Bonchon - Albuquerque Westside

Reviews

• Andrea M.

  star star star star star_border 3 June 2026

  I probably would have placed a 2-star review after my first visit (back in Spring 2019 when they opened) but after my recent visit, I am upgrading them to 4 stars. I wanted to love this place given it's one of the first restaurants anywhere near our neighborhood and our latest visit redeemed it!
  
  What wasn't good: This has been said before, their boneless wings are really kind of terrible. They are something I could get out of the frozen section in the grocery (minus the sauces). This was the sole reason I was very hesitant to go back as I'm really not a fan of bone-in chicken. Their season fries were also not that great. I would not order them again. Also, this is a corporate policy, not a local one, but they will not give you any additional sauces on the side which my husband lamented because he wanted a bit of spicy with his wings (but not so much to order them sauced with all spicy). The spicy is VERY spicy, instant mouth on fire burn, but I'm sure I'm also a lightweight with spicy flavors.
  
  What's good? I'm sure you're wondering how I arrived at 4 stars after that paragraph of not-so-good stuff, let me elaborate. I really liked their seasoned zucchini fries. Those were yummy! My husband LOVES their bone-in chicken and says their drumsticks are some of the best he's had. He does endorse the spicy but after two of them said his mouth was on fire. On this last visit (only our second), I discovered they now have chicken strips which are not a chicken tender/finger. They are chunks of chicken breast that they bread/fry in-house just like the wings/drumsticks so they have that amazingly crunchy but not thick
  Korean fried chicken coating. I definitely loved the soy-garlic sauce but thought the sweet crunch sauce was honey-cloyingly sweet, not like a teriyaki. A medium order of the chicken strips was way too much for my husband and I (with some apps) so we happily took home leftovers.
  
  Long story short, I will definitely go back for those soy-garlic chicken strips. As other yelpers have said, the price is a bit high but the drumsticks and chicken strips at least had a good portion for what we paid!

• Cameron L.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 1 June 2026

  Meh. I realize I can be hard to please...but hear me out:
  Our potstickers were HARD and cool. Not fresh outta the fryer and hot! Strike One!
  I ordered the Bulgogi Sliders and a side of seasoned fries. The bun was sooo hard and chewey--like it had been warmed up in the microwave and then sat out!
  Strike two!
  The bulgogi was tender but minimal flavor. The fries were breaded and then they shake Parmesan and parsley on top.
  The Wife ordered Bibimbap with spicy chicken. She said the spice was overwhelming and the rice was more like minute rice than traditional jasmine sticky rice. Strike three!
  Also--per NM STATE LAW on 7.1.2019-all single stall potties are gender neutral and they have sex specific signs. They'll need to fix that immediately! They just opened and this law has been all over the news for WEEKS! Strike four!
  We got a coupon in the mail--so, for $40 it was ok. Most likely we won't be returning--if you want GREAT bulgogi, TapThat has the best in town!

• O S.

  star star star star star_border 27 May 2026

  This is definitely a change of pace.
  The wings were really good. Really crispy.
  The salmon ball was delicious.
  My wife had the chicken tacos and they were delicious and spicy.
  
  The popcorn shrimp were ok but nothing to brag about.
  
  This is a great place to go for something different.

• Jordan J.

  star star star star star_border 21 May 2026

  I wasn't sure what to expect when we went to Bonchon for their Grand Opening. I understood that it was Korean fusion (BBQ Chicken, kimchi, Korean tacos), but expected more of a fast casual experience. It's a sit down and order place, but still feels very casual. The chicken was good, especially the spicy chicken. They are pretty darn spicy. We also had an order with soy sauce concoction which seemed a bit too sweet to me. (They have a new flavor with "sweet" in the name, which I'm not going to try; the soy was sweet enough for my palate.)
  
  The kimchi was excellent, as were the vegetarian pot stickers. My wife said the mochi ice cream made it a five.
  
  There is an extensive menu of noodles and sides, including vegetarian and vegan options.
  
  Our server was friendly and helpful, and kept the ice tea coming. For the Opening, they handed out some swag, mostly branded with alcohol brands, to emphasize that part of their menu.
  
  Overall, a nice place. We will try it again after they settle into a routine and dig deeper into the menu.  My wife will be going for Monday Mochi, with me or without me, she says.

• Meg-Anne H.

  star star star star_border star_border 15 May 2026

  3 STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT!
  
  First visit (dine-in) - Bonchon in Albuquerque? Mother clucker, finally! Yeah, nope.
  
  They are known for their crunchy, double-fried chicken so it's just right to expect that but it's disappointing that some of our chicken were not crunchy and cold.
  
  We were seated between first-timers. Table #1 asked the server about soy-garlic chicken (which is their signature) to which the server answered, "it's like garlicky and you know soy sauce." I was . At least try to describe it using words other than what is in the name. Try your food so you can explain it better to the customers and really try to sell what tastes good. Table #1 ordered Sweet Crunch.
  
  Table#2 ordered the coleslaw as their side instead of the pickled radish, again because the server didn't explain what it was. ‍ Chicken and radish is a great combo, the flavors go so well together especially with the soy garlic (which they ordered). Try just try your food before you sell/serve it to anyone so you can extend the flavor and experience to the customers.
  
  Second visit (dine-in)- RICE WAS UNDERCOOKED.
  Directly told the manager and he gave us free mochi but still UNDERCOOKED RICE? C'mon.
  
  Third (delivery)- They forgot our sides. ‍
  
  To those who want to try Bonchon try their soy-garlic with a side of pickled radish, kimchi rice had the right amount of heat and flavor, takoyaki was ok.
  
  I have had Bonchon several times in different locations (MNL, DC and FL) and sadly the ABQ branch is the worst-- both in food and service.