Budget beef BBQ in Gwangju with free slush for kids: Sangnok Hoegwan

I'm a mom who loves a good food tour. Today I went for dinner at Sangnok Hoegwan Yeontan-gui Taejeon Branch (상록회관 연탄구이 태전점), a BBQ restaurant in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi.

Where is Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon, and what are the hours and parking?

Sangnok Hoegwan Yeontan-gui Taejeon Branch is at 350-6 Hoean-daero, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi, on the 1st floor, and it's open every day from 15:00 to 24:00. Parking and groups are fine, and there are baby chairs too.

When I think of a good-value BBQ place in Taejeon-dong, this is the first one that comes to mind. There's a roomy parking lot in front of the restaurant, so it was easy to park and walk in.

What is the atmosphere like inside?

The inside has a retro feel. There are tin-can-style tables with a briquette fire set right in them. The place is famous for briquette grilling, so it's loved by locals and office workers for company dinners, group gatherings and family meals.

The space is big and comfortable, so it's great to come often for a family meal with the kids, and you can enjoy everything from meat to seafood. Love that!

What did we order at Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon?

Every table has an order pad, so you can look through the menu and order quickly and easily. The menu has a wide range of cuts, from great-value beef to pork platters.

• Salchisal (chuck flap) ×2
• Toshisal (skirt) ×2
• Rice ×1
• Mul naengmyeon (cold noodles) ×1
• Slush (free!!)

Is it okay with kids? Free slush and the self-bar

At Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon you can help yourself to unlimited free slush. Even though it was early evening, lots of groups were having company dinners, and quite a few tables had come with kids like us. A cold slush that everyone from kids to adults loves, perfect for summer, and it's free!! The kids absolutely loved it 👏👏

There's also a free self-bar in the middle of the restaurant with everything from pineapple to kimchi, no side dish missing, so it's really convenient to grab what you want!

Once you sit at a table with the briquette fire, the staff bring the basic sauces and side dishes, and you can go get the rest from the free self-service side dish bar as much as you like.

How much are salchisal and toshisal, and how do they taste?

The salchisal and toshisal here are about ₩7,500–8,500 per serving, under ₩10,000. It's said to be well known for aged beef!! 👍 The salchisal and toshisal came out in generous portions, and the color and quality looked so good that I put them on the briquette grill right away.

I grilled the melt-in-your-mouth salchisal, which the kids love, first, together with pineapple, and the look of it was amazing!! Wow~~~ Rich and sweet, with the aroma of pineapple all through it, so good!! The pineapple is at the free self-bar, so I can't tell you how easy it was to bring back plenty of it!!

Icy mul naengmyeon and orange slush

In the middle of grilling, we cooled off with icy, tangy mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) with ice floating in it, plus a glass of orange slush~

The tangy naengmyeon here suited my taste perfectly! It was so good I wanted to order it again, just a really delicious bowl of cold noodles!! The icy broth cooled my mouth down, and the meat went down so easily~~

Salchisal and toshisal with pineapple

We alternated between salchisal and toshisal and ate them up so fast, and the pineapple was the masterstroke. Eating it alongside the beef felt like eating steak, so delicious!! 👍 The sweetness of the hot grilled pineapple mixed with the mild, nutty beef was just out-of-this-world good!! 👍👍

I dipped it in the spicy sauce, then in the salt dip, and took big bites. I got my protein in properly at this Taejeon-dong BBQ place, Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon!!

Was Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon satisfying for a family meal?

For the last round I set up salchisal and pineapple again and grilled them, then ate them with icy mu-saengchae (shredded radish salad) and a tangy vegetable salad. It made another special combination with such a different flavor, so good!!

The kids ate really well, and it's a good-value beef place under ₩10,000 per serving, so we could enjoy a generous meal without worrying about the bill. Very satisfying, Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon!!