Daejeon grill restaurant with briquette short rib: Untan Taepyeong

Untan Taepyeong ✔️ Location: 33 Yucheon-ro 132beon-gil, Jung-gu, Daejeon ✔️ Hours: Daily 16:30–23:00 ✔️ Parking / Reservations / Wi-Fi / Group seating available

What kind of restaurant is Untan Taepyeong?

I feel like meat tastes different, and even sets a different mood, depending on what it's grilled over. On a day I was especially craving meat grilled over charcoal briquettes, I headed to Untan Taepyeong in Taepyeong-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon.

Untan is a charcoal-grill specialty chain with a flagship in Banseok-dong and several branches across Daejeon and Sejong. You can grill everything from beef to whole galmaegisal (skirt meat), chicken, and pork ribs over charcoal here. 🤍

Parking at Untan Taepyeong

Untan Taepyeong has space for 1–2 cars beside the restaurant. If it's full, you can park in the surrounding alleys — that's what we ended up doing.

Untan Taepyeong's exterior and atmosphere

Arriving at the restaurant, the huge Untan sign catches your eye first. It had that warm, old-school pojangmacha (street tent bar) feel, quite different from the newly styled meat restaurants you see these days.

Out front there were several standing signs showing the menu and events, which was nice for browsing before going in.

There was also a Paldo Ribbon selection mark on the door. Seeing even that small detail made me more curious about the place.

Inside Untan Taepyeong

Walking in, the tables were set up in a space with that same nostalgic pojangmacha atmosphere.

One wall had an Oriental painting on it, adding to Untan's distinctive mood.

But what really caught my eye was the charcoal brazier in the middle of the table. The moment we sat down and saw the briquettes glowing red, I wanted to get the meat on right away.

The restaurant even has a sign explaining what's special about charcoal fire — strong heat that holds its temperature for a long time. Grilling meat directly over that kind of charcoal fire is clearly Untan's signature.

Each table has its own kiosk, so you can browse the menu and order comfortably right from your seat.

Near the entrance there was also a photo with golfer Se Ri Pak, which caught my attention.

Not long after we sat down, tables started filling up one by one until the place was buzzing with customers.

The self-serve bar and free fried eggs

On one side there's a self-serve bar where you can freely grab extra side dishes.

But that's not all — Untan also runs a service where you can make your own fried eggs and eat as many as you like.

Untan Taepyeong menu and what to order

Looking over the menu, there was a huge range — beef, Uiseong garlic-marinated grilled meat, pork, and grilled chicken.

We ordered the chewy beef short rib (sogalbisal) and the usamgyeop ramyeon (beef brisket ramyeon).

The side dishes that come with the meal

After ordering, the basic side dishes came out neatly arranged — lettuce wraps, onion, kimchi, all good pairings for the meat.

How does the briquette-grilled short rib taste?

And finally, the short rib arrived! Even before tasting it, the vivid color and appetizing look of the meat were on point.

The complimentary muksabal (acorn jelly in cold broth)

They also brought out a complimentary mukbap (acorn jelly in cold broth) — the cool broth with springy jelly was genuinely delicious. It was perfect for a spoonful in between bites of meat.

With the short rib on the charcoal grill, the whole spread looked like the perfect combination!

The short rib sizzled away over the strong charcoal heat. Taking a bite of the well-cooked meat, the juiciness was seriously impressive. The chewy texture, savory juices, and that charcoal flavor kept my chopsticks reaching back for more.

It's delicious plain, but dipping it in the various sauces provided gives you a whole different flavor to enjoy.

Wrapping the meat and sides up in lettuce for a big bite was another must, of course.

In the middle of the meal we also made our own fried eggs at the self-serve bar. There's something fun about making fried eggs your own way at a meat restaurant — a nice little bonus.

Usamgyeop ramyeon (beef brisket ramyeon)

Eating meat for a while got us craving something hot and soupy, so we ordered the usamgyeop ramyeon!

The bubbling ramyeon with savory beef brisket had a rich, delicious broth from the first spoonful. Eating the noodles and brisket together made it a perfect side dish to pair with the meat. 👍

Is Untan Taepyeong worth a visit?

Gathering around a charcoal grill and cooking meat ourselves after a long time made the whole experience enjoyable, not just the food, at Untan Taepyeong. The juicy, chewy short rib was even better for being grilled over charcoal, and with the cool mukbap, our own fried eggs, and the hot usamgyeop ramyeon on the side, it turned into a truly filling meal.

There's something memorable about finding that old pojangmacha-style warmth even amid today's trendier aesthetics. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Taepyeong-dong, Daejeon, or want a proper charcoal-grill meal with friends or family, Untan Taepyeong is worth keeping in mind. 🤍