bb.q Chicken Allston

Bbq chicken used to be my absolute favorite chicken spot in Boston. I remember how I'd buy it for special occasions over the years. I was always quick to tell people that you need to go to bbq if you want chicken made right! But unfortunately, this is no longer the case. At all. I've had it a couple times at this location in 2025 and it's been terrible each time. I only kept going back because I used to enjoy it in the past. I figured, maybe I was going on an off day or whatever. The most recent time I had it though was the worst. I ordered Golden Original boneless wings and after getting halfway through the meal, I noticed that the texture was off. I pulled a wing apart and I was shocked to see that the inside was bright pink. I literally felt so disgusted in that moment and sought a refund. This location needs to go back to what made them an easy place to recommend years ago. But for now, it is a skip until they can fix things.

I've actually come here so many times because the chicken is just so good!! The workers are always very nice and attentive and the place is pretty spacious inside. I love that they open until 2am because I drop by here after work around midnight to get takeout and it just never disappoints. Definitely recommend anything that has the cheesling powder (yummy goodness) and the golden olive fried chicken because it has that nice spice to it, though, all the other sauces they have are delicious too! I love the radish that always comes along with the meal too.

I usually order the secret sauce chicken from different BBQ locations in Boston, and it always tastes amazing, leaving me in a great mood. Today, however, I was feeling low on energy, so I decided to order the same secret chicken from this restaurant. Unfortunately, the chicken was very tough and had the texture of chewing rubber. I had ordered it in the morning, so it seemed like it had been made a few days ago. The sauce also had a strange smell. I ordered the whole size, but after two pieces, I decided to stop. I’m really upset and will never order from here again.

something is just off here. how do you mess up fried chicken?? this specific location needs to go back to bbq chicken university. bbq chicken central square has never let me down. 1. cheesling wings - sooooo salty. not sure how that happened 2. galbi wings - alright. veryyy subtle flavor for how tasty it looks. 3. rose tteokbokki - NOOOO!!!! the rice cake was soggy and the sauce even worse. it tasted like goopy pepper water. the redemption was having great customer service over the phone. i called about how bad the meal was, and got a full refund.

The chicken wings are a little bit dry. The honey garlic one tastes ok. The classic one is not as good as I thought. My coworker ordered bbq chicken from a different location tasted better.

I will return! Great variety of fried, crispy chicken. We tried several flavors and all were terrific. They have spicy and non-spicy. Most people were taking out their food. Only a few small tables to eat at. I encourage you to give this new, local restaurant a try!

My go-to place to get fried chicken!! It is top notch. I always order the cheesling cus it’s super crispy and the powdered cheese is so rich and flavorful. The hot spicy is my 2nd favorite but they don’t put much sauce on it anymore which really sucks. The spicy galbi tastes exactly like general tso chicken, which I really enjoy too.

I ordered the Gangnam style and the Caribbean jerk. The chicken itself was tasty, even if some bits could have been moister. However, I came here to warn about the sides. What an absolute joke. I ordered the coleslaw, and it’s literally in a condiment container, not even a real side-sized container. Even if I didn’t order the half and half option, they are considering an appropriate amount of side dish to accompany 10 pieces of chicken is about three bites if you stretch it out. What cheapskates!! Especially coming from a place that offers very little vegetable accompaniments to round out the meal. Cabbage is probably one of the cheapest vegetables at that! The sides are absolutely not worth it until they start giving more generous amounts. Save your money, buy the sides elsewhere/make them at home.

bb.q Chicken in Allston was one of the chain's first locations in Boston/MA! Since then, they've opened & continue to open more locations. This location is opened the latest daily, until 2am, with take out last call being 10pm. Quality and taste of chicken is definitely the best here tbh. My go-to is the honey garlic! Always super crispy somehow with all the sauce. Service is quick & easy with menu scannable via QR code. A must try if you haven't yet... highly recommend the honey garlic. My favorite flavor that they offer ;))

First time ordering bb.q. My sister recommended it while I was in town for the first time. The food was cold and not fresh. The wings were ordered were in a pool of sauce and super soggy. Can't even see my fork. Apparently it's a common issue at this location. I wish I would have had a better experience but I don't think I will be trying this place again. 2 hr update: unfortunately we have food poisoning, the chicken wings must have been old :(

The service here is awful, with a rude waitress and no redeeming qualities. The fried chicken is mediocre at best, and with so many better options nearby, there's absolutely no reason to dine here. Avoid this place.

My new go to spot for fried chicken. I was shocked at how reasonable the prices are for how much you get. The chicken itself is bursting with flavor and extremely crunchy. You get all that you're craving and much more. Additionally, the pickled radish helps lighten the heaviness of the chicken. Great spot, and I love how late they're open

I am a huge fan of fried chicken and the selling point for me is the crunchiness of the breading/coating. I ordered the 8 piece wings and they definitely delivered on crunchiness. I was very torn on which flavor to get but I ultimately went with secret sauce and I still don't know how I felt about it. The flavor was good as it was sweet with a hint of spiciness at the end but it did have a faint interesting flavor I wasn't a fan of--but I'm not sure what it was. I would want to try other flavors as the wings them selves are really tasty. The cashier was very patient with us (and the customers) as we made up our mind on what to get. They even offered us some recommendations. It is spacious inside and I did like the booth/table combination.

My go to bbq chicken place because this is the only location that allows you to do half and half with ANY KIND OF FLAVORS you want! They have street parking in the front, and the servers are always quick to accommodate us. If you love crispy and cheese powder, I would recommend you cheesling! The wings always come out steamy fresh and extra crispy with a side of radish. The ambiance is depending on which hours of the day you there, but it always uplift with kpop music in the background. Nice spot to go with friends/co workers for destress

Really yummy chicken and side dishes too. The bulgolgi poutine was such a unique twist on korean food and really yummy. The chicken was all very good as well, pretty standard korean fried chicken. We tried to get as many types as possible but honestly couldn't super differentiate between them. The service was phenomenal, everyone was super welcoming and attentive. They kept a constant eye on our water and plates. At the end, we did credit card roulette and the waitress was so sweet, she said that she knew one of the cards had the best cashback on dining so she picked that one.

Super delicious! My friends and I always come here for dine-in or takeout when we are craving chicken. I LOVE cheesling. Please try this flavor if you haven't yet! The other flavor we like is the Hot Mala wings. It's not spicy if you eat spice frequently. The service is nice and quick. Not much to say about it to be honest! The ambiance is chill, but somewhat lively. There are always booths filled with customers eating chicken. Good place to go with friends/fam, simple date, pretty much anything!

Cheap, fast BBQ chicken that always satisfies. Not the best, but very tasty and my go to for quick junk food.

My go to place for Korean fried chicken! I've tried three bb.q chicken branches - Allston, Kendall Square and Lowell and Allston branch has the best flavor in my opinion. It also has the shortest wait. Both bone-in and boneless taste great and you can choose from a variety of sauce options. Other dishes are good and shareable as well.

Note: this review is for the food only! I have only ever gotten takeout or delivery from bbq, so I can't really speak to the ambiance for dining in at the restaurant, or the service here. This is hands-down my FAVORITE korean fried chicken spot in the area. Every time I've ordered (which had been several times now), the chicken is always crispy with the juiciest, most tender meat inside. BBQ chicken never misses! Here are some of my favorite flavors: Secret Sauce If you're Korean and looking for the classic 양념 flavor, this is it. A little sweet, a little tangy, a bit of heat, and a slight fruity flavor to balance out the spice. Honey Garlic This somehow always has THE crispiest texture, and strikes a perfect balance between sweet and savory. I always order this flavor and it has never let me down. Golden Original & Spicy Original A classic for a reason - always super light and crispy on the outside, and the meat is somehow juicier for these flavors. I've never experienced the breading getting soggy or un-crispy on the way to my place for delivery. If you want to try korean fried chicken, this place is it!

Update as of July 2023: I went to BBQ Chicken again 2 more times this past week and they continue to impress me. The quality and size of their chicken is excellent. The flavor is spot on and consistent with other times I've bought (which is very very many). They now have a machine right up front if you want to order take out on the spot. You can still call in or use food apps. Indoor dining is opened up again since Covid... been open for a long time. Update to parking situation: all the meters on Harvard st/ave? are taken away. You'll have to park elsewhere and walk over. Try Comm ave, perhaps in front of Herb Chambers BMW/Mini.

the service was so. super super bad , they just told us dining only no order take out . that ridiculous, I never seen it before. All staff just talked on the back . Not highly recommendation

Terrible service. We went in to order food around 1:35 on the app in person. Open until 2am according to online. They told us we needed to order online so we did and were asking for help with the time because we didn't see am as any of the time options. They were no help and then at 1:45am told us they were closed and could not place an order. so now we have absolutely no food and stood there for ten minutes asking for help.

Came all the way from the Metrowest area for BBQ chicken take out. Did not disappoint. Allergy friendly (eggs, milk and peanuts). Good quality and service.

I have ordered bb.q for so long but this is just unacceptable and poor quality. The rose ddeokbokki came in a smaller container (not its usual bb.q to-go bowl) and with Mexican cheese blend?? They didn't even have the decency to melt it....If you're Korean, you know we use Mozzarella cheese and bb.q has always done it right. This makes so sense at all. The chicken isn't fried correctly and undercooked.

The ambiance was a little too much, I enjoy the Kpop atmosphere but it was blaring. The food was so-so. We ordered fried chicken with their special sauce, and it was definitely too much sauce. As a result the fried chicken came out more soggy vs crispy. If we were going there again I would ask for smaller amount of sauce and have it on the side. The service was also so-so and wait staff wasn't so helpful in describing the menu. It was all guesses based on the pics of the menu and I looked at other Yelp recommendations for some guidance.

Finally tried Korean fried chicken in Boston. The chicken itself is well cooked and moist, very crispy and maintains the crispiness even after being drenched in sauce (impressive!) 3 out of 5 stars because it is on the expensive side ($16-17 for ten pieces) and because I ordered only "non-spicy" flavors (golden original, soy garlic, and galbi) but everything was overwhelmingly spicy. We weren't able to actually enjoy the food. I couldn't give any to my child which left both of us sad. I've found with Korean chicken, even the plain is spicy and I wish there was a way to remove the spice or at least tone it down.

Bad service!!!! Stay away! I went here with my boyfriend, the girl only chat to my boyfriend who all the girls find attractive and I can't blame them. But when the waitress came to chat with me, she was always rude! Like you'll smile at him but give me the rude face, and bad attitude, really weird. Hire some nice people. Even for pick up orders, the girls and dudes who hand me my food aren't nice, don't make eye contact, don't smile, don't talk. What's with this place, I guess you can't be kind nowadays.

Good and bad at the same time. We order various flavors of the boneless chicken and while the thick coating and flavoring tasted good, the pieces of meat seemed like someone gathered whatever scraps of chicken meat were lying around (white and dark meat) and threw them into the fryer. We'll be going back to Bonchon

A solid Korean fried chicken restaurant. We ordered take out and the food came warm and delicious. Their sauces always hit the spot, and the wings are always juicy and tender. Sweet potato fries are okay, got a bit soggy during transportation, but they're exactly what you would expect out of sweet potato fries. Overall good chicken and will satisfy your craving.

I typically don't like Korean chicken because of how it makes me feel after but BBQ chicken still tastes great before the food coma sets in. The fries: so crispy and hot! Every place should make it this fresh. The chicken: we got on the bone and in two sauces: secret sauce and gangjeom. I liked the secret sauce better. It was very crispy and tender inside! I have been here before and tried other sauces and thought they were great too. The only thing I was disappointed at was the corn salad. For 2 dollars, they gave a tiny little cup drenched in Mayo and the corn was not even crispy. But that's ok, I just won't get it next time. Great spot for sharing!

Not my favorite place to eat at. Was the chicken hot and moist? Yes. But the flavors didn't blow me away. The Ttobokki wasn't wowing me in flavor. The chicken wing flavors were good, but nothing blowing my mind. Some flavors were wayyyyyy too spicy, even thought on the menu it said kinda spicy. Some flavors were way too sweet. And the ambiance inside wasn't all that great

Chicken was so bad we couldn't eat it - way too salty, garlicky, and then way too bland for the original

First they committed a big restaurant sin. They charged more for the wings than what was stated on the menu. This is never good. Has been know to permanently lose customers. Ok, now the chicken wings, There are about 12 options, the menu does a poor job at explaining the choices. Regardless I chose the Mala, which supposedly is the ultimate in spicy. They were mildly spicy, slightly less crispy as The "other guys", and the flavor though decent was less delicious than the "other guys" Ok service, ok wait time, big problem switching up prices, Better at the "other guys"

1st time trying, I got the Golden Olive Chicken, actually thought it was pretty spicy, What bothered me though, is some of the chicken pieces are reddish,inside, is this really Chicken ??? what am I eating, ? or is is just the cheap parts ?. on the plus side the 10 piece is allot for food, however I got the Cole slaw side, very small amount ! I will not eat bb.q Allston ever again

My go to spot for chicken and beer. The honey garlic, cheeseling and original are probably my favorites

BBQ chicken is our go to for korean fried chicken. So many options for flavors and various entrees/side dishes. My favorite is the honey garlic! Great service and ambience.

This is my first ever 1 star review, had to warn people so they don't waste their money coming here. Came in and wasn't greeted by the host, she just pointed where we should sit. Don't understand why this place is full service anyways. Food came out in 5 minutes and was room temp, tasted reheated. Soda was flat, bad service. Honestly can't think about any positives about my visit. If you want Korean fried chicken, go to literally any other location but this one. So disgusted to have to pay for that and still tip

Customer service is super trash and the food is not fresh! For almost $20 per 10 wings, you'd think that I could request fresh and get that, but instead they had me wait after I walked there, and gave me back the same wings. The restaurant was not busy, just one table and not a person said hello, or asked did I need something when I accidentally walked on the wrong side of the restaurant. Just crazy looks from the staff. Won't waste my time or money here anymore, I'd rather have Bon Chon. Disgusted with this place. If I could give 0 starts, I would.

I placed an order ahead of time, hoping that when I got there the food would be ready and I could eat it inside, as I do at many restaurants including the bbq chicken in Cambridge. when I placed the order it said it would take 25-30 minutes. I received a message 5 minutes later saying my order was ready... I got to the location and was denied to sit in the empty restaurant to eat my meal because I ordered take out. when I got back to my car to eat it I realized why, if I had eaten inside I would've turned it back. the chicken was definitely not made to order and was room temp which is definitely a no no for Korean chicken. will not be eating at this location again, and recommend customers to go to the Cambridge location instead.

They didn't want to give me food on time I waited over 50 minutes to get my food delivered. It was 12:30am when they close at 2am but food took 1 hour to be ready for a 10 piece on a Wednesday? Doesn't sound right at all. Wouldn't even give a side sauce and they are just so rude.

Ordered 10 honey garlic bone in, 10 secret sauce boneless, and a side of fries. Both the bone in and the boneless have a good crunch without being overcooked or burnt. I was impressed by the size of the boneless wings. Of the two flavors, I preferred the secret sauce, it had a good, mild, kick, but the spice wasn't overpowering. The fries were pretty average.

We ordered the half & half boneless with honey garlic and spicy galbi, bulgogi poutine, and French fries. The chicken is very crispy and flavorful. Each piece is also pretty juicy, which is nice because a lot of places tend to make their boneless chicken dry. The spicy galbi was not overly spicy, but had a nice kick to it. The honey garlic was sweet and savory, it is my go-to flavor from them. I have also tried their other flavors, but nothing else stands out in a good way. I personally do not like their cheeseling and soy garlic flavor, but the rest of the flavors are all alright. The bulgogi poutine is also on the sweeter side, but was nice to eat and offset the chicken flavor. Nothing goes too wrong with having potato, cheese, and meat in a dish. Overall, the food was yummy, but it does get heavy so I would not come back too often unless I am specifically craving their fried chicken.

BBQ chicken has always been a favorite spot to order from when I'm craving Korean fried chicken!! What I like most about their menu is their soy garlic boneless chicken. Usually boneless chicken ends up being more dry but it's certainly not the case here! Their boneless chicken is just as juicy and flavorful as their wings and drums. The soy garlic is my favorite flavor by far and I get it everytime I come here! This time I also retired the Gangnam style wings which were also super good. The wings were coated with this sweet and spicy sauce. This is a must try for those that like a little bit of heat. The shrimp fried rice was the perfect dish to balance the flavors with the chicken dishes. It's nothing too special but it's a solid fried rice!! This will continue to be a goto place for me when it comes to Korean friend chicken in Boston!

The staff are super friendly. The restaurant was dirty though. Our table didn't seem to be wiped down very good and there were old dirty napkins and food crumps on the floor from the previous customers. The food was ok. We had ordered the soy garlic chicken wings and the original spicy chicken wings. The soy garlic flavor was too powerful and the original spicy chicken was mediocre. We had also ordered the bulgogi poutine and we thought that was pretty decent.

There's a lot of Korean fried chicken places in Allston. What makes this place different? The sauces and the sides. The workers all seem to be real Koreans, and they know how to make interesting dishes. I'm pretty sure bulgogi fries with cheese and tater tots wouldn't be considered authentic, but it's damn good. I'll probably have to come here multiple times to try all the sauce flavors. The soy garlic probably has real garlic in the breading, since it ig actually pretty strong flavored. The surprisingly sweet is really good and tastes like sweet chilli sauce. If you don't want to get sticky hands, then probably order the boneless chicken and use a fork.

They have really really good Cheesling Wings, I come back a lot of time just for it, it's the best chicken wing I have tried in the US but other dishes are not my type

I ordered a 10 piece of their original fried wings. The plan was to enjoy them at home after calling in n picking up. I had to taste at least one while pulling off. Needless to say by the time I got to the first red light I was already on my second wing....only had 5 left when I got home. Their wings are so crispy n well cooked. I have a lot of allergies so I am careful with ordering. Their original was a perfect choice. Just enough flavor, with a tiny kick. I will definitely be back.

The marinade on the chicken was really tasty, but the size of the drums and flats have gotten significantly smaller over the years. The service here sucks and the Tteok-Bokki (spicy rice cakes) even came out cold, so we had to ask them to heat it up for us. The interior honestly looks like a worn down factory, which is sad because the restaurant has so much potential to be a hot spot. I haven't been to their location in Kenmore, but I've heard it is better!

A solid choice for Korean fried chicken - I ordered the 20 piece of the soy garlic and galbi half and half combination. The takeout box that the fried chicken comes in is designed with several air holes to allow for proper ventilation and ensure that the chicken is still crunchy when it arrives to you. I enjoyed the crunch and flavor of the chicken wings. However, I'm knocking off a few stars because my wings were cold. I was definitely served old wings because the delivery time was prompt. Although everything remained crunchy and not soggy, I was fairly disappointed by how cold the wings were. I'm curious to taste them fresh/in-person.

If you want authentic Korean Fried chicken in Boston, this is the place to go! They taste identical as the ones in Korea. Unlike Bonchon or the other Americanized fried chicken places in the area, this one fits the bill. I would like to say that it's affordable as well and their tastes great as well. Had delivery and dine-in experiences and both were great. I'd recommend Half & Half with golden olive and secret sweet sauce :)

Super fast delicious wings. Very tender chicken with a still crispy exterior and tasty sauce. We got the secret or special sauce. We did find them to have a tiny bit of spice but nothing alarming like any burning mouth or anything! I was very cautious after reading the reviews. But it wasn't overly spicy in our experience.

Worst experience ever. Would never go back. Ordered take out with my wife and waited at the bar. The manager and bartender told us we could not sit down. I explained that we had work a 12 hour day and wanted to sit while we waited for our food To be ready. The bartender and the manager both proceed to threaten us and told us to go out side to fight them. we asked them to cancel the order and we left. I do not support businesses that threaten women.

I have no authentic experience to go off of for Korean Fried Chicken, but I do know that BB.Q is a Korean chain since I see it in so many K.Dramas I watch, so I finally gave in and tried it and I was honestly surprised. Given that it's a chain and the ratings weren't great, I didn't have super high expectations, but the chicken was juicy and crispy! The flavors we got: Soy Garlic, Galbi, Spicy Galbi, Golden Olive, and Cheesling (over 2 separate orders - XMas Eve & New Years Eve haha). My partner wasn't a fan of the cheeseling flavor, but I was. We both love the simplicity and slight spice to Golden Olive. We also enjoyed the other flavors we got. As someone who typically likes things boneless, I'll proudly admit that their wings / whole chicken are way better. Though their boneless were fine, there wasn't as good of a crispy to juicy chicken ratio due to the boneless pieces being more 1-3 bite pieces. My partner has been the one to pick up the take out, but they've always been super busy so the order hasn't always been ready upon arrival, which isn't a huge deal. We haven't tried other items on their menu, but I'm sure it's great. This place might be our favorite Korean Fried Chicken place in the area. Getting Fried Chicken has become our XMas Eve tradition, so this place (assuming we don't move) is most likely our go to place!

Great selection of flavors, with some newer flavors which have all been decent. My favorite is still the soy garlic. I get boneless which isn't the most consistent in terms of chicken quality and they don't coat the chicken thoroughly with the sauces, but it's probably still the best korean fried chicken you can find in Boston. Free refills on radish, quick service, and cheap beer! Their ddeokbokki is also good. I like the mala flavor but their original with cheese is solid too!

Atmosphere: feels like a very great spot to drink beer and enjoy everyones company. Its giving a very sporty and fun vibe. Food: bulgogi tater tots are a must with the running egg. I haven't been a big fan of running eggs lately- but it is necessary for this appetizer. Must have! The cheese wings- I was so nervous at first, but honestly it is oddly very good! I would suggest a try on this one too. I would say it taste like synthetic fake cheese, but its sooo good. Like the powder on your fingers after you eat Cheetos. The other wings we ordered were spicy and you know Koreans know their spicy. So needless to say it was very spicy- be careful when ordering your spicy level. Also- yes it is just wings but it is very filling. I was not expecting to get full that quickly, but we need not forget these are double deep fried with major batter and so these wings are not the least bit skimpy. Don't order with your eyes...or yes/// order more and get a doggy bag! Btw- we ordered bone in wings and I think that is major key. Location: great location- right in the middle of busy Brighton. easy to get to by bus and train and right near BU. Price: The pricing was pretty decent. I would say the fact that it fills you up makes it all worth the price. Parking: there is a private lot you can park nearby, but street parking can be pretty easy to find on a weekday. Overall: I like this place..I personally wouldn't choose to go here but if someone else suggests it then I would go. -1 star because two of our flavors tasted the same.. and I think with most of the flavors here do end up tasting the same.

I can't believe they don't have Korean beer here, but they have 3L beer towers for $18-$41 so I shouldn't complain. I tried making a reservation online, but once I showed up, the server told me that they were not aware that I had made a reservation. I had to wait a little bit before they cleared the table. I would suggest calling them if you want to make a reservation. We got the half & half wings (20 total, $28) in the hot spicy flavor and honey garlic flavor. The wings here are so crispy! The hot spicy wings don't have much flavor, they're mostly just spicy. The honey garlic was very tasty. I've ordered delivery from here before and the wings were still warm and crispy when I received them. I highly recommend the gangnam style wings for anybody who likes spice-- it's the perfect combination of savory, sweet, and spicy. The cheesling wings are heavily coated in a cheese powder whose taste almost reminds me of chowder... wouldn't say this is my favorite flavor but the cheese powder keeps the wings super crispy. I tried the bulgogi poutine ($13) and it's the perfect pairing with many pints of beers-- tater tots, cheese, kimchi, bulgogi, scallions, and a fried egg. I wish that they melted the cheese. It seems like they just throw cold shredded cheese on top of hot tater tots. I just wish there was more consistency with how they pour the beer towers. The towers come with a huge ice block in the middle to keep the beer cold, but that means you aren't actually getting 3L. The tower has liter markings on its side and the tower I got wasn't even filled to the 3L mark. Later, I saw another server carrying a tower that was so full it spilled a bit onto the floor.

I came with two friends on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. The restaurant was rearranged so that tables were far apart. When we arrived, there were around two other parties seated. We ordered the bulgolgi poutine and golden olive chicken. I was very happy with the bulgolgi poutine because it was super flavorful and didn't skimp on any of the toppings! There was so much yummy bulgolgi on top, and the cheese was perfectly melted on top of the taters! The size was very large, too - big enough for me and two guys ! The golden olive chicken was good, but I honestly thought it was a little plain for my taste. I've had their secret sweet chicken and loved that so much more. The coating on the golden olive chicken was very yummy and crunchy! It just wasn't very flavorful at all. Our waiter was very attentive, but quite awkward and seemed very nervous to be waiting on us. Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed the food we got! I'll definitely be back for the bulgolgi poutine!