Yeoju charcoal-grilled chicken restaurant: Seorak Makguksu

How were directions and parking near Yeoju IC?

While I was in Yeoju, I stopped by Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch (설악막국수 춘천닭갈비 여주IC점) for charcoal-grilled dakgalbi (Korean grilled chicken). It is near Yeoju IC and directly in front of a pedestrian overpass, so the entrance was easy to find. The parking lot was spacious too, which made the visit convenient.

The address is 483 Sejong-ro, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. At the time of the original post, its listed hours were 11:30–21:30, and it was closed every Tuesday. Break time was 15:30–16:30, with last orders at 20:30.

Is the restaurant suitable for groups?

It had newly opened at the time of my visit, so the exterior and interior were neat. The restaurant was large, with wide tables that did not feel cramped for a group, and the chairs were comfortable.

The owner was kind, and bottled water was provided. Each table had sauces such as vinegar and mustard, along with wet wipes, while the tableware was neatly set out.

Which dakgalbi did I order?

Before ordering, I looked over the notices and menu. Dakgalbi came in two flavors, spicy-marinated and soy sauce, so I ordered two servings of the spicy-marinated version and one serving of the soy-sauce version.

The initial side dishes were brought to us, while extras were self-serve. At the time of my visit, the restaurant stated that the chicken, rice, cabbage, and red pepper powder were all domestically sourced.

Do they grill the charcoal dakgalbi for you?

They brought out the meat when the charcoal was nearly finished heating. The dakgalbi had been partially grilled and cut into bite-size pieces, and it came with five pieces of tteok (rice cake).

The staff grilled the meat for us, so there was less pressure to handle the grilling ourselves. It was also convenient that they grilled the spicy-marinated and soy-sauce flavors separately.

Because the meat had been partially grilled, it cooked faster than I expected. Once it was done, they tilted the grill plate so we could keep it warm.

The dakgalbi had a charcoal-smoky flavor and a tender texture. The rice cakes became crisp as well, and it was good with pickled cabbage or wrapped in lettuce and perilla leaves. One drawback was that the meat continued cooking in the charcoal’s residual heat and could burn. It was best to turn it during the meal or move it to a part of the grill without coals.

I also put garlic on the grill to cook in the residual heat. It turned crisp outside and moist inside, and went well with the dakgalbi.

Did the jeonbyeong and bibim makguksu go well with the dakgalbi?

I also tried jeonbyeong (a savory rolled pancake), which was available through a Naver receipt-review event during my visit. They brought two pieces cut for easy eating; they were spicy and crisp, and went well with the dakgalbi. They were hot, so I needed to be careful while eating them.

To finish, I ordered bibim makguksu (spicy mixed buckwheat noodles). They gave us an extra large bowl for sharing, which was convenient.

The bibim makguksu had a distinctive flavor that I could not quite identify. It suited my taste, and it was also good with a little dakgalbi saved to eat alongside it.

On request, they provided broth, so I could eat it more like mul makguksu (buckwheat noodles in chilled broth). I liked it best after adding a little mustard and vinegar to the broth.

How were takeout and restaurant amenities?

At the time of my visit, there was an opening-event discount for takeout dakgalbi. The discounted price seemed reasonable, though the original post did not record a specific amount. There was also a restroom and coffee machine inside, which made the meal more convenient.

The large parking lot and tables, along with the grilling service, made for a comfortable meal. Since it is right near Yeoju IC, I thought it could also be a suitable place to eat when stopping by Yeoju Outlet.