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16 Excellent Korean Restaurants in Houston

Where to find the crispiest chicken wings, simmering kimchi jigae, and cheese-stuffed Korean hot dogs

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While Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood has been a hotbed for Korean cuisine for years due to the neighborhood’s large expat community, there has been an uptick in restaurants popping up around town serving upscale Korean barbecue, fried chicken, and comforting slow-cooked soups and stews, or jigaes. The city is rich with traditional Korean noodle and soup houses; buzzy Korean barbecue restaurants, serving bulgogi and kalbi; and casual fried chicken and fusion spots putting their own twists on dishes that meld Korean flavors with Houston’s various cultural influences.

Searching for a taste of Korean cuisine in Houston? Look no further than these 16 essential restaurants.

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Dak & Bop 18th Street

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Dak & Bop’s Museum District location was one of the first restaurants to bring extra-crispy Korean-style fried chicken to the inner loop, but since it shuttered in 2020, the Heights location carries on the tradition. Find juicy, double-fried wings and tenders, bulgogi fries, kimchi bisque, and pair your meal with beer or booze — Dad & Bop has a full bar.

Seoul Garden

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This longstanding Korean barbecue joint serves up meaty classics like bulgogi, galbi, and samgyeopsal (three-layered pork belly), made to be shared table-wide. Eating alone? Order the kimchi jigae stew or kimchi pajeon, and keep it all to yourself.

Korea Garden Restaurant

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Open in Houston for more than three decades, Korea Garden is a reliable choice to feed your Korean food fix. The restaurant offers a hefty menu that includes sizzling barbecue, short rib jjigae, and shareable snacks like tteokbokki and oyster tempura.

This Korean steakhouse kicks the classic KBBQ formula up a notch with appetizers like octopus carpaccio and spicy naeng-myun, served alongside meats like dry-aged wagyu beef belly, spicy marinated pork, and filet mignon. Don’t eat and run — Bori boasts a tranquil outdoor space coined the Peace Garden worth exploring before or after your meal.

Korean Noodle House

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Hit this noodle shop up for mul naengmyeon — a savory chilled soup made with buckwheat noodles and thinly-sliced beef, topped with daikon, boiled egg, cucumber, and matchsticked watermelon or Asian pear. The refreshing dish makes an ideal meal on a sweltering Houston day.

Manna Noodle House

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In addition to noodle dishes like spicy seafood jjamppong and jajjangmyun (black bean noodles) — which can be ordered in a split dish, so you can have the best of both worlds — diners rave about this mom-and-pop shop’s house-made kimchi, pickled daikon, and other banchan.

Bonchon Midtown Houston

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This wildly popular South Korean fast food chain with locations in Pearland, Katy, and Sugar Land, specializes in fried chicken. but the menu features a massive collection of Korean comfort eats too. Find bibimbap, Korean-style tacos, tteokbokki, and udon, and save room for mochi in flavors like Thai tea and raspberry crunch.

Gen Korean BBQ House

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This Midtown restaurant is a carnivore’s paradise, with all-you-can-eat barbecue, and dishes like Cajun shrimp, tofu stew, marinated short rib, and spicy pork belly. The club-like interior, complete with loud music and neon lights, is a favorite for groups looking to make a night of it in the hip neighborhood.

a hand with chopsticks holding two pieces of cooked meat and a big glob of glass noodles
Honey Pig Korean Barbecue
Honey Pig Korean Barbecue/Facebook

Oh My Gogi

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This longtime Houston food truck melds Korean and Tex-Mex flavors and offers its unique menu into the wee hours of the night. Dishes like the Gogi melt combine meat with cheese and grilled onions on Texas toast, while kimchi quesadillas and a ramen burger built with a house-made ramen bun aren't commonly found elsewhere around town.

Honey Pig Korean BBQ

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Founded by Korean immigrant Micky Kim in Annandale, Virginia in 2007, this Asiatown restaurant is best-known for its menu of affordable grilled meats. Located in Diho Square, the restaurant has a colorful and kitschy interior and blasts K-Pop on the speakers.

Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs

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The Korean corn dog trend has officially landed in Houston, and at Two Hands in Asiatown, diners can find everything from mozzarella or squid ink-stuffed hot dogs to ones coated in crispy fried potato, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust, and rice puffs.

Soho Chicken

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Soho Chicken puts the spotlight on poultry with entrees like buldak, a platter of spicy pan-fried chicken with cheese, and fried chicken wings in a variety of flavors, but the menu features hot pot, Korean barbecue, and beefy noodle dishes too.

Karne offers premium cuts of in-house dry aged beef and reserve-cut Japanese wagyu grilled table-side alongside stunning plates of seafood, raw bar offerings, and caviar service. The appetizers are not worth skipping — from the yellowtail crudo with scallops and shrimp in a yuzu dressing to the rice wine poached mussels with toasted milk bread. Going for a more luxurious experience? Reserve the multi-course chef’s tasting for an immersive deep dive into Korean flavors. With an extensive 100-plus bottle wine list and a diverse cocktail menu, the drink options are equally up to par with the food.

Mapojeong

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Head to this Heights newbie for an elevated take on Korean barbecue. Find dry-aged meats and house-made banchan, alongside a worthy beverage program including cocktails like the soju cosmo and Asian pear martini.

Handam BBQ

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This popular Korean barbecue restaurant is one of the only places in town that uses smokeless charcoal grills to power their grilling experience. Meats range from prime kalbi short ribs to ribeye bulgogi – all grilled table-side and paired with banchan. Handam offers various all-you-can-eat options that proves to be a great value for diners.

TastyKo

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This hole-in-the-wall specializes in hearty Korean soups and stews like budae chigae and daeji bulgogi dolsot. Add the seafood pancake to your order, and for a truly epic feast, finish off with Korean barbecue or a platter of fried chicken.

Dak & Bop 18th Street

Dak & Bop’s Museum District location was one of the first restaurants to bring extra-crispy Korean-style fried chicken to the inner loop, but since it shuttered in 2020, the Heights location carries on the tradition. Find juicy, double-fried wings and tenders, bulgogi fries, kimchi bisque, and pair your meal with beer or booze — Dad & Bop has a full bar.

Seoul Garden

This longstanding Korean barbecue joint serves up meaty classics like bulgogi, galbi, and samgyeopsal (three-layered pork belly), made to be shared table-wide. Eating alone? Order the kimchi jigae stew or kimchi pajeon, and keep it all to yourself.

Korea Garden Restaurant

Open in Houston for more than three decades, Korea Garden is a reliable choice to feed your Korean food fix. The restaurant offers a hefty menu that includes sizzling barbecue, short rib jjigae, and shareable snacks like tteokbokki and oyster tempura.

BORI

This Korean steakhouse kicks the classic KBBQ formula up a notch with appetizers like octopus carpaccio and spicy naeng-myun, served alongside meats like dry-aged wagyu beef belly, spicy marinated pork, and filet mignon. Don’t eat and run — Bori boasts a tranquil outdoor space coined the Peace Garden worth exploring before or after your meal.

Korean Noodle House

Hit this noodle shop up for mul naengmyeon — a savory chilled soup made with buckwheat noodles and thinly-sliced beef, topped with daikon, boiled egg, cucumber, and matchsticked watermelon or Asian pear. The refreshing dish makes an ideal meal on a sweltering Houston day.

Manna Noodle House

In addition to noodle dishes like spicy seafood jjamppong and jajjangmyun (black bean noodles) — which can be ordered in a split dish, so you can have the best of both worlds — diners rave about this mom-and-pop shop’s house-made kimchi, pickled daikon, and other banchan.

Bonchon Midtown Houston

This wildly popular South Korean fast food chain with locations in Pearland, Katy, and Sugar Land, specializes in fried chicken. but the menu features a massive collection of Korean comfort eats too. Find bibimbap, Korean-style tacos, tteokbokki, and udon, and save room for mochi in flavors like Thai tea and raspberry crunch.

Gen Korean BBQ House

This Midtown restaurant is a carnivore’s paradise, with all-you-can-eat barbecue, and dishes like Cajun shrimp, tofu stew, marinated short rib, and spicy pork belly. The club-like interior, complete with loud music and neon lights, is a favorite for groups looking to make a night of it in the hip neighborhood.

a hand with chopsticks holding two pieces of cooked meat and a big glob of glass noodles
Honey Pig Korean Barbecue
Honey Pig Korean Barbecue/Facebook

Oh My Gogi

This longtime Houston food truck melds Korean and Tex-Mex flavors and offers its unique menu into the wee hours of the night. Dishes like the Gogi melt combine meat with cheese and grilled onions on Texas toast, while kimchi quesadillas and a ramen burger built with a house-made ramen bun aren't commonly found elsewhere around town.

Honey Pig Korean BBQ

Founded by Korean immigrant Micky Kim in Annandale, Virginia in 2007, this Asiatown restaurant is best-known for its menu of affordable grilled meats. Located in Diho Square, the restaurant has a colorful and kitschy interior and blasts K-Pop on the speakers.

Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs

The Korean corn dog trend has officially landed in Houston, and at Two Hands in Asiatown, diners can find everything from mozzarella or squid ink-stuffed hot dogs to ones coated in crispy fried potato, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust, and rice puffs.

Soho Chicken

Soho Chicken puts the spotlight on poultry with entrees like buldak, a platter of spicy pan-fried chicken with cheese, and fried chicken wings in a variety of flavors, but the menu features hot pot, Korean barbecue, and beefy noodle dishes too.

Karne

Karne offers premium cuts of in-house dry aged beef and reserve-cut Japanese wagyu grilled table-side alongside stunning plates of seafood, raw bar offerings, and caviar service. The appetizers are not worth skipping — from the yellowtail crudo with scallops and shrimp in a yuzu dressing to the rice wine poached mussels with toasted milk bread. Going for a more luxurious experience? Reserve the multi-course chef’s tasting for an immersive deep dive into Korean flavors. With an extensive 100-plus bottle wine list and a diverse cocktail menu, the drink options are equally up to par with the food.

Mapojeong

Head to this Heights newbie for an elevated take on Korean barbecue. Find dry-aged meats and house-made banchan, alongside a worthy beverage program including cocktails like the soju cosmo and Asian pear martini.

Handam BBQ

This popular Korean barbecue restaurant is one of the only places in town that uses smokeless charcoal grills to power their grilling experience. Meats range from prime kalbi short ribs to ribeye bulgogi – all grilled table-side and paired with banchan. Handam offers various all-you-can-eat options that proves to be a great value for diners.

Related Maps

TastyKo

This hole-in-the-wall specializes in hearty Korean soups and stews like budae chigae and daeji bulgogi dolsot. Add the seafood pancake to your order, and for a truly epic feast, finish off with Korean barbecue or a platter of fried chicken.

Related Maps