About Korean in DC: local favorites in DC: Local Favorites
Washington's Korean rooms run from all-you-can-eat barbecue to a tasting counter from a chef with a national following, with a fast-casual bowl shop and a Chinese-Korean kitchen in between. This list covers the city proper, since Annandale's Koreatown across the Potomac deserves its own separate guide and shouldn't get blurred into it.
Compare all 6 restaurantsNeighborhood · price · score · first order
In the same order as the guide. Scores are out of 10; dollar symbols show the listed price tier.
Bulgogi and galbi arrive on tabletop grills for a fixed two-hour window, the format built for groups who want to work through several rounds of banchan without watching a per-dish tab climb. Staff run the room briskly and time-check tables closely; parties who arrive late to their slot lose minutes off the clock. Portion pacing is monitored, so this suits diners planning steady grazing over a big first plate.
What to order
Bulgogi, Galbi, Bibimbap
3365 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010 · (202) 558-5579
A build-your-own counter on the first floor of the Smithsonian, built for speed between museum stops. The sweet potato noodle tofu bowl and bibimbap let diners pick proteins and toppings to order, with kimbap for a faster grab. Lines stack up fast around midday, a reliable sign of the lunch crowd it serves, and the format works well for dietary restrictions.
What to order
Sweet potato noodle tofu bowl, Bibimbap, Kimbap
600 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024 · (202) 554-2041
The chikin app, Korean fried chicken finished with a sticky glaze, draws a bar crowd willing to eat with their hands and get a little messy over it. Bibimbap rounds out a menu built for grazing rather than a formal sit-down. Service is attentive and well versed in walking newcomers through the menu, and the room has built a following among neighborhood regulars who return often.
Anju on 18th Street NW is a modern Korean restaurant, and diners say it is not a traditional family-style spot but an upscale, stylish room. It is a favorite for anniversaries and dates, and staff have surprised guests with handwritten cards. Reservations fill, and one diner who visited twice in a week used the main-floor bar to get a seat.
Korean fried chicken is the dish named most, and diners recommend ordering it. Kimchi and shrimp dumplings follow, and chicken and waffles, a spicy chicken sandwich, braised chicken and gochujang-glazed wings fill the rest. Banchan arrive as small plates, with Brussels sprout kimchi among them, and dessert is worth saving room for. Brunch is also served.
Diners agree the experience includes a few misses, but the hits outnumber them, and the cocktails and wine are well liked. The room is small, so groups should reserve ahead. Prices run on the higher side. Servers are named often for being friendly and attentive, and they handle special occasions carefully.
Insider tip
Reserve well ahead, and try the bar on the main floor if there is no table.
What to order
Korean Fried Chicken, Kimchi Dumplings, Chicken and Waffles
Mapo tofu and scallion pancake sit alongside peking duck on a menu that treats Chinese and Korean cooking as one continuous kitchen rather than two separate cuisines bolted together. Barracks Row's counter-service setup keeps the room casual: order up front, food gets brought to the table. The space runs small and fills quickly, and the kitchen has hosted Lunar New Year pop-ups beyond its regular lineup.
What to order
Mapo tofu, Peking duck, Scallion pancake
423 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003 · (202) 558-9934
Mandu come steamed, fried, and in a full assortment during happy hour, alongside bulgogi and bibimbap for a fuller dinner order. The room reads clean and modern rather than worn in, and it draws visitors staying nearby along with regulars who treat the happy hour as a standing plan. Casual pacing suits both a quick bar sit and a longer group dinner.
What to order
Mandu, Bibimbap, Bulgogi
453 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001 · (202) 289-6899
Chef Edward Lee's tasting menu runs seven courses for a fixed price, built around bibimbap, bulgogi, and kimchi jjigae reworked into a longer format than the standard Korean dinner house offers. A cocktail and wine program backs the courses, and the kitchen has run pop-up events pairing drinks with shorter menus. This is the occasion room on the list, priced and paced for a slower night out.
What to order
Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Kimchi jjigae
1252 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002 · (202) 802-5166
What is the best Korean restaurant near me in Washington DC?
It depends on the neighborhood and what kind of meal is wanted. This guide covers rooms across the city, from all-you-can-eat barbecue to a tasting counter, each ranked by its Insider Score, which is based on the review record and not on any payment. No restaurant on this list paid for placement.
Is Korean food in Washington DC different from Korean food in Annandale, Virginia?
Yes. Annandale is the region's Koreatown, with a much larger concentration of Korean restaurants and grocers, and it deserves its own guide. The rooms here are in the District proper and are fewer in number, ranging from casual counters to a tasting menu.
Which restaurant on this list is best for a group dinner?
Iron Age suits groups looking for all-you-can-eat barbecue with a fixed time window, and Mandu works well for a group happy hour built around mandu and shared plates. Both are ranked here by their Insider Score, not by any paid promotion.
Is SHIA good for a special occasion?
Yes. SHIA runs a seven-course tasting menu from chef Edward Lee at a fixed price, making it the most formal option on this list and the best fit for a slower, occasion-driven dinner rather than a casual meal.
The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Ninth Street and Corridors Editor. Grew up above her family's restaurant and learned the rest of the beat eating in plazas with the people who grew up in them. Bilingual in Amharic. Names every dish properly before explaining it.
