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Oriental B B Q Chicken Town
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Chicken Wings Korean, Chicken Wings [Edit]
6101 Telegraph Ave(between 61st St & 62nd St)
Oakland, CA 94609
Neighborhoods: Rockridge, North Oakland
(510) 595-5338
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
308 reviews for Oriental B B Q Chicken Town
Review Highlights
"the garlic & soy sauce chicken was definitely the best."
(in 31 reviews)
"The sweet and spicy is delicious."
(in 58 reviews)
"Don't forget to pair it with some yogurt soju."
(in 27 reviews)
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308 reviews in English
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Review from Benson W.
Cupertino, CA
1/24/2012
My wife and I love this place!
However, being as frugal as I am (born in Taiwan =P), I can't justify the price, hence the one star deduction.
I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't eat this all day if I could. I definitely liked their spicy chicken (they don't hold back), but their standard fried chicken was top notch and interesting (few pieces have bone in them).
I definitely recommend trying this place out, but beware.. the place seems a bit sketchy and the tables a bit sticky. I guess that adds to the authenticity :) -
Review from Benjamin C.
Oakland, CA
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
We ordered all the wings at this place.
Something I liked about the wings here is that it contains the different parts of the chicken. It had the breast, leg, wings ect. The wings were nice and juicy and well executed.
Some food that stood out to me were.
Sweet and Spicy - It is the typical asian flavor. It taste like sesame chicken. It is typical but and original.
Garlic Soy Sause - It was sweet and tangy. The garlic flavor was not overwhelming.
Deep Fried chicken - Just deep fried chicken. nothing special.
Cheesy Corn - I had better. It is not really satisfying. Its better at porno bar.
Garlic fries - The portion was huge and it was cheap. I loved the garlic flavor in this because it was strong.
I might come back here because their soju price is cheap. -
Review from Grace S.
Alameda, CA
1/19/2012
I think this place has the best Korean fried chicken...even compared to Los Angeles k-town joints. So much so that I craved this chicken when I lived in Los Angeles. I love how the meat is juicy and never dry. I also like how the thigh meat does not have any bones to pick out so it's easy to eat. The batter is perfectly crispy and the sauce is absolute perfection.
I usually get the yang yum chicken and the garlic soy sauce chicken. I think all the other chicken pale in comparison to those two.
I also love their sweet potato fries! They use the Korean sweet potatoes which are 1000000 times better than their American counterpart.
The chicken has definitely gotten smaller and their salad has dropped to mediocre status/ liked it when the cabbage was thinner. I think the fact that the cabbage isn't sliced thinner shows how the owners have maybe become complacent. Maybe it's because the owners changed (or so I heard)?
Either way, I love their chicken and will definitely come back for more. Maybe I'll try other things on the menu and explore a bit more. Either way, OB is definitely going to be a staple in my diet. -
Review from H Y.
Berkeley, CA
2/4/2012
Unmarked building across from KFC. Enter from the back parking lot. Kinda reminded me of Kona Club but more restaurant like with fried chicken and lemon soju. Chicken was nice and crisp. A lot of it was boneless. I thought their sweet and spicy had too much sauce but the garlic soy was perfect. Oh and be sure to start with a small soju. My small was half a tea kettle full. If they had larger tvs I'd come in to watch a sports event.
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Review from Derek N.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Omnomnom:
OB Chicken Town
OB Chicken Town
OB Chicken Town
We ordered:
- Sweet & Spicy C-Wings
- Ddeokbokki
- Cheesy Corn
- OB Drank!
Funny unassuming outside decor.
Sorta like the makings of a David Mamet film setting.
Don't let that detract you though.
Food is great.
Open til 1AM.
Perfect food to rid your hangover!
Fun times to be had! -
Review from Eugene L.
Updated - 12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was Chilling out at the Slab one night and decided to call Jo Jo to see what was up. Jo Jo and her Posse were rolling to OB Chicken. So I thought it would be cool to go hang out with Jo Jo and her Posse. I rolled my Weekend Whip to OB Town and stashed it in their Sketchy lot and rolled in . Jo Jo and the Posse had a table all warmed up.
We enjoyed Yogurt and Peach SoJu and Pyramid Beer. We also Nommed on Fried Asparagus and Sweet and Spicy Chicken. Damn that Chicken is the BOMB!!!
OB is a very Comfortable place to Chill out and Munch.
The Chicken is off the Chain.
Plus I had a great time hanging with Jo Jo and her Posse.
Good Times!!!Listed in: Asian food, Beer, Midnight Snack Joints, Chicken, Korean
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/17/2011
Yesterday was a Wacky day for me . I started my day at 4:30 am after an hour of sleep. When I got to… Read more »
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Review from Linda C.
12/20/2011
Location:
From the outside it looks like a seedy joint with dark characters looming outside. However, once you get inside you'll notice that the place is packed with students, yuppies, and families all enjoying Korean Fried chicken and other yummy everyday Korean dishes!
Even though I was half expected to be mugged by Korean gangstas (based on the exterior), I was pleasantly surprised. The wooden benches give it a really homey, albeit weird, feel but it's perfect! I like that the booths have wooden screens separating the other tables so you get a tiny bit of privacy.
Word to the wise, this place is not a quiet joint. It's usually packed to the rafters with large parties imbibing in spicy food and soju so its typically rowdier and more lively than some people like.
The Eats (with some caveats):
- Korean Fried Chicken: this kind is not the same type as other places such as 99 Chicken or Coco Chicken, but seems more closely related to American Fried chicken. The skin is super crispy and tasty, but sometimes the meat itself can be a little dry. I can say that I would stick with the regular because the Soy/Garlic/Flavored varieties are kinda weird. For some reason, I think they use MSG because I get that weird, dry aftertaste except for with the original or honey variety.
- Cheese Corn: I've introduced many a weary friend to this delectable side dish and everyone has always LOVED (LOVED) it as much as I do. Who knew that such a simple dish could bring such pleasure to my life? It really is just corn and cheese on a sizzling platter, but how could you not like it!?
- Dduk Bok Gi: I love this as well, though I am not going to gush about the one that they have here. The sauce is not spicy enough, and sometimes it gets a little bland, but its still decent.
- BBQ'ed Meats: Pretty good, but sometimes the meat can be overcooked. I attribute it to the lack of employees they have here, but I'll touch on that in a bit.
- Alks & Soju Cocktails: Who is really going to pan alcohol? However, the Soju Cocktails are NOT as good as the ones at Toyose in SF. And, its a bit weird because they serve it to you in a metal teapot (the ones you see at dim sum restaurants)!
The Service:
I would have to say that the service here pretty much sucks, depending on who you get. This is a VERY Korean joint, so be prepared to have waiters (they're usually guys) who speak limited English. There's a very sweet Korean guy who is very nice and accomodating despite his limited English skills but theres another taller, skinnier guy who is more down to business and probably won't acknowledge you unless you flag him down or there's something visibly needing attention.
They are almost always understaffed and usually are not equipped to handle a big party. DO NOT have a birthday party here because they usually get very confused when it comes time to pay the bill. I'd say a max party here is 6 people. Any more than that and you might get lost in the crowd since there are usually a ton of people here.
The lack of employees also means that your food might sit on the counter or grill a tad too long. Don't be afraid to ask the waiters to follow up on your order if it hasn't arrived. After all, nothing is worse than cold food! :)
If you want a less rowdy environment or to snag a table for a large group, I'd say arrive by 9, 9:30 at the latest. After that, this place fills up very quickly.
Overall a great place to have some yummy Korean food with your friends, drink, and be rowdy. Always dependable and a go-to place for me in the East Bay! -
Review from Rose Y.
Berkeley, CA
1/30/2012
Soo many good memories here!! The soy sauce and garlic chicken is hands down the best chicken dish here. Chicken is tender and juicy, and the pieces don't have bones so it's easy to eat too! The cheese corn is also really good and worth trying despite the price. Ddeokbokki with ramen comes in a huge plate and if you go with a group you should definitely share everything. I love their OB beer (so smooth) and yogurt soju!
Just a note, since two of my close friends are vegetarian. It's not very vegetarian friendly; you can ask for udon without the meat in it, but make sure you check that they didn't include fish cake when they bring it to you!
Service is generally good here; once when they got our order wrong, they gave us garlic fries to make up for it. My friends all enjoyed the garlic fries so much that they actually order it now when we go back. Their fries come with mostly garlic powder on top, but I prefer ones with actual small chunks of garlic on top.
Overall, great hangout place at night and best fried chicken I've had! I crave their food all the time. I just wish they were open longer at night. -
Review from Audrey C.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Slow and useless service. They need better waiters that can speak english...honestly he needed us to repeat our order 3-4 times each, not to be mean or anything.
It's a shame the service sucks because the chicken is pretty good. However, I'm really not going to pay 15 dollars for a couple pieces of chicken and shit service. The portions for the other orders were relatively large, so come with a group and share dishes! -
Review from Ting S.
11/12/2011
large portions, and great booth seating for groups. Also, decent soju prices ($12 for a metal teapot). The chicken though, was ultimately disappointing. It's not the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) that is standard in NYC; rather, it's greasy, heavily breaded chicken cutlet pieces drowned in a thick sauce. Maybe this is just the NoCal version of KFC? I don't know, but if this is indicative of the overall trend here, NO THANKS! I'll just wait to get my fix on the east coast. However, if you like this heavy greasy variety, you can get an order for $15 to feed 3-4 people, and there are combos that come with a pitcher of beer. Good group deals.
service was great, and we were given a delicious basket of sweet and salty fried sweet potatoes on the house. if you're new to korean food, they also have $3 dishes of skewers of meats and spicy rice cakes that you can try. free parking in the lot behind the restaurant. -
Review from Kevin L.
Portland, OR
12/28/2011
Not very impressed, the taste of the chicken was just off for me.
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Review from Lena L.
Oakland, CA
1/1/2012
Okay, so I've never had Korean Fried Chicken before and this was the first. I would advise those who want to eat here to park in lot and towards the back. Their entrance is not located in the front, however the back part of the restaurant. The tables are set up like picnic tables, so you are sitting on little benches. The chicken was A-OK. Really nothing to rave about. I'd recommend the garlic wings. The only perk here is the it's open late.
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Review from Paolo V.
Emeryville, CA
11/4/2011
My buddy took me here a couple of weeks ago. He swore this place was awesome good. Man he did not disappoint. This place is now a favorite of mine. Korean comfort food, in a comfortable setting, nice items on menu, easy parking, and luckily for me, an easy drive from my place.
When you go here, make sure you order fried chicken! Our order was simple...plain fried chicken, sweet and spicy fried chicken and a large ass bottle of OB. The orders came with a cabbage slaw with dressing and pickled daikon. The fried chicken was ridiculously good, as it was nice and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. The spicy fried chicken...yumm.
The prices are a little up there...just a little...but honestly, for almost all Korean resturants I've been too, that's the norm. Also, open late night.
Paolo says: My goal here is to try the entire menu. Short term. -
Review from Christine H.
San Jose, CA
10/21/2011
I'm not a Korean decent, so I am always open to trying new ethnic cuisine. Especially, if it entails drinking mugs of beer+ shots of Soju! The ambiance here is awesome. It's slightly dimmed with Korean music playing in the background. It has a really relaxed and intimate atmosphere. I've been here a few times already and have always left anticipating my next visit-- nom nom their popular Korean style fried chicken and a mug of beer in hand! =P
Prior to coming here, I've never tried Korean Fried Chicken before. And thank god that it is later than never! Korean Fried Chicken is soo good! Its super crispy on the outside and very tender in the inside. In addition, it has a light glaze of sauce smothered all over. It's literally not greasy and overly fatty, as compared to many other fried chickens I have tried. You will definitely be surprised. Other interesting items on the menu include, corn on a sizzling plate with cheese on top, stir fry kimchi & tofu, grilled squid, and etc.
RECOMMEND:
Sweet & Spicy Chicken
Garlic & Soy Chicken
Note:
-Each plate of chicken is $15.90. If you are coming with a smaller party, you can also do half a plate of one type of chicken, and the other half another type (for the same price).
-Each plate has 10 pieces of chicken.
-Also, since this place is less than 10 minutes away from Berkley, you can end your night with a dessert from the popular ice-cream sandwich shop, CREAM!!! -
Review from Ann S.
Oakland, CA
1/28/2012
Love OB Town!! Really like the spicy sweet chicken and garlic fries. Can't wait to go back. Yum.
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Review from Christine L.
Berkeley, CA
12/22/2011
This is a true hole-in-the-wall. The outside is grimy and uninviting, and the floors are sticky, but Korean bar food is delicious. I recommend the soy garlic & sweet and spicy fried chicken (the old style is too dry). The corn cheese is simple but amazing, and the seafood soups are pretty good. The garlic fries are ok, and they have spicy rice cake dishes too, but I'm just not a fan. Overall, it's a great place for affordable comfort food, but it doesn't get the 4th star because I've had better Korean fried chicken.
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Review from Esther Y.
10/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Shady-looking building with covered-up windows, but this place will definitely knock your socks off with its signature Korean fried chicken, the best of its kind on Telegraph Ave. A great selection of other Korean comfort foods as well, including a mean rabokki (ramen ddeukbokki). Great place for groups to hang out. Dim lighting so you won't see each other's pimples growing from the fried chicken or beer bellies expanding from Hite or soju.
Has its own parking lot (small) and is a bit hard to find especially at night, so look for a building that doesn't really seem to have a sign, it's right where Google maps says it should be.Listed in: Favorite Asian Restaurants…
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Review from Aaron M.
Berkeley, CA
9/21/2011
When the name of a restaurant feels unpolitically-correct to say aloud, odds are you're in for something unique to eat. Compound that with a physical location that looks like a windowless illegal poker room, and you are bound to double down on the intrigue.
That said, once you get past the blaring Koren techno music, you are left with a place that serves lots of boneless fried chicken and not much else. Unless you want frozen/canned corn kernels smothered in cheese; in which case I apologize.
The chicken is served hot, crispy and in a a large pile. The chicken itself was a bit tough which is surprising for what is normally a tender pull-apart offering. The flavor was good, the crispiness was excellent. The soy flavored chicken was really a nice and unique take on fried bird too.
I would go back but never would go out of my way to go here. I can't say this hits my craving for good fried chicken. I like bones, it keeps the meat moist and flavored. I also like it when it looks like there is an eviscerated carcass on my plate when I am done eating. This minor moment of pride is something you can't get when you head into OB Chicken Town. That and moist meat (ok, that definitely sounds un-PC). -
Review from Jeanette L.
Bay Area
atmosphere [3 stars]
Typical Korean bar with dimmed lights and long wooden tables and benches, some separated by wooden walls.
service [3 stars]
price [2.5 stars]
Kind of expensive like all Korean food....why is that? It's pretty similar to Chinese food, and Chinese food is so cheap!
food [4 stars]
-garlic and soy chicken- my boyfriend's favorite. Perfect breading and frying makes the skin crisp, but the meat juicy.
-sweet and spicy chicken- I like this sauce better, but some may think it's too strong like some American Chinese chicken dishes.
-cheesey corn- sweet and salty at its best! The cheese doesn't get rubberry like at other places, but eat it fast before it sticks to the pan.
-dukboki- Korean rice cakes that are like thick and chewy filled in penne noodles, but much better than that sounds. It comes with tofu skin, boiled egg, onions, and sausage in a sweet/salty red sauce.
-sundae- not ice cream! But Korean sausage that's stuffed with pork blood and noodles! The texture and taste are amazing. -
Review from Kang L.
Dublin, CA
12/26/2011
"Don't judge a book by its cover" is an idiom that truly applies to this place. From outside, this place looks a little crappy, but from inside you will enjoy the best Korean style fried chicken!!!
I am a 12 year old regular customer to this place, and around early 2000 there were not many menu items at this place, and as long as I remember, roast chicken was the only item at that time which was very good (I don't remember there were other items because I always had roast chicken).
And a new owner took over this place several years later and a lot more fantastic menu items were introduced such as Gan Jang (garlic & soy sauce) Chicken or Yang Nyum (sweet and spicy) Chicken, which became my favorites now, while the roast chicken became less favorite to me.
Then now another new owner took over, he still provides the same authentic Korean style fried chicken like before.
Now I moved to east bay and still drive around 40 miles here whenever I want to taste authentic Korean style chicken. -
Review from Adrienne Y.
San Jose, CA
8/14/2011 3 photos
I came here a couple weeks ago while visiting friends who go to UC Berkeley and my friend suggested this restaurant saying that it would be worth the drive. (We were only about 10 minutes away but we were cramping 6 people in a 5 seater car which can make 10 minutes seem like half an hour in stuffy backseat time.)
From the outside, this place almost looks closed down which definitely got me mentally prepared to think that the inside would be just as run down and bland. When we walked in, the restaurant turned out to be a cute (but dimly lit) Korean restaurant with walls separating each of the tables and booths and was almost at full capacity.
Since our friend suggested the place, we let him order for us. I've been to a lot of Korean restaurants before, but none that specializes in fried chicken, so this concept gets some points for uniqueness there. We stuck to chicken only since it's what we came for. Original fried chicken, garlic fried chicken, sweet and spicy fried chicken and they served us garlic fries and this cabbage salad while we were waiting. The garlic fries were amazing; I still can't get over how something to unhealthy and simple can make my mouth water by thinking about it. As for the fried chicken, the garlic and sweet and spicy flavors were my favorites, and the original, which came with a honey mustard type of dipping sauce, was just okay to me.
With our three huge orders of food, even 6 hungry college kids couldn't finish it and we took the rest back to my friend's place so we can have DML for later- drunk munchies leftovers :DListed in: Roadtrip/Vacation Favorites
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Review from Winnie C.
Oakland, CA
9/29/2011
I really do like Oriental BBQ Chicken Town, but geez. We are working with more than a $1/wing.
With that aside, those chicken wings are delicious! Fried to perfection, sauced for taste. Still overpriced though. More than a $1/wing! Corn Cheese... I really like the idea, I think it should be cheesier and I think that it shouldn't be burnt. The order I received was incredibly burnt at the bottom and didn't have much flavor due to it. It is probably because the cheese cooked before the corn was warm... I may have to try this at a different place to know whether or not the one I had was really that good.
Oh yes! Super awesome that they only give you flat pieces. I only like the middle piece!
Might as well come in and give this place a try. Worth the try at least once in your life, also they get incredibly packed, so try to miss the dinner crowd. -
Review from Sofia R.
8/28/2011 1 photo
I'd give this place 3.5 stars. Went here with a group of friends who mainly wanted to drink soju.
At first, I didn't think the place was open because there were shades covering every window and it was very dim inside. I seriously wouldn't have noticed it at all if it weren't for my friends.
We had a large group but we weren't that hungry so we ordered one plate of the sweet and sour chicken, two large bottles of yogurt soju, and one small bottle of yogurt soju. Another friend ordered a bottle of beer to himself. I forgot the name, but it was definitely Korean.
They gave us a plate of salad (shredded lettuce with some sauce) and a small bowl of pickled radishes. Both weren't extraordinary but I love the radishes....because I like pickled radishes.
The chicken was good although difficult to eat with chopsticks. I almost gave up and ate it with my hands (no shame in doing that, I just didn't want to). Luckily, some of the pieces don't have bones so you can just bite at it and not worry about eating the wrong thing. The only thing I was annoyed with about the chicken was that it was hard to tear off pieces..it was chewy and tough. I guess it's normal.
The soju was good. It tasted like candy. The beer was good. It was really light.
The service was okay, although after a while we felt like they were trying to rush us out like they didn't want to deal with customers anymore. I guess it was pretty late when we got there, but geez.
I would go back here....but only with a large group. -
Review from Austin W.
Berkeley, CA
9/8/2011
Came here with a friend around 9pm at night for a late dinner and the place was fairly empty. First thing I noticed: the place looks super shady. The front door is boarded shut and you enter through the back. The place is really dimly lit. You definitely get the feeling of walking into a bar.
Anyways, onto the food. My friend and I were pretty hungry so we decided to order two orders. I've heard rave reviews about the fried chicken here so that was what my friend and I ordered: the Garlic and Soy chicken and the Sweet and Spicy Chicken, each at about $16 or so. I do admit it was a bit expensive (the bill was about $40), but I would definitely come here again and order the same thing.
The chicken took a LONG time to prepare. Wasn't very happy about that. However, after taking a bite out of the chicken, I completely forgot about the wait time. The chicken was amazing. The breading is well seasoned, and then the sauce they prepare is very distinct. The garlic soy tastes very garlic-y, the sweet and spicy tastes very... sweet-and-spicy haha. I like that the chicken pieces don't have bones in them either so you can just bite away :)
HIGHLY recommended. Probably the best fried chicken I've had, albeit expensive and a bit shady looking. -
Review from Mike W.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2011
Korean chicken joint good when you are drunk I guess and late night food. Friendly folks but just decent food.
Crack Chicken 3 - just decent chciken with a kick
Dukk 2 - way spicey
Seafood Soup 3 - lotsa seafood
Come here when you are drunk and everything else is closed. Don't come here for dinner.
3 stars for the food. -
Review from Thao T.
Updated - 11/21/2011
Service is a bit lacking. I've been here three times now. The first time I thought they were just super busy, but after three times of having to wait 15-30 minutes for every little thing you need (to be seated, ordering, getting water, getting the bill), it's a little silly. Luckily for them, they are too nice so I can't completely rip them apart. The combo meals are pretty great to share in a group of 4 or more. The chicken never fails to impress and we got the combo with the sweet and spicy as well as garlic chicken, conch salad and choice of beer or soju. So it ends up being about $10 a person which is a great deal. If you don't have two hours to kill when you go here, probably best to go across the street to KFC to get fried chicken =)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/22/2011
I love fried chicken!!! I've driven past here numerous times and could never tell if it was open… Read more »
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Review from m. m.
San Francisco, CA
9/5/2011
I'm torn as to how many stars to give this place. The food was good but the service was terrible! Apparently they only have one fryer, so food comes out reallllllllllly slow.
We had a group of six people and the total came out to be $110 or so but we ordered a lot of food and drinks. We ordered a combo 3 and extra orders of the garlic/honey chicken and the plain chicken along with some noodle dishes, salads, and a rice roll dish.
Some of the items were pretty spicy! I think I drank like 5 cups of water! But everything was tasty! :D -
Review from Leily P.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 9/10/2011
Came back for a second time and it underlined 2 things - 1) only come here for the chicken, 2) all other food is terrible. The garlic chicken is really good. I also ordered the dukbokki and the fish egg stew. I know it's not the wisest idea to order a fish egg stew at a bar, but I still expected it to be edible. It wasn't. It was gross. The rice cakes were okay but the flavor was off.
I don't know why I keep having high hopes for the quality of food at these Korean bars.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/23/2010
We ordered a sausage and kimchi stew, cold noodles soaked in a red sauce, and the garlic chicken.… Read more »
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Review from Melissa C.
Emeryville, CA
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
We decided to try this place out after seeing some good yelp reviews for it. We are always scoping the neighborhood out for korean food so it was only natural we had to try this place out, as it seems like a pretty popular spot. We arrived and had to wait for a few minutes for a table. The place is really small so come a little before or after the usual eating times or you'll find yourself waiting for a while. It's cozy on a cold night too, there's a heat lamp that they had running inside!
We decided to order the grilled spicy chicken, one of their sausage/veggie stews and some peach soju and beer to wash it all down. The grilled wings were good, but a little too sweet for our tastes. We should have just went with what this place was known for and gotten one of their fried chicken dishes. The soup could have used a little more spice...we like our soups spicy so maybe it's good for people who like their soups a little milder. The ambiance of the place looks like a good spot to hang out with some friends and share some soju. The peach soju was good and the small size comes in a teapot which is unusual, but we totally didn' t mind, it made it easier to pour than when they come in the glass carafes that we've had at other places. In general this place can be kinda pricey, too, but i think the price point is kind of normal for korean restaurants in general. We've definitely gotten bigger bowls/pots of soup at other korean restaurants for the same price they were charging, though.
Overall, we think this would be a great place to come later on at night and share some flavored soju and snacks with a group of friends. For an actual dinner, not so much. It's a cozy hangout spot, though. Next time we'll definitely try the fried chicken. -
Review from Tiffany F.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
I love this place! I make excuses to go to the East Bay just so I can get food here. I went almost weekly for four years when I lived in Berkeley, always getting a half order of both the garlic soy chicken and the sweet and spicy chicken. SO DELICIOUS. Eating the fried chicken with the pickled daikon makes this meal pretty much perfect. Definitely recommend this hidden gem in an otherwise random area of Telegraph Ave.
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Review from Jing X.
San Jose, CA
10/24/2011
As a Cal student for 4 years, my only regret is that it took me 2 years before I ventured down Telegraph far enough to discover this little Korean dive tucked between a Taco Bell/KFC hybrid monstrosity and some innocuous Berkeley-standard apartments. The script for any given Thursday/Friday my senior year would go accordingly:
12PM Wake up to car alarm on Piedmont. Check with the stomach - no complaints? Back to sleep.
1 - 3PM Rolling around bed slowly from physical hunger pain.
3 - 5PM Stall from eating an actual meal until OB opens.
5PM Call OB. Oh kitchen needs 15 minutes to warm up? Why didn't you just warm up at 4:45PM then? No I can't speak Korean, damnit. Hangup.
5:15PM Call OB, using best pseudo-Korean accent, order to go!
5:30PM Pick up chicken, speak as little as possible, bow profusely.
5:59PM Food coma.
6PM Hello bed!
8PM Wake up to texts from friends...wanting OB...why not? Napping makes me hungry.
9PM Oh god why did I eat two dinners.
11PM Another text! Ooo I like texts, I wonder what people want to...what do you mean you wanna drink at OB, we were just...fine.
11:30PM I wonder what kind of margins they make on these soju bottles...
12AM Almost on a first name basis with the waiter! Maybe if I keep working this accent he'll be my friend :)
1AM :(
2AM Didjuh know there's like 3 different types of sojooooo? I meen dats uhmaaaaazing I meen ughhhhhhhhhhhh slurslurslurslurslur YEOGIYO YEOGIYO ooo this napkin looks comfortable I think I will pillow it...
This unfortunately happened more than I'd care to admit. Then again, eventually everyone and their roommate ends up at OB or some other (lesser) iteration of it further down Telegraph. I don't blame them.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Garlic Soy Chicken: seasoned, battered and with a sweet, savory finish. Daikon is a must to get that splash of light sour flavor.
2. Sweet and Spicy Chicken: a step below the garlic for me, but it really comes down to personal preference.
3. Rabokki: more tangy than spicy, although you can ask the cook to make it just that. The rice cakes are a little more firm than at other Korean bar food places, but it works because the ramen is softer.
4. Gizzards: grilled on top of white string onions with a sesame dipping sauce on the side, provides a great salty balance for the chicken and spicy dishes.
- half star for the slight drop in food quality following the change in ownership
+ half star for the memories (or lack of them) -
Review from David C.
8/19/2011
This place takes their fried chicken seriously. I'm just going to leave it at that. The presentation and service ain't great, but it sure as hell makes up for it in taste. Other than that, its your typical korean style dive bar.
PROTIP: Come here in groups; their servings are pretty large. -
Review from Niki N.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
The food is absolutely amazing... drove around looking for a specific spot but couldn't find it so we gave up and came here... and it was soo good. We ended up coming right back 2 days later. It's consistently good, almost always full at all times of the night. Service isn't the best but the food more than makes up for it.
-
Review from doctor g.
Alameda County, CA
8/24/2011
From Telegraph Ave., this restaurant looks closed. That's because they have shades over the windows. There's no front door, and that's because you go in through the back where Oriental BBQ ("OB") has a nice parking lot. Once inside, OB looks like what I assume is a village restaurant in Korea - lots of wood in the form of wood tables, benches, chairs, false roofs, etc. The next thing you'll notice is that pretty much everyone dining there is college age and so are the servers. After all, OB isn't that far from UC Berkeley. Accompanying this youthful crowd is a combination of hip hop and Euro techno pop music background music overhead.
When you sit down, the server brings you a large pitcher of ice water. A good sign that the food is gonna be spicy!
The highlight of OB appears to be the various kinds of Korean fried chicken. I tried the standard fried chicken and a "light" spicy and sweet fried chicken. Each piece is boneless and decent sized. They serve it super hot right out of the fryer. One plate of fried chicken is enough for two. They'll serve you a shredded iceberg salad with thousand island dressing and cubed pickled radishes. Rice comes with the meal. It's a lot of fried chicken! Pretty darned tasty. A bit dry, but the pieces are small and the fried chicken is fresh, so I can live with dry chicken.
Your place for Korean fried chicken in the East Bay. -
Review from Jenny M.
7/13/2011
Good chicken, but pretty pricey.
Each plate of chicken wings is enough for 2 people to share, so if you share then it's definitely worth it. It's open pretty late so it's a good place for group dinners or birthdays. -
Review from Steve K.
Oakland, CA
7/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place has a young, fobby, divey vibe and is full of loud drunk Korean students at night. The entrance faces away from the street, so it looks like it's closed when you drive by. Unfortunately the location is far from BART, which can pose complications for drinking.
The menu offers almost everything that you expect for Korean bar food. Most of the food is tasty but not exceptional, and serves as an accompaniment to alcohol rather than standing on its own as a gastronomic experience. Everything comes in large communal platters, so it's best to come with a large group. The french fries were meh, and the food that comes free as service is really not worth eating. I don't eat chicken, but I have been told that the Korean-style fried chicken is amazing here. The spicy dishes could benefit from being much more spicy and less sweet.
This is an acceptable substitute for the Korean late-night drinking/noshing experience when you're stuck in Berkeley and don't have the option to take a trip to Korea. -
Review from Sam T.
5/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Korean Fried Chicken in Oakland?!?! You would run the KFC next door our of business if you had more seats. Gotta love me some friend chicken with sweet sauce. MMMMMMMmm.
Food:
Seriously I've only been here twice and the 2nd time I was so plastered I really don't remember what the food taste like....but everyone else said it was good.
Service:
Don't remember
Environment:
Dear Berkeley students. Stay in Berkeley.
Price:
I don't remember....
Food: 4
Service: 4
Environment: 4
Price: 4 -
Review from Ken L.
7/18/2011
The sauces there are good. Had both the soy garlic and the sweet and spicy. Liked that there were boneless pieces.
However, several of the pieces came out overdone and the meat was tough sometimes. -
Review from Aaron D.
East Bay, CA
6/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
If nothing else, this place serves the best Korean fries I've ever had. Yeah, that's right, fries. And cabbage salad with thousand island dressing. Neither of which we ordered, and both of which appeared on the table.
As my Korean-American wife said, this is the strangest Korean place I've ever been in. Several of the menu items came with cheese. Korean food with cheese? Didn't have the nerve (or blood alcohol level) to try it.
The location is a bit shady, but the inside is fine. Sorta Tiki bar with picnic benches. The service was good enough. The dude's English was slow, so it was tough to clarify questions or make any special requests. But he got the main ideas and made a strong effort.
We had the cold spicy noodles. The presentation was fantastic; it was like an elegant spicy noodle Bi Bim Bap. Lots of veggies, chewy noodles. Too much sauce over the top, but you can remove some of it before mixing. Pretty spicy.
We also had the sweet & spicy fried chicken. Looked good and tasted good, but some of the pieces were tough to determine from what part of the chicken they came. We wished we'd tried the regular fried chicken to get a sense of how they handled that.
The kids dug the pan fried Man du. The kids liked the skewers too (well, they liked the shrimp on them). The bacon & asparagus ones sounded better than they tasted. I'd say it's kid friendly assuming your kids are either adventurous or cool with rice alone.
What was really off-putting was that twice while we were there, a strong odor of cigarette smoke permeated the air. And there weren't more than 2 other groups at the time. I'm pretty sure the kitchen staff was taking smoke breaks by the back door. It was really strong and unpleasant.
We decided that it would be a good place to go with a fun group of people, probably already buzzed, to drink Korean beer or Soju, and eat various flavors of fried chicken. So we'll go back and give that a try. -
Review from Augusto T.
Berkeley, CA
7/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Late night Korean fried chicken and drinks. Need I say more?
Definitely a must-try in Oakland.
Come with a group of friends order some soju and beer and be prepared to have a good time (open till 2am)
I tried the rice cake skewers, and the ginger-soy and sweet&spicy fried chicken. The fried chicken is covered with sauce and perfectly crispy. Overall it was great, the only minor downside is that the chicken is not made to order, which means the chicken might be a tiny bit dry. On the upside at least you get your food pretty much instantly. Food comes with the typical pickled radish and some cabbage.
The owners and staff are extremely nice and even gave us a free egg soup dish.
I cannot wait to go back.
