Dancen
Korean restaurant · Ravenswood
5114 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Highlights
Spicy grilled chicken & pork skin, K-pop vibe
Spicy grilled chicken & pork skin, K-pop vibe
"A small, nondescript Korean bar located in Lincoln Square, Dancen serves one of the city’s best late-night bites: fire chicken. The dish stars chunks of marinated chicken that’s been grilled over an open flame. It’s quite spicy but diners can temper some of the heat by ordering it topped with a layer melted cheese. Pair it with a pitcher of beer while watching K-pop on the TVs." - Jeffy Mai
"A favorite for after-hours Korean bar food, Dancen is best known for its fire chicken. The spicy dish is a must-try for first-timers and should be ordered with a layer of melted cheese on top. The space is small, which makes the tall flames from the open grill seem ever-looming, but the succulent skewers of meats and solid drinks make it worth the wait." - Ashok Selvam
"Dancen is dark, windowless, and smoky, but unlike the basement where you played Guitar Hero in high school, this pocha is worth revisiting. “Pocha” in Korean normally refers to covered, outdoor drinking places, and this Lincoln Square spot channels that street energy into its tiny space. The smell of charcoal and seasoned meat hovers as packed tables share crispy pork intestines and the cooks grill chicken drumsticks that are the star of Dancen’s best dish: cheesy fire chicken. It’s very spicy, but the incredibly sweet and savory gochujang marinade convinces you to snack through the heat. And if you and your friends need to cool down a bit, Dancen's soju cocktail pitchers can help." - john ringor, adrian kane
"If you ever spent time hanging out in a smoky basement with black-light posters during high school, then Dancen in Lincoln Square will make you nostalgic. But here, the obscuring haze is generated by the excellent Korean food being grilled at the bar, rather than your friend who was just kicked off the swim team—and the black-light posters advertise cocktails and the fire chicken. You’ll want to work your way through the long menu, starting with the aforementioned fire chicken. Chunks of marinated chicken are grilled until the marinade becomes charred and caramelized. It’s delicious and spicy, and it comes with a Thousand Island-dressed cabbage slaw to help balance out the heat. It’s perfect for a solo meal at the counter, where you can watch the grill with the intensity of your ex-swim team friend staring at a lava lamp." - adrian kane, john ringor
"Open until 11pm Sunday-Thursday, 12am Friday-Saturday If during high school you ever found yourself hanging out in a smoky basement with black light posters, then Dancen in Lincoln Square will feel a little nostalgic. But instead of coming from your friend who was just kicked off the swim team, the light-obscuring haze here is generated by the excellent Korean food being grilled at the bar. And the black light posters on the walls advertise cocktails and the fire chicken—both of which are way better than whatever you were eating and drinking back then." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
