Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ: grilled banchan, No. 25 Saturday wait: Tapgol

Isn't it basically against the rules not to go to an outdoor BBQ spot in weather like this? Especially the Jongno outdoor BBQ scene!!!! I've been to a couple before, and while the vibe was great, some places had so-so hygiene or overcharged. But Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is different.

• ✅ Want to enjoy a clean outdoor BBQ spot with a stone wall view?
• ✅ Looking for a Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ pork belly restaurant?

Eat like this!

And recharge your romance like this. Let's go

Where is Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch, and what are the hours?

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is on the 1st floor at 111 Supyo-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in the outdoor BBQ alley along the stone wall path near Jongno 3-ga station. Hours run Monday to Sunday from 17:00 to 01:00 the next day, with no closed days.

No closed days means you can visit on any day of the week while this good weather lasts — that feels like a huge perk!

Weekend waiting at Tapgol Gongwon: what time should you arrive?

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch opens at 17:00, but waiting is taken beforehand at a machine set up in front of the store. We arrived Saturday at 4:33pm and got number 25, then sat down at 5:12pm.

Since I'd heard waiting was taken at the machine before the 17:00 opening, we went around 4:30. I figured giving ourselves 30 minutes was a decent Jongno outdoor-BBQ open-run window, thought maybe we'd land in the top 10... but Koreans truly are a nation of outdoor BBQ lovers. Still, we loved our seat so I recommend it!!!! (details coming up)

By the way, you can see the outdoor BBQ alley to the right in this photo?! The machine is in front of the store. It's not in the alley!

Why being called at Tapgol Gongwon doesn't mean you sit down yet

After putting our name in, we thought about wandering around nearby Ikseon-dong, but even though opening was clearly 5pm, we got called really fast! Don't get fooled though. Getting called at this point doesn't mean you're seated right away! Since it's peak outdoor-BBQ season and crowded, at this point they line you up along the stone wall path in number order. It's a line just to confirm your number — seeing your number called doesn't mean 'yay, we're eating now!' ‼️It's the time you spend in line picking your menu…✨

This photo was taken at 4:54pm on Saturday, and by this point they were already setting up the outdoor tables. I was getting excited about the stone-wall-path BBQ already and just wanted to eat soon!!!

We checked out the menu while waiting in line! (Side dishes are self-serve.) Weekends and holidays have a 90-minute meal time limit, so if you want to catch the sunset over the outdoor BBQ tables, you need to do some math. We registered at 4:33pm and got seated at 5:12pm, which meant the sun was setting right as we finished eating.

• ✅ If you want to catch the sunset too, I'd recommend registering a bit later than we did!
• ✅ Want to eat right at the prime spot with the stone wall path still bright out? Then registering around 4:20-4:30 on weekends is recommended!

Put the side dishes on the grill: the Tapgol Gongwon move

We got seated at 5:12pm! At Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch, the banchan (side dishes) get set out first, and you absolutely have to just throw them all on the grill and cook them together!!!

Did you catch that, fellow experts? It's a perfect match. We went to the self-bar, loaded up, and grilled them twice.

Spoons, chopsticks, and various cups are all inside the basket next to your table! One thing I really liked — outdoor BBQ spots often have great atmosphere but questionable hygiene, right? I actually got sick once at another Jongno outdoor BBQ place, so I'm picky about hygiene, and Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch has a large wet-wipe roll instead of small ones, so you can use as much as you want, plus paper cups, so there's no risk of anything being dirty — that put my mind at ease!

Three servings of flash-frozen pork belly, pork neck and beef brisket

For meat, we ordered flash-frozen pork belly (₩18,000), flash-frozen pork neck (₩19,000), and beef brisket (₩20,000) — three servings total! Personally, my friend and I both preferred the frozen pork belly and brisket more, so next time I think I'd skip the pork neck and just order the frozen pork belly and brisket.

Why you should turn the grill heat down from the start

Pro tip here!!!!! Turn the heat down a bit from the very beginning! They crank it up high at first, and since we didn't notice and put the meat on right away, it got way too overcooked. After that we turned the heat down a bit and it grilled up perfectly delicious hahaha

The wasabi is completely delicious and so is the ssamjang (dipping sauce), but honestly, Tapgol Gongwon is not just known for meat — it's also famous for its jeotgal (salted fermented seafood)... (in my opinion). Definitely try this combination!!!! It really goes so well together

And like I said before, please grill the side dishes and eat them together. Add some soju on top of that and — ahh... this is what outdoor BBQ is about. This is what a Jongno outdoor BBQ restaurant is supposed to feel like.

So we ordered soju and Sprite too(?) My friend mixed it 1 soju to 1 Sprite, and even as a lightweight, I loved that it barely tasted like soju!

We sat down at 5:12pm, and by 5:25pm the side dishes were completely wiped out haha — I mean, that's just normal, right?

So we went and got a refill right away. My friend doesn't usually eat much and isn't the type to go back for more side dishes anywhere, but at Tapgol Gongwon she actually went and refilled herself (true story)

Stone-wall view tables and the 5,000-won steamed egg

Our table at Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch had a direct view of the stone wall path! Since seating is assigned in number order, you might end up with an inner seat or an outer one!

If you come too early and get an outer seat first, there's a good chance you'll end up in the background of photos and videos taken by passersby, so if that bothers you, I'd recommend not doing too aggressive an open-run and instead aiming for a moderate time around 4:30.

And we added 💛steamed egg (₩5,000) too(?) I really love steamed egg, and these days there are tons of loaded cheese-steamed-egg options, but I personally like the classic kind with that salty saeujeot (salted shrimp)-like flavor and just a slight char taste. This place nails exactly that!!! It's even more delicious than in the photo. If you're a 'real thing over photos' person, this is a total recommend

Finishing with kimchi fried rice cooked on the grill

We were both bursting at the seams but ordered kimchi fried rice (₩6,000) right away. Instead of coming out on a separate plate, it gets grilled right on the pan together, which I really loved ㅠㅜ It felt even more like proper outdoor BBQ. You can also press it into a crispy layer as much as you like!

At the self-bar you can grab not just side dishes but lettuce wraps too!!! Wrapping the frozen pork belly is total heaven. Honestly, it's rare to expect great taste from an outdoor BBQ place too. But you can absolutely expect great taste at Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch. I fully endorse it as a Jongno outdoor BBQ pork belly restaurant!!!! Please ignore the fact that we scraped the steamed egg bowl completely clean in the background.

This photo was taken right as we were about to pay after finishing, and once it got dark, the lights turned on and it looked even prettier! Maybe because we were on the Tapgol Gongwon side of the Jongno outdoor BBQ area, it wasn't too loud or too quiet — just the right level, which I loved! The vibe was great too, and I felt it would work well for friends, family, couples, or people on the verge of dating.

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch: the verdict

• ✅ A Jongno outdoor BBQ spot you can enjoy while looking at the stone wall path!
• ✅ A Jongno 3-ga meat restaurant where even the side dishes are delicious!
• ✅ A Jongno 3-ga outdoor BBQ spot with no stomach trouble and no overcharging!

The answer is Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch! Go enjoy outdoor BBQ season before the weather turns freezing!!