Pork rib restaurant near Hajodae in Yangyang: Yeoyejeong

On the first evening of our Yangyang trip, we went to Yeoyejeong, famous as a Yangyang meat restaurant. We got there around 7:30pm, but they'd already closed for the night because the meat had sold out. That told me just how popular this place is, so we came back on our second day! It's known as a spot to enjoy aged meat in a clean, tidy atmosphere, which made me even more excited. Here's my writeup of Yeoyejeong, a restaurant near Hajodae in Yangyang!

Where is Yeoyejeong, and what are its hours and reservation options?

• 📍49 Ssangsolbaegi-gil, Seomyeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• ⏰11:30-21:00 / break time 15:00-17:00
• *Closed Tuesdays
• 📝Naver Reservation available *recommend booking ahead!
• 🅿️Private parking lot in front of the restaurant

Yeoyejeong's log-cabin building and atmosphere near Hajodae

Yeoyejeong is a charcoal pork galbi specialist near Hajodae. The building is made of logs, giving it that natural feel unique to a Yangyang trip, and in the evening the soft lighting made the exterior even more atmospheric!

Inside, the space was bigger than I expected, with plenty of room between tables. It's large enough for family dinners or group gatherings, and true to its reputation as a Yangyang pork galbi favorite, it was nearly full of guests in the evening. It looked great for a Yangyang group meal or family dinner.

What is on Yeoyejeong's menu, and what comes with the lunch special?

The menu is written large on the wall, and each table also has its own menu, which made ordering easy. Yeoyejeong's signature dishes are house-aged fresh ribs and marinated pork ribs — if it's your first visit, these are the two most recommended.

Another thing that caught my eye was the lunch special. It includes meat sotbap (hot pot rice), meat naengmyeon (cold noodles), kimchi jjigae, and galbitang, all priced ₩13,000-15,000, so a lunch visit looks like a solid option if you want a hearty meal in Yangyang.

Ordering two servings of fresh ribs and marinated ribs: what side dishes arrive?

• ✅Fresh ribs (₩17,000) x2
• ✅Marinated ribs (₩18,000)

Once we ordered, the table filled up with lettuce for wraps and side dishes like kimchi, chive salad, and green salad. Yeoyejeong makes its own baek-kimchi (white kimchi) and uses local produce, so every side dish felt neatly prepared, and refills were easy to get if we ran low.

Yeoyejeong uses coffee-wood binchotan charcoal. Compared to regular charcoal, it sparks less and produces less smoke, making it comfortable to enjoy the meat, and the subtle charcoal aroma pairs well with the pork galbi — a real charcoal grill house!

How do Yeoyejeong's salt-aged fresh ribs taste off the charcoal?

The fresh ribs we ordered came out first. Made with salt-aged raw meat, the color looked fresh, and the ribs came trimmed into thick pieces along with mushrooms, ready to grill right away over charcoal.

Yeoyejeong's signature fresh ribs use salt-aged raw meat grilled over charcoal. Laying the thick ribs on the coffee-wood binchotan added a gentle charcoal aroma that made them look even more appetizing. The mushrooms and garlic served alongside were great to grill together, letting you fully enjoy the appeal of charcoal grilling.

Maybe thanks to the salt-aging, the fresh ribs had a clean, mild flavor, and grilling over charcoal gave them a browned exterior with a juicy inside.

They weren't overly fatty, so they went well with lettuce wraps or chives, and it's a great choice for anyone who prefers a clean, simple charcoal-grilled dish!

Yeoyejeong's marinated ribs and their house sauce that is not too sweet

Next came Yeoyejeong's other signature dish, the marinated ribs. These are pork ribs marinated in a house-made special sauce — the seasoning isn't overpowering, soaking gently into the meat, which brings out even more savory depth once grilled over charcoal!

Personally, I was really satisfied with the marinated ribs, haha. The house-made sauce wasn't overly sweet, and the subtle savory flavor came through nicely when grilled over charcoal, blending well with the smoky notes. The outside grilled up sweet while the inside stayed juicy — a dish that went great with rice!

Yeoyejeong's review event and the free 150g pork tail

You can join a lucky draw event by writing a review during your meal. I'd recommend joining while you're still eating! There are coupons you can use right away, so it's best to do it during your meal.

• Naver photo review or Google review → 1 draw
• Naver photo review + Google review → 2 draws + 150g pork tail

You can join right away via QR code while eating, adding a bit of extra fun. We wrote both a Naver photo review and a Google review, and got 2 draws plus 150g of pork tail!

This is the 150g pork tail we got from the review event, and it was surprisingly satisfying. The chewy, springy texture was really good, and the soy-based sauce soaked all the way through, so grilling it over charcoal brought out a strong savory flavor. If you're planning to leave a review, this is a dish worth getting.

You can also try the lucky draw event. As shown in the photo, there was quite a variety of prizes — a ₩50,000 meal voucher, pork, drinks, and even toys and cute little items that kids would love, making it even more fun for families visiting together! Since there's meat, drinks, and alcohol among the prizes, I'd recommend joining while you're eating!

⭐️A Yeoyejeong-only perk⭐️ If you bring your same-day receipt, you can apparently get a discount at Cafe Dunchi and Cafe Eun-eun!

Is Yeoyejeong in Yangyang worth a second trip?

If you're looking for a great pork galbi restaurant in Yangyang, Yeoyejeong is worth a visit. You can enjoy salt-aged fresh ribs and house-made marinated ribs grilled over charcoal, along with neatly prepared side dishes and lettuce wraps. Personally, the marinated ribs were the most satisfying, and the pork tail from the review event, with its chewy texture and well-matched sauce, was also a dish I'd recommend. If you're looking for a hearty meal for a family outing or during your travels, I recommend Yeoyejeong in Yangyang!