Isu pizza and craft beer pub: Mond Set mix-up and free nachos, Raymond

Why Raymond Isu Branch for a pizza lunch near Isu Station

Raymond Isu Branch is a pub serving 20-inch American-style pizza and craft beer. I went there on a day I was meeting a friend for lunch at Isu Station. While searching for a meeting spot, we googled Isu pizza lunch, saw "American-style pizza" and agreed (sort of?) on Raymond. It's a well-known pizza-and-beer spot from Hongdae, and now it has opened in Isu too.

Raymond Isu Branch hours, parking and directions

Raymond Isu Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00, with last order at 22:30. For parking, use the public parking lot.

Come out of Exit 9 of Isu Station (Line 7) and walk about a minute toward the McDonald's building. You'll see the Raymond sign right away on the first floor, on your left. It's a white building with fresh red lettering. Be careful crossing the road: it's the entrance to a side street, so there's a lot of car traffic.

Atmosphere and seating at Raymond Isu Branch

There are about 10 tables, and when I arrived around 1 p.m. for lunch, exactly one seat was left. I heard Raymond Pizza started from missing the slice pizza the founder loved while studying in the US. People seem to come for American-style pizza with fresh, award-winning craft beer. As time passed, seats opened up, so I snapped a photo.

The interior isn't exactly stylish, but it feels clean and comfortable, like a pub. The tables are big, which made eating easy.

This is the kitchen side. The pizzas in the showcase are 20 inches, so they're huge. You can also order by the slice. Pizza with award-winning craft beer from international competitions would be wonderful, but I had plans afterward, so I skipped the beer until next time.

How do you order at Raymond Isu Branch?

There's a menu board, but you order on the kiosk at your table. You pay later when you leave.

Raymond's three sets compared: prices and what's included

The sets at Raymond Isu Branch come with one slice of every pizza on the menu (4 slices, half of a 20-inch pizza) plus sides, ranging from ₩49,900 to ₩54,900. There are single items too, but we ordered a set. On a first visit anywhere, I find the set menu is the safe choice, haha.

• Signature Raymond Set (2-4 people), ₩54,900: one slice of every pizza (4 slices, half of a 20-inch pizza), sausage, boneless fried chicken, truffle fries, assorted sauces, onion pickles
• Ray Set (2-3 people), ₩49,900: one slice of every pizza (4 slices, half of a 20-inch pizza), sausage, truffle fries, assorted sauces, onion pickles
• Mond Set (2-3 people), ₩51,900: one slice of every pizza (4 slices, half of a 20-inch pizza), boneless fried chicken, truffle fries, assorted sauces, onion pickles

The Signature Raymond Set includes both frankfurter sausage and boneless chicken with the pizza, the Ray Set has the sausage, and the Mond Set has the boneless fried chicken. One of our group of three doesn't eat sausage, so we ordered the Mond Set.

Three kinds of water at the self-serve corner

In front of the showcase there are three kinds of cold water. One looks like green tea water. I like this kind of service that considers different tastes. Hot sauce, small plates, wet wipes, forks and knives are here too. I didn't see pickles.

Anyone need an apron? Haha. There's a small park across the street, so the view looking out from inside is rather charming.

We ordered the Mond Set but got the Ray Set

I ordered the Mond Set at Raymond Isu Branch, but the Ray Set was set on our table. We were briefly flustered. When I told the owner, he said there had been an order mix-up and quickly added boneless fried chicken. So, unexpectedly, we ended up eating the Raymond Set! He also gave us nachos as a free service to apologize. He didn't have to, but I was grateful for his kind effort.

Is a half 20-inch pizza set enough for 3 people?

The Raymond sets are big, to start with. They're described as for 2-3 people, and I think three people would be full. With craft beer, even more people could share it. A set menu's advantage is that you can taste a variety of flavors.

To my taste, the Hawaiian pizza is the best. The flavor is on the light side. It isn't greasy at all.

The boneless fried chicken is crispy. It would even be fine if it were fried a little less.

There are as many as 5 kinds of sauce. If you want hot sauce, grab it from the self-serve corner. The one at the top of the sauce dish is onion pickles.

Would I go back to Raymond Isu Branch?

I met a friend, ate well and plenty at Raymond Isu Branch, and it was another grateful, happy day. It's a place I'd like to visit again next time I'm around Isu Station. I recommend dropping in for lunch, or on your way home from work in the evening.