Stroller-friendly Gwangyang eel restaurant, 58,090 won: Deokeun
In short
Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is an eel market and grill restaurant on Hangman 9-ro in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do. Guests choose cleaned eel at the first-floor sales floor — this visit came to 58,090 won — then grill it over charcoal upstairs, with eel soup and rice balls on the side, and an elevator plus wide seating made dining with a baby and stroller easy. Domestic Japonica (Pungcheon) eel at a low price made it a 100% return visit.
Good to know
- Address
- 101 Hangman 9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:30)
- Break time
- 14:00–16:00; no break on weekends
- Live eel, 1kg
- 35,640 won (600g after cleaning)
- Boneless price
- 5,940 won (one serving of cleaned eel, 300–350g)
- Spent on this visit
- 58,090 won
- Parking
- Large parking lot on site
- With children
- Elevator, high chairs, seats with room for a stroller
- Price reference
- ₩35,640 ≈ $26 · ₩5,940 ≈ $4.4 · ₩58,090 ≈ $42.5 (2026-09-24)
as written by the visitor on Sep 23, 2026
Hi everyone, it's Mun-jipsa :0 Taking care of a baby really wears your body down... my husband and I got a craving for eel, so we headed to Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch, already famous in Gwangyang. I loved that we could eat fresh eel at such a reasonable price, so let me introduce it!
Today's spot: Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch in Gwangyang, South Jeolla
Where is Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch, and when is it open?
Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is at 101 Hangman 9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do. Open daily 11:00–21:30, with a break time from 14:00–16:00 and last order at 20:30. *No break time on weekends.
Plenty of parking on site!
How to choose cleaned eel at the first-floor market
At Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch you choose and buy pre-cleaned eel at the first-floor market. Live eel is ₩35,640/kg (600g after cleaning), and by boneless portion it's ₩5,940 per 300–350g serving.
It looked like only large eels were selected and kept in the fridge from the start. No sleight of hand — just genuinely big, well-prepped eels.
You take the eel you bought up to the second-floor grilling restaurant.
We bought ₩58,090 worth and headed up. The elevator was well set up, so it was easy to bring the baby stroller along.
Why is the eel so cheap? Domestic Japonica (Pungcheon) eel
Among freshwater eels, Japonica eel is often used for body-boosting meals and tends to be pricey, so I wondered why this place was so affordable. Turns out it's 100% domestic "Japonica" Pungcheon eel, raised and sold directly by the producer, which keeps prices really low. It was great being able to enjoy it without worrying about cost.
Can you bring a stroller? Second-floor seating
The second floor of Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch was spacious, with wide gaps between tables, so a stroller was no problem. They kindly guided us to a seat where we could park the stroller. There was a high chair too, and plenty of other families with kids.
The interior is roomy, so it also works well for family or group gatherings. For very young babies, the charcoal smoke can build up as more customers arrive, and the noise might be a bit much. (Our baby slept through the whole meal, so we were fine.)
What comes with the meal: side dishes and salad bar
Once you're seated, they bring in the charcoal and set the table. The side dishes were well matched to eel — ginger shreds are a must with eel!
Anything extra you want, you can grab from the salad bar. Even with lots of customers, it stayed spotless. My husband made himself a wasabi dipping sauce over there.
The table next to us was having eel soup and it looked so good. We ordered eel soup and rice balls as extras.
Charcoal-grilled eel and rice balls, the best combination
Grilling the eel over charcoal at the table
My husband grilled diligently following some eel-grilling tips. I usually can't handle eel's small bones and distinctive smell, so I skip it entirely, from sushi to grilled — but after marrying my husband I tried charcoal-grilled eel for the first time, and it was genuinely delicious! So I was looking forward to this round too.
The size of the eel is no joke, right? I'd never seen cleaned eel cut this big 🫢
Watching it turn golden brown on the grill had me drooling... 🤤
While my husband grilled away, I got the rice balls ready.
- ⭐ Recommended rice ball combo ⭐ Eel + teriyaki sauce + rice ball + ginger shreds
- Eating it this way felt just like having eel over rice!
How was the eel soup?
The spicy eel soup was hearty and rich, with no fishy taste at all — really delicious.
You know Sichuan pepper powder is a must with eel soup, right? I love it, so I added plenty.
They sprinkled pink salt on the eel, and I spaced out watching the sizzling charcoal (eel-staring, if that's a thing).
The eel flesh looks thick and delicious, doesn't it? Grilled to a perfect golden brown, crispy outside and tender inside.
It was genuinely chewy and delicious, with no fishy taste, and cleaned so well you couldn't even feel small bones.
After a hard day of parenting, cheers with eel ✨ — us rookie parents have grown up a bit 👏
We each enjoyed the eel with sauces and veggies to our own taste. My preference is a bit of salt and teriyaki sauce for dipping. Paired with ginger shreds, I just kept eating more and more eel.
Final verdict on Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch
Great to visit with a baby, and you can enjoy fresh eel at a wallet-friendly price without worry — genuinely recommend Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch!!!
We're bringing both sets of parents here for Chuseok. Would return 100%.
Where it is
101 Hangman 9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea전남광주통합특별시 광양시 항만9로 101 더큰장어 광양점
