Top 20 Ramen Restaurants in the US in 2025
Craving a bowl of hot and savory ramen? Check out this list of the top 20 spots to slurp up some of the most delicious and authentic ramen dishes in the country.
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The story of ramen originates in China where noodles were made with a mix of wheat and lotus flour served in a broth. The word ‘ramen’ itself is taken from a Chinese word, ‘lāmiàn,’ meaning, “pulled noodles.” After World War II, people returning from China brought with them the idea of noodles in a soup and, as they began selling what would later be called ‘ramen’, it quickly rivaled the popular Japanese curry dishes. Ramen was an affordable dish to make and buy, so food stalls quickly caught on and popularity skyrocketed.
Ramen did not become popular worldwide until the early 2000s. Since then, ramen has become a highly popular dish, and ramen restaurants have popped up all over the United States. From Japanese chefs who have opened ramen restaurants abroad to trained culinary artists who sought to learn how to perfect ramen and bring it to their hometown, these top 20 ramen restaurants in the US are serving ramen and introducing Japanese culture to people through food.
ROKC - New York, NY
Ichiran - NY (Brooklyn; Midtown; Times Square)
Ramen Danbo - US locations in Seattle, WA; Brooklyn, NY; New York, NY
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - US locations in Seattle and Bellevue, WA; Boston, Cambridge, and Allston MA; Mclean, VA
Toki Underground - Washington, DC
Jinya Ramen Bar - Multiple locations across the US
Nakamura - New York, NY
Menya Jiro - Multiple locations in New York, NY, and Boston, MA
Marufuku Ramen - Multiple locations in California, Texas, and New York
Ramen Tatsu-ya - Austin, TX
Tsujita - Los Angeles, CA and Fort Lee, NJ
Otaku Ramen - Multiple locations in Nashville, TN
Ooink Ramen - Seattle, WA
Tonchin - New York, NY
Hinodeya - 3 locations in San Francisco, CA; Dallas, TX
Yoroshiku - Seattle, WA
Wasabi - Chicago, IL
Afuri Izakaya - Portland, OR
Ramen Star - Denver, CO
Tampopo Ramen - Tempe, AZ
Ready? Let's dive in.
ROKC - New York, NY
A Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen with a contemporary twist, ROKC is located in Upper Manhattan near West Harlem. Their menu offers the opportunity to tour Japan’s regional ramen flavors with a modern or local twist to create their own, special ramen broth. Despite specializing in ramen, ROKC also offers an oyster and raw bar and has hand-crafted original, unique cocktails inspired by the cocktail scene in Tokyo. To immerse in the new and old worlds of Japan and experience truly delicious ramen, ROKC is one of the best ramen restaurants in New York City.
Ichiran - NY (Brooklyn; Midtown; Times Square)
With locations in Brooklyn, Midtown, and Times Square, there are multiple opportunities to try the ramen restaurant Ichiran in New York City. With a focus on creating the best Tonkotsu ramen, Ichiran is known for creating five original and revolutionary elements of Tonkotsu ramen with fine, fresh ingredients and advanced techniques. The five elements are the original spicy red sauce, aromatic Tonkotsu broth, solo dining booths, order forms, and the Kae-Dama ordering system. At Ichiran, you can experience their original, spicy, thick red sauce, which is a blend of over 30 different spices, which popularized adding red sauce to ramen. What makes Ichiran a truly special dining experience are its intimate ramen-focus booths for solo dining when you want to eat alone and focus on the flavors of your ramen.
Ramen Danbo - US locations in Seattle, WA; Brooklyn, NY; New York, NY
Ramen Danbo is a top ramen restaurant with locations in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, and near Greenwich Village. Ramen Danbo originally started as a ramen restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan where they now have over 20 locations. They are most popular for their unique and original Tonkotsu soup broth and pride themselves on using the highest quality, freshest ingredients. From their Japanese imported ramen-dare soup base and locally sourced Yakibuta Chashu pork, to their unique thin noodles and an original, spice tare red sauce, Ramen Danbo is their own special kind of ramen restaurant setting a high bar for quality ramen.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - US locations in Seattle and Bellevue, WA; Boston, Cambridge, and Allston MA; Mclean, VA
A ramen restaurant with locations in Seattle and Bellevue, WA; Boston and Allston, MA; and Mclean, VA, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is popular for its simplicity and deep umami flavors. With a different approach to ramen, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka simmers pork bones for 20 hours to make their Tonkotsu broth and then adds the rest of the ingredients to avoid a boiling process. They also lightly season their ramen, which contributes to the stronger umami flavor and avoids having too much sodium.
Toki Underground - Washington, DC
Located in the H Street Corridor of Washington, DC, Toki Underground is an award-winning ramen and izakaya restaurant. Their space is more artistic and intimate than a typical ramen restaurant or chain, which gives Toki Underground a more underground, hole-in-the-wall feel. They are highly popular among customers for not only their ramen dishes but also their hand-crafted, original cocktails inspired by Japanese cocktail culture. When you want ramen and more, Toki Underground is the ramen restaurant to find your way into.
Jinya Ramen Bar - Multiple locations across the US
Jinya Ramen has restaurant locations all across the United States, from Orlando, Florida, to Denver, Colorado, and even Honolulu, Hawaii. Wherever you find yourself near a Jinya Ramen Bar, it’s highly suggested that you dine in at one of their locations. Their handmade noodles are one half of their special secret; the other is their thick, rich broth to perfectly balance with the ramen noodles. They are a bit obsessed with perfecting their noodles and broth: they only use FUJI water to prepare their broth because it is 99.9% free of impurities, and their noodles undergo a specialized aging process before being cooked and served. Their meticulous detail has paid off though, which is why Jinya Ramen Bar is widely popular across the states.
Nakamura - New York, NY
Hidden in the Lower East Side of New York, Nakamura is a narrow ramen restaurant with counter seats and some tables. It’s a small space that serves big flavors and various dishes, making it a popular restaurant for more than just its ramen on the menu. The owner, Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura, is hailed as one of only “4 Ramen Gods” due to his first successful ramen restaurant opened in Japan. Nakamura also offers a home ramen kit to help you make high-quality ramen at home with everything you need in a box for when you aren’t able to dine in.
Menya Jiro - Multiple locations in New York, NY and Boston, MA
With locations in Cambridge, MA, and New York City, Menya Jiro is a popular restaurant on the East Coast serving award-winning ramen. Their ramen is unique in that their broth includes a combination of tonkotsu and chicken and they add fried onions and garlic just before serving their ramen dishes to refine the flavor and to better bring out the umami flavor.
Marufuku Ramen - Multiple locations in California, Texas, and New York
Marufuku Ramen has various shop locations in California, Texas, and New York City where you can find their authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen, which features a milky, umami flavored, rich broth; or their rich white chicken paitan ramen with chicken Cha-shu. Aside from ramen, Marufuku is also known for its mini rice bowls, izakaya appetizers, and premium Japanese beer and sake selections, making it a one-stop shop for multiple flavors of Japan.
Ramen Tatsu-ya - Austin, TX
With a goal of educating people on the soul food of Japan, Ramen Tatsu-ya is one of the most popular ramen restaurants in Austin, Texas where diners can learn about and taste ramen. A collaboration between a pair of local DJ chefs, Ramen Tatsu-ya was born from a passion to educate Austin on the lengthy process of making ramen that contributes to its high-quality taste and flavors. By offering authentic Tonkotsu ramen and two vegan broth alternatives, Ramen Tatsu-ya has options for everyone. Their special menu additives, called “bombs,” allow customers to add unique flavors to their ramen, such as buttered corn and honey, red pepper paste, or a spicy yuzu (Japanese citrus) and garlic blend. For dessert, they offer a few original, Japanese-inspired ice cream sandwiches, such as their Sum Yum Yuzu, which contains yuzu mascarpone ice cream between two vanilla mochiko cookies.
Tsujita - Los Angeles, CA and Fort Lee, NJ
Tsujita offers artisan noodles at their ramen restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, and Fort Lee, NJ. Their first restaurant was started in Tokyo and now has 11 locations in Japan and the United States. They offer four different ramen styles and their Tsujita Artisan Noodle ramen features their original tsukemen recipe – the recipe that began their business! With creative food displays in a fine dining atmosphere, Tsujita offers quality in traditional Japanese style.
Otaku Ramen - Multiple locations in Nashville, TN
What started as a pop-up shop, Otaku Ramen has quickly grown into multiple locations across the Nashville area, from The Gulch district to East and West Nashville. With the art of noodle making at the front of their minds, Otaku Ramen specializes in crafting the perfect noodles. Their ramen offers a heaping serving of noodles, paired with a balanced, umami-flavored broth and optional add-ons to please any ramen lover. What makes Otaku Ramen special too is that they serve boba tea on their menu, making it a good stop to curb two cravings at one location.
Ooink Ramen - Seattle, WA
Located in the Pike/Pine area of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Ooink Ramen is not a traditional Japanese ramen restaurant offering a more modern twist on typical ramen and other Japanese menu items. They offer numbing foods, such as a spicy fried chicken sandwich and other spice twists on Japanese appetizer fare. Their ramen is Japanese malay style and they offer vegan vegetable broth ramen. Ooink Ramen is known for its spice, offering a spicy ramen that some customers say is similar to a Chinese hot pot soup, making them a good spot for trying innovative Japanese-style ramen and other foods.
Tonchin - New York, NY
A Tokyo-based chain, Tonchin has a location in New York City right near the Empire State Building. The Japanese ramen restaurant chain specializes in Tonkotsu ramen, griddled dishes, and other offerings, such as chicken wings, rice balls, or vegan oyster mushroom kimchi. They also offer extensive options for wine, natural wine, and sake and have a signature cocktail menu, giving guests a glimpse into the Japanese cocktail scene. Though most head to Tonchin for dinner, they also offer a weekly lunch special making Tonchin one of the best ramen restaurants in New York for lunch or dinner.
Hinodeya - 3 locations in San Francisco, CA; Dallas, TX
Hinodeya is a ramen bar with locations in San Francisco and Dallas, Texas. Serving traditional Japanese ramen, Hinodeya specializes in “Dashi,” a stock of bonito skipjack tuna (known as ‘katsuo’) and konbu seaweed with a strong umami flavor. Hinodeya also serves ramen with more seafood, such as their Hamaguri ramen which features naturally harvested clams.
Yoroshiku - Seattle, WA
Offering guests a traditional and modern experience with Izakaya Japanese foods such as sushi, ramen, and okonomiyaki, Yoroshiku is a top ramen restaurant located in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Their restaurant is more upbeat and modern compared to the traditional Japanese style while still offering a cultural experience through traditional, timeless family recipes. In addition to ramen, Yoroshiku is celebrated for its flavorful and tender Japanese fried chicken, as well as a number of other fried izakaya dishes.
Wasabi - Chicago, IL
Near Logan Square in Chicago, Wasabi ramen restaurant is a secret gem hidden in the Chicago restaurant scene. Their menu offers both traditional Japanese-style food as well as modern elevated cuisine. From small, Izakaya appetizer plates to perfect, traditional ramen made with a pork bone broth boiled over multiple days, Wasabi holds true to its reputation. With classics such as their original Tonkotsu and Hakata classic ramen, Wasabi inspires guests to try other new, unique dishes, such as their spicy roasted garlic miso ramen or even a vegan Tan Tan Men ramen with spiced seitan ragu. Whether you are searching for traditional umami ramen or something surprising and new, you can find what you’re craving at Wasabi.
Afuri Izakaya - Portland, OR
Afuri Izakaya opened its first restaurant outside of Japan in the Belmont neighborhood of Portland, OR. One thing that makes their ramen stand out is the water used to make the broth, which is soft water from a pure source: Mt. Hood in Oregon. Afuri chose to open their restaurant in Portland because of the water quality found nearby that matches the ideal spring water sourced from Afuri Mountain in Japan. They believe using this high-quality water has contributed to their ability to create high-quality ramen, especially when combined with the local vegetables sourced from Oregon farmers. Their specialty is a Yuzu (Japanese citrus) style ramen that combines a Shio (salt) based broth with Yuzu to balance the flavor for perfect ramen.
Ramen Star - Denver, CO
Ramen Star offers Denver world-class ramen with homemade noodles and high-quality broth. They specialize in making noodles in-house and take their time to ensure the best quality and perfect texture. They use an imported Japanese noodle press to create the freshest ramen noodles in Denver. Paired with their authentic Tokyo-style broth free of any chemical preservatives or MSG, Ramen Star cooks their broth over multiple days to ensure guests the freshest, best ramen in Colorado.
Tampopo Ramen - Tempe, AZ
In Tempe, Arizona, Tampopo Ramen is a small, Japanese-style eatery with an authentic ramen bar. Inspired by the movie Tampopo, the owners traveled around the world in search of the best ramen and to learn how to perfect the art of ramen making. They perfected the balance of a rich pork-bone soup base, but also offer a vegan soymilk-based option. Their noodles are all made in-house daily, which you can watch them make during your dining experience! For a special treat, they offer another popular Japanese dish, an appetizer called Takoyaki, making them the spot to check out for ramen and Japanese food in Tempe.
There are ramen restaurants all over the world and across the United States, but these 20 ramen restaurants have perfected the art of ramen making. These spots offer customers the best, most high-quality, traditional ramen. From pairing their ramen with delicate, hand-crafted cocktails inspired by Japan to the mouth-watering savory umami and homemade ramen noodles, the top 20 ramen restaurants listed above have proved that ramen is an art form that tastes delicious.
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