Paju Garam-maeul charcoal BBQ with drum-barrel tables: Tannae

Today I'm bringing you a review of Tannae Paju Main Branch, a charcoal-grilled BBQ spot in Paju's Unjeong Garam-maeul where you can get real charcoal smokiness and juicy meat! The nostalgic charcoal-fire vibe combined with the generous free stew and myeolchi-jeot (anchovy sauce) was such a perfect combo that I have to recommend this place.

Here's the exterior of Tannae Paju Main Branch, located in the Unjeong Garam-maeul commercial complex! It's noticeable from far away thanks to its big signboard, and the front folding doors were wide open, giving it a nice open, airy feel. On the banner outside, I saw the 'free crab doenjang stew or pork kimchi stew with meat order' event and news of the new spicy boneless chicken feet menu!

What Tannae Paju Main Branch looks like inside: drum-barrel tables and the charcoal pre-grill station

Inside Tannae Paju Main Branch, the space is filled with cylindrical drum-barrel tables, and each table has its own ventilation system, so it stayed comfortable. There's a separate pre-grill zone with a charcoal fire set up near the entrance.

The interior has clean cylindrical drum-barrel tables with ventilation well set up at every table, keeping things comfortable.

Thanks to the retro yet lively pojangmacha (street tent bar) atmosphere, it's perfect for a family dinner or a soju drink after work.

Menu prices and table setup at Tannae: free stew and the self-bar

Tannae Paju Main Branch was running an event where ordering meat gets you a free crab doenjang stew or pork kimchi stew (₩6,000). For sides, there's naengmyeon at ₩6,000, ramyeon at ₩5,000, and steamed egg at ₩4,000.

Looking over the menu board, besides the free stew, there's a nice lineup of side dishes that go well with meat, like crab doenjang stew / pork kimchi stew (₩6,000), naengmyeon (₩6,000), ramyeon (₩5,000), and steamed egg (₩4,000).

Just a heads-up that there's an ongoing event where ordering meat gets you a free crab doenjang stew / pork kimchi stew (₩6,000). The drink selection is also varied, from zero-sugar tonic water to bokbunja (Korean raspberry wine) and Hallasan soju.

By the entrance, you can watch staff pre-grill the meat directly over a charcoal fire set into a drum barrel. From watching them light the charcoal to the subtle smoky smell drifting through the air, anticipation was already building before the food even arrived!

If you run low on side dishes, you can grab as much as you like from the self-bar.

The meat is displayed right at the entrance so you can see exactly what you're getting. That really boosts your trust in the place!

How to eat the charcoal marinated ribs and pork belly with myeolchi-jeot

At Tannae Paju Main Branch, real charcoal fire comes right to your table, and myeolchi-jeot (anchovy sauce) is placed on top to bubble away, which you dip the meat into. Both the marinated ribs and pork belly come out pre-grilled by staff, and we finished cooking them on the grill and cut them with scissors.

When the fire came to the table, it was real charcoal, no joke! Along with it came the salty myeolchi-jeot (anchovy sauce), bubbling away on the charcoal, and just the thought of dipping the meat into it made my mouth water.

The pre-grilled meat gets placed on the grill and cut into bite-size pieces with scissors. Thanks to the charcoal's uniquely gentle heat, the meat cooked up golden-brown on the outside while staying moist and juicy inside. The marinade wasn't overly sweet and soaked all the way into the meat, so it tasted great even with just a light dip in salt.

We also tried the pork belly. Wrapping it up with the golden, oil-cooked garlic made it even tastier! The subtle charcoal smoke aroma meant we never got tired of it and kept reaching for more.

How could you eat meat without mul-naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) on the side? Here's how they pre-grill it before serving.

Tannae Paju Main Branch: address, hours and parking in Garam-maeul

• Address | 73 Garam-ro, 1st floor, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Unjeong Garam-maeul), South Korea
• Hours | Weekdays 17:00–23:00, weekends 16:00–23:00
• Parking | Lot behind the building & street public parking across the road (1.5 hours provided)

One-line tip | Choose whichever free stew (crab doenjang or pork kimchi) suits your taste! Since the meat comes pre-grilled, you can enjoy an even deeper charcoal smokiness.

Another delicious meal enjoyed today. 😋