[Fukuoka's popular restaurant] Charcoal grilled specials only available at this store! Prepare your own delicious, meaty hamburger steak (Hakata Station)

Hello. I'm Kawai, a writer who covers a wide range of topics, from gourmet food to town information.

The sixth in our series introducing popular restaurants that have long lines is "Hamburg Kiwami-ya Hakata Branch." Here you can enjoy a delicious hamburger steak that you can grill yourself on a hot stone.

Enjoy a delicious, meaty hamburger steak that you grill yourself! "Hamburger Kiwamiya Hakata Branch" (Hakataeki Chuo-gai, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City)

Originally a small yakiniku restaurant in Nishijin, Fukuoka, "Gokumi-ya" expanded into a motsunabe restaurant in 2009 and a hamburger restaurant in 2010, and now "Hamburger Gokumi-ya" has become a hugely popular restaurant with four locations in Fukuoka Prefecture (Hakata store, Hakata Station underground mall store, Fukuoka Parco store, and Yahata store), as well as locations in Saga, Okinawa, the Kanto and Chubu regions.

This time we visited Hamburger Gokumi-ya Hakata Branch, a street-level restaurant located on the first floor of Hakata Bus Terminal, next to JR Hakata Station.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

On the day I visited, there were about 20 people in line. Most of the people in line were Asian tourists, especially from Korea, and apparently the restaurant became popular after being introduced by a famous food blogger in the days before Instagram.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

The restaurant is compact, with only 18 counter seats. The staff are energetic and lively.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

Hamburg steaks are formed into round shapes in a central kitchen at the back of the store, and are carefully grilled one by one after an order is placed. In addition to teppanyaki, you can also enjoy charcoal grilling, which is only available at the Hakata store.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

Hakata store only! Charcoal grilled hamburger steak

The hamburger steak is characterized by its meaty flavor, which comes from a unique blend of Kyushu-produced Kuroge Wagyu beef and domestically-produced beef. It is made using a special method that minimizes the amount of binders and does not use onions at all.

The menu consists of two basic items, the "Charcoal Grilled Hamburger" (120g, from 1,188 yen) and the "Teppanyaki Hamburger" (120g, from 1,188 yen), which are exclusive to the Hakata store, and they are said to be about half popular.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

Both are hamburger steaks on their own, so we recommend ordering the value "Set" (495 yen) which also includes rice, miso soup, salad, and all-you-can-eat soft serve ice cream.

They are particularly particular about the rice they use, and have "Hinohikari," a rice variety that has been awarded a special A rank for 15 years, delivered directly from a farm in Saga Prefecture twice a week. The rice is shiny and chewy.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

This time, I ordered the Charcoal Grilled Hamburger (160g, 1,518 yen, pictured), which has a charcoal grilled coating on the surface.

The moment it is brought to your table, the fragrant aroma of charcoal fills the air, whetting your appetite.

Choose from six sauces: "Gokumi-ya's Meat Sauce" which brings out the natural flavor of the meat, the classic "Onion Sauce" made with onions, "Gokumi-ya's Sweet Sauce" which is a sweet sauce that matches well with hamburger steak, "Yuzu Pepper Ponzu" which combines the light taste of ponzu with the spiciness of yuzu pepper, "Himalayan Rock Salt" which brings out the flavor of the meat with its mellow saltiness, and "Wasabi Soy Sauce" which amplifies the umami of the meat with the flavor of wasabi.

The most popular items are the ones we chose this time, "Gokumi-ya's Meat Sauce" and "Gokumi-ya's Sweet Sauce."

Image: Tomoya Kawai

Once the food is served, the staff will explain, "This is not to be eaten raw. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and grill it on hot stones until the redness is gone. After grilling the meat with silver chopsticks, eat it with bamboo chopsticks." If this is your first time visiting, be sure to listen carefully.

If the hot stones cool down over time, just ask the staff and they will replace them with hot stones.

Cut the hamburger steak with silver chopsticks, and place it on the hot stone. You will hear a sizzling sound. Cook it until the redness disappears, but without burning it.

The key to grilling is to thinly stretch the cut hamburger steak and flatten it before pressing it onto the hot stone. When you eat the grilled meat as is, you can directly taste the meaty flavor of the hamburger steak.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

Once you try it, you'll be hooked on how delicious it is.

The soft serve ice cream in the set is perfect as a dessert after a meal. It comes in a small bowl, making it easy to eat.

Image: Tomoya Kawai

In addition to the hamburger steak, we also recommend the limited-quantity "Special Imari Beef Steak" (120g, from 2,178 yen). It uses A5-grade Imari beef that is so tender it melts in your mouth. It is served raw and cooked on a hot stone, just like the hamburger steak. Due to its popularity, it may sell out by lunchtime, so if you want to try it, it's best to go early.

Image: Gokumi-ya

Hamburger Gokumi-ya offers a one-of-a-kind hamburger steak made with high-quality beef, with the added entertainment factor of being able to grill it yourself. It's worth waiting in line to try. (Text by Kawai Tomoya)

＜Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓＞
■ Hamburger Gokumi-ya Hakata branch
Address: 2-1 Hakataeki Chuo-gai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00-22:00 (reception closes at 20:30) *Ends when hamburgers run out
Closed: Irregular holidays
*Open until 6:00 PM on December 31, 2025, closed on January 1, 2026, and open from 10:30 AM on January 2

*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Prices in the text include tax.
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