[Sacramento, CA] - Binchoyaki Izakaya Dining

When I heard that Sacramento was finally getting a real izakaya, I was intrigued. Who doesn't love grilled meat on a stick (yes, vegetarians and vegans, I know... but grilled mushrooms are just as delicious!)? Newly opened after some delays, we finally made it out to give it a try. Located in the former Doughbot location, it's a bit small but cozy. By the time we left, there was a wait. If you get there earlier, you can pretty much have your choice of where to sit.

Their menu is available online, but they also have daily specials. I wanted to try everything, but kept myself in check as I ordered the following: 

* Negima (tender chicken leg and sweet green onion)

* Nankotsu (cartilage)

* Strip loin

* Kurobuta jowl

* Tanuki (shiitake stuffed with tsukune, Binchoyaki sauce)

* Duck breast with wasabi

* Heart

* Liver

All of the items were grilled to order. Great place to go for a conversation while enjoying some yakitori. Most of the beers are Coedo, which I normally don't drink. I took the advice of the waitress and went with her recommendation. I told her that I normally like dunkels and ambers, so she recommended I try the Beniaka. She mentioned that it is brewed with sweet potato. Sold! It was a bit pricey ($9*) but it tasted pretty good with my grilled treats. The beer wasn't overpowering, so it really complimented the meal.

For all of the grilled items, you have the option of different sauces. I like the "original" taste of things, so I went with sea salt. Even so, they come out with a slice of lemon. Lemon and sea salt are just enough that you can taste the flavors of the different meats and still have a little variety. As other people have said, it can get pricey. I think our total was around $75, but we're paying for the style of food that we can't get anywhere else in Sacramento, and the experience so it wasn't bad. We also ordered a few of the same things that we liked such as the Tanuki and Kurobuta jowl. I really liked that they had nankotsu. It's one of my favorite things to get in Japan. They also serve ramen, rice bowls, and tempura in case you want to eat something heartier. We only had the binchoyaki, which we enjoyed. I'll definitely be coming back at some point to try other things on the menu. 

(click to enlarge)

Here is most of the food. Some of them looked a bit repetitive, so I deigned not to include them.

Fanning the binchoyaki. It's nice being able to see your food being prepared.

*price of the Beniaka was updated 3/29/2017

Address:

2226 10th Street

Sacramento, CA 95818

Hours:

Lunch

Mon-Sat 11:00am-2:00pm

Dinner

Mon-Sat 4:00pm-10:00pm