Ijaemo Pizza Busan Station: A Must-Try Pizza Experience (and the Wait!)
Hello! This is Jay.
I traveled to Busan last summer, and this time, I finally tried waiting in line at Ijaemo Pizza for the first time.
Actually, I've been to Busan several times, but I always wondered if it was really worth waiting for pizza like this, so I never visited before.
However, with strong recommendations from my friends, I decided to brave the Ijaemo Pizza Busan wait – a must-eat experience in Busan!
Ijaemo Pizza Busan: Essential Information
Hours: Daily, 10 AM to 9 PM (Last Order: 8:30 PM)
Closed every Sunday
Location: 2nd Floor, 197 Jungang-daero, Dong-gu, Busan (14m from Busan Station Exit 7)
Parking: Shindongyang Parking Lot across from the entrance (1,000 KRW discount per hour – show your receipt). No discounts at other parking lots.
Ijaemo Pizza is so famous that almost everyone in Korea knows about it. Because it's only in Busan (with one location in Jeju), it's known as a must-eat restaurant when you visit.
There are a total of 7 Ijaemo Pizza locations in Busan, including Busan Station, Seomyeon, the main branch, Gwangbok, and take-out stores.
Since the wait at Ijaemo Pizza Busan is quite long, using a take-out location is a good option.
How to Brave the Ijaemo Pizza Busan Wait
You can join the Ijaemo Pizza Busan wait using CatchTable, but only on-site waiting is available (no app reservations).
The CatchTable waiting kiosk is located on the way up to the 2nd floor, so please register there.
Note that the wait may be temporarily suspended or close early during peak dinner hours, depending on the period.
Wait nearby and come to the entrance when you receive a KakaoTalk notification.
The Ijaemo Pizza Busan Station branch doesn't have much to do nearby compared to the Seomyeon or Gwangbok branches. I recommend waiting at a nearby cafe.
For reference, I joined the wait around 4-4:30 PM on a Saturday and was seated around 6 PM.
If you're eating lunch, I recommend going as soon as they open. If you're eating dinner, I recommend arriving at least 2 hours early to join the Ijaemo Pizza Busan wait.
For take-out at Ijaemo Pizza Busan Station, don't join the wait. Just tell them you're there for take-out, go straight up to the kiosk, order, and wait!
Ijaemo Pizza Busan Station: Ijaemo Crust Large & Crust Rich Sweet Potato Pizza Large Review
Located right in front of Busan Station, it's a great location to visit at the beginning or end of your trip. It was very clean and modern, probably because it hasn't been open for too long.
The tables were also very clean. There were a lot of people, but there were also quite a few tables.
You can order via tablet. It's almost a completely unmanned system. Payment is also processed directly at your seat.
We ordered the Ijaemo Crust Pizza (Large), the Crust Rich Sweet Potato Pizza (Large), and Kimchi Fried Rice.
Drinks are self-service. When you order, you get a cup and can fill it from the dispenser yourself.
However, refills are not allowed... (why?)
We ordered the garlic dipping sauce, which is said to be one of the main highlights, and the new hot dipping sauce.
The new sauce was a bit ambiguous, but the garlic dipping sauce had a strong garlic flavor and felt like a truly Korean-style garlic dipping sauce. It was very delicious.
The Kimchi Fried Rice was served quickly. I heard that Ijaemo Pizza's Kimchi Fried Rice is also famous, so I ordered it.
It was a slightly sour Kimchi Fried Rice, which would go well with the rich pizza.
However, I finished it all before the pizza even arrived. The Ijaemo Pizza Busan wait made me so hungry!
The pizza also came out faster than I expected. As I mentioned before, it's almost entirely unmanned.
The pizza is delivered by a robot. You move it to your table yourself and press a button to send the robot back.
The visuals are amazing, right? I can see why people wait for Ijaemo Pizza Busan.
Here are the Crust Rich Sweet Potato Pizza (Large) and the Ijaemo Crust Pizza (Large).
The Ijaemo Crust Pizza (Large) comes with 8 slices.
It looks small in the photo, but it's a hearty slice with plenty of cheese and cheese crust.
It has a simple and classic pizza flavor, but the cheese flavor is amazing. I can see why people wait for Ijaemo Pizza Busan.
The visuals weren't anything special, but the cheese was definitely the star.
Next is the Crust Rich Sweet Potato Pizza (Large). I ordered this because I thought sweet potato and cheese would be a good combination.
It was sweet and tasty, but there wasn't enough bacon, so it was more sweet than sweet and savory.
As a result, it tasted more like eating sweet bread than pizza, which was a little disappointing. It made me want coffee!
Still, it was delicious. If you like sweet things, I recommend this menu too.
It contained sweet potato, chestnuts, and pecans, giving it a nice texture. The condensed milk drizzled on top made it quite sweet.
I would definitely wait for Ijaemo Pizza Busan again next time. But this time, I'll think about things to do nearby while waiting for 2 hours. Or maybe try to get there right when they open.
Anyway, that was my review of Ijaemo Pizza Busan Station, where everyone said it was worth a return visit, even after a 2-hour wait!
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