5 Recommended Restaurants for Yamagata Beef to Enjoy During Your Zao Hot Spring Excursion Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Reservation Guide-

Update-Date: Jun 4, 2025

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

5 Recommended Restaurants for Yamagata Beef to Enjoy During Your Zao Hot Spring Excursion

Zao Hot Spring in Yamagata is a popular hot spring spot with a history spanning over 1900 years. It is known as a hot spring for beautiful skin. Brand Yamagata beef is an excellent choice to enjoy during a trip to this very charming hot spring. Here are 5 recommended restaurants in Yamagata City for fully enjoying the tastes of the rich red meat and wonderful flavors that are characteristic of Yamagata beef.

Nanukamachi - Yakiniku Stage Kaki

Enjoy A4-A5 rank Yamagata cow beef in a relaxing space.

Yakiniku Stage Kaki only deals in Yamagata cow beef. Its appeal lies in being able to enjoy A4-A5-rank cow beef at reasonable prices. Recommended options include the menu items with around 400g clumps of beef carefully cooked on a mesh, the Masshin Tongue with beef tongue roots, and the Wagyu Tender Gopchang, made with small beef intestines. Guests can enjoy a variety of flavors as much as they like, from standard options such as red meat and galbi to offal and rare cuts.

5 recommended restaurants to visit for Yamagata Beef during a Zao Hot Spring trip / Yamagata

The relaxing atmosphere with its calm, dark brown-toned interior decorations is incredibly appealing. They have a lineup of alcohol varieties, including Yamagata local sake and recommended wines that can be enjoyed with the Yamagata beef. The course menu includes an all-you-can-drink package that allows guests to fully enjoy the charms of Yamagata beef. Guests can consult with the restaurant for surprises on anniversaries, giving them precious memories of their Yamagata trip.

Yakiniku Stage Kaki

Open: [Sunday - Wednesday,Friday,Saturday,Holidays,Day Before Holidays] Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 10:30 pm)
Closed: Thursday
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPY
Access: 15 minutes walk from Yamagata Station
Address: 2-7-33, Nanukamachi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata Map
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Nanukamachi - Gensen Wagyu Yakiniku Hanabi

Guests will feel excited at the wonderful performance in which flowers are set on better-than-average Japanese BBQ.

Gensen Wagyu Yakiniku Hanabi lets guests fully enjoy better-than-average Japanese BBQ. The meticulous meat quality carefully selected by Mr. Takada, the chef who sincerely faces meat, as well as the moderate and delicious marbling, are both deeply moving. Recommended options include the HANABI Assortment, which lets guests enjoy the uniqueness of each cut of meat, as well as the Yamagata Beef Chateaubriand, which goes well with wine. The rich flavors of the actual meat are deeply satisfying!

The restaurant interior is gently enveloped in warm lights. It has table seats, sunken kotatsu-style seats, and private rooms that can all be used as one wishes, making this restaurant very convenient. Their restaurant concept is "making ordinary days into anniversaries." They have salads that look like bouquets and drinks set with flowers, adding flowery colors to Japanese BBQ dates.

Gensen Wagyu Yakiniku Hanabi

Open: [Wednesday,Thursday] Lunch 11:30 am - 1:30 pm (last order 1:00 pm)[Sunday,Tuesday - Saturday] Dinner 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm (last order 9:00 pm)
Closed: There is irregular holiday
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 750 JPY
Access: Yamagata Station
Address: 3-3-3, Nanukamachi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata Map
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Saiwai-cho - KAZU -YAMAGATA BEEF BAR-

A beef restaurant with only local food, including Yamagata beef, beef ham, and wine

The appeal of KAZU -YAMAGATA BEEF BAR- is being able to casually enjoy high-quality Yamagata beef. Guests can fully enjoy Yamagata beef carefully judged by a meat professional and the Yamagata rice brand Yukiwakamaru. Must-try menu items include the homemade Wagyu Ham Assortment and the Yaki Suki, made with shoulder loin cooked quickly on an iron griddle. The unique flavors of Yamagata beef will spread in one's mouth.

Guests will feel at ease in this somewhat nostalgic restaurant located on a back street. They have a rich lineup of drinks, including local wines and Japanese sake, as well as shochu. All-you-can-drink plans are also available. They have semi-private rooms for up to 6 people as well as table seats lined in a row that can seat 20 people, making this restaurant perfect for family anniversaries and celebrations.

KAZU -YAMAGATA BEEF BAR-

Open: [Friday, Saturday, National Holidays] Dinner 4:30 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:30 pm) [Monday - Thursday] Dinner 4:30 pm - 10:30 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from Yamagata Station on Senzan Line, or 2 minutes walk from Yamagata Station on JR Ou Main Line (Yamagata Line)
Address: 5-2, Saiwai-cho, Yamagata city, Yamagata Map
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Wakaba-cho - Osama Yakiniku Kuronuma Yamagata Nishiko-mae Branch

Guests can always feel like royalty as they enjoy high quality Yamagata beef in this modern Japanese space.

The Osama Yakiniku Kuronuma Yamagata Nishiko-mae Branch is a long-standing restaurant with over 70 years of history since its founding. Here, guests can encounter fresh, high-quality Yamagata beef from the company Kuronuma Chikusan. The name "Osama Yakiniku" means "King's Japanese BBQ" in Japanese, and it comes from the restaurant wanting guests to feel like royalty when they eat Japanese BBQ. Guests can enjoy menu items that immerse them in a blissful feeling, including the glorious King's Assortment as well as the Flamed Beef Sushi 3 Variety Assortment, which lets them enjoy the melty fat of the marbling.

Guests can enjoy an elegant time with a relaxing feel while truly feeling the charm of the ingredients. The restaurant also has private rooms where one can enjoy Japanese BBQ in an even more relaxing way. They have individual items and courses that are suitable for various situations, including anniversaries and gatherings, so orders can be made depending on the group. A Japanese BBQ restaurant where guests can feel immensely satisfied, thanks to the popular banquet usage options for 30 or more people and the all-you-drink options with no time limit.

Osama Yakiniku Kuronuma Yamagata Nishiko-mae Branch

Address: 6-33 Wakabacho, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata
Access: 14 minutes walk from Yamagata Station

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Futaba-cho - Horumon Izakaya Tenma Branch

An izakaya where guests can enjoy local sake along with Yamagata brand beef and offal.

Horumon Izakaya Tenma Branch is based on the concept of local production and local consumption. Here, guests can enjoy Yamagata brand meat and offal, including Tengen pork, Yamagata beef, and Yamagata chicken. The fresh and high-quality offal all have mild flavors, and the real charm lies in enjoying the deep tastes. Being able to eat this meat with sauce or salt is proof of how well prepared it is. Guests who come along can enjoy eating and comparing the Premium Assortment of 4 Dishes for solo customers.

The relaxing space of this restaurant, with its nostalgic, Japanese retro-style atmosphere, is truly relaxing. Guests will want to pair the rare cuts and fresh offal with the Japanese sake, which is mainly from the Murayama area in Yamagata. The delicious fat flavors of the shiro (large pig intestines) and the crispy textures of the pork throat cartilage go perfectly with the local sake. For banquets, they have two all-you-can-drink options at 90 minutes and 120 minutes, in which guests can enjoy local sake.

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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