Food was amazing , service was great and it a cool chill spot ! The bulgogi was really good !

Don't be daunted by its location - SoJu BBQ is 100% worth a visit. Rest assured, it's easy to access by public transit and there's plenty of free street parking nearby. Note that this isn't a grill-it-yourself Korean BBQ restaurant but all that means is the chefs will cook the meats perfectly for you (which is especially important if you're anything like me and accidentally overcook everything). To that end, the Skirt Steak was marinated and grilled to perfection. While the classic KBBQ dips are provided, this dish tastes phenomenal without it thanks to the ample amount of seasoning and the fact that the beef tastes really high quality. We also got the Loaded Fries and would recommend that as well - I'm a sucker for the spicy mayo-like sauce enveloping them. read more

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Relatively affordable 3 meat sampler with ssam and rice for $65! Feeds about 3 people. Garlic rice tasted very garlicky (in a good way!) similar to Filipino style. They had a mushroom side that was pretty good, and they had cucumbers as well but wish they were pickled. Buldak fire chicken was really good with the addition of cheese. They were out of a lot of items we wanted when we went but LA Galbi, fire chicken, and pork belly we got were still very good! read more

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The food and service were excellent. She even went above and beyond packaged our stew when it was done. However, the server was dishonest and told us that the tip was included and could not be adjusted. However, on their menu website it says that it can be removed and adjusted. Overall, we enjoyed our dinner and it is a good restaurant if you are looking for good dining. read more

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This spot continues to hit the spot! My Korean food cravings are satisfied. I've been here a couple of times now and it's consistently good. Service is efficient and friendly. Recently my favorite dish has been the kimchi fried rice. It comes with a fried egg and in a hot stone bowl. It's extremely flavorful and great comfort food. It's also a large serving and quite filling. I ate half and took half home, so it was like 2 meals. Awesome for the price! Don't be fooled that they list it under an appetizer. It's substantial! I've been able to walk in the past few times and was seated immediately but I think I got lucky. After we were seated lots of people arrived and had to wait to be seated so it definitely gets busy in the evening on a Friday. I would suggest a reservation if you can! But it's otherwise a great casual spot. read more

SoJu BBQ - Kimchi fried rice - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good service. Decent seating space. Quick service. The food is really tasty. Overall a good place for Korean BBQ read more

SoJu BBQ - Spicy Porkbelly - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent food. We had bibimbaps and kimchi fried rice to take out. Excellent. Really large portions. Great service as we had a food allergy concern and they took special care to address that. Definitely will go back. read more

It's a small place so be sure to make reservations! We went on a Saturday for lunch and we made sure to make quick reservations through Resy. So glad we did because the place was packed (always a good sign, especially to be packed during lunch)! I wish they weren't still using QR codes for the menu, it's just such a turn off. We're tourist and our phones weren't charged and we were trying to conserve battery, I understand these were a need during Covid, but really still? Our server was great however, and helped answer any questions we had. Also loved that the menu clearly labeled what our halal options were, as my husband follows a halal diet. We ordered the bulgogi, the ribeye bulgogi, and tried the lemonade and the Sac Sac Grape soda drink. I loved my bulgogi- it was tender, hot, and full of flavor! Seasoned to perfection, and served with kimchi that accentuated the meal nicely. My husband didn't quite enjoy his ribeye bulgogi- he found it a bit dry. Thankfully it was served with a sauce that did help in that area, but he liked my meal way more. Loved the Sac Sac grape soda drink- can't wait to check it out and get more at my local Korean supermarket. Overall I'd definitely recommend this place and next time we're visiting we both want to try the Korean fried chicken! read more

SoJu BBQ - Sac Sac Grape - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Bulgogi was delicious and filling. Best part is, alot of the items on the menu are halal! Our lunch host was also very friendly.

Came here after a Blackhawks game with the kids. It's a casual spot and the service was friendly. Unfortunately we decided to try the very expensive short rib that was the special and it was a terrible decision. The meat was super dry and impossible to get off the bone. We had to request a knife because the meat was tough and there were way too many tendons that made it very difficult to chew. I feel bad wasting food especially when the price was like $60 but honestly it was inedible and a struggle so we ended up just ordering kalbi from the regular menu and that we enjoyed. The kids really liked the fries lol read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went for restaurant week, service was quick and everyone was so nice. Food was good, great portions I definitely took home some leftover short rib! The space is smaller but cozy, with a chill ambiance. Cheese cake was a tasty dessert! read more

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Delicious halal/zabiha Korean food options nearby to the NBA stadium so was a perfect place to eat food before catching the Chicago bulls game! read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for Chicago restaurant week so the items might be a lil different. Korean fried chicken wings and kimchi dumplings, while they were both good, the dumplings are a little smaller than what I had expected tho. There is a choice of spicy and soy garlic. Surf and turf/korean short rib--we didn't get the Korean short rib because they ran out, so we got the surf and turf. It came with half a lobster tail, steak, pickled vegetables, and a side of fries. I thought it was great. Dessert was this cheesecake with black sesame ice cream which was bomb. Service was excellent--there was only one waitress and it was pretty busy so she was running around tending everyone's needs. I liked the place. They played Korean music in the background, interesting decors, and friendly staff. read more

SoJu BBQ - Surf and turf (restaurant week) - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here with coworkers during the st.pattys weekend. I had several coworkers that really enjoyed this place and I was curious to try and comparing korean food from back home in SoCal. We were the only ones in the restaurant which made sense being st.pattys. The korean fried chicken was soooo yummy! It was sooo flavorful and the best dish we ordered. It was the perfect amount of spice and sweetness. This chicken could possibly be better than other korean fried chicken places back at home. I also really enjoyed the garlic fried rice. The kimchi fried rice and kimchi dumplings could be spicier. The kimchi dumplings were more like wontons which was interesting. The tteokbokki was good, but the tteok was slightly overcooked. Will definitely come back if I am craving some 치맥 in chicago! read more

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4.5 A great spot serving up Halal food! All the Halal items are marked on the menu. Good ambience, definitely inspired by similar places in Korea complete with a TV playing kpop in the back. Food overall was good, not easy to find a halal Korean spot. I liked the beef the best, but the chicken was pretty delicious too. Service could be a bit more prompt initially with the ordering. Overall a solid meal, I'd venture in for again. read more

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I've drove past this place numerous times and today was my first time visiting. It was pretty empty around 3pm when we first arrived but was PACKED by 5pm. The restaurant is rather small. Less than 10 tables. The kitchen is very efficient and our food was done quickly. I ordered the: thin beef (bulgogi). It came with rice and kimchi Rice cake skewers Korean fried chicken (mild) The rice cakes and chicken were my favorite. The chicken was fried well and they were generous with the sauce. The beef was a nice portion. Def on the sweeter side. I'll be back for a quick bite in the future! read more

SoJu BBQ - Specials - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I tried this place on a weekday and the place was pretty packed. I was hoping the food would be amazing but I was left disappointed. I tried the spicy Korean wings but they were sweet....Tried the ribeye bulgogi which was also pretty sweet along with their loaded fries. Everything was way too sweet, not sure if that's how it's supposed to be. The service was also slow, we asked for coke which they didn't bring till the very end. They never came to refill the water. Ambiance was too loud and dark. I will try to give this place another try and maybe try different halal dishes but not sure if I recommend this place yet. read more

SoJu BBQ - Ribeye Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My son and I came here before a Blackhawks game. Parking here can be challenging, but even if you have to park down the street and walk here a block, it's definitely worth the walk. The restaurant was half full when we arrived, so fortunately for us we were able to get a table right and our order out in soon after. The staff here was outstanding. They worked together as a team and got us in and out without skipping a beat. My son ordered their KFC. Korean Fried chicken with their spicy sauce. These were really good. The heat was perfect. But most importantly, the sauce had so much flavor. The wings were fried perfectly with just the perfect amount of batter to give it a nice crispy outside. Wouldn't hesitate ordering these again. I ordered their Beef Bulgogi Bibimbap bowl. This bowl was out of this world. You get steamed rice, cabbage, kimchi, radish, carrots, pickled cucumber, sautéed eggplant, sautéed spinach, and then topped with a perfectly fried egg, sesame oil, and a very flavorful and tender beef bulgogi. Such a delicious bowl and I'm kicking myself for not trying Korean food more often. All the flavors meshed perfectly together. Definitely a must try. I will definitely be returning very soon. read more

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I found this restaurant near a place that I had to go. It's within walking distance from the blue line train station and there's a bus stop close by. Parking can be tricky as it doesn't seem to have a parking lot. I ordered Tofu bibimbap. It's a steamed rice bowl topped with many healthy ingredients including lots of veggies and a fried egg. It's very flavorful and delicious. The tofu tasted fresh and the bowl came steamingly hot. It's a stone bowl which adds to its nice presentation. I'd visit this good place again when I come to this area next time. read more

SoJu BBQ - Tofu bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here and decided to take advantage of the $38 AYCE deal. Though we ended up not being able to get our moneys worth so I'd honestly suggest ordering a la carte, especially since they were sold out of a lot of items. The food we ordered was honestly nothing special either and didn't taste too authentically korean: Korean fried chicken- this was the best dish and done well (we ordered the spicy) Cheesy bul dak- the cheese was a stinky one, but otherwise a flavorful saucy dish. Not spicy Grilled pork belly - small pieces of thin meat but tasty La kalbi- tasty and tender but again small and thin Loaded fries- tasty and craveable Sautéed spinach- eh skip, not very authentic in the Korean style Radish- much better than the kimchi Kimchi- weird texture eggplant- tasty side dish Kimchi dumpling side- these were teeny dumplings but tasty Service was kind of slow too, so our experience overall was okay and not worth the amount we paid. The food was super salty as well and not truly authentic korean flavors, which is unfortunate as good korean food is hard to find in chicago! read more

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I stopped by SoJu BBQ twice to satiate my Korean fusion craving. Both times I tried their bulgogi bibimbap and loaded fries. The quality of their food are consistent. Their bibimbap and creme brûlée cheesecake with black sesame are my favorite items here. The Korean fried chicken and load fries on the other hand could use some improvement. The batter of the fried chicken wings is too hard and dry, not in a light and crispy CM chicken (classic KFC) type of way. It was a struggle to eat. The fried parts don't crumble apart but rather scratches your mouth from being too cardboard hard. Needless to say they were not delightful to eat. The three sauces on the fries--melted nacho cheese, gochujjang and the white sauce--was all too much. For consumers who eat as how the dish was intended to be eaten, I returned home feeling sick both times. I've decided that after eating a bad experience of their wings and over sauced fries, I may just have to pass on coming here again. read more

3rd time coming to Soju BBQ and I'll be back again and telling my friends to go. Got the Korean Fried Chicken, Garlic Rice, Beef Short Ribs amongst other things. All fantastic. And equally awesome were the servers. If you plan to eat a lot do yourself a favor and do the All You Can Eat. I almost didn't see it in the menu! read more

These are really good, they are extremely saucy which I didn't expect but it adds to the fun of getting messy while you eat. Check them out (Chicken and beef are zabiha halal). I would recommend the bulgogi as well. The service is a little slow so go with some time. read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Fried Chicken Wings - Three Korean fried chicken wings coated in a glossy sauce and topped with sesame seeds are served on a black rectangular plate. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Soju BBQ pass the mark with their Modern take on traditional Korean food. The flavors were on another level and I can't stop thinking about it my favorite was the Kimchi Dumplings We can tussle about those Definitely, try their flavored SoJu, which is alcoholic beverage that originated from Korea. Warning: It is VERY strong. read more

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Came here last week with the fam and were seated in a long table for our our group of six considering it's a small place, we did good by not coming during peak times. Service was very friendly and quick. I ordered the chicken bibimbap and it was very tasty. The kimchi was extremely spicy that it might have been better to serve it on a separate small plate so it doesn't overpower the rest of the food. Regardless it was delicious and it's great that there is a halal Korean bbq place. The other plus side is it's not traditional where they cook the meat in front of you so can bring your non-meat eating friends and they can still enjoy themselves. read more

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Nice place. Simple tasteful Korean BBQ. THE WINGS ARE DELICIOUS. Crispy and tasty. I'd go here just for that. Tried the Korean Liquor in Peach. Also tasty but not cheap. I just like to try something new. Bigolgi was ok. Great flavors but I prefer it with an egg. I would recommend a try. There is a 15% Service Fee which is fine as long as it goes to the employees. read more

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For a delivery and food not being how i like it served out the kitchen this was a great thing. We didn't get much but the spicy chicken and kimchi fries. Also included sides of rice and kimchi. Oh wow and they did not forget the forks. Hats off guys the chicken was good and kimchi fries better then expected read more

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Went here for the bestie's birthday last night and it was a delight. In addition to great food, the place also serves some items that are halal, so it's a great place for those who consume halal/zabihah meat only. We tried the following: Kimchi Dumplings - excellently balanced! Crispy, flavorful, juicy and just the right flavor without being overpoweringly "kimchi" like. Definitely a delight! Korean Fried Chicken - this was an excellent appetizer. Saucy, succulent, sweet and spicy sauce slathered all over these wings, these were scrumptious!!! Chicken Bibimbaap - succulent and juicy grilled chicken paired with fermented veggies over rice, with a sweet soy sauce and chili sauce on the side. All the veggies were great, I just wish the egg was runny so it could bring richness and creaminess to the Bibimbaap. Perhaps it's best to ask for a runny egg. Buldak Chicken (with Cheese) - my husband absolutely LOVED his food, and devoured the chicken. It was not as spicy as anticipated (if you've had the Samyang Buldak ramen, you expect mouth burning spice!) which was not necessarily a bad thing. Korean Brisket - bestie got this, and this is not thick slabs of meat, these are really thin, shaved pieces of beef that are cooked with simply garlic and sea salt. The result is a juicy and flavorful, very comforting, brand of meat. Comforting food. Homemade lemonade - this was an AMAZING z beverage, would highly recommend! Don't imbibe if you're not into SWEET drinks, this one is super sweet and yummy! Milkis - they have these fizzy, milky drinks! Try one, you're sure to love it! I was going to take a star off due to the fact that I was REALLY looking forward to dessert and they didn't have any, however, I would add 3 more stars (if I could), for the EXCELLENT customer service!!! Highly recommend this place!!! read more

SoJu BBQ - Chicken Bibimbaap - A Korean-inspired meal featuring a fried egg with black sesame seeds, vegetables, and meat in a black bowl, accompanied by a glass of water. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came by after an event on Friday evening. One person in our party is a vegetarian and knew they'd find something here and it was close by so easy decision. Went with a bibimap beef bowl! I'll say that on average I only Korean food a few times out of the year. Taste was great. Has good blend of vegetables, meat, rice. Was a country music concert not far away this evening, started raining. Felt very good dining and seeing concertgoers outside the restaurant seeking refuge from the rain. read more

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(Overall: 88% | B) - I ordered the bulgogi and chose a side of pickled cucumbers. I personally found the bulgogi to be a bit overseasoned, and a bit too sweet and a bit too salty. The cucumber was nicely pickled and added wonderful contrast to the overall dish. read more

SoJu BBQ - Ribeye Bulgogi. 4/5. Overseasoned imo. IG: @amei.eats - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I used to love to get soju for halal Korean food however they must have changed Something recently. The bulgogi fries had way too much cheese and no bulgogi it was chunks of meat and no other toppings really. The spicy chicken wings were just ok. read more

I think this place is hit or miss for certain items. The good/great! The sweet soy fried chicken. The bulgogi fries are very good too! The fun: alch-yakult soju (can't even taste the soju so it's dangerous) and the watermelon (half a watermelon made into juice and then a bottle of soju) The not so good: I am not Korean, but I brought 3 of my korean friends who got 3 diff types of meat and they either aka 2/5 or 3/5 apparently the meat is tough?! Oops. Overall I'd come back and eat the chicken wings again and drink there. No Friday deals but the rest of the weekdays got fun deals if you're into that. Staff fine read more

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Smaller business with not as much seating, but it was nice and neat. We got the Korean fried chicken and loaded fries, as well as their all you can drink soju which... can be a dangerous game. The waitress was very nice and attentive even though the establishment was busy. read more

SoJu BBQ - Loaded Fries and wings - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I liked the small dive bar aesthetic, but that's pretty much it. I'm assuming they make their money on alcohol and lies, which my friend and I didn't go there for. They first were telling us to wait outside, and that it would be a 20-25 minute wait. After about 40 minutes, the waitress says whatever drink we ordered was on the house for the wait. The food came quick but was not worth the $54 price tag for what should have been a $45 advertised meal for restaurant week. We told the waitress our orders, and she happily put our orders in. We must have been charged for the drinks and side dish of radish that the waitress said was free... the only reason we got the radish was because I asked for it. She expressly stated that we were only supposed to get the fries that came with the ribeye. Cannot really call what was served to us bulgogi based off other places of quality beef that we had (for the same price)...it was mostly gristle. I asked for separate checks, which she at first said she couldn't do, then said she could if we split it in half. At first I balked at the total, but wanted to just pay and leave because I wanted to get out of the area before the crackhead punching their windows running back and forth came back.... I'd avoid this place unless you're looking to just drink overpriced soju. read more

SoJu BBQ - Restaurant week menu where it expressly states in parentheses under entree "ALL ENTREE SERVED WITH KOREAN SIDE DISHES" - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A few feedbacks 1. The establishment uses standalone AC units, the cold air is blowing my head thru out my dinner. 2. All food is heavily seasoned. It is pretty salty 3. Water is lukewarm. It is not cold from the fridge or comes with ice 4. Loaded fries is pretty spicy when we ask specifically ask the waiter cuz we have two kids dining with us. He said. It's not spicy at all. Waiter needs to know their food. 5. Bibimbap has kimchi on the bottom of the bowl. Is this the authentic Korean way of making bibimbap? I had many bibimbap in Chicago, this is the first restaurant has kimchi included. 6. Gratitude is included for party of 4. 7. My daughter loves the loud non-stop k-pop MV playing on the TV. read more

Stopped by SoJu BBQ before a Blackhawks game this week for dinner. The space is quite small, so there might be a wait during busier hours. There was also only one waiter, but she was still able to get to everyone in a reasonable amount of time. My friend and I shared a few tacos, the loaded kimchi fries, and saucy tofu. I loved the chicken taco and saucy tofu. The tofu had a really nice crisp on the outside which absorbed the sauce perfectly. The loaded fries were a bit much for me, but I imagine that it would be the perfect dish to down some cold beers or soju with. Overall, it's a no-frills Korean joint that serves an area that does not have many other Korean options, and it's mostly satisfying to say the least. read more

SoJu BBQ - Loaded Kimchi Fries with bulgogi on the side - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've never actually been IN this establishment since I've been trying to minimize how often I leave my house, but since I moved to the area, I've ordered delivery a few times from here and haven't been disappointed. Obviously KBBQ tastes best straight to the table rather than via takeout/delivery, but this always hits the right spots for when I'm hungry and need some pork belly goodness. And on another note...while I love KBBQ, I don't particularly love smelling like it, so this is perfect. They've always followed my small order requests for no pepper, sesame oil on the side, etc. and the prices are fair for what you get. Will definitely continue ordering in the future! read more

SoJu BBQ - Pork belly over rice with cucumber kimchi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This spot is so cute and cozy. Food was overall amazing. They have good zabiha halal options! This was definitely something I never tried before and I will be coming back for more! The food was filled with flavor and so different. The service was good and the waiter was so nice and caring. read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to Soju on a Friday night, made a last minute reservation (within 45 minutes) and was able to be seated on time. The food here is absolutely wonderful. The service was pretty good, a bit on the slower side, but it really didn't matter because the food was THAT good. Parking: Paid street parking very close by. Location: Kind of in a weird spot, not much around except for like apartments. It's super easy to pass the restaurant by to be honest. -- Two days after dining in we ordered delivery of the exact same items and the food was just as good. It's an awesome fusion of foods and the flavors are insanely good. Super big highlight: PRICE. Everything at SoJu is reasonably priced and really on par with it's value. Huge plus. I definitely will continue to come here and would happily recommend it to my friends! read more

SoJu BBQ - Beef Taco, Chicken Taco - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The service here is great!! Everyone is nice and accommodating, it's also super nice to be able to pay through your phone. Food was pretty good. The beef bibimbap was tasty!! It had a good amount of veggies and meat so they definitely don't skimp out for the price. It's a great choice if you come here! I felt as if the ingredients were fresh as well. The Kimchi stew on the other hand is pretty bland. It tasted spicy without flavor? It also didn't have much , the meat was minimal and I think if they added some wood ear mushroom or other ingredients it could help it taste better! The price is good for what it is but you really are jsut getting kimchi and tofu. I wish there were more Korean spots in the west loop area because you can't really get authentic Asian food in this area. But if I'm ever craving a bibimbap it's good enough! read more

SoJu BBQ - Bimbimbap - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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