Red Chili

Ok. I finally have a reason to go to Elizabethton for food. This place is a Gem. The waitress was amazing. I would request Nicole every time
The food was awesome. There is no way that their prices are too high. The quality and flavor is so worth it.
I had the blue chicken. It was absolutely amazing.

Admittedly, this review is outdated, at the very least. I drove down here with my dad, trekking from Knoxville to introduce him to some semblance of Korean food back in 2007. This, mind you, was right after I had returned from a year in Korea (and a year+ in Los Angeles and Orange County, California). I was a bit disappointed.
The people working the restaurant (a very nice couple, made up of a Korean woman and her American husband) were very nice and attentive. I asked about (fermented soy bean stew), and though it wasn’t on the menu, the wife went ahead an made it for me. It was ok, but nothing above the most basic dish.
The disappointments came with things like bibimbap and dishes I was hoping would be a little more «traditional» and friendly to the American palate. My dad got the bibimbap, and when it came out, it was more akin to a Panda Express bowl. It was mostly beef with a sweet/​savory sauce served over rice. It was almost as if we’d ordered a dish from an Americanized «Chiense» restaurant. I didn’t want to criticize as this was my dad’s first experience with Korean food. My dish, the soup, was OK, but beyond the basic soup base, it felt a little detached from the original.
My main suggestion for the place would be for it to go back to the basics, prepare the dishes as they were meant to be served traditionally, and not pander to American tastes. People want to taste authentic Korean food, especially if they are driving more than an hour to get there.

Really great hole in the wall! The hours and days are a little inconvenient but it’s worth it. You can’t go wrong with Blue chicken or bibimbap.

I’ve been here a few times and generally like it. The biggest problem I have is that I think the food is somewhat expensive. I have eaten at almost every Korean restaurant in Manhattan and the prices there for lunch are about the same as this place. That is probably because there are so many restaurants there, they are more competitive with the prices. If this place was cheaper, I would eat here more often, so I am not sure it is to their benefit to charge as much as they do. Compared to the restaurants in Manhattan, I do like this place and I find the food to be a bit more wholesome and homemade. The food in Manhattan often is the same in every restaurant and tends to be rush prepared in a particular homogeneous fashion, whereas this place is somewhat distinctive in its style, while still mostly preserving the authenticity of the cuisine. A couple of things I did notice were that I did not receive any banchan (side dishes) with my order, as typically can be expected from a Korean restaurant. I also noticed with my dish, when it was not as spicy as I wanted, that the traditional Korean gochujang (hot sauce) was not available. So I think it’s a little off mark in terms of authenticity, but at the same time the uniqueness makes up for that to a degree. I would also remark that I found the portion size somewhat inadequate for my large appetite. Despite my complaints, I found the food to be very tasty and recommendable.

I have been here several times and I always enjoy the bibimbap. It is crazy hot when it comes out but you have to try it with the egg cracked on top. I have heard that the blue chicken is great too. Just trust the menu and I don’t think you could go wrong.
There is not a lot of seating and the smell of the yummy food kind of sticks to your clothes, but it is all part of the experience. This is a place you have to try if you’re in the area. Make sure you check the days and hours they’re open.

Excellent food made with a lot of passion and true taste of Korean food. I recommend everything on the menu.

The food is great, pretty darn authentic Korean food. The chef came out to chat with us and see how we liked the food. Portion sizes were just right and the BYOB was nice to allow each (3 couples) to bring & share a bottle of wine.
It is a small place so get there early.
Only bad thing I have to say is that because of the small size, one loud party can make it difficult to hear even the person across from you.

I love their food. Yellow curry chicken and bi bob bop bowl are great. You must try it. All food are always good and u will walk away stasifed. I know the place is small and cute.

Was shocked to see Red Chili below four stars on Unilocal.It seems a single review from very early in their existence has dragged them down, possibly unjustly. What I can tell you is that a Korean/​Asian restaurant’s continued existence in Elizabethton, TN is a testament to its quality and ability to draw non-​native business.
First and foremost let’s admit the shortcomings of Red Chili, especially space. Red Chili is housed in an older Elizabethton building without central HVAC. They manage the climate as best they can but yes, it does get warm in there in the summer – which makes carrying out during the warm months a wise decision.
As for the food, I have never been to Korea, but I have had plenty of Americanized Asian foods versus more authentic fare. Red Chili falls decidedly on the authentic side of the spectrum flavor-​wise. And yes, most of their dishes do include kimchee – why that was not the case in 2009 I cannot say.
My personal favorite is the Yellow Curry Chicken, which can be served with a fried egg on top for extra flavor and protein. They will adjust the spice to your liking. I usually tell them to «light me up» and they oblige to a satisfying degree: not a nasty, overbearing level of spice but warm, piercing addition to the creamy flavors of the curry gravy.
My wife is a big fan of the Bi-​Bim-​Bap, which is served in an impressive fashion in a special pot.
Give Red Chili a shot if you are in Elizabethton – and please, give them a fair and honest review when you are done.

Very good food, quaint atmosphere. My wife and I really like this place. We have eaten here at least half a dozen times and have never been disappointed. It is worth the drive to Elizabethton if you like Korean food.

My wife & I really enjoyed our lunch at Red Chili. There was only one table open out of about seven when we arrived. This is not a large or fancy place. We are not experts on the authenticity of Korean food… but we know good food. I had the crunch rice and chicken and it indeed had crunchy rice served on a hot skillet. If you enjoy local flavor mom & pop places with good food, then I highly recommend Red Chili.
(BTW they do not serve chili)

Portion size is slightly smaller, but taste really good! We have the bi bim bop, summer kimchi bi bim bop and the beef chop jaun.
They are all very delicious.
The restaurant is a bit small 7 tables, waitress and staff are really nice. Wait time is not long at all.
Open only on wed thurs and sat only
Worth to try it!
Will definitely come back!

I was really excited to eat here, but i was sorely disappointed. The meat dish I ordered was sickly sweet as if honey had been poured all over it. In addition, the meat did not taste fresh, as if it were on the verge of going bad. The portion size was tiny especially considering the price. Service was subpar, as both waiter and owner were incredibly rude.

For some reason all the positive reviews for Red Chili are now in the «filtered» area. The only review in the «general» area is a 2 star one. The filtered ones are all 5 star ones. Hmmmm? You can read the «filtered» ones by clicking on the word «filtered» even though it is grayed out, it still works.

So I’m a fanatic for all things Korean. While researching places to eat on Unilocal for my upcoming trip to Elizabethton, I was surprised to discover there was a Korean restaurant in town. Yay! Red Chili went to the top of my short list of places to try while I was in Carter County, Tennessee.
Mid-​week, headed down to Red Chili at the tail end of lunch time. Red Chili is right on Elk Avenue in the heart of the quaint shopping district of Elizabethton, nestled among lots and lots of antique shops. I stood outside the restaurant and perused the menu prior to placing my take out order. The offerings are very limited and looked suspiciously inauthentic and Americanized. I chalked it up to the restaurantuers knowing their market and limited access to authentic ingredients. I was disappointed that neither bulgogi or kalbi were on the menu.
I went inside and was immediately struck by how small, hot and dark it was. I also noticed that the restaurant was being run by only two people (presumably a caucasian husband and Korean wife team.) Both were sweating profusely due to the warm weather (85 degrees) and lack of adequate air conditioning. I was glad I was ordering take out. I placed my order for four dishes at 1:08 pm and was told it would be 25 minutes til my order was ready. There was only 2 other tables dining it at that time. I figured that the long wait time might be an indicator that the food would be really fresh and well-​prepared.
I toddled off to a nearby antique mall to kill time while I waited for my food. I returned at 1:45 pm and my order was just being completed. I was glad my instincts told me it would take them more than 25 minutes to get my order ready. I would not have been happy if I had to wait in the sweltering heat for my food.
Got back to the house and we all shared each others orders. Since they didn’t have any take out menus, I don’t remember the names of what I ordered. The best thing we got was Mom’s cold buckwheat noodle salad with chicken, greens and a nice sesame dressing. Very tasty. My only complaint is that they dressed it. They should have put the dressing on the side because the next day the greens were really wilted. But it was still delicious a day later.
I ordered was crunchy noodles with chicken (I don’t remember what they called it). It was pretty decent, although the noodles weren’t really crispy and reminded me quite a lot of lo mein. I can’t quite put my finger on what flavorings went into it, but it was slightly sweet and tasty, but nothing special and certainly not authentic. Left me asking myself where the heat was…
The one thing I didn’t try was the Bibimbap, which although my stepfather really enjoyed it, it was NOT EVEN REMOTELY authentic. I was shocked when I opened the container. It was just rice and meat!!! Where were the veggies? Since he had never had Bibimbap he didn’t know he should be disappointed, so I guess that was okay. I didn’t rain on his parade and tell him his order was jacked.
Finally, and most aggravating was my «Kickin Chicken» which claimed to be similar to sweet and sour chicken (suspicously NOT Korean). It was an unabashed disaster. The bok choi had rotten leaves on it. The fresh pineapple was turning to alcohol. The HUGE chunks of breaded and fried chicken weren’t cut properly so that the grain of the chicken was going the wrong way. The chicken also became a soggy mess in the sticky sweet sauce (which was tasty). The red peppers and purple onions in the sauce were delish and were the only thing really salvagable in the dish. The chicken was really disgusting. And where was the heat? Helloooo… Korean food should have some KICK! Kicken Chicken, where are youuuuuuuuu???
And WTF… there was no kimchee in any of the orders, which I would think should be a forgone conclusion with Korean food. It’s like ordering Italian take out and not getting rolls and butter. meh.
So the my experience was mixed. Definitely NOT a place to go if you’re looking for authentic Korean. It’s more just Pan-​Asian. They had a few Japanesy type dishes, in addition to the Chinese influenced choices. There was nothing on the menu purely Korean. Some of the food was good, as long as you don’t have preconceived notions about how things should or should not be prepared.
Cash and check only. No credit cards accepted. No kids meal offerings. They have one cute little table for outdoor seating if you want to people watch and escape from the heat inside. Open Wednesday through Sunday.