Family duck BBQ restaurant near Seoul Land: Deo Chadol, Gwacheon

Whenever the weekend comes around, we often take our child out to Seoul Land or Seoul Grand Park. And every time we head to Gwacheon, there’s one truly favorite restaurant we visit without even having to think about it. It’s Deo Chadol (더차돌), a duck brisket specialty restaurant that has appeared on TV several times and is already hugely popular by word of mouth.

Deo Chadol Gwacheon, close to Seoul Land and Seoul Grand Park

It is at 5 Dwitgol 2-ro in Gwacheon-dong, Gwacheon, very close to Seonbawi Station, and it fits perfectly into a drive from Seoul Grand Park or Seoul Land.

There’s a spacious dedicated parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so you can visit comfortably without parking stress. Hours are daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

We visited at Saturday dinner peak time, and sure enough, the restaurant was completely full. We waited for about 20 minutes in the waiting area by the entrance as soon as we arrived. Thankfully, we made it in safely just before last order. With a whopping 4.85 rating on Naver and well over 7,300 reviews, it’s always wildly popular on weekend evenings and at peak times. If you’re going on a weekend or during a busy period, I recommend making a reservation in advance!

Around the entrance, it was fun to look at the signs showing its TV appearances and the Gwacheon City designated-good-restaurant certification mark displayed so proudly.

The walls are covered with signatures from famous celebrities, giving it that unmistakable popular-restaurant vibe.

A comfortable family meal with private rooms and baby chairs

Once inside, the high ceilings and wide-open dining hall make the space feel airy and comfortable rather than cramped, even when it is busy.

Along with the dining-hall tables, there are several private rooms where you can eat cozily and quietly. It is honestly an ideal setup for a family gathering with children after a Seoul Land outing, or for a group company dinner.

There are different kinds of baby chairs, including boosters and regular chairs, and the separate men’s and women’s restrooms and other clean facilities make every visit so comfortable.

Ordering fresh seasoned duck and makguksu

After sitting down and wondering what to eat, we ordered two portions of fresh seasoned duck jumeok (marinated duck grilled on a hot plate), with cool makguksu (buckwheat noodles) as a side to go with it.

The basic side dishes were set out, and you can use the self-service bar for extra banchan (side dishes).

After ordering, we headed to the self-service bar set up on one side of the restaurant. I absolutely loved that I could freely refill fresh wrap vegetables and all kinds of side dishes without worrying about asking anyone—such a great point for a vegetable lover like me.

Even though there were lots of customers, our food came out quickly. The two portions of duck jumeok and makguksu arrived, and the fresh duck’s bright pink color alone looked incredibly fresh. 😆 The scent of the jumeok sizzling away on the grill was so tempting that it was really hard to wait. The makguksu we ordered with the meat was an unmissable specialty, too.

Spicy duck jumeok and makguksu together

The broth had a sweet-tangy, cool savory flavor without being overpowering, so wrapping up a piece of spicy duck jumeok with the noodles made for a perfect pairing. Keep turning the meat over carefully with the tongs so it does not burn on the sizzling grill. Place a piece of nicely cooked duck on lettuce, add garlic, make a wrap, and take a bite—the chewy yet clean flavor fills your mouth with no gamey smell at all.

Especially heavenly was wrapping it in perilla-leaf pickle soaked through with the sweet-spicy sauce! The rice cakes tucked into the meat were wonderfully chewy, too, making every bite so fun.

Cheese self-fried rice with the leftover sauce

Even when you are full, there is one Korean dessert you can never skip: fried-rice time.

We made self-fried rice with the leftover sauce, then added a generous amount of cheese on top and sprinkled it over to melt. The nutty cheese with the spicy seasoned rice was simply perfect, from the look to the taste. Our daughter took one bite, said it was so delicious, and pretended to faint—we were holding our stomachs laughing, haha.

To finish the meal, we joined the receipt-review event and wrapped things up nicely with an ice-cold Zero Coke.

Deo Chadol Gwacheon is a place that never disappoints, no matter how many times we return. If you are looking for a family dining spot near Seoul Grand Park or Seoul Land where you can go with children, be sure to visit at least once. It will be a perfect meal with no regrets!