Hiroshima is a region blessed with beautiful nature, surrounded by mountains and the Seto Inland Sea. It boasts two World Heritage sites: Itsukushima Shrine and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Itsukushima Shrine, with its unique atmosphere of a shrine floating on the sea, is popular among foreign tourists. The Atomic Bomb Dome, which survived the blast just 160m from the hypocenter, along with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, continues to be a symbol conveying a message of peace to the world.
Hiroshima, attracting tourists from all over the world, is also famous as a gourmet spot where you can enjoy oysters and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
In this article, we'll introduce some of the best yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) restaurants in Hiroshima where you can savor delicious grilled meat.
What is Yakiniku in Japanese Cuisine?
Yakiniku is a food culture where various cuts of beef, pork, and other meats are grilled over charcoal or on an iron plate.
It's said that yakiniku became widely available in Japan after World War II (post-1945). During the post-war food shortage, Koreans living in Japan started selling grilled offal (known as "Hormone") at food stalls, which wasn't commonly eaten even in Korea. This gave birth to the culture of "grilling meat over direct fire."
Later, menu items expanded beyond offal to include cuts like loin and kalbi, evolving into the yakiniku restaurants we know today.
Thus, yakiniku can be considered a uniquely Japanese development. Today, yakiniku restaurants offer not just meat but also vegetables, seafood, and even desserts, making it popular among children and adults alike.
Best Yakiniku / Japanese BBQ Restaurants in Hiroshima 2024
Nikuya Ichiyuku
source：Official website
At "Nikuya Ichiyuku," you can enjoy carefully selected, high-quality yakiniku. They also offer creative appetizers known as "niku zensai," including fresh grilled liver.
The restaurant's specialty, "uniku," is a luxurious dish combining rare yukke made only from A5 rank female beef with sea urchin. The collaboration of these premium ingredients is exceptional, with the subtle sea aroma of the surrounding nori adding a nice accent.
My personal favorite is ordering the aged beef tongue, which releases more umami with each chew, along with locally grown Hiroshima Koshihikari rice cooked in an earthen pot after ordering. The sweet aroma of freshly cooked rice matches perfectly with the rich flavor of high-quality meat, creating an unforgettable taste experience.
Address: 2F Ebisu Grid, 4-18 Horikawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: Mon-Fri 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM (L.O. 10:30 PM)
Sat, Sun, Holidays 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM (L.O. 10:30 PM)
Closed: Irregular
Phone: 082-240-9141
Official Website
Official Instagram
Yakiniku to Hamayaki kokoro ~kadode hanare~
source：Official website
"Yakiniku to Hamayaki kokoro ~kadode hanare~" is a restaurant where you can enjoy both yakiniku and hamayaki (grilled seafood like shrimp and shellfish).
The recommended yakiniku dish is the Wagyu Koune, also known as shoulder blade. It's a rare cut, with only about 2kg available from one cow. The balance between the satisfying texture and the sweetness of the fat creates a perfect harmony in your mouth.
For seafood lovers, I highly recommend the "Gangan-yaki" (a dish where seafood is steam-grilled in a can). Especially popular among domestic and international tourists is the Hiroshima specialty, oysters, known for their creamy taste.
The Hiroshima-produced lemon sour with its refreshing aroma pairs excellently with the rich meat dishes and seafood with its ocean scent. It's sure to become an unforgettable memory of your Hiroshima trip.
Address: 1F, 2F, 3F Dai-2 Tanaka-cho Yamamoto Building, 2-25 Tanaka-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM (L.O. 12:00 AM)
Closed: Irregular
Phone: 082-909-9177
Official Website
Official Instagram
Kuishinbou
source：Tabelog
"Kuishinbou" is a yakiniku restaurant where you can enjoy high-quality all-you-can-eat yakiniku at reasonable prices.
Many yakiniku restaurants in Japan offer an all-you-can-eat (tabehoudai) system where you can order as much as you like from a specified menu for a fixed price. This system is especially popular among young people and families as they can enjoy their favorite items without worrying about the cost.
At "Kuishinbou," you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat plan with over 130 menu items. The appeal lies in the wide variety of menu options, including not only standard items like kalbi and negishio yaki (green onion and salt grilled) tongue, but also popular Japanese appetizers like fried chicken.
My favorite point is the tongue, hand-cut by skilled chefs. Despite its thinly sliced appearance, it retains an exquisite springy texture and releases juicy flavors when chewed.
Located just a 2-minute walk from JR Hiroshima Station, why not drop by while touring the sights?
Address: 3F, 10-1 Matsubara-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM (L.O. 10:30 PM)
Closed: New Year's holidays, other irregular closings
Phone: 050-5590-0702
Official Website
Yakiniku Kawai
source：Tabelog
"Yakiniku Kawai" is a popular yakiniku restaurant where you can enjoy high-quality, authentic yakiniku in a warm atmosphere frequented by local regulars.
Their popular dish is the Hormone yaki, using beef large and small intestines, known for its plump texture. The texture you can only experience with fresh ingredients becomes addictive once you try it.
My recommendation is the weekend-limited lunch menu. You can enjoy various types of meat including kalbi, the rare cut koune, and the restaurant's pride - Hormone, at reasonable prices. The concept of "eat plenty" promoted by the owner, a former professional baseball player, is reflected in services like all-you-can-eat Hiroshima-grown rice, ensuring you'll leave satisfied.
The slightly sweet homemade sauce, perfect for dipping the melt-in-your-mouth fatty meat, also pairs wonderfully with rice. The exceptional taste leads many people to ask for seconds.
Address: 2-5-4 Fukushima-cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM (11:00 PM)
Weekend-limited lunch 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Closed: Wednesday
Phone: 082-531-2989
Official Instagram
Sumibi Yakiniku Hormone Hachisuke
source：Tabelog
"Sumibi Yakiniku Hormone Hachisuke" is famous for its fragrant charcoal-grilled Hormone.
My recommendation is the "Hormone Zukan" (Hormone Encyclopedia), where you can taste 12 different types of Hormone, including shouchou (beef small intestine) and mino (beef tripe), one bite at a time. As they purchase whole cows, various cuts are served fresh. You can enjoy them with rich homemade miso sauce or salt sauce that lets you savor the Hormone's natural flavor.
To accompany the Hormone, they offer a wide selection of sake from various regions of Japan and natural, additive-free wines. You're sure to enjoy the harmony between the aromatic charcoal-grilled Hormone and carefully selected drinks.
Warming up the sake enhances the rice flavor of the sake's ingredients, which further brings out the umami of the high-quality fat in the Hormone. When you visit Hachisuke, be sure to enjoy warm sake with your meat.
Address: 201, 5-15 Naka-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: Mon, Wed-Sat, Day before holidays, Holidays 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Sun 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Closed: Tuesday
Phone: 050-5489-4839
Official Website
Hormone Yakiniku Yamato
source：Tabelog
At the Hormone specialty shop "Hormone Yakiniku Yamato," you can enjoy a wide range of Hormone dishes, from standard options recommended for beginners to rare cuts.
As someone who rarely ate Hormone before, I became a Hormone enthusiast after trying the standard miso Hormone at "Hormone Yakiniku Yamato," now ordering Hormone every time I visit a yakiniku restaurant. The moderately chewy Hormone (beef small intestine) pairs perfectly with the rich, punchy miso sauce. I recommend eating it with freshly cooked rice from an earthen pot.
Besides Hormone, their yaki shabu (lightly seared thin slices of red meat) is also popular. As only the surface is cooked, the fat remains sealed inside the meat. When eaten with raw egg, it's so tender it melts in your mouth instantly.
Located just a 5-minute walk from JR Hiroshima Station, why not visit during your Hiroshima sightseeing trip?
Address: 10-7 Ōsuga-chō, Minami-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM *May close earlier on some days
Closed: Sunday
Phone: 082-207-3552
Official Website
Yakiniku Kanon
source：Tabelog
"Yakiniku Kanon" is popular for its marbled meat with evenly distributed fat.
Standard yakiniku cuts like harami, tenderloin, and tongue are marbled meats with fat speckled throughout the lean meat, presenting a refined and beautiful appearance. When lightly grilled and put in your mouth, the balanced umami of high-quality, mellow fat and lean meat floods out, making you close your eyes in blissful appreciation of the luxurious taste.
Also, the appetizer of raw Senmai (beef omasum) is lean and light, pairing perfectly with the stronger miso sauce. Senmai is part of the cow's stomach and requires essential pre-processing as digestive matter passes through it. At "Yakiniku Kanon," it's carefully processed, resulting in a fresh, odorless dish highly praised by regular customers.
It's an approachable option even for foreigners who might be hesitant about Hormone, so be sure to order it when you visit Kanon.
Address: 2-2-22 Minami-Kanon, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima
Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Closed: Wednesday, other irregular closings
Phone: 082-942-5434
Official Instagram
Tips for Yakiniku
In Japan, there are yakiniku restaurants where staff grill the meat for you using the optimal method for each type, and others where you grill at your own pace. If you're grilling yourself, here are some tips to cook the meat deliciously:
[Tips for Grilling Yakiniku]
Don't grill too much at once: The meat's fat can increase the heat, causing the meat to burn.
Don't flip the meat too often (ideally once): Flipping causes fat to drip off.
Don't overcook: The meat will dry out and become tough.
Once the meat is cooked to perfection, enjoy it with the sauces provided by the restaurant, such as lemon or tare. High-quality meat pairs well with simple salt or tare, while lighter meats like tongue go well with lemon.
Conclusion
In this article, we've introduced some of the best yakiniku / Japanese BBQ restaurants in Hiroshima for 2024.
Hiroshima offers a variety of yakiniku establishments, including high-end restaurants serving A5 rank beef, Hormone specialty shops, and all-you-can-eat places where you can enjoy a wide range of meat at reasonable prices.
Each restaurant has its own unique approach, whether it's purchasing whole cows or having skilled chefs hand-cut meat using methods optimized for each cut, constantly innovating to provide delicious yakiniku.
Some of these restaurants are within walking distance of Hiroshima Station, the hub for Hiroshima sightseeing. When you visit Hiroshima, be sure to enjoy not only the attractive tourist spots but also the exquisite yakiniku experience.