Popular Korean fried chicken restaurant bb.q Chicken opened its first-ever Oregon location in Beaverton in January. Shortly after that, a second location opened up in downtown Portland. 

The restaurant was founded in Seoul, South Korea, in 1995 by Yoon Hong-guen and expanded to the U.S. in 2014. They strive to serve the highest quality, most authentic Korean fried chicken in the world, according to their website. The recipes and ingredients are true to Korean tradition and the flavors are an inspired mix of new and old. Quality is their top priority when serving customers, they say.

The menu has a wide variety of selections to choose from. Ranging from spicy to savory to sweet, there are 14 flavor options. The chicken can be served as a whole chicken, wings or boneless. The wings and boneless are served in small, medium and large sizes. The small consists of eight pieces, the medium has 16 and the large has 24. The menu also includes beverages – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – rice dishes, noodle dishes, sides and other traditional Korean foods. 

Last month, I visited the Beaverton location with my family, eager to try the food people have been raving about, and it did not disappoint. We ordered the hot spicy, honey garlic and soy garlic wings in small, the rosé ddeok-bokki and, finally, the kimchi fried rice. The wings were well-seasoned and really crispy and also came with a side of pickled radish. The sauce for the rosé ddeok-bokki was great, and the kimchi fried rice was excellent, as well. Overall, our experience with the quality and taste of the food went beyond our expectations.

“The chicken had a good crisp to it,” said junior Chloe Tjia-Boediawan, who has also visited the restaurant. “It was juicy, and the sauce made it flavorful. I got the cheese-flavored fries, and I really enjoyed it because it has a powder seasoning instead of a sauce. I rate it an 8.3/10, and I would go back to try different flavors.”

Make sure to add this stop to your list of restaurants to try!