Hongdae chicken restaurant, nine whole garlic thighs to go: Goobne

When it comes to chicken, I actually prefer the non-fried, oven-roasted kind over crispy fried chicken! So naturally I end up eating Goobne Chicken pretty often. This time I went to the newly opened Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road.

It's a new store near Hongdae's Red Road area, and the vibe was way too good to just grab takeout and leave.

Where is Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road, and what are the hours?

Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road is at 17 Jandari-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement 1st floor, ground floor). You can get there from Hapjeong Station Exit 3 or Hongik University Station Exit 9.

• 📍 17 Jandari-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement 1st floor, ground floor)
• 🚇 Hapjeong Station Exit 3, Hongik University Station Exit 9
• ⏰ Open daily 11:00–02:00 (*Fri/Sat closes at 03:00)
• ✔️ Delivery / takeout / reservations, separate men's and women's restrooms, groups welcome, reservations available

How big is the new Goobne Chicken in Hongdae?

There are so many chicken restaurants in Hongdae, but Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road looked clean and sharp from the outside, probably because it's such a new spot!

What surprised me most walking in was just how big the place is!

I walked in expecting a typical chicken joint, but it has a wide hall that can apparently host group dinners, events, or even full venue rentals. If you're planning a group visit, you can just call ahead to reserve. Given how many foreign visitors pass through Hongdae, they've also got an English menu ready.

Definitely a very Hongdae kind of chicken restaurant, haha.

What can you drink at Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road?

And Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road felt less like a grab-and-go chicken spot and more like a proper place to have a drink. Besides draft beer, they had a solid lineup of highballs, cocktails, and more.

The first floor is run like a bar, so they even sell whiskey. Chicken and beer is a classic combo of course, but pairing it with a highball or cocktail also sounds fun.

Outdoor seats for chimaek in Hongdae

There are seats for eating outdoors as well. Especially on nice spring or fall days, eating out there would feel a lot better.

There's also a screen on the 2nd floor, and when the weather's good and the doors are thrown wide open, it feels almost like an outdoor pojangmacha (street tent bar) vibe for chimaek (chicken and beer).

Looked like a great spot to meet friends in Hongdae for chicken and drinks.

Clean restrooms inside Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road

I personally care a lot about restrooms at restaurants, and here there's a separate restroom inside the store that's kept really clean.

The overall interior is pretty upscale too, and honestly, walking in for the first time I thought, 'is this really a chicken restaurant?' haha.

Usually you picture a chicken restaurant as somewhere casual to just sit and eat, but Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road is decorated pretty stylishly, giving it a bit of a different feel. Plus, they allow you to bring in and eat cake, so it could work well for birthdays or small parties too. If you're looking for a group gathering or birthday party spot in Hongdae, this might be worth checking out!

Ordering Namhae Garlic Basasak for takeout

I couldn't eat at the store today, so I got the Namhae Garlic Basasak to go.

It would've been nicer to eat it fresh at the store, but this time I decided to just relax and eat at home! Since it was takeout, they packed the sauce and pickled radish along with it.

Namhae Garlic Basasak whole thighs: nine pieces in the box

What I ordered was the Namhae Garlic Basasak whole thigh! Opening the lid, the thighs were packed in generously. A whopping nine pieces!

And what stood out most was the roasted garlic piled on top of the chicken. If you love garlic, this visual is hard to resist, haha.

Namhae Garlic Basasak is part of Goobne's Basasak series, made with 100% Namhae garlic. It's chicken cooked in Goobne's signature oven-roasted style, topped with roasted garlic. Since it's oven-roasted rather than fried, it's relatively light compared to typical fried chicken, and you get that nutty, sweetish garlic flavor alongside it.

In a word... it's a flavor hard for a Korean to dislike, haha. Chicken and garlic — is there really a way for that combo to taste bad? There was more roasted garlic than I expected, so it was fun eating a clove alongside each bite of chicken. Rather than garlic's usual sharp bite, roasting it brings out a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that paired really well with the chicken.

And since I already prefer this kind of oven-roasted, non-fried chicken over fried chicken, I'm a Goobne fan to begin with — Namhae Garlic Basasak adds garlic flavor on top of that, so it really suited my taste. Strongly recommend it as a Hongdae chicken restaurant...

Is Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road worth it for chicken in Hongdae?

I ate it as takeout at home this time, but after seeing the store I really want to eat there next time. With a wide hall, outdoor seats, and a variety of drinks like draft beer, highballs, and cocktails, it looked like a great spot for chimaek with friends in Hongdae.

With group seating, a screen, and even cakes allowed inside, it also seems like a good option for group gatherings or birthday parties! If you're like me and prefer non-fried, light chicken, give Goobne's Namhae Garlic Basasak a try. Especially if you love roasted garlic, you'll probably fall for the visual before you even taste it, haha. Next time I'll skip the takeout and have it with draft beer right at the Red Road location.