Gwangyang eel restaurant: Boknal feast for 6 under ₩150,000, Deokeun
In short
Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch (더큰장어 광양점) is a grilled eel restaurant on Hangman 9-ro in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, where diners pick and pay for their eel on the 1st floor, then grill it in the 2nd-floor dining room. Six people arrived right at the 5pm opening on Jungbok, one of Korea's Boknal summer stamina days, chose the biggest eels, ate until stuffed and paid under ₩150,000, grilling the eel skin-first and then standing the cut pieces upright so they came out crisp outside and moist inside. With naengmyeon (cold noodles) and nurungji (scorched rice) for dessert, Deokeun Jangeo delivers a clean, non-greasy stamina meal.
Good to know
- Address
- Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch, 101 Hangman 9-ro, Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–21:30 (Mon–Fri break 14:00–16:00, last order 20:30)
- Parking
- Plenty of space in the restaurant lot; alley parking also possible
- How it works
- Choose and pay for your eel on the 1st floor, then eat in the 2nd-floor dining room
- Party size and cost
- 6 people, under ₩150,000
- Reservations
- Available on weekdays / not accepted on weekends
- Dessert
- Naengmyeon (cold noodles), nurungji (scorched rice)
- Price reference
- ₩150,000 ≈ $112 (2026-10-05)
as written by the visitor on Aug 4, 2026
If you follow my blog, you know I have a regular spot I run to whenever I crave eel! It's Deokeun Jangeo (더큰장어) in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang. These days, if the plan is eel in Gwangyang, I don't even think twice and just go stamp my attendance here.
Location and parking at Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch
- 🏠 Address | 101 Hangman9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeonnam
- ⏰ Hours | Daily 11:00–21:30 (Mon–Fri break time 14:00–16:00 / last order 20:30)
- 🅿️ Parking | Plenty of space in the restaurant lot (alley parking possible)
The lot in front is very roomy and alley parking is easy too, so it's a perfect place to visit by car without any stress.
Pick your own eel on the 1st floor, then head up to the 2nd
When you arrive, you first choose the eel you like on the 1st floor and pay, then go up to the 2nd-floor dining room. It works like a butcher-shop restaurant. Out of all those eels, our taste was just one thing: we picked the biggest, plumpest ones!
Boknal evening: the restaurant filled up in 30 minutes
As you can see, the inside is very clean, and there are rooms that are great for groups and gatherings. It happened to be Jungbok (a Boknal summer stamina day), so I worried about crowds and arrived right after the 5pm opening. And no lie, in under 30 minutes that huge place was completely full... If we'd been a bit later, we'd have been waiting right away 😭
At our table the basic side dishes were already set out: myeongi-namul (pickled wild garlic-chive leaves), pickled perilla leaves, pickled onion, green onion kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, ssam-mu (pickled radish wraps), fresh vegetables, plus ginger and garlic! They were arranged so both sides of the table could reach them easily.
If you run out of a side dish, just help yourself at the self-serve bar. I personally love myeongi-namul, and it was so nice that the bar was generously stocked with it 💚
Six people stuffed, under ₩150,000
Six of us ate until we were stuffed and it still didn't top ₩150,000! Considering eel prices these days, isn't that great value?
By the way, I was shocked at the actual size of the eel... The grill is by no means small, yet the eel is so thick and big that it sticks out past the edges!
How to grill eel well: skin first
You must grill eel skin-side first! If you put the flesh side down, the heat makes the eel curl up and it gets awkward to cook. Starting with the skin keeps the shape and cooks the inside to a nice golden brown.
3 tips to enjoy it even more
- 1. Salt it the moment it goes on! As soon as the skin touches the grill, sprinkle salt on the flesh side. It seasons the eel and firms up the protein, which helps stop it curling.
- 2. After cutting, grill the pieces standing up! Cut it into bite-size pieces and stand them side by side: the grease drains out, the outside gets crisp and the inside stays moist.
- 3. Soak the ginger strips in the sauce! Leave shredded ginger in the eel sauce beforehand, then put a bit on each piece. It's much cleaner, with no greasiness.
When it looks nicely golden, flip it and cut it into bite-size pieces.
Then stand the pieces up side by side and keep turning them so they don't burn, and you're done! 🔥
Pick up a well-cooked piece, put it on green onion salad or myeongi-namul, dip it in the ginger sauce and wrap it up, and you get a truly blissful smile... You all know the eel and ginger combo without me saying it, right? 🤤
It's also delicious topped with raw garlic, so I kept making wraps.
While eating away, it got a bit hot from the charcoal, so I asked them to take some of the fire out and it cooled down quickly!
Dessert: cold noodles and scorched rice
Eat eel first, and of course you can never skip the cold noodles for dessert!
The noodles were chewy, and the broth washed away the eel grease left in my mouth, so refreshing. 👍
The steaming hot, nutty nurungji (scorched rice soup) also cleared away the grease and was a perfectly clean dessert. From grilled eel to cold noodles to nurungji, it was a perfect finish.
Verdict and tips before you go
I heard they get domestic Japonica eel raised directly at Yongam Susan in Yeongam, Jeonnam, delivered fresh, and no wonder: there was no fishy taste at all, just nutty and clean. My energy had been a bit low lately, so I properly recharged for the first time in a while. I plan to go again soon before the heat is over! 💪
📌 Visit tips
- Weekends: no reservations (I recommend arriving at opening time!)
- Weekdays: reservations possible
- On Boknal or weekend peak times, definitely go early
When you want to properly recharge on plump eel in Jungma-dong, give Deokeun Jangeo a visit!
Where it is
101 Hangman9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeonnam, South Korea전남광주통합특별시 광양시 항만9로 101 더큰장어 광양점
