Chicago, IL
Best Korean in Chicago.
Harry's top 10 Korean spots in Chicago score 81–90 on the Harry Score. One carries critic or guide backing. Prices run $ to $$.
Albany Park is the real Koreatown, not the marketing kind — Lawrence Avenue between Kedzie and Pulaski was officially named Seoul Drive in 1993, and the neighborhood has been shrinking ever since as families moved to the northern suburbs. That history matters more than any menu. Harry checks the banchan first: four kinds minimum, refilled without asking twice. Then the doenjang jjigae, which exposes a kitchen faster than short rib ever will. If the room smells like a grill on your way out, that's a bad exhaust fan, not authenticity.
Ranked by Harry Score. The Harry Score is a weighted blend of Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and critic mentions. No paid placements. No affiliate links.
Scores last recomputed
82 Kimbap
korean
125 S Clark St, Chicago
4.9 across 126 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; fairly priced for what it is.
$$
Harry
90
Worth It
80
PINK MU
korean
738 N Clark St, Chicago
5.0 across 35 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; a sensible spend, nothing wasted here.
Caveat: Looks promising, but the sample size is tiny. Harry is watching.
$$
Harry
89
Worth It
80
Kim’s Korean Cuisine & Sushi
korean · tonkatsu
3422 N Broadway, Chicago
4.8 across 484 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; fairly priced for what it is.
$$
Harry
88
Worth It
79
MISTER TIGER
korean
1132 W Grand Ave, Chicago
4.8 across 528 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; ranked #603 of 10,143 locally on Tripadvisor.
$$
Harry
85
Worth It
78
SO GONG DONG(SGD) TOFU & KOREAN BBQ - WICKER PARK
korean · korean-barbecue
2411 W North Ave, Chicago
4.7 across 206 Google reviews, and Tripadvisor lands in the same place; a sensible spend, nothing wasted here.
$$
Harry
84
Worth It
77
Kim's Home Cooking
korean
4829 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago
4.8 across 331 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; unpretentious restaurant dishing up traditional Korean cuisine amid compact surroundings.
$
Harry
84
Worth It
79
Ssyal - Chicago Korean Restaurant
korean
4201 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago
4.7 across 1.7k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; listed in the Michelin Guide.
$$
Harry
84
Worth It
77
Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse
korean
2407 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago
4.7 across 1.7k Google reviews; fairly priced for what it is.
$$
Harry
83
Worth It
77
SeoulSpice
korean
20 N Michigan Ave #100, Chicago
4.6 across 399 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; priced about right for what you get.
$$
Harry
83
Worth It
77
To Korean Cuisine
korean
3108 N Broadway, Chicago
4.5 across 164 Google reviews; priced about right for what you get.
$$
Harry
81
Worth It
76
Korean in other cities
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Questions Harry gets about Korean in Chicago
- What is the best Korean restaurant in Chicago?
- 82 Kimbap tops Harry's Korean list for Chicago right now, with a Harry Score of 90/100.
- How does Harry Hungry score Korean restaurants in Chicago?
- Harry Hungry blends ratings from Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and critic mentions into a weighted Harry Score (0–100). A separate Worth It Score ranks restaurants by value for money. No paid placements, no affiliate links — the ranking is built from public data only.
- Are there tourist-trap Korean restaurants in Chicago to avoid?
- Harry Hungry flags restaurants where Tripadvisor ratings diverge significantly from local reviews — a common tourist-trap signal. See the tourist trap index for Chicago on Harry Hungry for a full breakdown.