Cheers around Akabane Station, the mecca of izakaya (Japanese pubs)! 19 places said to be great for a fun night out

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The popular salmon rare katsu features thick cuts of salmon fried in a crisp coating, and some say the rare doneness is just right.

The shibazuke (pickled eggplant, cucumber, and perilla) tartar sauce topped with ikura (salmon roe) has a nice level of acidity that keeps it light and easy to eat.

The dashimaki tamago (rolled omelet with dashi broth) topped with ikura (salmon roe) is said to be a must order dish when you visit this restaurant.

The fluffy dashimaki has a rich dashi flavor, and the generous topping of ikura adds a nice accent.

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"Sato Shoten" is an izakaya where you can enjoy Hakata meibutsu (local specialty) motsu-nabe (offal hot pot) and kushiyaki (grilled skewers). It is a 3-minute walk from JR Akabane Station. Popular for its spacious interior with 50 seats, it offers a relaxed dining experience.

The drink menu is extensive, with highballs as a house specialty, along with Japanese sake, shochu, beer, and makgeolli.

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The popular Hakata motsu-nabe (Hakata offal Hot Pot) comes in miso, soy sauce, or salt flavor. The photo shows the “Wagyu motsu-nabe Mentaishio Butter,” topped with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and butter.

You can order the motsu-nabe from 1人前, and you can also add more motsu and vegetables. After finishing the Hot Pot, you can enjoy the remaining soup with zosui (rice porridge), udon, or Korean noodles as the finishing dish.

Photograph:美味しい物が大好き ばっこ

Speaking of Hakata kushiyaki (grilled skewers), the specialty is the pork belly skewer in the photo. Enjoy it with yuzu kosho (citrus chili paste), house-made miso, or ponzu sauce.

Another Hakata kushiyaki specialty is butamaki (vegetables wrapped in pork belly), which comes in many varieties such as king oyster mushroom and asparagus. Of course, they also offer a wide range of chicken skewers.

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Akabane Toro-bako is an izakaya with a food stall feel inspired by a beach house, serving mainly seafood dishes such as hamayaki (seaside-style grilled seafood) and sashimi, and it stands in a convenient location just a 2-minute walk from JR Akabane Station.

For drinks, local sake from Hokkaido and plum wine come recommended. If you are getting together with members who enjoy drinking, a course that includes 2 hours of All you can drink is also a good choice.

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The specialty "katsugai hamayaki moriawase (assortment of live shellfish grilled beach-style)" is enjoyed grilled over charcoal on a tabletop stove.

The scallops, sazae (turban shell), and houbinosu (hard clam) are all said to be fresh and juicy. You can also order shellfish A la carte, and they also have abalone.

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The sashimi assortment is served in a wooden tub. The photo shows the “Sashimi Five-Item Tub Assortment.” They also offer 3-item and 7-item assortments.

Reviews also said the sashimi, including botan-ebi (spot prawn), octopus, and tuna, is cut thick, very fresh, and delicious.

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Yamiichi is an izakaya about a 5-minute walk from JR Akabane Station, where you can enjoy meat dishes such as pork skewers and stewed dishes. Popular options include courses with 2.5 hours of All you can drink, and there is also a course where you order dishes a la carte.

On the second floor, there are Private rooms with tatami seating and sofa seating, which are well liked as a place to relax and unwind.

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The "shio niku tofu" is said to be Yamiichi’s most famous signature dish. They simmer it in a large Hot Pot near the counter.

The light salt based broth soaks well into the pork and tofu, making it very tasty. Reviews also say it pairs well with ume lemon sour.

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The photo shows the Omakase 5-skewer assortment of yakiton (grilled pork skewers), which is also available A la carte and includes options such as harami (skirt steak), kashira (pork cheek), bara (pork belly), hatsu (heart), and tan (tongue).

They grill the skewers over charcoal until nicely fragrant, and they have a reputation for being delicious. You can choose the seasoning for the yakiton from options such as salt sauce or garlic sauce.

Photograph:www.doom.now.cc

VAMOS kitchen is a meat bar run directly by a meat wholesaler, where you can enjoy grilled, stewed, and other meat dishes along with great wines from around the world. In addition to à la carte options, they also offer a wide range of All you can drink courses, making it a great fit for drink lovers.

The interior has a warm, woody feel, and there are also koagari (raised seating area) seats where you can take off your shoes and relax.

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The "Today's Grill assortment" is a popular menu item featuring an assortment of Japanese Black Wagyu, Domestic pork Chuck Eye Roll, and Wagyu Heart.

You can enjoy it with demi-glace sauce, white sauce, coarse salt, and horseradish to suit your taste.

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The "pâté de campagne" is an easy-to-enjoy country-style pâté made with pork belly, ground meat, almonds, and more.

Reviews said it was densely packed with ingredients and had a nice heft, and that its spicy flavor paired well with wine.

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Yakiton Daio Akabane Ten is a restaurant centered on grilled skewers such as pork, chicken, beef, and vegetable meat rolls, but it also offers a wide range of other izakaya dishes. The 90-minute All you can drink option is popular.

The compact interior has a casual atmosphere that makes it easy to drop in, and it is also perfect as the second stop on a bar hopping night. There are seats on the second floor as well.

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The grilled skewers focus mainly on yakiton (grilled pork skewers), and you can enjoy about 10 different cuts such as Heart, liver, and Outside skirt. Popular skewers also include "chicken thigh," "beef short rib," and "vegetable meat rolls."

It is also recommended to start with the "Omakase 5-skewer assortment" to get a taste.

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The “shirokoro-kushi (skewers made with pork intestines)” uses pork intestines. It costs about half as much as the other skewers, but reviews say it is just as tasty.

Reviews also said it has just the right amount of salt to go well with beer, and that you can keep eating one after another.

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Akabane Butamamire is an izakaya known for its hearty meat dishes. It is located near the Akabane Ichibangai Shotengai (Akabane Ichibangai Shopping Street), with counter seating on the 1st floor and calm table seating on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

If you want to enjoy plenty of drinks with your meal, the courses that come with 2-hour or 2.5-hour All you can drink are recommended.

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The popular menu item "Kiwami Kushi" is grilled pork offal skewers, including tongue, Heart, liver, and more. Everyone is said to be surprised by the size, which is about twice as large as usual.

Making them larger seems to make them even juicier. Many reviews say they are very filling and left people with a strong sense of Manzoku.

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The "House Specialty! Miso Motsu Nikomi (miso-stewed offal)" is a dish of simmered pork offal, daikon radish, and konnyaku. You can enjoy various cuts of offal, including tongue tip and Honeycomb tripe.

The offal and daikon radish are both simmered until tender.

Photograph:www.doom.now.cc

Sushi to Oden Hotaru is an izakaya centered on sushi and oden (Japanese hot pot dishes), located a 3-minute walk from JR Akabane Station. The sushi specialty is said to be maguro (tuna).

All you can drink is self-service, with a system where you take bottles from the refrigerator and pour your own drinks. The interior is new and clean, and there are also fully private rooms with doors.

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The popular “Domestic Hon-maguro (Pacific bluefin tuna) 3 Great Generals” is an assortment of lean tuna, chutoro (medium fatty tuna), and aburi kamatoro (seared collar fatty tuna). It lets you fully enjoy the rich flavor of tuna.

Together with the “Truffle Tuna Nigiri” and “Maguro Daikon Radish,” these are said to be the restaurant’s three signature specialties.

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The popular menu item “Maguro Daikon” features tuna on top of oden daikon radish. The combination of daikon radish soaked with broth and simmered tuna that flakes apart is said to be excellent.

The oden comes in a wide variety, including Sendai-fu (wheat gluten bread), chikuwa-bu (wheat gluten cake), and eggs. The broth is said to be very good, and you can really sense the careful preparation.

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Akabane Kintaro is an izakaya popular for charcoal grilled Daisendori and seafood dishes. Reviews say it is a good spot for bar hopping and visiting several places in one night.

They have local sake from all over Japan. The 2nd floor has Semi-private room seating, and the 3rd floor can also be used as a Private room.

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The charcoal grilled Daisendori, a branded chicken from Tottori Prefecture, is said to be very good.

The "Daisendori Charcoal Grilled Outside skirt" in the photo is said to be wonderfully fragrant and irresistibly juicy. The "Aburi Liver" and "Chicken Nanban" are also popular.

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They offer a wide range of fresh seafood dishes such as sashimi. The photo shows octopus and tsubugai (whelk) sashimi. The tsubugai was so good that it came as a surprise.

For sashimi, they have 3-item assortment and 5-item assortment options, as well as a wide selection of A la carte items such as buri (yellowtail), tai (sea bream), and katsuo (bonito).

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~Hakata oden (Japanese stew)・Yakitori and Fruit Sours~ Nikumareya Akabane Honten is a popular izakaya where you can enjoy Hakata specialty motsu-nabe (offal Hot Pot), oden, and kushiyaki (grilled skewers).

They offer a course that includes 3 hours of All you can drink, with a drink menu of more than 50 kinds.

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The "Hakata oden (Hakata-style oden) 5-item assortment" is said to have a gentle flavor with the broth soaked in well.

The broth has a rich savory taste and is made not from bonito but from ago-dashi (flying fish broth). They also offer a 3-item assortment and an 8-item assortment.

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The "Gorogoro Kajitsu no Fruit Sour" is a popular drink made with plenty of seasonal fruit. Its colorful and gorgeous look is said to lift your mood.

The fruit comes in five varieties: lemon, kiwi, strawberry, grapefruit, and pineapple. You can also keep drinking it by adding more shochu highball.

Photograph:www.doom.now.cc

"Sumibi Banshakuya Harebare" is an izakaya where you can enjoy a wide range of izakaya dishes, centered on yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) that are skewered by hand fresh every day.

Reviews say the warm, homey service has made it a favorite with regulars. There is also a course that includes 2.5 hours of All you can drink.

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For yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), there are 14 kinds made with chicken alone, along with pork and vegetable skewers. They grill them over charcoal, so they come out crisp and fragrant on the outside, with a juicy inside and just the right doneness.

Reviews say you really can’t go wrong with any of them, and they’re all delicious.

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The specialty, "Buta Kakuni (simmered pork cubes) Potato Salad with curry takuan (pickled daikon) on top," features a heaping mound of potato salad with simmered pork cubes mixed in.

It is topped with curry flavored takuan, and it is said to be delicious, with the roughly mashed potatoes pairing well with the texture of the pickles.

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Izakaya Gonbee is a popular izakaya with Private rooms available for parties of two or more, where you can relax and enjoy the food and drinks. It is conveniently located just a 1-minute walk from JR Akabane Station.

They are popular for their 2-hour All you can drink plans by dish category and courses that come with 3-hour All you can drink.

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The "Wagyu motsu-nabe (Wagyu offal Hot Pot)" is a hearty pot filled with ingredients like garlic chives, tofu, and burdock root. It also comes with bite size gyoza (dumplings).

The Wagyu motsu are large and plump, and their rich fat is said to spread across your mouth. The soup is thick and tasty, with a flavor that makes you want to keep sipping it.

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The Clay Pot rice is popular. The photo shows the "sake ikura no donabe (Clay Pot rice with salmon and salmon roe)." The piping hot rice, the rich flavor of the salmon, and the pop of the salmon roe come together for a blissful taste.

The "Wagyu no donabe (Wagyu Clay Pot)" is also popular, with the flavor of the Wagyu said to gently soak into the fluffy cooked rice. The crispy scorched rice at the bottom is also nicely fragrant.

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Black Market, in a great location just a 1-minute walk from JR Akabane Station, is an izakaya where you can enjoy jingisukan (grilled lamb dish) and lamb shabu-shabu made with fresh lamb delivered directly from Hokkaido.

They offer 2-hour and 3-hour All you can drink courses that come with jingisukan.

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The "Nama Lamb Jingisukan (grilled mutton)" set with 8 kinds of vegetables is said to be their No.1 most popular item. The fresh nama lamb is reportedly tender, juicy, and excellent.

Besides standard vegetables like bean sprouts and cabbage, the set also includes corn and tomatoes, which made it interesting.

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The signature drinks here are said to be Suntory's "Kaku Highball" and Suntory Old with whisky and natural water.

The sours and makgeolli are also popular. Some reviews also recommend the plum lemon sour with extra plum. For the All you can drink menu, it seems every drink can be changed to a larger size.

Photograph:www.doom.now.cc

Zakiya Hanare is an izakaya where you can enjoy fresh seafood dishes, and it is especially popular for its oysters. They also offer courses with All you can drink.

The interior has a Japanese modern base, with high ceilings that create an open feel, and the Semi-private room sections divided by screens are well liked for their relaxing atmosphere.

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The photo shows the popular menu item nama-gaki (fresh oysters). You can also enjoy oysters as mushi-gaki (steamed oysters) or yaki-gaki (grilled oysters). The plump oysters are said to taste great no matter how they are prepared.

There are reviews saying this is the place to go for oysters in Akabane. The large fried oysters and oyster wa-hiijo (Japanese-style ajillo) are also well liked.

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The "Nama Ebi Baketsu assortment" is a bold dish served with a bucket assortment of 2 each of four kinds of shrimp: kuruma ebi (Japanese tiger prawn), botan ebi (spot prawn), Tenshi no Ebi (Angel Prawn), and aka ebi (red shrimp).

All of the shrimp are large, fresh, and delicious, and there were also reviews from shrimp lovers saying they were thrilled and had such a happy time!

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Mahoroba Sakaba is an izakaya where you can enjoy mujoka saba (mackerel branded in Kagoshima Prefecture) dishes made with mackerel from Kagoshima Prefecture, as well as chicken dishes made with Daisendori from Tottori Prefecture.

For Japanese sake, they offer labels from all over Japan selected to pair well with the food, and they change the lineup with the seasons.

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The photo shows the raw saba sashimi made with Mujoka Saba, and Mujoka Saba is farmed mackerel raised in bacteria-free tanks, with fat content that stays consistent all year round.

They offer raw saba sashimi and aburi, as well as shime-saba (cured mackerel) sashimi and aburi.

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Instead of serving yakitori (grilled chicken) on skewers, they grill it in loose pieces, so it cooks evenly. The photo shows the “Yakitori Mix assortment.” They have Daisendori chicken shipped directly from Tottori Prefecture.

“Chicken Seseri Nanban Tartare,” made with seseri (neck meat) from the chicken, is also said to be a popular dish.

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Wara to An COHARU is an izakaya known for its signature katsuo (bonito) no warayaki (straw-seared bonito), made with bonito shipped directly from Kochi.

At the U-shaped counter, you can enjoy your meal while watching the chefs prepare the straw-seared dishes. Reviews say the staff are cheerful and the atmosphere is bright and fun.

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The "Kochi Chokusou Katsuo no Shio Tataki (salt seared bonito shipped direct from Kochi)" has a great reputation for its freshness, and for the skin, fragrant with the aroma of straw, being nicely toasted and tasty.

It is enjoyed with plenty of yakumi (condiments) on the side, dipped in either lemon salt or green chili garlic chive ponzu sauce.

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The "Meibutsu (house specialty) Gyoza 4-shu assortment" lets you enjoy four kinds of pan-fried gyoza on one plate: Kagoshima kurobuta (Berkshire pork) with beef tendon, lamb spice, oyajidori (mature chicken) with jalapeño cheese, and shrimp with shiso (perilla leaf).

Each one is packed with filling, so you can enjoy the different flavors. They are all said to be easy to eat, with no distinctive flavor.

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Kairi is an izakaya where you can enjoy unique creative dishes such as "beef stew tempura" and "Akabane gyoza (dumplings)".

Inside, tables with horigotatsu (sunken-floor seating) create a warm atmosphere that feels like coming home to your family house.

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The signature "beef stew tempura" is a dish made by putting beef stew inside atsuage (thick-fried tofu), coating it in tempura batter, and deep-frying it.

From inside the crisp coating, piping hot, rich beef stew flows out. Reviews also said this is a must-order dish you can only try at this restaurant.

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The cute red "Akabane Gyoza" uses tomato moisture instead of water to make the wrapper. The filling is chicken thigh and cabbage.

It is good even on its own, and it is also said to be tasty with the original miso tare (miso-based dipping sauce).

Photograph:www.doom.now.cc

Kandokoro, conveniently located just a 3-minute walk from JR Akabane Station, is an izakaya (Japanese pub) popular for its uniquely presented and fresh sashimi.

Many reviews say they have a wide selection of Japanese sake that pairs well with the food.

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The "Kandokoro Zettai assortment" is a popular menu item with a lavish look, featuring 10 kinds of sashimi arranged on a spiral staircase.

The contents depend on what comes in that day, but it mainly centers on wild caught fish such as ainame (greenling), mebaru (rockfish), and kinmedai (golden eye snapper), and the photo shows a serving for 2 people.

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The house specialty, basashi (horse meat sashimi), is shipped directly from Kumamoto Prefecture, known as Japan's top production region for horse meat. It is enjoyed with a slightly sweet special soy sauce.

The lean meat in the photo is tender and packed with flavor. You can also enjoy a range of other cuts, including marbled meat, koune (brisket area), and futaego (part of the belly).

Photograph:www.doom.now.cc

Torimichi Sakaba Akabane Ten is a popular izakaya (Japanese pub) in a convenient location just a 1-minute walk from JR Akabane Station, known for its wide variety of dishes including jidori (free-range chicken) skewers and Kara-age.

They offer a wide selection of good value courses that come with All you can drink, with options to match your budget and the dishes you want to eat.

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The most popular item is the "kushiyaki (grilled skewers)," with a wide variety including Daisendori, pork, and vegetables. Daisendori in particular comes in 12 different cuts, including thigh, liver, and gizzard.

Many reviews said they are grilled just right, with a nice smoky aroma and juicy finish.

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The "Sashimi San-ten Mori (three-item sashimi assortment)" in the photo is an assortment of salmon, lean tuna, and octopus, and the sashimi is known for being fresh and tasty.

Among the seafood items, they also offer A la carte dishes such as "Salmon Sashi (salmon sashimi)," "Tako Sashi (octopus sashimi)," and "Kaisen Sarada (seafood salad)."