Camping-style Korean BBQ in Uiwang, charcoal mushrooms: Sanaendeul

I was finally meeting up with a friend and her husband, plus their little nephew, on a weekend, and again we wanted atmosphere more than just a restaurant. So, without going all the way to a campsite, we headed to Sanaendeul in Uiwang, where you grill meat outdoors. Known as a Baegun Lake favorite, it's a butcher-shop-style restaurant: you pick your meat at the butcher counter and also grab mushrooms and drinks yourself. We chose meat and mushrooms and grilled them together over charcoal, and it really felt like a camping trip on the outskirts of the city.

Sanaendeul in Uiwang: basic info

A designated-driver service phone number is written in big letters right at the entrance, so you get a "let's have a drink" vibe from the very start, haha.

• Address: 12 Okbakgoldong-gil, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: daily 12:00–21:50
• Break time: 15:30–16:00
• Last order: 21:00
• Parking: free private lot
• Pets: allowed at outdoor seats

A BBQ restaurant near Baegun Lake and Cheonggyesan: is parking easy?

Sanaendeul is in Cheonggye-dong, Uiwang, not far from Baegun Lake and Cheonggyesan. It's a good stop for a meal after an outing nearby, and even if you come just for the meat, you still get a campsite-like atmosphere.

Lots of customers come by car, so there's plenty of parking in front of the restaurant and around it. On weekends a parking attendant kindly guides you, and even though it's a big restaurant, the lot is generous, so driving here is easy.

Sanaendeul's camping-style outdoor and indoor seating

The first thing I noticed on arrival was the wide-open outdoor space. Tables and parasols sit among trees and mountains, so it feels more like an outdoor barbecue ground or a campsite than a typical BBQ restaurant.

The biggest charm of Sanaendeul, I think, is that you get that day-trip feeling, grilling meat over charcoal, without bringing any camping gear. There's also indoor seating and spots suited to groups, so you can choose by weather and party size.

In October, when I visited, the weather was so warm that outdoor seats were more popular than indoor ones, but in winter or the heat of midsummer, the indoor space looks charming too. It's also a good place for family meals, get-togethers with friends, or company dinners.

How to use Sanaendeul on your first visit

Sanaendeul works a little differently from an ordinary BBQ restaurant. First, a staff member guides you to a spot, then you get a number tag with your table number and head over.

With that number, you choose the meat you want at the butcher counter, and also add mushrooms, sausages, drinks and alcohol from the fridges.

Sanaendeul meat menu and prices

Sanaendeul sells a wide range, from Jeju pork to Korean beef (hanwoo). Prices for the main items are as follows.

Just looking at the meat prices, they're far more reasonable than at an ordinary BBQ restaurant, as you'd expect from a butcher-shop restaurant, and I liked being able to see the cuts and amounts myself before choosing. That day we picked mushrooms separately along with the meat.

It was convenient that you can pick out drinks, sausages, shrimp and so on from the fridge yourself and put them in your basket. The prices were marked right there, and they were very cheap, too!

If you want cup ramyeon (instant noodles), tell the counter your table number to have it added, then pay at the end.

Jeju pork neck and belly, 200g for ₩13,000: what we ordered

At Sanaendeul, once you've settled in, they set the table right away like this. The Jeju pork we chose, both neck and belly, was ₩13,000 per 200g.

• Jeju pork neck 200g × 2: ₩26,000
• Jeju pork belly 200g × 2: ₩26,000

We also ordered 2 bowls of rice and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew).

Kimchi, wrap vegetables, pickled scallions, garlic and so on are brought out once when you first sit down, and after that you can go to the self-serve bar for more.

How were the charcoal-grilled Jeju pork neck and belly?

The staff tidied up the grill neatly for us. Since we were 4 adults and 1 baby, they set it up so we grilled on just one side along with the charcoal. Maybe because of that, the meat didn't burn easily and was easy to grill.

The neck was thick, and after browning the outside and cutting it, the juices were still plentiful inside.

The neck wasn't too fatty, so it was clean-tasting and good for appreciating the true flavor of the meat. The belly had more fat than the neck, so it felt a bit juicier and richer. And since it's thick, it's easy to grill too,

As it cooked on the grill, the fat turned golden and the look of it made your mouth water. Alternating between neck and belly gave different textures, which was better than ordering just one cut.

If you like clean-tasting meat, neck should suit you; if you like rich, juicy cuts, go for belly. Personally, my vote goes to the pork belly!

As the meat browned, a faint smoky charcoal aroma was added, and it was fun to eat it piece by piece, straight off the grill.

Charcoal-grilled mushrooms were as good as the meat

At Sanaendeul we skipped the sausages and picked mushrooms, and grilled over charcoal like this, the mushrooms were super juicy and every bit as good as the meat!

The wrap vegetables are unlimited refills too, so we could eat lots of greens as well.

From family meals to outdoor dates: Sanaendeul suits it all

Being outdoors grilling meat, smelling the grass, listening to insects and chatting was truly healing. Especially on a nice day, the appeal of Sanaendeul is that you get the feeling of grilling meat in nature without going far to a campsite.

My honest review of Sanaendeul in Uiwang

Sanaendeul had plenty of parking, an outdoor atmosphere close to nature, and the fun of choosing the meat you want yourself. We ate pork, but I remember the beef being really good in both price and quality, so I confidently recommend it to people who care about taste.

Above all, maybe because it was a nice day spent with good people, this meal stayed in my memory as extra delicious. If you're looking for an Uiwang BBQ place with easy parking or an Uiwang restaurant with a camping atmosphere, Sanaendeul is worth a visit.