Seongsu eel BBQ buffet as good as Namyangju's best: Songnim Bok

What is Songnim Bok Jangeo Seongsu Branch?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch (송림복장어 민물장어 무한리필 성수직영점) is an all-you-can-eat freshwater eel restaurant in Seongdong, Seoul. Besides charcoal-grilled eel, you also get unlimited pork belly and chicken neck for ₩29,900 per person 🐷🐔

It's a buffet, but the eel quality is really good and I enjoyed it so much that I highly recommend it 👏

• Location: 148 Seongdeokjeong-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:50–23:00

The restaurant is near Seongsu 119 and Seongsu Small Theater 🌟 If you come by bus, it drops you almost right in front 🚌!!

Atmosphere and wait times at Songnim Bok Jangeo

The ventilation is good, so I didn't have to worry about smoke clinging to my clothes 😃 But the place is on the small side, so if seats fill up fast there may be a wait!

Songnim Bok Jangeo unlimited eel prices and menu

The unlimited buffet is ₩29,900 for adults and ₩14,000 for elementary school children, plus a ₩3,000 per person table setting fee (children excluded). Meals on the menu include eel soup, yukgaejang, galbitang, buckwheat makguksu and spicy ramyeon.

What's included in the unlimited eel buffet

• Unlimited, adult: ₩29,900
• Unlimited, child (elementary school): ₩14,000
• Table setting fee (children excluded): ₩3,000 per person

Meals and extra dishes

• Eel soup: ₩10,000
• Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup): ₩10,000
• Buckwheat makguksu (cold noodles, broth or spicy): ₩9,000
• Galbitang (short rib soup): ₩10,000
• Spicy ramyeon: ₩5,000

Takeout eel is ₩35,000 (650g after trimming, 2 free sauces), and extra ginger is ₩1,000 ✨️

You get 2 hours, which is plenty of time to eat slowly 😋

How does the self-service bar work?

The self-service bar has side dishes plus freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck 🌶 At first the staff set up the meat for you, and after that you can fetch only the meat you want more of from the bar 👍

I liked that you can take as much as you want without feeling awkward 😁 They also set out the side dishes for you ✨️

Here come the freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck 🐖

How does charcoal-grilled freshwater eel taste here?

The charcoal here is real hardwood charcoal, and the heat is great 🔥 The eel turned golden brown quickly!!

Look at that gorgeous color~ 😋

Wow, honestly, since it's an unlimited buffet I didn't expect much flavor, but it was really good 👍 It made my top three of all the eel restaurants I've tried!! 👏

There's a super famous eel place in the Namyangju area, and this was about as good as that, haha

Eel tail for a stamina boost

The eel tail too, yum~~! I've been drinking a lot lately and I'm so worn out, so I'm recharging with eel tail, haha 😋

Best sides for eel: shredded ginger and green onion kimchi

Put the shredded ginger tossed in teriyaki sauce on the eel and yum~ When ginger meets eel, the taste gets clean and fresh 🌼

The green onion kimchi (pakimchi) is the kicker here 🌶 It's pungent and a little spicy, which keeps you from getting tired of the eel so you can keep eating 👍

When the fire weakens, tell the owner and they'll add more charcoal 🔥

Eat, fetch more, eat again 😚 My younger sibling who came with me also raved about how good it was, haha

How good is the unlimited pork belly?

Once you've filled up on eel a bit, move on to the pork belly~ 🐷

The pork belly here is good quality too 👍 It holds its juices well and didn't taste like buffet quality at all 🍖

This is a place I'd like to come back to with my parents ✨️ I'd also recommend it for group gatherings, family meals and foreign visitors 😊