I was honestly holding out for this place to be the highlight of our trip. I’d heard so much about it and actually travelled from Kyoto to Ōsaka one evening simply to eat here. We found the main restaurant with a massive line and saw the sign about their second restaurant a bit further down, so we decided to try there instead. We still stood in line for over 30 minutes, patiently waiting our turn for a table.
The waitress sees us standing there many times but she looks busy so we just keep standing until a table comes up and she motions for two people to sit down. Our turn finally. Shortly after we sit down she comes over and tells us to get out of the restaurant as we didn’t have a “ticket” (particularly rudely I might add).

Needless to say we were devastated having come this far and waited this long to be treated like this. No acknowledgement of our patience, no offer to help us obtain this ticket we needed, just rudeness. And what I thought would be the food highlight of our trip ended up being our worst night.

We tried many brands of okonomiyaki during our trip and were almost jaded by the time we decided to try Ajinoya, but still decided to do so since it's bid gourmand and stuff (haha). Got there and the queue was quite horrible (about an hour long wait) but the rewards were Worth It! The okonomiyaki was amazing - flavourful, crispy, eggy, fluffy and laced with a yummy "wok-hei" (caramelized charred aroma) that we'd never had at any other place. The chef was a master at his craft, taking on the tasks of cooking, entertaining guests, pouring water and taking orders all at once. It was a wonderful experience.

We were at the tail end of the line out front of the shop at 8:30pm so we went down the road to the 2nd location. There certainly is something to having the chef cook it in front of you which is lost at the 2nd location but nevertheless the okinamiyaki was good and the yakisoba delicious. People watching while eating on the street has its own allure as well.

Having read the reviews about the long queue, on a Friday, we got to Ajinoya at 4:30p & were 7th in line. At the top of the stairs in the corner on the left, there are English menus; the waiter takes your order while you are in the line. Not knowing how it works, two of us ordered the Original Okonomiyaki and two ordered the Negiyaki with beef. While the food is outstanding, it's the experience that is unforgettable. For the Original, the waiter brings a bowl filled with shredded vegetables & seafood. He then begins to stir & fold the mixture until the egg batter completely covers the ingredients. He sets it on the hot grill just like a pancake with a warning not to touch it. He returns to flip it with another warning. He then returns with mayonnaise & a yummy sauce that he spreads on top of the pancake. He hands you a metal spatula to cut it into pieces & Bon Appetit! The flavors are so unique & the okonomiyaki is delicious! The Negiyaki came pre-cooked from the kitchen & set on the grill to keep warm, it too was delicious! Highly recommend this experience! Try to go early, when we left an hour later, the queue was down to the street level.

If you are in osaka then don’t miss to eat really really delicious my advise go before 21:00 because we stand in queue for 1 hour then they didn’t accept anyone after 21:30