Texas BBQ date in Dong-gu, Daegu: 24-hour smoked brisket at Modak

Lots of you head up to Palgongsan Mountain in Daegu on weekends for a family outing, a date or just a drive, right?

This time I visited Modak Texas Barbecue Palgongsan Branch, a barbecue restaurant in Dong-gu, Daegu, with a big outdoor garden where you can taste authentic Texas barbecue, and where dogs are welcome too.

Where is Modak Texas Barbecue Palgongsan Branch? Hours and parking

Modak Texas Barbecue Palgongsan Branch is at 290 Palgongsan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu, and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:00, closed Mondays). There's a spacious private car park in front with room for more than 25 cars, so getting there is easy.

What is the dog-friendly outdoor garden like?

Next to the restaurant there's a big smoker and a stack of firewood. They apparently make their barbecue by smoking the meat for a long time in this smoker.

You can smell a faint smoky aroma even before you step inside, which gets the anticipation going.

The special space here: the outdoor garden!

The garden allows dogs, and you can eat in an atmosphere like a campsite. It's a good place to visit with family and pets.

Each site has a fan, a baby chair and even an insect-proof curtain, so it's comfortable despite being outdoors. On nice days I bet this is even more popular than inside. The spaces are separated, too, so it's a nice spot for a special date.

Indoor atmosphere, group seating and facilities for kids

Inside, the interior of wood and red brick is impressive.

With props placed all around and staff wearing cowboy hats, it feels like a local restaurant in Texas.

There's also a fully separated group room, which looks great for family gatherings or company dinners.

Facilities for kids are good too. Besides baby chairs, child guests apparently get coloring sheets and bubbles. No wonder so many families come.

On one side there's also an aquarium for water aging. You can even see the process of aging and looking after good ingredients.

Now I washed my hands clean in the powder room, and I was ready to dig into the barbecue.

What to order at Modak Texas Barbecue Palgongsan Branch

The main menu is tomahawk, tenderloin and sirloin steaks, barbecue platters and pasta. Set menus feed 2 to 4 people, so it's easy to order for your group size. If it's your first time trying barbecue, a platter set that lets you taste a variety is the safe choice.

On weekday lunches there are discounted lunch specials, and there's a wide range of drinks, including non-alcoholic beer, wine and highballs, which go nicely with barbecue. They also run events for anniversaries, birthdays and reviews, so check those out!

Witch soup appetizer and the self-serve bar

After ordering, the first things out were nachos and the witch soup (마녀스프, Manyeo Soup).

The witch soup is simmered long with potatoes, minced meat and assorted vegetables in a spicy curry base. I thought of it as just an appetizer at first, but it's so tasty I kept going back for more. The portion is generous, and it goes well with bread and meat too.

Salad and sides like nachos, salad, tortillas and salsa can be refilled freely at the self bar.

What comes in the Memphis Platter set for 2?

And here it is, today's main event: the Memphis Platter set for 2, with three kinds of barbecue plus sides. The moment it lands on the table, the look of it alone is impressive.

Dinner rolls and tortillas come along too, so you can make sandwiches however you like.

Crispy fries and salty buffalo wings add to the fun of eating.

Two kinds of salad, chopped pickles, salsa and sauces for the barbecue come too.

The stars of the platter are, of course, the three barbecues. From lower left to upper right: pulled pork, spare ribs and brisket, the classic Texas barbecue lineup, all in one go.

How good is the 24-hour aged and smoked brisket?

What I enjoyed most from the Memphis Platter was the brisket. After 24 hours of aging and smoking, the outside is soaked in deep smoky flavor and the inside stays moist. With one bite it comes apart along the grain as if melting in your mouth, and that tender texture was especially impressive.

It's so tender that the grain tears apart with just a light press of a fork. The spare ribs also come cleanly off the bone, and the sweet seasoning gives you that classic barbecue charm.

The staff explain which sauce suits each barbecue, but honestly, dipping in anything tastes good haha. The brown sauce in the middle, which had a distinctive aroma, went especially well with the barbecue.

The pulled pork is tenderly shredded pork with the sauce well soaked in. It's much tastier tucked into a tortilla with salad.

Best pairing: brisket with chopped pickles and salsa

Personally, my favorite was piling chopped pickles and salsa generously on the barbecue. It cuts the greasiness of the meat cleanly and adds a tangy flavor, so you keep eating.

There's fun in mixing barbecue, sauce and vegetables however you like.

Roasting marshmallows over the campfire after dinner

When the meal was over, they handed us marshmallows on skewers, one per person! You roast and eat them yourself at the campfire in the outdoor garden seating. Though there were traces of burnt marshmallows all around the fire, lol. A sweet finish to the very end!

Verdict: is Modak a good Palgongsan date spot?

Modak Texas Barbecue Palgongsan Branch has family-friendly service overall and an exotic atmosphere, so it works well as a date spot, and it's a place to try barbecue you don't often come across. If you're visiting Palgongsan, you should stop by once! It's a barbecue restaurant in Dong-gu, Daegu where you can enjoy both the deep flavor of smoked barbecue and a camping vibe.