Tasty Tuesdays: Gram Gram (Bunpyeong-dong and Seonghwa-dong)

Restaurant:  Gram Gram
Type:            Beef (shared portions)
Prices:          25,000 - 46,000 for beef, sides 1,000-5,000, alcohol 4,000-10,000

Gram Gram:  Where's the Beef?  Right Here!
It’s Friday or Saturday evening, and you are looking to get a nice, filling meal before you head out for some nighttime entertainment.  Some meat sounds good, but everywhere is kind of similar…So, where do you go to switch it up, maybe have something you haven’t had in a while?

Gram Gram is a beef restaurant that specializes in large quantities at not such a large price. The way this place works is that you walk in and choose which size order of beef you want. Sounds like any other barbeque place, right? Here is what makes it great: every order is doubled in size for free. That means, if you want 300g of meat, they will give you 600g for the same price.


This makes Gram Gram an ideal place for large groups, or large people, such as me. There are five cuts of beef to choose from: 토시살 (“Toshisal”), 부채살 (“Buchaesal”), 안창살 (“Anchangsal”), LA 갈비 (“LA Galbi”), and 등심 (“Deungshim”). Some of these terms have less-than-desirable translations, if any at all. In order to help you choose, there are helpful pictures put up all over the restaurant. I tried all of them, and would highly recommend them all (although do be careful with the LA Galbi; there are lots of small bones in it that make it frustrating when you are really hungry).

This is the 300g + 300g serving, the smallest size available. That night, my coworkers and I ordered this size, as well as the 600g + 600g serving, and we were all quite stuffed at the end of the meal. All of us. Even me. This was for 6 people, which means if we split up the bill, the meat would cost just over 11,000 per person. Not too bad for some quality beef in Korea! Of course, the more people you bring and the larger portions you order, the cheaper it will be, so get ready to bring the whole crew with you. As the Notorious B.I.G. so eloquently put it, “Beef is when you roll no less than 30 deep.” 

If somehow you are not full, or you are eating with a Korean boss that insists you get noodles after your kilogram of beef, there are some (tasteless) noodle and soup options here, such as white kimchi noodles or beef soup, but no 냉면.  After enjoying some truly delicious meat, rather than filling up on carbs, why not order some beer instead, available on tap here!

There are two locations in Cheongju:  one in 분평동 (Bunpyeong-dong) near the Cafe Bene, and another in 성화동 (Seonghwa-dong), close to 개신동 (Gaesing-dong).  Directions and map can be found below.  So throw on some Biggie, get your beef, and until next time, get your eat on, sucka!

-Phil Drendall

 분평동 (Bunpyeong-dong) near the Caffe Bene and One Room Chon area; a 5-10 minute walk from Pizza Hut going away from McDonald’s.

(Seonghwa-dong), but very close to 개신동 (Gaeshin-dong), as well. If you go behind the McDonald’s and Café Pascucci, you will be able to see 그램그램 on top of a building.