Originally founded in Seoul, Korea, in 1995, bb.q Chicken opened their first American location back in 2014. Since then, they now have 250 restaurants across the US. But once you try their delicious, authentic Korean fried chicken, you’ll wish they had just one more, right next door.
You’d think that the room for creativity for fried chicken was narrow, and if you did, you’d be sorely mistaken. One forty minute dining experience there taught me that I knew nothing about fried chicken and its varieties. And of course, as an immigrant who is constantly challenged by the American palette (no hate, they just need to invest in some soy sauce and chili), I feel like it’s my duty to hype up any restaurant that showcases the wonders of Asian flavors whenever I can.
If you’re a fan of fried chicken and the sweet/spicy Korean flavor profile, this is the spot for you.
bb.q Chicken offers up to fourteen different flavors of fried chicken based on location–some spicy, some tangy, and all delicious. They can be served boneless, as wings, or whole. For me, personally, the wings are the true main characters of the menu. But everyone knows that in order for a restaurant to have a marvelous signature dish, they need to have a few extra items to diversify their catalog that you’ll probably never try but will appreciate in silence.
Said extra items include Ddeok-bokki, a traditional Korean street-food dish made with rice cake, chicken sandwiches and fried rice bowls. And although they’re really tasty too, after inevitably falling into a fried-chicken-induced food coma, they just weren’t it for me. Side dishes like fries, onion rings, coleslaw, steamed rice, etc. are also available if you want to make a more complete meal.
I’ve tried eight out of the twelve fried chicken flavors the Malden location offers, and although I love pretty much all of them, my top three that I keep going back to every time are The Spicy Galbi, The Gangnam Style and The Gang-Jeong. Almost all of the mentioned flavors serve peak sweet/spicy/savory goodness.
As an Asian foodie myself, that specific flavor combination is all I ever eat, so it really just hits different for me. If you’re feeling adventurous, however, and aren’t opposed to the sweet-salty combo, try The Cheesling wings. If not for fear, do it for the plot. I’ve never had fried chicken so unique in both flavor and texture, and even though it’s not my favorite, it’s still something I order every now and then for fun.
Another unexpected banger is their pickled radish–a tangy, crunchy, acidic and refreshing side dish that serves as the perfect palette cleanser in-between bites of crispy, sweet and spicy chicken.
Aside from the flavor-maxxing, the ambience of the restaurant is very homely, cozy and comforting. With the dim, warm lighting, moderately comfortable seats packed throughout, K-pop music in the background, sports playing on the TV, it all comes together to create a very nice, chill dining experience.
It can get a bit crowded on weekends, but with the quality of their food and service, the interior designing and ambiance, I’m actually more surprised it isn’t packed all week, 24/7. It’s perfect for small family gatherings, friendly outings, or a simple, quick, solo meal.
Overall, bb.q Chicken gets an aggressive 10/10 from me. Awesome food, super-fast service, kind staff, lovely ambiance–all in all, a great experience. Maybe I’m biased and glazing a little too hard because of how much I love Asian food, or maybe the food highkey slaps. You’ll never know until you go and try it out yourself.
They always open at 11 AM. On Sundays and Mondays, they close at 10 PM; Tuesday through Thursday, they close at 12 AM; and Fridays and Saturdays, they close at 12 AM. They’re the busiest during dinner hours and can get packed during lunch hours as well, but the employees are usually very locked-in, making the service fast enough for it to not be that big of a problem. A regular solo meal would probably cost around $20-30. I’d say it’s definitely bang for your buck. The flavor and quality of the chicken slay enough for me.
