Bonchon Salem
Korean restaurant · Salem
299 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970, USA
Highlights
Double-fried Korean fried chicken with soy garlic or spicy sauce
Double-fried Korean fried chicken with soy garlic or spicy sauce
"National Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon has consistently been the go-to for many Boston folks’ fried chicken fix. The wings and drumsticks are dredged in a thick batter and fried twice, then dressed in various Korean-style sauces that range from mouth-numbingly spicy to garlicky and sweet. A few local locations include spots in Cambridge, Allston, and Quincy." - Erika Adams
"Yes, it’s a chain. And yes, its wings are worthy of your dollars thanks to their double-fried crunch. Choose between soy garlic and spicy, or get half and half. Massachusetts locations include this one in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, Allston, Quincy, and Waltham." - Erika Adams
"If you’re going to eat in a crowded, windowless basement that kind of looks like an apartment complex cafeteria in a dystopian world where no one can go outside because sunlight melts human hair, then the food better be pretty good. That’s the case at Bonchon, which serves some great fried chicken in an almost claustrophobic space in the basement of the retail complex. The rest of the Korean menu is solid but it’s the lightly fried chicken pieces that will keep you coming back." - dan secatore
"If you’ve been to the BonChon in Harvard Square, then you already know that the lightly fried chicken wings are so good that you don’t mind having to eat them in a frenetic, windowless basement that kind of feels like a radiation shelter in the year 2126. If you’ve been to the one in Allston, you know that, oh hey, you can see the outside world here. The food is just as good (get the kimchi pancakes if you’re not in the mood for chicken), and it also helps that they have some big pitchers of beer and carafes of flavored soju." - dan secatore
"Bonchon is really good for two scenarios: (1) nuclear winter has descended and you need a windowless basement to hang out in for a few years, or (2) you’re just in the mood for some good fried chicken. This place gets packed on the weekends with a lot of people enjoying the big Korean menu that has everything from bibimbap to tteokbokki, but we suggest sticking to the nicely fried chicken, preferably the spicy variety that really does have a nice little kick." - dan secatore
