Yuseong, Daejeon restaurant: 8pm octopus set and iced burdock tea

This time I visited Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch, located in Yuseong, Daejeon. It's a set menu that comes with both fire-grilled octopus stir-fry and gorgonzola pizza, so it was hearty enough for a full meal. After eating, they also give you a drink and light snacks, so you can wrap up everything — meal to dessert — in one place! If you're looking for a family outing or gathering spot near Sutonggol, this was a place worth a visit. Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch review, start!

Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch: location, hours and parking

Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch is on the 1st floor of 238-34 Wongyesan-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, open daily 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:30). Free parking is available right in front of the restaurant.

🗒 Menu — Order any 2-person set and get one wood-fired pizza free (choice of pepperoni or gorgonzola)

What comes in the 35,800-won octopus stir-fry set for two?

Boksakkot has a spacious dining room and a lot of extra service, so let's start with the most important thing — the menu.

Owner's order 🐙 🍕 — Fire-grilled octopus stir-fry set for two: ₩35,800 (with gorgonzola pizza choice)

Order the 2-person set and one handmade wood-fired pizza comes free. About 10 minutes after ordering, a cute robot delivers it.

The basic side dishes are also generous. The salad is refreshing between bites, and the mukjeori (acorn jelly in cold broth) was especially cool and tangy — perfect for spooning up throughout the meal.

Since the main dish is octopus over rice, they also give you a big mixing bowl.

Gorgonzola pizza and fire-grilled octopus stir-fry.

How spicy is spice level 2 on the fire-grilled octopus?

The fire-grilled octopus had a subtle smoky char, the sauce leaned sweet-spicy, and the octopus itself wasn't chewy at all — nice and springy texture. I ordered level 2, and for a spice wimp like me it was just mildly spicy — eating it with the gorgonzola pizza mellowed the heat even further, making it go down even easier.

Mixing the rice in with the sauce let the octopus seasoning soak into every grain, making the flavor much richer. The savory crumbled seaweed and the crunch of the vegetables stayed alive too, so mixing it definitely tasted better than eating the octopus alone. The sauce is generous enough that a whole bowl of rice disappears fast!

The free gorgonzola wood-fired pizza that comes with the set

The gorgonzola pizza had soft, savory cheese with a subtle sweetness that paired really well with the spicy octopus stir-fry. Alternating bites gave that spicy-sweet-salty combo that never got tiring. The cheese was piled on generously enough to stretch into long strings, so it looked amazing from the first slice, haha. The dough wasn't too thick either — just chewy enough — making it a perfect side to pick up between bites of octopus!

Restaurant size, waiting time and the kids' room

Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch is a fairly large restaurant. It's tucked a bit past Hanbat National University, so coming by car is definitely more convenient than public transit.

There's a café-looking building right in front of the restaurant — I'll get into that in more detail later!

Waiting seats are located at the restaurant entrance. Thanks to the great value for the price, families tend to flock here during lunch/dinner peak hours, but even with a wait, you can wait comfortably.

You register for waiting through the Tabling kiosk out front! I visited around 8pm, and the waiting machine was off by then.

They accept Ontong Daejeon along with various gift cards and pay methods, so keep that in mind.

True to the size of the building, the interior is enormous too (I only photographed part of it). Easily big enough for groups from four people up to large parties.

There's also a kids' room in addition to high chairs, so parents can eat comfortably. (There were clear signs the kids had swept through it already...)

Point 1. The 1,000-won-per-table self-bar

Boksakkot has a self-bar set up in the center of the restaurant. For ₩1,000 per table regardless of headcount, you get unlimited drinks and can also grab extra rice and seaweed soup.

Extra side dishes are also self-serve!!

On one side, you can also buy ice cream and nostalgic retro snacks. Ice cream is sometimes given out for review events, so keep that in mind if you're bringing kids.

Point 2. Free takeout drinks after the meal, including iced burdock tea

The second perk at Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch: a free takeout drink!!

After paying for your meal, just tell them which drink you'd like from the menu board and they'll make it on the spot. You can enjoy this drink in the café or terrace next door.

Since I visited at night, I ordered iced perilla root tea and iced chocolate! After the spicy octopus stir-fry, something sweet was exactly what I craved, and having it right there in the restaurant, free of charge, was such a nice touch.

Point 3. The free café space and retro snacks next door

You can enjoy your takeout drink in the café out front — the same space I mentioned earlier! It's not a café that sells its own drinks, but more of a lounge space where diners can relax after their meal.

Inside, there are large tables set up too, making it a good fit for family gatherings or group visits. On one side, there was a nice variety of light desserts and snacks to enjoy after the meal, so you can handle dessert without going anywhere else! There's also a clean, well-maintained restroom inside.

Is Boksakkot Pineun Jip a good gathering spot near Sutonggol?

Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch felt less like a place for just one quick meal and more like somewhere you can settle in and enjoy everything from dinner to dessert at a relaxed pace. The restaurant itself is spacious with generous spacing between tables, so it seemed like large groups could use it without any trouble — it would suit a company dinner or family gathering quite well! I especially liked that the menu options are varied and you don't need to move anywhere else after eating to wrap things up comfortably. If you're looking for a gathering spot near Sutonggol, this is one I'd recommend giving a try.