Teppen Shibuya Onnadōjō

Teppen does as many have pointed out before actually have two izakayas across the street from each other. This one is the one run by the women. It does look very much like a traditional izakaya and the food set-​up is also traditional with the Japanese omelette, several different types of yakitori, kara-​age and other grilled items on skewers as well as some almost raw chicken.
The food here was very good, I found my new favorite salad (bacon wrapped salad that is grilled) here. None of the food is advanced but it is well-​made, with fresh ingredients and real authentic feel to it.
The main reason to visit is however the nice atmosphere. People genuinely seem to enjoy working here, they are super-​friendly and we had an amazingly fun time when the staff were signing and dancing behind the counter. The service is easiest the friendliest I had in Japan and the fact that the level of English is not really that good does not stop them. There is an English menu and basic things can be asked so did not really pose any problem.
To make things even better the prices are fairly affordable (do not that I do of course come from Scandivaia so tend to find everything except for Switzerland affordable) and for the quality delivered I am even inclined to call it cheap.
Will be one of my go-​to place whenever visiting Tokyo.

This review is really for the Teppen Otokodojo — the men’s restaurant across the street from the Onnadojo.
All I can say is wow. This izakaya is a lot of fun and the food is great (if you like salty, savory drinking food). And the staff is high energy, which makes it a lot of fun to go along with the great food.
The menu has plenty of options for vegetarians and carnivores. I had the bone I n chicken thigh with potatoes, plus the grilled tomatoes with truffle salt and another order of herbed potatoes with lemon. I wouldn’t have ordered so many potatoes but I can’t read kanji and the English description of the chicken dish didn’t mention potatoes. But F-​it, they were so good I ate every last one of them.
The couple next to me ordered the bacon and eggs, which includes the largest slab of bacon ever and looked amazing. But it definitely looks like something you’ll want to split with someone else.
Side note: no shoes in the restaurant so don’t wear those socks with the holes in them.

We live very close to this izakaya, close enough that we can hear it most of the time, and when we first arrived in Shibuya we thought we should check it out because they seemed to be having a great time.
Teppen is actually two izakayas across the street from each other; teppen onnadojo (run by women) and teppen otokodojo (run by men). The men’s restaurant features flat-​top grill items like okonomiyaki, while the women’s features a grill for yakitori. We have gone to both and I prefer the vibe of Teppen Otokodojo but I prefer the food at this location. Hands down, I had the best karaage I have ever had here; freshly fried and incredibly juicy. We also tried the chicken thigh and chicken and leek yakitori skewers and everything was juicy, flavorful, and very well cooked.
The main appeal here is the staff, who are incredibly over the top, and take welcoming to a whole new level. If you want to feel welcome and like you are in a rowdy, friendly Japanese environment, this is the place. It is worth noting that these izakaya charge otoshi– like a cover charge, which buys you a small appetizer. On one visit it was a salad, the next visit it was a sizable canning jar of pickles. The charge is ¥500 per person, which is a surprise if you’re not expecting it, but it is noted in the menu.
English is not well spoken here but the English menus are OK; unfortunately the staff isn’t super familiar with the English menu because we used it to help us order and they seemed really confused. We also noted very big discrepancies between some items like yakitori sets comparing the Japanese and English menus. It would behoove them to just write simple English translations in some of the Japanese menu, even if not comprehensive, so the staff more easily understood what foreign guests want to order.
Don’t expect to get out of here for less than ¥2000 a person, but it will be fun and memorable, and loud. If you are here during a birthday celebration, expect singing and a lot of coordinated tambourine banging. Not a required stop but most of the clientele is Japanese so it is a welcoming place to feel like a local.