Gwangju eel BBQ, tablet grill tips & a ₩40,000 eel: Deokeun Jangeo
In short
Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch is a butcher-shop-style freshwater eel market and restaurant on Haseo-ro in Buk-gu, Gwangju, next to Honam Regional Rehabilitation Hospital. On a weekday around 7pm, two diners picked a 40,000 won prepped eel at the first-floor seafood counter, grilled it themselves in the second-floor restaurant using the table tablet's grilling tips, wrapped it in pickled radish slices and took the leftover eel home. With live eel at 29,000 won per kg, a large parking lot and a clean new building, Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch is a good-value spot for a hearty eel meal.
Good to know
- Location
- 1st floor, 596 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju (right next to Honam Regional Rehabilitation Hospital)
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 20:30)
- Live eel
- ₩29,000 per 1kg (about 600g after cleaning)
- Table setting fee
- Adults ₩4,000 / elementary school age and under ₩2,000
- Meals
- Eel soup (jangeotang) ₩9,000, cold noodles (mul or bibim naengmyeon) ₩6,000, eel patty (jangeo tteokgalbi) ₩3,500 and more
- How it works
- Buy and pay for eel at the 1st-floor seafood counter, then grill it yourself in the 2nd-floor restaurant in the next building; table fee and meals are paid at the end
- Amenities
- Groups welcome, takeout available, waiting area and parking lot
- Public transport
- Bus stop right beside the building, 1 minute on foot
- Price reference
- ₩40,000 ≈ $30 · ₩29,000 ≈ $22 · ₩4,000 ≈ $3 (2026-10-24)
as written by the visitor on Jun 6, 2026
My energy has been dropping lately, so I went looking for a stamina-boosting meal and found a Gwangju eel place with top quality and kind prices: Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch (더큰장어 본점) in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Having gone in person, I totally understand why it's so busy. I was amazed by the value and the taste, so here's my honest review in detail!
Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch location and opening hours
Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch is at 596 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 1st floor, right next to Honam Regional Rehabilitation Hospital. It's open daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 20:30), takes groups, offers takeout, and has a waiting area and a parking lot.
The clean, grand exterior of Deokeun Jangeo
It's a big new building, and the scale was no joke from the outside.
There's a bus stop right beside the building, just 1 minute away 👍👍
Is parking easy at Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch?
Parking was what I liked most. The dedicated ramp up to the lot is wide and pleasant, so bringing a car is super easy ☺️ The whole place feels clean, grand and no-fuss, so my impression was that it's perfect for a family meal or taking your parents!!
Weekday evening wait and how the pick-and-grill system works
I went around 7pm on a weekday, and like any popular place there was already a small wait! I quickly registered at the waiting machine and waited in the waiting area. The restaurant is huge and turns tables fast, so we got in sooner than expected 👌 Deokeun Jangeo has a slightly unusual butcher-shop-style (jeongyuk sikdang) setup!
- In the waiting area (the seafood counter), pick fresh eel from the showcase and pay!
- Carry your paid eel to the 2nd-floor restaurant in the next building!
- Get assigned a table and grill it yourself
- Table setting fee and extra meal items are paid afterward on your way out, and that's it!
You take your paid eel to the 2nd-floor restaurant in the next building, get a table assigned, and grill it yourself.
Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch menu and prices
Live eel here is ₩29,000 per 1kg (600g after prep), and the table setting fee is ₩4,000 for adults. Looking at the menu, I thought the value was crazy..😲
- Table setting fee: adults ₩4,000 / elementary school age and under ₩2,000
- Meals: eel soup ₩9,000, cold noodles (mul or bibim) ₩6,000, eel patty (tteokgalbi) ₩3,500, etc.
- Live eel at ₩29,000 per 1kg (600g after prep), an absurd price!
I heard they run their own antibiotic-free farms in Muan, Yeongam and other areas, which cuts distribution margins and makes this price possible. They only handle native Korean Japonica eel, so my trust shot up!
A ₩40,000 prepped eel for two: how it tasted
We picked a ₩40,000 prepped eel we liked from the showcase and headed upstairs. Seeing how pale and plump the eel was, I was drooling before it even hit the grill 😋
Once we sat down, side dishes that pair perfectly with eel were neatly set out: wrap greens, seasoned chives, white kimchi, myeongi (wild garlic-like) greens, ginger and more. You can refill whatever runs out at the self-bar without feeling awkward, which was so nice.
Even on a weekday evening, the big 2nd-floor dining room was completely packed, and the energy was amazing!
How to grill eel well: the table tablet tips
Each table has a tablet showing friendly "tips for grilling eel well," so even beginners can do it without trouble! Start with the skin side down, take it off after 30 seconds, then sprinkle on pink salt!
Grill both sides golden, then line the pieces up vertically to finish cooking, and you're done.
I dipped a crispy, juicy piece in the sauce and wrapped it in a radish slice (mussam)... wow, crunchy outside, moist and chewy inside, honestly moving!! No fishy smell at all, just richness, and I couldn't put my chopsticks down 😂 We even took the leftovers to go.. perfect!!!!
Is Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch worth a return visit?
Usually at an eel place you brace for a thinner wallet, right? But at Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch, two of us got a stamina meal and left full, with record-breaking value!
Being a new building, everything from parking to the interior is clean, and the quality of the meat is top-notch, so I was very satisfied. If you want high-quality eel at a good price, I absolutely recommend it! I'm 100% coming back, of course! 💯
Where it is
596 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, South Korea (1st floor)광주광역시 북구 하서로 596 1층
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