Gwangju eel BBQ for a couple, 3 eels on a repeat visit: Deokeun Jangeo

Deokeun Jangeo, a Buk-gu, Gwangju eel favorite that was packed even on a weekday evening

Deokeun Jangeo (더큰장어) is a grilled eel restaurant at 596 Haseo-ro in Bonchon-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. My husband and I went around 6pm on a weekday. It's famous as a Buk-gu eel hotspot, so we went to eat eel, and we really love going around to good restaurants, you know.

Of the places we've been lately, this one won us over on value, taste and sheer size, and even at 6pm on a weekday evening there were quite a lot of customers.

• Address: 596 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• Parking: large private lot

Is parking easy at Deokeun Jangeo? What about weekend waits?

Deokeun Jangeo has a large private parking lot, and on a weekday evening there was plenty of room. A staff member told us, though, that weekends come with quite a wait. The lot is big, but with so many customers you may have to park out toward the edge on weekends. Still, there's so much space that it's no real hassle!!

Deokeun Jangeo at 596 Haseo-ro, 1st floor, is huge as a building, and there were so many people eating! It's newly built, so the exterior is clean and feels kind of upscale!

Eel restaurants often stress you out over parking, but Deokeun Jangeo even runs a parking guide booth, so parking was easy. It's already well known by word of mouth as a Buk-gu eel place, so if you're going on a weekend, I recommend arriving before opening time.

Deokeun Jangeo eel price: ₩29,000 per kg

The eel at Deokeun Jangeo is ₩29,000 per kg. The price is seriously amazing! These days even a single eel is a burden at many places, but here you can enjoy it without worry, which is why so many families and people bringing their parents come!

Deokeun Jangeo is a certified seller of domestic freshwater eel, and it's a direct-sale market run by wholesaler no. 5 of the freshwater eel farming fisheries cooperative and wholesaler no. 77 of the Gochang fisheries cooperative, which is how it can sell eel cheaply, they say! You can buy on the 1st floor and go up to the 2nd floor to grill and eat, or take prepared eel home to cook.

Upstairs, you pay a table fee per person to eat, and preschool children are ₩2,000! (Elementary school students and up are charged the adult rate.)

How to order at Deokeun Jangeo and the table fee

• Eel price: ₩29,000 per kg
• Table fee: adults ₩4,000
• Table fee: elementary school age and under ₩2,000
• Pay after the meal

Considering what eel costs these days, that's honestly astonishing.

Deokeun Jangeo's self-bar and tablet ordering

The self-bar at Deokeun Jangeo has salad, kimchi, myeong-i namul (pickled wild garlic-like greens), vegetables and even fruit. I think this is the first restaurant I've seen with such a well-stocked self-bar!

Everything was very fresh and generously laid out, and it was easy to take just as much as you need! Each table has a tablet, so ordering desserts or extra items was easy too!

Deokeun Jangeo's basic side dishes and scallion kimchi refills

When we sat down at Deokeun Jangeo, neat side dishes that go well with eel were already set out. They're the staples you can't skip when eating eel.

• Myeong-i namul (pickled greens)
• Pa-kimchi (scallion kimchi)
• Baechu-kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi)
• Pickled onion
• Ssam-mu (pickled radish wraps)
• Salad
• Lettuce

The scallion kimchi at Deokeun Jangeo is really good. It isn't at the self-bar, but when we ran low, staff brought us more when we asked. The richness of the eel meeting the sharp bite of the scallion kimchi made it a combo we kept reaching for.

How many eels for two? Our pick of 3

We picked 3 eels at Deokeun Jangeo and the total came to the ₩40,000s. They were much bigger than I expected, which surprised me. My husband eats a lot, so we ordered 3, but for two adult women I think 2 eels would be plenty to leave you full.

Charcoal-grilled eel at Deokeun Jangeo: crispy outside, juicy inside

The moment the eel hit the charcoal at Deokeun Jangeo, a nutty aroma started to spread. The eel was thick, and just watching it cook got us excited.

The charcoal fire was strong, so it turned golden quickly. With the first bite I understood why people call this the best eel place in Buk-gu, Gwangju.

Crispy outside, moist and tender inside. No fishy smell at all, just the rich flavor of fresh eel filling your mouth!!! The best, absolutely the best.

It's delicious with shredded ginger, delicious wrapped in myeong-i namul, and best of all with the scallion kimchi! It cuts the oiliness of the eel cleanly and adds a savory depth too.

If you're looking for a good-value eel restaurant in Gwangju

Deokeun Jangeo keeps the price easy and the eel quality high, so my husband and I have already been back again and again and again. Eel is honestly one of those foods that's hard to eat often because of the price. But satisfaction here is so high that it's become a place we use all the time.

We saw lots of families who'd brought their parents, and plenty of group gatherings too. If you write a review before leaving, they give you ice cream, so do join in!

You get fresh eel at the amazing price of ₩29,000 per kg, plus a big parking lot and comfortable facilities, so my husband and I are planning to come back next time with my parents.