Gwangyang eel restaurant, 960g with local currency discount: Deokeun

With Chuseok approaching and our family dealing with some leg issues, we went to eat eel for a health boost. There are places in Yeosu that sell freshwater eel too, but eel is top-tier health food and prices run high, so I looked around for good eel restaurants in Gwangyang and found one that was surprisingly affordable. Here's my writeup of the trip.

Where is Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch?

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is at 101 Hangman9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do, right next to Rakhee Hotel. Parking and access are easy, making it a great spot for gatherings too.

How much does freshwater eel cost here?

Prepped eel at Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is ₩5,940 per 100g, and with the 10% lunch discount plus local currency stacked on top, the effective price comes down to about ₩4,200 per 100g. I fact-checked this myself and it really is that affordable.

With the lunch 10% discount plus local currency, we saved over ₩10,000 total. Prepped eel is normally ₩5,940 per 100g, but with lunch and local currency stacked it comes to about ₩4,200 per 100g in real terms. We chose 960g of prepped eel, which came to about ₩46,190 after discounts — genuinely a great deal.

I found out why it's so cheap: the owner raises the eel himself and sells it directly, skipping the middleman entirely. Among freshwater eels, Japonica eel in particular is well known for boosting stamina, and finding it at this price is genuinely rare.

Choosing your eel at the first-floor counter

The fridge right at the first-floor entrance of Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is packed with prepped eel packs — one-eel, two-eel, three-eel portions and more. Pricing is by the weight of the prepped eel rather than by the piece, so the sizes were genuinely impressive.

None of the eels were small just because they were labeled 'one eel,' and I didn't see any sleight-of-hand where a smaller eel got mixed into a two-eel pack. Since pricing goes by weight rather than by piece, it seems like they simply select only the larger eels to begin with.

We got two prepped eels totaling 960g, meaning each one would have been around 800g originally. They say prepped eel can still have small bones, but I honestly never noticed a single one while eating — it was beautifully prepped.

What is the second-floor ocean-view dining room like?

The second-floor dining room at Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is a prime spot for an ocean view over the Yi Sun-sin Bridge area. Tables line the floor-to-ceiling windows, and there's a separate private room as well.

Among Gwangyang eel restaurants, this is a spot that captures both the joy of eating eel and the joy of the view — a favorite among favorites.

The tables are spaced generously, which makes it comfortable for bringing along elderly family members too. With tables arranged around the big windows, we came for a health boost with eel and left feeling like we'd had a mini vacation. There's also a private room, so I'd recommend it for gatherings or company dinners.

Once you're guided to your seat, the staff set up the tabletop spread — side dishes and sauces that pair well with eel, plus a charcoal grill for cooking the eel right at the table. I was already looking forward to that smoky charcoal flavor.

Any side dishes you run low on can be refilled from the self-serve bar, and it's generous while still being tidy — so between the protein from the eel and the vegetables for heart health, we left feeling like we'd covered all our bases.

How did 960g of charcoal-grilled eel taste?

We took the 960g of prepped eel chosen downstairs up to the second floor and grilled it ourselves over charcoal. It stretched diagonally across the grill from end to end — seeing it in person, it looked even bigger than expected.

Now we were ready to grill eel leisurely while looking out at the Yi Sun-sin Bridge. Eating in the mountains with great water is nice too, but when it comes to eel, I personally believe the best restaurant is the one with the most convenient location.

Once we unwrapped it, the eel looked even bigger in person. We laid one eel on the heated grill first, and sure enough, it stretched diagonally clear across from end to end — that's a big eel. They say eel is delicious no matter how you cook it, but grilling over charcoal instead of a gas grill really is the tip for making it taste even better.

After grilling both sides, we cut it in half. Seeing the flesh so thick and plump made me want to grill this at a campsite too. The mellow flavor of eel slowly cooked over glowing charcoal tasted the same whether at a campsite or in a proper dining room.

Looking at the golden-brown grilled eel, I felt like choosing eel was the right call for our family after everything we went through this summer into fall — a broken leg, knee surgery, and more.

You can enjoy it however you like — with the spicy sauce, the soy-based sauce, or simply with salt for a cleaner taste. And since you can refill sides from the self-serve bar, visiting the second-floor dining room ends up feeling more economical than cooking eel at home.

Is Deokeun Jangeo good with a four-year-old?

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch has menu items for kids too, including eel tteokgalbi (grilled eel patties), so there was nothing to worry about for meals. Kids' seats are also available.

Our little one, Aung-i, just turned four, and this was her first time trying eel. She said it was delicious and kept eating more — a great way for her to get a health boost too.

Some people come just for the eel soup, so I'd recommend visiting for lunch to try it. Finishing off with the dessert menu left us with a satisfying, full feeling.

What does the receipt review event give you?

At Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch, if just one person at the table participates in the Naver receipt review event, everyone at the table gets a free ice cream. The key point: it's not one ice cream per receipt.

Since there were three of us, we got three ice creams. If you visit in a larger group, everyone gets a cool, sweet dessert — which makes this a much better event than a typical drink giveaway.

Are there eel gift sets for the holidays?

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch also sells eel gift sets that can be shipped for holidays like Chuseok. Eel extract and eel soup are sold separately, packaged on their own.

The gift sets come packaged properly, just like in the photos. Plenty of people give meat as gifts, but why not consider shipping a holiday eel gift set instead, with the recipient's health in mind? The eel extract and eel soup are also nicely packaged and sold separately, so they're good for a lighter gift or for eating at home — worth keeping in mind.

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch: hours, address and prices

• Name: Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch
• Address: 101 Hangman9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:30)
• Break time: 14:00–16:00
• Other: Groups, takeout, private rooms, kids' seats, local currency accepted