Palgongsan drive-in BBQ: tortilla and dinner roll combos at Modak

The drive up to Palgongsan is a course in itself

On days when we drive up toward Palgongsan, the mood shifts a little before we even arrive.

Slowly climbing while taking in the mountains and wide sky along the road, the trip to the restaurant itself felt like a drive course.

Modak Texas Barbecue Palgongsan Branch had quite a presence right from the entrance.

The exterior had exotic decorations and photo spots scattered around, so my kid and I ended up wandering around outside for a bit before going straight in.

Driving to take in the Palgongsan scenery and then having a barbecue meal — that flow suited each other pretty well, if I do say so myself, haha.

Interior mood and seating

Inside, the mood was a bit different from the strong Texas vibe outside — cozy, with wood tones throughout.

There were plenty of tables with fairly generous spacing between them, and quite a lot of staff, which made the place feel appropriately large.

It looked like a great spot for families as well as groups getting together.

The atmosphere was distinctly different from a typical Korean BBQ place, and my kid was busy looking around everywhere.

The Memphis Platter: what's in it and how much

The Memphis Platter we ordered (₩75,000) included

• Brisket 150g
• Pulled pork 150g
• Spare ribs 250g
• Fries, salad, coleslaw, tortillas, dinner rolls
• An assortment of barbecue sauces

All three meats come out together at once, along with the sides.

For two adults and one elementary-school kid, the lineup was quite varied, and we also ordered a peach iced tea (₩4,500).

Appetizers - mushroom soup and nachos

Before the main Memphis Platter, nachos with salsa sauce came out first, and that day a smooth mushroom soup arrived as well.

A spoonful of the soup was richer than expected. It went down smoothly with a strong mushroom aroma, warming us up nicely before the barbecue arrived.

The salsa sauce served with the nachos wasn't very spicy — it was closer to a familiar tomato pasta sauce flavor.

Dabbed lightly onto the crispy nachos, it made a perfect little appetizer to nibble on before the main dish arrived.

Spare ribs, brisket, pulled pork - how was the meat?

A little while later, the Memphis Platter arrived at the table. It was definitely more substantial in person than in photos.

At the center sat the brisket, pulled pork and spare ribs, surrounded by fries, salad, buffalo wings, coleslaw, tortillas and dinner rolls.

With a variety of barbecue sauces to choose from as well, I briefly wondered where to even start.

The first thing that caught my eye was the big, hefty spare ribs. When I tried to pick one up, I was genuinely surprised — the meat separated naturally from the bone the moment I lifted it, it was that tender.

This wasn't meat you needed a knife to cut through; just a light touch with a fork made it fall apart along the grain. And it wasn't dry inside either — there was still moisture, so you could taste the smoky flavor along with the juices as you chewed. Personally, out of the three meats, the spare ribs left the strongest impression in terms of texture.

The brisket was even more tender than the ribs — it fell apart just by gripping it — and it had a heavier, richer flavor. It was fine on its own, but a little sauce made it even better.

The pulled pork, true to its name, was shredded finely along the grain, making it the easiest to stuff into tortillas or rolls. Pairing it with coleslaw or pickles in between bites brought in a tangy note that kept the flavor from getting monotonous.

Tortilla wraps and dinner roll burgers - the fun of mixing your own combos

One thing that was even better with a kid along was all the different combinations you could eat.

We'd lay out a tortilla, pile on meat, add salad and sauce, and roll it up,

or split open a dinner roll, stuff in pulled pork and coleslaw, and end up with a little (?) barbecue burger.

It's the same meat, but the flavor changes a bit depending on how you combine it — that was the fun of the Memphis Platter.

My kid seemed to find it fun making her own sandwiches with the bread and meat, and ate quite a lot.

Rather than just eating meat non-stop, putting together different combinations as a family made the whole meal feel much more relaxed.

Self-bar

There was also a self-bar off to one side. You could help yourself to various side dishes and pickles as needed, which was convenient. Eating pickles in between bites of barbecue kept our palates refreshed.

Campfire marshmallows outside after the meal

After finishing the meal and paying, as we were about to leave, they handed us marshmallows and told us we could roast them over the campfire set up outside.

Stepping outside, the outdoor space turned out to be much bigger than we'd noticed on the way in.

There were separate outdoor seats for private use, so on cooler days you could have a meal with a completely different atmosphere from indoors.

When we visited, we were told the private outdoor tables required a party of 3 or more adults, so if you're considering the outdoor seats, check the conditions before your visit.

For my kid, this part might have stuck in her memory even more than the barbecue. She sat in front of the campfire, twirling a marshmallow on a skewer round and round to roast it.

Hold it too close and it burns fast, so keeping a little distance from the flame and turning it slowly got it golden outside and soft inside. We each ate a sweet marshmallow and took a short walk around the outdoor space.

Rather than just eating and heading straight back to the car after coming all the way to Palgongsan, walking around for a bit while smelling the campfire smoke made the whole day feel like it wrapped up the way a camping trip does — and that made it even better.

Overall thoughts

• A barbecue restaurant with a fresh feel, great to pair with a Palgongsan drive
• The Memphis Platter, letting you taste brisket, pulled pork and spare ribs all in one
• Meat that was moist and tender, with bones that separated easily
• The fun of combining your own tortilla and dinner roll creations
• An outdoor space for roasting marshmallows over a campfire after the meal
• And such a pretty view on top of it all!

A drive to take in the Palgongsan scenery, a plate of tender barbecue, and marshmallows roasted over a campfire to finish — if you're wondering where to head out this weekend, wouldn't a family outing like this be pretty great?