Pet-friendly Gapo restaurant in Masan for lamb shashlik: Shashlik

Before taking Doodoo and Nurungji for a walk today, I was wondering what to eat and ended up going to Shashlik in Gapo, which I'd had my eye on for a while. Here's my honest review after trying it myself haha!!

Where is Shashlik Masan Branch? Hours and parking

Shashlik Masan Branch is at 7 Deokdongnam 1-gil, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam, South Korea, 2nd floor. Hours are 11:00–22:00, closed every Tuesday, and there's plenty of parking. Baby chairs, dog-friendly seating, and group dining are all available.

You have to go into the alley to spot the Shashlik storefront. Park in the private lot and head up to the 2nd floor of the building right in front — the sign letters are big so it's easy to find.

This is the private parking lot. It's huge!

Since it's a dog-friendly restaurant, we brought Nurungji along. After ordering, she was whining a bit so we took her out for a quick sniff-around in the parking lot. We visited on a weekday around 3-4pm, and it was nice and quiet with barely anyone else there haha.

Up on the 2nd floor there's a terrace with chairs and a hammock. Such a rural, countryside vibe. We didn't even come that far, but it felt like a little countryside trip haha. We got to relax for a moment in quiet Gapo!

What we ordered from the Shashlik Masan Branch menu

Looking at the menu, it says cooking takes about 15 minutes due to the charcoal grilling method! Meat portions are about 1 serving for men and 1.2 servings for women. (Honestly every restaurant seems to take about this long, and I thought it was actually fast for charcoal-grilled meat.) After some deliberation, we picked the owner's recommendation: lamb shoulder charcoal shashlik! Hearing it's the most popular repeat-visit dish got me so excited.

We also added a truffle plate!

Chaetteok steak, T-bone steak, prime rib — lots of steak options to choose from, which I liked! Next time I want to try the prime rib haha.

The drinks menu! Looks like the owner makes house fruit syrups by hand :) But since we're both on a diet, drinks were a pass,,,,,,,,,,,,

They're also running a review event!

Nurungji: "Hurry up, owner~"

Weekday evening campfire and the interior at Shashlik Masan Branch

On weekdays, Shashlik Masan Branch starts a campfire in the evening. The fire was already lit while we waited for our food! Gotta finish eating quickly so we can roast marshmallows~

Nurungji here tearing into her own bag… sorry, I forgot to bring her dog food…

The interior had a warm, fresh, sentimental feel haha. It'd be great for a date or family gathering! There's a photo zone, and blankets are provided for guests too!

As this month's event, you get marshmallows after your meal! You roast them over the gentle campfire flame haha. Small but such a sentimental touch — totally my type.

The interior has a bit of a campground feel haha, with lots of cute little props.

Which seats are best when you bring a dog?

What stood out about Shashlik Masan Branch was that all the tables are wide, and there are a lot of private spaces! Since we came with our dog, the owner recommended the widest spot as the most comfortable, and I definitely want to sit there again next time haha. It was my favorite seat — such a real countryside camping feel~

There were also cafe-style seats — somehow this spot made me feel like I needed to whisper secrets lol. This seat would also be great with friends~ the tables are a bit smaller than the others, so it feels made for chatting a lot!

The restroom inside is kept clean too haha (Doodoo even took a photo of the restroom for me lol).

How does the lamb shoulder charcoal shashlik taste?

The lamb we'd been waiting for finally arrived! Took a celebratory shot with Nurungji. There were various sauces plus cumin spice mix, so it never got boring haha. From left: hot teriyaki sauce, chili sauce, pickles with mustard sauce, and garlic sauce.

Maybe because it's charcoal-grilled, the meat had zero gamey smell at all, and it was crispy outside, tender inside! The doneness was just right — soft and juicy. They also grill a variety of vegetables alongside, and my personal favorite was the broccoli!!! Grilled broccoli is so good.

Cheers to lamb with my boyfriend~

Doodoo's pick: dip the lamb in cumin spice, top with garlic and paprika — apparently that's amazing. I preferred just dipping the meat plain in the cumin spice for the purest lamb flavor~

At the end, they make fried rice from the leftover vegetables — it's a little spicy and so delicious!! Mixed with mozzarella, the cheese pull is,, I'm losing my mind.

Even ate the meat off the bone

And then the truffle plate we added! The fries have a hint of truffle aroma, and Doodoo, a fry lover, devoured them.

Nurungji looking like a total gangster in this shot. Thanks for staying quiet on the sofa haha.

Campfire marshmallows after the meal

The owner gave us marshmallows to roast, part of this month's event.

Roasting marshmallows with Nurungji. Love you, Nurungji 💙

Why Shashlik Masan Branch is worth a visit in Gapo

With dog-friendly restaurants, we usually go anyway even if the food isn't great, just because we can bring our dog. But this time we finally found a dog-friendly place that's actually a genuinely great restaurant~

• Charcoal-grilled meat cooked just right, kept warm continuously over the flame — grilled vegetables come with it, and fried rice is possible afterward (highly recommend the fried rice!)
• Camping vibes + fire-gazing, rural atmosphere — there's an outdoor campfire area where you can roast marshmallows. This month's event is running, so go in September!
• A comfortable restaurant for families, couples, and pets alike — partitioned seating means sensitive babies or dogs get less stimulation (the owner will recommend the wide seats for you!)

A great meat restaurant for a unique date in Masan! Save this and definitely make time to visit :)