The Best Korean Restaurants in Omaha

Korean food might be the most underrated dinner out in Omaha. It's a whole spread, a little grill sizzling at the table, small bowls of banchan showing up before you even order, rice and stew and marinated beef. Kids who swear they're picky usually find something they love the second they see the sizzle. So if you've never made the drive, here's where to start around the metro.

Begin in Ralston. Korea Garden on South 72nd Street is the one longtime Omaha food folks point to first, and for good reason. It's been the go-to for Korean barbecue for years, kalbi short ribs and bulgogi and a kimchi stew that'll clear your sinuses, plus all the little side dishes that come free with the meal. The restaurant even bills itself as good for kids and groups, there's free parking, and it's the easiest first trip into Korean food if you're bringing the whole family.

Two of the best are down in Bellevue, and they're both small, family-run, and worth the drive. Korean House on Lincoln Road is a decades-old spot doing honest home cooking, the kind of place where the owner has been known to come out and play with the kids, and every entrée comes with those shareable little sides. Korean Grill over on Harlan Drive has kept its founder's original recipes going since 2008, ribs and army stew and pork bulgogi. Neither one has much of a website, so program the number into your phone and call ahead for hours before you drive out.

If you want a broader menu so the sushi-only kid and the barbecue parent both win, Maru Sushi & Korean Grill near 108th on the Millard side of Omaha does both, dolsot bibimbap in the hot stone bowl plus a full sushi list. It's a comfortable sit-down that covers a lot of ground for a mixed table.

And for the easiest sell of all, Korean fried chicken. bb.q Chicken has two Omaha spots, one near 74th and Pacific and one at 132nd and Center, doing that crackly double-fried chicken in soy garlic or hot and spicy. It's counter-casual, it's fast, and no kid on earth turns down fried chicken. There's also Korea King on South 96th Street, a family-owned, takeout-friendly spot if you're on that side of the metro, though it's another one to phone first.

A couple of things worth knowing before you go. Banchan, those little side dishes, come out first and are usually refillable, so don't fill up before the main food lands. If your kids are new to the flavors, start them mild with bulgogi or the fried chicken and let them work up to the spicier stews. And most of these are small independent places, so a quick call to confirm hours saves you a wasted trip, especially at the Bellevue spots that keep their own schedules.

That's the Omaha Korean map to start with. Sizzling barbecue in Ralston, home cooking in Bellevue, a little of everything near Millard, and fried chicken wherever you happen to be. If you're looking for another special dinner out, our guide to Omaha's best family steakhouses covers the big-celebration nights, and if you're feeding the crew on a budget, grab the free Kids Eat Free guide too.

Hours change and the small places sometimes close a day you'd expect them open, so call ahead before you drive. Then go get the grill going.

Check out all their menus:

Korea Garden Menu→

Maru Sushi & Korean Grill Menu

bb.q Chicken Menu→