Best Barbecue in Seou | Linus 'Bama Style Barbecue Itaewon
Whenever I am in Korea, I seem to always veer towards western foods. Working at Itaewon, a haven for american restaurants, has only encouraged this tendency of mine.
For months I have been drooling over the countless Instagram posts of this barbecue restaurant. This summer I was finally able to pay a visit to Linus.
Vibes
The restaurant is hidden within the convoluted streets of Itaewon. Everything looks Thunder Mountain themed. There's a huge outdoor space scattered with wooden picnic tables and a rustic looking bar decorated with steel. The place is bustling with tourists and locals creating loud conversations left and right. The loudness was liberating for me...I could babble obnoxiously about the food without anyone caring.
Fooods
The brisket and pulled pork are absolutely divine served alongside toasted garlic buns, sides (we ordered baked beans, slaw, and mashed potatoes), and their home made sauces. You can enjoy the platter any way you want, whether it be to make mini sliders, or just mix and match different flavors. The sheer amount of food in front of me made me unreasonably excited. Heejin and I were able to devour it all PLUS the mac and cheese balls (not very surprising). Not a meat-lover? They also have a vegetarian platter option, but beware: there is a limited supply and it seems to sell out very quickly. The mac and cheese balls are the best that I've tried. So crunchy on the outside, but hot and ooey gooey on the inside.
Final Thots
This restaurant is barbecue HEAVEN. Not only does the food taste great, it tastes authentic. Often times, American and Italian foods in Korea are tainted by too much sugar or weird af cheeses, and have a complete lack of regard for authenticity (one traumatic day I had chicken parmesan served with chili sauce :-( ) At Linus 'Bama Barbecue I feel as if I am back in Nashville. If you are in the mood for some classic American barbecue, or have a large crowd to please, I would highly recommend coming to this place.
pros
great atmosphere, amazing presentation, large portion, good service, lots of seating
cons
hard to find, a little expensive
items I recommend
mac and cheese balls, Twos platter, fries, baked beans, slaw
find it
56-20 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul near Itaewon Station. I suggest using T-Map app to find the exact location