bb.q Chicken Niles — Restaurant in Maine Township

I was really excited to try bb.q Chicken in Niles, since Korean fried chicken is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, but unfortunately my experience here was a big letdown. To be fair, the chicken itself was actually pretty good. It came out hot, crispy, and flavorful, with that satisfying crunch you expect from Korean style fried chicken. If I were judging this place on the chicken alone, it would easily deserve a higher rating.

The problem, however, is everything else. The very first thing you notice when you walk in is the awful smell that lingers throughout the restaurant. It honestly smelled like sewage, and it was so strong that it made me want to vomit. It’s incredibly hard to enjoy your meal when the entire space smells like that, and it makes you question what’s going on with the cleanliness and maintenance of the restaurant itself.

Another issue is the pricing. For the amount you pay here, the value just isn’t there. Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are filled with Korean fried chicken spots that not only serve larger portions and more flavorful chicken, but also do it for a much more reasonable price. When you compare bb.q Chicken Niles to those alternatives, it becomes obvious very quickly that this place doesn’t measure up.

For me, this location is really just a last resort option. If you’re absolutely craving Korean chicken and don’t have any other choices nearby, it’ll do in a pinch, but I can’t see myself coming back regularly. Between the sewage smell, the high prices, and the fact that there are so many better options in the area, I’d suggest skipping this spot and going somewhere...

The outside of the place isn't so inviting, as all the windows are covered up like a strip club..... that I've seen on TV, and have never visited before. But inside, the place is nice. There's a small bar area in the front, where two TVs, in the dining area, several TVs are showing music videos from Vevo. The dining area is rather spacious, with several tables and booths/benches.

I got some pickled cubes of radish while I waited for my food, and watches some K-Pop on the TV screens. The server seemed like he was the only one working the front of the kitchen, and he was zipping to-and-fro serving food to the numerous customers, but still being friendly and efficient.

I decided to go with the boneless variety, as I was feeling lazy, and went with the galbi -- the chicken had a lightly sweet and savory sauce. Tossed with green onions and garnished with sesame seeds, this was delicious! I ended up getting the "small" order and it came with 8 decent-sized pieces. I also ordered the fried dumpling and it came with a good amount as well. It had a perfect crunch, filled with a soft pork filling.

Service was great, food was great, and the price was expected. This place is another Korean fried chicken venue to try out.

BATHROOM REVIEW: Located in the back, down the hallway, the bathroom was a hallway of itself; the toilet, sink, and urinal lined up one wall of the bathroom. Whoever went to the bathroom before me, tracked a bunch of dirt, but the bathroom overall was useable and decent. Sit or...

Overpriced and over hyped!

It's okay fried chicken. If you get the original golden it's basically naked chicken, and it NEEDS SEASONING! I'm not talking spices, I'm talking salt! It's like they took chicken, threw it through some bread crumbs then deep fried it. It's fine, but fine is a pretty low bar for chicken.

It's clear that all the heavy lifting is meant to be done by the sauces, but adding a sauce on top of mediocre fried chicken isn't a recipe for success.

Similarly, their fries are very low effort. NO SEASONING AT ALL! NONE!! Nor are they double fried; just cut a potato, threw it in the fryer and let it rip.

Finally, when we walked in they refused us a table and said carry out only. Entire restaurant was empty, said it was a health inspection. Yet it was perfectly OK for us to wait the entire time doing absolutely nothing. So what was the real reason? Too cheap to hire wait staff. Fine, if you don't want to be a restaurant whatever, but don't lie to my face about it. It was obvious what was going on!

Go to chicken inn instead - much better fried chicken! And they won't lie to you about a non-existent...