Pubs & Bars · Practical guide
Sandaime Torimero Japan Guide for Tourists: ¥199 Draft Beers & Giant Bone-In Chicken
Prices, ordering steps, payment details, and common mistakes — in one place.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Dining / Yakitori Izakaya & Budget Draft Beer Pub (Sandaime Torimero Official Website) |
| Store Count | Approximately 110 locations nationwide (across Tokyo/Kanto, Kansai, Chubu, Kyushu), operated by Watami Co., Ltd. (Store Locator) |
| Ordering Style | Table, booth, or counter seating; order all drinks and skewers via tabletop multilingual digital touchscreen tablets; food served rapidly by staff; kitchen shears provided to carve giant roast chicken at table; pay at cashier with bill |
| Membership Required? | No reservation or membership required for walk-ins (optional official Torimero mobile app for member perks) |
| Approximate Price Range | Asahi Super Dry draft beer ~¥199 (¥218 tax-included); charcoal yakitori skewers from ~¥99; signature Bone-In Thigh Roast ~¥999; average spend ~¥2,000–¥3,200 per person; all tax-included (as of September 28, 2026; subject to revision) |
| Payment Methods | Cash, major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UnionPay), Japanese transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.), electronic money (iD, QUICPay), and smartphone QR code apps (PayPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay) |
| Multilingual Support | Tabletop touchscreen ordering tablets feature multilingual language toggles (English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean) with full-color photos |
What it is
Sandaime Torimero, operated by restaurant conglomerate Watami Co., Ltd., is Japan's premier budget-friendly yakitori pub chain celebrated for delivering high-quality drinking at unbeatable prices. Torimero made headlines across Japan with its industry-disrupting Asahi Super Dry draft beer priced at an unbelievable ¥199 (¥218 tax-included) per mug—making it cheaper than convenience store beer! Skewers are grilled over hot charcoal using Torimero's signature "Purupuru Tare"—a gelatinous, collagen-rich sweet reduction made by slow-simmering chicken broth, soy sauce, and sweet mirin. Its showpiece dish, the "Seiryu Wakadori Bone-In Thigh Roast", arrives as an entire golden roasted chicken leg that diners carve tableside using kitchen shears.
How to order
Dining at Sandaime Torimero is fast, casual, and high-energy:
- Enter and take a seat: Walk in. Staff will seat your party at a wooden table booth or counter seat.
- Understand the Otoshi cover charge: Like most Japanese izakayas, an opening table charge (Otoshi, around ¥350–¥400) applies, served with a small starter dish.
- Switch tablet to English: Pick up the tabletop touchscreen ordering tablet and tap the language toggle for English, Chinese, or Korean.
- Order your ¥199 draft beers: Tap "Asahi Super Dry" on the drinks menu. Your frosty mug arrives in under two minutes!
- Select charcoal yakitori skewers: Choose individual skewers (chicken thigh Negima, meatballs Tsukune, chicken skin Kawa) seasoned with either savory-sweet sauce (Tare) or sea salt (Shio).
- Order the Giant Bone-In Thigh Roast: Order the flagship Seiryu Wakadori Hone-tsuki Momo Ippon-yaki. The server brings an entire sizzling chicken leg along with a pair of kitchen scissors (Kitchen Basami).
- Carve and share: Use the scissors to cut the tender, juicy roasted chicken meat off the bone and dip it into the rich sweet sauce.
- Checkout on tablet & pay: Tap "Checkout" on the tablet screen. Take your printed check slip to the front cashier desk to complete payment.
What to order first
Dishes below reflect core brand hallmarks officially featured on the Sandaime Torimero Official Website and verified row records:
- *Asahi Super Dry Draft Beer (Nama Beer)*: Fresh, ice-cold draught beer poured straight from the tap for just ¥199 (¥218 tax-included as of September 2026).
- *Seiryu Young Chicken Bone-In Thigh Roast (Seiryū Wakadori Hone-tsuki Momo Ippon-yaki)*: An entire whole chicken thigh roasted until the skin is crackling and meat is succulent, served with kitchen shears and sweet sauce (~¥999 tax-included).
- *Charcoal Yakitori Skewers (Yakitori)*: Binchotan charcoal-grilled skewers starting from ~¥99 each, glazed in Torimero's collagen-rich gelatin sauce.
- *Handmade Tsukune Meatballs with Egg Yolk (Tsukune)*: Fluffy grilled minced chicken skewers served with a rich raw egg yolk for dipping.
- Chicken Gyoza & Fries: Crowd-pleasing fried appetizers to pair with draft beer.
Payment & practical info
Practical dining and payment guidance based on official Watami policies (consult the Official Store Directory for branch locations):
- Accepted Payment Methods: Accepts cash, international credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UnionPay), Japanese transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.), electronic money (iD, QUICPay), and smartphone QR code apps (PayPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay).
- Incredible Beer Value: At under ¥220 tax-included per mug of Asahi Super Dry, Torimero is one of the most cost-effective izakayas in Japan for social drinking.
- Touchscreen Ease: Ordering entirely via English digital tablets eliminates all language barriers when customizing sauces or ordering multiple drink rounds.
- Wi-Fi & Power Outlets: Availability varies by branch; dining tables generally do not provide customer power sockets.
- Tax-Free Status: Not eligible for tax-free shopping. Restaurant dining is domestic consumption.
Good to know / Common mistakes
- Not carving the chicken thigh with scissors: When the bone-in roast thigh arrives, use the provided kitchen shears to snip the meat into bite-sized strips along the bone. It makes sharing easy and fun!
- Expecting zero cover charge: Torimero does charge a standard izakaya seating fee (Otoshi, ~¥350–¥400) that includes a small starter dish. However, the extraordinarily cheap ¥199 draft beers more than offset this fee after just one or two drinks!
- Forgetting to select Tare vs. Shio: For each yakitori skewer on the tablet, choose Tare (rich sweet-savory sauce) or Shio (pure sea salt).
- Tipping staff: Tipping is never accepted in Japan. Settle your exact bill total at the front cashier desk.
FAQ
Q1: Is draft beer really ¥199 at Torimero? Yes! Asahi Super Dry draft beer is permanently priced at ¥199 before tax (¥218 tax-included as of September 2026), with no limit on how many mugs you can order.
Q2: How much does dinner at Torimero cost? With draft beers, skewers, and the signature bone-in roast chicken, an average satisfying dinner runs between ¥2,000 and ¥3,200 per person.
Q3: Can foreign tourists easily order in English? Yes. Every table is equipped with a digital touchscreen tablet supporting complete English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean menus with full photos.
Sources
- Sandaime Torimero Official Website: https://torimero.com/ (Verified: 2026-09-28)
- Sandaime Torimero Store Directory: https://torimero.com/search/ (Verified: 2026-09-28)