Dog-friendly Korean barbecue in Pyeongtaek: Jugeokjip's free soju

Jugeokjip (주걱집)

It is on the first floor at 35 Jisan 1-ro 70beon-gil, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do. Reservations are available through Naver, and dogs are welcome.

A Pyeongtaek Korean barbecue restaurant to visit with your dog

First of all, I have SO much to say about Jugeokjip. There is more than one or two things to praise! A Korean barbecue restaurant where you can eat with your dog?! And!? Soju is ₩0!? If you order more meat, you can add it at up to 50% off,,,?! On top of that, the self-serve bar has tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), corn, marshmallows, all kinds of vegetables, wrap vegetables, and more,,,, and it is free to use? Even ice cream is free.... (This is the best-value Korean barbecue restaurant I have ever visited...!!!) I had to go! :)

I visited Jugeokjip Songtan Branch, a Pyeongtaek favorite about 20 minutes from Osan.

First of all, the restaurant was really big.

Jugeokjip has a special grill and a spatula that make grilling meat easy! They say that when you put pork neck and pork belly on with garlic and grill them nicely, you can cook and eat your meat neatly without anyone getting tired.

Jugeoksal and beef rib meat I chose while dieting

But! Since I have been watching my diet lately, I had Jugeoksal and beef rib meat instead of pork belly and pork neck. The spatula performance will have to wait until next time... Still, to give you the conclusion first, the Jugeoksal and beef rib meat combination I chose was seriously delicious too.

Jugeoksal that kept going down so easily

First, the Jugeoksal! I was curious because even the name felt like Jugeokjip's signature item, and it was exactly my taste: not overly fatty and nice and light. Since I have been dieting lately, even when I eat meat, I try to stick to lean cuts as much as possible—but I do not want to eat meat that tastes bad either, right...? Hahaha. Jugeoksal was light but still had that proper satisfying chew, so I could keep eating it without feeling weighed down.

Beef rib meat with great juices and nuttiness

And then the beef rib meat.!!!.... So ridiculously good.... Beef is beef. The delicious smell hit as soon as it went on the grill, and when I cooked it just right and took a bite, it was juicy and savory. One piece of Jugeoksal, one piece of beef rib meat, then Jugeoksal again, then beef rib meat.... Am I really someone on a diet?

And the meat was not the only thing that genuinely surprised me at Jugeokjip. The naengmyeon (cold noodles) was wonderfully spicy and delicious too. Please try the bibim-naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles)...❤️

What is at the free self-serve bar?

Self-serve bar

The self-serve bar here is seriously wild. When you think of a Korean barbecue self-serve bar, you normally imagine lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic, and kimchi, right? This one has everything from tteokbokki and japchae to corn, all kinds of vegetables, wrap vegetables, and even marshmallows. I came for meat, so why is there so much to eat? Hahaha. And all of it is free.

It was nice to have a bite of tteokbokki while the meat cooked, help myself to japchae here and there, and bring back as many vegetables as I wanted to eat with the meat. I think children would especially love it if you came as a family.

And at the end, free ice cream too! After eating meat, I always somehow crave something sweet, and having ice cream properly rounded it out with a perfect dessert. But that is not the end.

The fact that soju is free

Free soju

Soju is free at Jugeokjip Songtan Branch. When I first saw it, I was like, soju is... ₩0...? Hahaha. Considering the price of a bottle of soju at restaurants these days, I think this alone would be a major perk for people who enjoy a drink.

It said that even if you drink 100 bottles or 1,000 bottles, it is free—but if you drink 1,000 bottles, you should go to the hospital first.... Anyway, for anyone who enjoys a drink with meat, it would be hard to beat on value. Plus, meat ordered after the first order is available at a much lower additional-order price, so it seemed great for people who eat lots of meat too.

My visit with my dog

Dogs welcome

And the reason I liked this place even more! You can go with your dog!!!! I visited with my dog that day too :) Those of you who have looked for dog-friendly restaurants probably know this already, but most places you can take a dog are cafés or brunch spots; places where you can properly grill meat are surprisingly hard to find.

So I loved the fact that I could go to a Korean barbecue restaurant with my dog at all. The restaurant was also quite spacious, so it felt less stuffy or crowded and was relatively comfortable to visit with a dog. The person who wanted dog-friendly dining and meat too? Me, me.... If you are looking for somewhere to go with your dog around Pyeongtaek or Songtan, I think it is worth checking out.

However, dog-friendly policies may change, so I recommend confirming with the restaurant before visiting with your dog!

A location close to Osan too

We set off from Osan, and it only took about 20 minutes by car, so it was much closer than I expected. That makes it an easy distance not only for people looking for good food near the Songtan Service Office, but also for those looking around Pyeongtaek Godeok.

What I thought throughout the meal

More than anything, when you eat out these days, the cost climbs up so quickly once you add meat, drinks, side dishes, and dessert. But here, you eat meat and use the free self-serve bar

and if you drink, you can have free soju and finish with ice cream, so I kept thinking, can they really make any money like this...? Hahaha.

Both the Jugeoksal and beef rib meat I had were satisfying, and I loved the self-serve bar full of things to eat, but personally, the dog-friendly policy + free soju + discount on additional meat orders were the three truly powerful points. That combination is not common, right?

Next time, I am going to put my diet aside for a bit and try the pork belly and pork neck that are said to be Jugeokjip's signatures. Then I will add garlic to that special grill, grab the spatula, and give it a proper stir-fry! If you are looking for a good restaurant near the Songtan Service Office, a good-value Songtan restaurant, somewhere around Pyeongtaek Godeok for a hearty meal with family or friends, or especially a Korean barbecue restaurant you can visit with your dog like I was, I recommend Jugeokjip Songtan Branch :) I would absolutely bring my dog and go again!