Last year, it was reported that a chain of Korean barbecue spots was hoping to expand to Allston, and now we have learned that the chain is planning to expand to Cambridge, though the status of the Allston location is now in question.
According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Gen Korean BBQ House is planning to open in Harvard Square, confirming an earlier article from the Cambridge Somerville Independent that said the plans were "on pause" back in May because of concerns about how customers would be grilling their own food, including whether open flames would be involved. An update to the article states that the pause ultimately ended after conversations took place between fire inspectors and the business owners.
As reported here in August of 2025, a location of the Gen Korean BBQ House chain--which was established in Los Angeles in 2011--was being planned for Harvard Avenue in Allston, but it still hasn't opened, and a new licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website indicates that its liquor license may be transferred to a proposed location of Taco Bell Cantina near Faneuil Hall.
The address for the upcoming Gen Korean BBQ House in Harvard Square is 26 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the chain is at https://www.genkoreanbbq.com/
[Earlier Article]
Gen Korean BBQ House May Be Opening in Allston
(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
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