The Absolute Best Beer Bars in Sapporo

Is Sapporo a great city? Oh, yes it is. And is beer awesome. Yes again. When I put those two ideas together and I bet you want to know if Sapporo is an truly excellent town for those that love to drink beer. I am here to tell you that is definitely true. And just for you, our dear readers, we personally put back several pints (and a few bottles) in order to bring you this, the ICHIBANNOMAHCI list of the best beer bars in Sapporo.

What qualities help a bar make our list of great beer bars in Sapporo? Does it have to be a proper craft beer bar? Is it just the beer? Do the prices matter? Would good food make a difference? How about the atmosphere? Below we offer our insider tips 10 Sapporo beer bars, with special attention to our favorites. And for each bar, we provide links to detailed reviews where you can read more.

For us, it takes more than wheat and hops to create a great spot to enjoy a beer. A good beer bar is more than a place to drink; its about a place where it feels good to drink. There is what the bar is trying to do, but also how the bar and the patrons come together to create a feeling. That “feel good” element is not a simple formula, but when it hits, you have a beer bar where people genuinely want to hang out. That is what we want to show you: a local perspective on Sapporo beer bars where it actually feels good to drink. We will likely revise this post over time, but for now, we’ll give you several of our favorites.

With no further ado, here is the ICHIBANNOMACHI list of the top beer bars in Sapporo:

Top Beer Bars in Sapporo

#1. Our top choice for the best beer bar in Sapporo is Phred’s Beer Inn Mugishutei (in fact, this review was written while drinking a beer at Mugishutei).

The Beer Inn Mugishutei in Sapporo has some great beer, of course. While there are many craft beer bars in Sapporo that have more beer on tap (as of tonight, the Beer Inn has only six on draught), Phred has an impressive cooler full of special bottles and cans to rival the best liquor stores back home.

Beer Inn Mugishutei has food, but to be honest… that is not the reason to come here. Mugishutei is about the environment. It’s about the 1000+ cans and bottles of the “museum” that lines the walls (and even the ceiling). It’s about the well-worn, but completely comfortable benches (that sag when you sit on them). It’s about the foosball table (which I actually have no desire to play). It is definitely about the music and the VH1 music videos (they are playing late 90s RnB right now). It’s about the really causal crowd. It’s about them being open until 3 AM on weekends.

It’s all that. And… it’s the $10 Chips and Salsa™. Ten bucks worth of chips… helps the beer go down (or so I tell myself, again and again).

I really love Beer Inn Mugishutei in Sapporo. I do. This place is a kind of “home” away from home (for me, a dirty American here in the best city in the world). When my friends come to visit, this is where I’d take them.

Highly recommended.

#2. The second best beer bar in is Beer Cellar Sapporo. Frankly, it is a close second. An extremely close second (I am here, now, second time this week, as I proof read this post).

While Beer Cellar has a completely different vibe than Mugishutei, there are almost equally tempting for me. The “1000 year old carpet” at Beer Inn vs the modern concrete floors at Beer Cellar; which is better? Well, they are different.

Sapporo’s Beer Cellar typically has about six to eight beers on tap. They are more expensive than at Mugishutei (¥1200 vs ¥1000), but they feature some great brews and there is often a guest brewery (several beers, all different styles, with funny names). They also have a cooler full of imports (mostly from the Pacific Northwest in the US).

Beer Cellar offers some snacks (wait for it…), and while they don’t have a food menu, they often have a “food truck” parked out front (and there was a guy doing tacos on blue corn tortillas while I was there the other night). The music is always excellent, whether it’s coming off of the stack of vinyl, streaming from the internet, or on a recent occasion, a guy playing “looped” guitar sounds live. There are a lot of regulars there. In fact, because Beer Cellar closes too early (at 9 PM), they have to literally have to tell everyone to go home. It’s not a big crowd, but it’s a good crowd.

The way the tables are set up makes for a more social bar than almost anywhere in Sapporo (beer bar or not). The “stand up” tables facilitate people moving around. Again and again I have good social experiences here – better than any other place in Sapporo.

A bar doesn’t need a perfect snack to make our list of the best beer bars in Sapporo, but Beer Cellar has that too. The microwave popcorn is surprisingly addictive. “A beer and a bag” is a good time.

While I love Phred’s place, the location of Beer Cellar (it’s near Odori, in the city center) makes it very convenient. I confess… Beer Cellar is where I drink most of my beer these days. It’s not as “one of kind” as Mugishutei, but it’s an excellent spot for a pint.

Highly recommended, よ.

#3. The third spot on the ICHIBANNOMACHI list of the best craft beer spots in Sapporo is Beer Kotan. Another excellent choice.

Beer Kotan is accessible from the alley behind PARCO department store, almost right on top of Odori station. It’s very convenient. As you arrive on the third floor, you’ll find a clean, spacious, well designed “local” beer spot

Beer Kotan is a brewery, so unlike the first two spots on our list, Beer Kotan is not about foreign imports, it’s about local Hokkaido beer. They have an extensive selection of uncompromisingly good beer. So many beers on tap, all delicious. And at ¥800 per pint, they have better prices than anywhere in Sapporo.

Sapporo’s Beer Kotan also has an extensive menu for food. I would still love to see someone do a good beer and burger spot, but Beer Kotan is the first beer bar on this list where you can have a solid dinner and a near perfect range of beers. That is surprisingly hard to do in Sapporo.

The vibe at Beer Kotan is not particularly “neighborhood,” but it’s casual. Not particularly social, but the staff is very real and friendly. It’s a great choice on any night, but especially when the snow is dumping, it’s so easy to get in and out of; with the range of beers they have, it could easily be your favorite spot.

Highly recommended place for a beer.

#4. For the forth spot on our list of great beer bars in Sapporo, we’re going to change it up a little – we really like Beer Hall Mustache.

“Beer Mustache” is not a “craft beer” spot. They are a neighborhood bar, with about eight beers on tap, all of them standard Japanese beers. But the vibe and the feel of that place, is worth a visit. And they have a full bar. And I have been talking a bit about the classic “beer and a whiskey;” sometime soon I am going to be in the mood for that, and Beer Hall Mustache in Sapporo is a perfect place for that combo.

I’ve only been in “Beer Bar Mustache” in Sapporo a few time, but I feel drawn to the very “local” feel and the light, friendly, comfortable vibes. Two of the times I was there, some customer brought some food snack for the owner (the first time was some special bananas from Thailand, the second was some apple pie snack from Honshu); and he immediately shared it with all the customers (including myself).

The TV is always playing (which I generally don’t like), but it works to make the vibe even more comfortable.

Beer Hall Mustache has a nice bar and several big wood benches for groups, but is not much bigger than a large living room, and that is what it feels like. It’s obviously European inspired (there is no way the current owner is the original owner, could it be?), but it’s a Japanese bar now, and it’s got local, neighborhood vibes but is still friendly to hakujin (はくじん) like myself.

Go have a beer there sometime, you’ll be glad you did.

#5. For the fifth 5 spot on this list, we’re going to take the criteria in another direction, and use this as an opportunity to promote a great beer spot, and another spot that feels like home to me; which is Salt Moderate in Sapporo.

Sapporo’s Salt Moderate makes this list of best places to drink beer in Sapporo because one of their many menus (why do the Japanese always give you six different menus?) is a long list of beers. You’ll see Euro classics like Hoegaarden next to “mainstream IPAs” like Goose Island. But the truth is, a pint of Goose Island at the bar at Salt Moderate is such a good experience, I am tempted to stand up and head over there right now. Salt Moderate is more expensive than any other place in the top five. There is a table charge. They like to smoke there, so you might go home smelling like cigarettes (or smoke off the fire in the kitchen, also very likely). You can easily spend a lot of money there, but… the food and the atmosphere is fantastic.

Yes, beer, a full page of beer. And… spam onigiri. And surf movies. And oysters (if that is your thing). Good music. Super cool people running that place.

Recommended.

As for the Sapporo beer bars we really like, we’ll pause there. But as we said earlier, we reserve the right to revise and expand this list as time goes on.

Some Other Favorites

There are, of course many other excellent places to drink beer in Sapporo that don’t make our list.

Off the top of my head, I want to give a shout out to Craft Beer Volta in Sapporo (which has an excellent beer menu, but the food is definitely part of why it makes our recommendation). We could also recommend Famous Door in Sapporo, which has a limited beer menu, but is a exceptional atmosphere.

And while we haven’t listed any of the Irish or English pubs in Sapporo, and we’ll come back to these as this site grows. There are certainly some strong contenders, we’ll get to it.

Beer Bars We Don’t Like

As for places that we don’t like, we wrote some rather blistering reviews of Maltheads Sapporo (because of high prices and the nasty service) and Susukino Brewing Company (because is a beer bar that feels too much like a girly desert shop). And we like Sun and Moon Brewery’s main store much more (great beer, great staff), but we are critical of the overly-fancy choices that make that place more of a “date bar” than a good spot to bring a friend for a beer (and we hate the QR code system also – which is a terrible choice). Read our reviews of those place for more detail and to decide for yourself, but we think our favorites are a much better choice.

We love the city of Sapporo so much, and our goal is not to be negative about any part of this excellent town. But we want to keep it real, and that means we don’t always like what we see. And if we can be honest when we don’t like something, you can trust us more when we say we do.

So trust us – we know our beer spots.

Okay that is it.

If you have comments, we’d love to hear them. And if you have a recommendation for a really excellent beer bar in Sapporo you think we should try, as always, contact us, we love recommendations for restaurants in Sapporo as much as you do.

Working on ICHIBAN NO MACHI has helped me to fall in love with this town. The more places we visit, the more we document all the really excellent spots to eat and drink in Sapporo, the more we know; this is the best city in the world. And as we bring you all these many reviews of restaurants in Sapporo, we are proud to issue our list of the absolute best hamburgers in Sapporo.

While the individual reviews are a great way to get to know each shop, as our project grows, we’re ready to do some rankings. If you know our previous work on the list of the absolute best beer bars in Sapporo, you know a list like that can help put your options in perspective.

We have reviewed all the best hamburger restaurants in Sapporo. I dare anyone to even try to compete with the insider knowledge we bring to these reviews. Ready to challenge us? Oh yeah? Too late, you lost. Yes, we’re that proud. And to get right to it, without any further ado, here are the best places to have a burger in Sapporo.

Sapporo’s Best Hamburger Restaurants

We’ll include a few addition recommendations, but here is a list of our top five favorite hamburger shops in Sapporo:

#1: Jacksonville American Hamburgers
#2: The Meat Shop
#3: Grill and Hamburger Monster Sun
#4: Rana Burger Maruyama
#5: Hamburger Shop Tack

#1 Jacksonville American Hamburgers in Sapporo

Our top recommend for the best hamburger shop in Sapporo is Jacksonville American hamburgers. Jacksonville actually runs a small Burger Empire ™ in Sapporo, with four shops here in this fine city. The original Odori Jacksonville is just north of Odori park. There is what we like to call ちさい Jacksonville near Maruyama station. There is a Jacksonville in Kita ku (we have yet to try that location). And the newest Jacksonville hamburgers in Sapporo in the Moyuk building near Odori station.

Of course they make a good cheeseburger. Sure. And if you know our reviews, you know we love their Special Mexican burger (メキシコ ハンバーガー). And since the newest Jacksonville opened in the building with the aquarium, I have been eating there often and trying more of the burgers. I had the Western Bacon Cheeseburger the first night at the new spot. And a few nights ago I had the classic Bacon Cheese Burger. All of it, fantastic.

For an additional note here (that is not included in any of our reviews) about the “burger sauce” at Jacksonville hamburgers. I can confess I didn’t know much about it until recently. I always get that Mexican special, and I don’t want any extra flavors competing with the salsa and sour crème (yes, all that and more). As a “burger purist” I am always reluctant to have any “special sauce” on the burger, but this week I ordered it on the side, and, it was very good. It is a little sweet, and I am guessing it is a honey mustard sauce. (That is a guess.) I still like to order my burgers plain (as to not taint the flavor of the bacon and cheese), but with the sauce on the side I could dip my fries in it and… I liked it. Good sauce, guys. Well done.

It is possible that there is a specific burger that is better than what you might get on average at Jacksonville (and we’ll talk about The Meat Shop next, look out), but across the menu, Jacksonville delivers an exceptional range of hamburgers, again and again, putting them at the top of our list. Despite the multiple locations, we will limit them to just one spot in our list (although on a burger by burger basis, they might be able to earn more than one spot).

#2 The Meat Shop in Sapporo

As we move on to the #2 spot on our list of the most delicious hamburgers in Sapporo, we are very happy to point to The Meat Shop in Sapporo.

Sapporo’s Meat Shop is more than a hamburger restaurant. They are perhaps more properly a steak restaurant (and a meat-specialty restaurant), but they have a practical lunch menu that features one of the best hamburgers I have ever had in my life. I am not entirely sure the hamburgers are even available for dinner (so, some caution there), but for lunch, they deliver not only a near perfect burger, but also an environment that is both comfortable and cool.

If you look at the lunch menu at The Meat Shop, you’ll see at least four choices of suggested burgers. There are also occasionally an emphasis on a special (I can think of the bacon, egg, and cheese burger). There are options for gorgonzola cheese, for avocado, and more.

For my part, it is always the same: Give me the bacon cheese burger, every single time. And while that is a good choice at almost every hamburger restaurant, at The Meat Shop you can order it with their in-house smoked bacon, which is truly extraordinary. They are sometimes out of bacon (and very occasionally out of hamburgers), and on those days my heart breaks upon hearing the news. But on most days, I can slide up to the counter, order a burger, and settle into a one of the best experiences on offer for lunch in Sapporo.

(While the cost is considerably higher, check out their menu for a really fantastic dinner experience as well.)

Thank you, The Meat Shop.

#3 Grill and Hamburger Monster Sun in Sapporo

The #3 spot on our list of the very best hamburgers in all of Sapporo comes to us recently. Just this week we published our review of Grill and Hamburger Monster Sun in Sapporo. It is amazing to me that it took us so long to add this place to our list, because it is that good, and as we’d first been there years ago (but didn’t have the chance to try the food until recently).

Is the hamburger at Monster Sun in Sapporo delicious? Why yes it is. (So is there steak sand-o-ich-i.) But the whole experience at Monster Sun is well done, and helps us to feel so enthusiastic about our recommendation (I am nearby right now, and I am tempted to run over there for a bite). Cool spot, hip “retro” décor, great prices, and just a few steps from the Nishi 18 station (so even when it snows, no hassle to get in there).

We went twice in the same week after we final had our first taste. And I will bet you a dollar I’ll be back in there for another round this week. Great spot.

Thank you, Monster Sun.

#4 Rana Burger Maruyama in Sapporo

The forth spot on our list of best hamburgers in Sapporo? Maybe Rana should be third? When you like these shops this much, it’s hard to really rank them. I love Maruyama’s Rana Burger, I have been there many, many times, that place feels like home to me, and they make a fantastic burger.

While a hamburger can most certainly be a work of art (we think so, as you can tell by all the time and attention we dedicate to this topic), in theory, burgers could be a relatively similar product. But somehow, Rana Hamburger manages to make a very “different” product.

The price of the hamburger at Rana Burger in Maruyama is a little higher than you might expect. And I confess, I hadn’t noticed that the menu says they make their burgers from Wagu beef; perhaps that is where the difference starts. And when you read our most spectacular review of Rana burger, you might notice the featured picture includes some bacon; the bacon is “homemade” and much thicker than any bacon I have ever had on any other burger. It’s all that…

But the real difference for me (or so I am convinced), is their “spicy sauce.” It’s the sauce (I think) that makes me want to go back so often. As I mentioned above, I will typically order my burgers rather “plain” – which is to say, I like to taste the main components (I don’t need a bunch of “mayonnaise” in the way). My typical order is “meat, cheese, and lettuce” only. I don’t think Rana does “vegetables” on their burgers, so my order ends up being meat, cheese, and… oh yes, I do want that spicy sauce. Most places, I will pass on the sauce, but at Rana it’s a feature. Totally original, and a beautiful addition to a burger.

Thank you, Rana Burger. We’re impressed.

#5 Hamburger Shop Tack in Sapporo

For the #5 spot on our list of the Sapporo’s best burgers, Hamburger Shop Tack in Sapporo is a near perfect “Sapporo” experience; funky, but special and a standout choice for our list of the best hamburgers (and more interesting experiences) in Sapporo.

Sapporo’s Hamburger Shop Tack is a bit beyond the far end of Tanukikouji to the west, a short “hike” from Susukino station. It’s an eccentric little shop, done in a distinct “American” style (even though the owner has never been to America). The vibe is “cartoon America” with Marlboro cigarettes, and Jack Daniels, and Tabasco and more. The is a dart board, which is too high to use (and was only there for decoration anyway). The walls are darkened by years of smoke and it all just adds to the flavor of the place.

Tack makes a delicious burger. Burger, with fries, and a beer – hallelujah. And his menu goes beyond that, and includes a Cuban sandwich (which in no way helps him qualify for the best Sapporo burger, but is another fine feature of this shop).

Great vibe, good style, unpretentious… Hamburger Shop Tack is a winner.

Thank you, Hamburger Shop Tack. We can’t wait to come back.

Honorable Mentions

We have a few more recommendations that did not make our list of the best hamburger restaurants in Sapporo, but are still excellent spots to get a good burger.

For a couple of additional restaurants that we like that specialize in hamburgers:

Route 9 Hamburgers in Sapporo

Route 9 hamburgers in Sapporo is an “American diner” themed restaurant here in Sapporo. There are at least two actually. We are primarily interested in the location somewhat near Nakajima Park, but there is a new edition in the Tanuki COMICHI building (the burgers are the same, but we don’t particularly recommend that location). The Route 9 at Minami 9 jyo Nishi 8 is a winner. American dinner aesthetics, beer (and cocktails), they no longer have onion rings (maybe that is why they didn’t make the top list?), but a good time. Very original burgers, including the Route 9 Burger that has a spaghetti sauce on it (which is our favorite).

Burger Industry

Burger Industry is in Kita Ku, near the Kita 34 station; it is a little, quirky shop, that is takeout only, but has a “very tasty burger.” It also has a friendly, local vibe, like it belongs in a college town. Simple, but delicious. I would ask for the sauce on the side (next time), but as for the jalapenos on the fries, that is winning idea.

Hamburg Steak North Continent

A Hamburg steak, to me, as an American, is a hamburger (without a bun). It is considered a different class of food here in Japan, and I can accept that. But if you want a great experience (less hamburger shop, and more Hamburg restaurant), you can have an excellent meal there (including a big healthful salad) in a very nice environment. Hamburg steaks, served on a plate, with your choice of five or six of incredible sauces. Not a proper hamburger, but so good, Hamburg Steak North Continent sneaks onto this list anyway.

Disappointing

To make this list complete, and to show we don’t pretend to like anything we don’t actually enjoy, we can talk about hamburgers in Sapporo that we didn’t like.

Bearfoot

We recently had a burger at Bearfoot Sapporo (which has a big menu, emphasizes hamburgers, but is still more of a bar than a restaurant, we’d say). I had been looking for a good beer bar where I could have a full meal, and had been specifically saying some place should serve a proper hamburger. And when we saw the hamburger on the menu at Bearfoot (and the pictures do look good), I was excited to try it. Bearfoot is an interesting place for a drink, but there hamburger was terrible. It was very much like a hamburger you might get in someone’s house, if they didn’t put any love into it; all the parts were there, but the taste was not great at all. It was also so salty, I couldn’t finish it. If Bearfoot is the plan for the night, we recommend you eat elsewhere (maybe at the Jacksonville in the Moyuk building), and then head over for a drink at Bearfoot (although, we think there are much better places to have a beer as well).

…..

Okay, that is it for our list of the Sapporo’s top hamburgers. As always, we reserve the right to add to and revise this list as we discover new places to eat a hamburger in Sapporo.

If you haven’t read our list of the absolute best beer bars in Sapporo, we recommend that as well. Many of the best hamburgers in Sapporo can be a part of a great night where you have a burger, and then switch shops for a good beer after (maybe a second beer, many of the recommended hamburger restaurants in Sapporo serve beer as well). For example, you could go to Route 9 hamburgers for a dinner, then head over to Beer Inn Mugishutei (which is very close by). Or start out at Sapporo’s Monster Sun Hamburgers (which closes a little early), and then head to Beer Cellar for some craft beer (also a short walk). Or do the new Moyuk Jacksonville by Tanukikouji and then have a delicious Japanese craft beer at Beer Kotan after. Many such amazing combinations.

This is one of a series of our “best of” lists for food and drink in Sapporo. In addition to our list of the beer bars, we have a start on the list of the best pizza in Sapporo, and are working on a list of the best Indian food in Sapporo (coming soon).

We love Sapporo. So many amazing spots to drink or get something to eat. We hope you can use our Sapporo restaurant reviews to explore Sapporo, the best city in the world.