Kimchi Red

I was craving KFC (Korean fried chicken) today but did not want to drive all the way down to Duluth for the plethora of KFC options they have, and came across Kimchi Red in Alpharetta.
It's a little shop in a smaller plaza, but don't let that discourage you from going in. When I entered the restaurant there was only one family in line and a few tables taken. After we ordered, it got slammed packed with a line all the way to the door from the counter. All the tables were taken in a matter of minutes. We questioned the high prices of the food, at least compared to competitors like Pelicana and BBQ Chicken. However our thoughts changed once we were greeted with a mountain of fried chicken with sauce dripping down. My eyes have never seen anything more delectable. Overall, the food was delicious, I'm familiar with Korean flavors so I enjoyed my choice of sauce. I'd recommend asking the cashier what their popular flavors are if you're overwhelmed with the menu.

I would come back again if I feel like splurging on KFC!

The best KFC and Kim chi fried rice! We visited from Florida and keep thinking of the next time we'll be able to come back!

The ambiance is bright and vibrant as is their menu.

We had a mediocre experience the first time we came here. The owner responded to the Yelp review I left and invited me to come back and give them another chance to make my experience as enjoyable as possible.

My husband and I did just that. The owner is so gracious and customer care focused. Her staff made our day and the food was outstanding! I highly recommend Kimchi Red!

Thank you Kimchi Red! We will visit your new location in Swanee next week!

Charlene & John Thibodeau

Pretty good that caters well to the locals.

Jeonju KFC - Almost perfect, Americanized version of a Korean-Chinese staple dish, "ggan poong gi" or dry-braised chicken. Even resembles a version of a "dak gang jung", sweet, dry-fried KFC nuggets.

Mala KFC - Quite impressive handling of the mala spices with legit Sichuan corn pepper pieces, but they may want to reconsider using too much corn starch to thicken the sauce; a lighter mala sauce glazed can bloom the maximum mala-ness with complexity the KFC can offer. Dry pepper should not be that bitter, but I know it's hard to source the right kinds here.

Good job!

Every visit to Kimchi Red in Alpharetta has been nothing short of spectacular, and it's my go-to spot for the best Korean fried chicken in town. The chicken dishes here are a revelation - perfectly golden and crispy on the outside while remaining succulently juicy inside. Each piece is coated in a deliciously unique blend of spices that tantalizes the taste buds and leaves you craving more.

What sets Kimchi Red apart is the heartwarming hospitality led by the owner (Alice?), who greets every guest with a smile that's as warm as the food. Their genuine kindness and eagerness to share their love for Korean cuisine adds a personal touch to the dining experience that is rare and delightful.

I've dined here multiple times, and each visit has been consistently fantastic. Whether it's the addictive crunch of the chicken, the bold flavors of Mega Fries, or the comforting ambiance, Kimchi Red never fails to deliver. This place is a true gem in Alpharetta, and I always look forward to coming back for more unforgettable meals.

I come to ATL every other month for work. I always look for very interesting places to experience when I go somewhere. When I saw the #1 rated fried chicken spot in the nation was nearby I made a plan to go.

It's about a 45 minute drive after work from where I stay in Marietta when visiting. I walked in and was instantly greeted by the owner Alice. She was great! Just like all the other reviews said about her. She asked me if I had any questions. She asked if I had been there before and I told her I was visiting and saw the amazing reviews. She walked me through the entire menu personally. She asked me about my culinary restrictions, preferences and wanted to see how diverse my palette was. I appreciated the time she took and attention to detail. They use the same formula for their recipes and food preparation. This is their art and it shows.

I decided to take the when in Rome approach and order a few things to sample. I started off with the mega fries. The flavors were impeccable. Freshly fried and crisp. Perfectly done. Next I went with the kimchi rice. Same thing as before. Delicious. I finished with the garlic honey chicken. The sweet and then tangy with the balsamic and honey together is amazing. I had so much food to take with me.

This was a great culinary experience and I truly thank the team for making it an amazing visit!

The kimchi fries are so good fresh! Some of the best fries I've ever had. The sauce is good and the added pork makes it taste oh so good.

I came here for the fried chicken and although it was good, I felt like it was a lot going on and it was also quite expensive overall. I don't think I would make this my go to for Korean fried chicken but I would definitely come back if I'm ever around the area. I want to try the kimchi fried rice someday! Maybe that will be my next update.

Small place but relatively quick service, unless it's a busy day then may take a while for the food to get ready.

Food: I have to say - this food is AMAZING. I was so impressed. We got the mal-la chicken, which was fire. The chicken itself is fresh, cooked perfectly, falls off the bone. And then the tingly spicy sauce was delicious! We also got the rose tteokbokki was SO good. Rich deep flavors, with Asian zing. I don't like tomato-based things, but this was still amazing. The Galbi plate was also delicious, but not the show stopper. Even the japchae noodle side was fresh and tasty!!

Service: The lady was so nice at the counter! Explained so much to use. The food does take a while to come out - so be prepared to wait 20-30min for your food. We came when it wasn't busy, and it still took that long because everything is made fresh. It's worth it though!

Ambience: Clean, simple decor. Wish they had more tables because it's usually busy but that's a good problem to have!

This is one of our TOP ATL dining experiences!

I appreciate that everything is cooked fresh here. It takes a while to get your food, but I think that's a fair trade for it being prepared fresh.

I have a shellfish allergy so we asked the cashier if the kimchi had shellfish (because we've been to places where the kimchi has shrimp eggs). She said no, but seemed a little unsure? Or maybe she was annoyed that day, but she wasn't exactly friendly.

There are a lot of great sounding options on the menu so we had a hard time choosing. I'm a boneless chicken type of girl, so we opted for the crispy boneless chicken and the mega fries. The mega fries were delicious and full of flavor. The chicken was perfectly crispy, BUT we got the wrong flavor. It had Basalmic in it, and that overpowered EVERYTHING. It was too strong for me. I also noticed the sauce wasn't distributed evenly. It worked well in this case because we hated the flavor, but I would have been annoyed had it been a tasty sauce.

I may give them another chance, but I'm not itching to return.

A soft four stars for Kimchi Red. For such a busy place, you can tell that the staff is still trying really hard to provide good service. The restaurant has limited seating. The turnaround time for the tables can be long since it takes a while for the chicken to be made. If possible, it's probably best to go on a weekday to avoid crowds and for guaranteed seating.

We ordered the Spicy Jeonju (medium spice) fried chicken, rose tteokbokki, and french fries. The fried chicken here has more of a thick, crunchy batter. We didn't feel a spicy kick from the jeonju sauce-- it was more sweet and tangy.

There are specific recommendations for spicy sauces on the menu though. The rose tteokbokki had a good sauce, but half of the rice cake were overcooked and half were perfectly soft and chewy.

The regular fries balanced out the saucy chicken and tteokbokki (the K Mega Fries would have definitely been sauce overload with everything else).

One chicken order plus a side would be comfortably good for 2-3 people.