Galbi BBQ with friends in Jongno, Daegu: bone meat regrilled, Jangjak

My friend and I hadn't had meat together in ages, so we wondered where to go and ended up at Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch (벽돌생갈비 종로점), a well-known Jongno spot in Daegu. Lots of people are hunting for fresh galbi (beef short ribs) lately, and the reviews were so good that I was curious. Long story short... why did I take so long to come?! It was SO good!!!!!

Parking and atmosphere at Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch

The restaurant is at 38-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu, on floors 1 to 3. There's no dedicated parking lot, so you need to use a nearby paid car park. The place was clean and not too noisy, which suited a get-together with friends or a date.

Please use a nearby paid car park.

The atmosphere got me the moment I walked in. It's tidy but not too loud, so it's great for chatting over a meal with a friend, and perfect for a date too. I think it would work for a company dinner or a family meal out as well. I can see why so many people looking for a Jongno meat restaurant in Daegu come here.

Basic side dishes were already set at each table, and we sat where we were guided. Window seat, nice!! The side dishes came neatly arranged on a tray and looked lovely. They went really well with the galbi.

Fresh galbi price and what makes it special

The brick-cut fresh galbi we ordered is ₩58,000 for 500g. The restaurant is said to have been taught the secret recipe directly by Wall Street Galbi (월가갈비), long loved in Bukchang-dong, Seoul.

We ordered the brick-cut fresh galbi, described as a dish whose aging, seasoning and even the moment of grilling are carefully calculated!! It's 500g for ₩58,000, and it's said to be known for juices that burst as you chew and a deep flavor.

Do the staff grill the meat for you?

Yes, the staff grill the galbi for you from start to finish. And honestly, this is the really great part.

They grill even tricky galbi at the tastiest moment and cut it into bite-size pieces, so all we had to do was sit back and eat. It's a surprisingly big plus.

Can't you see how fresh the meat is, even just from the picture?! That bright red color is so clear. Looks delicious..!!

How was the fresh galbi, and the meat on the bone?

The fresh galbi here was very tender, and the juices burst the second it hit my mouth. What stuck with me most was that a staff member trimmed the meat off the bones piece by piece and grilled it again. That bone meat was my favorite.

I finally took a bite... wow... it was seriously so tender! The juices popped the moment it went in, and "melts in your mouth" is exactly the right phrase. The more I chewed, the nuttier and richer the flavor got, and my chopsticks just kept going.

Dipped in the sweet sauce, it was amazing too!! Personally, the meat clinging to the bone is my favorite part of galbi. If you know that chewy bit, you'll get it. And here, a staff member trims even that bone meat piece by piece and grills it again... wow... that was insane. Chewy but also super tender, with the juices still locked in... the kind of taste you keep wanting. Honestly, I wanted to eat only that part, haha. No wonder this is called a top fresh galbi place in Jongno, Daegu.

This was complimentary. Every table got it as a free extra.

Next time: garlic brick galbi and marinated brick galbi

Other tables were ordering the garlic brick galbi like crazy. I had the fresh galbi this time, but I plan to come back for the garlic brick galbi and the marinated brick galbi.

If you're looking for a Jongno restaurant in Daegu, want properly good fresh galbi, or want a meat place with a nice atmosphere, head to Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch!!

Rice bowl and doenjang stew

The rice bowl here comes as plain rice with no sauce, so we ordered doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) and mixed it in. It was a perfect carb finish after the meat.

Partway through we said we couldn't skip the carbs and ordered a rice bowl, but it turned out to be just plain rice with no sauce, exactly as in the photo, hahaha. So we hurriedly ordered doenjang stew too, mixed it in and shared. Heavenly!! It was a really delicious fresh galbi meal in Jongno, Daegu, the best in a long while!