Gwangju briquette BBQ with griddle fried eggs: Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon

I'm back with an honest review of a great-value charcoal-grilled pork restaurant in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi — perfect for a group dinner!

Where is Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon, and what are its hours?

Sangnok Hoegwan Yeontan-gui Taejeon Branch is on the 1st floor at 350-6 Hoean-daero, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, right in front of the Taejeon-dong Gwill Apartments. It's open Mon–Sat 13:00–24:00 and Sun 12:00–24:00, parking in front of the building is free, and they take local currency vouchers and Zero Pay too.

Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon sits right across from the Taejeon-dong Gwill Apartments. The sign is big, so it's easy to spot.

Parking, the dining room, and can it host a group dinner?

You can park right in front of the store or in the shared building's lot. It's spacious and free, so parking here is stress-free.

The interior is on the larger side, with standard 4-person tables throughout. It looked great for a group dinner or gathering spot.

This Gwangju charcoal-grill spot also has a self-serve bar, so you can freely grab extra dishes or side dishes whenever you need them.

Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon menu and prices per 100g

• Pork belly, pork neck (100g) ₩5,500
• Dwitgogi, pork jowl (100g) ₩6,900
• Galmaegisal (100g) ₩7,500
• Beef chuck flap (100g) ₩8,500
• Beef rib finger (100g) ₩8,500
• Beef hanging tender (100g) ₩8,500

Beyond the meat, there's a wide range of seafood too — scallops, abalone, live octopus, sea squirt and more.

What we ordered at Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon

• Pork belly x3 servings
• Odolgalbi (cartilage rib meat) x1 serving
• Mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup)
• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)
• Fried eggs

Basic side dishes include icy radish salad, wild garlic leaves, and seasoned lettuce salad, and the self-bar has even more standard sides for other menu items. Lots of choice to suit your taste, just help yourself!!

Thick pork belly, odolgalbi and grilled pineapple on the briquette grill

The pork belly was seriously thick-cut. It comes out with salt already sprinkled on top. The look of it alone was mouthwatering.

The odolgalbi was one serving, but it was a pretty generous portion.

The self-bar even has pineapple. Grilling it and eating it with the meat is a real treat!! The combo works surprisingly well together — I'd fully recommend it.

Meat grilled over charcoal definitely tastes different. The pork belly had no gamey smell at all — honestly one of the best pieces of meat I've had lately.

This was my first time trying odolgalbi, and it comes lightly seasoned already, so it tastes great even eaten plain. It had a texture somewhat like cartilage.

Sides: griddle fried eggs, mul naengmyeon and doenjang jjigae

We ordered the fried eggs as a side and it exceeded expectations. Five fried eggs come out on a hot griddle, salty and moreish — I kept reaching for more.

You have to order the mul naengmyeon. It was tastier than plenty of dedicated naengmyeon restaurants. Even the look of it was impressive.

Eating it alongside the pork belly was a real treat.

The doenjang jjigae had a nice spicy kick that paired well with rice. Definitely try the doenjang jjigae too — it's great with rice. Overall, the side dishes at Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon all seemed to be really well made.

By the entrance there's a slushie machine for dessert, which is great after a meal. Loved this little touch for dessert!!

Is Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon worth it? Final verdict

If you're looking for a great pork belly restaurant for a group dinner in Gwangju, I'd recommend Sangnok Hoegwan Yeontan-gui Taejeon Branch in Taejeon-dong. The parking lot is spacious so parking is easy, and it's such good value that you can eat here without any worry!!