Pyeongtaek Korean barbecue for families: Jugeokjip pork ribs

I went to Jugeokjip (주걱집) in Songtan to grill meat with my children. My husband and I were both craving meat, so we ordered Jugeoksal, pork belly, and charcoal-grilled pork ribs.

Where is Jugeokjip, and how did I park?

The address is 1F, 35 Jisan 1-ro 70beon-gil, Jisan-dong, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The hours listed at the time of my visit were 10 AM to 10 PM daily, and it was said to be open year-round.

I drove there, but there was no dedicated parking support. You need to park in a nearby parking lot or alley; I found an empty space directly in front of the restaurant and parked there.

Was it comfortable to eat there with children?

The interior was fairly spacious, and the chairs were roomy, so it was comfortable for my children to sit and eat. I thought it could also work well for a family gathering or a group company dinner. We could get more side dishes from the self-service bar, which was also spacious and easy to use.

Were there foods for children besides meat?

There were corn, marshmallows, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and cream soup as well. My children enjoyed the soup and corn, which they usually like, during the meal. I liked the tteokbokki, which reminded me of old-fashioned market-style tteokbokki.

What meat did we order, and how much was it?

The prices for the items we ordered were as follows.

• Jugeoksal: ₩26,000 per serving
• Pork belly: ₩18,000 per serving
• Charcoal-grilled pork ribs: ₩18,000 per serving
• Steamed rice: ₩1,000

Which side dish stood out?

The side dishes were plentiful, and the seasoned raw crab stood out to me. My husband tried it first and said the seasoning was tasty. When I tried it, I found it sweet and spicy, and it went well with rice. It was a seasoning that made me want to mix rice with sesame oil.

How was the pork belly best eaten?

The pork belly and Jugeoksal arrived, and I was glad that the pork belly was thick-cut. The color of the meat looked good, and it cooked quickly over charcoal. My favorite combination was pork belly with salt and wasabi. Seasoning it with salt and cutting the richness with wasabi brought out its savory flavor.

The seasoning also went well when I made wraps with lettuce and shredded green onions. Adding wasabi gave it a sharp kick. I also put lettuce geotjeori (freshly seasoned lettuce kimchi) and meat in the cabbage wraps that came with the meal; it felt like eating ssambap (rice and fillings wrapped in greens), so I enjoyed it in another way.

Which meat did the children enjoy most?

My children enjoyed the charcoal-grilled pork ribs. They came pre-grilled, and we cooked them further over charcoal. They were juicy, and the sweet marinade suited my children’s tastes.

I enjoyed the ribs too, but above all, my children ate so well that I wanted to visit again. The spacious seating and self-service bar were convenient for a family meal, though I would need to keep the lack of dedicated parking support in mind when visiting by car.