Bonchon Reston — Restaurant in Reston

I want to like this brand like I used to 7-8 years ago (used to order maybe once every 3 weeks) but recently every time I go back (this location and others) I just feel let down. A 20 piece boneless and the Korean tacos used to feed two people with some leftover for the next day. Now a 20 piece resembles an order of popcorn chicken and 1 person can finish it no problem. You used to get a spicy mayo with every 10 pieces of chicken; now (like within the last 5 years) it’s $0.95 each. The orders used to be quite hot when you picked up to go; now they are barely warm when the bag is handed over to you. We ordered a pork bun and a Korean taco the last time we went; they are supposed to have the spicy mayo on both orders and they had nothing. We were trying to eat on the go but we had to wait until we got home to have the privilege of making our own spicy mayo for our order. I don’t know how many cooks there were but they had 3 people working the pick up / delivery orders and no dine in service; how could it take 3 people to handle the pickups? The kitchen can’t keep up with orders, there’s too many people checking names on the pickup orders, and the chain has been shrinkflating their offerings for the past 6 years. It’s probably going to be another two years before I give this place another chance to disappoint me.

Update: I’ve got a pretty strong stomach so when I tell you this place gave me really bad food poisoning the next day, you need to believe me. I was in physical pain from 5 am until 11 pm and there was no way I got this from my home made meals. My partner also had the same symptoms so buyer beware.

It might be unfair to blame the whole franchise for this final straw but with the prices they charge and the quality of their food I think I’m done...

Bonchon has not changed. It is Saturday evening, and I'm ready to watch the AppleTV tonight. I have friends and family that are looking for something good to eat with spiciness and even some garlic flavoring. I decided to go to Plaza America to get a bite to eat that was fast and going to be filling for a party of 5, not a large group, but enough to avoid cooking. Bonchon was the suggestion given to me, so often I went to order for the first time. Located conveniently in Reston in Plaza America, I made the trip in the early evening on waked into a mid-sized restaurant. An open setting with a few tables, fountains, and cold drinks. After reviewing the menu,I made my order and told it would be about 20 minutes. Just to give you an idea, I ordered chicken wings with the Korean Spicy (26) pieces and the garlic flavored (16) pieces and order of potstickers (8) pieces. I figured that should hold us over. Well, let me tell you the amount of time to wait was accurate and the friendliness of the attendant was good. My experience here was brief, but sometimes that's good when you're anxious to get back to the game, right? Anyway, upon arrival, the food was still hot and ready to eat. The wings were so spicy, I mean WOW! But good and the garlic flavored wings were mild and a great alternative from the spicy. Honesty, we still had leftovers, but it was no surprise that everyone thought choosing Bonchon was the best choice. I mean, originally, I was thinking pizza; however, the wings from Bonchon were what this snack football party needed. I recommend visiting the Reston or Herndon location for your next order of wings. Hands down, awesome...

I had stopped going to Bonchon's a while ago as I've just not had great experiences. However, I do realize that Bonchon's are franchised restaurants so each Bonchon experience might vary greatly, and that's what happened at this location.

I was in Reston to visit family that was visiting from out of town and settled on this place to meet and eat lunch.

I wish I could chalk it up to just me having low expectations for the place but the food was genuinely delicious. We got Shumai, Japchae, Takoyaki, and the Combo (wings and drums) with both Soy Garlic and Spicy flavors. The food was all better than I expected, especially the chicken. Crispy, flavorful, fresh and MOIST. UGH I felt like it was the first time I had Korean Fried Chicken all over again, kinda like forgetting the plot of a great movie and getting to enjoy it all over again.

I would imagine these wings are best enjoyed in-store, as take-out will let the steam/sauce soften up the breading on the chicken. Dine-in at the restaurant for the bone-in wings and you shan't be disappointed.

We also got to meet Wendy, who I believe is the owner? She was so nice and caring and a pleasure to chat with. Saw her interacting with a police officer that came in to pick up lunch and she hooked him up with something extra, though I didn't hear exactly what it was. Anyways, I like this place and I hardly ever write reviews. Will be back next time I'm back in...