Gwangju eel BBQ, 2 plump eels & radish-green eel soup: Deokeun Jangeo

Today I'm sharing an honest revisit review of Deokeun Jangeo (더큰장어), a Bonchon-dong spot in Gwangju that really lives up to its name, and a great place to take your parents. As the weather got cooler I wanted some energy-boosting food and went looking for a Gwangju eel restaurant. Lots of locals recommended this one, so we went. I'll cover everything from the big parking lot to how you buy the fresh eel and what the inside is like!

Is parking easy at Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch?

Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch is on the main road, Haseo-ro in Buk-gu, Gwangju, and there is a large private parking lot right in front, so parking is easy. Search for Bonchon-dong Deokeun Jangeo in your navigation and you'll spot it easily on the big road.

Honestly, no matter how good a Bonchon-dong restaurant is, I tend to skip it if parking is a hassle. Here the large private lot is right in front, so even new drivers can come without parking stress. The exterior is clean and the place is big, so my first thought was that it's perfect for family gatherings or group dinners.

How do you order eel at Deokeun Jangeo? (Direct-sale system)

Deokeun Jangeo works like a butcher-shop restaurant: you look at the prepared eel in the showcase, check the weight and price, and buy it first. After paying, you sit at the seat number they give you on the 2nd floor.

Unlike an ordinary restaurant, a direct-sale-style eel showcase greets you as soon as you step in. The freshest eel of the day is neatly packaged, and maybe because distribution margins are cut, the prices were really reasonable. Compared with other Gwangju eel restaurants, the thickness and size were clearly a cut above.

The staff also recommended amounts for our group size, so picking good eel was easy. Once you've chosen and paid, just sit where they tell you on the 2nd floor!

What are the interior and self-bar like?

Inside, the tables are spaced widely and the ventilation is good, so even though it's a charcoal grill place, there was no smoke or fishy smell. At the self-bar you can refill wrap greens, salad, shredded ginger, seasoned chives, scallion kimchi and more as much as you like.

After buying our eel and heading inside, I found the tables widely spaced and the ventilation excellent. Even with a charcoal grill, there was no smoke or that typical fishy smell in the restaurant, so we could eat comfortably. On one side is a self-bar where you can freely take fresh wrap greens and side dishes. Shredded ginger, seasoned chives, scallion kimchi, the must-have sides that cut the richness of eel, were kept very hygienically, so I refilled without feeling awkward at all.

The self-bar has a nice variety of salad and vegetables, and being able to eat them without limit alongside the eel was great.

The eel I picked was 2 plump eels. The price was reasonable too, so I chose them right away without agonizing.

The basics are already set on the table at first, so just go grab whatever extras you need!

How does the grilled eel taste? Thick eel you grill yourself, no pre-grilling

There's no pre-grilling at Deokeun Jangeo, so you grill from scratch over the charcoal yourself! We put our 2 chosen eels on the grill, and they came out crispy outside, moist and springy inside.

When the eel we picked went onto the grill, the thickness of the cross-section was no joke. Looking forward to it getting golden brown~

I first tried a bite of the golden-brown eel with no sauce at all, and the texture, crispy outside, moist and springy inside, was superb. A nutty richness filled my mouth with every chew. Put shredded ginger on top with the special sauce and wrap it in myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-like greens), and you can keep eating without ever getting sick of it. The clean yet full flavor made me feel like I was properly boosting my health.

Are the dessert eel soup and rice balls a must-order?

For sides we ordered the dessert eel soup (후식장어탕) and rice balls, and I'd strongly recommend the eel soup even if you're full. Rice balls at an eel restaurant were a first for me, but, challenge accepted!

One sip of the broth and I couldn't help exclaiming. It seemed like the eel bones and meat were simmered whole, because the broth was really deep and thick. It's generously loaded with seaweed greens (siraegi, dried radish greens), and the nuttiness of perilla powder with the spicy seasoning wiped away the greasy richness of grilled eel. Add a bowl of rice and top it with napa cabbage kimchi or scallion kimchi, and it's a perfect finish.

The quality is so good you'd believe it was a standalone meal, so however full you are, I strongly recommend ordering the dessert eel soup as a must-have course! The rice ball side is also a surprisingly great match with eel.

What's in the dessert zone?

Deokeun Jangeo has a dessert zone where you can enjoy coffee, cocoa, and even ice cream for review events. And seriously!!! The cocoa here is amazing, I recommend it with all my heart.

Feasted today on beautifully golden eel~