Jongno Korean BBQ with daytime patio vibes: Meongseokjip

The mornings and evenings have been nicely cool lately—perfect weather for an outdoor-stall-style meal, right?! So this time, I visited Meongseokjip (멍석집), a Korean barbecue restaurant with that vibe in Jongno 3-ga ☺️

Meongseokjip, a Jongno 3-ga Korean barbecue spot

This is Meongseokjip in Jongno 3-ga.

🕖 Hours Daily 12:00–23:55 ✔️ Uses 80-hour-aged pork belly ✔️ Group dining available

You can feel the outdoor-stall vibes from right in front of the restaurant!!

Outdoor-stall atmosphere indoors and out

The best thing about Meongseokjip! You can get that outdoor-stall atmosphere indoors, too. With the ceiling open, it has the right feel, but you can grill and eat pork belly comfortably in the air-conditioning without getting hot, haha.

There were outdoor seats, too—properly authentic pocha (Korean tent-bar) vibes, haha.

The hanok-inspired interior is so stylish and suits the image of Jongno perfectly! I think it would be a great date stop, too, haha.

I visited at weekday lunchtime and was seated right away without waiting, but I heard the evening wait can be huge ㅠㅠ

Ordering the Meongseok Set and beef brisket doenjang-jjigae

There was a good-value set menu, so I did not have to deliberate long and ordered the Meongseok Set! There are lots of side dishes that looked delicious, too, haha.

Meongseok Set (2 servings aged pork belly + 1 serving flower neck pork) Beef brisket doenjang-jjigae

These were the banchan (Korean side dishes) they brought before our order arrived! Green-onion kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, bean sprouts, ssamjang (savory dipping paste), and garlic. Everything was tasty, but the napa cabbage kimchi was especially good. Grilling it in the pork fat made the savory flavor explode!! The green-onion kimchi was nicely fermented, and the bean sprouts were crisp and soaked up with spicy seasoning—I kept reaching for them, haha.

The basic spread also included lettuce and chili peppers, and wow, the peppers were seriously spicy and tasty, lol. Take a bite once the meat starts feeling rich, and it feels like it clears all that grease away..! You can refill side dishes at the self-service bar.

The self-service bar had not only side dishes but also small plates, dipping bowls, wet wipes, scissors, and tongs, so it was nice to grab whatever we needed without having to ask.

They brought the meat in these cute ceramic bowls that looked like little jars! That gorgeous color of the 80-hour-aged meat 🥺

Light, flavorful aged pork belly and flower neck pork

The pork belly turning beautifully golden 🤤

The thick aged pork belly was flavorful without being greasy. It was tender to chew, with savory juices flowing out!! It was delicious grilled with the kimchi and bean sprouts, but the meat itself was so good that it was great on its own, too, haha.

Personally, I do not usually like pork neck because it can be dry, but perhaps because this was flower neck pork, it was not dry at all and had a lovely clean flavor. It was thick, with a great chew, too~

The beef brisket doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew) had lots of brisket in it, so it was rich, deep, and intensely flavorful! I debated whether to order it, but it was such a good choice, haha.

You cannot leave out soju with the outdoor-stall-plus-pork-belly combination!! I visited during the day, but the meat was so good that I could not resist ordering drinks, too..

Why it was great for a daytime meat meal in Jongno 3-ga

First, it is just a three-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station, so it was extremely easy to get to! Also, many barbecue restaurants only open in the evening, but Meongseokjip opens from noon, so you can come when you are craving meat during the day and enjoy a relaxed meal~

Both the aged pork belly and flower neck pork in the Meongseok Set were good-quality, and the good-value combination was plenty for two people! The indoor space has the advantages of being inside while its open ceiling preserves that outdoor-stall feeling, and there are also tables outside the front for a real outdoor-stall experience, which made it even better~~ If you are looking for a Korean barbecue restaurant with a great outdoor-stall atmosphere near Jongno 3-ga Station, I recommend Meongseokjip!