Gwangalli restaurant 5-person family meal with grandma: Extra Mile

I went out for a family meal for the first time in a while. Since it was a gathering with grandma and my parents, I wondered what to order, and we settled on pizza and pasta since everyone likes those.

I really love Pickles Pizza in Jeonpo, so I was happy to hear that Extra Mile, another place to get pizza, had opened in Gwangalli too. If you're a Pickles Pizza fan, this is a place worth checking out, and we went in with high expectations.

Since this was a family meal with grandma joining us, we ordered menus that would be easy for the older generation to eat, steering away from spicy options.

Gwangalli pizza restaurant Extra Mile: converted house exterior and parking

Extra Mile felt a bit different from the start — instead of a typical storefront, it's set in a converted house, which gives it a distinct atmosphere from the outside.

There's no dedicated parking, so if you're driving, using a nearby parking lot is the easiest option. We saw some cars parked in the alley, but if you're visiting with family, I'd recommend not worrying about street parking and just using a lot close by.

We did an open-run, arriving right at the 11am opening. Since this is a known Gwangalli spot, we figured it might get crowded, so we came early — and thanks to that we got in without any wait.

Once we walked in, the atmosphere was warmer and cozier than I expected. The open kitchen was a nice touch too — we could watch the staff preparing the pizzas and pasta.

The space had a variety of seating arrangements. There were five of us, and the staff pushed tables together right away so we could all sit comfortably.

It seemed like a good spot to visit as a family.

A table that made the wait fun

There was a fun detail once we sat down. The paper covering the table wasn't just there to protect the surface — it had a picture printed on it that you could color in with crayons.

I thought it would be great for kids to color while waiting for the food. We were all adults, but it was still fun to look at the drawing while waiting.

How to order for a group of five

The menu was prepared in both English and Korean, and along with pizza, pasta, and sides, there were several set menus too, making it easy to order according to group size.

Since there were five of us, we ordered the 3-4 person set plus one extra pizza. Here's what we got:

• 2 pizzas (Potato, Salad)
• 2 pastas (White ragu, Tomato)
• 1 side (Romesco & grilled vegetables)
• 2 Zero Coke

That's how we ordered.

Gwangalli pizza restaurant's potato pizza — highly recommended!

Watching the food come together in the open kitchen while we waited, the dishes actually came out faster than I expected. The first to arrive was the potato pizza.

I was a little worried since it has truffle oil in it, thinking it might be too strong for grandma's taste. But surprisingly, she loved it.

The potatoes on this pizza were different from the usual chunky-cut potato pizza. They were shredded and fried, and it was surprisingly delicious.

The crispy potato combined with the pizza dough made it taste much better than a typical potato pizza. There was also a subtle truffle oil aroma that added great flavor.

Most of all, I was happy grandma enjoyed it. When eating pizza with family, you tend to pick options that are unlikely to divide opinion, and the potato pizza was a good choice for both kids and adults alike.

Salad pizza piled high with greens

The second pizza was the salad pizza. True to its name, it felt quite different from a typical pizza.

It was topped with European greens, cranberries, and caesar dressing, so it looked refreshing at a glance. It had a different charm compared to a pizza loaded with meat and cheese.

With all the vegetables on top, it genuinely felt like eating a salad. I also liked the sweet bursts from the cranberries scattered throughout.

Eating pizza continuously can get a bit heavy, but the salad pizza was relatively light and refreshing, which made me glad we ordered both kinds together.

Romesco & grilled vegetables that the whole family loved

Surprisingly, the standout dish of the meal was the romesco & grilled vegetables. I ordered it as a light side dish, but my mom really loved it.

Eggplant, zucchini, carrot, and sweet pumpkin came fried, sitting on a layer of homemade romesco sauce. The vegetables were tasty on their own, but even better dipped generously in the romesco sauce.

The sauce especially was fantastic — my mom liked it so much she even dipped the pizza crust ends into it.

The crust ends of pizza can sometimes feel a bit plain on their own, but dipped in romesco sauce, they tasted like a whole different dish. Even people who aren't big vegetable fans could probably enjoy these without hesitation when paired with the sauce.

White ragu that paired well with the Gwangalli pizza

After the pizzas, we moved on to the pastas, starting with the white ragu.

The white ragu had curly pasta noodles loaded with a rich ragu made from beef and pork. The ragu clung well between the noodles, and we mixed it thoroughly with a fork before eating.

You could taste the richness of the meat without it being too heavy or overpowering, making it great for eating with family. Since we were dining with grandma and my parents, we avoided anything too spicy or strongly flavored for the pastas too, and the white ragu had an overall mild, approachable taste.

The curly noodles held the sauce well, so every bite let you taste the ragu and noodles together.

Tomato sauce pasta that's hard to dislike

The second pasta was the tomato pasta, made with San Marzano tomato sauce and topped with stracciatella cheese.

The staff even explained how to eat it — rather than mixing the cheese into the whole dish beforehand, you're supposed to scoop up the pasta noodles and place the stracciatella cheese on top as you eat.

So we followed the method and scooped the noodles first, then topped them with the stracciatella cheese. The tangy, clean taste of the tomato sauce combined with the soft cheese made for a great flavor combination.

The white ragu and tomato pasta had different flavor directions, so ordering both didn't feel repetitive at all. Most importantly, both pastas were mild and approachable, making them great choices for a meal with parents.

The house pickles were delicious too

The house-made pickles served alongside the meal were also delicious. Eating a bit of pickle between bites of pizza or pasta cleaned up the palate, so I kept reaching for more.

Best of all, they were self-serve, so we could comfortably grab as much as we wanted.

For drinks, we ordered two Zero Cokes. The staff nicely set out five ice cups to match our headcount. It seemed like they noticed there were five of us and wanted to make it easy for everyone to share the drinks — a thoughtful touch that made me feel well taken care of as a guest.

Gwangalli restaurant Extra Mile: a great spot for a family visit

Overall, Extra Mile was a great Gwangalli spot for enjoying pizza and pasta together. Being set in a converted house, the space itself felt warm and comfortable, and the open kitchen added the fun of watching the food come together.

With a variety of pizzas plus pastas and sides to order alongside, it was easy to pick a range of dishes to share when visiting with a group.

Most of all, I liked that there was no real difficulty choosing menus even when dining with grandma and my parents. If you're looking for a good pizza spot in Gwangalli, I'd recommend Extra Mile both for a family meal and for a date.