The 10 best Korean barbecue restaurants in Chicago

Korean barbecue in Chicago stretches from charcoal grills on Western Avenue to prime beef on Dempster Street in Niles and an all-you-can-eat hall in Chinatown. These 10 restaurants are for anyone planning a birthday dinner, a first night of grilling short ribs at the table or a return trip in search of better galbi, in the city and the northwest suburbs.

The list favors tabletop grilling, generous banchan and meat worth the smoke, with a mix of a la carte rooms and one all-you-can-eat spot. Most a la carte meat orders run $20 to $50, all-you-can-eat dinner in Chinatown is $30.95 a person, and the top end is a $105 steak set on the Riverwalk. A weekday lunch special in Niles costs $11.95.

How we chose

The order comes down to what lands on the grill: the quality of the meat, the banchan and how long a restaurant has kept regulars coming back. Consistent praise across The Infatuation, Time Out Chicago, NBC 5, the Chicago Sun-Times and Axios Chicago counted, as did dated Michelin recognition. Restaurants built around tabletop grills generally rank ahead of the counter-service pick, and every restaurant was confirmed open through the restaurant’s own website or a 2025 or 2026 report.

Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

San Soo Gab San

Charcoal is the draw at San Soo Gab San, a family-run restaurant on Western Avenue in Lincoln Square that has been grilling since 1992. Smoke from the charcoal gives the thin-sliced bulgogi and the sweet, savory wang kalbi their edge. Then come the side dishes: The Infatuation counts more than 25 banchan, from broccoli muchim to tiny stir-fried anchovies. Longevity, real charcoal and that spread of banchan put the restaurant at the top. Bring a group, since the large dining room is built for birthday tables and family dinners.

Hours: Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to midnight.

Address: 5247 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Why they made the list

• Patch reported in July 2018 that the restaurant had earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand two years running.
• Time Out Chicago singles out the wang kalbi, the dai ji kalbi and the bibim naengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodles with beef.
• Beyond barbecue, the menu covers soups, stews, noodles and rice dishes, according to the restaurant’s website.
• The Infatuation rated the restaurant an 8.0 in a May 2022 review.

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Cho Sun Ok

Expect a line outside Cho Sun Ok, the North Center restaurant on Lincoln Avenue that has served home-style Korean food since 1980, by the restaurant’s own count. Tables crowd around gas burners, some built in and some portable, and the order is thin-sliced brisket (chadol gui), galbi and bulgogi in a sweet soy marinade. When the meat is gone, staff turn leftover kimchi, bean sprouts and rice into crispy kimchi fried rice at no charge. More than four decades on Lincoln Avenue and steady praise from critics earn second place. Show up early, because the restaurant takes walk-ins only.

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (last call 9 p.m.); Sun 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last call 8:30 p.m.).

Address: 4200 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Why they made the list

• The restaurant is BYOB, so bring your own soju or beer.
• The Infatuation rated the restaurant a 7.7 in February 2025 and called the galbi-gui a must-order.
• Mul naengmyeon, cold noodles in an icy broth, and kimchi jjigae are among the signature dishes on the house menu.
• The Irving Park and Montrose stops on the Brown Line are the closest L stations, and parking is on the street.

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Perilla Fare

Chef Andrew Lim’s Perilla Fare opened in 2019 on Milwaukee Avenue in River West and is the most polished of the grill-it-yourself rooms here, with burners set into the tables and a mural of Michelle Obama in a hanbok on the wall. Start with the $45 classic tasting plate of prime short rib, heritage pork belly and LA galbi, or go big with the $75 chef’s plate built around Miyazaki A5 wagyu. The kimchi pancake and rice cake royale earn space on the table too. Michelin recognition and careful sourcing rank the restaurant third. Book ahead for weekend nights.

Hours: Sun-Thu 5 to 8:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Address: 401 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Why they made the list

• The Michelin Guide named Perilla a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Chicago selection.
• Premium marinated galbi costs $30 and a 6-ounce order of heritage pork belly costs $20 on the current dinner menu.
• Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. in the dining room and until 7 p.m. on the patio and at the bar.
• The restaurant’s website lists a 2026 Jean Banchet nomination for best hospitality.

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Chicago Kalbi

Signed baseballs and photos of home run hitters cover the walls at Chicago Kalbi, an Albany Park room on Lawrence Avenue where Japanese yakiniku and Korean barbecue meet over charcoal. Every table has its own grill, and the meat list runs from Japanese wagyu and beef tongue to spicy marinated pork belly, with banchan alongside. Add seafood pajeon or crispy karaage from the appetizers. Premium beef and real charcoal put the restaurant fourth, even if purists will notice the Japanese accent. Reservations go through phone or text only, and bookings made on third-party sites will not be honored.

Hours: Wed, Thu and Sun 5 to 10 p.m. (last order 9:30 p.m.); Fri-Sat 5 to 11 p.m. (last order 10 p.m.); closed Mon-Tue.

Address: 3752 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Why they made the list

• The Infatuation rated the restaurant an 8.0 in July 2023 and called the place an Albany Park institution.
• Executive chef Nobuyuki Takahashi is a third-generation yakiniku chef with more than 30 years at the grill, according to the restaurant.
• The menu also lists Kobe beef, Berkshire pork and free-range chicken, plus a premium sake list.
• On Sundays, parties of four or more can sometimes book a table before the 5 p.m. opening by contacting the restaurant in advance.

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Jinsoo Korean BBQ

Steve Dolinsky of NBC 5 named Jinsoo Korean BBQ his new favorite barbecue spot in February 2025, and the Niles restaurant on Dempster Street has the beef to back that up. Every beef cut is prime Black Angus, aged in-house. Groups of three or more should get the Jin Soo Sung Chan set, $50.95 a person for five cuts with banchan, egg souffle, stew and volcano fried rice that gets pressed into the pan until crisp. A focused, beef-first menu at fair set prices earns fifth place. Weekday lunch specials cost $11.95.

Hours: Mon-Sat lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Sun dinner 3 to 9:30 p.m.

Address: 8788 Dempster St, Niles, IL 60714

Why they made the list

• NBC 5 reported that the beef comes from a small Nebraska producer and identified Eric Yoo as a co-owner.
• A 10-ounce order of ggotsal, boneless short rib, costs $49.95, and a 12-ounce order of pork belly costs $24.95.
• The restaurant sits in a strip mall across Dempster Street from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.
• Ventilation hoods over the tables keep most of the smoke out of your clothes.

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Perilla Steakhouse

The team behind Perilla Fare also runs Perilla Steakhouse inside the L7 Hotel on the Riverwalk, where grills built into every table meet a Chicago steakhouse menu and servers handle the cooking. Dinner sets come with banchan, ssam, japchae and scallion salad: $70 for picanha, wagyu hanger and two kinds of prime short rib, or $105 for a lineup that includes Miyazaki A5 strip. The monkey bread with gochujang honey butter is the side to get. Strong reviews and a higher bill land the steakhouse at sixth. Weekend brunch also includes table-side grilling.

Hours: Dinner Mon-Thu 5 to 9 p.m.; Fri 5 to 10 p.m.; Sat 4 to 10 p.m.; Sun 4 to 9 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch are served earlier in the day.

Address: 225 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60601

Why they made the list

• The Infatuation gave the steakhouse an 8.3 in an October 2024 review.
• The restaurant’s website lists chef Andrew Lim as a 2024 Jean Banchet finalist for best chef.
• A daily happy hour starts at 4 p.m.
• A $65 four-course pre-theater menu runs Thursday through Sunday evenings and is paced to finish in 90 minutes.

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Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse

Chinatown’s Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse is the all-you-can-eat pick: one price, unlimited meat for the tabletop grill, ordered from an iPad and sometimes delivered by a robot server. Dinner costs $30.95 a person, a premium tier costs $40.95, and $5 more adds hot pot with your choice of broth. Expect bulgogi, pork belly, sliced beef and shrimp, plus a sauce bar and ice cream. Value earns the spot, while the restaurants ranked higher are a la carte places built around premium cuts. Order in small rounds, since uneaten food costs $14.99 a pound.

Hours: Sun-Thu noon to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat noon to 10:30 p.m.

Address: 2407 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

Why they made the list

• Weekday lunch before 4 p.m. costs $24.95 per adult.
• Meals have a two-hour limit, and the whole table has to choose barbecue, hot pot or both.
• A birthday guest with ID eats free in a party of at least two, and guests 65 and older get 20% off with ID.
• The Cermak-Chinatown Red Line stop is a short walk north on Wentworth Avenue.

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92 Town Korean BBQ

Out in Schaumburg, 92 Town Korean BBQ is a family-owned restaurant on Golf Road where diners grill prime short ribs and ribeye at the table. Meet Chicago Northwest, the area’s visitor bureau, pointed to the restaurant in February 2026 for vegetarian sides, allergy-friendly options and soju flights. The two-person Combo B, $79.99 for marinated prime short rib, ribeye, brisket and pork belly, covers the hits. Semi-private rooms make the restaurant a good pick for birthdays and office dinners. Plan to eat in, because barbecue orders are dine-in only.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 243 W Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60195

Why they made the list

• An order of marinated prime short rib (galbi) costs $42.99 on the dine-in menu.
• The visitor bureau’s February 2026 roundup called the restaurant a standout for Korean barbecue in the suburbs.
• The menu also has bulgogi over rice for $19.99 and an army stew hot pot for $45.99 that serves two to four.
• Prime brisket costs $30.99 and fresh pork belly costs $28.99 for the grill.

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Hwang Soh Korean Grill

Axios Chicago made the case in March 2026 that Dempster Street in the suburbs is a dining destination, and Hwang Soh Korean Grill is the Korean barbecue stop along the Morton Grove stretch. K-pop videos play on the TVs, and the menu runs from marinated kalbi and prime ribeye steak to LA-style short ribs and beef bulgogi. Readers who wrote to Axios Chicago in March 2026 pointed to the pork belly and the short rib as the orders to get. Thinner coverage than the restaurants above keeps the ranking at ninth. Call ahead with a large group.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 5819 Dempster St, Morton Grove, IL 60053

Why they made the list

• Axios Chicago included the restaurant in a March 26, 2026 roundup of reader picks along Dempster Street.
• One Axios reader described the barbecue as amazing.
• The same Dempster corridor has Indian, Thai and Filipino restaurants for another night, per the Axios roundup.

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KFire Korean BBQ

For Korean barbecue without the smoke in your hair, KFire Korean BBQ on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square is a fast-casual counter where the kitchen does the grilling. Ben Kim and Eddie Hwang opened the restaurant in July 2020, and kalbi short ribs are the bestseller, $24 as of November 2025, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Spicy chicken, Impossible Kalbi and the trademarked Bokki Fries, a riff on tteokbokki, round out an order. No tabletop grills means last place, but the counter is a quick way to get a kalbi fix. A second location operates in Old Town.

Hours: Daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: 2528 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Why they made the list

• The Sun-Times reported that the kalbi cost $15 when the restaurant opened in 2020.
• Vegan marinated mushrooms are on the menu for anyone skipping meat.
• The restaurant is certified as minority-owned by the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion.
• KFire caters and drops off orders across the Chicago area.

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Also worth knowing

For a splurge closer to fine dining than a grill party, Bonyeon on West Washington Boulevard in the West Loop serves a 10-course Korean tasting menu built around beef, prepared raw, cured, grilled, braised and slow-cooked. Chef Sangtae Park, who also owns the sushi restaurant Omakase Yume, opened Bonyeon with co-founder Kate Park, and executive chef Alex Ching runs the kitchen. Diners do not grill here. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings.

See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.