Dangye-dong makchang restaurant in Wonju: 3 servings at Yeon Makchang

Today I want to introduce a place worth a visit for anyone in Wonju who loves makchang (grilled beef intestine). This time I went to Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch! It's located in Wonju's Dangye-dong food alley, so it's great for dinner and also a solid spot for a drink with good meat.

Makchang can easily go wrong—smelly or tough—so it's genuinely hard to find a good spot. Here they age it in lotus leaves and par-grill it before serving, so I was curious enough to check it out.

Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch: address, hours and parking

• Name: Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch
• Location: 66 Cheonsa-ro, 1st floor, Wonju, Gangwon, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 17:00–24:00 (last order 23:00) / Sat–Sun 16:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)
• Parking: free parking in front of the building (3 spaces)

Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch sits in the Dangye-dong food alley, so there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby, and it's an easy spot to hit before heading somewhere else for round two.

What the restaurant looks like inside

Inside, the space was clean and comfortable overall. There were multiple tables, so it looked like a good fit for visiting with friends or eating in a larger group. It's the kind of atmosphere that suits anyone in Dangye-dong deciding on a barbecue spot for dinner.

Menu at Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch and what we ordered

The signature dish here is of course makchang! Between par-grilled regular makchang and premium makchang, plus frozen thin pork belly, spicy grilled chicken feet, and beef-and-scallop combos, there's a wide enough menu that you could bring along someone who's not into makchang. To really taste the makchang, we ordered regular makchang (2 servings) and premium makchang (1 serving) together.

Yeon makchang vs premium makchang: how the texture differs

Once we ordered, the basic side dishes came out one by one. Eating makchang is more fun with a variety of accompaniments rather than just the meat alone! You could mix and match wrap vegetables and other sides to your taste, and there was a sauce ready to bring out the makchang's savory flavor. In the photo above, the round-shaped makchang was the regular one, and the square-shaped one was the premium cut!

Since it comes par-grilled, we didn't have to cook it from raw on the table for long, which was convenient, and the staff trimmed it piece by piece with friendly explanations, making it easy to eat. Watching the makchang turn golden brown was already making my mouth water haha.

Taking a bite of the regular makchang, it was chewy but also surprisingly soft. The characteristic savory flavor of makchang came through well, and there wasn't much of a gamey smell to worry about, so I think even people who don't usually eat makchang could give it a try. Grilling the outside until golden brown especially brought out more savory flavor the more you chewed.

Then I tried the premium makchang I'd been curious about. Compared to the regular one, it's a bit thicker with a clearly chewier bite! If you like eating things soft, go for the regular; if you prefer something chewier with more texture, the premium is the way to go. Personally, I'd recommend ordering both to compare.

Makchang really tastes best dipped in the sauce :) Pairing the savory meat with sauce and vegetables cut the richness and kept me reaching for more. Loading up a wrap with makchang and vegetables was delicious too.

Spicy clam wine stew, the 6,000-won side to order with makchang

When you're eating makchang for a while, you might start craving something else, and there were plenty of side dishes to order alongside. Pairing a hearty dish with the makchang makes for a satisfying full meal. (We ordered the clam wine stew :) On first order, it's just ₩6,000 when ordered together with makchang, which is a pretty reasonable price!)

A few tips for enjoying the meal are worth checking out too :)

Self-serve bar and the verdict on Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch

There's also a self-serve bar, and it was well organized with the wrap vegetables and other produce looking very fresh, which made the meal even better. If you're in Wonju and love makchang or other intestine dishes, this is worth a visit. It's especially convenient if you're looking for dinner in Dangye-dong, and it suits drinks with friends too. If you love makchang like me, I'd recommend ordering both the regular and premium to compare the textures!

Yeon Makchang Dangye Branch is a place I'd especially recommend to makchang lovers. If you enjoy chewy, savory makchang, you'll likely leave satisfied, and if you're looking for a new barbecue spot in Dangye-dong, it's worth adding to your list. Hope this helps anyone searching for a good makchang restaurant in Wonju's Dangye-dong :)