Gwangju eel restaurant, 44-team weekend lunch wait: Deokeun Jangeo

The weather has been so sweltering lately that just standing still drains me and I can feel my energy dropping. So last weekend, to recharge and treat my body, I went to Deokeun Jangeo (더큰장어), a Gwangju eel place with a great word-of-mouth reputation. When the heat is raging like this, nothing beats rich, juicy, nutty eel to perk you right up, I think!

Weekend lunch wait at Deokeun Jangeo: 44 teams ahead

I got there a little before noon for a weekend lunch and whoa.. the wait was huge ㅠㅠㅠ 44 teams ahead of us.. I thought, yep, we've definitely found a proper Gwangju eel place. There's a separate waiting area, and it was packed with people.. We registered our phone number, ran another errand nearby and came back. Luckily, people seemed to clear out quickly?!

How do parking and ordering work?

We came back as our turn was nearly up, and first off, the parking lot is really big and well kept, which I loved. There's also an EV charging space. If you're driving, you can visit without any parking worries~ At Deokeun Jangeo, you pick the eel you want yourself on the 1st floor, pay first, then head up to the upstairs restaurant you're directed to.

The eel in the showcase is neatly cleaned and portioned by party size, so choosing was really easy. Some people were even buying it right there to take home?!

Prices are posted at fixed rates by weight, so you can compare and choose with confidence, which felt trustworthy and convenient.

Upstairs dining room and tablet ordering

Carrying our chosen eel upstairs, we found a bright, open, spacious dining room. The tables are spread out generously, so it didn't feel cramped. There were still lots of diners, and since it was the weekend, plenty of families.

We sat at the table we were assigned. The basic side dishes were set out neatly.

There's a tablet on the table where you can order extra desserts, soup, drinks and alcohol. The dessert selection is bigger than I expected, so you can pick to your taste. We ordered eel soup and bowls of rice!

It was also handy that at the self-serve corner you can take as many extra side dishes as you like. The place is so big that there are self-serve corners in several spots, which is a plus!

How were the charcoal heat and the eel?

After a short wait, the charcoal came out first, and the heat was really strong and good. I put the eel on the grill and started grilling away. The eel was plump and meaty, and looked delicious even before cooking.

So.. am I a decent griller? haha The heat was so strong that even though it was raw eel, it cooked in no time, and the wait never felt long.

I like my eel crispy outside and juicy inside, so I cook the skin until it's slightly crunchy like a cracker, okay?! When I tried it, it was truly crispy outside and juicy inside. The mild, nutty flavor in my mouth was special.

You might think eel is just eel, but no no no!! After trying many eel places, I've learned eel isn't all the same. If you go to the wrong place, it's really upsetting ㅠㅠ Some places have eel with firm, bouncy, full flesh, and many have mushy, tasteless eel.

But!!! I can confidently say you don't need to worry about the eel taste here. It was bouncy, nutty and mild. The kimchi among the side dishes was especially good. It was generously seasoned and I really enjoyed it.

Not just the kimchi: freshly grilled, crispy-juicy eel wrapped in myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-like greens) was delicious, and in a lettuce wrap it was great too. And finishing a bowl of rich, deep eel soup left my mouth full of savory depth. I felt full of energy.

Value and facilities: worth returning?

I went in hoping for a place in Gwangju where you can eat eel affordably, and the price was better than expected, the interior is pleasant and the parking is perfect, so I instantly understood why customers keep streaming in.

It's a Yangsan-dong, Gwangju spot with value, taste and facilities all covered, so I think it'd be great for a group gathering next time.

After eating, when we went downstairs, coffee was ready as a dessert~ There's also a receipt review event giving out ice cream, so if you have kids, give it a try haha

If you're craving plump, nutty grilled eel to restore your summer-worn energy, I highly recommend a hearty meal at Deokeun Jangeo, a Gwangju eel favorite.