Japanese family restaurants are, as the name suggests, restaurants meant for the whole family. They are not only affordable, but also offer a wide range of dishes that anyone will find delicious, from kids to adults. Many of them were imported from overseas, but the menus were altered and filled with Japanese-friendly foods. Here we introduce you 10 family restaurants you most visit while in Japan!
1. Denny’s
Denny’s is a coffee shop, pancake house and casual family restaurant originating from Lakewood, USA. The chain is known for being open 24 hours a day. Like many restaurants which came from overseas, Denny’s has a menu that is made to fit Japanese people’s tastes. You definitely need to try the Demiglace Shrimp Hamburg, the Grilled Cheese Hamburg and Curry rice plate or one of their many delicious beef stews!
2. Big Boy
Big Boy is a restaurant chain that came from California, USA. It grew to be very popular in Japan, with more than 300 stores. Unlike the Big Boy restaurants in the USA, the ones in Japan do not serve hamburgers, but are rather famous for hamburg steaks, which refer to a hamburger patty without buns, served with sauce. You definitely have to try the delicious Big Boy steak cheese hamburg and cut steak or the egg hamburg!
3. Jonathan’s
Jonathan’s is an affordable family restaurant chain where you can eat delicious spaghetti or hamburg dishes. An interesting thing about the chain is that they always write the calories for everything they serve, which can be very helpful for those on a diet. They have all kinds of interesting menus: morning menu, tea time menu, holiday brunch menu, take-out menu or kids menu.
4. Coco’s
The Coco’s chain has two kinds of restaurant types: ones who serve only curry, and family ones with a more diverse menu, where you can find pizza, steak, hamburgers and fries. Make sure to check which one is the restaurant you are planning to eat at, otherwise you might end up disappointed. Dishes you should try includes the beef hamburg with sauce, the garlic chicken steak and the beef sirloin steak.
5. Saizeriya
Saizeriya is a chain of family-style Italian restaurants. The food is very affordable, and the chain grew to have more than 700 stores throughout Japan. There are many delicious dishes you can try, such as spinach bake and mushroom pizza, mozzarella tomato and shrimp salad or seafood spaghetti. There are also many desserts to choose from and lots of drinks on the menu!
6. Yumean
Yumean is a popular family restaurant chain where you can enjoy a large variety of delicious Japanese and western foods. You can try karaage (crispy fried chicken), shabu shabu (thinly sliced meat boiled with vegetables), meat croquettes, noodle soups and rice bowls with different toppings. The restaurants also serve desserts and let you choose among many drinking options.
7. Gusto
Gusto is a family restaurant with very one of the most affordable dishes. The menu offers various delicious dining options, with both Japanese and western foods. You can find salads, noodles, tonkatsu, fried chicken, hamburg steak, tempura, pizza, pasta, curry, as well as a variety of desserts. You can eat a very filling meal for very less, typically from 400 yen to 700 yen. There is also a kid’s menu and a take-out menu.
8. Bamiyan
Bamiyan is a family restaurant which focuses on Chinese food. Like Jonathan’s, they provide calorie information next to each dish on the menu. Delicious dishes include fried rice, noodle soups, gyoza (meat dumplings), fried chicken and various Chinese salads. You can fill up your stomach with around 500 yen, which is very affordable. The restaurant also offers take-out services for some of the menu items.
9. Royal Host
Royal Host is a well-known family restaurant with many stores throughout Japan. The chain serves both Japanese and western foods: fried chicken, curry rice, pastas, grilled meat and much more. There is also a drink bar where you can get unlimited refills for a certain fee. The bar serves everything you can ask for, from coffee to soft drinks. The restaurants also serve a variety of desserts, which are a bit larger than desserts you can find in usual restaurants.
10. Joyfull
Joyfull is a popular restaurant chain with more than 700 stores in Japan. Some of the stores are open 24 hours, very convenient for those who finish work late. The restaurants serve both Japanese and western dishes. There is also a children menu and an all-you-can-drink bar, similar to the ones at Royal Host. No matter how picky you are, you will surely find something to enjoy here!
Bon appetit!
Have a good trip and travel!
