Very nice and affordable hot meals - soups and bulgogi. Service is choppy on everything from meal timing - as they complete each dish it comes out - so you don't get your meals as a "dinner". The cadence is set up for take out orders. Bare bones furnishing/tables. Dark without charm. NOT a date place. Water service NOT. read more

It's a really cute restaurant--we had the kimchi dumplings which were delicious and the tofu bibimbap which was good. Staff was nice, would definitely go again! read more

My friend and I ordered the fried rice, kim chi fries, and a trio of tacos. The fried rice and tacos were so-so, in my opinion. I definitely would recommend other places in Chicago if you're looking for Korean tacos specifically. The kim chi fries were good and huge in portions--paired with our entrees, we didn't come close to finishing everything! The staff was relatively friendly and we were one of two parties when we going on a weeknight, so there was no wait. Parking around the area was relatively easy (and free!) as well when we came. Overall, the experience was decent but I do think I can get similar food for better at other establishments in the city. read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was so good! I got both types of chicken. The spicy ones are covered in gochujang and the sweet one is sweet (it's like a brown sugar mixture) and crispy. They also came with extra gochujang and soy sauce. The serving of fries was huge (and $2.50). They have bones in them, but the skin had a good crunch and the sauce was dripping everywhere. Personally, I don't like the soy sauce with the sweet chicken, but the chicken was still really good for $10. Will reorder again read more

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

Korean BBQ is surprisingly hard to come by in a food mecca like Chicago, so it was great news when SoJu BBQ opened up near my job. Not your classic Korean BBQ joint as you don't grill yourself, which might be for the best as the meat always comes out grilled perfectly. The meal is served in a well balanced bento box with rice and banchan, and is a filling portion for one person. They offer all the usual barbecue staples, including bulgogi, kalbi and samgyupsal. I've come to eat here twice now, have tried the bulgogi and spicy chicken, and have not been disappointed by their food yet. I don't know if the owners ever plan on applying for a liquor license, but if they are able to offer actual soju to go along with their BBQ, the experience would be even more perfect. read more

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

Right on the corner, next to Ashland Monroe and ogden! Which, did you know that Ogden turns into the historic Route 66?! I did not! The reason I went to this restaurant is because I was going to a Blackhawks game at the united center afterwards and it was perfect timing and location. Overall a great experience! The wings were delicious, highly recommend, they were crispy on the inside and saucy on the outside! The short ribs were to die for, the sauce also went super well with the rice! I felt that the pricing was reasonable for what we got food wise. If you are going towards UIC or the United Center, this is a relatively close place to eat at before that. There is not too much parking options available here, but there is the juvenile detention center lot on Taylor Street about a half a mile away that is two dollars per day if you are looking for cheap parking. Ubering here is pretty easy And I would recommend either that or taking the train and walking to the restaurant. Overall a great experience, I would definitely go back! read more

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A great place to come eat Korean food more so if you are restricted to halal meat since they have that here. The meats were good but I enjoyed the fried chicken and its sauce the most. I don't know about the parking situation but the staff is very helpful. Despite not having ice or diet coke I will round up the 3.5 star rating. read more

I love this restaurant, it is an amazing introduction to Korean food and is one of the best halal Korean Fried chicken restaurants around. read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Fried Chicken Wings - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My family and I came here for a simple reunion last night, and it was a completely new experience for me. The interior design is absolutely beautiful, and the service is excellent. In addition to serving excellent food, the establishment also provides a pleasant atmosphere. In addition, the staff is courteous and accommodating. We ordered some Korean Fried Chicken, which was succulent and sweet with a spicy sauce slathered all over the wings, and some Korean Fried Chicken Wings. We also ordered the Chicken Bibimbap, which is a very juicy grilled chicken served over rice with fermented vegetables and a sweet soy sauce and chili sauce on the side, which was delicious. Those are some of what we eat last time, I can't recall some dishes left we ordered but they were all delectable! Overall, we had a great time at this restaurant! If I had the option, I would have given this dish even more stars! read more

We walked in around 5:30, not one customer in the place but they asked for reservation. When we finished after 7pm the place was still pretty open, and it's a Saturday night. What's the reservation for? ! In general the lady had some subtle attitude that i can't point out but it's definitely there The food was ok, portion was pretty big, so their price was good. But all the dishes had a lot of sugar and I guess msg since I was super thirsty hours after. We went with the all you can eat, but they charged us for some leftover, and I regretted since if we did A le carte it would be cheaper. read more

The two stars is not based on the food. It was the SERVICE. We waited 5 minutes JUST for utencils & napkins while we had already had out food I had to literally ask for them. Our "waitress" or whoever she was never refilled our water & she forgot drinks for my Husband and family memberd and still tried to bill us for it. She had the biggest attitude & just dropped off food and the end of the table not even saying a word to us. They have a 18% gratuity added onto the check but honestly, she wouldn't of got nothing from us if it wasn't for that. Mind you it wasn't even busy when we went. It's just sad to see a great place with shitty service. read more

5/5 Galbi delicious and tender super size portion because normal is too small. 3.5/5 wings - wish they were crisper Great flavors overall If I could give 4.5 I would've, a bit over priced and small portions read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is not your typical Korean restaurant. I really missed the Banchan side dishes that usually come to the table. Here you have to order and pay a la carte. Their kimchi was good but very spicy. The pickled radish was ruined with too much red pepper. The spinach was very good. Entree Bulgogi was a small portion but tasty. The "mild" chicken was on the verge of too spicy. Also, was in need of wet wipes since so sticky and they had none. Most places give them out along with extra napkins when item is served. Service was difficult. They only had 1 waiter and really needed another since every table was filled. Twice I got up and asked host for something. Not the waiters fault but mgmt. I will not return. read more

Sofa King good! Bulgogi was solid, tad salty so need a lot of rice to meat ratio. Fire Chicken awesome gochujang sauce on it. Kimchi dumplings I could eat a basket of. Evening Pregame United Center stop from now on! read more

Cute little place that offers food with great flavor! I've been here twice now and liked the food both times. I've gotten the beef bulgogi bibimbap and the spicy pork belly. The spicy pork belly was actually spicy but delicious!! I've tried both the sweet and spicy wings and both were good. The spicy seemed to be saucier which I enjoyed. It's a smaller place, so I definitely recommend calling ahead to see if they've got space if you've got a bigger party. read more

Discovered this unassuming Korean bbq place around the beginning of the pandemic, and since then, we've gotten takeout from there regularly whenever we need a meaty fix! I'm really glad to see that their customer base seemed to have grown considerably and they have been doing well through these two rough years. It's definitely not a traditional Korean BBQ, so don't expect to cook your own meats to your own liking or have a gazillion side dishes, but the food is solid. We always get the kalbijim (braised short rib) because it's so flavorful and goes perfectly with a bowl (or 2 or 3 bowls) of rice. Sadly, the party sampler no longer includes that as an option for one of the meats :( Expect some occasional inconsistencies (hence 4 stars instead of 5) - one time we had brisket that was waaaay too tough and thick cut, and another time someone must've dumped a gallon of soy sauce in the kalbijim by accident. Even mom's cooking can't be perfect all the time, you know. All in all, we love this little neighborhood establishment and hope they keep doing well! read more

Amazing food, they offer halal Korean BBQ options that are prepared separately from the other items on the menu!

Love the beef bulgoi the best! Delectable! Fried chicken appetizer was okay, the sauce was new for me as a first timer. read more

BOMB. We live down the street and having been meaning to try this for forever. So glad we did. Food was incredible. We ordered the rice skewers, dumplings and short rib. I could bathe in the sauce on the rice skewer. So good. Short rib was so tender it was actual butter. Everything was amazing and our waiter was really sweet and attentive. Highly recommend! read more

SoJu BBQ - Rice Spicy Rice Cake Skewers - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Business as usual... Went with 6 coworkers last night, and took advantage of their BYOB policy. They really welcomed and took care of us. Ordered the same thing, because if it ain't broke, why fix it. Only update is that we ordered the Korean fried wings and they were great too. Tasted the fries tofu, which isn't my thing but it tasted good. Also tried the shaved brisket...good stuff Coworker literally stopped by to tell me it was some of the best food he's had in a while. Will be back soon! read more

SoJu BBQ - Cucumber kimchee Rice w/ egg Short rib - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I would say to make reservations before you go. The food was phenomenal! We got loaded fries, bibimbop, and the chicken with rice. HUGE portion sizes but overall delicious! read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wanted to love the place...some of the food was good some was blah Need to go back and try again but won't splurge like last time The appetizer Korean chicken was good (sweet soy). Mild was ok but preferred the soy. The tenders had so much potential and ended up being semi bland. Needed basic seasoning as the breading was thicker and flavorless, but chicken was cooked well and very tender. Again, just the breading ruined it by lack of flavor. Again, worth another visit, I'm being optimistic on the restaurant as it still has great reviews from many before me and maybe I just had an average visit; with shortages and covid, I'm always trying to be more understanding of the restaurant industry. The main guy cooking and serving was great, super nice, super friendly so it wasn't about the service, more about the food. read more

I haven't yelped in FOREVER but this place has brought me out of retirement!!! It's so good!! I've been here three times, tried different menu items each time and EVERYTHING is delicious!! The chicken wings are amazing! Get the mild sauce! The taco's, especially the beef one was fantastic! The ribeye sandwich is killer!! The staff is super friendly and the prices are reasonable!! Go!!! read more

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Visiting chicago for the weekend and was looking for something flavorful to end the day, this was the perfect spot! We got the kimchi dumplings to split and they were amazing with the spicy sauce they came in it was a perfect combo. I also got the beef bulgogi bibimbap which came out hot and delicious. Also +1 for having halal options clearly marked on the menu! read more

SoJu BBQ - Beef Bowl - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I made a reservation for a surprise birthday party, taking into consideration the dietary sensitivities of some guests who required halal meals. We had planned to order 'the feast' menu as advertised. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, we were shocked to discover that there was no 'feast' menu, and the information on the menu was entirely inaccurate. I asked the manager to own up to their mistake because we expected them to keep their promises and share correct info with customers. Sadly, they said 'no.' Also, they claimed to have a BBQ grill on their website, but it wasn't true. The place was too small and loud for BBQ. We had to quickly change our birthday plans because of these letdowns and the restaurant not being truthful. They didn't show respect or responsibility to customers. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone‼‼ P.S.: You can see the company's attitude towards its customers below. I just wondered about the interpretation of "Soju BBQ" with a special "BBQ menu" on their website, as it seems to suggest a place that offers BBQ experience around a grill in the restaurant. Also, I'm sorry to hear that your employees perceived my serious talk made by someone who knows what type of rights they have in the face of that type of misleading situation as "threatening gestures." (Real defamation point!) It appears to be an overinterpretation and does not accurately reflect the situation. This situation could arise due to couple of possible reasons though. Perhaps they have not received adequate training during their orientation on how to assist customers and understand what a genuine treat is, as well as how to respond to customer inquiries in a responsible manner. In either case, it is important for the company to invest more in employee training. read more

Delicious! You HAVE to come and do the Feast, best bang for your buck. We heard such great things from our friends who have been here, and decided to take my parents here when they were visting for the weekend. The food did not disappoint! My dad also LOVED that they grill the meat for you, and even though we were sitting right next to the grill we didn't smell like smoke at all. A nice change for those who love kbbq but not so much the smell/smoke that frequently accompanies it... We also met the owner and he was super nice, clearly a locally owned business. Highly recommend this place, it's worth venturing. Side note, we heard that BTS (yes, THE Bangtan Boys) went here when they were on tour and literally bought out everything they had....so if that's any testament to the legitmacy of this establishment... read more

This place was so good. My favorite was the kimchi dumplings and then the fried chicken. The sauce on the fried chicken was absolutely amazing, I would dip the tofu in it and it was just the best. The only downfall was that there was a bit of a wait to order food but there was only one server working. It seems to be a very popular place it was poppin' inside with lots of people. Can't wait to go back to try the tofu tacos! read more

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I was in the area, so I stopped by and had the bulgogi with rice, kimchi and cucumbers. The bulgogi was very flavorful, but a bit oily. They give you a choice of two sides, which is nice. And I probably could have used a little more rice. Good spot to get your kbbq fix quickly and don't want or have the time for the whole sit down and cook for yourself experience. It is a little pricey, but kbbq isn't ever cheap. read more

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

Delicious and halal and affordable. Service is slow and hostess is rude but food is delicious. read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time trying Korean bbq and it was so delicious. The fried dumplings were my favorite part of the meal. I ate the brisket and my boyfriend went with the L.A. dish. Both were good. I did like his dish more than mine, but still was great food. Is a nice place, clean and great service. I would definitely recommend it. read more

Amazing food. Try the Korean fried chicken. I had that and the bibimbap and it was fantastic read more

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

We were in town for a concert so wanted to eat at a place that was walking distance to United Center but was not just bar food. This place did not disappoint. I got the grilled pork belly bbq which came with rice and kimchi and my partner got the beef bulgogi bbq. Absolutely delicious and very flavorful. We also got the homemade lemonade, very refreshing with an interesting taste to it, like it was sweetened with honey. The service was very quick and friendly. I do recommend making a reservation because we had a rez for 6:00pm on a Saturday and it filled up pretty quickly. They do have carry out as well. I'll be back next time I'm in Chicago! read more

SoJu BBQ - Grilled Pork Belly Fresh Lemonade - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our first time here this place! It didn't disappoint me and my tummy! Army Soup is amazing , spicy Chicken Wings are so good too, services are fast too keep up the good work! I'll be back for more ! read more

Ordered the Beef Bulgogi bowl for lunch which came with assorted veggies, fried egg, beef bulgogi and a side of rice. The sides were delicious and paired well with the meat and rice. I enjoyed the eggplant which I don't often get as a side from other Korean restaurants. Overall, it was delicious I just wished there was a bit more meat for a $20 bowl (ordering online with fees and gratuity included). read more

SoJu BBQ - Beef Bowl - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The meats shine at SoJu BBQ! I'd highly recommend coming here with friends (4-5) and ordering THE FEAST which lets you try a lot of everything (portions are generous). The star is the massive kalbi ribs, unlike any KBBQ I've seen before. It comes on the bone and is a thick chunk of beautifully charred kalbi that melts in your mouth. The other meats, ribeye bulgogi, brisket, pork belly, and spicy chicken were all cooked to perfection, right off the grill. It's like getting all the benefits of your traditional KBBQ joint but without any of the work of grilling your own meat and having your clothes smell like smoke. The accompanying sides perfectly balanced the meat, most were pickled providing a bright and crisp contrast. The radish kimchi had a hint of cumin which was unlike anything I'd tried before. The pajun was also well made, soft but with crisp edges and excellent flavor. For the quality of meat, the prices are more than reasonable. The interior also has a welcoming warm yet clean and minimalist aesthetic. SoJu BBQ, I'll be back for you but in the meantime I'll be dreaming about those ribs. read more

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The food was okay, service was great, and it was nice that halal options were available. However the taste and portions in comparison to the high price made it a 5/10 for me. read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's a semi small place, but everyone was very nice and welcoming as soon as we arrived. I shared a sampler and a couple beers with my wife and everything was fresh and fantastic. Chicken was dynamite, beef bulgogi and brisket were cooked perfectly and delicious. The Kimchi was also very very good even though I had it all to myself haha I would highly recommend this spot, they also have many other Korean food staples along with a myriad of soju options! Edit: after reading some negative reviews on here I'm kind of laughing about it. When we showed up they asked if we had a reservation and we did not. They immediately split a table and sat the two of us. The employees couldn't have been more accommodating. read more

Must try Soju kalbi ribs!!!! Was grilled really good, Juicy and chewy!! Definitely worth the price I'm so happy we found this place :) the grill pork belly it's really cuminy which is different than other restaurant but it's so good :) they have sauce on the side to eat with :) Sides are good toooo~ I had eggplant and spinach( I'm really picky person I almost never eat any side dish unless their good) We also had the soup, when we had the first sip and tried their kimchi we love it!! The kimchi it's fresh made and you can add ramen( highly recommend add ramen haha) or other stuff you likely make your own soup Overall we are really happy we found this place with such good quality food and fair price, hope they can continue being good and more and more ppl can enjoy their food!! BTW good food does make ppl happy :) read more

SoJu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Perfect little diner style place. Service was quick and welcoming. The food was exactly what I was looking for just before taking the train home. read more

Loved it! Was hesitant at first given location and look from outside but food is very good and quantity is spot on. Spicy chicken came with plenty of rice and kimchi which was also very good. I will be back! read more