There are dozens of legendary types of Wagyu (Japanese beef) beyond Kobe Beef, but if you want to find ONLY Kobe Beef, you have come to the right place to buy or 60+ restaurants to try it at.
Originally posted on: November 27th, ’20 and Updated on August 3rd (8th, grammar errors, as usual), 2023
There are several dozen varieties of Wagyu, and Kobe is just one type/regional product from Kobe, Japan. Although, if you do not care about any other region and you only want to try the one and only Kobe beef, I list the ideal places to buy Kobe beef online, where to eat it in the good ole U.S. of Apple pie. The land of bald eagles, guns, super-sizing, and highly marbled people.
Updated on August ’23, of
The cow icon denotes summaries, so if you want a quick read, scroll on through.38, 37,60+ Kobe Beef Certified Restaurants (scroll to the bottom of the page) in the United States. I have also listed where you can buy Kobe beef locally, wholesale, or online.
Murica loves big steaks and the usual cuts of beef
Unlike a Japanese yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant where you get offered up almost every imaginable cut of the cow, most American steak houses typically only offer up a few select cuts and American online Wagyu sellers also follow suit:
- Ribeye
- Strip (NY strip)
- Top sirloin
- Filet mignon
- Tenderloin
UPDATED (3/1/21): if you are wondering what the types of Japanese cuts are, they range from all of the above, along with (listed below):
The Japanese offer more cuts than the usual suspects, which include ribeye, strip loin, filet mignon, and tenderloin, and I highly suggest you try the other cuts listed below.
Just keep in mind, you can find these cuts at a Japanese yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants although most vendors cater to American consumers.
- Strip loin
- Spencer roll
- Tenderloin
- Chuck eye roll
- Tri-tip
- Short-rib (a must)
- Chuck flank/brisket
- Shoulder
- Rump (if you like a piece of ass)
- Top round
- Tongue (a must and one of my favorites)
The Japanese Beef Marbling grading system
There are a number of other cuts that are my favorite although that takes an active effort to market the other cuts to Americans which is not going to happen because till I brought this up, most people’s expectations are only “A5” and “I want Kobe Beef.” Oh, and yea, when it comes to the BMS or the “beef marbling system,” the highest is A5 although that does not mean you should only buy A5.
| QUALITY – 5 (8-12 BMS) | QUALITY – 4 (5-7 BMS) | QUALITY -3 (3-4 BMS) | QUALITY – 2 (2 BMS) | QUALITY -1 (1 BMS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YIELD –A (72% yield) | A5 | A4 | A3 | A2 | A1 |
| YIELD – B (69-72%) | B5 | B4 | B3 | B2 | B1 |
| YIELD – C (below 69%) | C5 | C4 | C3 | C2 | C1 |
If you are looking to try the most marbled grade of beef, Kobe Beef offers up A5 which is the highest in the Japanese beef marbling system (BMS).
The highly marbled beef is nicknamed “shimofuri” which loosely means “frosted beef.”
You won’t typically have to worry about the yield/quality or cut you want since most retailers deal with the general public, so you will typically only be offered one yield or quality which is A5 Kobe Beef (the equivalent is in the automotive aftermarket when you ask the customer if they want a ‘street’ or ‘race’ set-up, most will typically say ‘race’ regardless of the downsides).
Beware of Snake River Farms (SRF) “American Kobe”
NOT JAPANESE KOBE BEEF and Snake River Farms is doing the equivalent of the McDowell’s from the movie Coming to America with Eddie Murphy because it may sound like McDonald’s, but that’s a Big Mick you’re ordering, not a Big Mac.
The brand has been rebranded as American Wagyu, but Wagyu in Japanese literally means “Japanese beef,” which is as ridiculous as flying to another country, like Zamunda and seeing “Zamunda USDA Beef.” How can it be USDA if it is raised and mixed with Zamunda cow breeds?
The tactic of riding on the coattails of the Japanese, and in the case of Cleo McDowell, and the Golden Arches is pathetic.
SRF has recently switched to “American Wagyu” although they still intermittently use “American Kobe,” and if you want to know how SRF compares to Japanese wagyu, read my new article.
SRF is not even on par with Japanese Kobe beef, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
- Jacuzzi (brand name) versus hot tub.
- Band-aid (brand name) versus a bandage.
- Champagne (regional product) versus sparkling wine.
- Roquefort (regional and type of product) versus blue cheese.
- Bourbon (regional and type of product) is whisky, but not all whisky is bourbon.
- Scotch (regional and type of product) is from Scotland.
- Whiskey (regional and type of product) is Irish whiskey with an “e.”
This list can go on and on, but you are here to buy Kobe beef versus hearing my rant.
Where to buy Kobe beef locally or online
Now, I could name all the places, or I can tell you the best and easiest place to order it from. BTW, I do not GET CRAP from these businesses, and I just recommend the business that I personally would order from.
Aye quey, La Carniceria and my latino homies are KILLING IT on a retail level. Also, on a personal bias, Alpine Butcher has a standout Instagram account with dudes who say Wagyu right, “Wa-gyu” vs. “Waaaaag-you.”
Just don’t do what what one food influencer did with taco’s and prepare the Wagyu well done, no mames.
Where to buy Kobe Beef (brick and mortar and online)
| Alpine Butcher | Lowell, MA |
| The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse | San Francisco, CA |
| Elite Meat Market | Morgan Hill, CA |
| La Carniceria | Anaheim, Bakersfield, Bellflower, Chula Vista, Fontana, Hesperia, Montclair, Northridge, Pico Rivera, Redondo Beach, Riverside, Santa Ana |
| TheMeatery.com | San Diego, CA |
| Meat Artisan | Olney, IL |
| Palm Beach Meats | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Wagshals | Washington DC |
After about three years, I finally updated this listing. The most significant change is the diversity of restaurants and retailers, which are no longer strictly traditional American butchers and steakhouses. Newly added are a number of Mexican and Korean additions, which sounds tasty AF.
I prefer seafood at anything other than American spots because lobster, crab, and shrimp are only steamed and served with butter and garlic. For sometimes half the price, you get salt and pepper crab/shrimp or seafood done up beyond cocktail sauce.
All 60+ of the certified Kobe beef restaurants in the U.S.
If you don’t see the restaurant on this list, they most likely are not certified or using real/authentic Kobe beef (so that pho restaurant or burger joint touting “Kobe sliders” are just trying to cash in on you). Oh, and if you have come across the article touting only 8 restaurants, that article is obviously outdated.
These restaurants are the only certified restaurants in the United States allowed to serve Kobe Beef (Japanese beef from Japan). If they are not listed here, it is not real Kobe Beef, and there are a lot of scammers.
There are a lot of restaurants that fraudulently call their product “Kobe beef,” or Wagyu (Japanese beef), and many are selling an American version.
Many restaurants are also claiming to sell Wagyu which is not true either since it means “Japanese beef,” and what they are selling is “American Wagyu” (cross bred with domestic cows raised in the US) by producers such as Snake River Farms (SRF).
Restaurants in the US listed in alphabetical order
| 1 | 212 Steakhouse | New York, NY |
| 2 | Alexander’s Steakhouse | Cupertino (Bay Area) Pasadena, CA (SoCal) |
| 3 | Andiron | Houston, TX |
| 4 | Asadero Prime | Seattle, WA Kent, WA |
| 5 | Bae Korean Grill | Hollywood, FL |
| 6 | Barclay Prime | Philadelphia, PA |
| 7 | Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres | Las Vegas, NV |
| 8 | Bazaar Meat Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 9 | B+B Butchers + Restaurant | Fort Worth, TX Houston, TX |
| 10 | Beef Bar Tribeca | New York, NY |
| 11 | Blackstone Steakhouse | Melville, NY |
| 12 | The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse | San Francisco, CA |
| 13 | CATCH Steak | New York, NY |
| 14 | Cosecha SD | La Jolla, CA |
| 15 | COTE Korean Steakhouse | New York, NY and Miami, FL |
| 16 | Cuerno Bravo Prime Steakhouse | Tacoma, WA |
| 17 | CUT by Wolfgang Puck | Las Vegas, NV |
| 18 | Dee Lincoln Prime Steakhouse | Frisco, TX |
| 19 | Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse | New York, NY |
| 20 | Encore Boston Harbor | Everett, MA |
| 21 | Gaylord Texan Old Hickory Steakhouse | Grapevine, TX |
| 22 | Gekko | Miami, FL |
| 23 | Sushi Ginza Onodera | Honolulu, HI |
| 24 | Gibsons Italia | Chicago, IL |
| 25 | Hank’s Fine Steaks | Henderson, NV |
| 26 | Insignia Prime Steak & Sushi | Smithtown, NY |
| 27 | JING Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
| 28 | J-Spec Wagyu Dining /Esora Omakase | New York, NY |
| 29 | Klaw Miami | Miami, FL |
| 30 | The Lobster Club | New York, NY |
| 31 | Mama Por Dios | Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Beverly Hills, CA, Santa Monica, CA, Scottsdale, AZ, |
| 32 | Mastro’s Ocean Club | Los Angeles, CA Newport Beach, CA Costa Mesa, CA Santa Clara, CA Spring, TX |
| 33 | Mastro’s Steakhouse Scottsdale | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 34 | Mastro’s Steakhouse Beverly Hills | Beverly Hills |
| 35 | Mastro’s Steakhouse Houston | Houston, TX |
| 36 | Mastro’s Steakhouse NYC | New York, NY |
| 37 | Mastro’s Steakhouse SF | San Francisco, CA |
| 38 | Monarque | Blhmarc, MD |
| 39 | Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse | Dallas, TX |
| 40 | Niku X | Los Angeles, CA |
| 41 | Old Florida Fish House | Santa Rosa Beach, FL |
| 42 | Omakase | San Francisco, CA |
| 43 | Ootoro Sushi | Irvine, CA |
| 44 | Oxblood by Pursuit Farms | San Francisco, CA |
| 45 | Ozumo | San Francisco, CA |
| 46 | Palm Beach Meats | West Palm Beach, FL |
| 47 | Pacific Club | Honolulu, HI |
| 48 | The Pines Modern Steakhouse | Highland, CA |
| 49 | Red Oak Steakhouse Saracen Casino | Pine Bluff, AZ |
| 50 | Roka Akor Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 51 | Roka Akor Houston | Houston, TX |
| 52 | Roka Akor San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 53 | Roka Akor Scottsdale | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 54 | RPM Steak | Chicago, IL |
| 55 | Scotch 80 Prime | Las Vegas, NV |
| 56 | Steak 954 | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 57 | The Pacific Club | Honolulu, HI |
| 58 | T- Bones Chophouse | Las Vegas, NV |
| 59 | Toca Madera | Las Vegas, NV Scottsdale, AZ |
| 60 | Top Beef | San Francisco, CA |
| 61 | Turner’s Cut (temporarily closed) | Houston, TX |
| 62 | Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse | Las Vegas, NV |
| 63 | Wakuda | Las V egas, NV |
| 64 | Wet Miami | Miami, FL |
Kobe beef (Wagyu) distributors
If you are a restaurant or a chef, this is who you need to hit up for your wholesale inquiries.
I love this part of the food industry because these importers and distributors demonstrate it’s not just about who has the product. It also involves relationships, logistics, knowing your product, and the service to tea bag the competition(the big Rocky Mountain oyster kine).
I worked for similar companies in motorsports, and I love learning the little details that help these companies standout from one another.
Out of them all, the Rocker Bros dominate, and if they ever went into plumbing, they may even outdo the Mario brothers. Bringing up the rear, K&K International and Capital Meat Imports are like Princess Peach and Toad rounding out the squad of the top 3 Wagyu distributors.
Some distributors have a regional, national, or global reach
| Asia International, LLC The marketing person here sucks, avoid the business. | San Francisco, CA |
| Capital Meat Imports, LLC They get product differentiation and actively market their brands. | Vernon, CA |
| Japan Mania CO.,Ltd. Eigo ga wakarimasu ka“ (the odds are low). | They don’t even know |
| K&K International, INC. I love a good story, and Kengo Kuba has a good one starting in 2001. | Torrance, CA |
| Mutual Trading Co, Inc. A Japanese foods distributor that has amazing service. | Los Angeles, CA |
| Palm Beach Meats Their focus is split on retail, wholesale, and dining | West Palm Beach, FL |
| Rocker Bros Meat When a business highlights their staff, they get it. | Inglewood, CA |
| TREX corp, Inc An importer and exporter since 1996 that gets marketing | Burlingame, CA |
| Ushi-Toro “The largest distributor of Japanese A5 in Florida” | Miami, FL |
| Wagyu Master A small operation that has to also hustle rice and charcoal. (not recommended, AVOID) | Miami, FL |
| Wagyu Sommelier ＆ Co, LLC An epic business if you are looking to stand out from the crowd. | Philadephia, PA |
The notoriety of Kobe is a draw for some, and then there are the chefs who seek out the ingredients beyond Kobe, Beyond A5, and Beyond Sirloin. If that is you, Wagyu Sommelier and staff are who you will want to contact and buddy up with.
I come across all sorts of companies, and I can tell you which ones stand out, and this is one of them.
You are what you eat you, and marbled beef matches us Americans
If you’re an Aussie, you too.
Want the complete list of where to buy Japanese, American, and Australian wagyu online? Here you go, the list of 14 leading vendors.
Kobe is only one of a several dozen regional Wagyu types in Japan.
Hopefully, I have provided you with the best places to buy Kobe beef online, but also the 38, 37, 60+ certified restaurants to eat Kobe beef at. That way, you don’t have to put too much effort into trying Kobe beef, and lifting your butt on down to a restaurant is the maximum effort required. If you can manage that, you probably are not as well marbled as Wagyu cow.
Iconography by:
Male chef icons created by SeyfDesigner – Flaticon
Meal icons created by Icons_Field – Flaticon
Butcher icons created by Dimas Anom – Flaticon
