Chi’lantro

Stopped in here for a late lunch while I was in Austin today. I used to have a late night snack with friends back when they had a food truck in Houston, but was disappointed the last time I was in Houston and found out they were no longer there. I am not too far from Austin for work at the moment so I was excited to find out that Chi’lantro now has brick and mortar eateries.
Anyways, so they have a lot more menu items now compared to the last time I had them in Rice Village when their main items were kimchi fries and tacos. I ended up ordering the kimchi rice balls and the gangnam style chicken wings. The rice balls were delicious. Nice crunchy exterior, hot and flavorful rice interior. It was served with a spicy mayo type sauce, but the balls held up pretty well on their own without the sauce. I was pretty full from the rice balls so I only ate one of the wings to taste it while it’s fresh. The wings were nice and crispy, the sauce was a bit messy but that’s expected. The flavors were good though. Little bit of sweet and spicy garnished with sesame seeds and scallions. My only disappointment was that I was hoping they were more like traditional korean wings where the sauce is almost like a coating on the fried chicken, instead of saucey like american wings. But nonetheless, it was good and the execution was good, just my expectation was a little thrown off.
Oh and the food came out super quick too. Although, there was no one in there when I first showed up, there were about a handful of customers that came in after me and their food seemed to come out rather quickly too. Yes, I people watch sometimes. lol. So A+ on time if you are looking for a quick AND good place to stop for a bite.

This location off of Burnet of one of my all time fave food trailers is overly crowded. so much so that on a Friday night we had to hover over a couple tables just to make sure that we could sit somewhere. It’s a really nice and tidy kept restaurant but i don’t know if i will be back with the chaotic seating situation, some people will sit there for what seems like 30 minutes to an hour after there meal just socializing without any food, it would be nice if this space had a patio in the back to accommodate more people or at least more seating options other than the seating issue the food is just as i can remember I’m glad they have some healthy options that align with this whole new commitment i have to health this year. Probably won’t be back for awhile and will opt for going to the original food trailers if I ever have a craving or make the infamous Kimchi fries at home.

This is great Asian fusion food. We get the kimchi fries. This will be a short review and a simple one.
We drive to Austin from Houston specifically for these fries.
Boom…Delicious.

excellent service, very clean and really good food!
I personally love the flavored chicken wings i love the gangnam flavor and the kimchi fries! Everything is very affordable too! I wish we have this in Dallas! I would highly recommend this restaurant!

I had chilantros a couple years back when it was just the truck, liked it quite a bit. I live in North Austin so I was excited when they opened the Burnet Rd. location. I was disappointed with the quality of food, not at all like I remember. Ordered the kimchi fries which is what made them famous, two tacos and dip sampler which is guacamole, queso and corn with chips.
Got the fries with spicy pork, while the presentation was quite appetizing, the taste was not. The spicy pork had lots of gristle and rubbery fat which I found disgusting, very little meat. First time I had the kimchi fries the meat was leaner, now the quality is going down hill.
Next the tacos with ribeye beef, same thing, lots of gristle not as lean as I remember. I’ve had better beef bulgogi tacos at Yummi Taco.
Last the dips, guacamole has zero avocado taste, the artifical lime flavor they added simply overpowered it. They also had some cruncy vegetable which tasted like cucumber, not a good combination with guacamole. The corn had no zing, simply corn with mayo and some chili powder, nothing like the street corn from Torchy’s. Then the queso, nothing special about it, just melted cheese with a spoon of guacamole and queso fresco, did not taste anything special, Torchy’s much better.
I know I sound like I think other places are better but I think this place could be so much better if they just pay more attention to quality. For some reason the food truck delivered better food, maybe it’s the cook, maybe they are trying to save a buck, don’t know. I hope the owner pays more attention to the quality of meat, make it leaner even if it’s a little pricier. Also, the sides are nothing special, please come up with something that tasted better.
I will say the staff was very friendly and helpful, the place was also clean and I like the concept, unfortunately this is a place to review food.

I was never a regular purveyor on Chi’lantro’s food truck. That being said, I always loved getting a chance to have their famous kimchi fries when at festivals or other events. My couple of times at the brick and mortar have led me to understand the craze even better.
I’ve gotten pretty much the same thing both times: ribeye kimchi fries, wings with gangnam sauce, and on my second visit a salad with ribeye meat. No I did not eat all of this food in one sitting, but it wasn’t too far away right. Everything is delicious. The kimchi fries are always going to be amazing, but I’m amazed at how good the wings are. There is more meat on their wings than almost anybody else in town. The sauce is thickly laid on, but I like it that way. The ranch that comes with the wings really compliments the sauce and doesn’t just take it over. The salad is also very good, but I would say it is the weakest of the trio of foods I’ve ordered. Gotta love what these guys put on the plate.

Finally was able to make a trip out to Chilantro and my oh my what have I experienced?!? I got the kimchi spicy chicken fries while my fried got the beef kimchi fries. One word– AMAZING!!! I’m not a huge kimchi person, but I liked how these fries didn’t have an overwhelming kimchi flavor but had other bold flavors. We also shared the Korean fried wings, which in my opinion were ok, I’ve had better wings which were made similarly. Next time I want to try the burger and tacos!

The northern of two brick and mortar locations for this popular Austin food truck, Chi’lantro serves up Korean BBQ-​inspired dishes inside a trendy establishment. For $ 7 – 8 you get your choice of proteins served in rice bowl, salad, tacos, or burger. I personally love their Spicy Pork Tacos although the $ 6.99 pricing for only two small tacos is a bit steep. I recommend getting either the chips + salsa or the famous Kimchi Fries to supplement your meal.
Sorry Diet Coke addicts, they only have Maine Root sodas here!

The last time I came, I think I ate at the food truck, this time we had our meal at the restaurant. I’ve got to say that I think I prefer it from the food truck, not sure why haha. Maybe the rustic feel of a food truck just adds to the flavors and atmosphere. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed my food. I had the bulgogi bowl, which is similar to a Chipotle burrito bowl. There’s rice, veggies, protein, kimchi, and you can add other stuff on it for an additional cost. I added mushrooms in mine for $ 0.50, and it made the bowl much yummier! The meat was perfect, probably one of the best seasoned bulgogi I’ve ever had. We also got the kimchi fries, and it was amazing as well! It was a tad bit spicy for my taste, but hey, I’m the type of person that can’t even handle Hot Cheetos. I heard the K Pop wings here are good, but unfortunately they didn’t have them so I couldn’t try them myself. Overall a good place to get your serving of Korean food. It sure does hit the spot!
Warning: food coma may ensue shortly after consumption of food.

Got the Korean fried with fried chicken. The chicken was awesome, nicely fried with good flavor. We also got the taco combo need and pork which were ok. It was pretty plain with cilantro and onions throw in it. I guess that’s what makes it a Korean taco? But I thought they would jazz it up a bit. But hey if I want jazz I’ll go to a jazz café eh?

Every kpop chicken is amazing. Flavor bursts in every bite. I think they pushed the chicken down the bone on the drumstick and deep fry it in flavor. It was amazing. At least try this– in the hot flavor and they honey flavor.

I finally got to try the brick and mortar version for lunch and it was fabulous! The kimchi fries are as good as I remember from the food truck. I ordered the pork tacos, they were tasty albeit a pit overpriced. My favorite dish I did not order but after I tasted I wish I did. The K pops were so crispy, meaty and perfectly cooked it was difficult to not steal all of them from my friend’s plate.
A warning for you peeps that are going here for lunch, this food is heavy. Like fall– –asleep-​at-​your-​desk-​from-​the-​itis heavy. It is yummy but definitely not an everyday lunch place for me. But will I be back even though it is mandatory gym trip after? Oh yes, yes I will. Well done Chi’lantro!

I’m a fan of their food truck and has to check out their brick and mortar place. It’s a really cute spot on Burnet and I love the décor on the inside.
My friend got their fried chicken salad bowl, my boyfriend got their burger and I ordered their salad with chicken bulgogi. Oh, and we ordered their kimchi fries with tofu.
The service was okay. Nothing to complain about but nothing to write home about either.
Their drink offerings are pretty minimal. My friend tried this wine in a can thing that they were offering and she liked it so much that she only had one, which she finished two hours later. At home. I honestly couldn’t get past her purple teeth, so I kept it safe with a cup of water.
I don’t know what they do to their tofu, but that shit was delicious (and I generally hate ordering things with tofu)! My salad was very filling and my boyfriend really loved his burger. It had a fried egg, and that brought a lot of joy to his heart. My friend, on the other hand, wasn’t a fan of the rice bowl. She was super disappointed by the minimal amount of rice and copious amounts of vegetables. It looked more like my salad than a rice bowl.
Either way, I would be open to stopping by again because overall, the food was very, very good. I may just stick with the food truck, though.

Yummmmmmmm! I can’t believe I live so close and am just trying this place.
First off, the place is so cute! Second, the staff is so friendly and finally the foood!!! Wow! So we got the dip set to share (queso, guacamole, and corn dip) the corn one was our favorite! Then I got the salad with tofu which was some of the beat tofu I’ve had in a long time!!! The dressings were amazing as well! It was huge so I had enough to take home and eat for lunch the next day! Can’t wait to be a regular here!!! Picture posted

Been in Austin for 2 years and this is my first time here! Not a good Austinite :)
Anyway, I’m glad I finally got to go. The food was delicious and the famous fries well worth the hype. I had a rice bowl and shared the fries. The chicken on both was delicious and the sauces perfect. I’ll happily be returning soon!

I went to Chi’lantro with a friend who is a big fan.
The restaurant is decorated super cute, I really liked that part.
There is plenty of parking because it’s inside a shopping center.
I had one of their tofu bowls. If had rice, veggies, tofu and a fried egg. The food was ok, nothing amazing.
I’ve heard the fries are pretty good, but I didn’t get to try them.
Maybe meat eaters would have a much better experience, but I thought it was just ok.

I went between 4 and 5 stars here, but really, I think that’s because I have eaten too much good food in Austin. I proceeded to figuratively smack myself and give Chi’lantro the five stars it deserves.
Chi’lantro is inventive and delivers combinations you just can’t get anywhere else, the interior is adorable and modern, and the service was surprisingly awesome. You probably know about the Kimchi fries: they really are delicious and possibly one of my favorite things about Austin. I think it’s mostly because I have great memories eating them at ACL and at Austin Beerworks, but they hold up at the restaurant. I recommend bulgogi on top if you are the meat-​eating kind.
I was excited to branch out and order some new items: esquites dip, guacamole, and kimchi fried rice balls. The guacamole was good by Texas standards, and the esquites dip (corn dip) features the same magic sauce that’s on the kimchi fries. They are served with a miraculously large amount of chips. I mean seriously, thank you for not giving me a joke amount of chips. The kimchi fried rice balls really reminded me of bibimbap! You know that crunchy rice at the bottom with gochujang sauce? That’s pretty close. Okay, if you don’t know what I’m talking about because you don’t think about bibimbap a lot; basically, a fried rice ball with a sweet korean sauce built in. YUM! Oh ya, and you can dip them in that magic sauce again, but I’m not sure they need it.
Anyway, I bet you can tell I really enjoyed myself here. The décor and interior space is just really cute and clean. The employees were delightful. Just good stuff.

I’m giving Chi’lantro five stars, not because it is the best food I’ve ever had, but for the price point, it does what it does very well.
My friend, E, decided to treat me to lunch for my birthday and gave me my choice of restaurants. In these situations, I always consult my bookmarks on Unilocal.Sure, I could choose some super high dollar lunch spot, but why would I do that? I like my friend and wouldn’t want to take advantage. I had been wanting to try Chi’lantro and here was my opportunity.
As usual, our eyes wrote checks our stomachs couldn’t cash. I chose the kimchi fries and K pops and E chose the rice bowl. We shared our bounty and still came home with three to go containers!
Okay, back to the food! The kimchi fries were delicious, super flavorful crispy fries covered in spicy kimchi, beef and sauce. They are hard to eat without making a mess because they are piled high with good things. The K pops are like hot wings on steroids. Seriously! How are they so meaty! We got half sweet and half spicy. Both were good, but spicy won the flavor contest. The rice bowl was chock full of rice, black beans, corn, spicy pork, cilantro, sauce, a fried egg and veggies. Delicious!
The staff are friendly and helpful, the place is clean and has a simple, but adorable design. Can’t say one negative thing about them.

Exceptional Service, great food, and great feng shui.
I came here for the first time with my family and left impressed. I had the chips and equites, Kimchi Fries with pork, and K Pops with gangnam sauce. The food was prepared in less than ten minutes and brought to our table. We were greeted and given time to order if we needed it, with explanations if the menu items if we needed it.
The décor was pretty inviting and spacious with vintage décor decorations like an old fashioned radio and triple beam balance scale on the columns at the end of the long tables. The restaurant was very clean as well. They definitely done more with the space than the now previous tenant and now defunct Man Bites Dog did.
The food was great the chips with equites was delicious. The equities consists of corn, cotija cheese, Korean pepper, magic sauce. The K Pops are a must try for chicken lovers, because they are well season with a mild spice and sweet sauce and an absolute must try, I didn’t even need to use the gangnam dip. Last but not least the kimchi fries were pretty good. With the pork it isn’t shredded so it waa cumbersome to eat since it’s in straps, which you’ll have to cut with a knife to make bite sized. Other than it was a great meal. My servers came out checked in and even gave us another order of kimchi fries, because my strip of pork was mostly fat. I’m looking forward to returning especially since the have late hours until midnight on certain nights

Just not that many things as fun as doing a Veghead run with the delightful Ashley S — the two of us split the Dip Set, Kimchi balls, Kimchi fries, Kimchi bowl, and tacos. I can’t remember if there was Kimchi in the tacos or not. The two things we didn’t try that everybody raves about were the K-​Pops & Burger, because they would’ve made Ashley puke.
Here’s the deal: Will Chi’Lantro redefine everything we know about Korean? Nah. But this second brick & mortar from their successful truck concept is so darn likeable it’s hard not to be a fan. Both new restaurants have now stopped breakfast service (shoot, I have to update my other review), but they’ve made up for it by being open until midnight on Fridays & Saturdays. When in doubt, go with their Esquites & Kimchi fries.
There’s really only so much you can do with a narrow storefront in a strip mall, but these guys have done it well. And this Burnet staff is incredibly attentive & cool. All the shareable apps & entrées here are priced at $ 6 or $ 7, and the K-​Pops are a little more. Now if they could just start playing K-​pop in the background, I’d probably order a lot more of them.