Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ: hanok seats beat street tables, Meongseokjip
In short
Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor street-style Korean BBQ restaurant in an Ikseon-dong alley near Exit 4 of Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul, serving aged pork belly, kkotmoksal (prime pork neck), galmaegisal (pork skirt) and pork jowl. On a very crowded Saturday around 6pm, the writer grilled thick aged pork belly and pork neck until crisp outside and juicy inside, then grilled kimchi and bean sprouts to finish with lettuce wraps. The verdict: Meongseokjip has a great street-side atmosphere, but the hanok indoor seats are a better choice than the hectic street tables.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 4 · 2-min walk (store listing, Oct 7, 2026)
- Location
- Ikseon-dong alley, a short walk in from Exit 4 of Jongno 3-ga Station
- Hours
- Daily 12:00–23:55
- Waitlist
- Choose outdoor, indoor or no preference when you sign up
- Meongseok Set
- ₩55,000
- Aged pork belly
- ₩18,000
- Kkotmoksal (prime pork neck)
- ₩19,000
- Galmaegisal (pork skirt)
- ₩18,000
- Pork jowl
- ₩19,000
- Beef brisket doenjang stew
- ₩7,000
- Bomb steamed egg
- ₩5,000
- Kimchi fried rice
- ₩7,000
- Side dishes
- Kimchi, bean sprouts, garlic and ssamjang (dipping paste); self-serve bar available
- Price reference
- ₩55,000 ≈ $41 · ₩18,000 ≈ $13.5 · ₩19,000 ≈ $14 (2026-10-16)
as written by the visitor on Oct 12, 2026
Looking for an outdoor pork belly spot in Jongno 3-ga? In this weather you just can't resist grilling meat outside, haha. Jongno 3-ga has so many BBQ places on every alley that it's hard to choose, but one famous for its outdoor vibe is Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch (멍석집 종로3가점). It sits in an Ikseon-dong alley, with outdoor tables lined up in front, so it's a great place to soak up that bustling Jongno atmosphere.
Where is Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga and what are its hours?
Come out of Exit 4 of Jongno 3-ga Station and walk a little way into the alley and you'll find it. It's open every day from noon to 11:55pm. It's close to the station, so it's easy to reach by public transport, and it's near Ikseon-dong Hanok Street too.
If you're planning drinks in Jongno 3-ga, the subway is easier than a car, right? It opens at noon, so it also works for a lunchtime BBQ or if you want to enjoy the outdoor vibe a bit early.
Meongseokjip waitlist: how to get an outdoor seat
When you join the waitlist, you choose a seat type: outdoor, indoor or no preference. So if you really want the outdoor seats at Meongseokjip, you need to register for outdoor, right?
On the other hand, if you just want to eat fast, indoors or out, picking "no preference" is an option. Friday evenings and weekends especially can have lots of people hunting for outdoor seats, so give yourself plenty of time. It's rough being hungry after going for an outdoor table and waiting forever (ㅠㅠ).
Visiting a little outside the evening peak seems like a good idea too.
Meongseokjip menu and prices
This Jongno 3-ga BBQ restaurant has plenty of cuts, from aged pork belly to flower pork neck, pork skirt and pork jowl.
Grilled pork cuts
- Meongseok Set ₩55,000
- Aged pork belly ₩18,000
- Flower pork neck ₩19,000
- Pork skirt ₩18,000
- Pork jowl ₩19,000
Rice, stew and sides
- Brisket doenjang stew ₩7,000
- Bomb steamed egg ₩5,000
- Kimchi fried rice ₩7,000
The basic banchan (side dishes) are kimchi, bean sprouts, garlic and ssamjang! You can help yourself to whatever else you want at the self-serve bar!
Saturday 6pm at Meongseokjip: street tables or hanok interior?
I visited around 6pm on a Saturday and it was so, so crowded! That's why these are the only photos of the space... You can enjoy the outdoor-style vibe inside the hanok (traditional Korean house), or out on the street under the wall!
Personally, I recommend the hanok interior.. the street tables looked way too chaotic (haha)...
Meongseokjip aged pork belly and pork neck: how thick, how to grill
The cut to look out for at Meongseokjip is the aged pork belly. Pork belly needs a decent amount of fat on it to taste rich and nutty when grilled, right?
Thick pork belly especially needs to be browned outside without drying out the inside.
The pork belly and neck at Meongseokjip are really thick, right.. Crispy outside, juicy inside, I was drooling. I put garlic in the fat to grill too!
There's a rack at the self-serve bar for holding cooked meat, so be sure to grab one and eat your meat warm instead of burning it.
Golden-brown pork belly.. At the end I grilled kimchi and bean sprouts too, and eating them in a wrap was really delicious.
Kimchi fried rice to finish the BBQ
Meongseokjip also has kimchi fried rice (₩7,000), brisket doenjang stew (₩7,000) and bomb steamed egg (₩5,000). After a good amount of meat you start thinking about rice, right? Ordering one kimchi fried rice to share seemed good then.
There's the brisket doenjang stew too, nice when you crave hot broth mid-meal. And if you need something soft to eat with spicy side dishes, steamed egg works, right? If you'd feel like meat alone isn't enough, take a look at the sides.
Who is Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga for?
If you're looking for an outdoor-style BBQ place in Jongno 3-ga, put Meongseokjip on your list. It has plenty of cuts like pork belly, flower pork neck and pork skirt, and the outdoor tables give you that special Jongno alley atmosphere.
Especially worth a look if you love grilling meat outside in cool weather! Just know the outdoor seats can have a wait. If you like the plan of strolling Ikseon-dong and then having pork belly and soju in Jongno 3-ga in the evening, keep Meongseokjip in mind :)
Where it is
7 Donhwamun-ro 11da-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 돈화문로11다길 7 멍석집
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