A new option for dining out just opened — and it’s bringing a Korean flair to Peachtree Street. bb.q Chicken (pronounced bee-bee-q) just opened its doors across from The Vortex this month, with plans to bring the tradition of Korean fried chicken and beer to Atlanta.
bb.q Chicken opens in Midtown
Several bb.q Chicken restaurants already exist around metro Atlanta, but this is the first within the city limits to open its doors. With its Midtown location, owner Grace Park is keeping it open until 2 a.m. on weekends for anyone craving late-night fried chicken and beer.
Manager Shaw Yi described the pairing of Korean fried chicken and beer as the Korean equivalent of hamburgers and French fries.
“So it’s like chicken and beer — no matter what, that’s like the best combination that you could ever have,” he said.
The restaurant plans to add Korean beers once it receives its beer license and will also serve soju cocktails.
Yi and Park said what makes bb.q Chicken stand out is how the chicken is prepared. It starts with the marinade. The restaurant soaks fresh chicken in a liquid marinade for about two days before cooking. After soaking, it’s coated in dry spices and flour, then deep-fried for about 12 to 13 minutes.
They don’t fry the chicken until you order it, to ensure it’s fresh and crispy when it hits the table.
“If you think about other chicken places, they fry like a gigantic amount in the fryer,” Yi said. “But for us, as soon as we press that kitchen fire button, we make it from scratch. So yes, it’s fresh, crispy and totally different from other food.”
bb.q Chicken brings Korean fried chicken to Atlanta
This is Park’s first venture into restaurant ownership. She said she chose to franchise bb.q Chicken because it’s the best brand of Korean fried chicken she’s ever tried.
The brand has hundreds of locations in Korea and even more around the world. Park said she’s proud to share the food and culture she grew up loving.
“When I was like 6 or 7 years old, we would go to the marketplace on the street, and my grandmother would take me to the chicken place,” Park said. “They had a whole chicken cage with chickens in it — then they’d cut it and fry it.”
Now, Park said she’s excited to share her culture with Midtown customers.
“There are a lot of young people, college students, and people who work around here — high-rises, condos — so many different nations,” she said. “I want them to come together, enjoy what we have and have fun.”
bb.q Chicken Midtown grand opening
Park said her team is working hard to build the restaurant and stand out. So far, she hasn’t held a grand opening for the restaurant, but plans to do that once she and her team are ready.
