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    The Koop: Korean Chicken and Cuisine

    3.7 (89 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order The Koop: Korean Chicken and Cuisine Takeout or Delivery

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    THE KOOP: KOREAN CHICKEN AND CUISINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Jason L.

    The Koop is an interesting restaurant. We were here during the summer when students were gone so there wasn't a lot of activity in the place for a weekday lunch. It's a family owned Korean Fried Chicken restaurant with 2 locations in the central PA area. The restaurant in State College is in an older building, on a side street, and it's an interesting internal layout. Parking would be on the street or a nearby parking garage. There was only one person working the counter area and the ordering process was not well thought out. The restaurant is in the basement of the building, the seating area has no natural light and it's decor is dated/lacking. We ordered fried dumplings, boneless fried chicken, rice with sauce and a bulgogi bowl between two of us. The food came out fairly quick and was honestly delicious. The boneless chicken was premade but then reheated as is typical in most asian restaurants. You have to order sauce on the side, at an additional cost, and it was a fairly small serving. These dishes have some heat, which we enjoyed, but be careful. We really liked each dish and the portions were large. As other's noted, this place was expensive. Our bill was over $50 for two of us. That's more than it's worth. If you're looking for asian inspired cuisine nearby try Bistrozine!

    Bill X.

    Last time I had this was five years ago before i graduated, went back five years later and it still tastes the same, the spicy soy garlic sauce is fire. But their soup is just ok, so just stick with the fried chicken

    Fancy Corn Dog - Potato

    The food here is absolutely amazing! The Korean corn dog is always so good. Their small fried chicken portions are huge, and all the sauce flavors are incredible. Plus, everything comes out super quick. I also love how you can sign and draw on the walls, it really adds to the vibe and makes the place feel super aesthetic and fun to hang out in. They recently raised their prices, so I haven't visited in a minute, but every time I go, it always hits. Highly recommend!

    There is no sauce this is DRY

    Would not go here again. Not only is the chicken soggy on receiving, the "sauce" you pay $2 extra for is non-existent! I've ordered twice, thinking the first time they forgot to give me sauce, but it really is just sad soggy fried chicken with no sauce. The second order they forgot side dishes, which you also have to pay extra for!! The workers were giving me attitude and trying to say there was sauce on it. Refer to picture. Avoid!!!

    Large Fried Whole Chicken
    Spark 2.

    Excellent Korean Fried Chicken! The sauces could see some improvement but the plain fried chicken itself was exceptional. I will definitely come back!

    Soondubu jiggae + banchan
    Ling C.

    Being one of only 2 Korean restaurants for miles around, I'm glad it's here, but it's definitely a below average food experience for me. The woman that works there is super nice and friendly, so this review is really just for the food. I got the soondubu jiggae with seafood and when I got it I noticed 3 things very quickly. 1) it's not boiling. 2) the tofu is more silken tofu than the special Korean soondubu which is much more delicate than silken. 3) it's mostly just tofu with small pieces of seafood sunk on the bottom. I expect my jiggae to come out boiling, literally visible bubbles, and I expect the tofu to be the special Korean tofu. There really didn't seem to be much vegetables in it either and the seafood pieces were overcooked firm and very small. The flavor is not bad but for the price (~$16) I don't think I'll be back for this. The banchan is also just 2 different pickled vegetables, which was also a surprise. That's very not fun. Maybe their strength is in fried chicken. When I try that I'll come back and update my review. Note on the place itself: it is SO cold inside the restaurant. It's like there's no heat inside while it's below freezing outside. Once the hot food gets to the table you can warm up but if you're not eating you're freezing. Also it kind of looks like an organizational mess - either they need to Marie Kondo it there or find better ways to store their supplies because walking in there feels like walking into a supply closet.

    David S.

    WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAVORITE CHICKEN PLACE????? When I come up to State College, I ALWAYS stop at the Koop for the best chicken in the world. Been a customer for years, but today it looks like they're under new management or something. Call their number and the guy on the other end just says "hello." No "This is the Koop. May I take your order." Waited longer than promised. Order completely wrong. Chicken not crispy and perfect. Not good at all, really. Undercooked, I suppose. We tried to eat it, but gave up. Honestly, bleck! I'm giving two stars because maybe this is just an unfortunate blip.

    Carmen Y.

    Authentic good dishes. Definitely will come back again. But you have to wait for loooooooonnnnng time for food...

    C J.

    I don't eat meat so I was never interested in a place that had chicken in the name... however there are SO MANY vegetarian options. We ended up splitting the spicy tofu stew with tofu. The tofu was so soft and the stew was spicy and flavorful. Then we got the bibimbap with only veggies made in the clay pot. LOVED This! The crispy rice on the bottom was so delicious in conjunction with the yummy selection of veggies. Service was so nice and helpful! My friend and I weren't totally sure what to get but the woman there gave us some great recs! 100% will be coming back and working my way through the rest of the menu.

    a room with a couch and a water heater
    F F.

    This place is overrated and way overpriced. I come from a place with a heavy South Korean population and I know good Korean fried chicken v well. This ain't it. The flavor is weak and the chicken is soggy and seems old. The place itself is a disaster. Water damage everywhere and needs a serious facelift. Not even slightly inviting to actually sit and eat here. The employees are friendly but that's really all I can say about this place. Won't return.

    No sauce fried chicken
    Shannon R.

    This has ruined fried chicken for me! I will no longer have fried chicken that isn't Korean fried chicken. So delicious! The crunchiness! The color! The tender and juicy chicken! 5 stars!

    Veggie Soondubu Soup and Small Fried Boneless Chicken with sweet and spicy sauce
    Liz B.

    I was really craving Korean food today so I decided to check out the Koop. I don't eat meat so I ordered the soft tofu soup with veggies and my husband got the sweet and spicy boneless chicken. When you walk in you order at the front then choose your own seat and they bring your food when it's ready. Water, utensils, to-go containers are all self service. The server gave us a sharpie to draw on the walls which was such a fun way to entertain ourselves while waiting on our food! The food came quickly and was delicious, the soondubu was piping hot and a good level of spicy, and I loved how many veggies were in it. It was perfect for a rainy day. My husband loved his chicken, but even with the small order couldn't finish it and took half to go, the chicken portion is huge! We will definitely be back!

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    6 years ago

    I used to be a big fan of the Koop. The fried chicken was perfect every time but this time it's so dry and hard to eat. Really disappointed.

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    8 years ago

    Great place for korean fried chicken. It's really different from other fried chicken due to the crispy outside skin.

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    KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot - Food

    KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot

    3.9(79 reviews)
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    KPot Korean Bbq and hot pot is the only hot pot place in the central PA area. You've got to head…read moreeither to Philly or Maryland for other options, which I only learned when my niece and nephew shared that they wanted to try hot pot for the first time. KPot is truly a gem! The atmosphere is modern with urban vibe decor. It's a cool place. And the service is excellent, from beginning to end. Our server helped us select our broth and gave us newcomers a lay of the hot pot land. You can order your hot pot add-ins by tablet on table-- and the food comes out without delay. I was pleasantly surprised by the speed at which our tablet selections were delivered to the table. Now onto the food and drink. We ordered the strawberry lemonade and regular milk teas. The strawberry lemonade was sweet but not overly so- very refreshing. And the kiddos reported that the milk teas was delicious. Now- onto the hot pot experience, which was so much fun! For broths, we tried the tomato, miso, and the spicy tom ka gha, which were all packed with flavor. Yum. KPot has a wide variety of meats and add ins for your hot pot. We tried the ribeye, brisket, beef tongue, pork, lamb, shumai, goyoza, octopus, eggplant, ramen, potato, and udon noodles. The beef tongue and the lamb were my favorites. But there was much more to try, we really only scratched the surface. I should also add that along with the all you can eat hot pot, there is also a little buffet with appetizers, desserts, and sauces. The kiddos enjoyed the freezer with ice cream options. KPot offers an all around well done hot pot experience in a cool atmosphere with fabulous service. I am certain we will be back next time I'm in the area. I'd say it is absolutely worth a visit.

    KPOT has a large space, an extensive menu, and overall offers good value for the money. We came as…read morea party of nine and chose to do both hot pot and BBQ. While fun, that combination can be overwhelming for first-timers--some guidance would have helped. The food was tasty overall, but most of the BBQ meats were bland unless you chose the marinated options. Sauces were definitely needed. There's an appetizer bar with fried foods, fruit, rice, and a salad and sauce bar, which helped round out the meal. Drinks were mediocre. Service and communication were the biggest issues. When we arrived, I informed the hostess of our party size and that the rest of my group was in the parking lot. When asked if we were on a wait, she told us there was no wait. Despite that, we stood there for about 15 minutes with no explanation while multiple groups who arrived after us were seated first. I eventually had to remind the hostess that we were still waiting. We were then taken to the party room, which had several open and clean tables. Instead of seating us at an open and clean table, they had us wait 3 more mins to finish cleaning a table that just left for us to sit at. Our server did the bare minimum--dropping off drinks and occasionally clearing plates. For a first-time experience with both hot pot and BBQ, it would have been helpful if the server checked in, explained the process, or offered assistance. Food runners were not particularly pleasant and didn't explain what dishes they were placing on the table. There was an 18% gratuity included on the bill and our server did not deserve it. Final thoughts: KPOT delivers variety and value, but poor communication and minimal service took away from what could have been a much better experience--especially for a large group. I might return with a smaller group, but with low expectations.

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    Eating area

    The Koop: Korean Chicken and Cuisine - chicken_wings - Updated May 2026

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