Eel buffet with 2-hour refills in Ansan: Songnim Bok Jangeo

Lately I've been craving good eel, so while searching around for an eel restaurant I came across this place: Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store.

I know Songnim Bok Jangeo has quite a few branches in Ansan, but this time I visited the Ansan City Hall direct store. What drew me in was that you can eat domestic freshwater eel (jangeo) all-you-can-eat — and not just eel, but pork belly and chicken neck too, so I was curious.

Spoiler: I ate eel to my heart's content that day haha. If you love eel, I think this place will satisfy you pretty well.

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo in Ansan, and where do you park?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store is located at 33 Danggok-ro, Unit 201, 202, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, and is open daily from 11:20 to 22:00. Parking is available too. It's near Ansan City Hall, so it was easy to find.

We drove and were able to use the building's basement parking lot, with parking support during the meal, so we could eat without worrying about parking at all. Driving is convenient, but it's also close to Jungang Station and the Ansan City Hall bus stop, so it looked fine to reach by public transit too.

Take the elevator to the 2nd floor and go right — the restaurant is right there. Even first-time visitors shouldn't have trouble finding it.

Inside Songnim Bok Jangeo: a spacious dining room with group tables

The moment I walked in, I noticed the space was bigger than expected. Tables were spaced generously and mostly set up for four people, with group seating also available — so it looked good for a Gojan-dong work dinner or a family meal out.

You might picture eel restaurants as cramped with tables packed close together, but this one is relatively open and comfortable, making it easy to relax while eating. Since eel is grilled slowly while chatting, the atmosphere here suits group dinners and gatherings well.

How much is the eel buffet, and how long do you get?

The most important part — the price! The freshwater eel all-you-can-eat at Songnim Bok Jangeo Ansan City Hall branch is ₩29,900 per adult, ₩14,000 per child, plus a ₩3,000 table setting fee. We went with two adult all-you-can-eat orders that day.

The time limit is 2 hours, but in practice it felt plenty generous. At first eel and basic side dishes are set on the table, and after that you help yourself at the self-serve bar as much as you like.

The biggest perk of all-you-can-eat is obviously being able to eat as much as you want without worrying about the bill. When you're eating eel, sometimes you want just one or two more pieces but it feels awkward to order extra, right? Here you can just grab more without any of that hesitation, which was great.

What the self-serve bar holds: eel, pork belly and chicken neck

What was more fun than I expected was that it wasn't just eel. The self-serve bar had eel, pork belly, and chicken neck ready, so we could mix things up.

When we got a little tired of eel, we'd grill some meat, then go back to eel — a nice way to enjoy the meal. There were also plenty of side dishes that paired well with the eel.

Pickled onion, scallion, ginger, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), perilla leaves — all things that go well with eel, so you can mix and match to your taste. I personally always eat ginger with eel, so I was glad it was there.

At first, staff brought out the eel and side dishes for us, and after that we just grabbed whatever we needed from the self-serve bar, which was convenient.

Grilling domestic freshwater eel over charcoal

Now for the main event — grilling the eel! At Songnim Bok Jangeo, the eel is grilled directly over charcoal. Grilling instructions were clearly posted on the table, so even people who don't grill eel often shouldn't have trouble. We put the eel on and grilled it to a nice golden brown.

The charcoal heat was stronger than I expected, so it cooked quickly at first. Rather than leaving it too long, flipping it regularly to cook it just right worked better. Personally I prefer eel that's golden and crisp outside but still moist inside, and grilling it this way hit that mark perfectly.

I picked up a well-grilled piece of eel and tried it — the flesh was soft and quite flavorful. That distinct savory, clean taste of eel kept my hand reaching for more.

Is the eel quality good at an all-you-can-eat price?

Honestly, before visiting I wondered a little: will the eel actually be good if it's all-you-can-eat?

I figured with a fixed price, the eel quality might be a bit disappointing, but once I actually ate it, it was better than expected. Being able to eat domestic freshwater eel to my heart's content was great, and even visually the eel looked in good condition, which was satisfying.

If you love eel, being able to keep grilling as much as you want instead of stopping after a piece or two is definitely an advantage. We went in thinking, "Let's really eat a lot of eel today!" — and once we started, we just kept going haha.

When eel alone isn't enough: pork belly and chicken neck

After eating our fill of eel, we grilled some pork belly and chicken neck too. Being able to eat both eel and meat at one table means it's fine even if people at the table have different preferences.

This seems especially handy when visiting with a group — even if someone doesn't like eel, they can still enjoy the pork belly or chicken neck.

So this seems like a solid pick for anyone looking for a Gojan-dong work dinner spot. You know how it's sometimes hard to agree on one menu for a group dinner? Here, since you can eat both eel and meat, having that wider range of choice is a real plus.

Lunch near Ansan City Hall: eel soup and yukgaetang

They also have a lunch menu here. Beyond eel, there's eel soup, yukgaetang (spicy beef soup) and more, so it looked like a fine spot to stop by for lunch too. I heard office workers around Ansan City Hall often come here for lunch.

Eel all-you-can-eat feels like a more relaxed, leisurely meal, so it probably suits a group dinner or evening gathering better, while lunch might be better for something simple like a soup or noodles. So if you're looking for a good eel restaurant near Ansan City Hall, this is worth keeping in mind.

Eel takeout at Songnim Bok Jangeo: 35,000 won per kg

Here's something I learned after enjoying the meal: Songnim Bok Jangeo Ansan City Hall branch also offers eel for takeout, at ₩35,000 per kg. If you love eel but find it a hassle to go to a restaurant every time, you could take some home and grill it with family instead.

Eating there that day made me think I might take some eel home next time and cook it with my family. Even if charcoal grilling isn't possible at home, a frying pan or air fryer would work just fine.

Eel with bokbunja wine: how the meal wrapped up

The eel was so good that day that we ended up going through two bottles of bokbunja wine (Korean black raspberry wine) haha. Sipping bokbunja alongside the eel made the atmosphere even better and the food taste even more delicious.

Since eel itself is savory and clean-tasting, it paired really well as a drinking snack too. We went in saying "let's eat a lot of eel," and ended up eating eel, meat, and bokbunja wine — leaving properly full.

Final verdict on Songnim Bok Jangeo

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store is a place worth visiting at least once if you love eel. Being able to eat as much domestic freshwater eel as you want, all-you-can-eat, was the biggest draw.

Beyond eel, pork belly and chicken neck were also available, so it was easy to eat together even when a group has different tastes. The restaurant is spacious and parking is available, so it looked like a solid choice for a family meal out, a gathering, or a work dinner.

It was exactly the kind of place to visit when you want to eat great eel to your heart's content, like we did. If you're looking for an eel all-you-can-eat restaurant in Gojan-dong, a good eel restaurant near Ansan City Hall, or a Gojan-dong work dinner spot, keep this in mind. I left properly full and satisfied that day, and next time I'm thinking of getting eel to take home and grilling it with my family :)

• Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store
• 33 Danggok-ro, Unit 201, 202, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Daily 11:20–22:00
• Adult ₩29,900 / Child ₩14,000 / Table setting fee ₩3,000
• Building basement parking available
• Domestic freshwater eel all-you-can-eat / pork belly / chicken neck