29 Best Ramen Restaurants In America

Amidst the scramble of struggle and conflict that has begun to cloud the hopes of modern society, there seems to be one universal beacon of comfort for the masses: ramen. When all else goes wrong, we can find solace in the fact that as a country, America sure knows how to do ramen, and that you can travel virtually anywhere to find a satisfying bowl.

While a solid majority of some of the country's best ramen restaurants are congregated in diverse metropolitan cities like New York and Los Angeles, there are stellar spots serving up savory, flavorful bowls of the stuff across the country. Ramen is one of those dishes that can be simultaneously familiar and innovative, as pickier customers can safely order chicken or pork broth with noodles and classic toppings, while those looking for something novel can head to trendier spots for innovative concoctions like Impossible Meat ramen or hazelnut milk ramen. Even those with serious food allergies or restrictions, like vegans or celiacs, can find genuinely delicious ramen at many highly-rated restaurants around the country.

To put it simply, there are a lot of incredible ramen restaurants in America. To help you out, we have compiled a list of the top 30 ramen restaurants in the U.S., corner to corner, from down in Miami, Florida to up in Portland, Oregon. Ramen road trip anyone? Sounds like a delicious idea to us.

If you've seen photos from ROKC, they're likely of their dazzling cocktails 1(like this martini served in a light bulb). However, ROKC — which is a convenient acronym for "ramen, oysters, kitchen, cocktails” — has been a New York staple due to their Japanese and Chinese cuisine expertise. According to its website, "ROKC is where East meets West, where the past fuses with the present." This can be seen in their contemporary take on ancient recipes.

At ROKC, you can order from their fairly extensive raw bar, which includes fresh oysters imported from the east coast, and $1.50 happy hour oysters. Of course, the ramen is the show-stopper, and, according to Yelp, one of the most popular offerings is the Kyoto: a chicken and fish-based broth topped with flavorful pork belly, garlic oil, a soft boiled egg, spicy bean sprouts, and scallion. If you're in it for the noodles and not so much for the broth, try their soupless offering, like the Yokosuka, made with creamy coconut milk, shrimp paste, green curry, shrimp oil, and various veggies. Other ramen flavors are gabbed about for their inclusion of truffle oil, and most customers praise this place for their generous portions.

A major contender for the best ramen in Dallas, Ichigoh Ramen Lounge is known for its authenticity. The most raved-about menu item might be its juicy, yet crispy, karaage chicken, but the ramen is what keeps customers lining up inside of this sleek, sunny spot.

A major selling point for the ramen at Ichigoh is the thin noodles, which are sourced straight from Sapporo, Japan. According to The Dallas Morning News, the noodles are said to have been imported and aged in cedar noodle boxes for about a week prior to being served.

The resturant also boasts unique ramen flavors, like Apple Fennel Shio, which is made with ingredients like vegetable broth, apple, and pickled fennel. Unlike many other ramen spots, Ichigoh typically uses a chicken paitan broth rather than the milkier, heavier pork-based broths. Amongst its popular dishes are the Tori Paitan, Spicy Soboro Shoyu (though it's said to be just "the right" amount of spice, for those craving something extra hot), and the light, citrusy, semi-sweet Yuzu Shio ramen (via Yelp).

Hinodeya is run by Masao Kuribara, who, according to Hoodline, "has cooked for the late Prime Minister of Japan, Ryutaro Hashimoto, the Clintons, and countless heads of state." The Hinodeya Ramen Bar greets customers with its mantra: "More tasty, more exciting, and more comfortable!" Does that make you want to cozy up in a booth with a steaming bowl of ramen, or what?

While Hinodeya is one of many popular ramen restaurants in San Francisco (where there are two locations), there is also a Hinodeya location in Dallas. Most ramen is photogenic by nature, but there's something about the bowls at Hinodeya that are simply artful. The noodles are known to be perfectly koshi, which is a word that describes the noodles' elasticity and firmness (bet you didn't think you'd be getting a vocabulary lesson here, did you?). The resturant even offers a creamy vegan ramen with spinach noodles. Two popular dishes include the Spicy Miso Special, packed with fatty, delicious flavors, and the Hamaguri ramen, which is swimming with fresh littleneck clams.

Due to its opportune location near the coast, the bustling Seattle food scene is crowned by seafood-bearing restaurants, and Yoroshiku is no exception. The restaurant, run by Sapporo-native Keisuke Kobayashi, opened in 2012 and quickly grew, having doubled in size after just five years, according to the Yoroshiku website.

The Yoroshiku website opens with the quote "Illuminating an often-overlooked side of Japanese cuisine." With classic dishes including spicy miso ramen and innovative menu items like wagyu shoyu ramen, chef Kobayahsi proves that Japanese cuisine is much, much more than tuna rolls and slices of sashimi (although the menu offers those as well). Since the seafood is fresh as can be, the restaurant's Fisherman Ramen is majorly popular, complete with clam, octopus, salmon, and scallops, oh my! This spot is usually super busy, so reservations are recommended. Pro tip: come for the unbeatable happy hour, which features sake and sashimi combo specials.

If we were a ramen restaurant, we'd be intimidated by Jinya Ramen Bar. With its sleek, modern interior and trendy vibes, it has everything a city-goer might look for in a ramen spot: great food, a vast menu, and a hip crowd. Its Buckhead Atlanta location gets rave reviews on the regular, and for good reason.

At Jinya Ramen Bar, vegans (and non-vegans looking for a meat-free meal) will be pleased with the numerous plant-based options offered. There's spicy creamy vegan ramen, loaded with chunks of tofu and toppings like crispy onions and garlic oil; the Tsunami White Pearl topped with Impossible Meat and broccolini; and the veggie-packed Flying Vegan Harvest. Those who are looking for a meat-based soup will love the sumptuous wonton chicken ramen or the various tonkotsu options. The chain even has a gluten-free ramen that can be prepared vegan or with chicken! It's worth mentioning that this spot offers some awesome side dishes too, including mini tacos, Brussels sprouts tempura, and an Impossible Meat bun.

Chicago's foodie scene is no joke, and neither is its ramen game. Just like other major U.S. cities, the Windy City is saturated with five-star-worthy ramen shops, but Wasabi might just take the cake. (Plus, "Wasabi in the Windy City" just has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?)

According to its website, Wasabi is known as a "secret gem" to locals, and "is everything you'd expect and nothing you'd imagine." Sounds mysterious, but there's some truth to that statement. Wasabi's specializes in tonkotsu ramen, with rich and creamy pork bone broth that is simmered for as much as 45 hours. Aside from its classic ramen, the resturant offers bowls with chewy egg noodles and a vegan option that includes a seitan ragu. Other dishes include a spicy roasted garlic miso ramen, made with tender Berkshire pork belly, egg, marinated bamboo shoot, bean sprouts, sesame, scallions, garlic chips, and chili threads; katsu sliders, which come in pork, cod, and mushroom; and various rice bowls.

Although it hasn't appeared on our list yet, Portland is another city that boasts some incredible food spots, and — of course — amazing ramen. Afuri Izakaya started as a restaurant in Tokyo, and the Portland location is its first in the U.S., so you already know that it's the real deal. The restaurant's website describes Portland as providing the perfect geographical resources for quality, fresh ingredients. The resturant also has a second location in Beaverton, Oregon.

At Afuri Izakaya, all of the ramen is based off of the yuzu shio base, which (according to its Yelp page) is "a light-colored broth built upon a reduction made from dried seafood, seaweed, an assortment of salty ingredients, citrus notes of yuzu, and plenty of Umami." The menu features a ramen made with clam broth, plenty of chashu pork, and even a hazelnut broth ramen! The hazelnut ramen is a nourishing, hearty bowl, made with spicy sesame miso tare, leeks, bok choy, white soy mushrooms, sesame chili oil, and miso cashew crumbles.

There's a universal rule when it comes to food: if Guy Fieri likes it, we like it. That's right, Toki Underground was featured on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," which means it's like the celebrity of all ramen restaurants. Fieri was reportedly more than pleased with various menu items here, and even called the Toki classic ramen "a seven-course meal sitting inside of a bowl," according to Food Network.

The Toki Underground menu boats several ramen flavors, all of which are pork-based besides its vegan option. Aside from the classic braised pork option (which also comes in a gluten-free variation), there is a flavorful Taipei curry chicken, a red miso, and a spicy kimchi. Moreover, Toki Underground offers dipping ramen, or Tsukemen, and broth-less noodles with vegan variations. Frequent customers of this Washington, D.C. restaurant say that if you're not at least trying the ramen with a Toki Endorphin Sauce (spice bomb) add-on, you're doing it wrong.

When visiting New Orleans, most people are excited to try out traditional local delicacies like gumbo, jambalaya, and beignets. However, this cultural hot-spot also boasts incredible foods from all over the world, including, you guessed it, ramen. At Nomiya, the goal is to "bridge the gap between quintessential New Orleans cuisine and Japanese artistry." Since opening in 2017, the resturant has been doing just that, serving up flavor-packed ramen bowls to happy customers.

Nomiya is a quaint shop that doesn't take reservations and is usually pretty busy. The good news is that, while you wait, you can wander around the vibrant neighborhood of uptown New Orleans. What's cool about Nomiya is that its ramen is served in a build-your-own style. To start, customers choose from a base of either tonkotsu pork broth, geki-kara spicy broth, or garlicy kuro broth. All bases come with egg, leek, and braised pork. Next, there is a choice of toppings including bamboo, fishcake, crispy seaweed, pickled ginger, and pickles for guests to add-on.

At Ganko Ittetsu, the chefs specialize in Sapporo ramen. According to the restaurant website, what sets Sapporo-style ramen apart from the rest is that it is uniquely made in a wok, wherein the "base (tare) is sautéed and caramelized with vegetables and other ingredients before being blended with the broth. This method heightens the flavor of the soup while adding a charred taste and aroma."

At Ganko Ittetsu, the noodles are sourced from Japan's Nishiyama Noodles (one of the oldest manufacturers in the country), which makes them perfectly elastic and chewy. Most ramen options that this restaurant offers are made with a broth base of blended chicken, pork, and miso flavors, all of which are made from high quality ingredients. One popular dish here is the Gankara Miso, made with a special seven-spice blend. You know when you order spicy ramen and it's either too spicy or not spicy enough? Ganko has done away with that issue by including this useful (and kind of adorable) chart on its website.

With several locations in Austin and one in Houston, Ramen Tatsu-Ya is majorly popular among Texan ramen-lovers. Owned and operated by two DJs-turned-chefs, this spot has all-around good vibes. According to owner Tatsu Aikawa, the goal of Ramen Tatsu-Ya is "to educate people on what ramen truly is. It's the soul food of Japan."

Most of the ramen at this spot is made with a long-simmered tonkotsu pork bone broth, starting with The OG, topped with a perfectly tender swirl of chashu pork, ajitama egg, wood ear mushroom, scallion, and sesame seeds. Choose between the Mi-So-Not or Mi-So-Hot for a hearty bowl of pork broth, miso blend, goma pork, egg, Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, corn, and sesame seeds, the latter a spicy kick if you want it. There's also the classic tsukemen, served with condensed pork bone dipping broth and lime, and the Ol'Skool, which is made with a chicken shoyu broth, rather than pork. The resturant also has two vegan options, the Nu Skool and the Curry Nu Skool.

Voted the 2020's Best Ramen in Miami by the Miami New Times, Ichimi has proved its star power by holding onto its popularity through the pandemic.

What many customers love about Ichimi is that it offers a build-your-own ramen option, so you can pick and choose your favorite broth, noodles, and toppings. Choose from flavors like spicy miso, soul, curry, black dragon, seafood, or vegetarian. For toppings, you can select from a wide array of goodies, including chili oil, bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, pork belly, shrimp, ribs, wontons, spicy mayo, and more. For noodles, Ichimi offers house-made thin wheat noodles or Japanese imported egg noodles. While Ichimi offers an array of other tasty dishes, its braised brisket bao deserves an honorable mention.

Dallas a serious rival to its foodie neighbor, Austin, and Wabi House is one of many amazing restaurants in the area, with two locations — one in Lower Greenville and another in Fort Worth.

At Wabi House, one of the most popular dishes on the menu is the spicy miso ramen, which contains minced pork, bamboo shoots, scallions, chili strips, and poached egg, all in a simmering broth. A unique option here is the dry garlic ramen: a buttery, super garlicky bowl. At Wabi House, you can even order a vegetarian ramen bowl with special vegan noodles! The star of the show, however, is the Tsukemen, which is only available after 5 p.m. Why, you ask? This dish is a crowd-pleaser, because, in true Texas style, it is topped with smoky, salty, applewood bacon.

With an opportune location inside the bustling Ponce City Market, Ton Ton Ramen & Yakitori is the go-to spot for ramen in Atlanta. After you stroll around the market, duck into Ton Ton for a warm, comforting bowl of ramen and a beer.

Ton Ton has it all: milky, savory pork bone broth; melt-in-your-mouth chashu; and perfectly soft-boiled eggs. It even has a chili paste "bomb" add on, if you're craving something spicy. Aside from the traditional Hakata tonkotsu ramen, it also offers a chicken broth based tori shoyu, topped with chashu, egg, bamboo shoots, spinach, fish cake, scallions, and sesame seeds. The vegetarian option and broth-less Dan Dan mazamen are also crowd favorites.