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Kemuri Tatsu-ya

Visa Dining Collection

$31 to $50

Barbecue

2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702-4715

Make a booking

2 people

4 Apr 2025

23:30

Booked 75 times today

Experiences are available.

Innovative
Lively
Good for special occasions

Recognized by the James Beard Foundation, Michelin Guide and named one of the best restaurants in the U.S. by Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, GQ and more! Japanese izakaya and Texas barbecue are arguably the two best cuisines to enjoy while imbibing. Kemuri Tatsu-ya offers a mash-up of the two, plus an excellent selection of booze—including a ‘whisky bible.’ Guests are welcomed into the space with an enthusiastic “irasshaimase!” from the staff. The experience only gets better from there with creative dishes like Taiyaki Cornbread, Brisket Tsukemen and Guaca-Poke. Bright, innovative cocktails, including super-chilled Toki highballs cranked out from a machine, are
an essential part of the experience. Reserve a table today to get a taste of this iconic Austin
restaurant, brought to you by Tatsu Aikawa and the team behind Ramen Tatsu-Ya.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Tatsu Aikawa

From the OpenTable editors: When it opened in 2017, this MICHELIN Bib Gourmand quickly racked up accolades—including a spot on Bon Appétit’s best new restaurant list—for chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto’s innovative Japanese izakaya-meets-Texas smokehouse mashup. That looks like smoked chicken wing yakitori, brisket hot pockets, and chili cheese takoyaki chased with beer and whisky in a cozy, wood-lined tavern.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Barbecue, Izakaya, Creative Japanese
Hours of Operation
Sun 16:00–22:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 17:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–23:00
Phone number
(512) 803-2224
Website
https://www.kemuri-tatsuya.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702-4715
Area
Austin
Cross Street
E 2nd Street at Pleasant Valley
Parking details
Private Lot
Public transit
Take an Uber!
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Vegan

Experiences

Reservation-Table
Multiple dates available
During peak times, reservations can be held for up to 5 minutes and there may be a wait even with a reservation. Take an Uber--you'll thank us!
Hightop Bar
Multiple dates available
Hightop style counter seating. Full menu available!

What 114 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

Austin
Innovative
Austin
Barbecue
Austin
Innovative
Austin
Barbecue

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Kemuri Tatsu-ya impresses with its inventive fusion of Japanese and Texas BBQ, offering a "unique, cool restaurant" experience. Guests raved about the "mind blowingly good" food, including the wagyu short rib skewers and brisket. While some noted minor service hiccups, the "amazing food and wonderful service" create a memorable dining atmosphere.

114 Reviews

C
Cary
Los Angeles10 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great service. Knowledgeable waiter. Some dishes didn't thrill, but nothing was bad. The skewers (chix thighs and bulb onions, wagyu beef) were excellent. The wing flats, not so much. The eggplant dish was also really good. The hamachi collar was good, not great We really came for the smoked tuna collar that we saw in the NY Times, but they didn't have it that day. The martinis were small, but also inexpensive. Pickle dish was outstanding as were the shishito peppers. We'd return, but would know what to order and would check to see if a tuna collar would be available. I give these folks credit for an excellent attempt at TX BBQ fusion and Japanese cooking.
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R
Rachael
Austin1 review
4.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Standout BBQ, among the best in Austin and clever fusion with Japanese food and culture.
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M
Margaret VIP
Austin7 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Delicious food and drinks ! Fun spot and we’ll be back
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J
Jake
Portland1 review
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a great time. Perfect for a fancy dinner date that’s not pretentious. Great food. Chef Derek was a gracious host. I asked for a “great seat with vibes” and was sat at the bar next to the chefs station. Took an eclectic sampling of various menu items and not a single one was a disappointment. May possibly be the best meal I’ve ever had. The wagyu skewers, brisket hot pocket, and Kara-age chicken were some highlights. Cocktails were balanced. Can’t recommend enough
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M
Missy
Unspecified1 review
4.0
Dined on 28 March 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We had a reservation and still waited about 1/2 hour. But well worth it. Good food, fun atmosphere & great service. Would highly recommend.
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S
Sujit VIP
Chicago4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 26 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Bbq smell was great, the fishy briny smell in the back was less than great. I understand the fast pace but dishes came out a bit too fast. Have to be reasonable with the speed especially when there with kids. Wagyu short rib skewers were fire. Ramen and scallop skewers was great. Bbq boat was really great value (brisket and pork belly were better than the ribs but all were good). Overall, very cool concept and well executed but could use a bit of fine tuning with the operations and some of the flavors. Would definitely come back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined on 17 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Unagi bento box and hotate were absolutely divine. Loved it
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J
Jesus
Austin1 review
5.0
Dined on 16 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was amazing! Staff was so knowledgeable about the menu and was very helpful too. I would recommend it on a night out when you just want to try something new, definitely worth it.
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JB
JBOntario VIP
Chicago9 reviews
3.0
Dined on 16 March 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
It seems that the restaurant is inconsistent. Dined Saturday evening, two weeks in a row. Nothing was incredible. Everything was good, but no real stand outs. Very competent service and pleasant service.
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S
Savannah
Austin3 reviews
3.0
Dined on 15 March 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Food and drinks were good! It’s a cool place. We sat outside on a nice day which helped. Sort of a weird spot in a neighborhood but still cool.
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FAQs

Kemuri Tatsu-ya is rated 4.6 stars by 114 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

4 Apr 2025

23:30

Booked 75 times today

Experiences are available.

2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702-4715

Additional information

Cross Street
E 2nd Street at Pleasant Valley
Area
Austin
Hours of Operation
Sun 16:00–22:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 17:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–23:00
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Barbecue, Izakaya, Creative Japanese
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Public transit
Take an Uber!
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Vegan

Website
https://www.kemuri-tatsuya.com/
Phone number
(512) 803-2224

Kemuri Tatsu-ya

Make a booking

Why they're an Icon

Additional information

Experiences

Reservation-Table

Hightop Bar

Menu

What 114 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is Kemuri Tatsu-ya restaurant rated?

Is Kemuri Tatsu-ya currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information