Hawaiian pizza L with gold-ring crust at Cheese Wave, Cheongju

Whenever we fly to Jeju, we use Cheongju Airport. This time, after finishing our Jeju trip and coming back to Cheongju, it turned out there was a soccer match that same day — Chungbuk Cheongju vs. Seoul E-Land — so we booked a place to stay in Cheongju. Before heading to the match, we figured we should eat something, and Siwoo said he wanted pizza. We looked for a pizza place near our lodging and ended up at Cheese Wave Cheongju Terminal Branch.

Cheese Wave felt a little different from your typical franchise pizza place — apparently it's a pizza-focused franchise that started at UPP in Itaewon, Seoul.

What's the vibe inside?

If you're on the hunt for a good pizza spot in Cheongju, walking in, the interior was cleaner and brighter than I expected. The white-toned space had a long red sofa as an accent point — clean but with a subtly stylish feel. Pizza posters from Cheese Wave hung on the walls, and just sitting there made me want pizza even more.

Each table had basic sauces and seasonings neatly set out, which made things easy to use.

The self bar setup

Off to one side there was a self bar. You could easily grab tableware, plates, wet wipes and the like. It wasn't just a bare functional setup either — it was decorated in a cute way that matched the pizzeria vibe. The shelves also displayed pizza-related knick-knacks and snack and drink bottles, so it was fun just to look around. The mix of red and wood tones fit the store's overall atmosphere nicely.

We just grabbed pickles and plates from the self bar :)

Hawaiian pizza L size with gold-ring crust added

What we picked that day was the Hawaiian pizza! Siwoo particularly loves Hawaiian pizza with its pineapple, so there was no hesitation. Hawaiian pizza L size / ₩25,900. And on top of that, we added the gold-ring crust!!

The moment the pizza arrived, the toppings caught my eye first. Bacon sat on top of nicely browned cheese, with generous, chunky pieces of pineapple scattered throughout. The menu description said it was loaded with bacon and pineapple pieces, and seeing it in person, I understood exactly why they described it that way. Especially satisfying if you're a pineapple fan.

The salty bacon and sweet pineapple combo

The charm of Hawaiian pizza really comes down to this combo, right? Pick up a slice and take a bite — the cheese and toppings blend together, and the pineapple adds a sweet-tart note here and there. The bacon's saltiness paired with the pineapple's sweetness worked better together than I expected. You could really taste the pineapple's juiciness, so it should suit pineapple lovers especially well.

Chewy dough, fermented for 48 hours

Personally, I was curious about the dough at Cheese Wave. Since it's fermented for 48 hours, I wondered how it would differ from a typical pizza dough. Even the edges weren't too thick or dry — it went well with the toppings and had a distinctly chewy texture. Pizza isn't just about the toppings, you eat the dough too, so that's something I pay attention to. With the thick cheese, bacon, and pineapple piled on, one slice left me surprisingly full.

How I ate it with hot sauce

As soon as it came out, I drizzled on a little hot sauce. Adding hot sauce to a pizza piled with cheese brings some spice that cuts through the richness — that's my favorite way to eat it. Especially with the sweet pineapple in the Hawaiian pizza, the spicy hot sauce paired surprisingly well.

When you're craving pizza near Cheongju Terminal

Cheese Wave Cheongju Terminal Branch also offers takeout, delivery, and reservations, so it seems just as good for eating at home as dining in. Group visits are possible too, and high chairs are provided, so families heading out for pizza with kids should have no trouble here. If you're searching for a good pizza spot in Cheongju and want to try something a bit different, Cheese Wave is worth putting on your list. I tried the Hawaiian pizza this time, and with all that bacon and pineapple piled on, it was really satisfying. They didn't hold back on the toppings, which made it even tastier... Next time, I'd like to try another menu item.