Don Tojo

Carlton, Australia

3.9

Closed now

14 reviews

Does not accept credit cards

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Telephone:
Not provided
Address:
164 Cardigan St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053
Carlton
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
360 ftGrattan Street
600 ftArgyle Square
720 ftStop 3: Lincoln Square
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepted Cards
None
Parking
Street
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
No
Drive-Thru
No

Today

Today 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Carlton) 22:40 Saturday, 24 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm
Sunday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm

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Nearby

Near this location:
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14 reviews of Don Tojo

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Balwyn North, Australia
This restaurant is a Carlton institution. Between their insanely fast service and budget busting prices, you can’t really fault it. There is always a line out the door, so be sure to get there either side of lunch if you’re starving.
Place rating: 4
Semaphore, Australia
Wow.
Awesome food, very well priced. Had it for lunch, good enough to have for dinner too.
One thing though the raw fish was undercooked.
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
Only had a coffee here but I’d be interested to go back and try the food. Warehouse type restaurant with patio heaters inside.
Place rating: 5
Melbourne, Australia
Excelent asian cuisine for very good price. Friendly attention, good and fast service. Warm place inside. Definitively will come back. Try the teriyaki chicken and don’t forget to bring cash (no cards accepted).
Place rating: 3
East Melbourne, Australia
Don Tojo is from the peeps that brought us Don Don’s in South Melbourne and the CBD — basically it’s ikea for Japanese food. Cheap, quick, and overall pretty decent. Not going to win any awards but it is what it is, and if you’re just after a quick bite while out and about you’ll be happy, and your wallet will be loving it.
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
One if the best things to do when visiting Japan is eating all the delicious food. A big thing you notice though is how cheap (and tasty) most places are compared to Japanese in Australia which relatively expensive in comparison. That’s why cheap and cheerful Don Don’s is such a welcome little place in Carlton.
You can get a beer and a filling main meal for around $ 10 – 12. It’s nothing too fancy but will leave you filling full and happy. My go to meal is the vegetarian tofu curry don which is served in a huge bowl with lots of rice, well cooked vegetables and a huge slab of chargrilled tofu. Add a bit of chilli to this and it will be a perfect winter nights feast. The soba noodle is also nice but served cold so better on a warm day. Beers (Japanese and local) are always very cheap and icy cold.
Place rating: 4
Mont Albert North, Australia
My underlining way of judging a place is quite simple — the more costly it is the more I expect. Now obviously there’s a little more that goes into, but I try and keep it as simple as I can. So when I tell you a superb $ 6.70 bowl of freshly grilled teriyaki chicken with pickled ginger and seasonal vegetables is amazing just because of its price, that doesn’t quite cut it. The service is lightening fast (everything is put together with 30 – 45 secs of ordering, that’s worth seeing itself), the staff are great, and it’s a lovely place to visit in both summer (awesome trees to sit under) and winter (always kept warm inside)! And after being there in excess of 30 times during my uni breaks says it’s pretty hard to get sick off in my opinion. Now despite all this, obviously it’s not a place you’d venture out of your way to go visit, but if you’re passing by Carlton or working within a kilometre of Don Tojo by all means give them a visit!
Place rating: 4
Copenhagen, Denmark
This was my first time eating at Don Tojo, I needed something quick takeaway and not too pricey, this is exactly what Don Tojo offers and it is delicious too! the only reason this is a four and not a five star review is that it is cash only
Place rating: 4
Australia
You would love Don Tojo as long as you know what you’re in for when you come here for some Japanese.
The food is cheap, quick, the list is small, there’s cheap beers and loud music, warehouse style seatings at the back and small tables near the front.
Order at the counter with cash only and don’t wonder off too far, I wasn’t kidding when I said the food comes quick.
Your selection is limited but what is available IS good.
It’s a young crowd in search of relaxed place after uni/​sport/​whatever where they can get quick eats, cheap drinks, and banter happily and loudly with their friends.
Parallel to Lygon street, Don Tojo is like a backstreet affair of everything that Lygon st is not.
Place rating: 2
Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
I’m tossing up between one or two stars. Don Tojo is the Japanese equivalent of generic Asian Shanghai Dumplings, but I tolerate it because it still has some merit, just not if you’re a vegetarian.
Of the two options you can get: the tofu is covered in a pork sauce and the soba noodles are just weird. What is up with cold soba noodles (NORMAL) with a piece of pineapple and kiwi. I’m still confused.
Place rating: 5
Melbourne, Australia
Great Japanese eats near Lygon Street (if you don’t want pizza/​pasta).
Just like its brother, Don Don’s on Swanston Street, this place is awesome.
Food is delicious, well priced and service super efficient. Only difference with its brother is the size — this place has more tables!
I can’t go passed the Don Don box (from memory it’s only $ 8 and you get teriyaki chicken, sukiyaki beef, rice, salad and a piece of fruit). Much better than some of the mediocre pizza and pasta joints from the other food establishments on Lygon Street.
Because it’s sooo delicious, it’s often super busy. If you’re in a group get there at 12noon to get a table. Or if the weather’s awesome, get takeaway and sit in the park/​come piazza-​esque thingy nearby.
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
Don Tojo was my saviour when I worked off Grattan Street. I never wanted to eat at any of the Italian restaurants on Lygon Street and found that my lunch options were limited to fast food — pizzas, Chinese takeaway, and burgers.
Don Tojo is a quick and cheap eats Japanese restaurant/​take away joint. You walk in, order at the counter, pay your $ 8 for your meal, and then sit down. About 5 minutes later, your dish is ready and you devour it. It is no fuss and delicious.
On the menu are simple dishes including Teriyaki Don and Curry Don. I love the Curry Don. A bonus is the cheap beers ($ 3)! What’s not to love?
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
$ 4 bottles of Asahi!
But there are other reasons to dine at Don Tojo, too. Well, ‘dine’ is perhaps misleading. Always packed full of people due to its proximity to Melbourne Uni and the international student residences, the Don Tojo experience involves quickly claiming a spare stool, often at a table with other people, and then joining the people vying for a staff member’s attention at the counter.
It’s madness but it’s fun and lively, and if you want a decent Japanese meal for under $ 10 (including the Asahi) it’s also a must-​go. Yes, you can get a big bowl of tofu curry and a beer for less than $ 10. The smoked salmon don is also delicious.
Watch out for those $ 4 Asahis, though — especially if it’s a study night.
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
Don Tojo is the same as Don Don on Swanston Street in every single respect except one — CHEAP BEER. The lightning fast service is the same. The Teriyaki Don and the Curry Don are just as tasty and the meat is just as tender. BUT unlike Don Don, the younger sibling Don Tojo has a license to serve alcohol. Not only is there alcohol but also it is cheaper than 99% of the pubs in the city. There are bottles of beer starting at $ 3.
Located on Cardigan Street, a 5-​minute walk away from Melbourne Uni, makes it a great lunch and early evening spot for students and staff around the corner. Because of its slightly secluded setting and its bigger size, unlike Don Don, you can get a table and not have to take away.
This is a must for all Melbourne Uni students that enjoy delicious and cheap Japanese food.