Draft beer bar in Gwangalli, Busan: level-1 spicy pork ribs, Maenggu

Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch: basic info

The road address of Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch (맹구포차 광안본점) is 72 Namcheonbada-ro 33beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, 1st floor. The lot-number address is 197-6 Gwangan-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan (postal code 48303).

Below are photos of the menu at Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch.

A Gwangalli bar for a braised pork rib set and a draft beer!

This time I came back to Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch and ordered the braised pork rib set instead of the seafood. When you want dinner or a casual drink in Gwangalli, the menu is the sneaky hard part. A place where you can pick from sashimi, seafood, hot soups and hearty meat dishes is great for going with a group, too.

The retro atmosphere stuck with me from my last visit, so this time I tried something a little different: the braised pork rib set.

Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch: location, hours and parking

Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch is a retro pocha (Korean-style pub) at 72 Namcheonbada-ro 33beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, on the 1st floor, close to Gwangalli Beach. You can walk there from Exit 1 of Geumnyeonsan Station, and since it is near the beach, it works well for dinner or drinks after a look at the sea.

According to the posted info, it is open daily from 6 PM to 4 AM the next day, with last order at 3 AM. Since it runs so late, it looked fine for a second or third round in Gwangalli as well as the first.

The shop has no parking of its own, so if you are driving, I recommend checking nearby paid or public parking lots before you go.

What is the retro interior like?

Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch is a retro pocha full of 80s, 90s and Y2K nostalgia, from the fish tank at the entrance to old posters, CRT TVs and arcade machines. There are tanks out front, which gives it a proper pocha feel. Step inside and the mood changes again.

The walls are covered with old ads and posters, Cyworld-style images, and decorations that remind you of old magazines and movie posters, so it was fun just to look around.

With old CRT TVs, arcade machines and character props scattered around, it felt less like a place just for drinking and more like a retro pocha where you browse your memories. There is plenty here for several generations to enjoy, from 80s and 90s vibes to Y2K.

There were plenty of tables inside, and customers kept eating and drinking while I was there, so it had a lively pocha atmosphere.

With an ice-cold Cass draft beer

That day at Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch, I ordered two draft Cass beers. They came out cold with a generous head of foam, and they looked refreshing just sitting there.

Salty braised ribs and draft beer are a combo that is hard to get wrong. It felt especially nice for a cold drink after strolling around Gwangalli in the evening.

Menu and how to order at Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch

Every seat has a table-order screen, so there is no waiting for a menu; you just order from the screen. The menu was really varied.

There were seafood dishes like live fish sashimi, seafood platters, soft tofu crab stew and butter-grilled crab, plus lots of drinking snacks such as boneless monkfish stew, Maekkoba, tofu-kimchi samhap (tofu, kimchi and pork), potato pollock roe pancake, seafood scallion pancake and braised spicy chicken. With a group, everyone can pick what they like.

• Braised pork rib set ₩35,000
• Cass draft beer, 500ml x 2

You can adjust the spice level for the braised pork ribs, and this time I chose level 1, mild-spicy.

What comes with the braised pork rib set?

The braised pork rib set at Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch comes on a big tray with braised pork ribs, rice topped with seaweed flakes and a fried egg, steamed egg, seasoned chives, and sides like onion and garlic. The first thing that caught my eye when it arrived was the tray full of dishes.

In the center was rice piled with seaweed flakes and topped with a fried egg, with piping hot steamed egg and the braised pork ribs beside it. Add the seasoned chives, onion, garlic and other sides, and it felt like a properly laid-out feast.

You order one dish and get all of this together, so it works as a drinking snack and as a filling dinner.

Big, tender pork ribs: how was spice level 1?

The pork rib stew had fairly big pieces of meat, and level 1 was not overly spicy. The seasoning did not just sit on the surface; it had soaked into the whole piece, and the meat was tender and easy to eat.

When I lifted a piece, you could see the grain come apart naturally. The soft texture of the ribs went well with the salty, savory seasoning.

Maybe because I ordered level 1, it was not too spicy, just a comfortable kick. A sip of draft beer followed by a bite of rib was a really good combination.

Seasoned potatoes are a treat too

(Not in the photos, but they were definitely there.) The braised pork ribs also had big chunks of potato in them. Cooked soft, with the rib sauce soaked in, they were nice to pick up one by one between bites of meat.

Personally, I love well-seasoned potatoes in braised ribs and other stewed dishes, so I liked this part too.

Seaweed flakes and fried egg: a proper rice combo

The set comes with rice, seaweed flakes and a fried egg in a big bowl, and that was part of the fun. Break the yolk and mix it all up with the rice and seaweed, and you get a savory, salty flavor.

Topping that with a piece of pork rib felt much richer than a plain bowl of rice on the side. Adding a little of the rib sauce and mixing it in was good too.

A bite of meat, a spoonful of rice, and cold draft beer on top, and the glasses just kept going.

Hot steamed egg on the side

The set also came with steamed egg topped with chopped scallions. It was warm and soft, great to have in between bites of the ribs.

After the salty, spicy ribs, a spoonful of soft steamed egg felt like it reset my mouth.

Seasoned chives, garlic and other sides

If you keep eating just pork ribs, it can start to feel a bit heavy, but the seasoned chives on the side made it much fresher.

The crunchy vegetables went well with the meat, and if you like raw garlic, I think the garlic would go well too. Being able to mix and match the sides however you like is another plus of a set menu.

What are Maenggu Coins?

Maenggu Coins (맹구코인) work with a machine set up in one corner of Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch, where you can swap coins for old-fashioned snacks and candy. Besides the food, this is one more fun extra at Maenggu Pocha.

With character props and old snacks all gathered together, it even felt a little like browsing a stationery shop as a kid. Checking out which snacks they had after the meal was quite fun.

Little touches like this make it a place that leaves a slightly different memory from an ordinary pocha.

A Gwangalli bar with a wide range, from seafood to meat

When you think of Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch, sashimi and seafood may come to mind first, but after trying the braised pork rib set, I liked that there are hearty dishes that are not seafood at all.

Tender pork ribs, potatoes, steamed egg, rice with a fried egg and several sides all came out at once, so it was a generous meal, and it went well with draft beer too.

Above all, thanks to the interior packed with retro posters, CRT TVs, arcade machines and character props, you get an atmosphere different from an ordinary bar.

If you are looking for a place to drink with friends in Gwangalli, or a pocha where you can pick from lots of different snacks, Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch is worth a visit. I had the braised pork ribs this time, so I want to try other dishes next time.