Good southern style bbq in Korea? With all the fixins? And an atmosphere that feels like you might be eating in an ‘off the beaten path’ rib shack? In Seoul? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
I am beginning to think that South Koreans are masters of the grill. Yeah, I just said that…
It was Valentine’s Day and my husband and I were all dressed and ready for a romantic/delicious/fun night out in the big city…with no specific plan of attack. Often this leads to wandering through crowded streets dense with choices not being able to decide and getting hungrier and hungrier. We had plopped ourselves in a section of the Itaewon neighbourhood in Seoul- known for its high density of cocktail bars, breweries and international restaurants…and just started walking. Up a really big hill. We passed more than a couple potential places that would most likely have fit the bill for the evening’s expectations, but nothing really drew us in. Up and up we went, the number of people on the sidewalks was thinning out, and lit facades for the most part all seemed to be behind us- but at the top of the hill there was one last light that was beckoning to us.
Locos BBQ! Sheet plastic stretched across a series of swinging porch doors, creating a definite down home feeling in our first impressions of the place. Thinking that maybe we were in the mood for something a bit more upscale for Valentine’s Day we briefly paused, and were in the process of making a u-turn to head back down the hill when it hit us: the intoxicating scent of grilled and slow smoked meat. That kind of charred, kind of sweet smell where you can almost taste the zing of bbq sauce. Yep. Without further thought we headed straight inside. A potbellied stove with wooden pallets stacked next to it- menu items written across the wood- greeted us as we made our way through the doors. This opened up into the front room: barn wood, cement floors, bags of charcoal…Chalk boards with daily specials hung above bottles of bbq sauce, and stacks of ribs behind glass waited to be packaged up to take out. The place was packed.
We saddled up to the tiny bar and got comfy on a couple of tall stools instead of waiting for a proper table. Menus appeared- a visual feast of typography printed on brown paper stock and presented on a clip board. Full slabs of pork ribs, baked beans, brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, Mexican grilled corn, fried mushrooms, homemade potato chips, whole chicken legs…It was a meat lover’s dream. Unable to decide, we chose the Locos BBQ Sampler: brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, pulled pork, and pork belly…(there was also a Mad for Pork mixed plate). While we waited for our dinner I ordered a mojito, served up in a large ball jar- a perfect detail that just added to the charm of the place. While sipping on my delicious drink, I took in the rest of the ambiance. Great R & B music put us in the groove, and the dim lighting, cement walls and textured steel bar top set the scene for the giant plate of meat we were about to receive. Brought to us on a legged tray, we dug in without further ado..Warm rolls, and a small side of coleslaw rounded everything out. While the pulled pork wasn’t slathered in sauce like I usually like it, all of the meat in front of us was tender and tasty, with the pork ribs being the star of the show in our opinion. They were generously glazed in a sauce that was sweet (but not too sweet) and sticky with quite a bit of spice to back it up. Finger lickin’ good, without a doubt. We tried not to fight over the last rib, and vowed that the next time we came back we would be skipping sampler plates and just going for the glory of the full rack. On the way out we got high five’d by the super friendly owner when we told him that everything was ‘masissoyo!’ and tried not to roll down the hill…
Locos BBQ Sampler about 57,000 won
sides 4,000 – 7,000 won
cocktails around 12,000 won
How to get there: Take line 6 to Noksapyeong Station. Leave through exit 6 and head down the hill. At the bottom of the hill there is an underground crosswalk that will take you to the other side of the street. Follow Hoenamu-Ro and continue up the hill. Locos is near the top of the hill on the left side of the street. You can’t miss the clear plastic sheathing or the sweet smell of southern style barbecue.