NY Makgeolli Brewery & Pub

I love going to this spot, I always bring my friends here whenever I'm in the area. The couple who own it are so friendly and kind and the food is amazing. You get a whole table full of various sides with your eel, lots of pickled veggies, sauces, and more and they're all delicious. Don't be scared to try the eel, it's very fresh, very clean, and doesn't have a fishy taste at all, it's great!

You drive past their gardens and the river on the way in where most of your food is coming from. Everything made to order, they ask you to call the day before and place your order. Service was outstanding, and included explanations of everything and best ways to eat it. A legit Korean spot in the middle of the woods.

Everything was so tasty, especially the makgeolli! If you’re planning to go with a larger group, I’d recommend calling ahead to reserve a table.

If you like grilled eel or want to try it, then you MUST go.

You won’t find a better spot ANYWHERE. Great portion. Lovely flavors.

Call/text ahead to give them a heads up. The owners are super friendly and full of love!

Makgeolli/rice wine is also the best. I refuse to drink from other brands.

Can’t wait to go back!

This was such a hidden gem that our family discovered during a trip to the Catskills area. About 20 minutes away from Kartrite, and absolutely worth the drive if you’re looking for authentic Korean food. It’s a small menu, but very special because the couple owns one of the only for eel fishing licenses in the state of NY. I’ve had plenty of eel before prepared in sushi, but never had freshwater eel grilled like this! I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Fresh, mild flavor, and the grilled texture was perfect with a little char. My two young daughters also really liked it. It was especially good eaten in a ssam wrap. All the kkaenip and banchan were vegetables from their garden, fresh and delicious. The other dish we ordered was the dakdoritang. When he brought it out, he had mentioned that the chicken meat may be a bit more tough than what we are used to because it’s from the chickens they have in the back! It was indeed different than the GMO chicken we see often that’s plump full of whole knows what, but it definitely was more tasty. Nice and spicy, good contrast with the potatoes and carrots, and the stew was delicious over rice. Again, my girls loved the dish and asked for more rice to have with the soup.

But wait, there’s more that makes this place so memorable! They make their own makgeolli and sell in bottles with no preservatives. It’s soooo much better than what you find commercially in grocery stores. It’s less sweet, no artificial sugary taste at all, more tart, and higher alcohol content. Since we had to drive back, we needed to walk off the unexpected buzz and the sweet owners graciously let us explore their property. We saw the chickens, eels, and walked to the river where the eels are caught. It was a beautiful area, especially on a warm fall day, and the whole experience was truly one to be remembered.

Highly recommend this place. It’s not big, so better for small groups. Worth traveling for though since you really can’t find a place that cooks fresh eel like this anywhere in NYC.