Pot rice 10 minutes from Cheongju Express Bus Terminal: Sorori Sotbap

This weekend my husband had to work, so I was on solo baby duty — but my cousin came all the way down from Seoul to Cheongju to help out :) (seriously, thank you so much ㅠㅠ)

I went to pick her up at Cheongju Intercity Bus Terminal planning to grab lunch together, but parking near the terminal is honestly a pain. So I just scooped her up and searched for somewhere about a 10-minute drive away with easy parking, which led me to Sorori Sotbap.

I was in the mood for a clean, neatly arranged meal, and Sorori Sotbap serves pot rice with side dishes laid out just so — perfect for lunch.

How to get to Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch, and where to park

Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch is in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju, at 16 Seohyeonnam-ro, B105, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk. It's right by the Gagyeong Xi Apartment and Gagyeong I'Park complexes, so it's really easy to get to.

There are lots of other shops nearby too, so you can grab a meal, get coffee, and even run errands all in one trip. Right next door is Our Bakery, which I love, and there's also a newly opened Cusco Mart I stopped by after eating.

And honestly, what I liked most was the parking lot! It was really spacious, so even as a new driver I could park with plenty of room to spare. It's a manageable drive from Cheongju Intercity Bus Terminal, and with easy parking on top of that, this felt like a great spot to visit by car.

Sorori Sotbap opening hours and the Saturday lunch crowd

Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch is open Monday through Sunday, 11:00 to 20:30. There's a break time from 15:00 to 17:00 Monday through Friday, and last order is at 20:00.

We visited around 1:30 pm on a Saturday, and I saw a lot of families eating there. Groups kept leaving after finishing their meals, but just as many new customers kept coming in — the atmosphere was clean and neat, which seems to be why so many families choose to eat there comfortably.

Baby dishware and a microwave at Sorori Sotbap

Since I'm raising a kid, I pay a lot of attention to whether a restaurant is easy to visit with a child. At Sorori Sotbap, baby dishware, spoons, forks, and cups were kept neatly inside a Yupang sterilizer, so I could use them with peace of mind. There was also a microwave right next to it, which would make visiting with a baby who's still eating baby food much easier.

Beef rib pot rice, salmon buckwheat gimbap and scallop seaweed soup

What we ordered at Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch were the signature beef rib pot rice and the fresh salmon buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll). Everything on the menu looked delicious, so it took a while to decide, but in the end it was a choice I didn't regret at all.

I ordered the beef rib pot rice partly so the baby could eat too, and when I set aside a small portion, she ate way more than I expected. The beef ribs were cooked until really tender, so once I cut them up with scissors into bite-sized pieces, she happily kept eating them.

The seaweed soup that came as a default side was also impressive — it was loaded with scallops, which felt way more generous than a typical complimentary soup. My baby doesn't really eat rice without soup, so having the seaweed soup included was great, and it made the meal much easier to share with her.

Is Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch worth the drive?

Sorori Sotbap is a place I think I'll keep thinking of whenever I want a clean, neatly arranged meal. There are three Sorori Sotbap locations — Cheongju Seongan Main Branch, Cheongju Gagyeong Branch, and Cheongju Jejochang Branch — and apparently all three are directly operated rather than run as a franchise.

The Sorori Sotbap Cheongju Gagyeong branch I visited had a spacious parking lot that made it easy to visit by car, plus baby dishware and a microwave that made it a good spot to bring a child. Best of all, the beef rib pot rice and fresh salmon buckwheat gimbap were so delicious, and my baby ate well too — it was a satisfying meal all around.

If you're in Cheongju looking for a clean pot rice meal or a comfortable place to eat with a child, I'd recommend Sorori Sotbap.