 10th we realized what we had done. If you have a group of 4, it absolutely balances out and the pricing makes sense. Even for 2, the damage wasn't too bad at the end. But wow, are you going to be in a food coma. Groups of 2, be weary: start with ONE MEAT. Unless you're starving. The food was delicious however, and though I regretted purchasing the rice cake appetizer at first, they were really tasty with all the meat. The potato, radish, and cucumber sides were spicy, but so tasty. I will absolutely be back with the cavalry next time to better tackle this meal, but I am definitely happy with what I had. (PS: The parking lot is also a bit tricky to navigate, fair warning) read more

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I haven't been here in a while and came here because I was craving kbbq. They had been in business for a long time and I want to support small business. They are also known for their charcoal grill which I love to give that grill experience. Unfortunately, the kalbi they gave us was black.disguise in soy sauce and the marinated Bulgogi had a grey tint to it like it had been in storage for too long. Most of the side dishes were ok especially the fermented one. The mash potato tastes mildew like moisture has been sitting in there for too long. In the end, I hope they improve on the quality or maybe it is just me coming in at 3:30pm and they just decide to give me the sub par version. I got food poison for 3 days and I don't want to look at San soo gab San again. read more

Such a fun dining experience and great local gem. We always order too much and have a lovely eating adventure. The bulgogi beef was my favorite protein, so flavorful and delicious! Staff is prompt with changing out the grills and allowed us to bring in our own birthday cake. It's not BYOB and you can purchase beer, soju or sake. Grab a group and check this place out, it's a wonderful Korean BBQ experience didn't let the strip mall location fool you - this place is top notch read more

San Soo Gab San - Sides some of them - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm so impressed with this place!! Maybe I'm just swayed by the unlimited refills of 21 banchans, doenjang miso soup, AND lettuce wraps. No banchan tasted similar, and they had such nice variety from sweet potatoes to mashed potatoes to sliced potato shreds. As you can tell, I LOVE potatoes!! They also had the standards like pickled radish, Napa cabbage kimchi, celery kimchi etc. Seafood pancake is huge and has a generous amount of seafood! But lowkey not my fav dish in general. Don't love how mushy the pancake batter is. Did love the chewiness of the squid tho! I LOVED their marinated short rib kalbi. Sometimes I don't prefer ordering it tho because it's hard to bite off the bone and gets awkward while eating. Here, they already stripped it off the bone for you so the hard work is done. Literally the juiciest, melt in your mouth cut ever, and the sauce is literally crack. The chadol (beef belly) can be a bit dry, but we dipped it in the kalbi marinade to make it more juicy. This cut can easily dry out and cooks super fast, so you need to watch the grill. The aunties get annoyed if you don't have meat actively cooking on the grill at ALL times, and will come over and start cooking for you. I had the most fun experience, so that just adds to the score! And you can't beat alllll the Banchan!!! You get to grill your own meat and these massive tables - what could be more fun?? The restaurant is huge too, separated into two sections. read more

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Delicious! Service was fast and friendly. I loved the variety of banchan, not many places offer this much anymore. We also got some beef and pork, but it was so good I forgot to take pictures. The restaurant and bathrooms were very clean. read more

San Soo Gab San - Banchan - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Returned for a family gathering. We had the family special for $48@. The service was fabulous and the food fresh and plentiful. We had to take some back we were sooo full. The pork belly this time was good but the best again was the bulgogi and the brisket. read more

The beef, bibimbap, and appetizers were tasty. However, their japchae noodles and chicken were too salty. When we asked for napkins, she only gave us a couple even though there were 6 of us. The roasted rice tea was good. Overall, the bill was too expensive for a meal that was only semi-acceptable. read more

San Soo Gab San - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Korean BBQ is the best because it's one of the few places that you get to dictate how your meats are cooked! Whether it's bulgogi or kalbi, San Soo Gab San is one of the very few places that have traditional charcoal grills! I love added smokiness in the meats and the incredible amount of bonchon that you get ! ( so much). Service is great and all the "aunties" there take care of you! read more

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Fun with friends and delicious choices - great ban Chan. Maybe not the top place I would chose to Go with vegan friends read more

Great spot. Very authentic. The initial offering of banchan was robust and abundant. The grill was charcoal which add a nice flavor to all the meat offerings being grilled. Overall love this place. Great staff. Quick service. Super tasty. read more

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Bountiful banchan! Plates and plates and plates of house made goodness. We got a few things to grill and we did a superb job. Of special note was the squid in special sauce. Sweet, charred, umami and brightness. Would highly recommend day or late evening! read more

Service was very attentive! The assortment of banchan sides were amazing! Although, I only enjoyed 5 of them due to my own preferences, many were sadly wasted. The traditional charcoal grills set the stage and taste perfectly. The meats were good too as long as you don't overcook them so pay attention. It's not all you can eat, and happy it wasn't as quality is more important to me here. read more

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So good. So worth it. So much to eat! For $60 for a party of 5 minimum. They also let you pack everything you didn't finish in a to go box too! read more

This place is hands down the best kbbq spot I've been in Chicago! also they overload you with side dishes which is always a delight!

Probably 1 of 2 or 3 places in my area that uses real charcoal. Variety of the banchan (side dishes) were ample and can't complain about the meat. I'm the typical open with pork belly and soju, stuff myself with marinated galbi and finish off with nengmyun. My only qualm with this place is no buzzer to call the server, no steamed egg for the table, and parking is tight. Some of you think Korean BBQ is synonymous with AYCE and if that's you, you have no business going to this place; you'll think it's pricey and not enough. read more

Oh my where to begin? This restaurant is nestled in the north side of Chicago in or around Andersonville. The atmosphere amazing. The food incredible! Service the best! If you are in Chicago this restaurant is an absolute must visit. Yum read more

My boyfriend and I went to San Soo Gab San and wow--we definitely over-ordered, but no regrets! We got the dumplings, rib eye, and brisket, and each portion was huge with so much meat per order. The rib eye especially was insanely good, and everything cooked right on top of the open charcoal grill made it taste next-level. The smokiness and flavor were perfect. On top of that, the service was fantastic--friendly, quick, and super attentive the whole time, which made the experience even better. If you're hungry (or just want leftovers), this is the spot. Great quality, great portions, and such a fun atmosphere with the grill in the middle of the table. We'll 100% be back--maybe just with a little more restraint on the ordering next time! read more

The food was soooo good. I love beef tongue and I was so happy to see that they offer it here. We got the set meal and it was plenty of food for all of us. I love that there's such a wide range of bon chon (side dishes) and the charcoal grill flavor was great. You can ask them to reheat the grill if it gets too cold! The best thing I ate besides the meat was definitely the seafood pancake. It is a must try!! It's not a fancy place but it feels like home. read more

San Soo Gab San - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Enjoyed the food with the Korean BBQ and large host of appetizers since we ordered the all you can eat. The food was good and worth to try it for the food itself. The thing that bothered me about the place is the they have these large downspouts to capture the smoke for the BBQ meals where you cook your own food. Nice since there is less smoke on the room. Bad since I can't see the person across the table. I wish they would tailor the room to capture the smoke with the customers concerns and not just to fulfill smoke removal requirements that they need to do. The tables are rather small for the food that we ordered and it seems that we needed to pass the appetizers and dishes ourselves since they didn't make enough room on the table for the food. There is a lot of convenient space for the workers to move around, but the dining experience is not enjoyable since I could see my relatives and guests. I am not sure if should visit again until they fix this issue with the metal downspouts. Overall, the food is good and not an experience if you invite friends to chat or gather together. If you just want to eat and get out, it's perfect. Hit the thumb up for the review if you found this fair and valuable. See my other reviews and smash the thumb up for pictures and reviews that you like which could help someone else. read more

San Soo Gab San - Jan 2025 - Front area - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

holy side dishes.. great old school korean restaurant, definitely felt the generosity from the ladies with their constant refilling our side dishes and checking up on us. was so stuffed and happy afterwards read more

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This place is bomb. Don't listen to the whiny reviews on here. This place is good. They keep it moving. If that bothers you, go eat at McDonald's and stay in your car. read more

I had a good experience here after hearing so many good things about it. They have parking but it's very limited. I was fortunate enough to find one since it wasn't very busy at the time. We came for lunch and ordered a few dishes. The side dishes are plentiful. Very decent food quality. Service left a lot to be desired. Just very mediocre. Prices were okay, nothing too expensive for what we got. This is not ayce bbq, it's better if you go to Iron Age or Bbq Garden for that. For those that are unfamiliar with the concept, you cook the meat yourself for the bbq. Very easy. You just cook the meat to your liking. I would recommend this place if you live towards the north side of Chicago. If you live in the burbs, you can good Korean restaurants in the Niles, Glenview, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights areas. read more

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The food was great, the lunch service was good. We got seated right away because it wasn't busy during lunch. The staff were so kind. We have a 15mo toddler and he was fussy and knocked down our lettuce for our wraps and they replaced it right away. The staff kept coming to change our grill without us asking. I would definitely come back whenever we are in the city. read more

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Great food awesome ambiance at this place had a ton of food for $711 today I have a video but not sure if I can figure out how to attach it read more

They don't even try to act polite lol Food is good but the service is the worst in the Game!

Wonderful experience at the new second San Soo Gab San in Park Ridge, IL. I love the Michelin rated original restaurant on Western Avenue near where I grew up in Chicago, near Koreatown, and I am beyond elated that one has opened in Park Ridge where I live now. I am not Korean, but I love Korean BBQ! The service was excellent. They assisted with grilling the meats and if you do not know how to put the food together, they will show you. I personally prefer beef bulgogi to pork belly, but sometimes you need to make compromises for your family. All of the sides come with the meal in small bowls, as well as the sauces. The personal booths provided a great private atmosphere for enjoying the delicious meal. Please visit and let's keep this great place going in Park Ridge! read more

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The food was good, and fun to cook over the live fire. But, as a newbie to this cuisine, I wasn't really sure how best to merge meat with the 20 taste offerings. Maybe make my own lettuce wrap would have been the way to go. Service prompt to the point of rushed. Not a relaxing experience. Order. Eat. Pay. Leave. Although an interesting experience, very probably won't return because of the cramped parking lot. I barely was able to wiggle my car out of its space, and even that took about five minutes. Can't imagine what that would be like with snow! Yikes! read more

A unique kbbq location with efficient service and a remarkable assortment of side dishes that come with your meal. The place was clean with industrial style shafts for the vents over each grill, and I enjoyed that they used charcoal rather than gas for grilling the meat. It's manned by numerous Korean ladies who are quick to take your order, bring out dishes, and change up your grill. I didn't see an AYCE option so I decided to go with the galbi and bulgolgi as meats, and also ordered the beef tongue soup (sul rung tang). The wang kalbi and bulgogi came together in one plate, it seemed like they were both marinated the same sweet soy mix. The galbi was off the bone which was a plus. Unfortunately, the marinade was a bit too sweet for liking. The prices are steep for the portion you get, especially when compared to AYCE kbbq locations in Chicago which have similar quality meat. The highlight of the meal were the over 20 small banchan assembled on the table. It was fun to mix and match with the meat and to make lettuce wraps. This is my second time eating a dish like this sul rung tang. It will likely be my last time. The soup came out closer to warm than hot, I would have preferred it boiling. Unseasoned as per tradition, there is a salt and pepper mix that is on that table for you to season yourself. Pluses included a generous amount of sliced beef and noodles, and a broth with good body. However, even with the addition of salt, the taste was unremarkable. Personally, these soup dishes aren't my thing and unfortunately, the lukewarm temperature didn't help. Overall, the charcoal grills and the great array of side dishes make San Soo Gab San quite unique. The meats were fine, a little sweet, and certainly overpriced for what you can get elsewhere in the city at a similar quality. I would see myself returning maybe on occasion for the side dishes, but this would definitely not be my go-to kbbq spot in Chicago. read more

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Great quality and service and the food is so good! The ambiance is clean and easy going. It's such a fun experience and we try to make it there at least once a week to support local business with such a great team! read more

I had a good experience getting to go from San Soo Gab San. The service was quick for a Korean restaurant. The restaurant itself was clean and well decorated. I appreciate how they had packaged the food for to go. The food was delicious even though we did not eat it at the restaurant and it was in the containers for a bit of time. read more

San Soo Gab San - Korean food - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here and it was incredible. Speedy and efficient service with simple decor that is currently very festive for the holiday season. We ordered bibimbop, and for the grill, ribeye, chicken, and marinated short ribs. The steak could have used some seasoning but was incredibly tender. The prices are cheap for how generous the portions are. I recommend coming with at least 5 people to make it even more economical and so you can actually finish all the food. Banchan as far as the eye can see! Communal and comforting, I see why this is a Lincoln Square staple. read more

San Soo Gab San - Banchan - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been waiting for over an hour for a carry out order. No apologies. Just rude horrible service. I already paid. Just a nightmare.

Checked out the menu, some problems that made us turn around and walk out 1) Price was $32-40 per person 2) You could only have one meat selection UNLESS you ordered at least 5 entrees, at which point you would likely already have a good selection, so this is them being cute I guess 3) For the price, I'd like to see All You Can Eat 4) To "get to" grill, you had to order two entrees, or they cooked it in the kitchen 5) Not much to look at, greeted by a cranky faced woman 6) parking might require a 4 point turn! Lots of awards posted on the wall, but see above. I'll stick to my regular KBBQ. read more

San Soo Gab San has been a Lincoln Square staple for 30 years now. I lived in the neighborhood for over 25 years, but it wasn't until recently that I decided to finally give this place a shot. I had always been put off by the idea of cooking your own food at a restaurant, but a few friends insisted that it's really not a that big of a deal and totally worth it. They were right! The restaurant is roomy and air conditioned, which is great because I did have concerns over how hot it could be on one of these god awful Chicago summer nights. Especially coming off the heels of feeling like I was being cooked alive at The Loyalist, whose air conditioning was broken. I am still furious about that dinner. I don't think I will ever not be furious about it. And at a restaurant of that caliber! Underneath Smyth, a 3 star Michelin restaurant!!! Anyways, I was there with one other person, but we were seated at a table that could fit at least six. I found it to be a little odd to have so much table space around us, but whatever. We ordered the marinated short rib, rib eye, and seafood pancake. When they brought out the banchan (small side dishes), it started to make sense why we were seated at such a large table. They brought out at least 25 different dishes. 25! The most I have ever seen at a Korean restaurant. And not only that, but they were also the most delicious! The seafood pancake was large and had generous portions of squid in it. The rib eye was solid, but the marinated short rib was awesome. We definitely had more than enough food for two people and left full and satisfied. This place definitely strikes me as a spot that would be ideal for a large group of diners. So if you've ever been curious about Korean BBQ, or Korean food in general, then I can't think of a better restaurant to try than this one. I'll most definitely be back whenever I have a craving for it. read more

San Soo Gab San - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A great KBBQ spot in Lincoln Square! I went with a group of 5 so we were able to get the group special which was a TON of food for $50 each. In addition to the typical side dishes, we also got some dumplings, a seafood pancake, and some glass noodles - the serving sizes were huge for each item. We also got to order 5 different meats. The servers were pretty nice, a little hard to get their attention though! I was so full by the end of the night and thought it was well worth the price. The sides were all fantastic. Some of the meats were a little too fatty for me, but I really enjoyed the chicken and bulgogi! read more

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My 2nd time here and still amazing food and service! The inside is clean and spacious. I like the tall walls for the booths so I can eat in peace and just not be bothered by other customers so they can have their privacy. The servers there were quick and efficient. They were also very generous with their 반찬 (side dishes). Maybe 10? The 해물파전 (Haemool Pahjeon) was decent since I've been craving it ever since I left home again for school. Could be crispier and it was hot the first few bites but I was seated under an AC, so that probably cooled it down quickly. Still, it had a lot of squid and green onions, but I wish it had more green onions and veggies and less batter. It's better seafood jeons than other places I've been to in Chicago, but I've had better in LA. 7/10 이면수구이 (emyunsu gui) was delicious. I got this last time too and was perfectly seasoned with salt, crispy and crunchy, and soft and flaky. Remember to eat the fish skin for all the flavor!!! The bones were easy to remove and I will happily come back here just for that fish! 10/10 The side dishes were plentiful. All tasted delicious, and i don't like potatoes at all but their braised potato side dish was tasty. I would eat potatoes that way. Overall 9/10 food 10/10 experience read more

San Soo Gab San - #22 Emyunsu Gui Special - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I mean, just look at the ban-chan. This place didn't disappoint the expectations I had. A lot of people recommended this place to me because I'm always look for an affordable and high quality Korean ACYE bbq place. They have a large variety of meats to choose from. Service is fast. Quality of the meat is solid. They have endlessss sides and they are vigilant about when you run out. The grill is placed on charcoal instead of a regular flame, so you can taste the char a bit on the meat. I enjoyed it a lot and I'll be bac read more

San Soo Gab San - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been here in the past before and wanted to try it again. It did not disappoint! Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted and seated. The ajooma also explained that the BBQ meats can only be cooked inside the kitchen and not table-side (which was a bit disappointing cus we wanted the kbbq experience). Nonetheless, we still got a Ribeye and Galbi. We also ordered Chop Chae and Seafood Pancake. Once again, I was blown away by the amount of side dishes they serve. There was legit 20+ dishes. It took me a while to try them all lol. The meats were flavorful, tender, and smokey. So good. I love that they give lettuce for wrapping all the sides and meats together too. The Chop Chae was good, but pretty average. The Seafood Pancake was the highlight of our meal. It had the most seafood I've seen in any seafood pancake I've had in the past. Legit every bite had octopus in it. It had crunchy edges and was so flavorful with the dipping sauce! Would definitely recommend getting it. read more

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