Minneapolis eats a wide range of Japanese food, from strip mall sushi counters to two of the city's most serious tasting rooms. This list runs the full range: the yakitori bars, the ramen counters near campus, the tableside grills, and the two chef-driven rooms that put Minneapolis in the national conversation.
№ 01
Kyatchi
$$
3758 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409 · +16122364429
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Kyatchi built its following on happy hour, and the late-night 9 to 11 seating extends that value into the second shift. Yakitori skewers, edamame, and gyoza cover the casual end of the menu, while the fuller card runs deeper than the bar crowd might expect. Parking runs tight nearby, but the room's easy manner and broad menu make it a dependable Minneapolis pick for groups that cannot agree on one dish.
What to orderyakitori, edamame, gyoza
33 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55401 · +16123381515
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Omakase built around nigiri and sashimi puts Kado no Mise in the top tier of Minneapolis sushi counters, no flight required. The counter seating keeps the room small and the pacing deliberate, course by course, with fish quality that holds up against far pricier coastal rooms. This is the special occasion counter for the North Loop and beyond, worth the reservation and the price.
What to orderomakase, nigiri, sashimi
№ 03
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
$$$
3025 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16122249888
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Tableside grilling turns Gyu-Kaku into a group sport: yakitori, beef short ribs, and seafood skewers arrive raw for the table to cook itself. The lunch special, two barbecue items with rice, miso soup, and salad, is the value entry point regulars keep coming back for. The room gets loud and full on busy nights, which is part of the appeal for a group looking to make a meal of it.
What to orderyakitori, beef short ribs, seafood skewers
№ 04
Hibachi Buffet
$$
111 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16128253099
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Hibachi Buffet has run as a family standby since 2010, built on volume over polish. Yakitori, tempura, and gyoza sit alongside a wide buffet spread that favors fried and greasy over refined, a tradeoff regulars have made peace with for the price. It is not the biggest Asian buffet in Minneapolis, but longevity and familiar ownership keep families returning for casual, low-stakes meals.
What to orderyakitori, tempura, gyoza
№ 05
AMA Sushi
$$
5033 France Ave S, Edina, MN 55410 · +19529201547
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AMA Sushi packs an unusually wide menu into a small room, sushi rolls sitting next to hibachi plates and even Tibetan momos. The roll list leans toward combinations not found elsewhere in the city, and the noodle dishes hold their own against the sushi. Waits build fast in the early evening, a sign the small shop turns over quickly once the after work crowd arrives.
What to ordersushi rolls, hibachi, noodle dishes
№ 06
Okome House
4457 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406 · +16123542423
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Rice balls anchor the menu at Okome House, paired with sake and ramen in a room built for casual family meals. The onigiri draw repeat visits on their own, and the atmosphere stays comfortable enough for kids without losing its focus on the food. Regulars have made multiple attempts to visit around closures, a sign of loyalty as much as inconsistency in hours.
What to orderonigiri, sake, ramen
№ 07
Cafe Yoto
548 N Washington Ave, Ste 105, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · +16122080221
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The spicy salmon donburi is the order to know at Cafe Yoto, paired with matcha drinks and a matcha roll dessert that reads more cafe than full restaurant. The space is small, tight enough that larger groups end up splitting across tables, and the decor leans toward a pop-up feel that suits solo visits or pairs better than a party of ten.
What to orderspicy salmon donburi, matcha, matcha roll
№ 08
Kinzō Udon
802 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
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Udon gets top billing at Kinzō Udon, but the rice dishes and appetizers have won over as many regulars as the noodles themselves. The counter-order, dining hall setup near the University of Minnesota's East Bank keeps things casual and fast, with metered street parking nearby. Portions run generous across the board, which makes this a reliable stop for students and groups alike.
What to orderudon, rice dishes, appetizers
№ 09
Hibachi Daruma
$$
820 Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55402 · +16123542250
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Hibachi Daruma started as a food truck before settling into a permanent Minneapolis address, and the hibachi shrimp still shows the roots. Spicy teriyaki chicken with lo mein is the other order regulars point to, generously portioned though priced a notch above typical quick-service Japanese. Nigiri rounds out the menu for those who want sushi alongside the hibachi plates.
What to orderhibachi shrimp, spicy teriyaki chicken with lo mein, nigiri sushi
№ 10
Kajiken Ramen
9 E 66th St, Minneapolis, MN 55423 · +16126829888
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Shoyu ramen is the default order at Kajiken, a low-key counter where booths come stocked with condiments and the pacing stays relaxed. Tonkotsu ramen and gyoza round out a menu built for casual meals rather than occasions, though private rooms accommodate larger groups when needed. Service runs prompt, and the modern, understated room suits a weekday dinner as well as a weekend one.
What to ordershoyu ramen, tonkotsu ramen, gyoza
№ 11
Kaiseki Furukawa
$$$$
33 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · +16123381515
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Kaiseki Furukawa runs a multi-course tasting format built around sashimi, tempura, and grilled fish, with many ingredients air freighted from Japan. Reservations are required, and the kitchen has customized courses for occasions like anniversaries, a sign of how closely the pacing is managed table to table. This is Minneapolis's most formal Japanese dining room, built for anniversaries and milestone dinners rather than a quick meal.
What to ordersashimi, tempura, grilled fish
Frequently asked
What is the best Japanese restaurant near me in Minneapolis?
It depends on the neighborhood and the occasion. This guide covers Minneapolis rooms from strip mall sushi counters to tasting menu rooms like Kado no Mise and Kaiseki Furukawa, so check the entries against your part of the city rather than assuming one answer covers all of Minneapolis.
How was this list of Japanese restaurants ranked?
Each restaurant carries an Insider Score based on the pattern in its review record: how consistently the signature dishes land, how the room handles its stated purpose, whether the space delivers what regulars come back for. No restaurant pays to appear on this list or to rank higher on it.
Which restaurants on this list are best for a special occasion?
Kado no Mise and Kaiseki Furukawa are the two rooms built for anniversaries and milestone dinners, both running tasting menu formats with reservations required. Gyu-Kaku suits a celebratory group meal in a louder, more casual register.
Are any of these restaurants outside Minneapolis city limits?
No. Every restaurant on this list sits within the city of Minneapolis. St. Paul and the suburban ring have their own Japanese dining scenes and would appear in separate coverage specific to those municipalities.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
