Manimal Smokehouse in Itaewon: A Meat Lover's Dream

2017-05-22 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

For a few years now, BBQ seems to be trending in Itaewon (a popular expat district in Seoul). It's not like there's an overwhelming number of places, but a few spots are heavily armed with the kind of meat that lets you recreate those scenes from cartoons where characters tear into giant ribs. Manimal Smokehouse, where I went today, is a prime example of this kind of meat-heavy joint.

A Manimal Smokehouse sign is attached to the second floor of a building with gray exterior walls.

A Manimal Smokehouse sign is visible inside a narrow alleyway between buildings. — The sign is easy to spot, but the entrance is actually hard to find.

The restaurant entrance with a black door is located at the top of steel stairs.

The restaurant's daily operating hours are written on the glass door. — A retro-looking entrance.

The interior of the restaurant features dark-toned decor with wooden tables and chairs. — I arrived earlier than opening time, so there was no one around. I tried to wait inside, but they said I couldn't. Even though it was 5 minutes before opening, they still told me to put my name down on the reservation list. It felt like enduring an inconvenience for a system that was supposed to make things convenient.

Entering the number of waiting people by touching a tablet screen at the restaurant entrance. — You make a reservation using an electronic device. It's a nice attempt, but it doesn't seem any better than pen and paper. It would be one thing if the machine called you automatically, but a staff member still just looks at the iPad and yells out your name.

The Manimal Smokehouse menu showing barbecue platters and side dishes.

The Manimal Smokehouse drink menu listing beer, wine, and beverages. — There are many kinds of BBQ. Just looking at the names and descriptions, it's hard to imagine what will come out. So I asked the staff and went with their recommended menu.

Grilled chicken, barbecue ribs, and two types of sauce are placed on a tray lined with paper foil. — We ordered chicken and ribs. We had to go eat somewhere else later, so we only ordered a little.

Grilled chicken, barbecue ribs, and two types of sauce are placed on paper foil.

Two morning rolls, macaroni covered in cheese, and a baked potato drizzled with sauce are served on a black tray. — The meat is really delicious. The only downside is that it would have been easier to eat if there was something to cut through the greasiness, but all the side dishes are heavy too. You get sick of it pretty quickly after eating just a little.

The excitement when the food first comes out and the taste of the warm meat are truly the best. It's a place where you can eat in pure bliss when you're craving meat. The bummer is, as I wrote above, everything is so rich that people with small appetites like me get tired of it fast. It's a place that makes you really crave danmuji (pickled radish) and kimchi. I guess they put together this menu to make people drink beer, but the greasiness was too strong to be washed away just by the refreshing taste of beer. Because of that, my eating pace gradually slowed down, and after a while, the meat got cold and lost its flavor, so I eventually put my fork down. It's a place that seems really great, yet somehow leaves a lot to be desired...

I visited again after a long time. The mandatory reservation system seems to be gone, as I was guided to an empty seat as soon as I arrived. Reading my old post, I realized I hadn't written down their unique ordering system. You can choose "2 Meats" or "3 Meats," which literally means two or three types of meat. Along with that, you can order two or three side dishes, respectively.

But things seem to have changed a bit; today, when I chose 2 Meats, they told me to pick three sides. The menu must have been updated.

Coleslaw, shredded meat, sliced meat, and two types of sauce are served on a tray. — Pork, brisket, and coleslaw. Come to think of it, the types of meat seem to have changed and expanded too.

Various foods including morning rolls, mashed potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, and barbecue meat are set on a table. — Everything else was great, but that bean dish in the top left had cilantro in it, so the initial taste was quite strong.

If you ask a carnivore—especially one accustomed to beef, pork, and chicken—how Manimal tastes, the only answer you'll get is, "It's unbelievably delicious." The side dishes that come with it are also pretty good accompaniments, so now I highly recommend this place. You absolutely need coleslaw as a side, and since there isn't much else to cut the grease, ordering two or more coleslaws doesn't seem like a bad choice. After all, this is a place for eating meat.