Seongan-gil dinner of pollack roe butter pot rice in Cheongju: Sorori

Looking for somewhere to eat dinner on Seongan-gil in Cheongju, I ended up at Sorori Cheongju Main Branch 🍚

It's fairly well known as a pot rice specialist, so I was curious — and sure enough, even at dinner time it was packed with customers. If you're looking for a Seongan-gil restaurant recommendation, you've probably heard of this place before!

This time I ordered two menus: ✔️ galbi pot rice and ✔️ pollack roe butter pot rice.

Sorori Cheongju Main Branch basics: address, hours and parking

Sorori Cheongju Main Branch is located at 37 Jungang-ro, 1st floor, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, and is open daily from 11:00 to 20:30. Break time is weekdays 15:00–17:00.

• 🏠 Address: 37 Jungang-ro, 1st floor, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–20:30
• ☕ Break time: Weekdays 15:00–17:00
• 🚗 Parking: Underground lot at the Urban Regeneration Hub Center across the street → 1 hour free

Open year-round, with a weekday break time, lunch last order at 14:30 and dinner last order at 20:00. * Hours may change, so it's worth checking with the restaurant directly!

Where is Sorori on Seongan-gil, and is parking easy?

Sorori is technically on Seongan-gil, but it doesn't feel like it's right in the middle of the main shopping strip. It's just across from the Urban Regeneration Hub Center parking lot, which functions like a public lot, so it was actually convenient for driving there.

After parking, the restaurant is visible just across the way, so it's easy to find. The only slight downside for me was that it's not the kind of place you stumble into mid-shopping on the main street — you need to walk a bit to get there. Still, not having to stress about parking is a definite plus 👍

Inside Sorori: a retro-styled dining room

Stepping inside, the atmosphere is more fun than expected! Overall it feels warm, but old-school TVs and computers are scattered around as retro props, which made it fun to look around 📺💻

These days there are so many clean, similar-looking restaurant interiors, but these little props make Sorori's space feel a bit more memorable.

There are quite a few tables, but the restaurant was still very busy when I visited.

📌 Planning a weekend lunch visit? → Personally I'd recommend thinking about a reservation or waiting time. I heard there's a wait even on weekdays, so I'd suggest visiting lunch with some time to spare.

Sorori pot rice menu and prices

Sorori's signature dish is, of course, the galbi pot rice! Based on the menu at the time, here's the range of pot rice options available.

• Galbi pot rice ₩16,000
• Pollack roe butter pot rice ₩11,000
• Abalone butter pot rice ₩16,000
• Hanwoo large intestine pot rice ₩15,000
• Crab meat pot rice ₩14,000
• Mackerel pot rice ₩13,000

We ordered the galbi pot rice and the pollack roe butter pot rice.

Galbi pot rice, 16,000 won: how much meat do you get?

My first time trying galbi pot rice! There was quite a generous amount of galbi (short rib) piled on top, so the visual alone was satisfying 👌

What I liked most was the amount of meat! I expected pot rice to come with just a few pieces of meat, but it was more generous than expected, so it was great eaten together with the rice.

Eating the galbi with rice together brings out a slightly sweet, savory-salty flavor, making it a filling meal on its own. 👉 If you like meat, the galbi pot rice is a recommend! I could see why it's promoted as Sorori's signature dish.

Pollack roe butter pot rice, 11,000 won: the better-value bowl

And the one that personally stuck with me more was the pollack roe butter pot rice 🤍

With pollack roe and butter combined, it has a savory, rich flavor — and at ₩11,000, I kept thinking, "this is pretty good for the price."

Personally the seasoning felt a bit salty because of the pollack roe, but the butter's richness balanced it out nicely when eaten with rice. I especially love this kind of pot rice dish, so I felt like it was great value.

👉 If you prefer something lighter and more savory over meat-heavy dishes, the pollack roe butter pot rice is the one to try!

Sorori labels its rice as Jincheon rice

Something I personally found interesting — Sorori has labeling showing the rice's origin, and on the day I visited, it was labeled as Jincheon rice.

It's more interesting than just seeing "domestic rice" written somewhere, being able to check exactly where the rice was grown. Pot rice ultimately comes down to how good the rice tastes 🍚, so being able to check this made each spoonful feel a little tastier haha.

What to know before visiting Sorori, including waiting times

Since Sorori cooks the pot rice fresh after ordering, food can take a while to come out when it's busy. It was crowded when I visited too, and the overall vibe was of eating while waiting patiently.

• ❌ If you need a quick lunch
• ⭕ If you have time to spare for a relaxed meal
• ⭕ If you want a proper meal on Seongan-gil

Final verdict on dinner at Sorori Cheongju Main Branch

• ✔️ Worth a visit if you're looking for a good pot rice restaurant on Seongan-gil, Cheongju
• ✔️ Easy parking at the public lot makes driving there less of a hassle
• ✔️ Unique atmosphere thanks to retro decor throughout the store
• ✔️ Galbi pot rice comes with a generous amount of meat, quite filling
• ✔️ Pollack roe butter pot rice is savory and affordable, good value
• ✔️ Can get crowded at lunch, so consider the wait time
• ✔️ Food is cooked to order, so allow some time for it to arrive

Between the two dishes, I liked the galbi pot rice for being hearty, but considering the price, the pollack roe butter pot rice was more satisfying overall.

If you're on Seongan-gil in Cheongju and craving something other than your usual, a hot bowl of pot rice at Sorori is a solid option 🍚 Next time I'd like to try the buckwheat gimbap and some of the other pot rice dishes I missed this time 😊