[Complete Fukuoka Yatai Guide] Perfect for beginners! 14 must-see spots in the Tenjin, Hakata, and Nagahama areas
Index
[Tenjin Watanabe Street Food Stall] Ahotare
Ahotareno is a food stall that has been in business for over 50 years and is always packed with customers of all ages.
It is a 2-minute walk from the south exit of Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line/Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station, in front of the Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin store along Watanabe-dori.
The first thing that will overwhelm you is the sheer number of items on the menu. In addition to standard yatai dishes like yakitori, teppanyaki, oden, and ramen, there is also tempura, motsunabe, tacos, and a wide selection of a la carte dishes, noodles, and rice dishes. Including the drink menu, there are apparently over 200 items on the menu!
The reason for this increase in business is that the previous owner responded to customers who said, "I want to eat that." Even now, under the second generation owner, that hospitality is still alive and well, with many fans frequenting Ahotareno.
When you visit, be sure to try the specialty "Bite-sized Gyoza" (500 yen) shown in the photo, the "Jumbo Croquette" (250 yen) available only on Saturdays, and the chef's pride and joy "Tacos" (700 yen) which have been featured on TV.
"Some regulars come here just for this dish," says the chef, referring to the recommended "Pork Cartilage Skewers" (300 yen). The large pork cartilage is roasted to perfection and is juicy when you bite into it. Enjoying it with a cold drink served in a thermos is a blissful experience.
Other attractive features include Western dishes that make use of the chef's experience, such as "Pork Tempura Salsa" (800 yen), "Napolitan" (700 yen), and "Garlic Fried Rice" (900 yen).
"Yatai are social gatherings for adults. People from all over the country gather here to exchange information and become friends regardless of age," says the chef. If you come to Ahotareno, you're sure to get the full experience of what's great about yatai.
<店舗情報>
■あほたれーの
住所:福岡県福岡市中央区天神1-4-1
営業時間:18:20~26:00
定休日:不定休、荒天時休
込み合う時間帯:日によって異なる
トイレ:天神地下街、近隣のコンビニエンスストアほか
支払方法:現金
予約:不可
TEL:080-5247-9819
[Tenjin Watanabe Street Food Stall] Hakatakko Innocent Food Stall Kiryu
Featured on many television programs, "Hakatakko Junjo Yatai Kiryu" is one of the most popular food stalls in Fukuoka, with long queues even on weekdays.
It's a 2-minute walk from the south exit of Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line, a 1-minute walk from Tenjin Minami Station on the Subway Nanakuma Line, and is located in front of the Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin store along Watanabe-dori.
This long-established food stall has been watching over the changes in Tenjin for over 50 years, and is currently run by the second-generation owner, Hakata native Mukae Takayuki.
There are over 100 kinds of dishes, mainly teppanyaki, so that customers can enjoy themselves whenever they come, no matter how many times they come, and no matter what kind of customers come. The most popular dish is the "Mochimochi Gyoza" (650 yen), which is shaped like a ume-gae-mochi rice cake.
In addition, the "Mentaiko Tamagoyaki" (800 yen), which uses a whole stalk of "Fukuya" Spicy Fish Eggs, is also a popular dish among repeat customers.
Another dish you can't miss is the collaboration menu item with the manga "Cooking Papa," the "Karashi Menkon" (650 yen). This is a masterpiece that combines Hakata and Kumamoto specialties, and it boasts enduring popularity as you can enjoy the flavors that appear in the manga.
Mukae says, "The good thing about yatai is that people get along well and connections and bonds are born." Over 20 couples have already met and married at Kiryu. Mukae is also sometimes invited to weddings to give speeches. "I want to liven up Fukuoka and Kyushu, which have regained their vitality, through the yatai. Please feel free to come even if you are in a wheelchair!" says Mukae. Why not head out to the lively yatai to get some energy?
<店舗情報>
■博多っ子純情屋台 喜柳
住所:福岡県福岡市中央区天神1-4-1
営業時間:18:45~24:00
定休日:不定休、雨天・荒天時休
込み合う時間帯:日によって異なる
トイレ:天神地下街、近隣のコンビニエンスストアほか
支払方法:現金、PayPay、LINE Pay、楽天ペイ、クレジットカード
予約:電話(090-9721-9061)で可
Instagram:@yataikiryu(click here)
[Food stalls on Tenjin Watanabe Street] Food stall Pyonkichi
"Yataiya Pyonkichi" is so popular that it is crowded with customers every day and sometimes there is a line of people waiting for a seat.
The location is a one-minute walk from Tenjin Minami Station on the Nanakuma Subway Line, in front of the Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin store along Watanabe-dori.
In addition to locals and Japanese tourists, there are many customers from overseas, and the lively interior is filled with the sound of people speaking many different languages.
"The truth is, I've never really liked tonkotsu ramen," says chef Tetsuhide Ota.
One of the signature dishes, "Tonkotsu Ramen" (700 yen), was created through much trial and error until the chef found it to be delicious.
The soup is rich and smooth, and surprisingly, it goes down smoothly even after you've finished drinking it. This unique refreshing feeling is apparently due to the minerals in the soup.
Other dishes on offer include the "Famous Mentaiko Gyoza" (600 yen), bite-sized, crispy dumplings filled with Spicy Fish Eggs, as seen in the photo, "Pork Belly Bokkum" (1,000 yen), which is made with the chef's original special sauce, "Sweet and Spicy Offal Stir-Fry" (1,200 yen), and "Leftover Fried Rice" (600 yen), which uses the leftover sauce from the "Food with Leftover Sauce."
"I don't want to take a break if possible," he says, so that tourists who have made the effort to come to Fukuoka can enjoy their food stalls before going home. Today too, he pours his passion into his food stall for the sake of his customers and the local community.
<店舗情報>
■屋台屋ぴょんきち
住所:福岡県福岡市中央区天神1-4-1
営業時間:18:00~25:00
定休日:不定休、荒天時休
込み合う時間帯:21:00~23:00
トイレ:天神地下街、近隣のコンビニエンスストアほか
支払方法:現金、PayPay、d払い、au PAY、LINE Pay、楽天ペイほか
予約:不可
TEL:090-9074-4390
[Hakata area food stall] Shohei
"Shohei" is a long-established food stall located about a minute's walk from Kushidajinja-mae Station on the Nanakuma Subway Line and close to Canal City Hakata.
The owner, Katsunori Myoga, a former sailor who speaks in a soft-spoken manner throughout, took over the business from his father in 1996.
"Tonkotsu Ramen" (600 yen) is made by simmering several kinds of pork bones every day,
The two main attractions are the "handmade gyoza" (500 yen), which are wrapped after an order is placed. Both seem to be constantly evolving.
The chef says, "The way we make it is a secret," as he cooks the gyoza, which are cooked in a unique Fukuoka way that only visitors know, and the fragrant, juicy flavor fills your mouth.
In addition, today's specials are listed on the blackboard inside the restaurant. There is a wide selection of fish dishes, meat dishes, stews, and grilled dishes, all of which can only be enjoyed at that time.
"Food is a living thing. I have to do everything from cooking to serving customers by myself at a food stall, so it's hard work, but that's what makes it so fun," says the chef, whose driving force is "seeing the customers enjoying themselves." Because he runs the restaurant by himself, it's sometimes hard to talk to customers, but meeting all kinds of people is encouraging.
Recently, many foreign customers from Asia and Europe have been visiting, and you can enjoy a multinational atmosphere while still maintaining the traditional food stall atmosphere.
<店舗情報>
■笑平
住所:福岡県福岡市博多区祇園町5-1
営業時間:19:00~24:00
定休日:不定休、雨天・荒天時休
込み合う時間帯:日によって異なる
支払方法:現金、クレジットカード、PayPayほか
予約:オープン時のみ、電話(090-8911-7604)で予約可