Chicago Kalbi BBQ

I had a great experience here! The food was delicious and full of flavor. Everything tasted fresh and authentic.

We just got back from Japan and wanted a walk to a great place to eat. The vibe was incredible and felt very authentic. The food was delicious and well portioned. Loved it end to end.

So this is a special situation because I came in looking for a soup and thought they still had there old soup menu. It was my first time and they didn’t treat me any different dispute the fact that It was just me. And when I asked for there soup menu they told me they only had miso but didn’t stop there the owner immediately went into thinking mode and made me the healthy most amazing dumpling vegetable soup with spicy sauce on the side. The beautiful woman fed my soul and not my hunger. I felt so taken care of. This is a mom and pop shop and it’s a Very special place. I will be back for the barbecue.

I came here with a group of friends for dinner. This is definitely a place to dine together with folk, that way y'all can get several different things and share it around. Honestly, it might be impossible to make a wrong choice despite how large their menu is. My party had a few appetizers, then had several of the meats for the main course. We then had Japanese sundaes for desert. I particularly enjoyed the bacon and heart meats.

Some of the best and most friendly BBQ I’ve had in the city! My partner is gluten free and - after a brief explanation - they were incredibly accommodating and checked in on us repeatedly that everything was ok. Excellent green tea ice cream too. Love the baseball decor!

Although the name of the store on Google listed its name as Korean BBQ. However, there was not a single sign says "Korean". When we walked into the restaurant, you will noticed it is literally a restaurant equipped with a traditional old-school Yakiniku vibe and interior design. Walls were hung up with signatures from celebrities. The restaurant owners are Japanese. All the dishes are around $20-30, but the portion size was smaller than what you may expect. However, this is definitely the best meat quality that I have ever had in any BBQ restaurant in Chicago area. Be prepare, you are at least going to spend more than $50 if you want to be full. However, you won't be disappointed about their meat quality! I will recommend people eat a bit before you go there if you just sick of the low quality meat and miss the vibe you had before in authentic Japanese restaurant. Think of this as an Izakaya rather than a typical restaurant.

I didn’t care for the low-quality service or overpriced items. E.g. they would bring us two bowls of soup, when there were clearly three of us. One add-on of mushrooms for BBQing is somehow $7, even though that contained exactly one cup of the very basic mushrooms that cost 50 cents at Jewels. This is the only Korean BBQ place I’ve ever been to in my life where the banchan dishes are not free to refill - so they’d give us one tiny cup of each of about 5 dishes, to share between three people somehow. All in all for $60 per person it wasn’t terrible, but I’m not going back as there are about a dozen better KBBQ places in town. They seem to be free-riding on being an establishment for decades, but that shouldn’t lead to mediocrity. Do better.

Tried this place out. it’s charcoal korean and japanese bbq style. Great quality of meat and services. it has been opened for 30 years ish. love it. it comes with all the side, miso soup and rice when you order the meat plates.

I've been wanting to go here since I saw the Block Club coverage of this restaurant and how it's a beloved spot for Japanese baseball players, and I'm so pleased to report it very much lived up to expectations. The owners are as cute and kind as the article made them out to be, and everything was so good. We got a couple of meats to grill including their kalbi and one other on the top of the menu plus tongue. I would say the kalbi and the other one on the top of the menu were the standouts of the grilled meats. We also got the yukke and seafood pajeon, which I loved so much. So good - I would literally go back and get those two things and have a delightful meal. I wish I could have it right now, because I know it would cheer me up. Highly recommend this cute place - even with the famous people rolling in, it's very much lowkey and has local neighborhood spot vibes. 10/10 recommend.

Came by for dinner on a weekend. Although we were able to walk in around 5:30, by 7pm when we walked out there was a decent wait for tables. Chicago Kalbi is a Korean / Japanese fusion BBQ place and it was a really interesting experience trying the foods here. The owners are so nice and service was very prompt. Although the interior was simple, it was very lively and loud. The appetizers were all delicious and reasonably priced for the portions. We got the fried oysters which were extremely tender and came with a mild sauce. The meats for grilling are done over charcoal and not gas like many modern BBQ places, which was a fun touch. The meats are all sliced very thinly which was different than KBBQ. They cook very very quickly so be careful for burning. You cook the food yourself (not the attendants). The meat portions were a bit light for the price. You'd need 2-3 servings per person to feel full. Unlike KBBQ the sauces were generally pretty mild. The American wagyu was our favorite, as well as the premium tongue.

Have been coming here for many years and it is always a great experience. It is rare to find a place that has charcoal grilling, and a great selection of meats including Kobe and Wagyu. The only downside is that their bar/drink options are somewhat limited if you like liquor and cocktails.

Extremely delicious k-bbq. The staff is always polite and cordial , we always make a point to stop by. Don't be intimidated by the prices, way worth it. We're from a city where we aren't allowed to have open fire grills, the charcoal makes a difference in the taste.

The meat is not bad, but this is more Japanese style bbq. My friend took us here under the context of it being Korean style bbq, but only has elements of K-bbq. The food is good, but nothing super amazing. The price doesn't justify the amount of food you get tbh! It's cool if you're a baseball fan tho

This store is near Koreatown, a little far away, but it's really great The service attitude is very good. The environment is more Japanese and very warm. The quality of the barbecue is great and there are no blind spots! ! The beef tongue is also very tender! I ordered the seafood pancake as an appetizer and it was a little small but very good. The egg-wrapped oysters are also very good. They are not the Cantonese oyster cakes, but individual egg-wrapped oysters, like egg dumplings. The last dessert is also very refreshing, not too sweet and very refreshing. The average per capita is about 60 It's a good choice for gatherings with friends. It's so pleasant to have barbecue on a snowy day:)

First time that I went there, there was a mature lady. She was so funny. They are very hospitable. The food is on par with so much seasoning. I was not disappointed and I now I know why they are always so pack! They are worth the wait. The price is for quality food you can't experience just anywhere.

We wanted to celebrate new year altogether and decided to get some BBQ. I've heard of Chicago Kalbi for a while. This is my first time visiting. First of all, I can tell the environment is clean. Also I noticed the sign that they have opened over 30 years. WOW. I really had a high expectation after seeing this sign. I guess the food must be really good. We got kalbi and other meat. Side dish refill is not free. The food was not that good as I have had other better options. Service is good, we got what we asked immediately. Overall, I don't think I'll be back again for the food I've tried. But I still want to rate a four star and hope they can make the food better soon.

Chicago Kalbi is a long time Albany Park favorite for unique Asian cuisine. It has more than it looks. Sure the place is small, but they can somehow get all this food out. For many they consider this the best place for Korean barbecue. This is a great long time local business that's been family owned for years. After coming from a few bars, we needed something to eat. In comes this place, or actually we came to this place. This is one of the many ethnic restaurants in Albany Park, and one of the best in the city to get Korean barbecue for sure. Not just barbecue. Of course vegetarians can get something. A few choices. We came later one evening after hanging around at some bars around here. Even though it's mostly meaty stuff, we found a few vegetarian items. We got the Yasai Gyoza, which were pretty cool looking. It's $7 for quite a bit. These are green colored things that look like potstickers. For sure would come here again. It's one of the favorites for Korean in the city, according to many lists and polls. Take a trip up here and try some things.

Legit old school k bbq. They use charcoal so nough said. Also they have a very special cut which I forget what it's called in English but it's the meat in between the rib bone and tbe rib Meat which is super tender and flavorful. This is a cut you can't even find in Korea so it's very special.

My fave Korean bbq. The Kalbi (Japanese style) is so so good! Good service and the dumplings and seafood pancake is delicious! The kalbi much better than bulgogi and will skip the latter the next time. I completely understand why this place has been open for 30+ years. A gem!

What an amazing experience at Chicago Kalbi! I surprised my husband with a birthday dinner there, as he loves Korean BBQ and we had never tried this place before. It was the first time our two tween/teen girls had come with us to Korean BBQ. We were seated in a semi-private space that was perfect for the occasion. We started off with the Pajun, gyoza and miso soup. What a delicious way to start! Then we had the Kobe kalbi and Kobe rib eye along with rice and banchan. The meat was so fresh and flavorful and all of the food complemented one another. The owners and staff are so super friendly; they treated us as if we were family. Everyone was so attentive to us, constantly refilling our water, taking away old plates, etc. And as we were ordering dessert, I casually mentioned it was my husband's birthday. They were so kind, brought out a bowl of green tea ice cream with a lit candle and sang happy birthday to him. It was a perfect way to end the evening! And our mango sorbet was also so good - the presentation was really unique. The sorbet came in a mango half. Very clever! Anyone who has been to a great Korean BBQ place should set expectations that it's not a cheap meal. You get what you pay for; and at Chicago Kalbi, it was worth every penny. We were all raving about our delicious meal, and my girls who are usually picky eaters gave it two thumbs up (or four thumbs, if you count both of them, lol). We will definitely be back again. Thank you to the owners and staff for a memorable family dinner!

absolutely love this place! Meat and side dishes are always delightful and fresh. The owners have been there for a long time and they're always so friendly and warming.

This was only my second time having Korean bbq, which we drove down from Milwaukee both times. This was my first time at this restaurant and it was a good experience with great food. They definitely hook you up with the sides and will show you how to cook the meat since some of them were pretty thinly sliced and harder to control. It's priced per meat you order. Our favorite meats were the Bulkogi and the Kalbi. You will definitely get filled up especially with waiting for the meat to cook each round. It's a great way to not over-eat! My recommendation is ordering the number of meats as there are people, and then go from there. We were seated in a cute little area that was partitioned, almost like a little room. It was cute and private which I preferred. Definitely recommend checking them out!

Very friendly staff and incredible food, one of the best barbecue experiences I've had in chicago.

this place NEEDS to have five stars. i had such a wonderful experience i almost told the hostess i loved her on the way out. seriously, go here. additionally, it's gorgeous inside.

A friend of us told us about this place. We thought it was AYCE but it was not. We stayed anyway and glad we did. Their meat is amazing but very pricey. We did have some kobe beef that were really sliced very thinly but very good. We did not even order the wagyu beef as it was quite expensive. The rest of their meats were very tender and juicy. The restaurant is cozy and been around for years is what I understand. Would we eat again? For sure since the place was worth every penny. Happy Eating!

Been wanting to try this place for a while, and super glad we did. We were greeted by this sweet lady who took us to our table. We had made a reservation over the phone an hour prior to secure a seat. It was super busy when we came in, but it filled up quickly afterwards. There isn't a whole lot of seating in this place, so I would say making a reservation is a good idea. First off, it took a while for them to come to us to get drink orders. We only wanted water, but I have a feeling that they were a little busy doing a take out order and bringing out a bunch of food to a table when we arrived so I understand. The food was incredible. You can tell they have very good meat quality here which made this a great experience. I do feel like it is a bit pricey honestly considering the place itself seems a little outdated. I feel like they could do a little more to modernize the inside. It feels like it could use some new walls and flooring. I don't know, maybe it was just me, but I'd expect a different ambiance inside to match the quality of the meat and prices. Maybe I'm asking for too much. Overall though, I really did like this place, but it's going to have to be a place to go every once in a while given the prices. We ordered an appetizer, and 3 different meat plates, with no drinks and it was almost $100 with tip AND I still felt a little hungry. Just remember, you're paying for quality and not quantity here. I'll be back for sure though! :)

I would say this is more like Japanese BBQ more than Korean . delicious food, great service. Definitely become one of my favorite BBQ restaurants in town

I've been wanting to come here for some time now. But they are closed during covid for a while and as soon as they reopened, I knew I had to pay them a visit. Their website says not to book online since it won't be honored so I called it in and they put me down for 7pm. When we arrived we had to wait about 15 minutes. They were pretty apologetic, but 15 minutes was really a whole lot. We started off with their Yaki Gyoza. These were pan grilled home made dumplings with beef. These were definitely very tasty. They were perfectly cooked and packed with so much flavor. It was a wonderful dish to start the night. The wife and I both decided to get their Kalbi. My wife ordered their regular Kalbi, and I decided to order their USA Kobe beef Kalbi to compare. They both came thinly sliced but it's obvious the Kobe Kalbi was the winner of the night. A prettier meat and even more delicious meat when cooked. The Kobe beef has much more fat which makes its more juicer and tender. Both were delicious, but I would definitely stick to the Kobe next time, or maybe even try their Waygu. I'm glad I finally gave this place a try and I will definitely be returning.

This is a hidden gem for Japanese style BBQ with great Japanese food! I loved the menchi katsu (minced beef katsu)

Great food best service. Very friendly staff, always willing to make it a great experience for you

Wow, I really appreciate having this gem in Chicago! The restaurant is family owned and has been here for 31 years. I spoke with the wife and she is Korean from Japan, while her husband, who is the chef, is Japanese from Japan. Their food is a fusion of both cultures, but definitely more Japanese. The wait for the restaurant was average, about 20-45 mins, especially since they were busy. And taking names wasn't super efficient, but it's mainly 2 people running the whole show, so it's understandable. The food.... Very good and overall a really good experience. My friend and I ordered Pajun Kakitama Hone Kalbi Kalbi (japanese style) Jumuroku Japanese Wagyu First of all, if you want the Japanese Wagyu, you need to get a separate menu. It was very nice getting a "secret" menu haha Second, it's totally worth it to try wagyu here if you've never had it before and want the experience. It was definitely the best rib eye I've ever had ever. It was super soft, fatty, and bursting with flavor. YUM! The kalbi (Japanese style) was really good!! It was a thicker cut than the hone kalbi and was really juicy and flavorful. The hone kalbi is the Korean style with the bone and it was really good and flavorful, but chewy compared to the wagyu, of course. Don't compare them side by side lol The Jumuroku was my least favorite just because I'm not a huge fan of sesame oil as kalbi seasoning, but it was worth the try! Lastly, the appetizers. The Pajun was crispy, thick, and one of the better pancakes I've eaten. The oysters pan grilled in egg were also really good. They tasted fresh, only a little fishy, and light all at the same time. As for the atmosphere of the restaurant, it was very unique. I loved all the photos on the walls, the signed baseballs, and the fact that the owners cooked and ran the restaurant themselves. They do have some help from other waiters though. So, Would I go back? Heck yes! Would I recommend this restaurant? Most definitely!

My first time getting Japanese bbq did not disappoint! This place has been around for a while and was well worth the trip out of the city. The owners are super friendly, and you could tell they cared a lot about their customers. We tried a plethora of menu items and had some delicious house red wine to wash it all down. The yukhae (raw beef) appetizer and miso beef tongue appetizer were delicious to start the meal. The side dishes were all korean style which I loved. Our favorite bbqd meat was the Kobe ribeye then the beef tongue and then the beef liver was an interesting texture. I only wish the side dishes came with the lettuce for wrapping, but we were told this was an extra charge. A very nice dining experience overall though with great service and excellent quality food!

Everything was so so good! Between the 7 of us I think we had one of everything. Many plates was already gone before I took a picture my favorite is the beef tartar appetizer. This is defiantly my top 2 fav Korean bbq place in the Chicago area. Will..... guess is more Korean and Japanese fusion. P.S: Not only was the food good the servace was also great.

Nice, little Korean / Japanese BBQ tucked away in a northside neighborhood. Fast, friendly service and lots of menu choices. Someone here is an autograph fan as they cover the walls. The food was delicious. But, don't wear your best clothes here because the place is a little smokey - the current ventilation doesn't take everything away from the tableside grilling. No problem though for us carnivores.

Server was respectful and food was edible and 35 dollars good price. The environment was nice with no kids or monkeys screaming and yelling. Had a very pleasant evening vibe.

Awesome spot! Very good authentic food and the nicest staff you could ask for! Will definitely be back

Best new food restaurant discovery. This is one of the post where i don't want to share to keep this place a secret. The service 100/10. Amazing people. Super clean too for a Korean bbq restaurant. They were super attentive and the food came out fast. This place has the top cuts of meat hands down. I can talk about the quality and service all day, you just have to go yourself.

The food was pretty good, I get half way through my bowl and I find a hair in my food (Picture below) . It ruined my whole experience !!!

Fantastic Japanese Charcoal BBQ. Great ambiance and high quality meats. Came here on a Sunday at 530pm and there was free parking outside because it was Sunday. The owners and staff greeted us with friendly service. We ordered the Yukke (beef tartare) highly recommended, pork cheek, Kalbi, short ribs, and beef tongue. Nothing was disappointed. I def think it's the best charcoal bbq place in Chicago !

Korean/Japanese BBq has slowly become one of my favorite cuisines to go out and eat. Its the meat, its soju, the sides. The idea of paying to cook your own food may seem ridic to some people but i see it as an experience. Chicago Kalbi is one of the best. Located on Lawrence, this place is pretty hard to find . For me one of the easiest ways to tell if a place like this is any good is the meat quality. How is the taste the texture, and how bloated you feel after (msg).... The meat here is pretty good! We loved the bulgogi, kalbi, and they had a waygu special that was alot cheaper then original. Overall what makes this place the best though is the service. The lady who runs this place is the nicest lady, and im pretty sure she almost works by herself... She taught us alot about the meats and soju and sake... Hidden gem!!

The owners are the nicest people I've ever met!! They've been running the restaurant for over 35 years and treated us like family. Besides that, the meats were of high quality and the side dishes were delicious!! Will definitely be coming back and bringing my friends just from the warm energy this restaurant had itself.

Can't go wrong with anything on the menu but the bulgolgi was my favorite. Service is very warm and friendly. Nothing overly spicy, just tasty. We're coming back.

This is a very oddly decorated place. It's been around 30 years apparently and I must have driven by it on multiple occasions without ever noticing it. 30 years in business and the restaurant was packed so they must be doing something right Pros- The quality of the meat was outstanding The miso soup is excellent The rice is excellent The green tea ice cream is excellent Cons- Less banchan given than most Korean restaurants I have frequented Each additional banchan requested is 2$ for a tiny portion. That's nuts. The entree portion is on the small side We ordered the meal for 2 for 49$ plus splurged on an additional 2 banchan for 4$. At that price we should have left full. If you have a small appetite this place is for you :)

Excellent Japanese BBQ spot with a splash of Korean BBQ elements. The meat quality is top notch and the apps we ordered + banchan were all very good. In particular, the kimchi they serve is one of the best I've had! Am curious if they make it in-house or if it's a brand I could buy..? While the food here was amazing, the service was another story. The staff was extremely friendly and did their best to cater to the customers given the resources they had, but those resources were very limited and stretched thin. We had a difficult time getting seated (took almost 10 minutes before we were acknowledged by someone and another 5 more before we were seated), making our orders, and paying our bill. On the bright side, once we did order, the grill set-up was fast and our food did arrive very quickly.

My best friend and I went and enjoyed every second of our meal! We had kara-age, soju, gyoza, bulgogi, and kalbi. For dessert we had green tea and red bean ice cream. The red bean was our absolute favorite! The staff was very kind and attentive and you can tell there has been a lot of love put into this place. The food was delicious, the experience was great, and we left feeling so satisfied. 10/10 would return again!

My favorite Korean/japanese barbecue spot. Try the yakigyoza, kalbi, hone kalbi, and the wagyu. Also don't forget the beef fried rice and their delicious homemade sorbet for desert. I recommend the mango sorbet.

My wife and I got to Chicago Kalbi early on Friday, a few minutes after opening. I did not know you could make a reservation by phone, still, we got a seat shortly after arriving. The first thing I noticed was the countless pictures and autographed sports memorabilia proudly displayed throughout the restaurant. As a fan of the Bulls, it was captivating to see so much history and familiar names, such as Steve Kerr and Luc Longley. Cubs fans will appreciate it tenfold as there were even more Cubs players gracing their walls. I knew I was in for a treat. Our waitress, who I believe was also a co-owner, took our drink order first. I got a Japanese white peach cocktail and my wife ordered a sweet Japanese plum wine. The cocktail was refreshing and subtle, and the wine was sweet like candy but still tasted great. After the drinks, we ordered food and got the pajun as our appetizer (Korean seafood pancake). For our mains, we ordered the hone kalbi, bulkogi, and Japanese sausage. First was the pajun, a generous portion of food that could be shared among four people. It was light, fluffy, salty, and felt like it came straight off the heat with its freshness. On top of that, it had added texture from the squid, beef, and crunchy onions. The squid felt chewy, but everything else hit the mark. Once we finished the pajun, the staff prepared the grill at our table, and instead of a gas grill, we used a wood/charcoal grill to my delight! The banchan (Korean sides) shortly followed, and the meats. We were all set to start cooking and digging in! Both the hone kalbi and the bulkogi were unbelievably tender. The bulkogi dipped into the sauce provided for us was a perfect sweet and salty bite. Mixed into the side of rice only made each bite feel more heavenly! The hone kalbi tasted of high quality yet was chewier than the bulkogi. The flavor was as great as the bulkogi, but it did not have the melt-in-your-mouth characteristic of the bulkogi. For my money, I would have ordered another bulkogi rather than the hone kalbi. As for the Japanese sausage, they were basically cocktail wieners and tasted fine; nothing that blew our minds. Between bites of meat, I tried each side, and they were all delicious. My two favorites were the kimchi and potato salad, which tasted made-in-house. If we had enough room, we would have asked for the wagyu beef menu they have available, but we were close to exploding by the end to try their wagyu. We saved it for next time! Chicago Kalbi is a restaurant that's great and knows it. It does not need a flashy sign or marketing to flaunt itself and has trusted its food, service, and word-of-mouth to stay in business for decades. My wife and I were lucky enough to get a table at this packed hidden gem, and I join the fray of people that chant their greatness. This place is the real deal and offered us a delicious meal with friendly service.

great service by Joseph. the food was so good as well as I go there at least twice a month‍thank you! will be back next month

The food is fantastic and the service is really next level. The place has very nicely divided tables and moving wall units so a space can be created and reconfigured easily.

5* all above; must plan ahead and be patient bc so worth the wait! Very busy at peak times, so best to go elsewhere rather than give CK any grief, JS.

This is a place you can eat that Japanese people cook the authentic meal. It's Korean bbq that Japanese prepare. Recommend to everyone

I remember watching a comedian talking about a Korean BBQ restaurant, and he had to cook his own food. It was funny, even though I've been to a few and didn't mind. This place does lack a little in the atmosphere and decor, but the food is delicious. It's worth the visit,

This is a great little spot I cannot believe I had not known about. My husband and I tried it for the first a few months ago and I find myself craving it often. I can tell the quality of the meat is incredible. Their yukhwe is amazing too. I loveee yukhwe and it's hard to find a good one in Chicago so I'm glad I have a good spot for it now. I like to get the Kobe Short Rib Set because it comes with soup (get the spicy miso!), rice, and side dishes. I also get the lettuce wrap on the side which costs extra. I thinkkkk it's like 5-6 pieces of meat per serving which is very little but I think it's because of the quality? I feel like they should really throw in an extra piece or 2 of meat in their serving size but that's just my opinion. The service is okay, older woman who I believe is the owner is enthusiastic and kind. The older man who is the owner is nice too but one of the times we visited, he didn't really acknowledge us. Some of the servers don't speak English I think so it was tough sometimes when we asked for things and no one ever came back to help or bring us what we asked for. Nothing too bad though. If you don't mind spending ~$100-$200 pp to eat enough to be full, it's a nice treat. I felt like giving 4 stars but I have to give 5 because the food is good enough where I always crave it, their service is nice enough that I tip well, so a 4 star just doesn't seem to do this restaurant justice.

Let me start off by saying WOW an order of fried rice is supposed to be shareable but NOT HERE! Paid $14 plus tax for a small bowl of beef fried rice paid $26 plus tax for BULGOGI also supposed to be shareable.. it's even less than the fried rice. What a great neighborhood over price restaurant! Must've very small appetite to eat here. My boyfriend 9 year old son just finished a $44 meal fried rice and bulgogi by himself that's how very little serving it is.. There's PLENTY OF DELICIOUS KOREAN restaurants for more of a serving than this! Robbery! HUNGRY AND ANGRY!

Omg this is a great place to go for Korean bbq and isn't very expensive! The tables are blocked off in what almost looks like private rooms! We ordered the Kalbi, Bulgogi and kobe beef rib eye. Personally, people make a big deal about Kobe. It was a bit on the overpriced side but it did taste very good. The Bulgogi was my favorite. It was a seasoned beef marinated in some awesome sauces. The Kalbi was less flavorful, but it's not marinated. They have a style of meat for everyone. Of course they gave us a million little side dishes for appetizers with the K-BBQ and they were all great. You were able to cook the meat yourself. Service wasn't bad, but it could be better. They also made you pay $1 for refills, but this was during the Cook County soda tax. It's a great place and I'll go back!

We visited Chicago Kalbi and as it was my first time experiencing Korean BBQ. The food and service were amazing. We started off with the appetizers of Yakimandu, which were delicious dumplings and the chicken wings, also very good. For our grilling entrees, we chose, Kalbi, Bulgogl, Oeji-Gui, and Gui. The quality of meat was excellent. The accompanying sides were all very good as well. The staff were very helpful and friendly. We will definitely be back! Also, the is a very busy place. Reservations are probably a good idea.

Best korean bbq in chicago! I've had plenty of korean bbq, but Chicago Kalbi is def the best!! The quality meat, splendid service and overall experience deserves 5 stars. Definitely go to Chicago Kalbi if you have the chance. Love cooking the meat on the table! They have several "tiers" of quality per meat selection. We've ordered the "top" or toku-jou, medium (jou) and regular, all delicious! I recommend getting one of each quality. Their tongue, Kalbi, short ribs, bulgogi, prime rib were our favorites. It's so nice that the traditional korean sides also are provided right when you sit down. Their kimchi is great, ask for seconds!