The self-proclaimed “most popular fried chicken in Korea” is coming to Falls Church with the opening of BB.Q. Chicken just outside of city limits set for this Monday.

Boasting more than 16 kinds of double-marinated, olive-oil fried chicken, the full-service restaurant in the former Open Kitchen space will feature a menu of dishes like bulgogi, bibimbap, Korean tacos and pork buns, an all-weekend brunch with chicken and waffles and pancakes, plus a full bar focused on Japanese whiskey and beer.

Falls Church store owner David Lee and Ryan Han told the News-Press Wednesday there will be a draft lineup of about five beers, including at least three from Japan, and once their ABC license is approved, a special grand opening featuring Japanese whiskey will be held in September.

Of course, the main draw at the restaurant is the chicken which will come in both bone-in and boneless varieties.

When asked about how his birds will stand out from other popular Korean fried chicken spots like Bonchon, Lee tells the News-Press it’s all about variety and preparation. Taking three days to prepare, the process begins with breaking down fresh whole chickens and then marinating the pieces for up to 18 hours. The chicken is then tenderized and marinated again before getting deep fried in olive oil.

And while Bonchon serves just two flavors of chicken, Lee says BB.Q will have close to 20 when grilled chicken is added to the mix in the next few months. There’s the traditional hot and regular soy garlic and others like gangjeong, red hot garlic, a sweet and spicy “secret sauce,” the store’s signature BB wings (like traditional fried chicken but with a kick) and an interesting flavor called cheeseling, which can best be described as fried chicken tossed in cheddar-flavored cheese dust.

(PSA: to the relief of the spice wary and the chagrin of the heat hounds, none of the flavors we tasted at BB.Q. Chicken matched the level of spiciness of the hot wings at Bonchon.)

And about that name, it’s not a mistranslation, it’s just a bit of a misnomer. The BB.Q is actually an acronym for “Best of the Best Quality” rather than a description of the popular southern-style, slow-and-low cooking method.

Located in 2,500 square feet of space near the corner of Leesburg Pike and Shreve Road, the Falls Church BB.Q Chicken features both dining room and bar seating along with a spacious patio out front. This will be the Korean chain’s second Northern Virginia location (the other is in Centreville) but joins a family of 15 in the U.S. and more than 4,000 worldwide.

BB.Q Chicken | 7115 Leesburg Pike #107 | Falls Church