Bonchon Chicken

Heard about this place from my co-worker and showed me their menu online and the food looked so good that I want to try them. Just came home from their San Leandro location after purchasing a 10 piece wings and fries and OH. MY. GOD!! the wings were off the chain!!! And the fries were awesome, too! Move over Wing Stop and Krispy Krunchy because y'all got competition!

Ordered to go and it was delicious. Bibimbap and corn dog.

2nd time to be here. The first time was when my son invited me to have dinner with him. My son loves chicken and goes anywhere with chicken in the menu. My son and I loved their delicious chicken where they are known for.

Great food and service! We arrived after 6 pm on a Thursday afternoon and got a table immediately. The server was attentive and gave suggestions on the menu. He also asked us what we thought of the limited time flavor we ordered, which was nice. We got half wings half drums and split the flavors. The spicy one is our favorite! The crisp on the skin is delicious and the meat is so juicy! The bulgogi tacos were good too. We recommend dining in if you want to get the best chicken experience. We usually order to go and the skin is less crispy when eating at home.

I'm a fan of Korean fried chicken and saw this was close to the San Leandro BART station. I was very hungry, so when I saw the lunch specials I figured it wouldn't be enough. So I ordered a small combo with half soy garlic and half spicy. They warn you on the menu that your food might take time (30 mins) since it's usually cooked to order. I also ordered a banana milk (I thought it'd be home made but it's in a carton) and seasoned fries. The seasoned fries were seasoned perfectly and cooked well. When my chicken order came out, I was surprised at how large the pieces were. They're much larger than Kentucky Fried Chicken. I had to double check I ordered a small because it was enough to feed two people. Everything tasted great, including the side of daikon. I will definitely recommend this place to others who like Korean fried chicken.

Loved the spicy fried chicken wings. Although, if you get other flavors like we did(soy garlic), you should eat it first. The spiciness over powered the soy garlic. We also tried the fried shrimp shumai and it was good.

The food is delicious and the staff is very polite and courteous. I highly suggest the spicy boneless wings and the strawberry soju.

Staff were friendly! The server was very fast and corteous! Food was delish, and perfectly seasoned! Will definitely go back again

Milah W

Ordered to go and it was delicious. Bibimbap and corn dog.

merlyn mananquil

2nd time to be here. The first time was when my son invited me to have dinner with him. My son loves chicken and goes anywhere with chicken in the menu. My son and I loved their delicious chicken where they are known for.

Melissa Ng

Great food and service! We arrived after 6 pm on a Thursday afternoon and got a table immediately. The server was attentive and gave suggestions on the menu. He also asked us what we thought of the limited time flavor we ordered, which was nice. We got half wings half drums and split the flavors. The spicy one is our favorite! The crisp on the skin is delicious and the meat is so juicy! The bulgogi tacos were good too. We recommend dining in if you want to get the best chicken experience. We usually order to go and the skin is less crispy when eating at home.

Julian Roque

I'm a fan of Korean fried chicken and saw this was close to the San Leandro BART station. I was very hungry, so when I saw the lunch specials I figured it wouldn't be enough. So I ordered a small combo with half soy garlic and half spicy. They warn you on the menu that your food might take time (30 mins) since it's usually cooked to order. I also ordered a banana milk (I thought it'd be home made but it's in a carton) and seasoned fries. The seasoned fries were seasoned perfectly and cooked well. When my chicken order came out, I was surprised at how large the pieces were. They're much larger than Kentucky Fried Chicken. I had to double check I ordered a small because it was enough to feed two people. Everything tasted great, including the side of daikon. I will definitely recommend this place to others who like Korean fried chicken.

Natalie Tom

Loved the spicy fried chicken wings. Although, if you get other flavors like we did(soy garlic), you should eat it first. The spiciness over powered the soy garlic. We also tried the fried shrimp shumai and it was good.

Anand Kumar

The food is delicious and the staff is very polite and courteous. I highly suggest the spicy boneless wings and the strawberry soju.

Audrie Domingo

Staff were friendly! The server was very fast and corteous! Food was delish, and perfectly seasoned! Will definitely go back again

I went to Bonchon as my regular Korean fried chicken place was closed. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and the taste. I did Take-Out and the chicken remained crunchy even after my ride home. The flavors were subtle and the sauce was nice and light which I preferred. I also enjoyed the Cole slaw which was not too mayonaisy.

Suzette Galka

I went to Bonchon as my regular Korean fried chicken place was closed. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and the taste. I did Take-Out and the chicken remained crunchy even after my ride home. The flavors were subtle and the sauce was nice and light which I preferred. I also enjoyed the Cole slaw which was not too mayonaisy.

The food is pretty good. The flavors that the use on their chicken are great but be prepared for a wait to get your food.

Food is always great. Atmosphere is nice overall. Service can be hit or miss. Ran out of drinks. Took them a while to tend to my brother and I. Asked for extra napkins and the person tending to us forgot about us and was just glued to his phone. Great food other than that.

Wings are top tier. Crispy, crunchy and tasty. Will definitely be back.

The flavors were good. I got 3 flavors. I wish they didn't mess up my regular fries for garlic fries then I feel like they just refried them when I returned them because my "new" fries still had garlic. Price are on the expensive side but food is good. Wish they woulda have cooked me food a little longer. Wil be back.

Came here to have a snack and try their Korean chicken. Food was very tasty and the place is very clean. The servers r very friendly and take immediate action if there is something wrong. The only complaint I have is that the radish was a bit bland and overly sweet. They have numerous locations all over the US and world. Maybe Korean fried chicken domination will happen sooner than we expect;0 Next time I am in the area, I would definitely want to try other food from the menu.

Double fried chicken is one of life's pleasures! :) Bonchon's KFC is crispy and moist, not heavily breaded and dry as a lot of fried chicken I've tried lately. And if you like spicy, the spicy is truly spicy, not overly so though, so don't be discouraged. I like to have both the spicy and soy garlic combination, so we can get the best of both worlds. We've tried other food here as well, the seasoned fries (get it), the Japchae (meh), and the tacos (just okay). I would stick with the fries and the KFC. The kimchi side is very small for the price so I wouldn't order it again. A Medium portion is good for two people if you want to take some leftovers home. I've also pre-ordered here for a party and they had it ready for pick up at the appointed time. Parking in this lot can get tricky when during peak time but there's plenty of street parking on Hays St. We will definitely be back here.

A lot of food for the price and the fried chicken here is really good. The fries are solid too. Usually not too busy midweek. Decent beer and soju selection

Food delivery review: Wings and fries were still hot and crispy and everything else kept pretty well too. The flavors themselves arent anything too special but it's still some solid lunch grub.

Ordered the half and half small wings and japchae. The japchae was the worst we've ever had. The noodles tasted powdery and the ingredients did not taste fresh. The waiter did not hesitate to refund it. The wings were soooo tasty! The spicy half is definitely not for the low spice tolerance folks like myself. Surprisingly though, I kind of adapted to the spice with my second and third spicy wing. The regular soy garlic wings were crispy and juicy. The radishes on the side were old and stemmy, the kind where there is a lot of fibers to spit out. Go with the coleslaw next time.

M Wong

Came here to have a snack and try their Korean chicken. Food was very tasty and the place is very clean. The servers r very friendly and take immediate action if there is something wrong. The only complaint I have is that the radish was a bit bland and overly sweet. They have numerous locations all over the US and world. Maybe Korean fried chicken domination will happen sooner than we expect;0 Next time I am in the area, I would definitely want to try other food from the menu.

Anna Zooker

Double fried chicken is one of life's pleasures! :) Bonchon's KFC is crispy and moist, not heavily breaded and dry as a lot of fried chicken I've tried lately. And if you like spicy, the spicy is truly spicy, not overly so though, so don't be discouraged. I like to have both the spicy and soy garlic combination, so we can get the best of both worlds. We've tried other food here as well, the seasoned fries (get it), the Japchae (meh), and the tacos (just okay). I would stick with the fries and the KFC. The kimchi side is very small for the price so I wouldn't order it again. A Medium portion is good for two people if you want to take some leftovers home. I've also pre-ordered here for a party and they had it ready for pick up at the appointed time. Parking in this lot can get tricky when during peak time but there's plenty of street parking on Hays St. We will definitely be back here.

Damon Tighe

A lot of food for the price and the fried chicken here is really good. The fries are solid too. Usually not too busy midweek. Decent beer and soju selection

Ben

Food delivery review: Wings and fries were still hot and crispy and everything else kept pretty well too. The flavors themselves arent anything too special but it's still some solid lunch grub.

Sisi Chen

Ordered the half and half small wings and japchae. The japchae was the worst we've ever had. The noodles tasted powdery and the ingredients did not taste fresh. The waiter did not hesitate to refund it. The wings were soooo tasty! The spicy half is definitely not for the low spice tolerance folks like myself. Surprisingly though, I kind of adapted to the spice with my second and third spicy wing. The regular soy garlic wings were crispy and juicy. The radishes on the side were old and stemmy, the kind where there is a lot of fibers to spit out. Go with the coleslaw next time.

Service was great but the food is very sub par. Not enough sauce, grilled chicken for tacos was a bit dry. The slaw was nice but yeah, very underwhelming.

I always order the chicken Katsu and it is never consistent. Sometimes it’s cold or undercooked or the rice is cold and old. I’ve tried letting them know what’s going on and they say they tell the cooks but I haven’t seen any change. When I last ordered, I stopped eating after a bite or so. $16 for some chicken and rice and it’s not good. I hope they step up their quality.

The chicken is excellent, but other popular Korean dishes - like kimchi fried rice, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) - leave much to be desired. The rice is swapped out with jasmine rice rather than a proper short-grain variety, and while the menu lists pork belly, the dish is actually made with bacon. I’m sure there are business reasons for doing these, but I’d love to see the restaurant stick to the original recipes to keep the dishes authentic.

H Park

The chicken is excellent, but other popular Korean dishes - like kimchi fried rice, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) - leave much to be desired. The rice is swapped out with jasmine rice rather than a proper short-grain variety, and while the menu lists pork belly, the dish is actually made with bacon. I’m sure there are business reasons for doing these, but I’d love to see the restaurant stick to the original recipes to keep the dishes authentic.

I used to work at a Bonchon location for awhile and this ain't it. Each piece of chicken should be painted upon order to avoid getting soggy but when we opened it in the car it was already very soggy. My guess is they double cook and paint the chicken in batches then throw it under a heat lamp for awhile. The boneless wings didn't look like your stereotype boneless wings at all and despite there being 12 instead of 10 you aren't getting your money's worth of meat in comparison to the strips and other choices. Prices were marked up very high without options for modifications. Alcohol is purchasable to go and staff is nice.

Portion wise when it comes to the Bibimbap do not I repeat do not get it. It felt as if it was a kids' size Bimbibap. I even asked the cashier if it was the appropriate size because I remember when I ordered it, it looked a lot more, and to which he replied, that's the right amount. Please, I advise everyone to go to a Korean restaurant. I beg you to save your time and money to a real Korean restaurant. But the atmosphere and cashiers are nice though <3

Used to really love the sweet crunch here but they discontinued it for some reason. Can’t think of a reason why because it was the only reason I came here, so now the shop just feels like a waste of space for what could’ve been another fried chicken shop. With only 2 flavors I don’t see a possibility of them making it for it either.

I've been to this place multiple times, and both the chicken and rice is excellent. However, earlier today I ordered 15 drumsticks and chicken house rice which was a total of $52.00. Once I arrived at home, my wife counted only 8 drumsticks, so I made multiple attempts to call them and let them know they're 7 pieces short of what I paid for. No one answered so I drove back to the restaurant. As I explained the situation to the cashier, he walked to the back and then another guy approached me. The other guy told me that he was the owner and he prep the food himself and that this was the one chance he'll give me as if I was lying about my order. I told him to check the camera and that nobody's perfect, people do make mistakes and errors. He responded with the words I don't have time to look at the camera. He walked to the back and the cashier returned with an apology and gave me the correct order. I will return but the owner in San Leandro was rude and in so many words excused me of lying when he could of just check the camera and admit he was wrong.

Years ago when Bonchon arrived in the Bay Area I had the chance to try their chicken at the South San Francisco location. However, I was not impressed but I may want to give the chicken a second chance. This time in San Leandro I ordered the Bibimbap, and what a mistake. I suggest to customers to never try anything that a restaurant is not known for other than their specialty. So if you come here don’t try their bibimbap, tacos, wraps, japjae , etc. On their menu it is not listed whether you are getting the hot stone bowl or the cold bibimbap. This is a big deal for me because I don’t like the hot stone. It literally stays fire hot beyond the time that you stay there. Plus the waiters do not warn you and there’s no protection between you and the hot pot. You easily can burn yourself. So do not order it if you are with little kids. Now for the food. The bibimbap I got was very Americanized. They used few and very cheap ingredients in it. You don’t even get any banchan (side dishes). For the meat I requested chicken but they don’t serve you dakgui. Instead I got some dry, tough chicken breast meat. Flavor wise it was not good either. The chef placed the little container of sauce on top of the boiling meat which allowed the plastic container to melt on top of the food. I don’t know why this was considered safe. And the thing that I consider the worst was the use of American rice instead of Asian rice. Yup, they definitely used long grain rice. Anyway, not coming back for this item again. The best part this visit was the service. The boys were attentive. If you use the hand dryer in the bathroom, be ready for a deafening experience.

Burnt chicken Katsu and Korean Tacos-Bulgogi the meat doesn’t taste like bulgogi … so plain and mild tasting. Not buying from there again. Really sad had to throw away chicken katsu cause it tasted burnt and very dry … the sauce they added didn’t do anything to the flavor.

KC4 T

Years ago when Bonchon arrived in the Bay Area I had the chance to try their chicken at the South San Francisco location. However, I was not impressed but I may want to give the chicken a second chance. This time in San Leandro I ordered the Bibimbap, and what a mistake. I suggest to customers to never try anything that a restaurant is not known for other than their specialty. So if you come here don’t try their bibimbap, tacos, wraps, japjae , etc. On their menu it is not listed whether you are getting the hot stone bowl or the cold bibimbap. This is a big deal for me because I don’t like the hot stone. It literally stays fire hot beyond the time that you stay there. Plus the waiters do not warn you and there’s no protection between you and the hot pot. You easily can burn yourself. So do not order it if you are with little kids. Now for the food. The bibimbap I got was very Americanized. They used few and very cheap ingredients in it. You don’t even get any banchan (side dishes). For the meat I requested chicken but they don’t serve you dakgui. Instead I got some dry, tough chicken breast meat. Flavor wise it was not good either. The chef placed the little container of sauce on top of the boiling meat which allowed the plastic container to melt on top of the food. I don’t know why this was considered safe. And the thing that I consider the worst was the use of American rice instead of Asian rice. Yup, they definitely used long grain rice. Anyway, not coming back for this item again. The best part this visit was the service. The boys were attentive. If you use the hand dryer in the bathroom, be ready for a deafening experience.

JT Agbayani

Burnt chicken Katsu and Korean Tacos-Bulgogi the meat doesn’t taste like bulgogi … so plain and mild tasting. Not buying from there again. Really sad had to throw away chicken katsu cause it tasted burnt and very dry … the sauce they added didn’t do anything to the flavor.

COVID TAKEOUT REVIEW Phoned in order, they said 30-45 minutes. Got there to a 10 person line out the door (most were deliver drivers). Finally got in to check in (40 min after order is placed). They say to wait another 15-20 minutes. After 20 minutes went back in to check on my order & nobody could tell anyone how long any orders would be. They said it was up to the kitchen how long it would take. 😒 After 1 AND A HALF HOURS our small order of chicken was finally ready. We pay & leave... eating on the drive home AND ITS COLD!! The chicken strip were cooked BEYOND DRY & SAUCELESS. Please don't waste your money! Food delivery drivers were even walking away & declining orders because it was taking too long.

Ordered a large party meal in advance for pick up, o ly to find out it was accidentally given to a door dasher. Instead of replacing my order, they had the dasher bring it back while I waited and said "it's still warm, it should be good". Not the employees fault, this direction was coming from the manager at the counter who couldn't look me in the eye while they scrambled to correct things. Horrible service

I hate to give a poor rating. The chicken seems to somewhat hard and only placing the sauce, loosens up the hardness. It seems to have been cooked well ahead and then sort of sit all day or for hours. Sometimes the chicken is so stringy and chewy where by you have to spit it out, which seems to be aign that it's a bit old. I didnt need to do that this visit but in past visits. Maybe ensure the chicken is more fresh perhaps and dont let it sit out longer than it should. Their flavors are fire and the fried rice compliments the fried chicken well. I always ask for more onions because i love scallions.

This has got to be the saddest order of wings. The wing was literally the size of my thumb. It was fried too many times, so it was dry, every single piece, which gave off a bitter taste. Although the sauce was alright. The bitterness of the burnt part overpowered the sauce. And speaking of sauce, each wing was lightly coated with it. Overall, this order was definitely not worth the money they are asking. I rememberd these wings used to be twice as big than the ones i got today and generously coated with their sauce. I think i should stick to a real korean spot from now on. 👎👎

Bonchon advertises a tasty looking chicken bowl yet the bowl is a box for to go orders. No big deal. However, there were no green onions, seseame seeds or black pepper on the carrots as on the poster. There were only 4 chicken nuggets. The man presenting himself as the manager dismissed my request for the missing items since "no one else complained." He then went on to claim seseame seeds were not included because people are allergic to it. The "people" generalization negates the fact I can advocate for my dietary needs hence my desire for what I paid for. He said the poster was for marketing only and no food looks like the picture. I had to educate him on what a complaint actually sounded like along with differentiating esthetics of a picture vs. actual missing items from the entree! Huge distinction. The printed words also referenced the food items missing from my box. Luckily I can read. False advertisement. Unfriendly and combative customer service! First and last time there.

This is the worst Bonchon ever. I ordered fried rice without meat and they gave me plain rice. I asked for the veggies as the menu stated and all they add was onions and 2 small pieces of bell peppers - literally 2 pieces. To top it off, It had no flavor other than the onions. Don't offer vegetables if you're only adding onions. Just say onions. Oh, and there were no eggs. The chicken here is smaller sized than any other Bonchon. The wings on the menu are just small party wings and the drumsticks are small too. One piece barely had any meat. The chicken was dry and over cooked and there was no the sauce on it. We had to ask to get more sauce added on. I heard customers coming in to pick up orders and they all had complaints so it was not only me. I'll drive to Newark next time where they are much more consistent and not cheap on their offerings. Or Vons if I can't drive there.

The service was quick, good for my takeout lunch - so 1 star. The food was TERRIBLE, so bad I threw it out! My tofu was tasteless and they forgot the sauce. My chicken strips had a strange ammonia odor and when I bit into the chicken it tasted like it! I won't be back when I pray I don't get food poisoning tonight.😔

Ordering was easy, person who took my order was friendly, food came out relatively quickly BUT wings were burnt and bitter tasting, the fry on them was kind of soggy- no crisp or snap, the daikon was basically unflavored and tasted over fermented (salt would help), my “seasoned” edamame had no salt and boiled so hard every single one was mushy. This is low quality food- and expensive for what it is. I called the restaurant to provide feedback and could tell the manager/owner did not care. Only offering to remake my food- nah, I trusted you to make it right the first time and you failed, why I am gonna let you disappoint me and waste my time again? This is third time I have gone here and every time has been MID AF., with this time being worst. Trust the reviews on here and save your money. The ownership seems ok with with taking money from working/middle class people and giving them poor quality in return. Smdh.

Soy garlic wings were barely coated with sauce….what’s the point of getting soy garlic wings if your cook is going to be stingy with the sauce… might as well just get plain wings.

Just ordered food from this location on door dash once I received my food it was ice cold and no sauce on the chicken and my wife’s bulgogi was un fit to eat, it was more of a stew and flavorless. I called this location and spoke with a manager but was told they use a “standard” amount of sauce I offered to bring the food back for a refund but the manager denied a refund. Very unprofessional and was getting a disgusting tone over the phone and said there is nothing he can do. for 100$ of almost no food I expect ok food and ok service but this place lacks the basic standards I get better service from jack in the box and that says a lot. Save your money and avoid this San Leandro location.

Joe H

Just ordered food from this location on door dash once I received my food it was ice cold and no sauce on the chicken and my wife’s bulgogi was un fit to eat, it was more of a stew and flavorless. I called this location and spoke with a manager but was told they use a “standard” amount of sauce I offered to bring the food back for a refund but the manager denied a refund. Very unprofessional and was getting a disgusting tone over the phone and said there is nothing he can do. for 100$ of almost no food I expect ok food and ok service but this place lacks the basic standards I get better service from jack in the box and that says a lot. Save your money and avoid this San Leandro location.

The location feels like it just gets a wipe down with water no cleaner. The food was alright. I've dined at other Bonchon locations and it didn't taste the same. My friend requested for the veggies in his dish to be chopped up, and the poor waiter had to inform us the kitchen stated they could not chop the veggies. Weird, chefs who don't know how to use knives? The tepenyaki wasn't cooked well, too soft on the inside for how hard it was fried. The chef clearly loves adding sauces to the dishes as it was drenched in mayo and bbq sauce. The staff were kind otherwise

DO NOT ORDER HERE. ordered $99 K meal. They gave me a meal with 6 wings short and the sides were enough for 2 people. They refused to fix it. Never again and I actually enjoyed the food

We made an online order to be picked up at a certain times nd we got there 30 mins early nd ready after 40 min.. All our chicken were burned, black very crispy nd we can't even bite them. They're so hard nd we didn't enjoy them. I would not going back there ever again, period!

Mrs Magana

We made an online order to be picked up at a certain times nd we got there 30 mins early nd ready after 40 min.. All our chicken were burned, black very crispy nd we can't even bite them. They're so hard nd we didn't enjoy them. I would not going back there ever again, period!

Sanya Grigorovich

Soy garlic wings were barely coated with sauce….what’s the point of getting soy garlic wings if your cook is going to be stingy with the sauce… might as well just get plain wings.

Halla Wallace

The location feels like it just gets a wipe down with water no cleaner. The food was alright. I've dined at other Bonchon locations and it didn't taste the same. My friend requested for the veggies in his dish to be chopped up, and the poor waiter had to inform us the kitchen stated they could not chop the veggies. Weird, chefs who don't know how to use knives? The tepenyaki wasn't cooked well, too soft on the inside for how hard it was fried. The chef clearly loves adding sauces to the dishes as it was drenched in mayo and bbq sauce. The staff were kind otherwise