Walked by Hakata a couple of times and always noticed there was a huge crowd there but no line ups like Kinton would have. Was curious about how it tasted, so we decided to go with Hakata instead of Kinton this time. The restaurant is small but it does have many tables with four seats and even some bar tables along the wall for people who want to eat alone. The decor looks very traditional with wooden boards nailed onto the walls. The service is really good at this restaurant and even though the waiter forgot to bring us water, when he noticed it, he immediately brought us water and gave us an apology.
Our party of three ordered:
Beef Tataki (~$5.00 forgot the exact price) - The beef was sliced super thin but it was still really good.
Pan-fried Dumplings (~$3.80 forgot the exact price) - Really good, I recommend this dish.
Hakata Tonkotsu ($9.80 according to their website) - Ordered the straight noodle option. Really enjoyed the broth, it was super light and it wasn't heavy at all. Also ordered the extra noodles for $2. What was different about this place compared to Sansotei, Hokkaido, and Kinton is that they give you the extra noodles separately AFTER they give you the first bowl of ramen. I don't really like this because I don't want to have to add noodles while I'm eating the ramen to begin with. I would've appreciated if they added more noodles in my order before serving it to me.
2 Black Tonkotsu ($10.80 each according to their website) - My friends claimed that the broth was light but the black garlic oil really complemented the ramen.
Overall, I had a good experience at Hakata, I would come again if I am ever in the area. The broth wasn't salty and I wasn't thirsty by the end of it, which I really enjoyed.