Daegu Korean restaurant: kids' weekend brunch, 30-min wait, Banwoldang

Weekend brunch with the kids at Banwoldang Bujasikdang in Daegu

Last weekend I took the kids to Dongseongno for a day out, and we stopped for a late breakfast-lunch at Bujasikdang in Banwoldang, Daegu. Banwoldang Bujasikdang (반월당부자식당) is famous for fire-grilled squid-pork stir-fry and stone galbi (marinated short ribs), so I went with high hopes. We ate well, but there were a few disappointments too.

📍13-13 Gwandeokjeong-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, 1st floor / ⏰️11:00–20:45 / 15:30–17:00 (break time) / 14:45, 20:00 (last order) / Naver Reservation ⭕️ / Parking ⭕️

What is Banwoldang Bujasikdang like at weekend opening time?

Banwoldang Bujasikdang is a Korean restaurant that already has quite a few reserved guests at weekend opening, and a line forms by lunchtime. It mainly serves Korean dishes, and even though we arrived right when it opened, plenty of reservation guests were already there. Once lunchtime hit, a waiting line formed too, so it's clearly a popular spot.

There were several tables inside, and we could order comfortably from the table.

How long is the wait at Banwoldang Bujasikdang without a reservation?

That day at Banwoldang Bujasikdang we ordered first without a reservation, yet the food only came out after more than 30 minutes. We sat down and ordered right away, and this is where my mood dipped a bit.

Food for reservation guests who arrived after us went out first. Even guests who showed up earlier than their reservation time were served before us, which felt a bit off. I understand that reservations come first, but we had ordered and been waiting too, you know? The kids kept asking, "Mom, when is ours coming?" 😂 In the end the food arrived only after 30+ minutes. Reservations matter, but I wish they'd take the order of ordering into account too.

What we ordered at Banwoldang Bujasikdang, plus the free side dishes

We ordered the fire-grilled squid and pork stir-fry for 2 and the fire-grilled Buja stone galbi for 2. The galbi was for the kids, and the spicy squid-pork was for my husband and me.

The basic sides were seasoned bean sprouts, pickled onions and namul (seasoned vegetables), and a cheonggukjang doenjang stew came along too. I liked that the wrap vegetables were at a self-serve bar where you can take as much as you want.

Fire-grilled Buja stone galbi: how did the kids like it?

The fire-grilled Buja stone galbi at Banwoldang Bujasikdang isn't spicy, so the kids ate it well with rice, but it was just okay for us adults. The marinated meat comes on a hot stone plate, piled high with shredded scallions. Onions and green onions are laid under the meat as well.

I ordered it expecting a lot for the kids, but personally I found it just okay. The seasoning isn't spicy, so the kids ate it well with rice, but my husband and I didn't think it was especially tasty. Maybe my expectations were too high, but the galbi was a little disappointing.

Fire-grilled squid and pork stir-fry, best in a lettuce wrap

The fire-grilled squid and pork stir-fry at Banwoldang Bujasikdang is a stone-plate dish well soaked in spicy seasoning, and it suited my taste better than the galbi. Squid and pork stir-fried in red sauce come on the stone plate, topped with enoki mushrooms. The squid pieces were big, and the meat was well seasoned too. Squid stir-fry plus pork stir-fry, so it's hard to go wrong, hahaha. The spicy seasoning went nicely with rice,

but I liked it even more wrapped in lettuce with rice, squid and pork all together. Personally, the squid-pork stir-fry suited me better than the galbi.

Banwoldang Bujasikdang on weekends: reserve ahead

We ate until we were full at Banwoldang Bujasikdang, but I'm not sure it's special enough to wait in line for, and the 30+ minute wait was the biggest letdown. My husband, the kids and I love hunting down good restaurants and get around a lot, and honestly this Korean restaurant in Banwoldang was a little below what I'd expected.

The kids ate well and we got full too, but I'm not sure the taste is special enough to justify a wait. Most of all, having to wait over 30 minutes even though we ordered first was the biggest disappointment. Maybe it was just a day with lots of reservations, but for people visiting with kids like us, the wait felt quite long. Still, we cleaned our plates and left happy :)

If we go again, we'll make a reservation first. If you're planning to visit Banwoldang Bujasikdang, especially on a weekend, book ahead. You might arrive at opening time like us and still wait a long while 😂