We are always on the hunt for local family restaurants. We can say with confidence that we have found one of these restaurants. Ariga Drive In in Mito is located on a side road that runs parallel to National Route 50. It’s located in a rural/residential area just northeast of Uchihara Aeon Mall.
There is a decent amount of parking next to the main building. To enter, there are two sets of sliding doors. One set leads to an entry area for umbrellas and the second leads to the main restaurant. We were really surprised with how large the restaurant was.
In addition to the main section, there is a whole other wing of equal size. There are long tables that run down the middle of the rooms. They are capable of handling the largest of groups. Along the walls there are a series of raised platforms with a number of sitting tables. The décor is pretty basic and the chairs and tables are emblematic of this type of restaurant.
Ariga Drive In Menu
The menu at Ariga Drive In is a single front and back sheet of paper. Everything is written in Japanese, so we took our time and reviewed the menu. The menu consisted of traditional Japanese comfort foods like curry, katsu, ramen, karrage, etc.
After scanning the menu we decided to try a karrage set, a tonkatsu set, and a side of their deep fried nankotsu.
Ariga Drive In Food Review
Our food came out pretty quickly after we ordered. As expected the portion sizes were quite large. The nankotsu was the first to come out. It had a karrage type batter and a nice crunch. The karrage was tasty, the outside was crispy and the inside was nice and juicy. The karrage had a little bit of spice and we found that they had added ginger to the batter. The tonkatsu was very flavorful and in our opinion, didn’t require any additional sauce or seasoning. We found that the pork in the tonkatsu was covered in a savory sauce prior to being fried. The set meals each came with soup, salad, pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of rice.
Final Thoughts
The food was delcious, the portion sizes were large, and the prices were affordable. This is one of our favorite types of restaurants. The patrons of Ariga Drive In appear to be local families and people getting off from work. We can imagine that the lunch rush on weekdays is quite busy. While the interior is not very elegant, it has a homey charm where you feel like your having dinner at someone’s house. If we lived a little closer, we could easily see this as a once a month type of place, or just any day we don’t feel like cooking. If you’re looking for a place to eat near Uchihara that isn’t the mall, then we recommend Ariga Drive In for its delicious and affordable home style cooked meals.
*Another delicious and affordable option near Uchihara Station is Nobuno Kitchen.
More to Come…