SoJu BBQ

Making a reservation was super easy! We had a reservation for Valentine’s Day and they had a table ready for us when we got there. The food was amazing and our server was so sweet and friendly! Would definitely come back. There are no grills but the meat is cooked so perfectly. Would 100% recommend!!

We came here from out of state for a Palaye Royale concert at the Cobra Lounge on 4/7/24 later that evening. We decided to come into town early to eat before the show. My wife has desperately wanted to try a Korean restaurant for quite some time now, so she looked online, and this place was right in the neighborhood near the Cobra Lounge and the Bottom Lounge. We parked at a nearby garage and walked there there which was easy to find. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff who were very helpful considering it was our first time there. I had the ribeye sandwich without the fried onions along with fries and a coke. My wife had the beef bulgogi bowl with a soju drink I pictured, which I tried as well. We also had a complimentary platter they serve, which is the last food picture on here. Then we had ice cream for dessert. I'm a picky eater, and I really enjoyed the ribeye sandwich. With the egg, cheese, and house sauce, it gave it a unique flavor that I loved. My wife loved her beef bulgogi bowl as well and can't wait to try other dishes next time. We both had homemade Korean ice cream for dessert, which was the perfect sweet treat to top off a tasty meal. The meal began with a complimentary platter, which I pictured in the review. My wife loved that as well. For Chicago dining, this is great food and a surprisingly good price. We both left full and very happy with our food and service. It was an all-around great experience. I don't have a bad thing to say about it. The hostess was amazing and attentive. The cooks cooked everything spot on. The service was quick. Drinks, appetizers, and meals served in great order without long wait times in between. We highly recommend this place for lovers of Korean food as well as first-timers to it like us. There are even things on the menu that kids would like, such as chicken nuggets and fries. For the adults, take a chance and try something new. I'm glad I did, and we're looking forward to coming back. Our total bill, including gratuity, came to just under $80 for two and would have been even cheaper had my wife not ordered Korean imported alcohol, lol, but it was worth it. They also have more expensive and extravagant meals such as top shelf steaks. Keep this place on your radar as it seems to be a hidden gem in the area that we hope is there for years to come.

Such good food and such a cozy restaurant! Really good service! The skirt steak is a must :)

Wow, delicious Halal KBBQ! All the chicken items and the Bulgogi was Halal on the menu, absolutely delicious with authentic flavours. A bit in the pricier side but oh so worth it. I got the chicken wings mild and it had plenty of flavour and crunch, the wings were meaty and tasted phenomenal. Food came out quick, great portion sizes. Highly recommend checking this out!

The Korean Fried Chicken was incredible! The skin was really crispy with very tender meat. The spices and sauce was excellent. Had the brisket for entrée. Very moist, and an amazing seasoning; smoky garlicky with great sweet sauce (you can also get spicy). My wife had the pork belly and it was also really good! As were the fried dumplings. Service was excellent and the general atmosphere is laid back and fun. Absolutely going back!

Great service to start with. Our server accommodated a table of 11 with four children under the age of eight. We ordered a couple of different types of beef and chicken. The wings were absolutely perfectly fried and had a crunchy chewy crisp batter and we're perfectly seasoned. The bulgogi tasted so fresh and paired perfectly with the sauce that they served it in. We ended up ordering food just to try even after we were done eating. I'm going to be coming back very soon

I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere inside the restaurant. For me all the food were delicious. My favorite is the bulgogi taco, fried tofu, fried chicken and kalbi. My friends said the grilled meat were on the saltier side but it tasted fine for me. Street parking wasn’t bad at all on Saturday evening. Service was good overall. Received our food fairly quick. Only one server and she seem overwhelmed but she tried her best. Be patient. Definitely need more server here to accommodate both dine in and pick up. Good selection of soju. They only take RSVP at the moment, which is nice so the restaurant don’t seem too crowded.

Great food for fast casual spot, nice service as well. Perfect for before a bulls game

Excellent food, bit on the pricey side but with great taste and presentation. Staff was super nice but my only complaint was that they seemed to be a bit understaffed with our kind waiter doing reception, serving and taking orders all on her own. Order ranking - Korean Fried Chicken (Best item) - Buldak with Cheese (2nd) - Bibimbap bowl with Beef Bulgogi (3rd)

this place was SO good, we got the loaded fries and pork belly, both were excellent!

The food here was better than expected! The dumplings are FANTASTIC, the pork belly bbq was good, the kimchi was the perfect balance of spice rub and cabbage. The pear juice was tasty but a bit more watered down than anticipated. The place was busy and there seemed to be only one server and one cook, but the wait for food wasn’t bad at all. Overall it was a really enjoyable experience for a small, hole-in-the-wall type place! Do keep in mind that this area is not amazing, we had one homeless person come in that the staff shoo-d out and one that kept tapping on the glass trying to get an attractive woman’s attention… obviously does not affect the restaurant itself but be aware of this when traveling at night to and from here.

Halal Korean BBQ This is one of the rare places that has ample halal options on their menu, so you can easily come back for multiple visits. With a busy restaurant turn around time was great, the servers were on top of it. The food was delicious with authentic Korean flavors. Roy Choi would be proud.

First off, this place has AMAZING customer service! I was in town for a concert and was wanting to find a place to eat after. I had contacted this establishment, along with others, asking if it would be possible for them to keep their doors open longer so that people could come eat after the concert. The gentleman running it not only responded really quickly, but was awesome enough to stay open so we would be able to eat! He, and the two ladies that worked, were very nice with smiles all around! The food was delicious! I had the pork belly and spicy wings, and we also had bulgolgi, brisket, and soup around the table. Everything was good! Very decent priced as well! I will def be back next time I have some time in Chicago!

This is the best Korean BBQ restaurant I have eaten at. I have eaten at at least a dozen other Korean BBQ spots. Maybe its good because they cook it for you. Meaning you don't get to mess up your meal yourself. The wait is well worth it. Definitely stop in when you can. Love that it has a halal option for the chicken and beef. Cannot wait to try more stuff on the menu

Food was so bomb I absolutely loved it, also loved that they had halal options on the menu since it it so hard to find authentic halal Korean in Chicago. The place itself is quite small and it usually very full so make sure you reserve before hand and skip the hour wait.

The chicken was really good. I especially enjoyed the spicy ones. They’re really a gochujang flavor. But there was plenty of saucy goodness. And the servings of fries was huge. 💕 I was a happy child after this meal.

Three of us went for an early dinner and enjoyed delicious dumplings, and I had the bulgogi. My favorite thing about Korean food is all the banchan you get with your meal– it came with yummy cucumbers, radish, and kimchi. The standout for me was the pitcher of soju/yogurt drink that we got. It was sweet and refreshing after a long day of walking. Definitely recommend.

My favorite restaurant in chicago! My husband and I absolutely love Soju. The service the food, it’s all amazing. We get the sampler that comes with three meats, rice, kimchi dumplings (so good!), side of pickled cucumber, sautéed eggplant and fries! It’s our order every time and it’s so good! 10/10 recommend.

Food was so good! Sydney’s service was really warm and hospitable :) we got a yummy beef bowl, steak and a very refreshing Black sesame icecream! Def worth trying

Wonderful, just wonderful. We were there with kids at the end of a week+ trip, and they put us in a quiet booth with quick service. Every dish was excellent, and a great variety. Even picky toddlers stuffed themselves. Nice cocktail for the adults, too. Prices were surprisingly reasonable for the location and quality.

Super friendly place with delicious food. We got the meal for two and it was so much food. Absolutely a gem of a restaurant that we were lucky to find. Great halal options as well!

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!

Went there with a friend and got the deal for two. Started with the kimchi dumplings which were amazing. Split the l.a. kalbi and the skirt steak which were both phenomenal. Great place to grab a delicious meal and a couple beers before a game at the U.C. Will be back soon!!!

This place is super cute! Heard about it on TikTok. The menu is partially halal and the halal items are clearly marked. The ambience was great. KPop playing in the background, clean restaurant, open kitchen, smelled great. Not a ton of space but very comfortable. They get busy! Make a reservation. They have two bathrooms too. The service was awesome. Greeted and seated immediately. The servers were friendly and polite and answered all our questions, and provided some great recommendations and accommodations. We ordered the Bulgogi Ribeye and the Buldak Chicken. The flavor for the ribeye was really good, sweet and salty, but not a lot of actual meat pieces for the price of $25. More tiny scraps of meat with onions in a lot of oil. Didn't taste fresh. And they skimped on the meat. The Buldak chicken was more fresh and hot, with potato's and rice cakes. Rice cakes were kind of old, but the chicken was tender and yummy. The potato's were good too. We got some additional gochujang on the side to dip in for additional spice. The banchan was good! Overall had a good time. We took the green line and walked 5 blocks from downtown to get here. Beware the neighborhood if you do this, we did get harassed lol.

Our friend back in Columbus, Ohio recommend this place and we looked up online and were so excited! When we got to the restaurant, it was small and casual more than we expected, don't get me wrong it was good tho. Our server was nice and helping us order the food, I wasn't sure to get the Pork belly or Bibimbup and she recommended Pork belly. So we got KFC, pork belly with side kimchi dumpling, my husband got brisket with fries. The dumplings was REAL good! We love the chicken too, the fries was alright. Our main course didn't as good as we thought it would be, the way they served the potion was pretty boring when compare with the price. My pork was too thick and hard to chew, the description mentioned that will cook at the right what it suppose to be...but I don't think so. My husband said his meal was good but not that good. I think to myself that I should have get Bibimbup instead at least I still have veggies and egg! At the end of the meal the restaurant got a little bit busy and just to get water and to go box took forever. Overall it was a good meal, good size and we like the dumpling.

Note: I have a tendency to over order, as I like variety when I eat. At first, it started as a party of 2, but after the food started coming out, it dawned on us that the portions were definitely a lot bigger than we anticipated. We had to call over another person to help finish everything. The Loaded Fries were definitely good but quite heavy. It can easily fill you up, so order at your own discretion. Their Kimichi Fried Rice was fine, not good or bad. The bibimbap was a bit of a let down. The bowl wasn't hot enough to make crispy rice. It was a lot soggier/wet than what I'm used to. The Galbijim/Kalbijim "Short Rib Stew" wasn't the best. The meat was very tender; however, the overall broth was sort of lacking. I'm not sure but it didn't leave a great impression. If and whenever a Korean restaurant offers Boodae Jjigae, there is no doubt that I'll order it to try it. Why? It's the epitome of Korean and American foods being thrown together. My thoughts on theirs? I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10. It didn't have a lot of ingredients that you normally see (cheese, beans). Also, there was so much tofu, that it was ridiculous. If you or anyone you know are big eaters, that offer a AYCE (all you can eat) for 2 hours. It's not a bad deal, but I wasn't up for the challenge that day.

Had a great date night with Wifey. Food is always amazing and spot on. We even ordered some to take back home to the kiddos who love the place as well. The only thing was how they charged 18% gratuity for 2 people when there was really no service provided after the food was dropped off. Also it’s a really tight spot so don’t expect to sit and enjoy. It feels like you are rushed out of there. 1 minus star for the service

This is a city gem hidden in the southern tip of The West Loop. The korean wings are perfectly breaded and crispy and juicy. Their spicy sauce has good heat, but not overpowering. The bulgogi taco was well done. The marinade used here is exactly what i expected. The highlight is their kalbi with rice and pickles. The marinade is similar to the bulgogi, but a bit more substantial meat in the short rib. My only drawback is that it’s a higher price point than other authentic Korean restos. And i was a bit surprised by the automatic 18% service fee. But overall, the food was very tasty and a very friendly environment in a fairly small space.

We went here as the restaurant now provides zabiha halal option. Overall, the food was really great. We had dumplings, rib eye, brisket, spicy chicken. Our only concern was that the service isn’t that great as there were only 2 servers for the whole restaurant over weekend which slowed down the service. Will do a pickup next time.

I ordered the Buldak (Korean Fire Chicken). It was so good, the chicken is well cooked and the flavor is wonderful, spicy level is mild and it comes with rice and a choice of default sides (kimchi/pickled cucumber/pickled radish). I give 4 stars because I think the rice is cooked on the grill, so it’s a bit crusty (refer to last photo) (not soft) in my opinion

Highly Recommend! We loved SoJu BBQ! The staff was amazing — they guided us through the menu and explained every dish so well. We started with the Korean Fried Chicken and it was incredible — super crispy and full of flavor. We also tried the Bulgogi Ribeye and L.A. Kalbi, both beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. And the ice cream was a perfect finish — my favorite was the Hojicha. Great food, great service, great experience. Highly recommended!

Food was great and happy to have halal options. Unfortunately two of the halal meat options were not available at the time I visited, so there were no options other than the skirt steak and chicken for the two person combo since I wanted to stick to halal. They also didn't have ice cream available at the time, but made up for it with a milkis. The server was super nice and although it was busy, tried her best to check up on us.

I ordered on ubereats and the food was tasty but for some reason the food messed up our stomach. The ribs barely had any meat on it but the chicken wings and bulgogi bowl were super tasty. The bulgogi bowl could’ve had more bulgogi it was quite limited compared to the times I’ve been in person and ordered.

Wanted to love this place to support small bussiness, but we found it just to be just ordinary. Our Ribeye Bbusiness, way too sweet, Kimchi fried Rice was bland, L.A Kilbi ok, our sides dishes never came out, neither my Kimchi Soup!, I will say their chicken wings are worth trying with a spicy sauce and their kimchi fried dumplings. After eating it is neccesary to wash off sticky hands, the bathroom needs a lot of cleaning, a large paper disposal and definately hand soap.

The bulgogi bibimbap and creme brûlée cheesecake with black sesame are my favorite items here. The batter of the fried chicken wing is too hard and dry, not in a light and crispy way. It was a struggle and not delightful to eat the wings. The fries have way too much saucy I felt a bit sick after eating the two combination of cardboard like wings and over sauced fries.

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.

3.5 stars. The food we got was half good half meh. The spicy fried chicken was pretty good and the tteokbokki was delicious (just a lil salty); I’d go back for just that. We wanted the beef bulgogi but they said they were out of it (5pm on a Monday) so we got the LA galbi at the waiters suggestion. It was meh for us, possibly because we both aren’t fans of fatty/chewy meat and the flavor wasn’t really there. The kimchi was also missing something flavor wise but I couldn’t tell you what exactly. The service was good and the atmosphere was nice so all that was a plus. They have kpop music videos playing on a TV in the restaurant. The restaurant was a bit smaller than I expected but that was fine as it wasn’t busy. Decent place.

It was tasty .The atmosphere was nice .We enjoyed the food.The price seemed considerate on the first hand but while paying we got to know that they have 15-20% built in tips which seemed expensive

The main appeal was that they had halal options but the food did not taste good. The ribeye tasted old and it had too much salt. Also inside the restaurant it was freezing cold so it was uncomfortable to sit inside and eat.

The “spicy” Korean fried chicken was bland, it had no flavor or spice. It also had a strong and overwhelming powdery taste, maybe cornstarch. The soju skewers were undercooked, the rice cakes tasted raw. The loaded fries were not bad, tasted alright. The restaurant has over a 4 star rating, so I was excited to try. It might’ve been a bad food day, but I don’t think I’ll go back.