Osaka, as a hub of food distribution, has developed its unique food culture. The city offers numerous delicious and affordable local specialties such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushikatsu, satisfying both locals and tourists alike. Osaka is also known as the "city of kuidaore," meaning a place where one eats until they drop due to the overwhelming variety of must-try foods.
Moreover, with nearby sake-producing regions like Nada, Itami, and Ikeda, Osaka is a city where you can enjoy both food and drinks. As Japan's second-largest metropolitan area after Tokyo, Osaka is home to about 7% of Japan's total population and 10% of the foreign residents in Japan.
As the culinary center of the Kansai region, every area in Osaka is packed with restaurants. Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) is no exception, with famous establishments from all over Japan gathering here. In this article, we'll introduce you to the best yakiniku restaurants in Osaka 2024, focusing on places where you can enjoy exquisite wagyu beef and have a memorable experience.
Osaka: A Gourmet Paradise Where Top Restaurants from All Over Japan Converge
Osaka, the heart of the Kansai area, is a food mecca on par with Tokyo, Japan's capital. When it comes to yakiniku restaurants serving wagyu beef, Osaka is no exception in attracting famous establishments. From casual to high-end restaurants, you can choose a style that fits your travel budget and accessibility.
Let's explore some of the best yakiniku restaurants in Osaka 2024 that you should definitely visit.
For the Ultimate Yakiniku Experience in Japan, Choose Restaurants Serving "Wagyu"!
Wagyu refers to beef from specially bred cattle that meet strict criteria in their respective regions. Famous varieties include "Matsusaka beef (from Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture)," "Tajima beef (from Tajima region, Hyogo Prefecture)," and "Omi beef (from Shiga Prefecture)."
About 90% of the wagyu in the Japanese market is Japanese Black cattle, also known as the "King of Wagyu." It's characterized by its tender meat quality and the "sashi" or marbling, where fat is interspersed between the muscles.
The highest quality meat is known for its softness that melts at body temperature and the perfect balance of fat that spreads the umami flavor in your mouth from the moment you take a bite.
Three Yakiniku Restaurants Where You Can Fully Enjoy Premium Wagyu
Matsusaka beef Yakiniku M Hozenji Yokocho Branch
Source:Tabelog
Matsusaka beef Yakiniku M Hozenji Yokocho Branch offers the opportunity to enjoy Matsusaka beef, considered the pinnacle of wagyu, at reasonable prices. Located just a 5-minute walk from Namba Station and close to the tourist spot Kuromon Market, this restaurant is popular among foreign visitors.
Matsusaka beef is known for its sweetness that spreads in your mouth the moment you bite into it, melting away instantly. Many people become entranced by this melt-in-your-mouth texture, and I often find myself continuing to eat, forgetting to put down my chopsticks.
My recommendation is the Matsusaka beef 6-piece assortment. This menu item features a selection of the day's recommended cuts from a whole Matsusaka cattle. It's perfect for those who want to compare and savor different parts of wagyu beef.
<Store Information>
- Address: 1-1-19 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 17:00 - 23:00
- Closed: None (May be closed during New Year's season, please check in advance)
- Phone: 06-6211-2917
- Official Website
Ka-den Umeda Chayamachi
Source:OZ mall
Ka-den Umeda Chayamachi is a Japanese cuisine restaurant that uses Omi beef, a wagyu from Shiga Prefecture, along with Omi vegetables. Omi beef is said to be the oldest produced wagyu in Japan, having been consumed for over 400 years!
Omi beef is characterized by its beautifully fine marbling. The fat melts in your mouth instantly, leaving a rich, lasting umami flavor.
My recommendation is to eat it with just a sprinkle of rock salt. While Omi beef is delicious enough on its own without any seasoning due to its lack of gaminess, adding a bit of salt tightens the meat texture and doubles the umami flavor!
Enjoy this high-quality beef with a rich history in a modern Japanese atmosphere.
<Store Information>
- Address: Hankyu Kappa Yokocho 2F, 1-7-2 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 050-5486-7911
- Official Website
M no Yakiniku Fukushima Main Store
Source:Tabelog
M no Yakiniku Fukushima Main Store is a place where you can eat Matsusaka beef to your heart's content at reasonable prices. It's conveniently located near JR Fukushima Station in the Umeda area, which is a popular tourist hub.
You can try various cuts of Matsusaka beef, allowing for a luxurious comparison of different parts! I also recommend the seared beef sushi. This Japanese dish, called "niku sushi" (meat sushi), is similar to regular sushi but with sliced meat on top of vinegared rice. The smooth texture of the meat pairs perfectly with the vinegared rice!
Osaka's nickname "the city of kuidaore" comes from the idea of "spending money on eating and drinking." At M no Yakiniku Fukushima Main Store, you can experience the Osaka spirit of "not hesitating to spend money on delicious food."
<Store Information>
- Address: 6-3-7 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 17:00-23:00
- Closed: None
- Phone: 06-6452-7070
- Official Website
Two Yakiniku Restaurants Where You Can Enjoy a Special Time in Japanese-style Private Rooms
Yakiniku Kitan Hozenji
Source:Ikyu Restaurant
Yakiniku Kitan offers carefully aged meat. The wagyu, aged to maximize its umami and grilled on the roaster right in front of you, is so tender and delicious that you'll be at a loss for words. Try it with the aromatic rice cooked in an earthenware pot, which stimulates your appetite.
My recommendation is the aged Japanese Black wagyu yakiniku lunch. It's a special yakiniku available only with a reservation at the Hozenji branch, so you need to book it a day in advance.
The raw meat dishes, which you can safely eat because it's wagyu, are also exquisite. The super-fresh meat has a texture as soft as fatty tuna.
Yakiniku Kitan Hozenji is the perfect place to enjoy meat dishes with all your senses - sight, smell, and taste.
<Store Information>
- Address: 1-7-12 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:00 - 15:00, 17:00 - 23:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 050-5872-1263
- Official Website
Nikusho Nakata Main Store
Source:Tabelog
Nikusho Nakata Main Store is a high-end wagyu yakiniku restaurant where you eat meat with wasabi or salt. With its modern Japanese atmosphere and long counter with an open kitchen, you can enjoy your meal while experiencing a Japanese ambiance.
The restaurant also provides a selection of seven types of salt that best bring out the natural umami of the meat, chosen based on the day's beef varieties and cuts. You can savor premium wagyu paired with the perfect salt.
The most popular aged sirloin course includes yakiniku, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, and steak, so you don't have to choose between different meat dishes.
The same meat can taste and feel different with different salts. It's perfect for enjoying a new yakiniku experience unlike any you've had before!
<Store Information>
- Address: Gendai Koisan Building 5F, 1-7-16 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 17:00-23:00
- Closed: New Year's holidays
- Phone: 06-6214-8989
- Official Website
Alcohol × Yakiniku! Three Yakiniku Restaurants Where You Can Enjoy the Perfect Pairing
Kitashinchi Harami Main Store
Source:Tabelog
Kitashinchi Harami Main Store specializes in serving the rare wagyu cut, harami (skirt steak).
Harami is a cut that remains tender and elastic even when cooked. It's also known for its concentrated meat flavor, offering a rich and savory taste whether grilled or eaten raw. At Kitashinchi Harami, they combine this harami with luxury ingredients like truffles, proposing innovative and new ways of eating that you've never seen or tasted before.
While beer and sour drinks are typically associated with yakiniku in Japan, here you can enjoy your meat dishes with a selection of over 50 wines, mainly from France.
Why not spend a luxurious time enjoying high-end ingredients and stylish yakiniku dishes paired with wines selected by a sommelier?
<Store Information>
- Address: 1-11-5 Sonezaki Shinchi, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 17:00 - 23:00
- Closed: New Year's holidays
- Phone: 06-6341-4118
- Official Website
Teppanyaki × Wine Akakuro
Source:Raketen gnavi
Teppanyaki × Wine Akakuro offers grass-fed wagyu.
My recommendation is the teppanyaki of Noto beef, known as "phantom wagyu." Noto beef has a firm texture, but its melting fat enhances its deliciousness. This wagyu, raised in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, is mostly consumed within Ishikawa Prefecture. It's a rare opportunity to taste it in Osaka, making Teppanyaki × Wine Akakuro a unique experience.
The restaurant also has sommeliers who can suggest wines from around the world that pair well with your dishes or match your taste preferences.
It's especially recommended for those who want to indulge in fine food and wine in Osaka, a city known for its famous restaurants.
<Store Information>
- Address: Herbis Plaza ENT 7F, 2-2-22 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:00-15:30, 17:00-23:00
- Closed: Herbis Plaza ENT closing days
- Phone: 06-7410-6370
- Official Website
Beer to Hitsuji
Source:Tabelog
As you know, the pairing of alcohol and meat can create a fascinating harmony. Beer to Hitsuji is a rare find in Japan - a lamb meat specialty store with an attached brewery. In a Japanese izakaya-like atmosphere, you can enjoy pairing original craft beers with domestic lamb meat, which accounts for less than 1% of Japan's meat distribution!
The lamb, personally selected by the owner, has no odor or gaminess and offers a tender texture with a rich, deep flavor.
My recommendation is the house-marinated Genghis Khan (grilled lamb), limited to 5 servings per day. It's easy to eat with no gaminess or strong flavor, and the spices enhance the meat's umami deliciously.
The yeast and vitamin B group in craft beer are expected to have effects such as fatigue recovery, stress relief, and skin beautification. Please enjoy a healthy dinner with body-friendly beer derived from yeast and lamb meat.
<Store Information>
- Address: Kokudo Building 1F, 2-1-12 Sonezaki, Osaka
- Business Hours: Mon-Fri 17:00-23:00, Sat/Sun/Holidays 12:00-23:00
- Closed: None
- Phone: 06-4397-3567
- Official Website
Open Late at Night! Three Recommended Yakiniku Restaurants You Can Enjoy Even After Midnight
Yakiniku Tamaki
Source:Tabelog
If you're visiting Japan, you'll want to enjoy the nightlife too, right? Then why not drink until morning while enjoying Japanese tradition and wagyu in a uniquely Japanese table style called "horigotatsu"?
Horigotatsu is a table style with a space under the table where you can stretch your legs. When you sit, you can relax by extending your legs.
Yakiniku Tamaki offers a wide selection of the highest grade A5 domestic wagyu, including Miyazaki beef and Saga beef.
Miyazaki beef is known for its smooth, well-marbled red meat that releases rich meat juices with each bite. On the other hand, Saga beef is characterized by its fine texture, very tender red meat, and the sweetness and flavor unique to wagyu.
I recommend the Creative Meat Course. It's a course where you can enjoy everything from wagyu yakiniku to meat sushi and offal, perfect for eating and drinking until morning.
<Store Information>
- Address: 3-22 Kurosaki-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 17:00-5:00 next day, Sunday/Holidays 17:00-3:00 next day
- Closed: Mondays (If Monday is a holiday, closed the next day)
- Phone: 050-5592-1900
- Official Instafram
Yakiniku Nettaiya Yoruteya
Source:Tabelog
Yakiniku Nettaiya Yoruteya is a place where you can fully enjoy meat and all-you-can-drink alcohol. Here, drinks are free for 120 minutes, no matter how many you have!
I recommend their signature Oita wagyu. Raised carefully for about 30 months, Oita beef is known for its tenderness and perfect balance of lean meat and fat, making it easy to eat.
When I tried it, the meat was so tender that I could almost swallow it whole, and it had just the right juiciness, making it very easy to eat.
The popular "Nettaiya Custom Course" is a course you can customize from appetizers to desserts. It's also recommended to leave it to the chefs who know Oita wagyu inside out.
<Store Information>
- Address: Kyobashi Ekimae Building 2F, 2-4-5 Katamachi, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:30-15:00, 17:00-0:00
- Closed: None
- Phone: 06-6755-4429
- Official Website
Yakiniku Horumon Uchida
Source:Tabelog
Yakiniku Horumon Uchida, which is fully booked every day, is a restaurant directly managed by a meat wholesaler where you can enjoy fresh domestic wagyu at reasonable prices.
They offer various flavors for standard yakiniku cuts like tongue, harami (skirt steak), kalbi (ribs), and roast, seasoned with salt, sauce, garlic, and more.
Also, since there are no set courses and all items are à la carte, you can try small portions of non-yakiniku meat dishes as well.
My recommendation is the Chateaubriand of Sendai beef, also known as the "phantom raw harami." If you eat it raw, mixed with a secret sweet and spicy sauce and egg yolk, wrapped in Korean seaweed, you'll find yourself addicted and eating one after another!
The restaurant is open until 5 AM. Enjoy a fun night in Osaka's bustling Umeda district at Yakiniku Horumon Uchida, which boasts a variety of drinks rivaling any izakaya, including beer, highballs, cocktails, and sours.
<Store Information>
- Address: Eagle Building 1F, 17-3 Doyama-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 17:00 - 05:00
- Closed: None
- Phone: 06-4397-3002
- Official Website