There are many delicious yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants in Japan. Here are some popular yakiniku restaurant chains where you can have cheap yet delicious all-you-can-eat yakiniku.
1. Gyushige
This large chain is known for delicious yakiniku made from mostly domestic meat grilled over high-grade charcoal made from ubame oak. Grilling the meat over charcoal locks the flavors into the meat. This restaurant has 3 varieties of sauces that bring out the deliciousness of the meat. The highly reviewed Oniku Gattsuri Course (2,790 JPY (incl. tax)) has 4 times the volume of the regular course, so it’s highly recommended for people that want to eat a lot! There are also all-you-can-eat courses that are specific to certain branches that include everything from yakiniku to dessert. Some branches offer Japanese Black beef as well.
2. Dondon
This all-you-can-eat yakiniku chain restaurant is owned by the Amiyakitei Group, which focuses on offering domestic beef. They have various all-you-can-eat courses all for 100 minutes including the Dondon Course (50 dishes for 1,980 JPY), the Kangeki Course (85 dishes including salad, fruit, and cake bar for 2,480 JPY), and the Kokusan Gyu Premium Course (100 dishes including salad, fruit, and cake bar for 2,980 JPY) (all excl. tax). If you add another 1,200 JPY (excl. tax) or more, you can have an all-you-can-drink course as well. All of the courses include half-priced for elementary school aged children and are free for children 6 years and under, as well as a soft drink all-you-can-drink for 200 JPY (excl. tax), so you can enjoy bringing your children as well.
3. Stamina Taro
This self-serve buffet restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat with over 130 varieties of dishes, including yakiniku, sushi, salad, and dessert. They aim to offer quality ingredients for reasonable prices, and thoroughly take care of their ingredients, so you can eat as much as you want without worry. You can create your own dishes by matching the items you like from their large offering, so it’s a popular restaurant. It’s a great place to enjoy a fun meal with your family or in a group. During weekend lunch, the all-you-can-eat for 90 minutes starts at 1,214 JPY, 864 JPY for elementary school aged children, and 361 JPY for children over 3, with a soft drink bar for 250 JPY (all incl. tax).
4. Sumibi Yakiniku Eekatei
This is a lively yakiniku restaurant where you can eat carefully selected domestic Japanese beef grilled over charcoal. There are three types of all-you-can-eat menus for 120 minutes: one with 27 dishes (2,030 JPY for men, 1,706 JPY for women, 1,058 JPY for elementary school aged children (all incl. tax)), one with 109 dishes (2,790 JPY for men, 2,590 JPY for women, 1,630 JPY for elementary school children (all incl. tax)), and one with 120 dishes including Japanese Black beef (6,000 JPY (incl. tax)). The first dish is a mixed platter. There are also alcohol and soft drink all-you-can-drink or just soft drink all-you-can-drink courses available as well. They also offer meat set meals, side dishes, drink menus, and more. They cut the Japanese Black beef after you order it, so it’s extremely fresh. You can fully enjoy the delicious flavor of cooking meat on a traditional Japanese grill!
5. Fufutei
This yakiniku restaurant offers quality meat and fresh vegetables since it’s directly managed by a meat wholesaler. There are two types of all-you-can-eat courses, both for 120 minutes: the 2,980 JPY course (1,480 JPY for elementary school aged children and 500 JPY for children aged 3-6 (all excl. tax)) and the 3,480 JPY course (1,740 JPY for elementary school aged children and 600 JPY for children aged 3-6 (all excl. tax)). The all-you-can-drink plan is an extra 1,280 JPY (excl. tax)), unless you want a soft drink all-you-can-drink course, which is just 420 JPY (excl. tax)). They are particular about the sauce, which is made with sweetness and richness that draws out the flavors of the meat for an exquisite aroma. The all-you-can-eat includes bibimbap and gukbap, which is a nice touch.