Weeknight late-night BBQ in Cheonan: gabrisal at Cham Dwaejitgan

Cham Dwaejitgan, a well-known restaurant in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan

Cham Dwaejitgan Cheonan Dujeong Branch: the basics

• Location: 10 Wondujeong 5-gil, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam
• Hours: Daily 16:00 – 04:00
• Reservation: Naver Reservation
• Reservations available, parking available, Yes Kids Zone, high chairs, corkage allowed, group seating, venue rental available

Last week I went to Cheonan on a weeknight, got hungry, and wanted a drink with a friend, so we ended up at Cham Dwaejitgan. It's in the Dujeong-dong food alley so it's easy to get to, and I'd heard they had a grilling service where staff cook the meat for you, which sounded perfect for a relaxed drinking session. It has a lot of visit reviews on Naver too, with good things said about both the taste and the staff-grilled service, so my friend and I went in with some expectations — and it really did turn out to be a great late-night spot in Cheonan for pork belly and soju.

Inside the restaurant and how ordering works

Cham Dwaejitgan keeps coming up whenever I search for good restaurants or pork belly restaurants in Cheonan. The thick-cut pork grilled over charcoal and rice husks, plus the staff grilling service, seem like they'd work just as well for a company dinner as for a family meal out. I also liked that it's open from 4pm until 4am the next day, later than a typical BBQ place.

Cham Dwaejitgan Cheonan Dujeong Branch sits inside the Dujeong-dong food alley. It's about a 7-minute drive from Dujeong Station, so it's a solid choice when planning dinner or drinks in Dujeong-dong. If you're looking for somewhere to eat late at night, this late-night restaurant in Dujeong-dong is worth keeping in mind.

I expected a somewhat chaotic BBQ-joint atmosphere, but the space was bigger and cleaner than I thought. The tables aren't cramped, and each one has its own hood, so it felt fairly comfortable even while grilling.

The tables were wide enough for the two of us to eat comfortably, and there were also seats for larger groups, so it seemed good for gatherings with friends or company dinners.

There were plenty of handy extras scattered around — aprons, plastic covers for your clothes, phone chargers. What stood out most was that they had everything ready for when you leave: Febreze, glasses cloths, hair ties, floss, even mouthwash. That kind of thoughtful touch was nice, since the smell that clings to your clothes or the greasy feeling in your mouth after a BBQ meal can be annoying.

There's a self-serve bar off to one side with basic side dishes, fresh wrap vegetables, and various accompaniments, so you could easily go grab more of whatever was running low.

What's on the menu at Cham Dwaejitgan

✔️ Menu info. At this well-known Cheonan restaurant, you order through kiosks at each table. They have everything from Jirisan black pork to Boseong green pork, plus meal items to go with the meat, like doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), kimchi jjigae, soy sauce egg rice, and fried rice.

We ordered ogyeopsal, gabrisal, doenjang jjigae, margarine soy sauce egg rice, and — you can't have meat without it — soju!

The charcoal and rice-husk grill pan

Once we sat down, a pan a bit different from the usual BBQ setup caught my eye. At this pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, they put charcoal in the center and rice husks around it to add a gentle smoky aroma to the meat, and as it cooked, the subtle charcoal and smoke scent spreading through the air gave it a different flavor from ordinary grilling.

There was a good spread of kimchi, bean sprouts, wrap vegetables, and various sauces to go with the meat, so you could mix and match to your taste.

This restaurant in Dujeong-dong had thoughtful touches all over the place, but my favorite was that ordering soju comes with milk thistle on the side. Since this is a great place to have a drink with your meat, that kind of considerate service felt especially welcome.

How did the ogyeopsal and gabrisal taste?

And now, finally, today's stars — gabrisal and ogyeopsal made their appearance! The thick-cut pieces of meat looked appetizing right from the start.

The meat was quite thick, so it was slow-cooked on the pan, and watching it turn golden brown naturally made me want a drink.

You can grill minari (water celery), bean sprouts, and kimchi alongside the meat on one side of the pan — the vegetables cook in the fat from the meat, adding a savory richness, and the fragrant minari and crunchy bean sprouts cut through the greasiness nicely, pairing well with the meat. Grilled kimchi with pork belly is hard to go wrong with, so if you enjoy grilled kimchi, this is highly recommended!

How far does the staff grilling service go?

Honestly, at this restaurant in Dujeong-dong, what I liked even more than the meat itself was the grilling service.

The staff handled everything, from placing the meat on the grill to flipping it and cutting it into bite-sized pieces, so we didn't have to worry about grilling at all and could just enjoy eating and focus on our conversation.

Margarine soy sauce egg rice and doenjang jjigae

I also ordered the margarine soy sauce egg rice that caught my eye on the menu. The soy sauce, egg, and margarine came together in a savory way that wasn't too strong but kept me reaching for more. It was a familiar flavor, which made it even better, and it was filling enough too.

We also ordered doenjang jjigae to go with the meat. If you're a fan of Korean food, doenjang jjigae is a must. The deep, savory soybean paste flavor made a solid basic pairing with the meat, good for spooning up between bites.

The potato wrap combination

This is thinly sliced potato that's grilled, then topped with a piece of meat and sauce. At first I wasn't sure potato and meat would go together, but once I tried it, the pairing was better than expected. The plain, savory grilled potato combined with the juices from the ogyeopsal gave a different feel from a regular lettuce wrap — if you visit Cham Dwaejitgan, don't just eat the meat plain, try making a potato wrap too.

Does it work as a late-night spot in Cheonan?

I visited Cham Dwaejitgan that day wanting dinner and a drink while out in Cheonan. With staff grilling the ogyeopsal and gabrisal, there was nothing to worry about while grilling, so I could just relax and enjoy the time drinking. And since it's open until 4am the next day, it also suits anyone looking for a late-night restaurant in Cheonan — great for dinner, or for those sudden late-night cravings for meat.

Here's who I'd recommend Cham Dwaejitgan to.

• Anyone who finds grilling their own meat a hassle
• Anyone looking for a pork belly restaurant with staff grilling service
• Anyone wanting a drink with meat in Dujeong-dong
• Anyone looking for a late-night restaurant in Cheonan open into the small hours
• Anyone who wants a relaxed drinking session with friends or a partner
• Anyone who loves thick cuts of pork like ogyeopsal and gabrisal

If you're looking for somewhere in Cheonan to enjoy samgyeopsal or ogyeopsal with a relaxed drink, I recommend Cham Dwaejitgan Cheonan Dujeong Branch.

How to book a table

✔️ Reservation info. You can book ahead for this Cheonan restaurant that grills the meat for you through Naver Reservation. Since it can get busy in the evenings or on weekends, I'd recommend reserving ahead if you're visiting for a family meal or company dinner.

Getting there and parking in Dujeong-dong

✔️ Location info. Cham Dwaejitgan is about 4 minutes by car from Dujeong Station (Line 1), 7 minutes from Cheonan Intercity Bus Terminal, and 10 minutes from Cheonan Station, located in the Dujeong-dong food alley.

✔️ Parking info. Parking is available in front of the restaurant. However, the space is limited, so it's a good idea to call ahead to check availability before visiting.