Chi’Lantro BBQ was created in February 2010 by Austin based founder Jae Kim. Jae was born in Korea and moved to the U.S. when he was eleven years old. He opened his first business, the Foothill Cafe, at age 21 and owned the eatery and coffee shop for three years. Three years later he moved to Austin and started Chi’Lantro BBQ in a single food truck.
Since then the business has grown to include catering and 3 brick and mortar restaurants with more on the way. The cuisine is a fusion of Korean and Mexican flavors and the name Chi’Lantro is a combination of “kimchi” and “cilantro”. They’re locally famous for their spin on Korean BBQ and their popular Kimchi Fries. Chi’Lantro meats are marinated according to traditional family recipes for 48 hours before grilling. They’ve received several awards and lots of great press including being featured in Food and Wine Magazine and the cover of Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, as well as appearances on the Cooking Channel and Food Network.
