Ansan all-you-can-eat eel restaurant for families: Songnim Bok Jangeo

I know eel is a healthy, high-protein food, but it is not something we get to eat often at home because the kids do not like it. If we eat it at home, I have to prepare separate food for the kids, and if we eat out, there is usually not much for them to eat. But this place has unlimited eel along with pork belly and chicken neck meat, so I went with the kids to Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Branch (송림복장어 민물장어 무한리필 안산시청점).

We arrived a little early on a weekday evening, around 5:30, as a family of four—my husband, our two elementary-school children, and me. The restaurant was quiet at first, but after 6, customers began coming in one by one.

Inside the restaurant and seating for family gatherings

Once inside, I found it much more spacious than I expected. There were several table layouts, so it seemed fine for a family visit, and its size also made it look like a good spot for group get-togethers or company dinners.

Beyond the seats visible from the entrance, there were plenty more tables farther inside. If you are looking for a place for a group dinner in Gojan-dong, it seemed like a solid option for a larger party too.

As time passed, quite a lot of customers came in, so I think it gets busier around dinner time.

All-you-can-eat prices and how it works

• Adults: ₩29,900 per person, plus a ₩3,000 table-setting fee
• Children: ₩14,000
• There were meal dishes too, including eel soup, yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), and galbitang (beef short-rib soup).
• They are open for lunch as well.

At first, the staff bring one serving each of eel, pork belly, and chicken neck meat. After that, you can use the self-service bar.

And when you order the unlimited menu, they also give you bokbunja ju (Korean black raspberry wine) as a complimentary service. This was such an unexpected bonus! A glass of bokbunja ju with eel turned out to be a much better match than I expected. I think eel lovers would really like this pairing.

The self-service bar was neatly organized, and it was convenient to take only what we needed. Since it is all-you-can-eat, I also liked being able to help ourselves to as much as we wanted instead of having to keep asking the staff for more.

Plump, tender eel

We started by grilling the eel I had been most looking forward to. The eel was nice and plump, and it looked so appetizing once it was cooked. Eel is best when it is thick and tender, and this one had a satisfyingly firm texture without being tough—it was soft to chew.

It was golden on the outside and moist inside, delicious on its own and also great with sauce or side dishes. 🤍 The baekgimchi (mild white kimchi) was really good, so be sure to wrap some eel in it too. The kids said it was tasty and ate it well with the meat.

More than anything, I think the biggest advantage of all-you-can-eat is being able to keep eating as much eel as you want. At a typical eel restaurant, the price makes you wonder, “Should we have just a little more?” after one platter. Here, there is no such pressure, so you can eat as much as you like. I think it would suit anyone looking for unlimited eel in Gojan-dong.

We grilled another platter. And with the fantastically perfect match of bokbunja ju—ahhh~!

Chicken neck meat that was perfect for the kids

And the chicken neck meat was unexpectedly, incredibly delicious! Honestly, when I heard “chicken neck meat,” I imagined just a small amount of meat clinging around the bones. But there was much more meat than expected, and it was lightly seasoned, so it tasted great grilled. It had a pleasantly chewy texture but was not tough, and I kept reaching for more.

It was especially a total hit with my younger child. This is a child who spits out anything even slightly tough, but kept eating the chicken neck meat saying it was delicious. At one point, they even said, “I wish we could come here every day just to eat this.” Haha—wanting to come to an eel restaurant every day for chicken! 😅 My older child had pork belly, and the younger one had chicken neck meat. Thanks to that, the kids ate until they were full and we got to properly enjoy the eel.

Since eel is naturally a pricier food, it can sometimes feel a little burdensome as a family meal out. Being able to eat eel all-you-can-eat like this makes it an appealing setup for eel lovers. And because it is not just eel—you can grill pork belly and chicken neck meat too—it was much easier to visit with the kids.

If your family has hesitated over an eel dinner out because the kids do not eat eel well, like ours, this is a place worth trying. Especially for big eaters and eel lovers, unlimited eel is seriously great value ⭐ I was so excited to have eel for the first time in a while that I ate more than I expected, haha. Thinking back, I could have eaten a little less—I was absolutely stuffed.

On the way out after eating our fill, the sky was beautifully tinged with mysterious colors, so I headed home with a full stomach and a happy heart. If you are looking for a hearty family meal or a place for a group dinner in Gojan-dong, Songnim Bok Jangeo, a good Ansan City Hall-area eel restaurant for dining out with kids, is one to keep in mind.