Hapjeong grill house for four: doenjang sulbap rice pot, Jeongyukdo

When you're taking kids out for Korean BBQ, isn't finding parking and a good table almost as important as the food?

Where is Jeongyukdo near Hapjeong Station, and where do you park?

Jeongyukdo is a Korean BBQ restaurant about a 2-minute walk from Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station. My husband, our two kids and I were looking for a grill place with some atmosphere near Hongdae recently and ended up at Jeongyukdo. It's close enough to walk from the subway, but we drove, and having a parking lot right next to the restaurant made things really easy.

Being able to park right next to a restaurant in Hapjeong or Hongdae is honestly a huge perk. If you pay through the Modu Parking app, you can save a bit on the fee too.

Outdoor tables or an indoor room at Jeongyukdo: which suits a family?

Climb the grassy steps at Jeongyukdo and you'll find a yard strung with string lights, lined with outdoor tables. It really does feel like you've wandered into a campsite — I couldn't believe a spot like this existed right in the middle of the city! On cool days like these, the outdoor seats are especially popular.

We ate inside. The indoor space is spacious and clean too, and the back is set up as a series of small rooms, so each table feels reasonably separated from the others.

Jeongyukdo set prices and what a family of four ordered

Jeongyukdo serves both domestic grade-1 pork and 1++ hanwoo beef. There are three sets: the hanwoo set at ₩99,000, the pork set at ₩49,000, and the pork specialty cut set at ₩65,000. We ordered the pork set with an extra serving of pork belly, plus one hanwoo doenjang sulbap.

The basic side dishes come out on individual wooden trays for each person. Sliced green onion, pickled onion, spicy radish salad, salted seafood, and pickled peppers are all lined up neatly in little bowls — it looks really tidy. Salt, wasabi and whole grain mustard come on the side too, so it's fun to switch dips depending on the cut.

What comes in the 49,000-won pork set at Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo's pork set comes with raw short rib, pork neck, and pork belly, all 500g each — enough for 2 to 3 people. You can choose either meljeot anchovy sauce in a stone pot or hanwoo doenjang stew to go with it.

The moment the meat arrived, I understood why it's called Jeongyukdo — like a butcher shop (the name literally means "butcher island"), each cut comes with a sticker listing the cut, weight, and price. Even the king oyster mushrooms served alongside are stamped with the Jeongyukdo logo.

But what I really want to talk about is the meat quality. The bright red cuts came out thick, and you could tell just by looking that they were fresh — and tasting it, the quality really was top-notch!

Grilling the raw short rib first

Grilling over charcoal seems to keep the meat from drying out — the outside turns golden while the inside stays juicy. They say it's best to start with the raw short rib. It has fat somewhere between pork belly and neck, so it's chewy with a savory juiciness. A light dip in salt is enough, and a bit of wasabi gives it a clean finish.

Thick-cut pork belly with the meljeot anchovy dip

The pork belly came out thick, so I was excited even while it was still grilling. The fat wasn't excessive, just right, so the outside crisped up while the inside stayed full of juice.

The meljeot sauce gets warmed on one side of the grill, and you just dip the meat in it while it's hot.

Pork neck, the leaner cut in the set

I expected the pork neck to be dry since it's mostly lean meat, but it turned out more moist than I thought. It has a thick, satisfying chew with a subtle nutty flavor, which will especially please anyone who likes leaner meat. A bit of salted seafood on top really brings out the savory depth.

Even with just salt, it's not greasy, so you keep reaching for more — and it's a different experience again when paired with the sliced green onion or pickled onion. Since the pork set serves 2 to 3, if you're a family of four, adding an extra serving of pork belly like we did is a good option.

Why the hanwoo doenjang sulbap is worth adding

If it were up to me, I'd order Jeongyukdo's hanwoo doenjang sulbap (beef and soybean paste rice in a stone pot) alongside the meat every time. The big stone pot is packed with potato, onion, tofu, mushroom, plenty of hanwoo beef, and rice all together, so it's filling enough that you don't need to order a separate meal.

The broth is rich and savory, and taking a spoonful between bites of meat really cleared the grease from my mouth.

Is Jeongyukdo a good Korean BBQ dinner with kids?

Good atmosphere, good meat, and easy parking make this a place that works well whether you're bringing kids or gathering with friends for an outdoor-BBQ mood. If you're looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant near Hongdae or Hapjeong Station, I'd recommend Jeongyukdo. Once the weather cools down a bit more, we're planning to go back and try the outdoor seats for that full camping feel.