Bonchon Chicken

I am so sad that Bonchon closed. I loved the soy & garlic wings here and have never had a bad experience out of the times I had visited this joint.
The wait sometimes for the wings were a bit long, but it was worth it for me because those wings were so mouth waveringly amazing. Crunchy, fresh and flavourful. Just how wings should be.
Where am I going to go for Soy & Garlic flavoured wings now? Booooo.

I came here because I’ve heard it was closing, and this was always a must try for me, especially because I love Korean food, especially their fried chicken! The first time I had Korean chicken wings was from an AYCE, Jin BBQ and I was absolutely in love with them.
We came here between lunch and dinner on Saturday to try and avoid any type of wait, and boy when we got there the place was quite empty; but that didn’t bother me because I was really craving some wings! It’s sad to hear the place is closing, because the inside was really neat, and it seemed like a cool concept, but from reading other reviews it was due to their service.
Luckily for us, the service couldn’t really be messed up since there were maybe only 2 other people their dining. I ordered the combo of drumsticks and wings, and got the half and half. I should have asked if I could have had them double dipped with the sauce — or stuck to just the spicy, because it wasn’t spicy at all. None the less, the chicken was cooked perfectly, very crispy and the white meat inside was very juicy. The drumsticks are huge, but I wish I would’ve just stuck to all wings, as I feel like they were flavored better, as there’s a better meat to batter ratio.
If they weren’t closing, I would really return because I didn’t have any of the problems with the service, and the chicken wings were really good!

Overview: If you’re craving some Korean, fried chicken, come here! Bonchon Chicken specializes in Korean-​style, fried chicken (served in a variety of ways and quantities) with some other overpriced Korean dishes that you can easily find elsewhere for half the price.
Food: My two friends and I ordered the XL 20 wings and 20 strips combo with half soy garlic and half spicy sauce and were definitely satisfied with the quantity of the food served, even though we were all ravenous prior to our meal. The chicken tasted delicious and much like the fried chicken I remember eating in Korea. Personally, I preferred the wings over the strips, simply because I like eating meat off the bone rather than a fork. However, the spicy sauce really threw me off as it immediately prompted me to finish off my water. It was much spicier than I had expected, but I finished the chicken, nevertheless.
Price: I ended up paying $ 15, including tip, for my third of the bill, which I would consider to be a rather reasonable bill as I ate a lot of tasty, fried chicken.
Service: The service was so-​so. I tend to drink a lot of water and was well served to my needs at the beginning of our meal. Towards the end, the quality of service tapered as other waiters ended up having to get us some water and such.
Atmosphere/​Design: Given that I was at Bonchon during the World Cup final, the atmosphere was pretty festive as most everyone was watching the game, cheering at the same time. The design was typical, nothing special, but nothing out of the ordinary. An extra TV or two wouldn’t hurt as our seats didn’t really have an ideal TV to watch comfortably, although the bar is a nice touch for the «sports bar» feel.
Would I come back here again?: I would definitely come back here again, but not too often (given the price.) It’s a great place to grab a meal with a couple of friends. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. With a few extra sauce choices, a couple extra TVs, and a little more follow through on the service, this restaurant would get 5 stars.

Its that time of the summer when all your asian friends are in Korea and they are posting pictures of korean fried chicken making you feel all jelly and sad. Don’t fret because Bonchon is here to save the day.
We ordered the 40 piece, 20 wings, and 20 strips half & half. The wings were #TheHype. They were super crispy and delish. I am a fan of the soy garlic. The side of pickled radish complements the fried chicken like how peanut butter complements jelly, you feel? The only downside of Bonchon is the hot sauce. The hot sauce was just spicy af without any flavor or tang. I was literally dying for water after a bite of the hot sauce chicken #Thirsty.
Overall Bonchon is #TheHype. I would go again when my inner korean calls for fried chicken.

Man I have dreamt of this moment for so long. Bonchon (My Hometown) is a South Korean fried chicken chain. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am mad about Asian cuisine. Korean is at the top of my list. When I first heard of Bonchon, I got the crave. Couldn’t wait to try them.
I finally got my chance. I ordered the small wings, 10 for $ 10.95. I asked for hot rather than soy sauce. The wings came out with a perfect crispy coating, and, weren’t dried out. I don’t believe the chicken is fresh. It had that frozen taste to it. The hot sauce was a major disappointment in that it simply had zero kick. Flavor was there, but kick was not. Sweet without the heat. Sigh.
Bonchon offers some other traditional Korean dishes like Bibimbap, Jopchae and Bulgogi. These dishes are pricey, but some can serve two. Not a bad deal there. I don’t care to give these dishes a try here, because I am out of town and dining alone. They also offer some sides. Some of the sides you normally get for free in any other Korean restaurant, like Kimchi, rice, and, pickled radishes. These, they are charging $ 2 + for. Bite me!
I am giving three stars because they have a full bar which offers decent happy hour deals, and, this is an ideal place to take a group of friends and order the wings. They have really good deals on wing combos and they have huge drumsticks. You can combo up on the wings, strips, and, drums for some pretty cool deals. As for me, I liked the wings pretty well. The sauce was the major let down. I told the manager, and he offered to give me extra sauce. ??. I needed the heat dude! IMO, the best wings around Texas are at Wingzup in Austin. It is owned by a couple of Koreans and an American.

After shopping at Northpark, I opened up my handy dandy Unilocal app to check out what restaurants were in the area. Bam! There Bonchon Chicken was, .8 miles away.
Reading all the previous reviews, I honestly didn’t know what to expect.
It was a rainy afternoon so we didn’t have a problem with parking and it was kind of empty. The restaurant was very spacious and also had outdoor seating (I wish we could have sat outside but y’know, it was raining). Our service was excellent! I was thinking it would be run by Koreans, but it was very diverse. They were all very friendly and told us to sit where ever we wanted. They asked us how was the food and didn’t come off as too overbearing.
It’s kinda pricey, but they have a bunch of specials for lunch, on certain weekdays and game days.
But let’s get to the point here. THE CHICKEN WANGS.
Ordered 10 half and half (Spicy and Soy Garlic) wings, and they were good. They were crispy, with not too much fat; but I wish there was a tad bit more flavor. I prefer the soy garlic.
Oh, each set of wings comes with a bowl of sliced daikon radish. If you don’t like it, don’t forget to tell them to take it out. I overlooked it and felt bad about leaving it untouched.
I really want to come here again to try the rest of the dishes offered here! Hopefully, I’ll see you again soon, Bonchon!

This location is a letdown, especially when you compare the franchise to New York.
went on a Saturday afternoon and it was almost dead. the atmosphere is totally different. seems like they found a random restaurant and stuck the bon chon logo on it.
the wings did not seem like they were fried twice. barely crispy. the spicy tasted like they just poured Tabasco sauce on top of the wings.
no flavored soju?! sucks!!!
how is this even a franchise?! nothing was the same.
oh yeah, for as dead as the place was, the service was so slow.
pluckers is right around the corner.
I’m a huge fan of bon chon, but definitely not this location.

I’m so sad to be giving Bonchon Chicken 2 stars, but it has to be done. I love Korean fried chicken, but this place did not deliver. Although the chicken was moist, the flavors were lacking. The soy sauce flavor was okay, nothing extraordinary. The spicy flavor was a letdown as the wings were not spicy whatsoever. It lacked that heat I was looking for that you would find in a spicy Korean dish.
I like how you can order beer flights because you can get a few to share and taste different kinds. That was the highlight of our visit.
As for the service, it was TRULY a disappointment. To the staff: please be more attentive and do NOT gossip in front of your customers, especially when you’re talking about them. And don’t look so angry — smile a little, please? We wanted to leave so badly that we ate as fast as we could and paid for our tab. Little did we know that it would take 20 minutes to pay as our waitress was nowhere to be seen and everyone else didn’t care we were sitting there for so long. Did she go take a nap or something? Good grief I just wanted to pay and go home.

Having tried Bonchon in the East Coast years ago, I’m so happy that it is making its way throughout the country. The other locations include New Jersey, LA and Santa Clara, California, and this location in Dallas by far is the biggest I’ve been to. It has a sports bar wing joint feel! I love this location because it can accommodate large groups, if you know the other Bonchon places, they’re really small.
The hype for this fried chicken is the Korean crispy fried skin topped with a flavor of soy garlic or spicy soy garlic. You can choose between wings, big drumsticks, or strips. Let me warn you that the pieces are very generous so make sure to come hungry or share a plate with a friend. Daikon (radish) is complimentary when you order chicken so that can be your side, but having rice on the side is very yummy! The food was good and consistent with the taste of the other locations, so I’m very pleased. They also serve Korean rice bowls and noodles, so it can also cater an Asian fix.
I was impressed with their service, they were very attentive and constantly checking up on us, and I know that can be very difficult with a big group. The bathrooms were clean and the overall restaurant was very well kept up.
Maybe the only down side is that it might be on the expensive side, but your tummy won’t leave disappointed.
I wish it was closer to where I lived because I’d keep coming back, I hope they continue to expand throughout the state or nation so that people can taste this goodness!

Deliciously crispy, piping hot Korean chicken wings, kimchee slaw, and a cold beer. If I’m going to have a YOLO eating day, Bonchon’s wings are well worth it. Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, with the lovely sweet sauce. Get it spicy for a real kick.
Each order comes with a side of pickled daikon, the perfect compliment to the spicy hot wings. Prices are comparable to other wing places, but taste is definitely preferable. They have a variety of sides such as the kimchee slaw (highly recommended), rice, and fries. Service is courteous and quick. Great place to chill out with friends or catch a game. They also have specials Sunday through Thursday!

I was so excited that they’re finally down south, I would eat them when I’m up north! Now its so close to home, that its not exciting anymore. Flavors and textures are still there though, thankfully. We had the following:
— Korean Tacos (Bulgogi) — this was mediocre, but has a nice flavor to it
— Soy Garlic and Hot Sauce Potstickers — I thought this was only okay, I could do without next time
— Soy Garlic and Hot Sauce Wings with daikon and slaw — this is pretty much the only thing to brag about here, much like other Bonchon locations. Their perfectly crispy wings and brushed on sauces, makes it so crispy and delicious! And the daikon and slow compliments the chicken so well. I much rather the hot sauce over the soy garlic, because the soy garlic is a tad too sweet for my liking
I want more chicken!

All these Unilocalers that want to be first to try a newly opened restaurant forgot about the rule that says Wait and let the kinks work out before trying out the restaurant. As you can see there were many disappointed firsts but the ratings got better.
Décor: 3.5÷5
–I came on a weeknight and it was about ¹⁄₃ filled
–very spacious and long bar
–parking can be a pain if you come during rush hour
Service: 4.5÷5
–server was friendly, asked if we had ever been to BonChon in which I replied only the NYC locations. He went on to tell me the minor differences about this location
–After the food was served, he came to check up on us 3 times while another server came by to pour water for the third time.
Food: ⁴⁄₅
–Bulgogi Taco ($ 2.50 on Taco Tuesday) was okay. Decent amount of beef though dry and a spicy kick. It comes with a side of thick honey glaze
–Spicy Chicken has Tabasco sauce on it. You be the judge on if you’ll need extra chili oil on the side.
–Soy Garlic was slightly sweet and the chicken meat was juicy and not overcooked. I thoroughly enjoyed eating this. 6 pieces of wings and strips was more than enough for the night.
–Seasoned fries I could have done without. They were soggy yet piping hot.

I have been back a couple more times since my initial visit, and I remain a fan. The chicken strips are very large pieces of white meat, lightly breaded, and they meld well with the sauces. Eating a number of hot wings in succession, the heat really builds and could be prohibitive for some. I would recommend ordering either half and half (a split of the order as half are soy garlic and half are hot) or another mixture as opposed to all hot.
I have also had the regular french fries, and the seasoned added that extra bit of crunch that makes them fit better with the wings. Steamed rice or radish are good alternative sides. A friend of mine greatly enjoyed the bulgogi tacos.
I have not had any issues finding quick parking, nor have I had to wait. The bar staff is friendly as well as the front of the house manager. I will continue to send people to this restaurant.
One thing I have noticed that is a little off, the sound system. The music sounds echoed and low, like there is an imbalance in the equalizer. There are no mids or treble, so the vocals sound really washed out.

So glad they are back in business. It’s never good to see businesses fail or close down… just think of how many people will be out of jobs and can’t feed their family. With that being said, if restaurants deserve constructive criticisms then let them have it. But it’s important on how they approach bad situations and turn it around. Good thing, Bonchon listened.
I’m glad they took some time off to sort out issues. My second visit was much more pleasant. The chicken wings were more flavorful, juicy, and tender. The pot stickers in spicy were so spiccyyyy. I don’t recommend anything spicy here if you can’t handle the heat. The wait for wings wasn’t long at all. And the service was outstanding. Overall, good job Bonchon!

Total redemption!!! I came here before the re-​opening and I wasn’t thrilled. It didn’t do a good job of winning me over but I didn’t hate it. They temporarily shut down to work out their kinks and reopened. I gave them a try after the reopening and I must say, total redemption!!! It’s like they read all the Unilocal reviews and made it better!
It wasn’t busy on a school night so we got our food fast! Service was better! The wings were amaze balls! They were super crispy and the fries were done just right! It wasn’t salty like last time. Between two of us, we shared chicken strips and chicken wings of half and half. An order of season fries and sides of kimchi and radish. The radish are sweet because it’s suppose to sooth the burning tongue from the spicy wings. The spicy is on point! Flavor was on point! It was so good! I would definitely come back! I love their wings!!!

I agree with the folks that say it’s fine but not fantastic.
A beer, a small order of chicken, kimchee and a sesame ginger chicken salad ran $ 36 before tip. Yowch! The chicken was very good but not mind altering. The kimchee was good but not very good. The sesame ginger chicken salad was okay but not good.
The service was great, the ambiance was fun but I won’t be back without being pulled along by others.

I can whip some better KFC than Bonchon…
Highly anticipated, Bonchon finally opened up and i was excited. I felt like i was back in middle school at a school dance and my crush had just asked me for a dance… except that never happened. My buddy Mike and I went to watch the cowboys get spanked by the bears.
Since it was the soft opening, there were all day happy hour specials on drinks. We grab some wells for $ 3.00 and ordered some wings and chicken strips. The prices are ridiculous. $ 12 for 6 wings and 6 thinly pounded out «chicken strips»?? They were more like chicken shavings. The order took at least 45 minutes.
Wings — We got the half/​half. The soy glaze was tasty, you can taste the ginger and green onion. The spicy which is made with korean chili paste was spicy. The flaw was that the wings weren’t really coated well at all. You want your wings to be sauced, not half naked.
Chicken Strips — Chicken breast is prone to being overcooked and turn dry, which was the case with these strips. I’m not sure they are considered strips, they should be reclassified as chicken jerky.
One good thing was that our bartender Jess was extremely suave and cool. He actually got me into trying his Lemon Merigue cocktail… which i have to say was pretty tasty and potent. Sorry Bonchon, ima hit up that pluckers nearby for my wings

I decided to stop in during the soft opening to avoid crowds and maybe even catch a soft opening special.
I came here on a Tuesday night at about 7pm and the wait was about 20 – 30 minutes for a party of two. The bar was full at this time as well. Probably after 15 minutes we snagged two seats at the bar.
The restaurant itself is set up really nicely and has a huge bar with TV’s everywhere. The entire staff was friendly and really wanted you to enjoy your Bonchon experience.
Drinks — They have a wide selection of beer, cocktails, fishbowls, and some wine. I didn’t drink but I did peek at the drinks menu and the prices are reasonable. This seems like a perfect place to come with a group of friends to enjoy pitchers of beer or share fishbowls.
Food — We started with the salmon avocado ball which consisted of avocado, cucumber, crab, and tobiko covered in salmon and green onions. So so so so good! The flavors went really well together. And of course we tried the twice fried chicken! We ordered half and half chicken wings, half soy garlic and half hot. I really enjoyed both flavors and couldn’t really tell you which is better than the other. The soy garlic has awesome flavors and the hot had a really good kick. The wings were incredibly crispy and moist on the inside.
All together, with the salmon starter, 20 wings, and tip, it came out to $ 40.
This place definitely lived up to the hype and I do plan to return many, many times. I knocked them off a star because of cook time. When you order they do warn you that it may take 30 – 40 minutes or longer for the chicken.

Bonchon Chicken is a restaurant/​sports bar that specializes in Korean style fried chicken, dishes, and having several beers on tap. This review was during their soft opening.
My Overall Rating — 4 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — When I first heard of Bonchon chicken, I immediately thought it was a fast food Korean chicken place. You know, KFC but with Korean chicken. So imagine my surprise when we entered a nice, modern interior with a long bar, plenty of seating, wait service, and flat screens everywhere. It has a feel of an upscale sports bar. It was completely opposite of what I thought it was, and that’s a good thing. 1 Star.
Service — This was a soft opening, and for the most part service was good. We had a party of 10, and we had a nice table in the back with its own TV. Our immediate server was ok, since they were new we didn’t get a great description of key items (what makes your chicken so good? Etc…) and we had to ask for non-​water refills. However, there were several other folks who kept checking in. Other servers, the manager, and we felt like they wanted to ensure we had a good experience. 1 Star.
Food — Limited menu, but they had all the items we wanted. We started with the tacos, both spicy chicken and bugolgi. The tacos were good, but both had too much siracha. They ended up tasting too similar. However, the dipping sauce it came with were superb. It was a sweet soy dip that we ended up using for everything. Now for the chicken — we loved it. The drummettes were big, but the best part was the skin. It was crispy with an even soy & honey glaze. I have no idea how they do it — the skin stays crispy without being oily and the glaze is part of it, not tossed and sauced on. Also, it passed the kid test. My son devoured three big pieces and asked for more today in the car. Fries & pot stickers were avg. In summary, they excelled in the chicken, solid on tacos, and everything else ok. It’s not cheap either so be sure you know what you really want. 1 Start.
Will I Return? — Yes. My kids and I really enjoyed the chicken. So I would actually come back just to eat some chicken. It won’t be a regular price only because it’s a bit pricey. But it’s unique enough for me to get a craving for it sooner or later (mostly sooner). 1 Star
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score

The Dallas location here is a much larger, spacious restaurant then the old Annandale, VA and NY, NY locations I’ve been to. It has modern and sleek décor and TVs all around! They have attentive staff despite the amount of guests they had in the soft opening attendance.
The most obvious difference of this franchised location is the huge menu they offer! It varies from the vast range of appetizers, selection of beers on tap, cocktails, and even fishbowl drinks! The other locations I mentioned main staple was the Soy Garlic and Spicy wings, rice, white pickled radish, and seafood pancake.
Items tasted:
Plain and garlic flavored French fries: crispy and not soaked with grease.
Shrimp Shumai: not bad. But not at the weekend dim sum quality that you would get at a Chinese joint.
Dumplings: crispy on all sides of the dumplings and not overly salty.
Chicken strips: half and half. The batter was crispy, but the meat was bit dry in comparison to the wings.
Wings and drumsticks: double fried and crispy as I had in the past!
As for wait time for your wings, I would suggest ordering the wings you want first or have the sever submit it first and then go back and order your appetizer. The 30 – 40 minute wait time for the wings is normal since it has to be double fried. Normally I would call my order ahead of time of arrival at the other locations, but each place operates differently. So just know these delectable wings takes patience.
*Update*
I went back the day after their grand opening and half of the kitchen staff did not show up for work and so corporate/​part owners had to make the call and close for the night.
So I went back AGAIN last night and…
They are still working out the kinks on the kitchen staff so the food consistency is not as I would normally expect. Crispy but not as crispy as I had before. The tenders were a bit dry. Service was great though.