Makchang special at Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae, a Gyeongju BBQ restaurant

When you're traveling around Gyeongju, sometimes you want a place to eat comfortably that isn't right in Hwangnidang-gil or packed around the famous sights. This time I visited Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae in Hyeongok, Gyeongju, for dinner, where I could try both dwitgogi (pork neck trimmings) and makchang (grilled pork intestines) together.

I ordered the makchang special, 300g of makchang, and a dwitgogi platter, and paired all that with steamed egg, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup). Let me walk through what to order if you'd rather mix a few different meats than just pick one.

Where is Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae and what are its hours?

Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is located at 548-14 Yongdam-ro, Hyeongok-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 16:40 to 23:00. Last order is at 21:30, and it's closed every Monday.

The hours work well for an evening visit, so it was a good stop after wrapping up a day in Gyeongju. It's worth checking the closed day and last order time before you go — since last order is 9:30 pm, give yourself a comfortable buffer if you're coming late.

What is the dining room at Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae like?

The interior has the typical grill-your-own-meat restaurant feel, comfortable and unpretentious. While it's nice to find atmospheric restaurants when traveling, on a Gyeongju trip I also end up looking for places like this that are easy to just walk into and eat.

You order your meat and grill it piece by piece at the table, which makes for a relaxed, slow meal while chatting with your group. Ordering several types of meat in particular means you get to compare textures and flavors instead of just eating one thing the whole time.

Makchang special: makchang 300g plus a dwitgogi platter

Before the makchang arrived, there was a good spread of basic side dishes and dipping sauces to choose from according to taste.

What caught my eye first this meal was the makchang. If you like makchang for its distinctive savory flavor, it's the menu item you always seek out at a Korean BBQ place.

I grilled it on the pan until golden brown, flipping it bit by bit as the outside cooked, then tasted a piece once it was done to my liking.

The key with makchang is that savory flavor coming alive as the outside browns nicely. There's also a chewy texture that gives a different feel from eating plain meat. If you're visiting with friends who like makchang, ordering it alongside dwitgogi to share is a good combo.

What does the dwitgogi platter taste like?

The dwitgogi platter at Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae has slightly different textures depending on the cut, which makes grilling it fun. Putting it on the pan and cooking it until golden gave a flavor clearly different from the makchang.

Going back and forth between makchang's chewy, savory texture and dwitgogi's leaner flavor kept the meal from getting boring. If you like ordering multiple menu items at BBQ places, mixing your main meats like this is a good approach.

Steamed egg and doenjang jjigae on the side

Along with the meat, I also ordered steamed egg and doenjang jjigae at Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae. The steamed egg had a soft texture that paired well between bites of meat. When you're eating meat continuously, you start craving something warm and soft, and the steamed egg filled that role.

The doenjang jjigae was also a solid basic dish to eat alongside the meat. Pairing grilled meat with rice and doenjang jjigae makes for a hearty meal, so it's worth ordering if you're stopping by for dinner.

Finishing with mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles)

After eating enough meat, I finished with mul naengmyeon. There's something refreshing about a cool bite of naengmyeon after grilled meat that cleans up your palate.

Especially after eating both makchang and dwitgogi, finishing with mul naengmyeon at the end suited the meal well as a closer. If you're the type who likes ordering steamed egg, doenjang jjigae, and naengmyeon together as a full meal rather than just meat, keep this in mind.

Looking for a BBQ restaurant in Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju?

Many people looking for BBQ restaurants in Gyeongju tend to check out Seonggeon-dong first. If you can travel a bit further, widening your search to the Hyeongok area is also a good option.

Rather than deciding on meals only around tourist sites according to your itinerary, looking for places to eat along your route can lead you to another kind of Gyeongju restaurant. This was a good spot to check out when you want to eat dwitgogi and makchang together, or share several meat menus.

Final verdict on Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae

This time I ordered the makchang special, makchang 300g, and dwitgogi platter, along with steamed egg, doenjang jjigae, and mul naengmyeon. What stuck with me from this combination was being able to enjoy makchang's chewy, savory texture alternating with dwitgogi's leaner flavor.

If you prefer ordering several menu items rather than just one type of meat, this kind of combination is worth trying. If you're looking for somewhere to grill meat for dinner in Hyeongok, Gyeongju, Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is worth checking out — noting it down as a solid Hyeongok BBQ spot for when you want a hearty meat meal during a Gyeongju trip.

A Hyeongok, Gyeongju BBQ restaurant where I enjoyed makchang's chewy texture alongside dwitgogi's leaner flavor, plus a hearty spread of side dishes.