Bonchon Salem

Its been a couple of years since I've gotten food here. The prices have definitely gotten worse, and the food isn't even as good anymore. Smaller portions, the "spicy" boneless wings didn't taste like they used to in terms of flavor, and forgetting included sides. But what I'm most annoyed about is the online ordering and how I was basically forced to give a tip, as well as a convenience fee? What exactly is not "convenient" about coming to pick up an order?? Its not delivery! So anyways, the online ordering system (directly from their website by the way) automatically charged a tip and gave me NO option for it, and had not even showed me what my checkout would be before i clicked "place order". For example, my shopping cart only showed me each item, and a subtotal of all said items together. But NO "convenience fee" or a "tip". So I click "place order" and then all of a sudden, I'm charged a 12$ tip and this other fee for a pick up order... Very clever way of robbing people. And i was planning on giving a cash tip when I picked up the food because that is what i prefer to do rather than charge my card. I probably wont be coming back

The chicken here is truly delicious. The crispy skin is just amazing! We also had the shrimp shumai, and it was wonderful as well.

Not as good as other Bonchon locations. Second time eating here, same result. Thought the dry, small chicken pieces I got the first time might have been an off day, but it was exactly the same on my most recent visit, which was over a year since my last. Maybe better than fast food chicken places, but not worth it for me knowing what it's supposed to be like. Both the Allston and Cambridge locations are better (at least they were a few years ago, before I moved to the north shore) Hahaha Chicken in Woburn is another superior choice for Korean fried chicken, also better bulgogi on rice dishes (try the spicy pork).

We visited few days ago and lady working there was very welcoming. Food was very delicious specially wings.

Stopped by here because I was feeling for fried chicken and this place seemed to be a good spot for it. It was pretty sleepy when I arrived. I sat on the bar and ordered a SoJu, fried chicken and fries. The SoJu was good and refreshing. The double breaded and fried wings didn’t taste amazing mainly because all the flavor was on the skin, not the chicken meat. All of this is my own opinion. Food can be so subjective.

I ordered the Seafood Udon. It was flavorful. Now as much seafood as I would have liked, but not too bad. The shrimp were tiny and so were the scallops. But not bad. The guy that took care of us was very friendly and attentive.

This spot is always on point, everything is amazing. The girls working in here were also soo nice. What more can you really ask for. I 100% recommend.

Thanks Leland. Our experience at Bonchon, located off Essex St in Salem, MA, was nothing short of delightful. From the moment we stepped in, the Korean-style restaurant exuded warmth and authenticity. Leland, our server, played a pivotal role in enhancing our visit. His patience and helpfulness while guiding us through the menu and drink options, until we settled on pot stickers, katsu, and sake, added a personal touch to the dining experience. The food, characterized by its delicious flavors, arrived promptly, leaving no room for complaints. The efficiency in service complemented the culinary excellence. The restaurant's environment further elevated our dining pleasure, creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Bonchon manages to strike a perfect balance between exceptional service, delicious Korean-style cuisine, and an appealing ambiance. Whether you're a fan of Korean food or looking to explore new culinary delights, Bonchon in Salem is a definite hit, offering a memorable dining experience that leaves a positive and lasting impression.

I order Bonchon once a week from this location and realized I never reviewed. I have had the entire menu and what I can say for this place is they are absolutely consistent. The food is always cooked as expected and everything is always arranged to perfection. I love how they package their takeout and how everything arrives hot (even though I live far). I highly recommend the soy garlic sauce as it's their signature and it's fire. I also recommend the katsu as it's so crispy and so delicious with the dipping sauces. I cannot imagine life without my weekly Bonchon order, what are you waiting for? Time for me to place another one. I just finished my bulgogi rice leftovers!

This was honestly the worst chicken nuggests or boneless wings I have ever had. Even my wife, who loves all chicken, hated it. It was so dry, hard, and lacked flavor. Their bbq sauce was mediocre, and maybe that is where the flavor is suppose to come from. Would never ever think about eating at this place again. I think the inly reason they are in business still is from the tourist like me, who didnt know any better... Oh and its funny, I called the restaurant to see if I could put in a togo order right now, and the guy who answered said they cant do any take out orders. So I left the inn walking to find another restaurant to try and get food from, on the past this one, I noticed it was empty, well one table inside had customers, so I walked in, asked if I could place a togo order, and they said yes.... And while I was there, saw many mobile app people picking up food... i should have just skipped it when I knew the persons working there were lazy.

It is my second time ordering a pick up order from this location. I normally order in a timely manner to give enough time for them to prepare. This time I just got some chicken bibimbap, honestly I wasn't too impressed by it. There was no taste and the veggies aren't really prepared very good, I was telling myself I should have just ordered the fried chicken. It probably would have been better. It was also hard to find parking around the area, since its a busy area in the downtown.

I have never become so ill so instantly after eating a few bites of food. I ordered the wings and bulgogi from this BonChon on Sunday, August 11. The wings were fantastic as always. But when I went to eat some of the bulgogi later in the day, I became violently ill immediately. Whatever happened with that is scary.

I ordered BonChon on DoorDash so I can't speak to the ambiance of the restaurant. My food arrived hot, well packaged and all requested condiments included. I ordered the bone in wings with Korean bbq sauce and seasoned french fries. The food was amazing. Chicken was crispy and nicely coated with the bbq sauce. The fried were crispy and well seasoned. I absolutely enjoyed my meal and will definitely be ordering again

The chicken is so crispy and tasty, my favorite is the garlic soy I usually get the wings but I also enjoy the boneless chicken. I do have to mention it is a bit pricey.

I've heard good things about this place and their take on Korean fried chicken, from the lovely Spensyr K., so when a recent opportunity presented itself, I decided to give it a shot. First thoughts on walking in was that it was dirty and loud. Only a couple of tables were empty and the lone waitress said right up front she was too busy to take a table so it would be 10 - 15 minutes or so. I would much rather be told ahead of time than sit and wait and wonder, so that alone brought this up a star. The bar had a couple empty seats but they were still full of dishes from the last person that sat there so we decided to leave, order take out, and then pick it up. So that's what we did. The process went pretty smoothly, ordered via the app, everything was assembled, and off we went. Smooth as buttah... My thoughts : * Sauces were super tasty. Yangnyeom is awesome. KBBQ was really good too. * Chicken was small pieces and overcooked. Very disappointed. * Pickled radish was the star of the show.

Big fan of Bonchon for a while now. Got takeout. Ordered wings and fries. Wings were solid. Laughed when I opened the fries. Maybe 15-20 fries in the box for $6. Pretty ridiculous.

The wings are so tasty and the pickled radish side is excellent. I can't say anything about the restaurant itself because I only order pickup/delivery.

My husband and I had a small amount of time to grab some lunch before our next activity and Bonchon got us fed quickly! We have Bonchon in Queens, so this was familiar and hit the spot with it's fried chicken deliciousness - half soy garlic and half spicy. We kindly explained to the server that we had to run out fast and initially asked if the chicken would be cooked fairly quickly. They assured us it would be and they were right. The server was awesome in getting us fed and out the door in time for our next activity. It's also nice to have a bit of home =)

Came here on our trip to Salem. It had been a while since my sister's had Bonchon, so we had to go here. Unfortunately, they didn't allow indoor seating, so we had to find a place to eat. Luckily, there's a park about a block away. We were able to wait inside for our orders, so that was cool. I have to say that the chicken was better prepped here than back home in the Bay Area. The soy garlic flavor was present throughout the chicken, not just the outside. The skin was really crispy too! So good! If you haven't had Korean fried chicken, this is a good place to try it.

Service was terrible. I have eaten at Bonchons before and this location by far was not a good experience. Came in around 3pm and only 3 other tables with 1 servers. We figured it was between shifts, but what could go wrong. Took 15 min just to get our drinks and place and order for food. By 4pm we still didn't have our food and when it did arrive it was ALL COLD. Not just cooled down, but cold. When we wrote a complaint the manager Peter gave an excuse that the back of house (kitchen staff) was on break which shouldn't be an excuse. Being short staff I would assume they are backed up cooking food and would further assume food would come out fresh and hot, especially if we waited 45 min for it. We sent back the food and paid for our drinks and appetizer. For the inconvenience we should have been comped for the drinks and a manger should never blame their lack of scheduling on lathe sub par service and extremely long wait. I will go to Bonchon again, but never again at the Salem location.

Bonchon, little did we know you were a chain, but little did we know how your wings would leave a lasting impression on us for the rest of our lives. Korean hot wings, wait what? Does that work? Oh let me tell you, yes yes it does and they are amazing. Soy garlic or spicy. If you like heat, get the spicy, get the spicy and the pickled radish. Get extra wings too, because once you start, you cannot stop. You will be begging to keep the wings coming. They have this extremely crunchy coating, which then is coated in this amazing sauce (both the soy garlic and the spicy are amazing). They are brought to your table hot and crispy and a hot wing perfection. You can actually get with wings or chicken drumsticks. Yes whole drumsticks deep fried with sauce. Hands down best wings I have ever eaten. Best coating, the best sauce. Just yes. I actually ordered the japchae with a side of kimchi slaw. It's was so delicious. The perfect seasonings for the japchae and the kimchi slaw was different but amazing. However I can't lie, once I had wings I had to order wings for myself. The japchae was great, but the wings were better. The kimchi slaw was delicious but the pickled radish was so perfect to take the heat away from the spicy wings. Overall it was a great experience, the service was just a little slow, but the good was more than worth it. Anytime I travel now I'm looking to find a Bonchon to sit and devour wings at. I will definitely be back!!

First time here and it was amazing! Food was great and wait staff excellent! Definitely worth the trip.

This isn't Bonchon. It's an approximation, but it's not Bonchon. If you are used to Bonchon in the D.C. area, you'd be very disappointed in this version. The menu is the same, sure, but the quality is nowhere as good. I'm used to these huge, incredibly crispy pieces of chicken that are perfectly coated with your flavor choice. Here, you get some tiny chicken that's barely crispy, and the restaurant couldn't even denote the spicy ones from the soy garlic ones. Something was lacking in both sauces--that addictive quality is just not there. At least the spicy version is actually spicy. I also ordered the pork buns, and here the slaw has mayo on it, instead of the fresh, crunchy vegetables I prefer. The pork belly was still delicious, but that's not why you order Bonchon. I'm sure this will do if this is the only version you know. But if you are used to Bonchon outside of Massachusetts, skip this location.

This was my second time going here (first was at the Allston location). I had tried the salmon avocado ball and HAD to go again because I loved it so much. My boyfriend had also gotten the chicken wings. I'm not a poultry person at all but he told me to have just a bite, and I admit they were pretty good. I think I'm just used to not eating much meat so it didn't like, WOW me or anything. The second time, I got the ball again and loved it obviously LOL. It's sooo flavorful and I always want to order like 3 more!! However I can tell that the Salem location is definitely not as popular as the one in Allston. Not sure why

The bulgogi we ordered was overpriced for the portion and poorly cooked. For almost twenty dollars, the dish was waterlogged and bland. It was mostly undercooked onions with a small amount of beef. We didn't receive the rice that came with the order either. Pretty simple dish to get right and yet. The seasoned fries were twice the price of the normal ones with barely anything on them. Not worth the price at all.

i have eaten at bonchon at multiple locations in two states, and this one was by far the best. my partner and i arrived shortly after they open (around 11:30 am) on an october weekday. in terms of crowds we weren't sure what to expect, as downtown salem is super busy in october, but we were sat immediately. our server was very polite and attentive! our drinks and food all came out pretty quickly, but not rushed. my boneless chicken was super crispy, hot, and fresh and the soy garlic sauce is delicious. while i do eat meat and poultry, i can be super picky about it, and i appreciate that i can always rely on bonchon to have good white meat with no "weird pieces" (if you get it you get it.) i typically don't go to korean restaurants to order french fries, but i was really in the mood for them on this particular day so decided to get them as my side, and i was so surprised how PERFECT they were! i think bonchon just really knows how to make things the right level of crisp. i think about those fries all the time. the restaurant itself is small but not cramped. it's also extremely clean! i used their restroom and it was super bright, clean and tidy. note that it was the beginning of the day, so i cannot attest to how clean the restaurant and restrooms are after a long day of many customers, but i was impressed. i saw another review talking about a "garbage or sewage" smell in the restaurant, which almost deterred me from going. upon being at the restaurant for a few minutes, i realized this reviewer was definitely smelling the pickled radish. unfortunately it is what it is-- that's what the pickled radish is *supposed* to smell like due to fermentation. pickled radish it's a very typical, traditional side at korean restaurants, especially with fried chicken, it would be odd if they didn't have it. i think it's impossible for the smell to not be a little noticeable, but its certainly not garbage or sewage, and i think that's a very important distinction to make.

Love Bonchon wings w/soy garlic. Went lst week to the Bonchon @ the Salem lunch spot near the courts. I have also tried Bonchon in Lowell and for some reason even though the wings are both spectacular at both places some of the Lowell fare is way above the quality at the Salem location. The fried rice is outstanding as well as the Bulgogi and Japchae. If your looking for good quality food and whether you have a time constraint or not, this is fast food with quick results and you can walk there; order, eat and walk back to the courts, in less than an hour.

As an out of towner on Halloween, we randomly ended up here for a late lunch before we took the train back into Boston and wow, I'm glad that we did!!! We ordered some boneless chicken wings and some pork dumpling and they had the best flavor! The wait staff we attentive and it was a good atmosphere. Upon returning back to my home town(Durham NC) I was very excited to learn that we have this same restaurant just 20 minutes down the road in Chapel Hill. Looking forward to exploring their menu sometime soon!

The Salem location is very rarely open it seems, there have been 2-3 instances where we've tried to get Bonchon from the one on Essex st. and it wasn't open. Food is great when it is open, though. Bulgogi is primo

I guess it all relative, i've seen some good and some bad reviews about this place but we were hungry and saw tofu on the menu so we went in. The Bonchon chicken was not really bonchon, i've had it before same as the bibimbap and the katsu, i've had better. The tofu fried rice was good. All in all an ok spot but don't expect spectacular.

We've ended up ordering from Bonchon Salem about 2 or more times a months for the past few months. We order so often because the food is always good but the service is top notch as well. Even though we're ordering for takeout, we're always lucky enough to talk with the same person that takes our order. She's always through in repeating our order, is always friendly, and is a true delight. My only feedback is it would be amazing if Bonchon had a rewards program. Other than that, love this location (much better than the other one in Boston)!!

I went to Bonchon with my wife for just a quick bite to eat. we got a couple of appetizers. I have been wanting to try Bonchon for a while now. I have to say The place was underwhelming to me. Bonchon Salem, was nice, just a bit to nice. The decor was kinda out of place, to upscale fore the type of food they served. fancy bar, a hostess at the door. it seemed a bit weird for me eating in hear in a t-shirt and jeans. The atmosphere was empty. There was only one other table with people and they looked like they were dressed for the beach. We were there at lunch time, on a nice day, the place was dead. as for the food it was good, we had the Garlic soy chicken strips small order 10 pcs. for $13 I thought it was to salty. We also had the Seasoned Fries. $7 not impressed, just OK. Now as a surprise bonus. The waitress brought us some Pickled Daikon Radish. It was so good. So all in all Bonchon Salem was just average for me. I would and probably eat here again. they do take credit cards and is wheelchair accessible.

Avoid. Food sub par. Food was over cooked and poorly flavored. Restaurant was deserted which should have been an indication.

I went to this location when it first opened a few years ago and I think I was mistaken about what they offered or they have changed up the menu as I remember them as being primarily a chicken wing eatery but now they have a really vast menu full of Asian goodies. I've been to the Lowell location and enjoyed it so decided to give the closer Salem location another try as they were offering take-out. I love the menu. Everything has such a good description that there really are no surprises despite some of the items being very unique. I ordered online and it was quick and easy. I arrived right around the time the food was due but had an additional wait which was fine. The woman behind the plexiglass (what a thing to write but so common during this pandemic) was friendly and nice enough to check on my order. I was the only one waiting for food so it was very quiet. For food I went with the house fried rice with chicken (huge portion and super tasty), the Udon noodle soup with an egg (this was just okay, the egg was way over done and there wasn't much of a flavor to the Udon broth) and popcorn shrimp with a spicy mayo dipping sauce (definitely my favorite - the shrimp was done perfectly and they were not kidding about the sauce being spicy - had a wonderful kick to it). All three items came to around $40 which isn't cheap but the portions were all huge and very filling. My dining take-out partner and I chowed down on the rice and shrimp first and saved the Udon noodles for a few hours later. I was so impressed with the shrimp that we might make this a weekly take out on Sundays.

Food was fine, this review is for service. Placed an order online for 30 piece. There was no option to split the flavors (soy garlic, spicy, and sweet crunch) equally, for 10 of each, so I left a note hoping to modify it. There were options to split 50/50, but not 3-ways. I quickly received a call saying they couldn't do a 3-way split. I understand it's likely a company policy, not employee enforced. Why make a needless hurdle to try all 3 flavors? They're sold as 10-pieces in the small size, so they're already portioned for a 3-way split- it shouldn't be difficult to accommodate. Dumb policy. After the woman on the phone told me they couldn't do it, I asked my family if they wanted to cut a flavor for 50/50 or adjust order? She let out the longest, most over the top sigh, "UGHHHH" at my audacity to ask my family for input. She was incredibly, over-the-top rude. For flavor, don't bother with the sweet crunch. There is barely any flavor to them.

The Good: Once again, the food was great. The menu is a mix of Korean cuisine and chicken. Because of that, the menu is quite different than other restaurants around the area, and that is a big plus! We ordered some combo chicken (wings and drumsticks) and we also our first experience with bibimbap! We elected for the seafood variation of bibimbap (shrimp, scallops, octopus), and it was amazing! Great flavor, textures, and colors in it. The chicken was crispy, cooked almost perfect, and had just the right amount of sauce with it. They had a solid selection of local brews, and it is such a great location in downtown Salem. The Bad: Two major points here. First is the service is fucking terrible. We were there during a slow time and for the entirety of our visit, there were no more than two other parties seated. In spite of this, the servers, there was one server and a bartender, were more interested in their phones and watching the World Cup than doing their jobs. After they took our order, not once did they come over to check on us. They did come over when we called upon them, but this should not be happening. ( I have seen this happen many times in my career, but never so blatantly in front of customers.). The second thing is they have NO dessert. They tried to recommend some nearby shops, but after a good meal, it was a big disappointment to not have the option for something sweet. The Ugly: So the big thing here stems from them being a corporate chain. There is no wiggle room for any special orders or customization (hopefully outside of any allergies.). No sauce on side allowed for the chicken, and no upgrade on the standard sides for any of the dishes. You need to purchase a totally separate side, which is annoying. Did not ruin of experience by any means, just something to be aware of. Final Word: Overall, it is worth giving a try. The food is fantastic, and with the location it's in, you could easily walk it off if you wanted to (or walk to one of the many nearby bakeries/ sweet shops nearby for dessert. ). Just hope your not someone who loves to customize! 3.5 stars

I personally like this location rather than the one in Allston. Wings seems smaller and enough for a bite. The flavor and texture are also better. Half and half is always in my list. That's the best combination for the tongue. Ps: I hope the can fix the door. It's way to heavy for me to open it.

Great food. Variety of wings fried to perfection. Bonus menu off favorite Korean dishes.

Had a taste for wings so we stopped in for a Kate lunch on a chilly Sunday afternoon. Started with the vegetable potstickers. Damn! Crunchy and a depth of flavor that left me wanting more. Kinda glad they were out of the pork potstickers. We both had the crunchy strips. More like nuggets in size but tasty and filling. 12 pieces in a small order. The star of the meal was the slaw, which can be hit or miss (slaw in general). Definitely a hit. Thanks, Bonchon. Coming back for the bulgogi soon.

After countless trips (and takeout from) both the Cambridge and Allston Bonchon locations, I was psyched to learn of a Salem Bonchon location opening up, meaning we're able to get the best Korean fried chicken around without having to venture into the city. Score! We came here at a Friday night around 6 PM, and there were only a few tables occupied - this was refreshing to see, since the Cambridge and Allston locations seem to often have a wait on the weekends. My husband and I split the seasoned fries (yummy!), which were topped with Parmesan cheese and other spices. They were a little pricey at $7, compared to the non-seasoned version which I think was only $4, but we enjoyed them. The chicken itself (we split a medium soy garlic combo - drumsticks and wings) was wonderful as usual. It came with a side of white rice, which was great for balancing out the strong flavor of the chicken. I felt the chicken was a little saltier than usual, unfortunately - but my husband didn't notice much of a difference from what we've had at the other locations... so maybe it was all in my head. In any case, we devoured it. Our server seemed new-ish, but she was friendly. We'll definitely be back the next time we get a Korean fried chicken craving (which, let's face it, will probably be pretty soon).

Thank you, I regularly get takeout there normally someone just hand me my takeout as soon as it comes out of the kitchen. I really love your restaurant and I love the food there.

The special bundle was perfect for small size family meal. I ordered two different flavors one soy and one spicy. It came with a choice of fried rice or white rice I picked white rice and two sides I picked two ordered of fries. I love, love this place. This order was placed as a to go

I made a big order today that was up to 112 dollars. I ordered through Uber eats. Everything was good except the bulgolgi. It cost 17.95 but the portion was so small. It should not cost that amount. I ate at bonchon before and the portion for it is never this small. I need a manager to contact me. This is unacceptable especially when I paid a lot.

Ordered mixed chicken wings and drumsticks for take out. The chicken was clearly stale, dry and almost inedible. The spicy sauce is hot but lacks flavor!

Love the food here - the fries chicken is delicious - as is almost everything I've tried. Service can be slightly variable depending on who seduces you but has always been good if a little slow at times. The space is nice and clean and comfortable.

Let me begin this review by stating I am a HUGE fan of Korean Fried Chicken and I stop by Bon Chon's whenever I'm near them. That being said, this location is very clean and has good service. The portion size has seems to have gone down in recent months though. The chicken strips have always been a little on the small side but with recent visits they are noticeably smaller. They're more like nuggets. Also, I'm a stupid American lol. I just want French fries with my chicken. They've recently switched from clear coated straight cut fries to cheaper crinkle cut fries that become soggy very quickly. Overall, I'm not opposed to paying more for quality food but this Bon Chon is making it hard to me to justify coming back. There are a lot of good restaurants in the area where you can find great food with more bang for your buck

This is a substitute for the bon Chon in Allston. I really miss the appetizers and the menus over there but I can't complain the chicken the same.... Except slightly smaller? This also delivers to my apartment so, I will have to make due with what Salem has to offer. Chicken is smaller but sauces are similar. Often I find my chicken to be overly cooked... But I like it that way. Others may not.

This was my second try so I did give them a chance. I was really hoping the food and atmosphere would improve since they have been open for a bit now. By far the worst Korean food or really any Asian food I've ever had and I love all types of Asian food. Wings were crispy but no taste, thankfully I asked for ranch. I got the Bibimbap this time and it had no taste except the seaweed strips were a bit fishy and the lettuce they threw in was just wilted. I even had to ask for salt! Ewwww. This is my absolute favorite Korean dish so I've had it a few places now and this was just awful. I even added bulgogi and still no taste. I paid extra for actual eggs that came hard fried and added no taste it was like no seasoning was used in the dish. I really wanted to love it. The staff seems pleasant, they seem to be trying to figure things out. I didn't see one Korean or any Asian people there working or eating, so I should have taken that as a sign. Going back to my other usual authentic places!

That chicken it's so crunch crunch! Mmmmmmmm Bonchon. If you don't like spicy food definitely order the garlic soy, I like ghost pepper wings and their wings are HOT AF in a wonderful way.

Their food is yummy. Street parking sucks a bit. When we went back then, it was limited items on menu and they don't serve alcohol. Not sure if that changed.

It used to be so good, we ordered takeout regularly. The last few times we tried the food was inedible. The chicken was incredibly dry and hard, it was and tough and chewy. We've had to give up on it. So disappointing.

I mean all you need in this life of sin is fried chicken and a bowl of rice, right? Started with the pork belly sliders + small order of comb sauce chicken wings and my sister and I were fighting over the last pieces. The spicy is soo soo good and the garlic even better. I would recommend trying both if this is your first time. There is nothing else much like Korean fried chicken- trust me. Except when you have Bimbimbap as your second course! I love the authenticity of this restaurant and cannot wait to come back to try more Korean dishes. It's a casual environment with good food and don't worry, just walk around Salem after if you get full because you won't be able to stop eating!

This bonchon is alright. It's not phenomenal but it the only bonchon in the area so that's a plus when you just need some wings. I usually go for lunch because the deals are better.

We happened in off the street for lunch after reviewing the menu they had posted on the sidewalk (good move!). The salmon avocado ball was great, the bulgogi sliders delicious, the shrimp appetizer just "ok". Service was excellent and server was very friendly. The atmosphere is quiet and reminds me a little of a sports bar (probably themed for the wings they serve). Overall very good experience.

Delicious crispy wings, the Spicy ones can definitely sneak up on you. I get a craving for them every now and then and have to have them. Pickled radishes are great too.

My first time at the Salem location, and I must say it was quiet. Came during lunch. Has only two tables. Service was great! Lol food as I remembered from the Allston location, good! Love their spicy wings. I suggest if you can't handle spicy to not get them. Everything we ordered was devoured in about 20 minutes lol

I've been literally dying for a Korean restaurant to open up somewhere in the Peabody/Beverly/Salem area for quite some time and so when I used the yelp search for "Hot and New" and BonChon popped up, I thought I was hallucinating. I've been to BonChon in Allston before and couldn't believe one had opened up so close to home. I was a little disappointed that the menu didn't offer any Korean soups, but they served many of the traditional Korean staples. We started off with a chicken wing appetizer and did the half/half (half spicy and half soy garlic). I found the chicken to be moist, the breading to be just the right amount of crispy deliciousness, cooked to perfection. We also split a Tteokbokki appetizer (spicy chewy rice cakes that look like little logs in a generous portion of red sauce.) I've never before had it with mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top, and I can't say that the cheese was a necessary addition. There was also vermicelli noodles mixed into the sauce, which I just found bizarre. Certainly Bon Chon has its own spin on this dish. The sauce and the spice in this dish is something I crave, and I'm so happy I can now get it on a regular basis. My husband had the Beef Bulgogi. The meat, rice and vegetables were delicious. I had the Stone Pot Bibim Bap. I've eaten this dish at a number of restaurants over the years and I would rank this as "pretty good" in comparison, but not the best I've had. Our stone pot was actually so hot that instead of just crisping the rice, it actually burnt it! I am not Korean, but I don't think that is supposed to happen. I did like that they gave me my own bottle of the spicy sauce to mix into the dish, as normally when I ask the waitress for extra of this sauce (and I always do) they seem annoyed at other restaurants. The service was impeccable. We had a pleasant waitress who was upbeat, friendly, and acoommodating. We also had our water glasses filled by other employees at the slightest hint of getting too low on water. I found the interior of the restaurant to be very casual. The tables are somewhat close together, so if you're not comfortable with people next to you hearing your conversation, this might not be the best place to go on a busy night. I think the one in Allston has a much more upscale feel to it, this is brightly lit with more of a cafeteria feel to it. Still no liquor license at this time but from what I can tell, it sounds like it's coming soon. I'm sure I will become a regular at this place, and am so thankful for finally having Korean food in my backyard!