Takoyaki Juhachiban Dotonbori

We tried the famous Takoyaki here for the first time! When we arrived, there was already a long queue full of locals and tourists. We had to place our order first at a vending machine, which only accepted cash. After that we could watch how the balls filled with pieces of octopus were freshly prepared right in front of us. Personally, I’m not a big fan of Takoyaki. I found them a bit chewy, but it was still super fun to experience this iconic Osaka street food. Definitely a must-do/see!

Loved our visit to Takoyaki Juhachiban in Dotonbori. If you’re in Osaka, this place is a must. Easy to find thanks to the giant takoyaki sculpture above the shop. The queue looked long, but it moved quickly, and you get to watch the chefs in action while you wait. We enjoyed watching them flip the batter into golden, crispy balls using just chopsticks. The takoyaki here is some of the best. Cooked fresh and loaded with takoyaki sauce, creamy mayo, aonori seaweed, and katsuobushi flakes. Ours also had a generous handful of spring onions on top. One tip though, they’re served boiling hot. I ate one too quickly and regretted it immediately. Give them a few minutes to cool down first! There’s a proper eating area right beside the stall, since eating while walking isn’t recommended in Japan. Once they cooled a bit, the flavour really came through. Salty, chewy, smoky and addictive. We went back two more times during our trip. Definitely one of the highlights of our Osaka trip. My Instagram: @BenCanTravel My Youtube: @BenCanTravel

My friends and I wanted to try this takoyaki place as we’ve heard great things, it’s very popular so there was a line but it moved quite fast. Production and service is streamlined as they have enough staff members to ensure the service. You order on a machine and it’s easy and simple, you can watch the takoyaki being made as you wait for yours too. Staff were friendly and accommodating and the takoyaki itself was very delicious, i love the generous toppings especially the spring onion and we all enjoyed it a lot.

CASH ONLY. Ordered the 2 type. Arrived and no found no queu, but once I turned the queu went for around 25 people. It is worth it, and the service is super fast. The only delays you might find is when they are preparing the next batch. Overall, 10 out of 10.

One of the better takoyaki spots in dotonbori. It’s easy to located because of the big takoyaki ball. Lol. The takoyaki is light with a bit of crisp on the exterior. It’s not so starchy and the filling is more generous. It also has a fun texture from the puffs on its exterior. The sauce has a good balance of sweet, savory, and acidity.

DEC 2024 This takoyaki store has a ticket machine where you first select the topping and the number of takoyaki and then wait for your order. Had the six piece takoyaki with the standard sauce and mayo. Inside was creamy with some pickled red ginger in the mix and the size of the octopus piece was decent. Outside was coated with some tempura bits but unless you eat it right away the crispy texture quickly fades away. Flavor wise it was pretty good and the wait was not that long.

June 2025 Tried one of the famous takoyaki stalls right in the heart of Dotonbori, Osaka — a hotspot crowded with tourists and neon lights. As expected, the line was long, mostly due to the prime location rather than the food itself. The takoyaki looked great on the outside, but taste-wise, it was underwhelming. The flavor was a bit bland, lacking the usual punch you’d expect from Osaka’s street food pride. The texture was soft and bits of octopus quite generous. Pricing is standard for the area, which is to say not cheap, but not outrageous either. You're mostly paying for the experience of eating in a famous spot rather than for standout flavor. Overall, a classic tourist experience but nothing special in terms of taste. Worth trying once for the atmosphere — but if you’re after truly delicious takoyaki, it’s better to explore beyond the main tourist strip.

Original taste is delicious, not crispy. Be careful about the heat. Even though the line is 20+ queues, you'll get​ it within 10 minutes.

In the heart of Dotonburi, and in the middle of all the heavy foot traffic lies this giant street vendor, Takoyaki-Juhachiban. One of many vendors to grab some fresh takoyaki along the way to where ever you're heading, but this one stands out! Luckily there was only about ten people in line, but noticed it went fast, so we decided to grab some. After all, you're in Osaka, so its 'a must' that you try both okonomiyaki and takoyaki! There's no okonomiyaki here, but you can find that everywhere as well. You order at the vending machine, so it's "cash only". There was a staff member guiding the line, and helping out with the ordering process. He also asked if you planned to eat it now or 'to-go'. A typical order size would be six balls at 630¥, eight, or ten takoyaki balls. You can get it with only nori furikake, but the common style is with sauce and mayo. We shared a biggest combo with twelve balls, and three different toppings for 1400¥ (about $9 usd). Such a deal! They came out hot hot hot! But once they cooled down enough they were simply delicious! Crunchy toasty outside and soft and chewy inside. Gotta love that takoyaki sauce too! These guys do an excellent job flipping and creating them. When in Rome, do as the Roman's do!

4 stars Another stop in the Dotonbori must-try list! If you've never had octopus balls and find yourself in the area, do try takoyaki here or there or over there! There's quite a lot of stalls to choose from & the price point is worth the experience. This stall in particular gets a lot of hype due to food vloggers, but I think other stalls are just as good. The line might look long, but I thought the line moves pretty quickly. I think I waited 5-10 minutes? Anyways, I tried the 6pc takoyaki w/ sauce & mayo (¥580), but there are options to get 8/10/12 pcs. Again, price point was amazing (and no where near LA prices which is about $7-8 for 6 takoyaki balls).

I saw a long queue after walking by and decided I was gonna stop by after dinner. It started raining and the line immediately dispersed, so that gave me the chance to try it without any wait. We ordered 8 takoyaki with extra green onions. They did not skimp out on the green onions! The takoyaki came out almost instantly; probably because there was no one else waiting LOL. There's a small seating area next to the cart. There's also a few benches semi-inside you can sit on. We managed to grab a table inside to indulge. Best to enjoy while they're piping hot and fresh. The takoyaki was delicious though; the exterior was crispy, while the interior was soft and warm. The tempura bits coating the takoyaki really elevated its texture. I was concerned this might be an overhyped spot, but it turned out to be well worth it. LOL saw a queue for the rest of my trip as it is a popular spot, so I'm thankful it worked out for us.

I'm a big fan of takoyaki so it was natural that we got some during our time in Osaka. We only went here because of how hyped it seemed. There was a line that was barely moving but we decided to join anyway. About 10 minutes in the sun was beaming on so. 20 minutes later we were able to pay the venting machine. They print out a ticket and you hand it to the chef in front of you and wait. The takoyakis came out pipping hot with little sticks for you to poke into and eat. They each had some octopus in them and were definitely flavorful. I thought ours was good but it was a tad too mushy for me. Not sure if he rushed it but I would have liked it a little more done. Overall still a positive experience though. I'd say worth it to wait in line if it wasn't too hot or raining.

Was excited given the long lines, but must say was a bit disappointed. The takoyaki was a bit watery and felt a little undercooked. Each piece only had a tiny bit of octopus inside as well, so felt a bit stingy. On the other hand, the sauces were pretty good, so maybe they counted on that to cover up and make up for the flavours. Staff overall were missing the stereotypical Japanese niceties and seemed to want to get the line moving as fast as possible while disregarding customer satisfaction. Compared to other countries it would be in order, but seemed out of place for Japan.

We ate popular takoyaki selection at the most popular stand and family liked it because of the texture and taste. I personally like the plainer taste.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a takoyaki fan. That is, until I tried these savory bites at Takoyaki Juhachiban! On one of our last days in Japan, I insisted we had to try this Osaka specialty. We saw the long line here, and decided on trying this one. We got the takoyaki with sauce with mayo. The octopus was nice and tender (and not fishy!). We thought the balls would be crispier, but they were more on the soft, chewy side. It left us wanting to try the other flavors! Cash only, order via the vending machine.

Excellent takoyaki cooked fresh. Line was not long for me. They were super hot, so make sure to let them cool down first. 6 pieces was a lot for me to eat by myself after all the other food I had tried, so I wish they came in smaller sizes.

Osaka, Namba, Dotonbori. March 2024. There are many places with signs touting them as #1. That's usually a sign that their ambitions are bigger than their execution. Takoyaki Juhachiban Dotonbori executes. These guys are legitimately one of the best around Dotonbori. Their takoyaki starts with the flour slurry. A chunk of octopus is added. as it starts to set some red ginger is sprinkled over. That is followed by a generous dusting of red laver powder that turns everything a pretty pink. Finally a thick coating of tenkasu is layer over. The result is a darn good takoyaki that is different from the competition. Everything is cash only, ordered from a vending machine. As you queue from the vending machine to the pickup at the other end, you are teased by the sight of takoyaki being madly mass produced on several griddles in front of you. The line can get three or four lanes deep and the crowd that slogs slowly by pushes to try to get that instagrammable shot before they're swept away. The 8 piece half and half is the most popular. I liked the set of twelve with three different kind of takoyaki - salt w kizamj nori, okonomiyaki sauce and mayo, shoyu and vinegar. My favorite takoyaki in Dotonbori.

Nice takoyaki spot after you took the aqualiner, and you're too early for the street food. Note that the inside is a tiny space. If you're with your backpack for vacation, it will definitely be a tight squeeze for you! We came here for a small snacky as we waited for all the steet food stalls to open. You have an option with 8 or 12. You can choose from 4 different sauces: original, salt, soy suave, and spicy sauce. Toppings are mayo, onion, and bonito flakes. There is also an option to have all 4 sauces with a cute Osaka Castle in the middle if you can't decide! Some people get a slice of cheese melt on top as well! Overall, you can't go wrong with this place. The takoyaki comes out piping hot and is even made right in front of you.

Takoyaki has a following in Japan. We tried it a few times on our trip. It's definitely interesting how they make it. My main complaint is that there is very octopus and a lot of dough. We tried several types and they were OK. It had more octopus than others. The dough was undercooked which I heard they did intentionally. Not a huge of raw dough but others may like because it was a long line and wait.

Takoyaki is one of Osaka's most well-loved dishes, and if you're in Osaka it is an absolute must-eat! Takoyaki is a savory cake containing chopped octopus, made from wheat batter and cooked on a specially shaped griddle to achieve it's round, ball-shape. Takoyaki Jūhachiban is located in Dōtonbori right on the corner, just two blocks from the famous Ebisubashi Bridge. With it's larger than life takoyaki storefront sign juxtaposed against a red background, their shop is hard to miss. We passed by a few times and each time the lines were very long, but seemed to move fast as well. It was our last night in Osaka and we were going all out crossing things off our foodie list. We decided to try while the line was short and we made it to the front in no time. You place your order and pay for your food at the vending machine. We went for the classic sauce & mayonnaise. The girl at the grill was moving at the speed of light pouring the batter, turning the takoyaki over, and then placing them in food boats. It was fun watching her speed and precision! Our takoyaki was fresh and extremely hot. Give yourself PLENTY of time to let it cool off because it will burn your mouth as the center is still molten/liquidy for the most part and oozes out once you take a bite. Overall, it tasted good and I am glad we tried it. I wasn't blown away, but it was tasty and my only regret was only getting one flavor. I was curious about the other flavors, but my other half ordered before I could even think about it. Price was also very reasonable!

We checked this place out because there's always a line. Sauce and mayo takoyaki was pretty average. Completely soggy. They didn't skimp on the octopus, though. I would recommend maybe trying the salt one for a less soggy experience, or try your luck with a different store.

Another of the many takoyaki spots you'll find in Dotonburi, Takoyaki Jūhachiban Dōtonburi is unique with the inclusion of little red crunchy bits made into the takoyaki ball. I'm a bit picky with texture when it comes to takoyaki as it can be too soft when it's undercooked, leading to an unpleasant experience. The takoyaki here was cooked solidly, loaded with a decent sized octopus portion, the red crunchy bits, and topped with takoyaki sauce, kewpie, and bonito flakes. When you arrive, you order through a machine, which you also insert your money into. From their, you select which dish you'd like and a ticket comes out. You hand the ticket to the staff so they know which dish to make you. It's an incredibly efficient system and they make the takoyaki in such large batches so the long line we were in only took about 20 for a food spot on Dotonuburi, where you can easily expect to wait 30-120 min for a restaurant or food vendor during peak hours.

There was a long line at this place though it moved quickly. We recognized it by the giant takoyaki on its sign. The takoyaki was tasty and freshly made- we had fun watching them prepare them! Not sure how it compares to the plethora of other takoyaki spots on the street though. There is a small area to stand next to where you buy the takoyaki so you can stop and eat your food. There were only a few benches though so most people were standing.

In our last night in Osaka (we had a very short trip here), we wanted to grab Takoyaki one more time. Thankfully Takoyaki Juhachiban was still open - to be fair, we chose this location as there was people lining up (follow the crowd you know). Overall pretty good takoyaki! We are not Takoyaki connoisseurs but this place ain't bad! Overall Kel rating: 5/5 The good: Takoyaki is always good! Better fresh The decent: Can be a long line up (which is reasonable as they make it on the go! The ugly: Careful, the first bit right away can be hot!

While walking around the Dotonbori area, we decided to try this takoyaki place. There was a queue but it moved pretty quickly. We go the #1 bestseller, Ohako, which consisted of 3 flavors: salt (with seaweed), soy sauce and vinegar (with scallions), and sauce (with bonito flakes and kewpie). Each flavor came with 4 takoyaki balls for Y1000. Pretty good deal.. The takoyaki balls were piping hot. All three flavors were pretty good but I wished the skin was a bit more crispy. It was more mushy than I expected but it was still very tasty.

You can't miss this spot as there's always a line for it! I think this place closes kinda early though, so please keep that in mind. The vending machine is in JAPANESE ONLY. Please try to figure out what you want before hand, as there's a lot of pressure to figure out how it all works. This was one of my first stops, so I was also not quite familiar with the vending machine style. 1. Insert Money First 2. Make selection 3. Get ticket and change 4. Wait in line, until the person asks for you ticket 5. They will ask if you want to eat it instantly or take it to go I'm not very familiar with takoyaki, so take my review with a grain of salt. It was pretty tasty and had good texture. Good balance of sweet and savory. Personally, I don't think I'm a big fan of the sweetness. The serving is a bit much for a snack, as the sauce on top is a bit heavy.

Osaka and takoyaki go together like cherry blossoms to Japan. They are a MUST when you are in Osaka, and walking down Dotonbori Street, it's hard to not notice this place. There's always a line, and if there's a line, you know it's worth it. We have had takoyaki at other places throughout our journey in Japan, and these were the most memorable. The line moves fast, so make sure you decide beforehand if you want 8 pieces or 12, because the English is really limited to only that. It's amazing how FAST they can make perfect little spheres of octopus YUM with two hooked stick tools. It's amazing to watch; take video. What's great about coming here, is that you can opt to eating inside on the 2nd floor, that has a nice bathroom western toilet style. The seating arrangement is a first come, first serve yourself, which was nice. We got an awesome seat by the window and watching the Don Quixote ferris wheel make its rounds; it was rather soothing. Don't be like me and attempt to wolf one of these balls as soon as they hand them to you; you WILL completely burn the entire roof of your mouth. Let them cool off to fully appreciate them. They are seasoned perfectly and have a wonderful texture and color to them. They have plenty of octopus in every bite, which makes these really addicting.

Overall: 4/5 When you get to Dontonbori Street, you'll notice that there's a lot of stores selling Takoyaki. This store drew me in because they had TEMPURA pieces inside their takoyaki and they also put this pink powder inside too! WAIT TIME: I would say around 15-20 minutes. The only reason I took off 1 Star was because I expected the takoyaki to taste more unique, but theonly thing different was that it was a little bit crunch.

4/5 When you're in Dontobori area, you must stop and have Takoyaki (Octopus ball). We love fancy meals and we love street food! Dontobori has a lot of street foods and you will see a octopus ball stalls--definitely try one. The quality is about all the same!

We were here in the Dontobori area in Osaka at night and there were just stalls and stalls of food places and we decided to stop at this particular one since they had long lines, it must be good! It had a giant octopus on top of the store front! We saw so many you tubes on this type of octopus balls, we just had to try it! What you had to do is order your item on a vending machine and you get a ticket, then you give them the ticket and at the end, you get your food! I don't think I would get it again but at least I tried it! It was kinda mushy in the inside and the flavor was just ok, you taste the sauce that they put on top more that the octopus ball!

There are no shortage of good takoyaki joints in Osaka. It's Kansei after all! So it's easy to miss this little stall amid all the hustle and bustle of Dontonbori, but frankly I found this place to be one of the best among the many takoyaki joints that I managed to try. How is this place so good? Well first off the texture of the takoyaki is just right. The balance of crisp + soft + flavor is perfect. A lot of places nearby make it kind of mushy but they avoid that problem here. Every ball was perfectly made and the flavor was outstanding. Of course, be careful as these come out super hot so you might be tempted to just wolf down a ball, only to end up burning your mouth ... be patient and you'll be rewarded with one of the best takoyakis in the area. I expected a long line, but for some reason the night I visited there was nobody there even though it was super crowded. This is a relatively unassuming little stall so it might be easy to miss. At least what's good about this place is that there's a little alley next to the stall so there are a few seats you can grab to enjoy their food. If you're in the area you should definitely check this place out.

So so....not the best takoyaki I've had. However it's fast (line moves fast) and it's RIGHT THERE. You can't miss it and there are a ton of people also in line. I'd eat it... it's only like 6 pieces anyhow. Walk around and then go to another place.

Paid 50USD for a portion! The ticket machine is a scam and the employees are unwilling to do anything. I'm 1000% sure I out in a 10.000¥ bill as I don't have any other bills at all! I even saw a "1" on the bill right before I inserted it! I ordered Takoyaki for 650¥ and only received 4,350¥ back. I confronted the staff and he went back to the machine to check. The machine says I put in a 5000¥ bill which is definitely not correct! Be aware and better take a video of you inserting the bill if you gonna order there. The Takoyaki were quite good but not worth the 5,650¥ I paid for it!!!

When in Osaka, you can't leave without trying their very own specialty--tako yaki. I've eaten WAY too many tako yaki's through out my childhood, and had never tried the original from Osaka. Oh, the choices available...I saw at least ten places, and asked several locals where to go. This place was a random stop in my attempt to get one in 30 minutes before saying goodbye to lovely Osaka. I bought my first batch. Went to another store and got another batch. Then I went back here and got the tako yaki AGAIN within 15 minutes. It was soo good I was in "stuff face as much as possible cuz it ain't gonna be for a while till you get this again" mode. Yeah, I think my drool just hit my shirt thinking about it.

I can't help but fallllllling in love with youuuuuuuuu. I swear, Takoyaki is my favorite thing in the entire world and coming to Takoyaki central I really didn't get enough takoyaki. Every booth and stand has their own variation in how they make it. But let me tell you this, the worst takoyaki in Japan is still better than ANY takoyaki in the States. 1. They aren't stingy about the tako pieces inside the balls. I mean they're literally ripping huge chunks of tako and duping them into their dough. 2. It's so amazing to watch their wrists flick each of the balls over. Watching it go from melty dough to a perfect crunch of a ball is mind blowing. 3. They ADD like rice crisps or something into the balls because it's got this perfect extra crunch with each bite. It's so genius. This was one of the best stands that I had solely due to the crisps inside. The balls were piping hot and for 10, it was less than $10. I don't even remember how much I spent, but it was worth every yen that I did! I just pointed and they pointed to the price and I stood around watching, and next thing you know, it was all gone!! If you don't speak Japanese, it's okay. There's about 6 options you can pick which are the different sauces flavor. There's also pictures with prices for each one. They also have half and half choices, as well as a "meal" that comes with a drink. Cash only, SUPER fresh. The only way you should be having takoyaki. Thanks JPNxtakoyaki.

If you like calamari - this is FAR from calamari. While visiting Japan on my second trip I finally made it to the beautiful, bustling city of Ōsaka-shi. A regional favorite in the Kansai region is "takoyaki" and I was determined to go to a spot suggested by a friend that is from Ōsaka. Watching the preparation is indeed enticing. Like everything in Japan two words best describe it - organized chaos. The fast hands of the chef are still the most meticulous. It truly is a sight to behold. Presentation for this outdoor spectacle is equally on par. The piping hot octo-balls are covered with a heap of bonito (dried fish) flakes, chives, teriyaki and mayo. If you aren't into all of that they come with plain salt as well. How do they taste? Were they good? All that is debatable it wasn't my favorite dish in Japan and now that I've had it once I have no need for again; not particularly my cup of tea but prepared well and for those who have a taste for it - it fits the bill. There was an unexpected and massive creaminess on the inside that I didn't expect from a baked dish since. I didn't have the communication skills to inquire what was in it, so I'm still left without closure on what I even ate. If you're a foodie and down to try anything at least once I definitely suggest getting the smaller six piece portion and if you like it get another one. Remember sharing is caring - it is an acquired taste!!

With all the good reviews, I know I must try this place out. However, it didn't meet my expectation. I feel like they put way too much of the crispy puffs in the takoyaki which made it break easily. So if you like your takoyaki with more crispy puffs, this place is for you.

Things I'll never have back: these same 9 takoyakis, 500 yen, and 30 minutes waiting in line. I'd gladly do it all over again OR I should've just ordered 2 (wife didn't let me, she'll kill me if she reads this). They were delicious and not worth going elsewhere for. Around Dotonburi, they're the cheapest per takoyaki most def!! I heard people lined up more than an hour but I was there on a Friday night at around 8:30pm.

Their Takoyaki is one of the better ones we've had in Japan. They have the ratio of Octopus to batter down! I especially like their salted flavor, it was not covered in too much sauce, allowing the Takoyaki to remain crispier than other places.

You came to Osaka for Takiyaki, so make sure you get the best. Get the variety plate. 10/10

Probably the best takoyaki I had on the trip. The takoyaki was crunchy, creamy on the inside, and stuffed with large chunks of octopus. The line was pretty dam long but they churn out the takoyaki pretty quickly. Believe the hype!

Words cannot describe how perfect these Takoyaki are. They claim to be #1 in Osaka and damn they are right. We thought that one order of 6 (420 Yen) would be enough, but 10 minutes later, we came strolling back. The girl taking orders recognized us and we all burst into laughter. I guess there's a reason why they prepared a lining sequence that resembles the normal security setup at US airports. They probably actually get that much traffic at some point in the day/night.

I am not a fan of mushy takoyakis so juhachiban was perfect! Their takoyakis were crisp on the outside and soft in the inside. Doesn't fall apart when you poke it and it tastes great! Went back several times just to get more because other stores' takoyakis were not doing it for me.

Another great place nearby Ark Hostel & Cafe!!! I tried the 6 piece of takoyaki for 360, and I wanted more after finishing them. So good and so cheap!!! XD I think this is the best takoyaki I have had yet. ^^; The takoyaki is super soft and the octopus is really delicious inside. It is hard to eat takoyaki when it is sooooo hot on the inside, but this is worth burning your tongue for!!! xD

Very Nice and Very good Atmosephere. Nice People, Nice Food. Very Good Staff. I will go again if I had the chance.

Great takoyaki! It's always fresh, since there's a line - but not to worry, it moves fast!