Burger and buffalo wings combo in Gangneung: Moana Burger

While searching for handmade burger spots in Gangneung, I visited Moana Burger in Chodang-dong!!

On Naver it also comes up as an ocean-view burger place near Sacheon Beach, so it looks like it used to be there before relocating! It's not ocean-view anymore — now it's near Chodang-dong Sundubu Village (soft tofu village). It's also dog-friendly, so I want to bring our dog Mochi next time haha. The burgers were great, but the buffalo wings were really impressive too, so I wanted to introduce both!

Location and hours of Moana Burger in Chodang-dong, Gangneung

• 📍 Location: 228-33 Nanseolheon-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Closed Tuesdays

It's near Chodang-dong Sundubu Village, though not right on that main street — you go a little off the main road and you find it quickly. I walked there myself! Since it's a standalone building, parking is easy, and the folding doors were wide open, which gave it a nice atmosphere even on a rainy day haha. Not being squeezed between other buildings made it feel good even without the ocean view!

I imagined that on a cooler, breezier day, eating a handmade burger with the folding doors open would feel even better.

The interior vibe was really pretty too! Both owners were kind haha, and their dog Yeoreum was so cute. Really gentle lol — we sat at the table right next to her and she barely even looked at us lol.

Seeing Yeoreum made me think of our Mochi. She stayed home with dad on this trip lol.

Friday evening visit — no waiting!

We visited around just past 5pm on a Friday, two of us. Maybe because it was dinner time, there was no wait at all. I guess it makes sense since the menu here feels more like a lunch food. I was a little tired of Korean food at this point, so I rushed over for a handmade burger haha. Since everything is made fresh in the open kitchen after ordering, it took a bit of time.

But watching the food being made deliciously right in front of us made the wait not feel boring at all haha.

Menu and prices

• Moana Burger (signature burger) ₩13,000
• Hawaiian Burger ₩14,000
• Moana Double Burger ₩16,000
• Chili Bean Wedge Potatoes ₩12,000
• Buffalo Wings (8 pieces) ₩15,000

These were among the items on the menu.

The two of us ordered one Moana Burger, one Moana Double Burger, one order of buffalo wings, and one soda. Originally we thought we'd just get burgers, but reviews kept insisting we had to try the buffalo wings. So we ordered a somewhat excessive (?) amount...

After eating it, the combination was seriously perfect! Even though we were full, we finished everything without leaving any... though we really did stuff ourselves. Honestly the portions were a bit much for me (I don't usually eat a lot of fries), so aside from leaving a few fries, we ate through it all diligently. Every burger comes with fries included (soda not included), and they were thick and crispy outside, juicy inside — delicious!

After waiting a bit, the food arrived!

The first thing I noticed was how glossy the burger bun looked — toasted in butter so beautifully it looked delicious just to see. The overall generous portion size looked great too.

Moana Burger vs. double burger — what's the difference?

First, the Moana Burger! It was clean and delicious!

True to being the signature burger, it had a clean flavor. The patty was juicy, as you'd expect from a handmade burger, and it came with tomato and lettuce along with a tasty sauce.

With the vegetables mixed in alongside the strong meat flavor, the overall taste was light and clean rather than heavy. If you like clean burgers with lettuce and tomato, I'd recommend the Moana Burger!

The double burger I ordered, on the other hand, was pure intensity!!! They said it's an 'American taste.' (I've never been to America as a kid so I wouldn't know...) This was my first time trying a double burger. Apparently it comes with two patties and two slices of cheese. Since I've been trying to get more protein lately, I decided to give it a try lol.

But it's really thick. When I pressed down to try to bite it in one go, the juices squeezed right out and dripped everywhere lol. My mouth is small so I actually failed to fit it in one bite!!!! haha

And here's the POINT!!! Apparently the double burger doesn't come with any sauce. It has pickles and onions, but no tomato or lettuce. So the rich flavor of the patty and cheese came through fully, and even though I haven't actually been to America, this felt like the burger that truly deserved the description 'real American taste.'

It was definitely much richer and heavier than the Moana Burger! And even without sauce, it never tasted bland. Still, I finished it all??? hahaha

• A clean burger with vegetables like lettuce and tomato → Moana Burger
• A burger with rich, intense meat flavor → Double Burger

That's my recommendation!! Though the double burger is on the richer side, so soda felt essential.

We didn't order one at first but ended up ordering it later.. The soda comes with a cup of ice. Especially paired with the rich double burger, it was really the perfect match!!!

🍗 Buffalo wings — the combination with the burgers is unbeatable..

And the dish I really enjoyed that day! The buffalo wings.

I hesitated because the price is a bit high, but as I mentioned, the reviews were so good that I decided to try it. And no regrets — it was seriously delicious haha. When I told them how good it was, they mentioned the sauce is homemade. The spiciness cut right through the slight richness you start to feel while eating burgers, and I loved that.

The buffalo wings also come with carrots, celery, and ranch sauce on the side. At first I thought, 'why carrots and celery with this?' but after trying it, there was a good reason.. The buffalo wings have a bit of a spicy, intense kick, so between bites of burger and wings, dipping carrot or celery in the ranch sauce completely refreshed my palate!

A perfect combination haha. And the fries that come with the burger were also great dipped in ranch sauce instead of just ketchup!! (recommended by the owner). Both the drumettes and the wings had lots of meat, were tender, and well-seasoned — I really enjoyed them. Even if you're just planning to have burgers, I'd recommend also ordering the buffalo wings if you like them!

🐶 The resident dog Yeoreum was so cute too

And there was such a cute moment during our meal lol ㅠㅠ

When we started eating the buffalo wings, Yeoreum suddenly got up and came over. It reminded me of Mochi for a moment, so I asked her, 'do you want chicken too?' and the way she waited was just too cute... hahaha I really felt like I need to bring our Mochi next time.~~

To sum up

We had a late-hours café nearby for our next stop, which we visited and paid for ourselves — I'll write that review soon too haha. This time, at this handmade burger spot in Gangneung, Moana Burger, the burgers themselves were delicious, but for me, the combination with the buffalo wings was especially great.

If you like clean burgers, go for the Moana Burger; if you like rich, meat-packed burgers, go for the double burger! And if you like buffalo wings, don't hesitate — order them together lol.

Above all, the owners were kind, the interior was pretty, and it's dog-friendly — all things I loved about this place. I'm already thinking I need to bring Mochi here next time!