From Motsunabe to Mentaiko: 25 Must-Try Restaurants in Hakata by Category

Hakata Motsunabe Ichitaka Hakata Ekimae-dori is a new restaurant near JR Hakata Station in Fukuoka.
It opened in 2024 as a sister brand of Motsunabe Ittou, a long-loved local favorite in Fukuoka.
Its signature dish is the Spicy Miso Motsunabe, which brings a fresh twist to Fukuoka’s motsunabe culture. One bite lets you enjoy a deep flavor where rich umami and satisfying heat come together.

“Hakata Motsunabe Oyama” is a motsunabe specialty chain with 29 locations across Japan, mainly in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Among them, Hakata Motsunabe Oyama One Building is a hugely popular spot. It boasts the No.1 motsunabe sales in Fukuoka Prefecture, where many motsunabe restaurants compete.
The motsunabe here uses beef offal with a delightfully springy texture.
The rich, savory “Koyu-uma” soup, made with several kinds of miso and a special sauce, is loved by both locals and visitors.

A popular spot where you can enjoy a wide range of seafood dishes, from sashimi to grilled and simmered fish.
They serve fresh local seafood, including wild sea bream sent straight from Itoshima in Fukuoka.
Their signature dish, the “Mentaiko and Salmon Roe Omelet Bowl,” is a luxurious bowl topped with plenty of salmon roe, a fluffy omelet, and a whole piece of mentaiko on top.
The flavors and textures of the three ingredients balance perfectly and make you want to keep eating.
Its gorgeous presentation has become a hot topic for being very photogenic on social media.

A mentaiko specialty restaurant that serves “Mentai-Ju,” now a classic Hakata dish.
Mentai-Ju is a rice dish topped with a whole piece of mentaiko wrapped in kelp.
Their original sauce, available in four levels of spiciness, brings out the rich flavor of the mentaiko.
The “Mentai Stewed Tsukemen,” noodles dipped in a thick broth made with mentaiko and 10 kinds of vegetables, is also very popular.
You can also order a set menu that lets you enjoy both Mentai-Ju and Mentai Stewed Tsukemen.
Inside the shop, you can buy mentaiko, dressings, tsukemen sets, and other items as souvenirs.

This restaurant serves “Agodashi Mentaiko” from Shoboan, a well-known Hakata souvenir.
Besides dishes that bring out the natural flavor of mentaiko, you can enjoy creative Japanese cuisine with Hakata home-style dishes and seasonal ingredients.
Shoboan’s mentaiko is made only from carefully selected Alaska pollock roe from Hokkaido. It is marinated in a rich spicy sauce with domestic grilled flying-fish dashi, giving it an elegant and mellow flavor.

This restaurant specializes in mizutaki and sits a little away from Hakata’s busy downtown area.
You can enjoy authentic mizutaki at a reasonable price in a calm, modern Japanese-style setting.
The broth, made with fresh red chicken, has no gamey smell and a deep flavor that brings out the pure taste of the chicken.
You eat the vegetables and chicken that have soaked up plenty of this flavor with the house special vinegar soy sauce.
Made with citrus from Yamaguchi Prefecture and Hakata soy sauce, this vinegar soy sauce has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity and brings out the flavor of the ingredients.

A long-established traditional restaurant founded in 1910 where you can enjoy mizutaki in a course meal.
All seats are in private or semi-private rooms, so you can relax and savor mizutaki in a calm setting.
The soup has been continually simmered and replenished for over 100 years. It is rich yet has a clean aftertaste.
The simmered chicken is amazingly tender, and the meat falls apart at the touch of your chopsticks.
The “Matsu” course includes not only mizutaki but also seasonal fish dishes and à la carte items like deep-fried chicken wings and gizzard confit.

A mizutaki restaurant that ranks among the most popular in Hakata.
Their original chicken brand “Hanamidori” has a clean, refined taste with a rich umami flavor.
The more the chicken bone broth simmers, the more umami is extracted, giving it a deep, nourishing flavor.
Another signature here is the house-made ponzu, crafted to pair perfectly with Hanamidori.
You can also enjoy a wide range of à la carte dishes such as Hanamidori prosciutto, chicken meatballs, and homemade mentaiko, which make your meal even more satisfying.
Don’t miss the pudding made with Hanamidori eggs, perfect as a dessert after your hot pot.

A popular Hakata ramen spot with six locations in Fukuoka Prefecture. Under the concept of “a pure-hearted soup that everyone, young and old, will finish to the last drop,” it serves a unique tonkotsu broth that stands apart from both Nagahama and Hakata ramen.
The broth is made every morning with great care. It uses mainly domestic pork bones, chicken bones from the famous Saga brand chicken “Aritadori,” aromatic vegetables from Kyushu, and mineral-rich groundwater. This creates a clear soup with no unwanted bitterness.

Hakata Daruma Main Restaurant opened in 1963. It is a famous Hakata ramen shop where the second-generation owner, the founder’s son, has inherited the original flavor.
The secret behind its signature soup is a method called “yobimodoshi.” Pork bones are simmered for 16 hours in an iron pot that has been in use since the shop first opened. The broth is then added to over time, creating a rich, one-of-a-kind flavor that keeps you coming back. The extra-thin straight noodles cling well to the soup and have a pleasantly firm bite.

Menya Waga Tenjin is a popular tonkotsu ramen shop in the commercial district of Imaizumi in Fukuoka’s Chuo Ward.
Its biggest draw is the broth. It’s made with a special method, simmered carefully for over 21 hours.
The long simmering brings out plenty of umami. The soup is creamy and easy to drink, yet still rich and flavorful.
Thanks to its mellow taste with none of the strong pork smell, you can enjoy it right down to the last sip.

A specialist restaurant for chicken skin skewers, Approx a 10-minute walk from JR Hakata Station.
You can enjoy many flavors of chicken skin skewers, including the classics of salt and sauce, plus soy sauce and smoked.
The smoked, richly aromatic chicken skin is a standout dish you won’t often find elsewhere.
Even though it’s a specialty restaurant, it also serves yakitori like pork belly and chicken thigh, as well as Kyushu favorites such as motsunabe hot pot and horse sashimi.
Inside, the atmosphere is lively. There are counter seats, table seats for groups, and sunken kotatsu-style seating.

A yakitori restaurant with a nostalgic Showa-era feel.
They carefully prepare fresh ingredients and grill them over top-grade binchotan charcoal, offering many kinds of skewers with expert technique.
The most popular item is “Tsukimi Tsukune,” ordered by roughly 80% of visitors.
The outside is crispy and the inside juicy, and the rich sauce with egg yolk is an amazing combination.
The “Biton Bara” pork belly skewer, made with Itoshima brand pork “Biton,” is also highly rated for its sweet, flavorful fat.
There is sunken kotatsu-style seating for up to 30 people, so it’s easy to use for larger groups.

A yakitori restaurant Approx a 7-minute walk from JR Hakata Station.
The focus is on carefully selected yakitori, along with a wide range of side dishes and rice or noodle dishes to finish your meal.
The “Itoshima Pork Belly Skewer,” grilled slowly over charcoal, is a popular menu item known for its refined sweetness and savory fat. The “Seseri Karaage” made with rare neck meat is also well loved, with a springy texture and plenty of juices.
The interior is lively yet warm, and it’s a favorite with many different types of guests.

A popular gomasaba specialty restaurant that draws lines from noon to night.
They use fresh mackerel delivered every morning from the Nagahama Fish Market, so the fish is incredibly fresh and flavorful.
The signature “Gomasaba Rice Bowl Set Meal” comes with all-you-can-eat rice, miso soup, and tamagoyaki, making it a very satisfying set. On top of that, the all-you-can-eat marinated mackerel nanban is another big plus.
You can enjoy the gomasaba on its own, over rice as a bowl, or as chazuke with dashi poured over. There are three different ways to enjoy it.
The portions are generous, the prices are reasonable, and you’ll leave feeling very satisfied.

A seafood izakaya in a convenient location, Approx a 10-minute walk from JR Hakata Station.
They focus on ingredients from the seas around Kyushu, and serve a wide variety of dishes using seasonal seafood and vegetables sourced from all over Japan.
They pay special attention to their “gomasaba,” made with wild mackerel from Tsushima delivered fresh every day.
Don’t miss their original sake “5038 (Gomasaba),” which pairs perfectly with the dish.
Another draw is their set-course menus featuring Hakata specialties such as “live squid sashimi” and “okyuto.”

A popular izakaya that specializes in mackerel dishes.
Its signature “Goma Saba” features a special sweet sesame sauce that brings out the flavor of the mackerel for a deep, satisfying taste.
You can also enjoy mackerel in many styles, including live mackerel sashimi, seared mackerel sashimi, mackerel croquettes, and mackerel fried rice.
Another draw is the freshness and rich taste of mackerel caught that very morning around the Goto Islands. The calm, counter-centered interior offers a relaxed atmosphere that’s easy to enjoy even when dining solo.

A popular udon spot on the second basement floor of a building right in front of the Hakata Exit of JR Hakata Station.
They cook the udon and fry the tempura after you order, so you always get everything freshly made.
One of the top dishes is “Gobo-ten Oroshi Bukkake,” featuring a burdock tempura so big it hangs over the bowl, topped with grated daikon radish.
The “Kakiage Bukkake,” with a giant mixed-vegetable tempura placed boldly on top, is also well known.
Set meals that pair udon with a small rice bowl are popular too, making it an easy place to stop by between sightseeing spots.

A beloved local udon shop with over 50 years of history. It is within walking distance of Hakata Station and draws long lines even though it only opens for lunch. The soft, chewy flat noodles have a rich wheat aroma and pair perfectly with the clear golden broth. The classic dish is “Niku Gobo,” topped with sweet and savory simmered beef and burdock tempura. Many people also enjoy it with Fukuoka’s famous “Kashiwa Onigiri” (chicken rice balls). The unpretentious atmosphere makes it easy to drop in, and the reasonable prices are another reason for its popularity.

If you visit Fukuoka, make time to stop by “Kama-age Makino Udon Hakata Bus Terminal,” a udon specialty shop loved by locals. It is on the first basement floor of Hakata Bus Terminal, right next to Hakata Station, so it is convenient for a quick meal between sightseeing spots. The noodles are lifted straight from the pot, giving them a springy texture and generous volume. You can choose your preferred firmness from three types: soft, regular, or firm. The most popular item is the classic “Gobo Tempura Udon.” The burdock tempura in a light batter goes perfectly with the broth made using Rishiri kelp.

A famous place for “Tetsunabe Gyoza,” a Fukuoka specialty said to have its roots in Hakata’s food stalls.
They’re known as the original “round iron-pan gyoza,” where small dumplings are neatly arranged in concentric circles in a sizzling iron pan and grilled evenly.
The crispy, fragrant crust and the juicy meat that bursts out when you bite in are said to be addictive. The flavor is punchy yet light, with a rich aroma of garlic chives, so many people say they can easily eat two or three servings.

A Hakata gyoza specialty restaurant that pursues the perfect pairing with beer.
The filling blends the rich flavors of pork and vegetables, wrapped in thin skins with crispy, fragrant wings for a perfect balance.
They are particular about ingredients and preparation. The filling uses sterile pork from Nagasaki, and two types of skins with different gluten levels are used depending on the dish.
Besides Hakata gyoza, there are plenty of other dishes that go well with beer, such as grilled offal, vinegared offal, and octopus with sesame.
Drinks include not only beer but also a wide range of shochu and sake to enjoy with the gyoza.

A popular izakaya where you can enjoy a wide range of Hakata dishes.
Among the many menu items, the signature “Tetsunabe Gyoza” is ordered by more than 95% of visitors.
These bite-sized dumplings are grilled in an iron pan until the skins are crispy. The contrast with the chewy filling makes them seriously addictive.
Creative dishes such as “Omu Gyoza,” where the iron-pan gyoza are wrapped in egg, are also very popular.
The interior has a casual, modern feel with mainly counter seats and a few semi-private tables.
It is easy to drop by with friends or family, which is another plus.

A yakiniku restaurant within walking distance of Hakata Station, serving mainly Kyushu-produced Japanese Black wagyu.
Each cut is sliced and grilled in the best way for that specific part, to bring out the rich flavor and tender texture of the meat.
The “USHINO Casual Course,” which lets you enjoy classic wagyu cuts at a reasonable price, is a popular choice.
Don’t miss the rare cuts like tri-tip, sirloin, and rump.
They use smokeless roasters, so you can relax without worrying about smoke or smells, which is another nice highlight.
This is a place where you can fully enjoy top-quality Japanese Black wagyu in a calm, upscale setting.

A yakiniku restaurant where you can enjoy high-quality Kyushu meat and vegetables grilled over charcoal on a shichirin grill.
Over 90% of the meat and vegetables served here are from Kyushu. You can savor Japanese Black wagyu from Kumamoto, Saga, and Miyazaki, as well as Kurobuta pork from Kagoshima, Itoshima pork from Fukuoka, and local chicken from Fukuoka and Kagoshima.
All the meat is hand-cut piece by piece by skilled staff to bring out the full flavor of the ingredients.
Their homemade original sauces are also popular and make the meat taste even better.
They put care into their vegetables too, offering salads, grilled vegetables, and namul that highlight the natural flavor while keeping them fresh.
There is also a 120-minute all-you-can-drink course, so you can enjoy drinks and yakiniku to your heart’s content.