Fukuoka Food Guide: 27 Must-Try Restaurants by Category

Founded in 1963, “Hakata Daruma Main Shop” is an iconic Hakata ramen spot where the founder’s son, now the second-generation owner, carries on the original flavor.
The secret of its signature soup is a method called “yobimodoshi.” Pork bones are simmered for 16 hours in the same iron pot used since day one, and the broth is continuously replenished. This closely guarded recipe delivers a rich, distinctive taste that keeps you coming back.

The original Nagahama ramen shop, Ganso Nagahamaya started as a yatai stall in 1952. Locals affectionately call it “Gannaga.”
There’s only one item on the menu: ramen. The tonkotsu broth isn’t too heavy. It’s light enough even for breakfast, and the taste hasn’t changed since day one. Toppings are just green onions and chopped chashu, keeping it simple.

A famed tonkotsu ramen shop founded in Kurume in 1953.
For over half a century, they’ve used their unique “yobimodoshi” method, never letting the pot go empty. The continually enriched yobimodoshi broth is their pride.
The smooth soup bursts with rich umami and depth. Ramen fans even say, “Don’t talk tonkotsu until you’ve had Taiho Ramen.”

The original hub of a popular motsunabe chain with 21 locations nationwide, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi.
Crowds come daily for its Oyama-style Hakata motsunabe, perfected with carefully selected ingredients. They use only wagyu offal, mainly from Kyushu.
They use only small intestines from young, fatty cattle, cut into 10 g pieces for a plump, springy bite.

Founded in 1984, a leading name in Hakata motsunabe. The main branch is in an authentic kura-style building with antique and modern decor, giving it a nostalgic feel.
Relax and enjoy their signature motsunabe in an elegant, classic setting.
Their original miso broth, honed through trial and error, upended the soy sauce–based norm of the time and became an instant hit.

The main branch of Motsunabe Tashu, which has locations across Fukuoka and in Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Ehime, and Hiroshima.
They serve premium motsunabe using only selected wagyu small intestines. Choose from four soup bases: soy sauce, spicy miso, miso, or mizutaki-style.
The most popular miso broth features a creamy blend of four carefully chosen misos.

A long-running Hakata udon favorite known for weekend lines, founded in 1882.
Their noodles keep Hakata’s signature softness with a lasting fresh-boiled chew. The rich dashi, carefully made from Rausu kombu, pairs perfectly.
The most popular bowl is gobo-ten udon with crisp burdock tempura.
The tempura stays crunchy even in the broth. It balances beautifully with the soft, springy noodles and clear dashi.

When you’re in Fukuoka, stop by the local favorite udon spot Kamaage Makino Udon Hakata Bus Terminal Branch.
It’s on B1 of the Hakata Bus Terminal next to Hakata Station. Handy for a quick meal between sights.
The noodles are lifted straight from the pot, giving a chewy bite and hearty volume. Choose your firmness: soft, medium, or firm.

Kamakiri Udon is a popular udon izakaya, an 8-minute walk from Akasaka Station in Fukuoka City.
They make their noodles in-house with Fukuoka wheat, and the dashi is crafted from quality ingredients.
There’s a wide range of bowls, like sudachi udon, beef tendon udon, and curry udon.
They also serve sake and small plates, so it’s great to finish with a bowl after a drink.

At Toriden in central Hakata, you can enjoy mizutaki, a traditional hot pot linked to the Gion Yamakasa festival.
When the pot arrives, staff start cooking at your table. First, sip the broth. Simmered for six hours with only water and whole Kyushu-raised chickens, it’s packed with pure chicken flavor.
Next, enjoy springy bone-in pieces plus thigh and breast with Hakata negi shabu. That’s the Toriden style.

Founded in 1953 as a sukiyaki spot. The mizutaki they began serving around 1965 is now their signature.
They use carefully selected Akadori Satsuma from Kagoshima. They keep a close eye on the pot, gently skimming off the foam, and take their time to make a milky chicken-bone broth. That’s the secret to the flavor.
First, pour just the broth into a teacup and savor it before you start the hot pot.

A top spot for mizutaki, a Hakata specialty. The founder once ran a poultry wholesale business, so they use their own brand of chicken, Hanamidori, raised on their farms for mizutaki and other dishes.
Raised in clean air and plenty of sunlight on special feed, the chicken has no odor. Enjoy a firm bite and deep umami.
Set across the river from Tenjin Central Park, the restaurant has a cozy, grown-up hideaway vibe.

A top spot for Fukuoka’s famous tetsunabe gyoza. They pioneered the round “tetsunabe gyoza,” laying small dumplings in concentric circles in a piping-hot pan for an even sear.
The crunchy, fragrant char and burst of juices are addictive. They pack a punch yet taste light with plenty of chive aroma. People say you can easily polish off two or three servings.

HAKATA mouthful gyoza Yao man sits on B1 of the JRJP Hakata Building, directly connected to Hakata Station.
Their signature Hakata gyoza blend rich yet clean Kagoshima Kurobuta pork fat with the savor of Kyushu-grown vegetables.
No garlic, so you don’t have to worry about lingering odors.
Beyond gyoza, there are plenty of drink-friendly dishes like Hakata-style chicken wings.
Pair Hakata gyoza and other snacks with beer, shochu, or local sake.

Approx a 3-minute walk from Hakata Station.
Enjoy Hakata gyoza hand-wrapped one by one, with extra-crispy skins and plenty of juice.
They use pesticide-free or low-pesticide vegetables and carefully selected pork from across Kyushu.
There are counter and table seats, plus semi-private booths. Handy for different occasions.

A restaurant where you can enjoy Shoboan’s ago-dashi mentaiko, a classic Hakata souvenir. Along with dishes that highlight mentaiko, you can try Hakata home-style fare and seasonal creative Japanese cuisine.
Shoboan uses only carefully selected Hokkaido cod roe, marinated in a rich spicy sauce with grilled flying-fish dashi. The result is elegant and mellow.

Located near Tenjin Station, Approx 6 minutes by train from Hakata Station.
Its signature “Mentaiju” features a whole roll of kelp-wrapped mentaiko set on white rice lined with nori, finished with a special sauce.
Choose your sauce heat from four levels: Basic, Mild, Medium, or Hot. Each brings a different depth of flavor.
Toppings like tororo (grated yam) or an onsen egg add a fun change in taste and texture.

Enjoy superb mentaiko dishes in a modern Japanese space inspired by nature.
Signature picks include “Hakata Mentai-Ori Gozen,” which lets you sample fresh mentaiko and assorted small plates, and “Hakata Mentai-Ori Kaisen-Ju,” a seafood rice box topped with mentaiko and Kyushu fish. Both are colorful and beautiful.
If you enjoy a drink, there’s also a set with one glass of wine, draft beer, etc., plus three hors d’oeuvres.
You’ll also find exclusive gifts here.

A venerable restaurant founded in 1681. Yanagawa, blessed with clear, abundant water, has long been famous for eel.
This is where unagi seiro-mushi was created.
Its secret sauce and techniques have been faithfully passed down from the first owner. The same beloved flavor continues today.

A long-standing eel restaurant in Kokura, Kitakyushu, founded in 1926.
It earned a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide in 2014.
Their hallmark is a unique grilling method. They don’t steam the eel. It’s slowly grilled to concentrate umami, with crisp skin and a fluffy interior.
The sauce uses top-grade soy sauce, pure junmai mirin, and other carefully selected, additive-free ingredients. This makes the eel’s aroma shine.

A historic eel specialist founded in the late Edo period. It sits along Okinohata in the waterside town of Yanagawa, and has kept its flavor for nearly 160 years.
Fans come from all over Japan for that taste.
Each eel is carefully grilled by hand. The outside is crisp and fragrant, the inside fluffy and tender. A secret sauce passed down since its founding brings out the eel’s umami even more.

Torikawa-ya is a yakitori spot famous for Hakata’s signature torikawa. It’s easy to reach from the nearest station and popular with both locals and visitors.
The torikawa is tightly wound chicken skin with a toasty look. It’s crisp outside and juicy inside. The fat is rendered off as it grills, so many people say they can eat skewer after skewer.

Located in Fukuoka’s Daimyo area.
Yakitori crafted by in-house trained chefs is the star, along with other chicken dishes, basashi, and sesame mackerel.
Drinks include sake from around Japan and wines, too.
Friendly staff and a lively vibe add to the appeal.

Yakitori Ibushiza was opened by a chef who trained for 12 years at Fukuoka favorite Yakitori no Hachibei.
They use fresh, same-day chicken and natural salt, then grill over binchotan charcoal. The result is superb.
Enjoy the classics like torikawa and buta-bara, plus negima and seseri. House-smoked dishes made on-site are another highlight.
Pair them with sake, highballs, or shochu.

With over 60 years of history, Kawataro Nakasu is a live seafood specialist that blends tradition with new ideas.
There are three tanks inside, stocked with fresh seafood from the Genkai Sea and beyond.
The signature dish is ika ikizukuri, using squid shipped directly from Yobuko in Saga.
It’s known as the birthplace of ika ikizukuri. The translucent flesh is notably sweet with a firm, springy bite.
A celebrated spot where craftsmanship brings out the best of the ingredients.

In Fukuoka’s foodie hub Hakata, Hakata Uokura serves seasonal seafood, including premium catches like nodoguro and yari-ika (spear squid).
Ingredients come straight from around Fukuoka, the Itoshima Peninsula, and Katsumoto Fishing Port on Iki.
Skilled chefs bring out the best in each ingredient. Enjoy sashimi, sushi, tempura, seared dishes, and more.
The signature Yari-ika Ikizukuri features squid landed in Yobuko, kept in the in-house tank, and served at peak freshness.

Hakata Izakaya Dogenkai sits in a prime spot, just a 2-minute walk from Hakata Station.
They source select ingredients from the Itoshima Peninsula, which juts into the Genkai Sea in western Fukuoka. Live tanks on-site keep everything ultra-fresh.
Ikizukuri is a standout thanks to the fresh catch. Try Yari-ika or Kawahagi (threadsail filefish) prepared live.
Settle into a calm, natural-wood setting and enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine.

In foodie Hakata, the Nakasu Yataigai offers the deepest local dining.
Savor ramen, skewers, and oden with a drink.
In Kyushu’s biggest entertainment district, neon lights reflect off the Naka River, and stalls line the banks-an impressive sight. Just strolling around lets you feel the city’s energy.

Tenjin, Kyushu’s biggest downtown, fills with yatai in the evening serving Fukuoka favorites.
They’re especially dense around Tenjin Station, so it’s easy to pop in before or after getting around.
Among many choices, grilled ramen is a must-try.
It’s thin noodles tossed with tonkotsu broth and sauce, then cooked on a griddle.
It’s a true Fukuoka soul food, born at Kogane-chan in the Nakasu Yataigai.
After shopping in Tenjin, grab Fukuoka eats at the Tenjin Yataigai.

The Nagahama Yataigai spreads out Approx a 10-minute walk from Exit 1 of Akasaka Station in Fukuoka.
Once home to many stalls, numbers declined over time. In recent years, new stalls have opened and the area is coming back to life.
You’ll find everything from the first yatai specializing in mentaiko to shops serving Nagahama ramen.
It’s not just classic stalls. There are concept yatai too, like ones with a stadium vibe.
Especially recommended if you want to center your night on Nagahama ramen while sampling other Fukuoka bites.