Pelicana Chicken, a Korean fried chicken restaurant, will soon open its first Maryland location in Rockville, according to manager Patrick Jay Moon.
The new dine-in eatery, slated to open in early December, will be at 4 N. Washington St. in the Courthouse Center shopping strip near Rockville Town Square. The space was previously occupied by Woodside Deli which closed in August 2022.
“After the success of our first location in Annandale, [Virginia], which has been serving the community for over six years, we’re excited to bring the same quality, passion and authentic Korean flavors to our third [Washington, D.C.-area location] in Rockville,” Moon said in an email to MoCo360.
The eatery’s second D.C.-area location is in Sterling, Virginia.
Pelicana, established in 1982 in Daejeon, South Korea, is known for its fried chicken that comes in a handful of variations such as original, crispy, spicy and soy garlic, according to Moon. The eatery offers fried chicken options such as wings, breasts, thighs, boneless, or in a sandwich.
Moon called Pelicana the “pioneers of Korean fried chicken” and said the fast-food chain is a household name in South Korea.
In addition to fried chicken, the eatery offers Korean-inspired dishes including rice bowls, beef bulgogi nachos and tacos, deep-fried dumplings and Kimchi chicken slides.
The menu also includes traditional Korean items such as rice cakes; Jjimdak, a braised chicken with a soy sauce base; fishcake soup; and black ramen inspired by the Korean movie thriller Parasite.
Moon said customers to the upcoming Rockville location can dine in or grab takeout, and order event catering. In addition, all the meat served at the location is Halal.
An official opening date has not been determined. Moon estimates the restaurant will likely have a soft opening at the beginning of December.
Since opening the first Pelicana in the 1980s, the restaurant has expanded to more than 3,000 locations around the world. In addition to Virginia, the chain has locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Georgia and Michigan.
