SoJu BBQ — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I have sent several of my friends to this restaurant and they enjoyed their experiences and so have I in the past. However I don't think I'll be coming back here anymore. Unfortunately for me I called the restaurant as a heads up and let them know I'm coming. I arrive with my wife and kid after an hour long drive and I kept being asked if I had reservations. I said no that wasn't mentioned to me when I had called before coming. They say they can give us a spot for only 35 mins because another party was going to show so we agreed but immediately felt rushed which was very dissappointing as I was looking forward to this all week and we were celebrating fathers day weekend. We ordered the ribeye, bulgogi, korean wings, and korean tenders. We get the ribeye and wings which were both good, but they completely forgot about the tenders and the bulgogi. I had to remind them about that as they were too busy serving others. I reminded them again and the lady said "you told her already didn't you" and I only did that because I thought we were on a 35 min time limit. I felt really dissapointed because instead of an apology, I was scolded for asking for my food again so I can hurry up and get out as they wanted us to since we were on a time crunch. We get the bulgogi which we felt was unseasoned and the tenders were grey, when we complainted about it, we were told that it's made with dark meat. We have eaten dark meat at restaurants before however the issue here was it truly did taste tastless and uncooked as the staff clearly forgot our order and probably just threw something quick. The staff said we can remake or take 20% off and we weren't a fan of either option because we were already dissapointed with the lack of service and attention we were getting. The staff agreed to take the tenders off the bill. We paid and left but highly doubt we will be coming back. What upsets me the most more than some of the food items being tasteless is the poor customer service. Little did the staff now, I was there with friends last year and we were treated with extra care probably because one of our friends knew the staff. If your in the restaurant business everyone should be treated with some respect as your customers, we spend time and money and even more I sent several patrons to this restaurant which I won't be doing anymore. It really sucks writing this because the staff today did not how much I enjoyed this place prior to...

We came here from out of state for a Palaye Royale concert at the Cobra Lounge on 4/7/24 later that evening. We decided to come into town early to eat before the show. My wife has desperately wanted to try a Korean restaurant for quite some time now, so she looked online, and this place was right in the neighborhood near the Cobra Lounge and the Bottom Lounge.

We parked at a nearby garage and walked there there which was easy to find. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff who were very helpful considering it was our first time there. I had the ribeye sandwich without the fried onions along with fries and a coke. My wife had the beef bulgogi bowl with a soju drink I pictured, which I tried as well. We also had a complimentary platter they serve, which is the last food picture on here. Then we had ice cream for dessert.

I'm a picky eater, and I really enjoyed the ribeye sandwich. With the egg, cheese, and house sauce, it gave it a unique flavor that I loved. My wife loved her beef bulgogi bowl as well and can't wait to try other dishes next time. We both had homemade Korean ice cream for dessert, which was the perfect sweet treat to top off a tasty meal. The meal began with a complimentary platter, which I pictured in the review. My wife loved that as well.

For Chicago dining, this is great food and a surprisingly good price. We both left full and very happy with our food and service. It was an all-around great experience. I don't have a bad thing to say about it. The hostess was amazing and attentive. The cooks cooked everything spot on. The service was quick. Drinks, appetizers, and meals served in great order without long wait times in between.

We highly recommend this place for lovers of Korean food as well as first-timers to it like us. There are even things on the menu that kids would like, such as chicken nuggets and fries. For the adults, take a chance and try something new. I'm glad I did, and we're looking forward to coming back. Our total bill, including gratuity, came to just under $80 for two and would have been even cheaper had my wife not ordered Korean imported alcohol, lol, but it was worth it. They also have more expensive and extravagant meals such as top shelf steaks. Keep this place on your radar as it seems to be a hidden gem in the area that we hope is there for...

Horrible! Ordered for take out. The one star is for the the grilled chicken, but I assume the taste was good only because of the sauce it was doused in. Everything else was tasteless or trashed. The beef bolgolgi, no flavor. The pork belly, no flavor. The kimichi, not good. The radish, I'm not even sure of what it tasted like. It didn't even look fresh. Lastly, the kimchi stew, just gross! Tasteless! More like just boiled hot tap water stew. You couldn't even taste the kimchi flavor. Everything went to the trash besides the meat and rice. To top it off, I asked for paper boats so that I would have something to eat in as I was visiting from out of state. She said she couldn't give any out. Like ok? What was I suppose to eat in? Not even a spoon too so that I can eat the stew! Completely horrible. I do not recommend.

*Update. Responding to whomever responded to this HORRIBLE REVIEW

It was the truth!! We were not even upset when explained to the fact that we needed reservations. We gladly accepted a take out with NO HESITATION. Don't flip this around and blame us as if we were non-compliant customers. We SUPPORT small businesses. Please LEARN how take criticism to "better" your business. Money wasn't even an issue FYI. It looks like you're admitting to horrible quality of food there, because you did nothing but attack me back in false accusations of me and my group being rude. Again, we were nothing but pleasant customers.

**update again.

Wow. Just wow. The only words spoken was from ordering and paying. Did you forget that we placed our order and stepped outside to wait for our food??? Go back and view your cameras like how your other poorly reviews you responded to. Yes, we stepped outside to give your other customers space. The only other thing said was asking for "paper boats" and "spoon" so we can eat. You're just showing how bad of an "owner" you are. How is that harrassment? Again, you're just acknowledging how bad your food was. We never attacked you or your workers. Anyone reviewing this and need confirmation can reach...