JJ’s American Diner

South African food near Camp Humphreys

Restaurants

JJ’s American Diner

A little piece of America in Anjeong-ri

Courtesy of JJ's Diner

Some restaurants exist to be discovered. JJ’s American Diner is the kind of place people find by accident — because Braai Republic was closed, or because someone in a Facebook group mentioned it — and then never stop going back. Open since 2013 in Anjeong-ri, a short walk from the Walk-In Gate at USAG Humphreys, this diner was built on a simple idea: give people far from home the food that makes them feel like they never left.

Behind JJ’s is Jessica Fry, a Michigan native who grew up working in a Coney Island restaurant, and her husband Hwang Jin-cheol, who left a career in banking to build something with her. Together they have spent over a decade serving up the kind of cooking that does not need a concept or a backstory to justify itself. It is just good food, done right, in a retro diner setting that feels immediately familiar the moment you walk in.

What's on the menu?

Courtesy of JJ's Diner

The menu is built around American Southern comfort food, with a few surprises that keep regulars coming back. The Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich is the dish most people order first and keep ordering forever — smoky, generous and made better with the spicy BBQ sauce on the side. The Fried Plantains are a standout that no other diner in Korea can claim, a nod to the broader diaspora community that has made JJ’s its own. The Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork Panini, the Fried Dill Pickles and the French Toast Breakfast have all earned loyal followings. The all-day breakfast menu covers every classic — eggs, tater tots, bacon, sausage, ham — and the loaded steak fries are the kind of thing you order once and regret not ordering more of. Drinks are classic diner fare: coffee, sodas and a small selection of beers including Budweiser and Heineken.

Budget: 14,900 – 28,900 KRW per person