Ddong Ggo is in the hands of new ownership, but we’re happy to report the infectious fun and shockingly good food that drew us in to this Korean street-style bar are still very much on display. Put another way: Can you imagine a better night out than a Korean bar with blaring pop music, an angry cartoon chicken mascot, “Nacho Cheetos french fries,” spectacular chicken wings coated in garlicky soy sauce, a whole list of different dishes that involve hot skillets full of gooey melting cheese and a happy hour special of six pints of Deep Ellum beer? Ddong Ggo, with its ultra-crispy seafood scallion pancakes and “volcano kimchi fried rice” topped with a fried egg, is a Korea Town miracle in Carrollton, and what makes it so special is that all of the food, from the everything-goes-in Korean army stew to the ultra-juicy fried chicken, is legitimately outstanding. Just don’t expect any healthy choices.
Top pick: Ordering “Cheese Island,” a skillet full of molten cheese topped with a literal island of fried chicken, should be a mandatory rite of passage for every newcomer to the Dallas area.
The downside: Don’t come here to order your veggies. Indeed, since the portions are gleefully gluttonous, it’s basically impossible to have a balanced meal here. Whatever. You can live a long, boring life or you can live a short life that involves kimchi cheese pizza pancakes.
Fun fact: Oh, we almost forgot to mention: The name is Korean for “Chicken Butthole.”