Papa Bop — Restaurant in Evanston Township

No hospitality. The food is fine. I've been here several times; never coming again. Unfortunately my party of 3 was practically kicked out the door by the owner, who explained that his seatings are for 45 minutes. If that's true, he needs to inform people before they sit down. We arrived before 5 p.m. and ordered an appetizer to share and 3 main courses. Two panchan and soup came. Main courses came before we were finished with the starter. We ate quickly and were finishing our drinks and paying when a party of 5 arrived. Instead of slightly reconfiguring an existing table for 4 and capping the end with a chair, the owner told us twice he needed our table back immediately. My friend wanted to order carryout for her son, but the manager quoted her an excessive wait time for one main dish and shook his head, refusing the possibility. If seating time is extremely limited, he needs to inform customers of that, and they can decide whether or not to dine. We come out to enjoy ourselves and have conversation, not just to eat and be rushed out. Usually a seating lasts at least an hour in a full-service restaurant. Our bill came at 538. I understand the nature of the business, but he made us all uncomfortable by rushing us out before 50 minutes had elapsed. We will never return to an establishment that is happy to take our money and blatantly and unapologetically kicks us out the door. Open a counter service establishment if you don't want to provide good service or hospitality....

I’ve only been here for take-out and it was my first time. Didn’t know what to expect but everything was great!!

It’s a small restaurant. Seems to be family-run and sure feels like it. I was greeted as I came in and I took a look over their menu. I ordered something familiar and presumably their popular dish, Bibimbap with Bulgogi. Prompt service and the gentleman did ask me if I had any questions about the menu.

While I waited, I was offered some water which I did not expect but was happily grateful for it. Nice touch of warm hospitality. I got my food and headed out and thanked him again for the water.

The bibimbap was phenomenal. It’s not the most sophisticated dish of Korean cuisine but it hit the spot. Great portion size and it was well packaged. Food was hot and it came with banchan which for some reason is not standard in a lot of Korean joints. Bulgogi was savory and tasty, veggies were cooked well and fresh. Gochujang Sauce was what you expect but good.

Next time I would love to try their drinks and some of their other dishes. I definitely...

Everything was fantastic. The Soondubu Jjigae was phenomenal. It says “medium spicy,” but, according to my pallet, very spicy. But manageable, and delicious.

The bibimbop was great too. They have three wonderful sauces you can add to the dish. I recommend trying them all and then dousing the dish with your favorite. Absolutely amazing!

The restaurant is SMALL, so be warned! You may have to wait for a table. You could also be at at a bar instead of a proper table, which isn’t ideal. But trust me, the food is worth the wait and slight bit of discomfort that may come from sitting at a bar.

It’s BYOB. Their (virgin) drink menu...