It’s Not Just “Cheap”! I Tried It Myself and Found Out: “All-You-Can-Eat Yakiniku for Under 1,000 Yen” Is Actually Delicious

The recent surge in prices due to inflation is hitting many people’s wallets hard. Amid this, there are restaurants offering all-you-can-eat yakiniku at rock-bottom prices. However, the cheaper it is, the more you wonder about the quality. We’ve picked out some well-reviewed restaurants offering all-you-can-eat for around 1,000 yen. We went to try them out for ourselves—.

[Part 1] A Strong Ally Against Rising Prices! Is “All-You-Can-Eat Yakiniku for Around 1,000 Yen” Really Delicious? We Tried It Ourselves

Packed All Day Long!?: Sumiyoshi Horumon (Koto Ward, Tokyo)

Located in Koto Ward, Tokyo, “Sumiyoshi Horumon” is nearest to Sumiyoshi Station on the Toei Shinjuku Subway Line. It’s just a little over a 10-minute walk from JR Kinshicho Station.

Here, you can enjoy a one-hour all-you-can-eat lunch for 1,360 yen (tax included). Although it’s called “lunch,” the hours are quite relaxed on weekdays—from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (on weekends and holidays, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.). You can even make the rather bold choice of having yakiniku first thing in the morning.The menu features five items: offal, heart, chicken thigh, beef tongue tips, and liver. Rice, soup, oolong tea, and green tea are all free refills.

I visited at 3:00 PM—too late for lunch and still too early for dinner. But the moment I stepped inside, the entire restaurant was filled with smoke, and all 50 or so tables were packed. You could really tell just how popular the place is.

As you place the meat on the charcoal grill—which sits right on the table—and start grilling it, the aroma of fat sizzling over the charcoal rises into the air. All the meat is incredibly fresh, and even the heart and liver are completely free of any gamey odor. The quality of the meat is hard to believe for a price of 1,360 yen.

Looking around the restaurant, I noticed that many customers had piled their rice bowls high. The recommended dish is the chicken thigh, and personally, I found that the salt-seasoned version went best with rice. The portions are substantial, so even athletic students should be thoroughly satisfied.

On weekdays, the all-you-can-eat option is available starting at the surprisingly early hour of 5:00 a.m., catering to those who are craving meat after a night shift. If this place were in my neighborhood, I’d probably find myself popping in all the time. It’s easy to see why this spot is so popular with locals.

Grilling Heaping Piles of Meat with gusto: Popular Yakiniku Izakaya “Gyutan Tanto” Ikebukuro Branch (Toshima Ward, Tokyo)

Experience the true joy of all-you-can-eat

This restaurant just opened on August 1. The cheapest all-you-can-eat plan is the “Thin-Sliced Beef Tongue All-You-Can-Eat,” priced at an unbeatable 550 yen (tax included). Since that alone felt a bit sparse, I ordered the all-you-can-eat beef tongue and “Wagyu Sirloin Kalbi” combo for 1,628 yen (tax included).For the same price, you can also add the “Wagyu Offal Mix.” The time limit is 90 minutes.

Although there’s a separate charge for the appetizer (450 yen), it’s still a great deal even with that included. The thinly sliced beef tongue arrives piled high on a metal platter, so you’ll be visually overwhelmed right from the start.

Rather than arranging and grilling each slice one by one, I recommend piling them generously onto the grill all at once—it gives you that euphoric feeling of grilling a massive amount of meat. Yakiniku sauce and salt are provided on the table, but you can also order various additional toppings.

Pile the cooked meat generously onto a bowl of rice (385 yen) you’ve ordered separately, drizzle it with yakiniku sauce, and you’ve got a meat-packed rice bowl that even kids would love. Dig in without holding back to fully savor the joy of an all-you-can-eat meal.

All the restaurants I visited this time were extremely affordable, yet none of them were just “cheap”—they were all thoroughly delicious and enjoyable. If you ever want to eat your fill of meat without worrying about your wallet, I highly recommend paying them a visit.

[Part 1] A Strong Ally Against Rising Prices! Is “All-You-Can-Eat Yakiniku for Around 1,000 Yen” Really That Good? We Tried It Ourselves

From the November 6, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*