Lucky Pierrot Hakodate Ekimae branch — Restaurant in Hakodate

Meal: Dinner Budget: ¥700/person Closest Station: Hakodate Reservation Needed?: No Payment: Cash; PayPay Kid Friendly?: Yes, as long as your kids aren’t scared by offensive colors, sounds, or smells. English Menu?: No!

This restaurant was recommended to us by a trusted source nearly two years ago. We actively seek out and write about burger joints in Japan and were told that Lucky Pierrot was the best burger restaurant in the country. Our expectations were high, but we’ve been disappointed before, so we tried to temper them the best we could.

Flash forward to September 2021. We’re driving to Sapporo from Tokyo and have an overnight in Hakodate. I’m not going to say that we planned this leg of our trip around Lucky Pierrot, but it was a major consideration. We walked in (rushed in) the restaurant at 6:30, worried that they were closing in an hour and half. The restaurant was moderately crowded and we were excited. Then came the dining experience; one I commemorated by buying a t-shirt, but not because I enjoyed anything about our time at this restaurant.

Lucky Pierrot is a cacophony of offensive sounds, colors and smells. The service is lousy (the elderly woman who took our order tonight was shockingly rude) and the restaurant is of very questionable cleanliness (sticky tables and floors).

Yes, the prices are inexpensive and the portions are disturbingly huge, but the basic restaurant fundamentals - service, atmosphere and food quality - are all bad. Really bad.

Being totally honest and trying my hardest to avoid hyperbole, I will say that the Gold Cheese Cheese Cheese Burger was the most disgusting thing that I have ever eaten in a restaurant in Japan. The Chinese Chicken Burger, while cheap, was not much better, but was at least edible. Fortunately, I discovered, and promptly removed, a 1 cm puck of secret sauce from my burger before biting in. My heart is still thanking me for that one.

My partner’s Chinese Chicken Omelette Rice was massive (yes, enough for two hungry Japanese high school students; the restaurant’s apparent target clientele), but, so too, fell short of the mark of anything you would expect to pay any amount of money for at a restaurant.

I’m truly sorry to say this, but the fact that this restaurant chain is so popular in Hakodate (17 branches at last count; Note: the city has a population of less than 270,000) says more about the low expectations of the population here, than it does about anything else, let alone the quality of this place.

My final verdict will not surprise anyone. Lucky Pierrot is most definitely not the best burger place in Japan. Indeed, it may be the worst and, at least in my view, it is...

The dishes look fantastic, and they seem to deliver a hearty and satisfying meal experiencedis

Burger: A mouthwatering burger with a generous portion of fresh, crisp lettuce and what looks like a perfectly seasoned and juicy patty. The sesame seed bun ties it all together, adding both flavor and texture. A clean, well-wrapped presentation makes this burger visually appealing and easy to enjoy.

Cheesy Fries and Wrapped Burger: It's delicious serving of fries smothered in a rich, gooey cheese sauce paired with a savory tomato-based topping. It looks decadent and indulgent. Alongside, the burger in its crisp wrapping keeps the focus on flavor while ensuring everything stays neat and appetizing.

3.Omurice with Fried Chicken The third dish looks like a highlight—a beautifully cooked omurice with a smooth, fluffy omelet draped over rice and topped with a perfect dollop of ketchup. The fried chicken pieces on the side appear golden, crunchy, and packed with flavor, making them an ideal complement to the soft, savory omelet. The portion is generous, and the presentation is both rustic and inviting.

Overall, this meal spread seems to hit all the right notes for comfort food lovers—balanced, flavorful, and visually enticing. It’s clear care has gone into the preparation, and each dish delivers a mix of texture and rich flavors that leave you wanting more! Perfect for a casual and satisfying...

Not worth the queue and horrible service at dinnertime. Also, the queue looks extra long because EVERYONE who's familiar with Lucky Pierrot has to be in the line. If you have 10 people in the group, 10pax needs to be present by the time you pay or you'll get rudely lectured from the elderly cashier.. like us.

My elderly mom in our group was uncomfortable standing in the chaotic space for 20+mins. Since there were tons of empty booths available to go around, we asked her to sit first.

First question the elderly female cashier asked - "HOW MANY PEOPLE?". "4?EVERYONE MUST BE HERE NOW!" YOU MUST ORDER FIRST BEFORE TABLE NUMBER. some other gibberish with a glare (??)

Okayyyyy

Important: CASH ONLY, no card unless you wanna be spat at by elder cashier (sorry, this is why the q is so long. It's extremely inefficient for fast food) EVERYONE needs to be present when you order unless you want to get a rude lecture that leaves a bad taste in your food (this is not clear in their instructions). They'll give you a placard and you can sit anywhere later Its extremely chaotic there Burgers were so-so. Generous portions but doesn't seem worth the queue nor hype. Wont be trying out the other places - gotta reserve space...