Staff-grilled beef galbi at a Jongno, Daegu Korean BBQ: Jangjak

Brick Raw Beef, Jongno branch

📍 Hours Daily 17:00 – 01:00 Last order 00:00 📍 Groups welcome Takeout, reservations, high chairs Corkage allowed 🚙 You'll need to use a nearby paid parking lot!

How long is the wait at Jangjak Saenggalbi? 30 minutes even at opening

More and more great restaurants are popping up in Jongno, Daegu, so deciding where to go has become a happy problem. This time I wanted a hearty, restorative meal with really good meat, so I headed to Brick Raw Beef's Jongno branch (Jangjak Saenggalbi)! I'd heard there's usually a wait, so I rushed over right at opening time, and sure enough people kept streaming in. If you're looking for a Jongno, Daegu meat restaurant, I think this is one you have to try at least once. Put your name on the waiting list, because it's almost a must here! I waited about 30 minutes myself.

Kiosk ordering and the dining room

Inside, ordering is done by kiosk, which was convenient. I could browse the menu slowly without having to ask the staff about everything, and the overall vibe was a classy, slightly Baroque-style interior. It isn't flashy, just softly pleasant, so I think it suits both family dinners and dates.

Uiseong garlic galbi sold out, so Jangjak fresh galbi instead

The menu centers on raw galbi (unmarinated beef short ribs), with marinated galbi, raw pork galbi, marinated pork galbi and braised beef bones too. The one I was most looking forward to that day was the Uiseong garlic raw galbi, but sadly it had sold out, so I ordered the Jangjak raw galbi on the staff's recommendation. A little disappointing, but I'd heard a lot of good things about it, so I was excited.

What side dishes come with the galbi?

The table was already set with side dishes, and they looked neat and tidy just by sight. There was young radish kimchi (yeolmu-kimchi), water kimchi, frozen shredded radish salad and more, all pairing well with meat, so it was fun to try them one by one. The frozen radish salad especially was cool and crunchy, and went really well with the rich, fatty meat.

500g Jangjak fresh galbi, grilled by staff from start to finish

Jangjak raw galbi (500g)

Finally, the beef raw galbi I'd been waiting for arrived! There's a reason this is called the raw galbi of Jongno, Daegu. The color of the meat looked fresh and the marbling was seriously appetizing ❤️ Best of all, the staff grill everything for you from start to finish! Timing matters with raw galbi, and a bad grill can make it tough, but they cooked it perfectly like pros, so we could just chat and eat. The first bite of perfectly cooked meat filled my mouth with juices, and I couldn't help but marvel. It was clean-tasting yet nutty and rich.

Beef ribs can be a hassle to eat because of the bone, but the staff neatly cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and even picked off the chewy, bumpy bits clinging around the bone one by one. I actually loved that part even more, so chewy and nutty! Dipped lightly in the sauce, the texture and flavor doubled, and it's a taste I keep thinking about!!!

The free cypress-steamed platter

Complimentary steamed cypress platter

And what really made me happy was that they gave us a steamed cypress platter (pyeonbaek-jjim) as a free service! It had shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts and brisket, and looked hearty and healthy. Dipping the warm steamed ingredients in the sauce gave a clean yet deeply savory taste...! Even though it's free, the quality was good, and while eating I was already thinking I should bring my parents next time..

Finishing sides: bibimbap, mul naengmyeon and steamed egg

Bibimbap, naengmyeon and egg custard sides

After eating a good amount of meat, we also ordered bibimbap (mixed rice), mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) and gyeran-jjim (steamed egg custard) haha. You can't skip carbs at a meat restaurant, right? The bibimbap had fresh vegetables blending nicely with the seasoning, perfect with the meat, and the cold broth of the naengmyeon cleansed my palate, which was just right.

Is Jangjak Saenggalbi worth a return visit? Final verdict

The staff explained things kindly and brought any side dish we needed right away, so the whole meal felt pleasant. With satisfying taste and service, I naturally wanted to come back. If you're craving good raw galbi, looking for a place for a family meal, or a date spot with a nice mood, I confidently recommend it!!! True to a Jongno, Daegu meat restaurant, everything from meat quality to service was highly satisfying, and having the staff grill for us made the meal even more relaxing. On a day when you want a really restorative meal, Brick Raw Beef's Jongno branch, famous for raw galbi in Jongno, Daegu, would be a no-regrets choice. Next time I'm definitely going back for the Uiseong garlic raw galbi that was sold out this time.