19 japanese izakaya rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Raku ★ 4.8 · Las Vegas
spring-mountain-chinatown · 5030 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89146
Raku in Las Vegas is Mitsuo Endo's Chinatown izakaya since 2008, a binchotan-charcoal robata room that drew chefs from the Strip on their nights off.
Tip: Booking is essential; the room is small and the line cooks slow when the counter fills. After-hours kitchen runs to 03:00.
Raku ★ 4.8 · Las Vegas
spring-mountain-chinatown · 5030 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89146
Raku in Las Vegas is Mitsuo Endo's Spring Mountain izakaya since 2008, binchotan-charcoal robata that drew chefs from the Strip and earned multiple James.
Tip: Booking is essential. Late-night kitchen runs to 03:00 for after-shift industry diners.
UNI ★ 4.7 · Boston
back-bay · 370A Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
Ken Oringer's UNI inside the Eliot Hotel runs a contemporary Japanese izakaya and omakase counter in Boston's Back Bay since 2002, expanded in 2016.
Umami ★ 4.7 · Pittsburgh
lawrenceville · 202 38th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Umami on 38th Street in Lawrenceville serves izakaya skewers and ramen in Pittsburgh. A lantern-lit room with a koi pond patio off Butler Street.
Tip: The koi pond patio is the seat. Late kitchen on weekends; walk-in friendly midweek.
Sushi Izakaya Gaku ★ 4.6 · Honolulu
ala-moana · 1329 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96814
Sushi Izakaya Gaku on South King is the long-running Japanese izakaya in Honolulu with sashimi, robata grill plates and the cult-favourite buta no kakuni.
Tip: Reservations open one month ahead. Order the day's specials board first; chef cuts the best fish for early diners.
Izakaya Minato ★ 4.6 · Portland
east-bayside · 54 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue opened 2017 from Chef Thomas Takashi Cooke, with binchotan-grilled yakitori, donburi bowls and a deep sake list.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday 17:00-21:30. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.
Izanami at Ten Thousand Waves ★ 4.6 · Santa Fe
hyde park · 21 Ten Thousand Waves Way, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Izanami serves elevated izakaya plates and one of North America's deepest premium-sake lists inside the Ten Thousand Waves spa, off Hyde Park Road.
Kemuri Tatsu-ya ★ 4.5 · Austin
east-austin · 2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702
Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin is the Tatsu-ya team's Japanese-izakaya-meets-Texas-BBQ mash-up on East 2nd, a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen with sake list.
Tip: The sake list is unusually deep for a BBQ-leaning room; ask the bar to route a flight from Junmai to Daiginjo.
Kemuri Tatsu-ya ★ 4.5 · Austin
east-austin · 2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702
Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin is the Tatsu-ya team's izakaya-meets-BBQ casual room on East 2nd, a Bib Gourmand kitchen built for big shared plates and sake.
Tip: The sake list runs 80 bottles; ask the bar to walk you up from Junmai to Daiginjo as a flight.
Ippuku ★ 4.5 · Berkeley
downtown · 2130 Center St, Berkeley, CA 94704
Michelin Bib Gourmand 2026. Binchotan yakitori with heritage chicken, house-ground soba and a shochu list. Counter seating near Downtown Berkeley BART.
Izakaya Den ★ 4.5 · Denver
south-pearl · 1487A S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210
Izakaya Den in Denver is the Kizaki brothers' South Pearl izakaya next door to Sushi Den, a small-plates and yakitori room with the same Toyosu Market fish.
Tip: Walk-up only at the bar. The dining room takes bookings; the kitchen closes at 11 pm, later than most South Pearl rooms.
Zuma ★ 4.4 · Miami
brickell · 270 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami, FL 33131
Zuma in Miami is Rainer Becker's modern Japanese izakaya at 270 Biscayne Boulevard Way, on the Miami River at the Epic Hotel, open in Brickell since 2010.
Tip: Sit on the river terrace at sunset; the indoor robata bar is the chef-counter alternative.
Two Ten Jack ★ 4.4 · Nashville
east-nashville · 1900 Eastland Ave #105, Nashville, TN 37206
Patrick Burke's Eastland Avenue ramen and izakaya counter in Nashville opened 2014. The tonkotsu and miso ramens are the canonical bowls in East Nashville.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00-18:00 runs $5 plates and discounted sake; counter seats easier than booths.
Yopparai ★ 4.4 · New York City
lower-east-side · 49 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002
Yopparai on Clinton Street runs the Lower East Side's most serious sake bar in New York City. 70 by-the-cup sakes, izakaya snacks, 25 covers.
Tip: Sake flights run with three-paragraph notes per pour. Bring patience and a friend who reads.
Two Ten Jack ★ 4.3 · Nashville
east-nashville · 1900 Eastland Ave #105, Nashville, TN 37206
Patrick Burke's Eastland Avenue ramen and izakaya counter in Nashville opened in 2014. The tonkotsu and miso ramens are the canonical bowls in East Nashville.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00-18:00 runs $5 plates and discounted sake; counter seats easier than booths.
Ichicoro Imoto ★ 4.3 · Tampa
downtown-tampa · 1212 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602
Ichicoro Imoto downtown is the izakaya sister of Ichicoro Ramen, with yakitori, sushi rolls and a sake program from the same Seminole Heights ownership.
Tip: Bar seats are first-come; the sake list rotates monthly Walk-ins usually OK.
Ichicoro Ane ★ 4.3 · Tampa
tampa-heights · 1812 N Tampa St, Tampa, FL 33602
Ichicoro Ane in Tampa Heights is the izakaya sister of Ichicoro Ramen, with sushi rolls, robata grill items and a sake list across from Armature Works.
Tip: Walk to Armature Works after; the patio takes overflow Walk-ins usually OK.
Kiraku ★ 4.2 · Berkeley
downtown · 2566 B Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Hidden izakaya behind a Telegraph address (unit B at the back). Seasonal small plates, yakitori, nightly specials. No website. Minimum $15 per person.
Umami ★ 4.2 · Pittsburgh
lawrenceville · 202 38th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Umami on 38th Street in Lawrenceville serves izakaya skewers and ramen in Pittsburgh. A lantern-lit room with a koi pond patio off Butler Street.
Tip: The back patio with the koi pond is the seat. Walk-in friendly midweek; weekends get busy.