Date-night chicken BBQ near Namsan Station, Daegu: Hyeongnim Dakgui

Chicken BBQ date near Namsan Station during chimaek festival season

Hyeongnim Dakgui Daemyeong-dong Gyeongdae branch (형님닭구이 대명동계대점) is a meat restaurant in Nam-gu, Daegu, that has been getting buzz on social media for its unusual setup. I was so curious about what makes it special that I went to see for myself. It was also the Daegu Chimaek (chicken and beer) Festival season, and on a weekday evening date with my girlfriend I really craved something light yet hearty, so after some thought, this is where we ended up.

I'd heard Hyeongnim Dakgui isn't just a grill place but also has a mini buffet self-bar beyond imagination, so I stepped inside full of excitement.

Location, parking and hours of Hyeongnim Dakgui Daemyeong-dong Gyeongdae branch

The restaurant sits in a big space at 104 Myeongdeok-ro, Nam-gu, Daegu, and it's roughly 285m from Exit 2 of Namsan Station on Line 3, so getting here by public transport is great too.

If you come by car, head into the Keimyung University Daemyeong Campus parking lot behind the building. It's really spacious, so parking was easy. The restaurant opens at 11:30 for lunch every day and stays open until 24:00, which makes it perfect for a relaxed dinner.

Big hall, playroom and large private room

Inside, my jaw dropped at how huge the space is. I thought it would be a perfect spot for a family meal or a group gathering. One side has a playroom where kids can run around freely, plus baby chairs, and I was surprised to find a neatly kept, large private room too.

Hyeongnim Dakgui menu and prices: how much is the lunch buffet?

The signature half-and-half chicken BBQ platter (닭구이한판 반반) was about ₩43,000 for 1kg, Korean pork ribs were ₩7,900 per 180g, and doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) was ₩3,000. Looking over the great-value menu after sitting down, I saw a wide range of meats, from beef ribs to pork ribs, pork belly and makchang (grilled beef or pork intestine).

They also run a separate lunch buffet for a friendly ₩9,500, made up of 12-plus house-seasoned side dishes and a main dish that changes daily. The surprise is that even if you order a main meat at dinner, you can use this self-bar of 20-plus dishes for free, as much as you like.

To get into the chimaek festival mood, we immediately ordered the half-and-half chicken BBQ set, mixing salt-grilled and marinated chicken.

How do the pre-grilled salt and marinated chicken taste?

I liked that the half-and-half chicken comes out pre-grilled in the kitchen, already carrying some smoky char flavor. The owner kindly showed us how to cook it once the meat is on the grill, so we only needed to cook it a little longer before digging in. Very convenient!

First I tried the golden salt-grilled chicken on its own with no sauce, and it was seasoned through without any dipping, with a deep charcoal aroma. Pure art. It held plenty of juice, so it wasn't dry at all. It was tender and melted in my mouth.

I piled a piece dipped deep in garlic sauce onto fresh lettuce wraps with grilled green onion and onion, and wow, it was seriously delicious. The slightly spicy marinated chicken was addictively savory too, and my girlfriend and I kept exclaiming and wolfing it down.

Self-bar side dishes and strawberry soft serve for dessert

At the self-bar you can grab basic side dishes plus crunchy kimchi and potato salad that they say they make themselves, and have them with the meat. While the meat was grilling I kept hauling dishes back to the table, so the spread was fantastic. Every side had a deep, home-cooked taste, so I never got tired of them. After finishing the meal happily,

I swirled strawberry ice cream out of the soft serve machine at the dessert corner and took a big mouthful. It was fresh, sweet and creamy, and it cleansed my palate. Honestly, it was great right to the very last moment.

The owner's weekend good deed

One more thing that touched me: I heard the owner invites people in vulnerable circumstances to the restaurant every weekend and serves them a warm meal. Hearing that they do this during the busiest golden weekend hours filled me with deep respect, and I thought I should come back often to give them my business (what Koreans call "doljjul", supporting a good business with your money).

Would I go back to Hyeongnim Dakgui Daemyeong-dong Gyeongdae branch?

On a weekday evening with my girlfriend, I wandered into the university-area alleys near Namsan Station and had a full feast of smoky charcoal chicken and plentiful buffet-style sides. The juice of that light yet hearty salt chicken is still on my mind, so next time I crave moist grilled meat, I'm definitely going back to have it with a bowl of cold kimchi-mari guksu (kimchi noodle soup).

Who I'd recommend it to (based on a 2026 visit)

• People who want a comfortable group dinner or family meal, thanks to the roomy parking and large private room
• People who want charcoal-smoky chicken BBQ together with a Korean buffet self-bar of 20-plus dishes
• People looking for a Daemyeong-dong restaurant with a kids' playroom and strawberry soft serve for dessert