San Soo Gab San: Korean Barbecue

If you ever find yourself on the far north end of Western Avenue searching for a place to eat, I highly suggest San Soo Gab San. It’s a difficult place to spot, and I would have missed it myself if I hadn’t been intrigued by the neon sign advertising their business hours of 10am-5am. Friday night, we decided to give it a try.

Moments after we were seated, our order was taken, and a bowl of smoking wood charcoal was set between us. As the coals began to catch, our server filled the table with 24 small plates of Korean delights. Some of it we could recognize (kimchi, jorim, namul, dumplings, etc.), and most of it we couldn’t place.

For the barbecue, we ordered marinated beef and spicy chicken to cook over the fire. I believe the quality of meat at San Soo Gab San is worth noting here. It wasn’t slathered in marinade to hide poor cuts—both plates of meat were lightly dressed in marinade to enhance what were already excellent pieces of beef and chicken.

The bustling restaurant made for a lovely evening of conversation and grilling as we flipped our food over the fire and feasted on the plethora of side dishes that had taken over our table. Our servers were extremely attentive—the grate over our fire was changed twice to prevent our table from being too smoky, and we were checked on often.

Two orders of meat alongside the small plates, soup, and rice yielded way too much food for two people—but the leftovers were excellent, so I recommend ordering as much as you like for your group!

San Soo Gab San

5247 North Western Avenue

Chicago, IL 60625

773.334.1589

Transit: CTA Bus 49, 49B to Western and Berwyn