Afternoon Korean BBQ date in Euljiro: bone platter, Eulji Baektan

We went to Euljiro for a date, finished our first meal, and were looking for a spot for round two — something light with drinks and a snack.

That's when I remembered a bone barbecue place I'd seen on TV, so we visited Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui (을지백탄뼈구이). From the photos I'd looked up beforehand, it seemed like a portion just right for two people having a drink together. Seeing the actual food changed my mind completely.

Big bones came out piled up like a mountain, and I thought, "We could've just started here for dinner." Soft charcoal-smoked meat plus sweet-spicy sauce — this became a Euljiro restaurant I want to visit first next time.

Where is Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui, and what are the hours?

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is located at 110-2 Eulji-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Seoul, right in front of Exit 11 of Euljiro 3-ga Station. It's open daily from 11:00 to 24:00, last order is at 23:00, and there's no parking.

• Address: 110-2 Eulji-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Seoul
• Location: right in front of Exit 11, Euljiro 3-ga Station
• Hours: daily 11:00–24:00
• Last order: 23:00
• Parking: not available

Being right in front of a subway exit made it easy to get to by public transport. It also worked well on our date route, whether for a meal or drinks.

We visited around 3pm on a weekday. There were lots of other barbecue restaurants nearby, but this place had a hip vibe from the entrance that naturally caught our eye.

Outside, there was a standing sign introducing the signature menu, and by the entrance there was a Catch Table waiting tablet along with chairs for waiting guests. It clearly had a waiting area prepared, as a place that usually has a line.

Open kitchen grilling in front of you, group seating upstairs

The 1st floor of Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is divided into entrance-side seats and about four 4-person tables further in, while the 2nd floor has three 8-person group tables lined up, seating about 24 people together. Inside the 1st floor, the open kitchen where the bones are grilled was right in view.

Walking in, the space was bigger than I expected. There were quite a few seats near the entrance, and right past that was the open kitchen where the bone barbecue is grilled. Watching the meat being grilled right in front of us made the wait fun.

Further inside there were about four more 4-person tables. It felt like a better spot to sit together with your group than the entrance area, so that's where we settled.

There was also a 2nd floor, so we went up to look. Along the stairs hung posters from the TV show Tasty Guys along with autographs from famous celebrities. It really drove home that this was a place featured on TV.

The 2nd floor was spacious with plenty of tables. Three group tables, each seating about eight people, were lined up in a row — enough for a group of about 24 people to sit together.

If you're visiting with a larger group, the 2nd floor seemed like a great spot to gather together. If you're looking for a place for a Euljiro work dinner or group gathering, it's worth checking seating and floor availability when booking.

Menu and prices: bone BBQ, cuttlefish and lunch specials

The charcoal bone barbecue at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is 39,000 won for small (2 people), 47,000 won for medium (3 people), and 55,000 won for large (4 people). The lunch special runs 11:00–15:00, with the basic charcoal bone hangover soup starting at 13,000 won.

Each table came set with paper cups, wet wipes, scissors, tongs, spoons and chopsticks, glasses, small plates, and a bone bin. Orders were placed via the QR code on the table.

For basic side dishes, we got cabbage salad, diced radish kimchi, and white kimchi.

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is a charcoal grill restaurant specializing in bone barbecue and grilled cuttlefish, both cooked over white charcoal. According to the restaurant, white charcoal (baektan) burns at a consistent heat and adds a subtle smoky aroma, and it's used for grilling pork neck bones and cuttlefish. Learning what "baektan" in the name actually meant made me even more curious about the signature dish.

The menu was divided into mains, sides, and a lunch special served from 11:00 to 15:00.

Main dishes

• Charcoal bone BBQ: Small (2 people) ₩39,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩47,000 / Large (4 people) ₩55,000
• Chadol odregi (Korean beef 1++): ₩39,000
• Grilled cuttlefish: ₩39,000
• Fried cuttlefish: ₩33,000
• Bone gamjatang: ₩39,000

Side dishes

• Potato pancake: ₩14,000
• Rice ball: ₩5,000
• Kimchi noodle soup: ₩9,500
• Banquet noodles (cold/hot): ₩8,900

Lunch specials

• Charcoal bone hangover soup, basic: ₩13,000
• Charcoal bone hangover soup, boneless: ₩14,000
• Charcoal bone hangover soup, spicy basic: ₩14,000
• Charcoal bone hangover soup, spicy boneless: ₩15,000
• Beef brisket garlic scape bibimbap: ₩9,900
• Fried cuttlefish (medium): ₩15,000
• Banquet noodles (cold/hot): ₩8,900
• Kimchi noodle soup: ₩9,500

There was also a wide range of drinks — lemon sour 17,000 won, lemon draft beer 6,000 won, highball 8,500 won, and more. It'd be great to drink alongside the bone barbecue, but it also seemed fine to come just for a lunch meal of hangover soup or bibimbap.

Ordering the small charcoal bone BBQ and a rice ball

What we ordered that day at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui was the small charcoal bone barbecue for two (39,000 won), a rice ball (5,000 won), and one bottle of Cass (6,000 won). We picked spice level 2 out of four.

After some deliberation, we went with the signature bone barbecue.

• Charcoal bone BBQ, small (2 people): ₩39,000
• Rice ball: ₩5,000
• Cass, 1 bottle: ₩6,000

You could choose from four spice levels for the charcoal bone barbecue: level 1 slightly spicy, level 2 spicier than Shin Ramyun, level 3 like Buldak Bokkeummyeon, level 4 very spicy. Since it was our first time trying the dish, we ordered level 2.

The rice ball came out first, and it was DIY — you shape it yourself. Molding it into shape while waiting for the bone barbecue made the wait fly by.

We watched the bone barbecue being grilled right in front of us, and by the time we finished shaping the rice ball, the main dish arrived. After plating it, they torched it once more for an extra hit of smoky flavor.

How much food is the small size for two?

The bone barbecue at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui came out with big bones piled up like a mountain, even in the small size. For the two of us who'd already eaten dinner, it was more than enough.

What surprised me most when I first saw the bone barbecue was the portion size. From the blog photos I'd checked before coming, it hadn't looked like that much, so I'd figured we'd just have a light drink with it. Seeing it in person, the big bones were piled up like a mountain.

Even in the small size, its presence was huge — we looked at each other and thought, "Should we have come here first?"

Grilled scallions came out along with the bone barbecue. We first cut the scallions into bite-sized pieces with scissors, moved the big bones onto our small plates, and dug in for real.

The bones themselves were big, but there was also plenty of meat attached. Scraping at the meat with a spoon, it came off easily with just a light scratch. I'd expected to have to tear the meat off the bone with effort, but it was surprisingly easy to pick apart. It was a moment that made the trip to eat Euljiro bone barbecue feel worth it.

How spicy is level 2? Grilled scallions with the rice ball

The menu described level 2 spice at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui as "spicier than Shin Ramyun," but to my taste it actually felt milder than Shin Ramyun. The sauce was a sweet-spicy style with a bit of sweetness, plus a smoky charcoal aroma and a final torched flavor that went well with beer.

Everyone's spice tolerance is different, but if you usually enjoy and handle spicy food well, level 3 could be worth considering even on your first visit. The level 2 we had let us enjoy both the sweet sauce flavor and the meat flavor together.

The meat was delicious on its own, but the combination with the grilled scallions served alongside was especially good. The spiciness of the bone barbecue paired well with the scallion's distinctive aroma and the sweetness that came out from grilling. At first I thought of it as just a side accent, but I kept reaching for it along with the meat.

Whenever the spice started creeping up a bit, we'd pair it with the rice ball we'd shaped earlier. Eating the sweet-spicy meat together with rice made the flavor sit much more comfortably in the mouth.

Eating the meat alone, then topping it with grilled scallions, then pairing it with the rice ball — switching up the combinations was fun. Even though we'd already eaten dinner, our hands kept reaching for more.

By this point, naturally, we ended up having a beer too. If you're looking for a Euljiro bar with hearty meat snacks to go with your drinks, this dish fit the bill well.

Floss and mouthwash at the counter on the way out

After a satisfying meal, we went to pay, and the counter had candy, dental floss, and mouthwash set out.

After eating meat off the bone, dental floss comes to mind, and after eating something with sauce, you want to freshen up your mouth. It was a nice little touch that they had these things ready. As a couple stopping in mid-date, it was a welcome bit of consideration.

A Euljiro restaurant worth making your first stop

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui was a place we dropped by casually for round two, and ended up satisfied with a much more generous portion and softer meat than we expected.

Meat that came off easily with a spoon, sweet-spicy sauce layered with smoky charcoal flavor, and the combination of grilled scallions and rice ball — it was all good. What especially stuck with me was that the portion was much more generous than the photos had suggested.

Being right in front of the station made it easy to find, and with seating on the 2nd floor for larger groups, it's worth considering not just for dates but for group gatherings too.

Next time, I want to visit as our very first stop and pair the bone barbecue with a drink from the start. I'm also curious to try the grilled cuttlefish we didn't get to this time. If you're looking for a hip Euljiro bar for a hearty drinking snack, starting with a plate of sweet-spicy bone barbecue could be a great choice.