American pizza pub drive date at Isu Station: macaroni slice, Raymond

I was looking for a pizza place with a good vibe near Isu Station, so my boyfriend and I made it a drive date and went to Raymond Isu Branch (레이몬드 이수점). Every time I passed this spot it had been empty for a while and I kept wondering what would move in. Then a proper American pizza pub, Raymond, opened there! I'd heard it's already famous in Hongdae, so the moment I saw it had opened, I went.

Raymond Isu Branch location and opening hours

Raymond Isu Branch is at 33 Dongjak-daero 23-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor (Sadang-dong). It's open daily 11:00–23:00 with last order at 22:30. It's near the Isu Station eating alley, so it wasn't hard to find.

What's the atmosphere like for a date?

The exterior has a proper American feel and really catches your eye. A blue and red color combo plus a vintage mood gives it a bit of a pizza-place-in-a-New-York-alley feeling. The lighting isn't too bright either, so it's a great mood for a date.

Raymond is known for American-style slice pizza and craft beer. They say the pizza is made with care using an unusual hand-tossed method~

The pizza is huge in person, haha. Even the look is different from the pizza you normally know.

Raymond Isu Branch self bar

One thing I liked was the self bar, where you can freely use sauces, tissues and more.

Maybe because Raymond is famous for its beer, people at every table were drinking beer~

Raymond Isu Branch menu

Click the photos to enlarge the menu!

What's in the ₩49,900 Ray Set?

After some deliberation, we ordered the Ray Set (₩49,900) at Raymond Isu Branch. It's a set for 2–3 people, and the moment I saw what's in it, I knew we had to order it!

Small plates come as stainless steel plates, and the water is a nutty-tasting tea. I grabbed it from the self bar, haha.

Ta-da, the pizza set arrives!! The Ray Set comes with one slice of every pizza on the menu, 4 slices in total, plus sausage, truffle fries and assorted sauces, and the table gets completely full. The second the food arrived I gasped at how it looked, haha.

The pizza size was truly enormous. Since it's American-style slice pizza, a single slice is huge. A half-pie turned out much bigger than I expected, so I took a photo comparing it with my hand, and it was far bigger than my hand, which made me laugh. Don't think of a regular size at an ordinary pizza place!

The pizzas that day were four kinds: cheese, pepperoni, bacon Hawaiian and macaroni, and each had a totally different charm.

Sausage and truffle fries

The sausage that came with the Ray Set was totally satisfying too. The juices burst out as soon as I cut into it, and it's salty with a rich meaty flavor, so I kept reaching for more. I bet it's perfect beer food! Next time I'll definitely have it with craft beer.

The truffle fries were better than expected too. A strong truffle aroma can be overwhelming, but the truffle fries at Raymond Isu Branch have a subtle, not-too-much scent that goes perfectly with pizza. The potatoes were crispy as well, so once you start eating them you can't stop.

How did the 4 pizzas taste?

Cheese pizza

The first one I ate was the plain cheese pizza, and I was surprised at how good it was. They say if the basic menu item is good, you can trust the place. The cheese flavor is very rich and it pairs well with the dough, so with the first bite I thought, this place is the real deal.

Pepperoni pizza

The pepperoni pizza is salty with a rich cheese taste, exactly the American pizza feel. It's punchy and keeps you reaching for more, so I think it'd be amazing with beer. The next table was all eating theirs with craft beer and I was weirdly jealous, haha.

Bacon Hawaiian pizza

The bacon Hawaiian pizza is a must for anyone who likes sweet-and-salty! I'm not really a fan of pineapple on pizza, but Raymond's bacon Hawaiian goes so well with the bacon that it was much tastier than I expected. The sweetness meeting the salty bacon is quietly addictive.

Macaroni pizza (the most memorable)

Personally, the most memorable was the macaroni pizza. At first I thought, macaroni on a pizza? But when I tried it, the thick, gooey cheese and the macaroni texture go together so well. It has a bit of an American home-cooking feel, and since you rarely get this style at ordinary pizza places, it stuck with me even more. Really like a pizza from an American movie!

Is Raymond Isu Branch worth it for a date or pizza and beer?

Overall I was very happy with everything from the atmosphere to the food quality! I really liked being able to get proper American-style pizza in Isu. It didn't feel like just eating pizza; it felt like I'd enjoyed the whole American pizza pub vibe.

It's great as a date spot and also a good mood for pizza and beer with friends, so I think I'll be thinking of it often. If you're looking for a pizza place with a good atmosphere near Isu Station, or somewhere good for pizza and beer, I recommend Raymond Isu Branch :)