Old-school eel buffet in Seongsu, Seoul on a Friday night: Songnim Bok

Today I'm posting about a real Seongsu local favorite I'm recommending as an actual resident — Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel, Seongsu Branch.

You can enjoy eel, pork belly, and chicken neck all at once, and since it's all-you-can-eat you can really eat your fill. Best of all, it had that genuine neighborhood-restaurant vibe, totally different from Seongsu's other hip hotspots.

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo Seongsu Branch, and what are its hours?

• Location: 148 Seongdeokjeong-gil, 1st floor, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:50 AM–11:00 PM (no break time)
• Reservations: Available by phone
• Extra: One free bottle of bokbunja wine per order
• Parking: Sun Building parking lot (3-minute walk), ₩3,000/hour

A neighborhood old-timer, not a Seongsu hotspot: first impressions outside

Doesn't this just scream real Seongsu local restaurant, haha. Great atmosphere from the outside too. On a Friday after work, deciding what to eat, I finally went to Songnim Bok Jangeo, the place that was always packed whenever I walked by in the neighborhood.

Nope!! I don't usually go to buffet restaurants often, but the reason I visited Songnim Bok Jangeo's Seongsu buffet was exactly this: you can enjoy eel and pork belly at the same time 💖. What an amazing combo,,

What the 29,000-won all-you-can-eat adult set includes

I ordered the all-you-can-eat adult set (29,000 won) for two, and they brought out perfectly heated charcoal

The side dishes came out really neatly arranged too. That yellow ginger is a staple at eel restaurants — since they take out some of the spiciness, it's not too spicy and it's memorable, haha. Even the side dishes felt so local. I've lived in Seongsu for over 5 years now, and I'd always been curious about this place since it was always full of older locals.

Inside Songnim Bok Jangeo: seating and round charcoal tables

The inside was spacious with plenty of seats. The tables were round old-school tables that added to the atmosphere. I was really looking forward to that classic Seongsu old-restaurant feeling.

One free bottle of bokbunja wine per table

Wow,,,,, I didn't know this going in, but this is how generous Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel is. When we ordered, they gave us this bottle of bokbunja wine free, one per table. An eel restaurant giving out bokbunja for free,,,,!!!! Never heard of such a thing!! 'ㅁ' 👍🏻🫶🏻 And it was delicious too

Eel, pork belly and chicken neck on one grill

Ta-da, the first menu item comes out like this — eel + pork belly + chicken neck (a specialty cut), truly a solid combo!

The pork belly and chicken neck specialty cut looked pretty good, and honestly the specialty cut part looked a little strange to me at first, haha, but it,,, tasted better than I expected, so I refilled it 3 times...

Is the eel any good at a buffet? Plus how to grill it right

I wondered whether the eel quality would really be good at a buffet-style eel restaurant in Seongsu — but wow!!!!!! It was genuinely fresh, with plump, thick eel meat that looked satisfying just to look at.

I grilled the eel carefully, and it actually took longer to cook than the meat. You grill it yourself, but the charcoal is extremely hot right at first, so you have to be careful grilling. The first batch got the eel skin slightly charred, so from the second batch on I grilled very carefully, haha haha. The genuinely local-restaurant vibe actually made the whole atmosphere even better at Songnim Bok Jangeo.. 🤟🏼

Can you see how plump the eel is,, it was so fresh I kept being amazed even while grilling it.

To keep the flow going, once the eel was cooked enough, we added the pork belly on top to grill together. If you want to eat eel and pork belly together in Seongsu, this is honestly a spread worth cheering for, haha haha. Really satisfying.

We grilled the chicken neck too, making it a triple combo. The pork belly was also full of juice, so it doubled the satisfaction — nourishing myself with eel plus filling up on meat.

Yes,, I felt it while eating. This is why all the Seongsu elders were always packed in here!!!! A genuinely certified local favorite.

The eel's chewy texture was so good on its own that I didn't even need to dip it in sauce. The pork belly, dipped in salt, exploded with savory flavor in one bite. Wrapped with the myeongi-namul (wild garlic leaves) and lettuce side dishes, it was pure bliss...true friendship.

Refills at the self-serve bar, and the environmental fee to watch for

After finishing a plate, you can pick out just what you want to refill and grab more yourself. No need to ask staff — there's a self-serve bar set up so you can just take as much as you want. But there's an environmental fee, so take some sense and only grab as much as you'll actually eat!!!

Final verdict on Songnim Bok Jangeo in Seongsu

If you want to nourish yourself properly in Seongsu or eat your fill of eel and meat, Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch is the spot — I'd definitely go back 💚