Apgujeong Rodeo BBQ with seasoned pork ribs for two: Yeontan Gongjang

I went to eat meat in Apgujeong Rodeo with a friend after a long while. When you think of Apgujeong, restaurants with a nice atmosphere or the hottest new spots come to mind first. But that day, for some reason, I really wanted proper seasoned ribs with a cold beer. So the place I found was Yeontan Gongjang (연탄공장)! It's been running since 2008, apparently, an open-air (yajang) meat restaurant that's held its ground in Apgujeong for a long time. When the weather turns cool, grilling meat outdoors is a real treat, right? Let me start my honest review.

Yeontan Gongjang at a glance: open-air BBQ in Apgujeong Rodeo

• Address: 36-4 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 16:00–24:00

Yeontan Gongjang has been running since 2008, and it's said to be the only open-air meat restaurant left in the neighborhood in Apgujeong. It turned out to be the perfect place to visit these days, as the evening breeze gets cooler haha. It was also a good location to stop by for dinner when shopping or meeting friends in Apgujeong Rodeo. Since it's held the same spot for so long, even before walking in, it had that strong old-school neighborhood-favorite meat restaurant vibe.

Inside Yeontan Gongjang and the menu, from beef ribs to pork ribs

True to an open-air meat restaurant, the inside is completely open, so we could eat without any stuffy feeling.

On days that aren't too hot or too cold like these, meat eaten outdoors really is the best. With the smell of grilling meat and the lively atmosphere around us, it almost felt like being on a trip.

The menu had a variety ranging from beef ribs to pork ribs. That day we were craving seasoned ribs, so we ordered the pork rib. It was nice that they also serve beef ribs, so you can choose according to your taste haha.

As soon as we sat down, they sterilized the table with fire, which felt like watching a little fire show, ha ha. If you're looking for this kind of open-air BBQ atmosphere in Apgujeong, it might be worth a visit.

How do the seasoned king-cut pork ribs taste? Four servings for two

The first thing that caught my eye after ordering the pork rib was the basic side dishes (banchan)! From shredded cabbage and mustard sauce, which is a perfect match with pork rib, to kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, dongchimi (radish water kimchi), and lettuce wraps, they came out solid and true to the basics.

Especially the shredded cabbage with mustard sauce refreshes your mouth, so it's essential while eating the seasoned ribs, haha!

Yeontan Gongjang's pork rib comes pre-grilled once, so you just need to finish grilling it a bit more at the table until golden brown.

Each serving is a large rib with a big bone attached, so the size of the meat impressed me right away. Grilling the thick meat golden brown on both sides and taking a bite, the chewy texture was really great.

Seasoned pork ribs can sometimes end up too sweet or get tiring after a while, but here the seasoning soaked in well while still tasting like something you keep reaching for. It was genuinely delicious, so much so that the two of us ate 4 servings, ha ha.

At first I thought we'd eat a reasonable amount and leave, but once we started, I couldn't stop my chopsticks, ha ha, ugh.

Doenjang stew and beer to finish the meal

The meat alone was delicious enough, but you should definitely also try the doenjang stew (soybean paste soup) we ordered as a meal item. Need I say more about the combo of savory doenjang stew with seasoned ribs?

Eating a piece of meat and then a spoonful of doenjang stew made me crave rice on top of it all.

And with a cold beer alongside it, this is basically heaven. Catching up with a friend over drinks and delicious meat after a long time felt like it melted all my stress away.

Is Yeontan Gongjang worth a visit?

If you're looking for an open-air BBQ spot with a good atmosphere in Apgujeong Rodeo, I recommend Yeontan Gongjang ♡. The big, thick pork ribs, the solid basic side dishes, and the savory doenjang stew were all satisfying. It had just the right atmosphere for grilling meat outdoors and having a beer on a nice evening.

A place that made me understand why it's been loved in Apgujeong for so long! Next time, I want to come back and try the beef ribs too haha.