Sweet potato pizza and kimchi pilaf in Mapo, Seoul: Raccoon Pizza

The perfect pizza-and-beer moment on a holiday evening walk!

It's been a string of holiday days lately, so I've been feeling relaxed and a little giddy haha. On a Sunday evening I was out for a leisurely neighborhood walk when I suddenly started craving a cold beer haha.

As I kept walking I got a little hungry too, and at times like this, nothing beats the classic combo of cold draft beer with salty, savory pizza — pizza and beer, am I right! To shake off some stress and enjoy a good pizza-and-beer session, I headed straight over!

I was debating where to go when I remembered a pizza place near the Yonggang-dong food alley by Mapo Station that's famous for its dough and cheese, so I went without hesitation haha. Here's my story of properly enjoying pizza and beer at Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch, the go-to pizza spot near Mapo Station!

Where is Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch, and what are the hours and menu?

Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch is at 307 Tojeong-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, and is open daily from 11:00 to 24:00. It was easy to find, right near the food alley in Yonggang-dong by Mapo Station.

What is the American retro interior like at Raccoon Pizza?

Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch is decorated in an American retro style with a red checkerboard floor, sofa seating, and soft red lighting. It suits anyone looking for a Mapo Station bar atmosphere or a date-night spot.

Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch is located right by the Yonggang-dong food alley near Mapo Station, so it was super easy to find, and I heard it's already word-of-mouth famous — a spot for office workers' dinners on weekdays, and family outings, dates, or friend gatherings on weekends!

The moment I stepped inside, I felt that hip American retro vibe, whoa! The red checkerboard floor combined with neatly arranged sofa seating and softly glowing red lighting made it feel like I'd walked into an American neon-sign pizzeria haha. If you're looking for a bar near Mapo Station or want to set the mood on a date with your partner, this place is absolutely perfect!

Which set did we order on the table tablet?

After sitting down, I quickly scanned the menu on the tablet ordering device at the table! There was a whole lineup of unique premium pizzas — Raccoon Cheese Waterfall Pizza, Basil Mascarpone Pizza, 1987 Hanwoo Steak Pizza, Diavolo Pepperoni Pizza, and more haha. Since you can order a half-and-half pizza to enjoy two flavors at once, I deliberated pretty seriously lol.

The side dishes were just as solid, from various pastas to a hearty kimchi pilaf that satisfies that Korean craving for rice!

We went with the value-packed Pizza R & Pasta set. For the pizza, we chose half-and-half: Favorite Sweet Potato + Bacon Cheddar Cheese, for the side rice we picked Voir sausage kimchi pilaf, and of course, cold Cass draft beer rounded out the order nicely haha.

Does the Voir sausage kimchi pilaf cut the richness of the pizza?

The Voir sausage kimchi pilaf is Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch's set side rice dish — a spicy-tangy kimchi fried rice style topped with three plump sausage chunks. Eating a bite between pizza slices really cut through the richness.

The first thing to arrive was ice-cold draft beer along with the complimentary cheese pretzel snack! I wet my throat first, lifting the beer glass for a satisfying gulp — draft beer after a holiday walk is basically heaven, sob.

Next up was the set's side, the Voir sausage kimchi pilaf! It arrived freshly stir-fried and still steaming, with three big, plump chewy sausages piled generously on top, whoa!

Scooping up a generous spoonful, it was a spicy-tangy kimchi fried rice style cooked in savory oil that really woke up my appetite! Eating a bite here and there between pizza slices cut through any potential richness while topping off the carbs — a total MVP dish lol. The sausages also burst with juice with every bite, seriously good!

How does the sweet potato and bacon cheddar half-and-half pizza taste?

The half-and-half pizza at Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch comes in regular size with 6 slices, plenty for two. The Favorite Sweet Potato side had a sweet-salty combo of sweet potato mousse and salty bacon, while the Bacon Cheddar Cheese side was a classic American style.

With today's main event, the half-and-half pizza, the table was now gloriously complete! Even at regular size, it came in generous large slices — six of them — plenty for two haha. Raccoon Pizza also uses premium-grade flour and salted butter, and reportedly even Egyptian Cleopatra salt, kneading and aging the dough in-house, so I had high expectations for the dough too haha.

I took a bite of the Favorite Sweet Potato pizza first — the sweet, smooth sweet potato mousse was piled on like a waterfall, and combined with salty bacon and stretchy, savory cheese, it delivered the ultimate sweet-and-salty combo!

Next up was the Bacon Cheddar Cheese pizza! The combination of salty, rich cheddar cheese and crisply grilled bacon showed off the essence of a proper classic American-style pizza!

The deep flavor of the cheese spread across my mouth, and dipping the crust edge into the accompanying condensed milk sauce and garlic dipping sauce made it crisp outside, chewy inside! Not a single bite of the crust went to waste — a true pizza gem lol.

Is Raccoon Pizza a good pizza-and-beer spot near Mapo Station?

Raccoon Pizza Mapo Station branch made for a happy holiday Sunday evening! Enjoying high-quality handmade dough pizza and cold draft beer in that hip, retro atmosphere made for a truly satisfying night haha.

If you're near Mapo Station looking for a lunch spot for a quick pizza-and-beer, or a bar with great atmosphere, definitely stop by!