Taoyuan’s Real Late-Night Dining Spot: A BBQ Stall Open Only 3 Hours a Day

Text & Photos /San Gao Chi Han

I heard there was a unique BBQ stall in [Nan] that doesn’t open until 10:50 PM and closes at 1:30 AM. Without a reservation, you’d have to wait a long time. This piqued my curiosity, so I called ahead to reserve a spot during my visit to Taoyuan.

I arrived at Song Bo BBQ around 10:40 PM. The owner said they had just started grilling. Since reservations include a designated pickup time, all I had to do was give them the time, and they knew which “basket” was mine. As I was the first to call that day, my pickup time was 10:50 PM (i.e., the first basket), and I got my food around 11:00 PM.

What’s really special is that there’s almost no one around—everyone orders by phone. You can see rows of baskets lined up on the stall, each piled high. After checking the ingredients, I found the quality to be quite good. Some were pre-marinated, while the raw meats like enoki mushroom skewers and scallion skewers looked fresh based on their color, and the skewers were neatly and firmly assembled.

Back home, it was time to dig in. I poured some beer first—oh no, actually. Out of the more than 10 Taiwanese-style BBQ stalls I’ve tried, Song Bo’s is relatively light and leans toward original flavors. First, the slightly charred parts were well-controlled, without an overpowering burnt taste. Some BBQ stalls have poor charcoal control; the better ones trim the burnt bits with scissors, while the worse ones don’t bother.

The sauce is also relatively light, with a mild salty flavor and little sweetness. It’s not particularly distinctive, but as my sister said, she prefers this type because it highlights the original taste. This makes the quality of the ingredients and how well they pair with the sauce even more apparent.

For example, the enoki mushroom skewers, scallion skewers, and mushrooms were all juicy and delicious due to their good quality, making them increasingly enjoyable as I ate. The fish cakes were thick and chewy, with a nice texture, and the green beans were crispy and sweet.

The chicken butt was crispy, the chicken skin skewers were smooth and slightly chewy, with scallions sandwiched between the slices—also very tasty. These were some of my favorite items, and they paired well with the sauce.



A few items didn’t hit the mark, though, like the dried tofu or rice cake. The flavors didn’t penetrate well, and the thin sauce made the average quality of the tofu more noticeable—not like the delicious tofu you’d find at traditional markets. The rice cake that day wasn’t grilled through enough, tasting just okay. The roast chicken leg was forgettable.



Overall, it’s the kind of food that’s easy to eat and leaves little after-feeling. The prices are reasonable, but I ended up spending NT$700 on this trip—way too much food, honestly.

Song Bo BBQ
Address: Intersection of Zhongxiao East Road and [Nan] Road, Luzhu District, Taoyuan County
Business Hours: 10:50 PM – 1:30 AM (Closed on Sundays)
Phone: 0911-204620 (Reservations start at 6:00 PM)
 

San Gao Chi Han
Savoring Taiwan’s regional flavors, capturing delicious memories
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