Center4 Hamburgers

This is the number one place I would suggest to go to in Japan, not because of the great Japanese food but just as an alternative to it. The quality was the best, the staff was awesome and the environment was super cool. Want to dip into American culture in the middle of Japan, this is the place to go

4 star overall for Center4 hamburgers. The burger itself is great, classic hamburger, uncomplicated, with lettuce tomato diced onion mayonnaise and mustard. Toasted buttery bun, and the patty is fair in size. The fries are nicely cut potato fries, not classic string fries, though the portions of fries that come with the burger were a little small. Service is good, slightly on the slower end from what we've been accustomed to in Japan. The cheese burger and fries cost us 1400¥, without drinks. We came for lunch, and we waited 30 minutes at 1pm. We showed up the evening before at 645pm and they had already sold out of burgers, we were quite shocked and a bit annoyed but still decided to come back the next day. This place definitely needs a reservation.

I don’t even like burgers, and this place was just 11/10. Something about their burgers, so simple but fresh, was so amazing. We were so impressed after our lunch here, we came back for dinner on the same day! Definitely suggest having a reservation for dinner because they only seat 4 tables + the bench so space is tight. Service is outstanding, drinks and sides were good, deco is so unique, can’t fault anything. Sad we have to leave otherwise we’d come again! The staff were kind enough to give us their badge which was so nice, and we gave them another napkin drawing for their collection

Came here with a group of friends for dinner and can’t say enough good things about this place. The owners were very kind and food was great. The onion rings were great even by American standards and the burgers were great too. We also loved the eclectic antique decor. Highly recommend coming here if you’re in the area!

Fantastic burgers - my GF, veggie wife also had a great meal here: epic avocado salad. Super friendly owner. Highly recommended.

Found this burger place that closes at 8pm. Very good service and the salsa burger I ordered cost jpy1350 with jpy250 added for fries as a side order. Very juicy burger steak with lots of lettuce and a big slice of tomato. The fries are cut in potatoes wedges very crispy. They also have take-away.

I’m not usually a burger person, but this one was pretty good! The beef was excellent, making it a great choice for anyone looking to try something special. I’d definitely recommend it ⭐️

Guys, the Special Hida Burger is really good! Savoury to the last bite! Loads of positive reviews here. They only open during lunch and dinner, and they are closed on wednesdays. Do come down and check out this cosy diner owned by a wonderful couple! Highly recommended!!

Wander down a dark street to a dark door. Enter into a dark hallway and prepare to feed your dark soul. You have chosen wisely and you shall come to the light and be rewarded. You are now in the brightly lit dining room where the clutter is as intense as any club in the Goldengai. There are only a few seats (12 at tiny tables and 3 wedged in at the Chef's Bar, all ready to do serious Burger biz). The open kitchen is what you'd find in a camper shell. A flat top grill, deep fryer, stacked condiment containers, a few squeeze bottles and a blur of activity between the Fry Cook and the solo Server. There is decor crap everywhere. The whole place has the feel of Akira Kurosawa creating a riff on a funky American Road House Trucker's stop greasy spoon. Look that up on imbd and you'll see an insert of Center4hamburgers, although there are no photos of the interior or the dining denizens as they are not allowed or tolerated by management. The Staff: Say "ohayo" to the Fry Cook even though that is 'good morning' and he will reply "No, San Francisco". (Which is where he apparently honed his burger chops, and he's got'em). Meanwhile the sweet Server flies around the room like a balloon that slipped it's knot. The Bar Program: Pretty creative for a tiny spot. Craft Beer, local brewed Sake, and Chocolate Shakes, if y'all ache for home. I had a Coed Beer made from Sweet Potato. It was like drinking Pruno after pulling a bullet in County. I washed that down with a Hitachino White Ale right out of the Gai-jin bin. It was good as gold and twice as cold. The Food: Yeah, they have a few things other than burgers, but why would you bother? (That's like ordering Tofu at Peter Lugar's or asking for a Double Bacon Cheeseburger at Sukiyabashi Jiro.) So, what did I want? Yup, a Double Bacon Cheese Burger. Good choice. It was an edible construction towering almost 6 inches above the plate and made with a practiced Japanese sensibility. Everything fit neatly with no slop over or ooze out under the fresh Potato Bun. It was Burger art from the start to the finish. The question is...Can you finish it? Two hand formed house ground exceptional patties 1/2" thick rested on a Kewpie Mayo'd bun bottom which eliminated a spongy bun, gee, after only the second bite. Add shredded Lettuce, a Hot House Tomato, Cheddar Cheese all sized exactly to the Burger's dimensions. Ready? Now, gently compress the looming monster until it will just barely fit through your gaping maw. All the elements play off each other. A juicy beefy chew against a Tomato that actually tastes like a Tomato instead of a cardboard cutout of one. An ooze of Cheese against cool crisp Lettuce plus just enough diced Onions to compliment the whole balancing act. If the owner opened 1,000 stores in the USA he could be President which is not a bad idea at present. At least he'd be adding something of value to the Country. On to the supporting cast. The French Fries (nee, English Chips) were as thick as Godzilla's toe, crispy and substantial, with the requisite creamy center. Scrape off some of the luscious Kewpie from the Burger Bun, mix it with a packet of Ketchup and...voila, ersatz 1,000 Island or just enjoy them neat. Either way, the fries were terrific, and if those champion chips were indeed special, and they were, just wait until you try the French Fried Onion Rings. These were flash fried after being dragged through Tempura/Southern Fried Chicken batter. The technique easily produced the very best Onion Rings in memory on the four Continents I recently visited. The Onion Rings are so good, in fact, you could eat them two days later right from the fridge and still be in love with every one of them. Some times in order to capture the taste of home, you have to leave home to find it. Center4hamburgers is at the outer edges of the Burger Universe.

This hole in the wall restaurant can be found by the sign outside, or by the lucky chance you're with a local. :) My friend took us for lunch to this very touristy destination, having made reservations a good week in advance! Good thing she did because it was "packed" (very few seats) and the wait was 2+ hours by the end of our time there. Crazy. I enjoyed every part of the experience but no way was that the best burger ever. LOL Totally worth the trip and the advance reservations.

The atmosphere alone is pretty interesting. It's American southern-themed, and being an American southerner I could appreciate the recreation. It can be a bit of a wait on a busy day, so put your name down and come back after you've wandered the historical town some. It went smoothly enough for us. Needless to say, the burger is pretty great. Juicy and delicious. It wasn't as rare as I would've liked but I'll forgive it since we're talkin patties here. I can't say much for the rest of the food though, so don't waste your time unless you're going there to become a believer in Hida beef.

There is a reason why this place was voted as one of the best hamburger restaurants in Japan... This hole in the wall can be best found by the signs outside advertising hamburgers. You have to go through a small shop selling crafts and other things before hitting the American-themed restaurants. When my party of five arrived however, they did not have space for us, yet the people were able to do a take-out order for us (though noting that the Hida Beef Burger was sold out...darn). We were thankful that the long drive from Southern Gifu was worth it, nevertheless. We put in our orders and 30 mins later, after traversing the streets of the Old Town Takayama nearby, I got a call on the cell phone to let me know the order is ready. After receiving the burgers, we couldn't wait to dig in - it was of decent size, and that first bite of the Quatro Burger (Avocado, Bacon, Cheese, and Egg) was heavenly. It's a good thing they came with burger holder paper to catch the juiciness as we sat around some stairs outside the place. Easily one of the top 3 burgers I have had in Japan - highly recommended the next time you're in Takayama! Next time, I will have to go for the pricey Hida Beef Burger though...it looks amazing!

Amazing burgers and sandwiches. The blue cheese burger is my favorite, but I also like the bacon-cheeseburger and the egg burger. The milkshakes are also fantastic. The owners couldn't be friendlier. The restaurant is cozy and inviting. If you're there during a busy time, especially lunch or dinner time on a weekend, you may have a wait. But it's worth it. It's a little bit hard to find. It's tucked away behind an antique shop. You have to look for the small sign on the sidewalk. But trust me: you'll be glad you did.

Ate a juicy, bacon and cheese burger which unless you request they omit is served with, mayo, mustard, chopped onions, lettuce and tomato. My wife and I ordered nicely battered onion rings. Best I ever had. Perhaps I have only eaten horrible onion rings. Their fries are also good and are served salted. For dessert we shared a tasty, vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce. The sundae is served with peanuts, a crispy waffle towards the bottom and two Oreo cookies on top. Surprisingly, this is not an overly sweet dessert. Per day, depending on availability they serve 40 hida beef burgers, each one priced at $26.00USD. It is a chopped meat burger to which you can add various toppings. The waitress is friendly, kind and takes time to explain things and to answer your questions. She steered me towards the regular burger when I was undecided. The space, decorations, music, vibe and food at this restaurant combine to create a memorable and happy eating experience.

10 stars. All the planets. The entire galaxy. Prepare for all other burgers, for the rest of your life, to never live up to the beefy, juicy, perfection that is Center 4 Hamburgers. Suck it Ronald Mc Donald! Best I've ever had on every level. The food is made with love by a humble husband and wife. It is their mission to do one thing, the almighty burger, exceptionally well. Mission surpassed. Walk through and antique shop to get to this 15-seater spot that's decorated in a cozy, camping Americana style. Fits the rustic mountain vibes of Takayama although you could be in Portland or Vermont for that hour in burger heaven. I'd go for the Hida Beef burger, a local specialty. Jalapeño salsa burger wasn't spicy but so incredible. You can't go wrong with whatever you choose. Go once. Go twice. Again and again. If you're in Takayama and don't eat here, I'd de-friend yourself on Facebook.

Unbelievably good. Never intended to eat burgers while traveling through Japan but dang happy we stopped here. It's worth the hype. SO. GOOD.

After a week of traveling, eating amazing Japanese food, even the sturdiest of Western travelers can use a good hamburger. And this is the place to come. The burgers are tremendous, but still maintain a Japanese style. Regular burger is great, the Hida is perhaps even more delicious, and while it costs 3x the price, how many times are you going to get to enjoy it? You owe it to yourself. Just do it. Non carnivores will enjoy the fish burger. Wonderfully fresh and affordable salads. Great beer selection too. Highly recommended.

Delicious burgers and great service! We came at lunch and they were very apologetic that there was a wait but told us to come back in 45 mins and our table was ready and the food was great. After traveling Japan with 2 little kids for a while...they needed a taste of Western food! Service was quick, burgers were delicious and they gave my kids burger shaped lollipops at the end. Yummy fries too!

Tucked away at the back of an unassuming antique store, we almost missed Center 4 Hamburgers. It wasn't until the ancient Japanese woman sitting in the store directed us to the small door that we found this nostalgic piece of home. Previous reviews e lighted us to make a reservation without which, even on this slow night, we wouldn't have been seated. The friendly staff eagerly helped us bridge the language divide. We indulged in a few San Diego IPAs, which complimented our appetizer of onion rings quite nicely. After wetting our appetites we ordered the white mushroom burger and the much-laded Hida beef burger--both with fries. Both were great, however given the $26 price tag, we would forgo the latter in the future.

Wow - fantastic place - must do the Hida Burger - not your mothers burger!! Onion rings and pickles are a do not miss.... owner is very cool and the place is super comfortable... burgers and beer life is good...

This restaurant is suffering from its own success. When we arrived there were two tables available but were told that the hida beef burger (only reason we went here) was not available since others with reservations later that evening had already reserved them all. We tried to reserve a table for the next day (lunch or dinner) and were told there were tables available but cannot guarantee the hida burger will be available. Seems only some people can reserve food. Best if you can call ahead and speak Japanese if you are going here for hida burger

Most certainly one of the most popular restaurants for the young crowd. The place is not easy to find as you have to walk into the antique shop, into a courtyard from the 1960s and there's the Center 4 Burgers. The shop, like many food places in Hida, closes after lunch and reopens at 6:00. And I mean 6:00. If you show up at 5:55 they'll ask you to wait outside. The restaurant is tiny. And I mean tiny. Two tables for four, two tables for two, and five (?) counter seats. We checked out the place on Friday and at 5:00 we found that not only does it close after lunch, but that it was already booked for that night. We called later to make a reservation on Saturday at 6:00 PM. We showed up at 5:55 PM and were told "We're not open yet. Please wait outside." Um ... okay. The door opened exactly at 6:00. Decorated like a small hole in the wall you'd might find in the rural Midwest, it has a nice atmosphere. Comforting. I noticed at least on couple ordered one Hida burger and one regular. We ordered one each. No sharing. Service was nice, decor was cool, burger was really good. Hida beef really makes a difference. Wow! We were In and Out in less than an hour. Four stars because ¥2300 is way over priced for a burger and three stars for no local beer. Come on, man. You've got to be joking. I can get the stuff they serve at a supermarket, which is probably where they got it as well. Ridiculous. So I went with a Coke instead.

Amazingly Juicy burgers, great selection of beers, and very helpful waitstaff. This place is definitely worth visiting.

Center 4 hamburgers is a relief from the mostly all fish flavored dishes in Japan. I went to Center 4 5 times in 3 days because I just could not get enough!! The hida burger is OK, but I prefer regular beef with cheese, egg, bacon and avocado. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a low key, delicious meal after a long day walking around the old town. Owners are super nice and friendly with great English. 5 stars!!!

Best hamburgers anywhere in Japan. The blue cheese burger comes with honey, which seems counterintuitive, but is amazing. The bacon cheeseburger is also great (add avocado to it!) If you're looking for something else, the vegetarian sandwich is very good, as is the dry curry sandwich (ground beef and onions). The fries and onion rings make good sides, and the chili beans are great on cold days. Their selection of foreign beer is quite good! It can be a little bit hard to find: it's behind an antiques shop. Look for the little A-frame sign on the sidewalk. It's becoming more and more popular, so try to avoid the lunch or dinner hours, or be ready to wait a little.

Excellent burgers. I didn't get a chance to try their Hida Burger as they only make 20-30 per day. However, their regular burgers are very tasty. I also had the fries and onion rings which were delicious as well. Very cool decor and ambience. Highly recommended.

Very nice place and super food! Cozy soroundings and great atmosphear - will come back soon!