Naver booking for two at Anmin, a Bongmyeong-dong BBQ spot in Cheongju

A friend in Cheongju told me the pork at Anmin's Yulryang branch was genuinely amazing, so I'd been curious ever since haha. This time I went to the Bongmyeong branch of Anmin Cheongju! My friend said the samgyeopsal (pork belly) was best at the Yulryang branch, but the pork neck here was insane,, lol.

There was a waiting line even on a weekday evening, and the staff grilled everything for us from start to finish, which made for a really comfortable meal — a great Bongmyeong-dong, Cheongju BBQ spot :)

Where is Anmin Cheongju, and what are its hours?

Name: Anmin Cheongju / Address: 40 Deogam-ro 12beon-gil, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, 1st floor. It's tucked in a back alley of Bongmyeong-dong. The exterior looks clean, and there's space to park a car out front.

Open 4:30pm–11pm. Check Naver Place for closed days before visiting :)

Weekday evenings have a wait: why booking on Naver helps

We booked a weekday 7:30pm slot and went haha. This place takes Naver reservations, so I'd definitely recommend booking ahead!

I went on a weekday evening. I figured it'd be a bit more relaxed since it was a weekday, but there were already people waiting when I arrived. Waiting is managed through the tableling system at the entrance! Whether it's a weekday or weekend, if you're planning a dinner-time visit, I'd recommend reserving ahead haha.

A tent outside the restaurant

There's also a spacious waiting area inside the restaurant! A lot of places don't have anywhere to wait, so having comfortable seats to sit and wait was great,, top marks bb

How many cars can park at Anmin Cheongju?

There's space for about 4 cars in front of the restaurant. If that's full, you'll need to park along the roadside or in the alleys of the residential area in front of the building.

What the 41,000 won half-pig set includes for two

Ordering was easy via the kiosk at the table! Grilled meat requires a minimum of 3 servings for the first order, and additional orders can be made by the serving.

• Half-pig set — 41,000 won
• Crab doenjang stew — 6,000 won

Since there were two of us, we ordered the half-pig set and added the crab doenjang stew :) My friend said the pork belly was the tasty one at the other branch, but I was so looking forward to the thick pork neck that we went with the set — and the pork neck was insane! You have to try the pork neck, please.

Inside Anmin Cheongju: seating and atmosphere

The interior felt cleaner and calmer than a typical Korean BBQ place. With dark-toned interiors and spaces divided using bamboo and stone, the tables didn't feel cramped despite being close together. The restaurant uses an entire building, so it's very spacious with lots of tables — great for a work dinner or gathering if you're after a Bongmyeong-dong pork restaurant.

At BBQ places, smell and cleanliness are always a concern, but overall it felt well managed and tidy.

The restrooms are inside the restaurant and separated by gender, which was convenient. They were kept clean inside too — a small detail, but one I appreciated :)

Side dishes and the sauces served with the pork

Once seated, a full spread of side dishes comes out! Lettuce, peppers, garlic, kimchi, pickled vegetables, and shredded scallions — the lineup was quite varied. There were several sauces to go with the meat too — shiitake wasabi sauce, cream sauce, salted shrimp, salt, spicy powder, soybean powder — so it was fun mixing and matching haha. The shredded scallions especially went great with the meat and helped cut through the richness now and then.

Staff grill the meat from start to finish

Since there were two of us, we ordered the half-pig set to try a variety — pork belly + pork neck + pork skin. Along with the meat came grillable vegetables like mushrooms, eggplant, and garlic scapes. One of the most convenient things about Anmin is that a staff member grills the meat for you from start to finish. Professional grilling service!!

Good meat + professional grilling = can't-go-wrong formula, right?

They grill the thick cuts and slice them into bite-sized pieces for you, so we just waited comfortably and ate haha. A cold draft beer while we waited.

Once grilled, the meat wasn't left on the grill but moved to a spot that keeps it warm separately.

So it never overcooked or burned, and we could eat slowly while it stayed warm :) My friend said the pork belly was tastier at the Yulryang branch, but for me, the pork neck here was genuinely the best.

How juicy is the pork neck at Anmin Cheongju?

It's such a shame photos can't capture how juicy this was ㅠㅠ Even sliced thick, it was never dry — incredibly tender. One bite and the juices burst out; I didn't know pork neck could be this soft lol. I usually prefer pork belly over pork neck, but that day I kept reaching for the neck.

The pork belly was of course savory and delicious too, but if I go back, I think I'd go for the pork neck first haha.

Pork skin in the set, dipped in soybean powder

The set also comes with pork skin. It's grilled by the staff too, and it's scored finely so the texture is great.

It was fine plain, but it really shone dipped generously in soybean powder lol. Finishing the meal with pork skin after all that meat made the whole set feel really satisfying!!

Hwang doenjang stew, 6,000 won on the side

Doenjang stew (soybean paste soup) is a must with BBQ, so we ordered the crab doenjang stew too! And honestly, this stew was genuinely delicious,,! It was packed with tofu and had a generous amount of ingredients. The crab had zero frozen-crab fishy taste, and the broth was rich yet refreshing — perfect for a spoonful between bites of meat haha. Eating this when you're feeling a bit greasy from the meat basically calls for another bottle of soju! It was way better than expected, so I'd definitely order this again next time :)

Is Anmin Cheongju worth it? Final verdict

This is already a famous Bongmyeong-dong restaurant, but I went on the recommendation of a local Cheongju friend. Having the meat fully grilled for us by a pro was such a convenience, and above all, the pork neck was so tender and juicy that it's what I remember most!!! It really was that good.. Given there was a wait even on a weekday evening, I'd recommend booking ahead if you're planning a dinner visit :)