Hapjeong charcoal BBQ: pork set and beef tartare at Jeongyukdo

How to find Jeongyukdo near Hapjeong Station

Jeongyukdo is a BBQ restaurant on the 2nd floor of 14 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul — a 5-minute walk into an alley from Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station. From Line 6's Hapjeong Station Exit 5, head slightly downhill toward a restaurant called Cheongwaok, and you'll spot a Compose Coffee; turn into that alley and Jeongyukdo appears right there.

Being near Hongdae, the area was buzzing with people and had all kinds of BBQ restaurants around. Why did I pick Jeongyukdo out of all of them? I'll tell you in this post — along with tips on grabbing a patio table and a handy parking trick. Let's find out just how well-known this restaurant is in the hot spot!

Since Jeongyukdo sits deep in the alley of its block, it's not very visible from the main road, haha. Using navigation or a map app will get you there much more accurately.

Where to park near Jeongyukdo

If you're driving, install the app 'Modu's Parking Lot' and search Jeongyukdo — nearby paid lots will show up. The one directly across from the restaurant is the closest and cheapest, at ₩4,000 per hour!

Assume the roadside public paid lots are packed and you'll save time — head straight to the private paid lot called Yeonse right in front of the BBQ restaurant instead. Not sure if it was just that day, but the owner asked if I'd be back by 9pm, so timing felt flexible — though operating hours may vary day to day, so keep that in mind.

The lot is directly across the street, so it's not hard to find, but the entrance is narrow enough that you might wonder if you're in the right place — you are. Just drive up carefully. Arriving around 7:30pm, there were plenty of open spots.

Patio or private room? Choosing a table at Jeongyukdo

Inside Jeongyukdo there's a main hall and a room-like space. It's not a fully enclosed room with a door, but the space is separated enough to give some privacy.

The highlight is the outdoor patio space outside the restaurant. It looked like there were about 6 to 10 tables. There were a lot of group customers that day, and most seemed to be eating outside. The weather was great too — perfect for drinking on the patio.

The atmosphere was great too. Just ask when you walk in whether patio seating is available, and they'll seat you right away. Claiming a spot early is key! Naver reservations are available, so booking ahead is the best way to secure the nicest, most convenient seat.

Jeongyukdo menu and prices

Jeongyukdo's menu features a wide range of meat sets, including both pork and beef, plus various desserts. We ordered the pork set for ₩49,000, beef tartare for ₩22,000, and a bowl of rice for ₩1,000.

At the back of the menu, there's a grading label for domestic meat, 1++. Hanwoo beef top grade, handon pork grade 1! A very trustworthy BBQ restaurant.

What comes in the ₩49,000 handon pork set, and how it tastes

On the table at Jeongyukdo are Himalayan pink salt, wasabi, and wholegrain mustard. I scoop a bit of each into a neat little corner.

The side dishes came out neatly portioned in individual trays, no clutter — scallion salad, pickled onion, and fermented seafood.

Here's the pork set. The price board lists it around ₩54,000, ha — not sure if that's exactly right, but it felt like we got more than expected! The pork set includes fresh ribs, pork jowl, pork belly, plus a choice of meljeot fermented anchovy dip or hanwoo doenjang jjigae.

The deep red color suggests really good meat quality. A half mushroom stamped with the Jeongyukdo logo comes out alongside it. They show you the fresh ribs, then debone and cut them right there.

They add the charcoal, and I lay the meat on top myself. Meat with nothing on it yet, haha, like straw. There was garlic scape too, but I didn't grill it, oops.

Everything came out so neatly, it put me in a good mood — like being treated to a meal rather than just eating one.

The hanwoo brisket doenjang jjigae chosen with the set

The hanwoo brisket doenjang jjigae I mentioned earlier arrived. It was labeled as serving 2-3 people, but honestly it looked more like a single serving — and tasting it, the flavor leaned quite salty, making me wonder if it was meant to be dipped into rather than eaten as soup.

I cut each cut into bite-sized pieces. Eating one piece of well-cooked meat at a time — the charcoal aroma was really wonderful. The king oyster mushrooms were also cut into easy-to-eat pieces.

I tried it with salt, wasabi, radish kimchi, onion, and scallion salad — every combination was delicious. With meat this good, it's basically impossible to go wrong. The place was clean too, and the ventilation hood pulled the air well enough that there was no smoky smell lingering indoors — comfortable even inside.

Was the ₩22,000 beef tartare worth it?

Here's Jeongyukdo's beef tartare for ₩22,000. That's pear, not radish, on top. I crack the egg yolk on and mix it all together. The color looks really appetizing.

It felt a bit cold at first, but quickly warmed to the right temperature. The pear was crisp and delicious too. It looked like raw meat, but the seasoning of the tartare had soaked in well.

Here's the inside of the women's restroom. It was clean, and there were even paper hand towels. The men's restroom is on the other side!

Final verdict on Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo is exactly the kind of BBQ restaurant that comes to mind when you think of Hapjeong and Hongdae's atmospheric patio dining. It's a bit pricey for students, but it feels like the kind of great BBQ spot that teachers or nearby office workers would want to visit after work.

Whether you want a quiet meal indoors or a lively night on the patio, Jeongyukdo offers both — a fresh-meat BBQ restaurant I'd recommend.