There’s good reason why this burger chain is ranked in the top 100 Best Hamburgers in Japan.

In this era of rising prices, the words “cheap” and “delicious” don’t go together quite as often as they used to, but there’s one place in Tokyo where they still go hand-in-hand: JB’s Tokyo.

Boasting stores across the Kanto region, mainly in Tokyo, this locally-born chain is famous for its delicious “craft-style” burgers. The head store is located in front of Tokyo’s Yoyogi Station, and is so acclaimed that it was selected twice for Tabelog’s 100 Best Hamburgers list, in 2024 and 2026.

JB’s is often talked about on social media, where people rave about the great taste and cost of the burgers. Looking at the menu, there’s a surprisingly wide array of options, ranging from simple burgers to full-on varieties like “JB’s Mountain”.

The menu item most often mentioned on social media, though, is The 100% Burger. As the name suggests, this is a hamburger with a 100-percent beef patty, and at 500 yen (US$3.14), it’s one of the cheapest finds on the menu.

Keen to see what all the fuss was about, we ordered the 100% Burger as a combo set with a side of fries for an additional 460 yen. For our drink, we chose the 10o% Homemade Milk Shake, which cost 170 yen with the set, and we also couldn’t resist ordering The 100% Cheeseburger for 580 yen. The restaurant is mainly geared towards takeout, but there’s some rather cramped seating up on the third floor, and that’s where we headed with our meal.

▼ One thing that really impressed us was how you can choose between “Square” (toasted bread) or “Round” (burger bun), so we chose one of each.

▼ It was a hot day so we decided to quench our thirst first with a sip of the shake.

It was cool, milky and delicious, with a gentle sweetness that was a nice partner for the fries, which were thick-cut with the skins left on. If you’re like us and prefer your fries rustic and chunky, you’ll absolutely adore these.

▼ And now for the main event: The 100% Burger.

At this burger joint, the buns, patties and sauces are all made in-house. Many restaurants tend to use buns supplied by a separate bakery, but here, the bread is baked fresh every day, putting them a cut above the competition.

With so much effort going into its creation, it wouldn’t be unusual for a burger like this to cost around 1,000 yen, so we couldn’t quite believe that it was on the menu at half the price.

▼ The contents are simple: bread, sauce, patty and cucumber slices, with a good dash of black pepper on top.

This simplicity is exactly what makes the burger so good. The patty is cooked to order and has a strong, meaty flavour, with a savouriness that spreads through the palate with every bite. There’s even a slathering of Aurora sauce, also made in-house, that sits underneath the patty, adding an extra element of deliciousness to every mouthful.

▼ Now for The 100% Cheeseburger.

The cheeseburger was just as meaty, with the cheese enveloping the patty for an extra layer of richness. With no lettuce or tomato to get in the way, you can truly appreciate the delicious flavour of the simple ingredients.

After eating at JB’s Tokyo, it’s now on our own list of top burger joints in the city. The restaurant has clearly put measures in place to keep its prices low, including the use of paper plates, all in its pursuit of keeping things cheap and delicious – two things we’re always on the lookout for.

It’s almost as if JB’s Tokyo is breathing new life into the fast food world, keeping the focus on simplicity, taste and good ingredients while keeping the costs down as well. So next time you find yourself with a hankering for a good burger, you might want to bypass the big chains and make your way to JB’s, for a taste of one of Japan’s greatest overlooked gems.

Restaurant Information

Bakery & Burger JB’S Tokyo Yoyogi Main Store / BAKERY ＆ BURGER JB’S TOKYO 代々木本店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Yoyogi 1-33-3
東京都渋谷区代々木1-33-3
Open: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (last order 9:30 p.m.)
Closed: New Year holidays
Website

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