noun
set-meal restaurant; teishoku-ya
A casual eatery where the main offering is teishoku (set meals with rice, soup, and sides). Often family-run and affordable.
駅前の定食屋で焼き魚定食を食べた。
I had a grilled fish set meal at a teishoku-ya in front of the station.
レストラン is a general loanword for restaurant, often implying a Western-style or more formal setting, unlike the casual, Japanese-style 定食屋.
Compound of 定食 (teishoku, 'set meal') and 屋 (ya, 'shop'). A straightforward modern formation.