Family Restaurants in Japan

We don't exactly have a family, but we go to family restaurants a lot.  They're casual, sometimes the food is delicious and we like them.  Our favorite is probably Gusto, but we spend most of our time at Joyfull.

Joyfull has several advantages over Gusto.  The first is the food is a lot cheaper.  The second is we don't have to drive as far, or we can even walk if the weather is pleasant.  And while the menu choices can't compare in variety even to Denny's, Joyfull features a free-refill drink bar for which they give you free tickets each time you eat there.  We also like the Joyfull "Classic Chocolate Cake," which is almost a brownie wedge and topped with a thick, fudge-like coating and sprinkled with a little powdered sugar.

Besides Joyfull and Gusto, we like Royal Host and Denny's.  Denny's is a classic choice in Japan and hanging out there became such a past time for high school students at one point they even coined the verb deniru, literally meaning, "do Denny's," or to hang out there.  I learned that from a slang book; I've yet to hear anyone actually say it and it probably died out a long time ago.  Hanging at Denny's has not, however.  Royal Host has the best food out of all the family restaurants we've been to, but it's a bit pricey.

We tried Jonathan's in Tokyo, but we were less than impressed.  You may feel otherwise.  There's one in Harajuku that I think makes a fine place to regroup, breathe a little, drink some coffee or tea and then hit the crowds again.

Saizeriya is worth stopping at if you feel the need to try family restaurant dining as well.  It's supposed to be an Italian restaurant, I think, but it feels more like a step up from Joyfull.

What else is there?  I've eaten at TGI Fridays in both Shibuya and Ikebukuro and stuffed my face with American-sized portions of food.  And there are probably many more I've never even heard of.

Then there's this guy.

Check him out.  He's looking at you!

Big Boy has a drink bar... I think.  What I know for certain is Big Boy has some pretty good shoestring fries.  Order a basket and share with friends.  Shoot, order two!

It's a pretty big burger... I guess...

O.M.G. Burgers (a hamburger restaurant in Kanagawa) touts a monster sandwich they call the Akebono Sumo Burger on their webpage.  It weighs approximately 6 pounds and comes with about 2 and a half pounds of fries.  If you manage to finish it, you win the equivalent of 300 USD and a t-shirt that proclaims to the world you ate half a cow.

Oh, and the burger is on the house.

For the ex-pat-- and the native-born as well-- Japan offers a wide variety of hamburger dining experiences.  You can try the classic taste of McDonald's (yes, yes I did), Burger King and Wendy's (they exited the Japanese market in 2009, but this December they're jumping back into the food fight with renewed vigor), plus the home-grown delights of Freshness Burger and Mos Burger.  If you're a fan of the manga Nana (and why aren't you?), you can try a Jackson Burger at Hachi's favorite place, Jackson Hole.  Which is a bar.

But not the original bar as seen in the comic book and movie.  In 2008, Jackson Hole moved from near the southern entrance of Chofu Station to new digs on the northern side, as some intrepid explorers in real-world manga locations have discovered.  Philosophers and those versed in mereological essentialism will have to debate whether or not a Jackson Burger in the new location is the same as a Jackson Burger at the old and if it presents a Ship of Theseus paradox.  I just know Hachi loves a Jackson Burger no matter where she sits to eat it.

As for me, a trip to O.M.G. Burgers is on my itinerary for the coming year.  After all, who wouldn't want to challenge the sumo burger, especially if there's a chance some bikers will be there to cheer you on?