# Tuesday 6:30pm Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ: 50 teams ahead, Tapgol Gongwon

- By Areum Jung (https://superchart.com/en/@changsin-noon-skewer/)
- Written Sep 17, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after visiting with support from the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@changsin-noon-skewer/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@changsin-noon-skewer/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/index.md)

## In short

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor Korean BBQ restaurant (yajang) in an alley beside the east gate of Tapgol Park in Jongno, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5. Arriving on a Tuesday at 6:30pm meant 50 teams ahead and about an hour in line, then flash-frozen pork belly dusted with pepper, flash-frozen pork neck, brisket doenjang stew and an extra bowl of rice turned into kimchi fried rice on the grill. For the Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ experience without the chaos of the main street, Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is the answer.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 111 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul (5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5, beside the east gate of Tapgol Park)
- **Hours**: Daily 17:00–01:00
- **Parking**: Not available
- **Groups**: Groups welcome
- **Ordered that day**: Flash-frozen pork belly, flash-frozen pork neck, brisket doenjang stew, extra rice
- **Wait**: Tuesday 6:30pm arrival: 50 teams ahead, about 1 hour (walk-in registration on site)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 17, 2026*

![Overview of outdoor tables at Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-01-2he0p-900.webp)

## Where is Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch and when is it open?

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor Korean BBQ (야장) restaurant at 111 Supyo-ro, a 5-minute walk from Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station. It's open daily from 17:00 to 1:00, parking isn't available, but group seating is.

I went to Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch, a well-known frozen pork belly spot for outdoor BBQ in Jongno 3-ga.

![Outdoor seating by the stone wall with table lamps](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-02-1w2kn-900.webp)

It's finally full-on outdoor BBQ season!!! Before it gets any colder, let me introduce a Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ spot you have to try — Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch, where you can eat frozen pork belly right beside the east gate of Tapgol Park!

![Outdoor BBQ alley beside the east gate of Tapgol Park](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-03-1d5g3-900.webp)

## Quieter than the main Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ street

If you head up toward Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station to go to Ikseon-dong or Seosunra-gil, the whole outdoor BBQ street stretches out in front of you. In this weather you just have to sit outside — but the main street is soooo packed that as an introvert I basically faint... haha.

If you want that Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ atmosphere but somewhere a bit calmer, Tapgol Gongwon is totally the answer. It's located in the alley right beside Tapgol Park's east gate, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 5 — slightly off the main strip, so you get a more relaxed outdoor BBQ feel.

![Outdoor seating and entrance of Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-04-75nez-m-900.webp)

## Tuesday 6:30pm: 50 teams ahead and an hour in line

But even this place is popular ^^ haha. I arrived around 6:30pm on a Tuesday, and there were already a whopping 50 teams ahead of me... You just register on-site and wait, and in the end we waited about an hour total before getting in, ugh. Luckily there's a café nearby like Ediya where you can sit and wait, so we put our name down and killed time there before coming back!

![Outdoor tables lit up after sunset](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-05-1r1tt-m-900.webp)

Ahh... with this atmosphere, frozen pork belly was worth the hour wait. Tapgol Park's stone wall runs right alongside the tables, giving it a different feel from a typical Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ spot. Best of all, each outdoor table has its own light, and once the sun sets and the lights come on, the vibe is just *chef's kiss*... Sitting outside on a cool evening grilling frozen pork belly — isn't this exactly why people come out for 야장 in the first place, sigh.

![Outdoor table set with grill and basic side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-06-r2m4v-703.webp)

## Table setup and the picnic bag of utensils

Once you're called in and seated, the grill and basic side dishes are already set up on the table.

![Picnic bag placed between the tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-07-bpjpe-900.webp)

![Shot glasses, utensils, and tissues inside the picnic bag](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-08-mu1im-900.webp)

And then I spotted a cute little picnic bag sitting between the tables, haha. Inside were shot glasses, utensils, tissues, and more — you just pull out whatever you need to finish setting the table yourself.

![Spread of side dishes including seasoned bean sprouts, bracken fern, and whole kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-09-2mdy0-900.webp)

### Side dishes meant for the grill

Seasoned bean sprouts, bracken fern, radish salad, whole kimchi, salted seafood, garlic, green onion kimchi — the second I saw them all, I thought, ah, I'm grilling every single one of these, haha. Especially the kimchi comes out whole, perfect for putting straight on the grill, and with the bean sprouts and bracken fern too, they're all made to be grilled in the meat's rendered fat. If any of the side dishes or sauces run low, you can grab more from the self-serve bar!

![Sauces and dipping sauce from the self-serve bar](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-10-xonsp-900.webp)

![Plate of raw frozen pork belly and pork neck](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-11-lr3km-900.webp)

## Ordering flash-frozen pork belly, pork neck and brisket doenjang stew

That day we ordered frozen pork belly + frozen pork neck (꽃목살) + brisket doenjang stew!

![Frozen pork belly before going on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-12-s8o1v-900.webp)

Let's get into it!

![Thin slices of frozen pork belly grilling](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-13-1p5px-900.webp)

### Flash-frozen pork belly with a dusting of pepper

First up, frozen pork belly, partly to grease the grill! Both the pork belly and pork neck come thinly sliced, so you don't need to cook them as long as thicker cuts. Once both sides get golden brown, just eat it right away.

There was pepper on the table too, so I sprinkled some on the meat while it cooked, and it went so well with the frozen pork belly! The frozen pork belly had just the right amount of fat, so it was really savory once grilled. The thin edges crisped up nicely too, and there was none of that off smell or chewiness you sometimes get with frozen meat — it was genuinely delicious!

![Whole kimchi, bean sprouts, and bracken fern grilling together in meat fat](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-14-y840s-900.webp)

### Grilling whole kimchi, bean sprouts and bracken

Once the pork belly starts rendering fat, that's when things really get good, right? Whole kimchi on, bean sprouts on, bracken fern on too! Sizzling away in the meat's fat, they turn so much more savory and rich in flavor than eating them plain. A bite of meat + grilled kimchi + bracken fern together — genuinely amazing, ugh.

![Frozen pork neck on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-15-1dz8z-900.webp)

### Flash-frozen pork neck: a lighter cut

The frozen pork neck has a totally different feel from the pork belly!! It has less fat, so it's lighter and cleaner to eat. Alternating between pork belly and pork neck was perfect, haha. They said it's Grade 1 pork that's been flash-frozen, and honestly, eating it, you'd barely guess it was frozen meat — the texture and quality were great. If you can't decide between team pork belly and team pork neck, just order both like I did, haha.

![Brisket doenjang stew loaded with brisket](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-16-1xv6w-m-900.webp)

### Brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste stew)

And eating frozen pork belly without some soup on the side just feels wrong. We also ordered the brisket doenjang stew, and it's loaded with a good amount of brisket! It has exactly that hearty doenjang stew flavor you expect at a BBQ place, with a bit of a spicy kick — total rice thief. Taking a bite of hot soup between bites of meat is so good, and with rice it's the kind of thing that disappears in one bowl. But you can't finish your rice here.

![Extra bowl of rice added next to the grill for fried rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-17-qo2j6-900.webp)

## Finishing with kimchi fried rice made on the grill

Because you have to save room for the final fried rice!!!! We added an extra bowl of rice and mixed it right into the grill with the leftover meat fat, grilled kimchi, bean sprouts, and bracken fern to make our own kimchi fried rice, haha. Highly recommend this... since the side dishes were already grilled deliciously in the pork belly fat, tossing rice in with them just can't turn out bad.

![Self-made kimchi fried rice on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-18-1y133-1200.webp)

We were already stuffed from the frozen pork belly, but somehow there's always room left for fried rice ^^

![View of the outdoor table after finishing the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang-19-1kosu-900.webp)

## Is Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga worth the wait?

Sitting outside on a cool evening with the table lamp on, grilling frozen pork belly — I got exactly the Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ mood I was after. Being slightly set back from the main strip made for a nicer atmosphere, and the food was solid all around, from the frozen pork belly and pork neck to the grilled kimchi and bracken fern, the brisket doenjang stew, and the self-made fried rice at the end! The wait... brings a small tear to my eye, haha, but if you want to enjoy outdoor BBQ before it gets any colder, give Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch, a Jongno 3-ga frozen pork belly favorite, a try!

## Where it is

- Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch (탑골공원 종로3가점)
- 111 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 종로구 수표로 111 1층
- 37.5712337, 126.989041
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%83%91%EA%B3%A8%EA%B3%B5%EC%9B%90%20%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C3%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5712337,126.989041,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@changsin-noon-skewer/topgol-park-jongno3ga-frozen-pork-yajang/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt