Jongno BBQ restaurant for somaek and green onion kimchi: Meongseokjip

Outdoor-dining vibes in a Jongno 3-ga back alley

There are so many popular outdoor-dining spots in Jongno 3-ga, right?! The area right by the station is packed with people and the whole alley can get seriously bustling. Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch is tucked a little farther into the alley, though, so we could enjoy the outdoor tables at a more relaxed pace. When I visited, we were practically the last customers, which made it even more laid-back~ There were international guests too, along with people stopping by for a drink after work, so it still had that lively Jongno energy!

Outdoor tables and indoor seating

There are outdoor tables set up right in front of the restaurant. The staff checked on the outdoor seats regularly, so ordering more was no trouble at all!! 👍🏻 Having meat and drinks outside in the cool weather—this is exactly the charm of Jongno outdoor dining~~ 🍻

Inside, there are round tables, so it would be nice to eat indoors when it is cold or the outdoor seats are full. But it was cool out, so we headed straight for the outdoor tables!

The menu and self-service bar

Each table has a menu posted right on it, so we could look everything over comfortably from our seats. Extra side dishes are self-service, so just take whatever you like~ The steamed rice and drinks were so reasonably priced too—it felt wonderfully down-to-earth❣️😋

Pork belly and pork skirt meat, even at our third stop

We grabbed an outdoor table and ordered samgyeopsal (pork belly) and galmaegisal (pork skirt meat)! We had already finished dinner and our second stop, so we said we would keep our third stop simple. But as soon as the meat arrived, we started grilling away again, haha. The staff also quickly brought out water and the basic side dishes!!!

And then came the essential meat pairing: somaek, a soju-and-beer mix! 💛💛 With grilled meat and a glass of somaek at an outdoor table on a cool evening, the drinks went down so easily just because of the atmosphere.

Meat paired with green onion kimchi

While we were grilling, a staff member told us that the self-service bar had more varieties of side dishes! Along with the basic sides, there was pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) and gireumjang (sesame oil dipping sauce), so fans of those can help themselves to more.

Once we smelled that meat cooking... we simply could not resist gonggibap (a bowl of steamed rice), lol. Were we really the people who said we would eat lightly...? We basically had another full meal. Hahaha! Next time, I want to try the stew dishes or fried rice too!!

In particular, grilling the green onion kimchi alongside the meat cut through the richness so well—the combination was seriously good. 😋 Meongseokjip’s meat accompaniments are delicious too, so grilling kimchi and green onion kimchi together with the meat is such a perfect pairing! 🥩🍚

A glass of somaek with outdoor BBQ in Jongno 3-ga

If you want samgyeopsal, galmaegisal, and a glass of somaek amid Jongno 3-ga’s lively outdoor-dining atmosphere, this was a great place to visit! I would also recommend Meongseokjip for a samgyeopsal date spot around Ikseon-dong❣️