Restaurant in Oita, Japan
Four straight Tabelog Bronze wins. Book by phone.

Yakiniku Ito in Saiki, Oita has held a Tabelog Bronze Award every year from 2023 to 2026 and has appeared on the Yakiniku WEST Top 100 since 2022. Dinner runs JPY 10,000–15,000 per head with drinks. Book by phone from the 1st of each month, arrive at opening, and order tongue and harami early before they sell out.
If you are comparing yakiniku options in Oita, Yakiniku Ito in Saiki is the clearest answer in the prefecture. While Beppu and Oita City have their own yakiniku spots, Ito has held a Tabelog Bronze Award consecutively from 2023 through 2026 and has appeared on the Tabelog Yakiniku WEST Top 100 every year since 2022 — a consistency that most regional restaurants in Kyushu cannot match. For a first-timer visiting Saiki or passing through Oita Prefecture, this is the yakiniku restaurant to prioritise.
Yakiniku Ito opened on 23 December 1989, which means it has been operating for over 35 years. That longevity matters in a format where quality of sourcing and technique compound over time. The restaurant holds 46 seats arranged across tatami rooms of varying sizes — for 2, 4, 6, and up to 18 people , plus 16 additional seats, with sunken seating available. Private rooms are accessible for groups of 4 to 20, and full private hire is available for 20 to 50 people, making this a practical choice for business dinners or family gatherings as much as a date-night option.
The dining room is a relaxed, traditional environment. Tatami rooms give the meal a grounded, unhurried quality that distinguishes it from the faster-paced yakiniku chains common in Japanese cities. Children are welcome at all ages, from babies upward, which is worth knowing if you are travelling as a family through Oita. Parking for 12 cars is available on site, which is useful given Saiki's geography.
The drinks list at Yakiniku Ito covers sake (nihonshu), shochu, and wine. For yakiniku, shochu is the natural pairing , it cuts through the fat of grilled beef and offal without the sweetness that can compete with the meat's flavour. Sake works well with leaner cuts. The inclusion of wine is a practical option for international visitors or those who prefer it, though the depth of the wine list is not confirmed in available data. One operational detail worth noting: the restaurant accepts BYO with a carry-on fee applied, which is a useful option if you have a bottle you want to bring to a private dinner or celebratory meal. Credit cards are accepted across major networks (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners), though electronic money and QR code payments are not.
Reservations open on the 1st of each month for the period through the end of the following month. Bookings must be made by phone , the restaurant does not accept direct messages or automated reservations. The phone number on record is +81-972-24-3425. Arriving or ordering after 8 PM is not recommended: the restaurant explicitly advises that popular cuts including tongue and harami are likely to be sold out by that point. Plan to arrive at or close to opening , 17:30 on weekdays, 17:00 on weekends and public holidays , if you want the full range of available cuts.
Tuesday is the regular closing day, but the restaurant closes approximately six days per month, with additional closures primarily on Wednesdays. Check the restaurant's Instagram or Google profile before travelling, particularly if you are making a trip specifically to dine here. The venue does not have an official website, so those channels are the most current sources for schedule updates.
The listed budget is JPY 8,000 to JPY 9,999 per head for dinner, with review-based spending typically running JPY 10,000 to JPY 14,999 once drinks and full ordering are factored in. At that price point, Yakiniku Ito sits in the mid-to-upper range for regional yakiniku in Kyushu , more expensive than casual chain yakiniku, but significantly below the JPY 30,000-plus territory of Tokyo's premium yakiniku counters. For a Tabelog Bronze-awarded restaurant with four consecutive years of recognition, the value proposition is strong. Compare this to award-recognised restaurants in other formats: Goh in Fukuoka or HAJIME in Osaka operate at substantially higher price points with more elaborate tasting formats. Ito delivers its quality in a more accessible, family-friendly environment at a fraction of those costs.
| Detail | Yakiniku Ito | Typical Regional Peer |
|---|---|---|
| Price per head (dinner) | JPY 8,000–14,999 | JPY 3,000–8,000 |
| Booking method | Phone only | Phone or online |
| Booking window | 1st of month for following month | Varies |
| Private rooms | Yes (4–20 people) | Occasionally |
| Family-friendly | Yes, all ages | Varies |
| Parking | 12 spaces on site | Often limited |
| Tabelog Award | Bronze 2023–2026 | Rarely |
Yakiniku Ito is the right call for first-timers in Saiki who want a reliably awarded yakiniku experience without the complexity of a tasting menu format. It works equally well for families, business groups using the private rooms, and solo or paired diners in the smaller tatami rooms. If you are building an itinerary across Oita Prefecture, this is worth building around rather than fitting in last-minute. See our full Oita restaurants guide for more options, or explore Oita bars, Oita hotels, and Oita experiences to complete your trip.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ito | {"Year":"2026","Award Source":"Tabelog","Award Type":"The Tabelog Award","Award Group":"bronze","Award Group Rank":"141","Restaurant Name":"Yakiniku Ito","Score":"4.00","Budget":"Dinner: JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999; Lunch: -","Budget Dinner":"JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Budget Lunch":"-","Price":"JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Average Price":"JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Average Price (Based on reviews)":"JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 View spending breakdown","Featured Item":"N/A","Full Address (with ZIP)":"大分県佐伯市駅前2-2-17, 8760803, Japan","Address":"大分県佐伯市駅前2-2-17","Postal Code":"8760803","City":"Ekimae Saeki Oita","State":"Oita","Country":"Japan","Phone":"+81972243425","Phone Raw":"+81-972-24-3425","Website":"No official website found","Description":"Check out Yakiniku Ito (Saiki/Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ)、Tripe) on Tabelog! A Yakiniku Restaurant Representing Kyushu That Keeps Evolving [Private rooms available / Sectionalized smoking] Discover Japanese restaurants featuring detailed information such as menus and maps, along with user-posted reviews, ratings, and photos!","Categories":"Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ), Tripe","Awards & Recognitions":"The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner Selected for Tabelog yakiniku WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog yakiniku WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog Grill WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2024 Selected for Tabelog Grill WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2024 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2022 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2022 受賞・選出歴 閉じる The Tabelog Award 受賞歴 2026年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze 受賞店 2025年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze 受賞店 2024年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze 受賞店 2023年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze 受賞店 百名店 選出歴 焼肉 百名店 2025 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2025 選出店 焼肉 百名店 2024 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2024 選出店 焼肉 百名店 2023 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2023 選出店 焼肉 百名店 2022 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2022 選出店","Reservation availability":"Reservations available Reservations are accepted from the 1st of each month until the end of the following month. Reservations can only be made by phone; direct messages and auto-reservations are not accepted. Please note that reservations or visits after 8 PM are not recommended, as many items such as tongue and harami are expected to be sold out. We appreciate your understanding that we cannot hold items for you.","Business hours":"Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 17:30 - 22:00 L.O. Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30 Sat, Sun, Public Holiday 17:00 - 22:00 L.O. Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30 Tue Closed ■Closed on Closed approximately six days a month, primarily on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For the latest updates on our closing days, please check our Instagram and Google profiles.","Payment methods":"Credit card accepted (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners) Electronic money not accepted QR code payments not accepted","Private rooms":"Available For 4 people, For 6 people, For 8 people, For 10-20 people We can also accommodate enquiries regarding reserved.","Non-smoking/smoking":"Designated smoking area The revised Health Promotion Act for passive smoking prevention has been in effect since April 1, 2020. Please check with the restaurant for the most up-to-date information.","Number of seats":"46 seats ( Tatami room for 2 people, Tatami room for 4 people, Tatami room for 6 people, Tatami room for 18 people, 16 seats)","Private use":"Available For 20-50 people","Parking":"Available 12 units","Space/facilities":"Relaxing space, Tatami room, Sunken seating","Drink":"Sake (Nihonshu), Shochu (Japanese spirits), Wine","Food":"N/A","Service":"Parties over 2.5 hours, BYO drinks","Family friendly":"Children welcome(Babies welcome, Preschoolers welcome, School-age children welcome)","Service charge & fee":"N/A","Dress code":"N/A","Maximum party size":"N/A","Location":"N/A","Occasion":"Family friendly | Business This occasion is recommended by many people.","Remarks":"If you bring your own, there will be a carry-on fee","The opening day":"1989.12.23","Receipt (Qualified simple invoice)":"Qualified invoice (receipt) available Registration numberT5320002017443 *For the latest registration status, please check the National Tax Agency's Qualified Invoice Issuer Publication Site or contact the restaurant.","Latitude":"32.972380367932644","Longitude":"131.90429042253365","Primary Image URL":"","Image URL Count":"20","Image URLs":"","Restaurant ID":"44002995","Source URL":"","Raw Details JSON":"{\"Restaurant name\":\"Yakiniku Ito\",\"Awards & Recognitions\":\"The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner Selected for Tabelog yakiniku WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog yakiniku WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog Grill WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2024 Selected for Tabelog Grill WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2024 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2022 Selected for Tabelog Yakiniku WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2022 受賞・選出歴 閉じる The Tabelog Award 受賞歴 2026年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze 受賞店 2025年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze 受賞店 2024年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze 受賞店 2023年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze 受賞店 百名店 選出歴 焼肉 百名店 2025 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2025 選出店 焼肉 百名店 2024 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2024 選出店 焼肉 百名店 2023 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2023 選出店 焼肉 百名店 2022 選出店 食べログ 焼肉 WEST 百名店 2022 選出店\",\"Categories\":\"Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ), Tripe\",\"Phone number (for reservation and inquiry)\":\"0972-24-3425\",\"Reservation availability\":\"Reservations available Reservations are accepted from the 1st of each month until the end of the following month. Reservations can only be made by phone; direct messages and auto-reservations are not accepted. Please note that reservations or visits after 8 PM are not recommended, as many items such as tongue and harami are expected to be sold out. We appreciate your understanding that we cannot hold items for you.\",\"Address\":\"大分県佐伯市駅前2-2-17 Show larger map Find nearby restaurants Transportation 4 minutes walk from Saiki Station (approx. 230m) Approximately 10 minutes by car from Saiki IC (approximately 7.3km) 209 meters from Saiki.\",\"Business hours\":\"Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 17:30 - 22:00 L.O. Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30 Sat, Sun, Public Holiday 17:00 - 22:00 L.O. Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30 Tue Closed ■Closed on Closed approximately six days a month, primarily on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For the latest updates on our closing days, please check our Instagram and Google profiles.\",\"Average price\":\"JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999\",\"Average price (Based on reviews)\":\"JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 View spending breakdown\",\"Payment methods\":\"Credit card accepted (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners) Electronic money not accepted QR code payments not accepted\",\"Receipt (Qualified simple invoice)\":\"Qualified invoice (receipt) available Registration numberT5320002017443 *For the latest registration status, please check the National Tax Agency's Qualified Invoice Issuer Publication Site or contact the restaurant.\",\"Number of seats\":\"46 seats ( Tatami room for 2 people, Tatami room for 4 people, Tatami room for 6 people, Tatami room for 18 people, 16 seats)\",\"Private rooms\":\"Available For 4 people, For 6 people, For 8 people, For 10-20 people We can also accommodate enquiries regarding reserved.\",\"Private use\":\"Available For 20-50 people\",\"Non-smoking/smoking\":\"Designated smoking area The revised Health Promotion Act for passive smoking prevention has been in effect since April 1, 2020. Please check with the restaurant for the most up-to-date information.\",\"Parking\":\"Available 12 units\",\"Space/facilities\":\"Relaxing space, Tatami room, Sunken seating\",\"Drink\":\"Sake (Nihonshu), Shochu (Japanese spirits), Wine\",\"Occasion\":\"Family friendly | Business This occasion is recommended by many people.\",\"Service\":\"Parties over 2.5 hours, BYO drinks\",\"Family friendly\":\"Children welcome(Babies welcome, Preschoolers welcome, School-age children welcome)\",\"The opening day\":\"1989.12.23\",\"Remarks\":\"If you bring your own, there will be a carry-on fee\"}","Matched Location ID":"adc7cffb-7196-46df-b88a-2d429c4d8cbc","Match Status":"matched","Match Method":"award_page_url_exact","Match Confidence":"high","Matched On URL":"","Matched DB Name":"Ito","Matched DB Address":"Oita 佐伯 City駅前2217","Needs Review":"no","Review Reason":"","Fallback Score":"","Fallback Name Sim":"","Fallback Addr Sim":"","Fallback Loc Sim":"","Fallback City Sim":"","Fallback Country Sim":"","Fallback Phone Match":"","Fallback Domain Match":"","Fallback Explanation":""}; Tabelog Bronze Award 2025 Score: 4.11 Cuisine: Yakiniku/Meat dishes / Oita Phone: 0972-24-3425 Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 17:30 - 22:00 L.O. Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30 Address: Oita 佐伯 City駅前2217 Tabelog: | Easy | — | |
| Beppu Hirokado | Japanese Cuisine | Unknown | — | |
| Jimgu | Japanese Cuisine | Unknown | — | |
| Aji Arai | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Book on the 1st of the month for any date within the following month — that is the only window the restaurant accepts. Reservations are phone-only at 0972-24-3425; direct messages and online booking are not accepted. Given that Yakiniku Ito has held a Tabelog Bronze award four consecutive years and appears in the Tabelog Yakiniku WEST 100 list annually since 2022, tables on weekends fill fast. Avoid arriving after 8 PM, as popular cuts including tongue and harami are typically sold out by then.
Yakiniku Ito opened in December 1989 and operates dinner-only, closing roughly six days a month (primarily Tuesdays and Wednesdays), so check their Instagram or Google profile before travelling. The restaurant seats 46 across tatami rooms and sunken seating, with private rooms available for groups of 4 to 20. Realistic spend runs JPY 10,000 to JPY 14,999 per head once drinks are included, which is above the listed dinner budget of JPY 8,000–9,999. Credit cards are accepted; QR code and electronic money payments are not.
The database does not list specific menu items, so no dishes can be confirmed. What the venue data does flag is that tongue and harami sell out early on busy nights, which suggests these are among the more sought-after cuts. Arriving at opening (17:30 on weekdays, 17:00 on weekends) gives you the fullest selection. The drinks list covers sake, shochu, and wine; BYO is permitted with a carry-on fee.
Within Oita prefecture, Beppu Hirokado and Jimgu are the most commonly cited comparison points for awarded yakiniku. Yakiniku Ito's four consecutive Tabelog Bronze wins and consistent Tabelog 100 Yakiniku WEST selection since 2022 give it a stronger recent track record than most Oita options, but both Beppu and Oita City have broader dining infrastructure if you are not making a dedicated trip to Saiki. If yakiniku is the specific format you want and you are already in southern Oita, Ito is the clearest choice in the area.
Dinner only. Yakiniku Ito does not offer lunch service — the Tabelog record shows no lunch budget and operating hours begin at 17:30 on weekdays (17:00 on weekends). Plan for dinner, arrive at opening to secure the widest cut selection, and allow at least 2.5 hours; the restaurant accommodates parties for that duration as a listed service policy.
Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 17:30 - 22:00 L.O. Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.