Are you looking for a taste of home and need to get your belly full of US style BBQ in the Pyeongtaek area? Then, here are eight spots where you can find delicious smoked US BBQ goodness.
Where is Pyeongtaek?
Feel free to skip this section if you live in Pyeongtaek or know about the area.
Pyeongtaek-si is located in the southern portion of the Gyeonggi-do province. This large city includes both US military installations, Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base.
The US BBQ recommendations provided exist within different areas of Pyeongtaek-si. Since this encompasses both military installations, South of Seoul provides addresses and phone numbers. However, we recommend using this information in either Naver Maps or Kakao Maps for the best results. As a result, such apps help you figure out how far each restaurant might be from you.
What Makes US BBQ Different from Korean BBQ?
United States (US) style BBQ is a hotly debated topic in the US as to which region of the US smokes the best meats. In the US, BBQ (or barbecue) generally refers to meat cooked over an open flame or pit barbecue which gives the meat a nice smoky flavor. However, regionally, the most popular styles of smoked bbq goodness are Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Memphis.
First and foremost, let’s talk about the main ingredients to a good western bbq: meat, the rub/sauce and the type of wood you use. Also, depending upon the pitmaster, style and location, some will allow the meat to speak for itself with the grill and smoke flavor cooking into it. Whereas other pitmasters choose to prep the meat with a good dry rub or a sauce used as a marinade. In addition, the wood you use can also infuse some delicious smoky flavors into the meat.
Western BBQ is regionally categorized into four main styles, Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Memphis. However, there are many other variations that exist in the western BBQ culture. Each of these styles bring their own flair and flavors to the table. Since there are differences in each of the styles, there are many people who debate which style is the best of the western BBQs.
Carolina Style BBQ
In the Carolinas (North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) style, barbecue is split into two camps…cooking the whole pig and using vinegar and pepper for flavor or using shoulders, ribs and butt with a tangy, slightly sweet sauce. This tangy sauce is usually comprised of ketchup, apple cider vinegar, pepper and sugar. Additionally, you can find many mustard-based sauces in the Carolinas. When people in the Carolinas refer to bbq, they are most often referring to pork as the standard meat.
Texas Style BBQ
Then we have Texas barbecue with various styles across the state. Most prominently cooked there is the beef, but they also cook just as much pork. Depending upon the location in Texas, you will find wet or dry barbecue. East Texas often has a marinade with a sweet tomato base, whereas South Texas uses molasses. However, Central Texas favors a good dry rub with salt and pepper. The method for bbq in Texas is low and slow over woods like oak, mesquite, pecan or hickory until the meat is falling off the bone.
Kansas City Style BBQ
Then, we have Kansas City style barbecue. Kansas City is most famous for the burnt ends of the brisket. Once the brisket is smoked, they return it to the smoker to get the charred exterior. However, their barbecue can be beef, pork, chicken or sausage and is usually coated in a sauce of sweet, thick molasses and tomato.
Memphis Style BBQ
Finally, Memphis style barbecue typically uses pork with a dry rub of spices. They have both wet and dry pork ribs depending upon your tastes. They also cook their meat long and slow in a pit with wood. Rather than adding sauce while cooking, they let the meat speak for itself. In addition, their sauce is a tangy tomato base usually served on the side.
Expectations on US BBQ
If you are venturing out to try one of the local US BBQ restaurants in Pyeongtaek, you have several options. Therefore, depending upon the location, you may find a mixture of the regional styles used or the restaurant may tell you that they specialize in one of the regions from the states.
As Americans from the Virginia and Carolinas areas, we enjoy the delicious smoked meats and have even made pulled pork at home in our oven when we are desperate for that taste of home. Having tried many of the regional styles from the states, we determined that we just love the fall-apart, smoky deliciousness ๐ However, we have tried several of the places on the list and are pretty happy to report that the meat is fabulously smoked at several of these locations.
US BBQ Restaurants in Pyeongtaek
The following American BBQ restaurants have been organized in order of voting in 2022 Best of Pyeongtaek Poll beginning with the winner.
Smoke Town BBQ
031-618-9294
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ ํํ์ ํฝ์ฑ์ ์ ํฅ๋ถ๋ก49๋ฒ๊ธธ 34
Swipe left on the header to watch a micro video! This US style BBQ joint offers some delicious slow roasted BBQ. The sauce is tangy and unique. The sides are delicious and plentiful. They dont offer simple items, but sell platters to share.
UJ Smokehouse Paengseong
031-651-2720
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ ํํ์ ํฝ์ฑ์ ์์ ์ํ๋ก 121
Korean owned American BBQ joint in Sosabeol Pyeongtaek. Shared in the Pyeongtaek Food and Fun group and added to the South of Seoul app by volunteers รขยยครฏยธย
La Salud
0507-1474-8686
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ ํํ์ ํฝ์ฑ์ ์์ ์ํ๋ก 161
A spacious family-friendly western-style restaurant that focuses on classics such as pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, fish & chips, etc. Also a nice selection of beers.
Texas BBQ 58
0316542258
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ ํํ์ ๊ด๋๊ธธ 20
A Korean owned American BBQ restaurant. They have lovely brisket and tasty sides. The food is served platter style so itโs great for groups and families. The restaurant has a play area for kids and itโs located next to a small fishing pond. Plenty of parking.
Victors BBQ
0507-1344-5059
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ ํํ์ ์ผํ๋ก9๋ฒ๊ธธ 12
Flying Geckos BBQ
031-618-9333
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ ํํ์ ํฝ์ฑ์ ํฝ์ฑ๋๊ต๊ธธ 97
A Korean take on US-style BBQ.
Check Out KimchiRednecks’ Western BBQ Videos
As Southerners, BBQ is a love language for us. Therefore, we have ventured out to several of the local western bbq restaurants in Pyeongtaek. While we don’t video all of our food adventures, we do try to get as many local places in as possible to support the community. Even so, we do have some other places we need to check out and look forward to those adventures.
Don’t let the internet and social media convince you that Korea’s only good western-style BBQ places are in Seoul. In the past years, the Pyeongtaek restaurant community has grown, and there are many fabulous food adventures to be had here!
Check out our YouTube page to see our restaurant reviews or our cooking videos. We are constantly adding new content.
How to Source Additional Information About Locations
If you have questions about things like business hours, you can use the free foreigner support app/phone number 1330.
Join the Pyeongtaek Food & Fun Facebook Group
You are also welcome to join our Pyeongtaek Food & Fun Facebook Group. The South of Seoul moderated community of active and friendly Pyeongtaek international residents makes moving to Pyeongtaek easier. With so many different voices and opinions, it is always refreshing to see everyoneโs adventures in our local community. Additionally, the shared posts introduce our community to new places and old places that can feel new all over again.
Volunteer with South of Seoul
Interested in working with a fun team of talented volunteers? The South of Seoul volunteer team is always looking for other like-minded folks to research information, compile blogs, and edit content.
Check Out 3 Foreign Style BBQ Joints
Now that you have seen the KimchiRednecksโ Best Western BBQ in Pyeongtaek, you should also look at South of Seoul’s 3 Foreign Style BBQ Joints. Cross-referencing lists will help you make the choice that is right for you.
The KimchiRednecks channel was created in September 2018 by Chuck Whittington and Melissa Edwards-Whittington. They moved to Korea in July 2017 with their three Shih Tzu daughters, Sookie, Minion, and Mayhem.
The YouTube channel started as a way to share their lives here with their friends and families back in the states. They both have a deep love for Korean culture, people, and food and love being able to share that with others.
Chuck Whittington graduated from Francis Marion University with a Bachelors in Information Systems Management. He has worked in Information Technology roles for over 20 years. Chuck has always had an interest in Korea and has traveled here many times in the past.
Melissa Edwards-Whittington graduated from Mid-Atlantic Christian University with a Bachelors in Bible and a Minor in Elementary Education. She has worked in various roles in customer service and marketing over the years.
The YouTube channel has many interests just like they do because it is an extension of their lives here in Korea. You will often find videos on their channel about daily life in Korea, cooking, foodie adventures, traveling and exploring, computer and tech pursuits, gaming, and working on the Subaru BRZ.
Over the years, many of their friends have joined them for their videos and adventures because they enjoy sharing their lives with those around them. In addition, they add new interests from time to time, like making moonshine in Korea.
Life is about growing and changing, and the longer the KimchiRednecks live in Korea, the more they learn to love this country and culture and all it has to offer.
