Ramen Restaurants near Berkeley, CA

“I have only had absolutely spectacular experiences here, every single time I’ve come. This is the best ramen I’ve ever had in the Berkeley area! The meal is very hearty and the mushrooms are especially delicious. Apart from the food, the service is excellent.

The first time I came here, they took my coat off the chair and offered to hang it up for me on these hangers next to the door. I’ve never experienced that before. The second time, the food was delicious as always, and the waiter and manager were extremely kind and accommodating to all our dietary restrictions.“

“Bansho is a very special place. The extraordinary combination of delicate mindfulness in service and decor, and meticulous attention to the balance and quality of ingredients creates magic. You will leave feeling better than when you arrived. Highly recommend.“

“Kinda izakaya is a cozy, lively spot with great vibes and friendly service. The menu has plenty of tasty Japanese comfort food—perfect for sharing. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and well-seasoned. Prices are reasonable, and the overall experience feels genuinely enjoyable.“

“I was pleasantly surprised by the amazing quality of the food, the warm and friendly ambiance and the wonderful jazz guitarist. The ramen noodles are made fresh onsite and my vegan ramen was surprisingly exquisite. The owners work there and are genuinely gracious and relaxed. The music wasn’t too loud. The restaurant was full, but it was still easy to hear my table partner.“

“Excellent foods, friendly staffs! We really love to have dinner here~ Absolutely, I will visit again when I come back to Berkeley!“

“First timer and definitely coming back for more!“

“The food was pretty good, though from what I've seen the prices are pretty high. GBO gave us an item included, but otherwise, even though the food tastes good and has great portions, it's very expensive.

Also, for any GBOers who see this, the spicy rice cakes (Tteokbokki) is not portioned for a full meal!

Otherwise the dine out area is quite nice!

Vegetarian options: There is the miso tofu ramen and maybe one other option, so vegetarians won't be left out!“

“Mensho is definitely not worth the wait in my opinion. The line is usually 45min-1hr long. Coupled with the fact that parking is hard to find and the restraunt is tiny and cramped, you are better off going to marufuku or hinodeya.

I had the spicy GKO. Compared to the other garlic ramen I have had in ramenagi this was ok. The chasu is belly slices like marufuku and not the spiral rolled belly cross section which I prefer since it falls apart more easily.

They don't give you a lot of toppings on the ramen. There is no ajitama or menma in the default. Given that the price point is higher than other sf ramens this doesn't seem like value for money.

Clearly other people disagree since there is a line out the door but also the restraunt is tiny so this could be artificial scarcity and the insta hype cycle.“

“Tried Mensho for the first time after seeing so many great reviews, and honestly, the reviews were not wrong! The food was amazing and definitely lived up to the hype. The place was fully packed, but the atmosphere was still chill and the service was really good. Great food, great vibe, and a really enjoyable experience. Definitely worth trying!“

“This is a must visit for anyone in Jack London Square“

“Amazing 🤩 Great service and tasty food“

“They have the best ramen. We had the veggie ramen with gluten free noodles and extra tofu. It was delicious. The veggie broth is flavorful and creamy. The broth isn’t technically 100% gluten free, so not recommended for celiacs. We also had shishito peppers that were great. The space is welcoming and the staff is exceptional. They are very attentive and helpful. The ramen is served quickly after ordering so the wait times are minimal.“

“Right at the edge of China town. Tried a lotus vegetable with mayo it was not good a bit too raw for me, also the squid legs which was good but a bit greasy. However we tried two different Ramen and they were delicious. Broth was very flavorful and heavy. Half egg 🥚 a nice touch usually you pay extra for the egg so it was nice to have it come in the dish. Service was nice and fast. Overall we had a great meal. There is allot of seating areas. I say check it out.“

“This is the best ramen in Oakland and possibly the Bay Area. I’m still trying new ramen spots but out of 22 that I’ve tried throughout the Bay Area this is the best I ever had! The toloyaki is really good as well.

The vibe tho! Oh so nice , good music great atmosphere! I try to go twice a month but the way my cholesterol is set up I have to pull back lol.

Give them a try they are amazing 10/10“

“The ramen tastes very good, the soup base is rich and the noodles taste great“

“Had the duck ramen. It was great. I see why this place is so popular. Also you have the option to eat either inside or outside. It was a beautiful day so we chose outside. All was good until some random homeless lady was asking us for food, when we obliged she specified that she doesn’t eat meat. There was only meat on the table so we were unable to help. Let’s say a prayer for her“

“Twice in one week in a business trip to SF - happened upon ilppudo and came back a few days later. Friendly staff, great Raman and nice interior.“

“This palce is a certain of community and history on Bernal Heights. Old friends come in to greetings of hugs and kisses from the staff. New patrons are welcomed in almost equal fashion! The food and vibe is hearty and made with love. No Reservations. Come over, put you name down, but you can enjoy wine or beer from a freat ludt inside or outsides as you wait. Shhh!!! Don't tell anyone else.“

“We really enjoyed our first meal at Hanami. we were greeted by a friendly server and she brought us menus and chopsticks. We ordered seafood ramen, katsu ramen and a veggie roll.

my fiance enjoyed his first time having abalone! We really liked how they prepared the squid as well. My katsu was lightly fried and perfectly crunchy. The veggie roll was fresh and delicious.

The ambiance was our favorite part! So many pretty things to look at! And we really enjoyed the music as well.

thank you for the yummy meal!“

“The food is fabulous, the staff is fabulous. It was a wonderful experience. If I lived here I would go back.“

“Went here for lunch right as they opened. Absolutely amazing for counter serve ramen. It comes in a plastic bowl and you have to eat it with a tiny plastic spoon, but it's like 90-95% as tasty as the full Mensho restaurants in SF and Oakland.

If you want lamb in your ramen like me, I recommend getting one of the lamb varieties, rather than adding lamb to the regular ramen as I did (my mistake, can't fault the store for this). It kind of overpowers the other flavors, but was still amazing.

I wish you could get beer or sake here, but for lunch ramen, this place can't be beaten.“

“Finally, a reasonably affordable and delicious ramen that's walking distance! Great service and SUPER ACCESSIBLE. Wide enough for those chonky electric wheelchairs, if you have one! If a scooter can fit in the restroom, then so can you!“

“This is a HIDDEN GEM!!Delicious!!! vegetable ramen- fresh steamed veggies, piping hot broth, huge portion! Pork dumplings- steaming, fresh! Strawberry milk tea- not overly sweet, I am a harsh critic of bobas!Attentive, quiet service! Price point in reasonable.“

“Inside was clean, I got the beef mini meal and replaced the macaroni salad with rice, the food cane with rice, bbq beef, and vegetables (cabbage and broccoli) the food was so good that I picked out the broccoli and ate it on its own, and I hate broccoli, so that shows how good it was“

“Besides the great Ramen Tan tan, make sure you get the fried chicken, Karage, only in japan i had it so good, the best in SF, a real japanese restaurant!!!“

“I had the Hiroshi Tonkotsu Ramen and it was the best Ramen I ever had. Seriously. Enjoyed it while watching the England versus Argentina game with my son who had the same. The broth was creamy and smokey, and they don’t use any MSG. Soooo good!!“

“I had such a great experience in this place. The girls up front are super friendly with great service and the food was absolutely amazing. Their tonkotsu ramen had such a flavorful broth with many variety of toppings. Overall I would recommend this place for anyone looking for quick and great service with fabulous food choices.“

“I’ve ordered Tonkutsu Ramen (mild), its good but too spicy for me. I asked for hot water to reduce d saltiness n spiciness. Flavor still great!“

“This review is long overdue. I came here last month with a group of friends and were pleasantly impressed. Ramen Station reminds me of Japan, and the ramen was also incredible. Every little detail here is so modern like Japan. I highly recommend this ramen place with your friends and family.“

“Got in late and wanted some great sushi for takeout. They were quick, super friendly, and the sushi was truly amazing. Some of the best Takeaway I have had. Would highly recommend eating in or doing Takeaway. Just picking up the environment was great, and more on the laid-back side for how good the sushi was.“

“Chef recommended Soft Shell Crab. Definitely will add to the roto. Perfectly light, crisp and oh so, tasty. Age Dashi Fried Tofu is perfect for first-timers. Paper thin dried fish is ambrosia. Perfect hide-away to enjoy food made from the soul. Encountered trainee. Your patience will bring happiness.“

“I finally tried this place out after some years. I’ve wanted to for some time but they close early at 5:30. I usually eat ramen at night, too bad they don’t stay open for dinner.
I was pleasantly surprised that the Karamiso Ramen was tasty and satisfying. I’ll definitely go back again.“

“Visited Yummy House for the very first time, and it was absolutely excellent! The ramen noodles are incredible—packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. On top of the amazing food, the service is super friendly and welcoming. If you're looking for a fantastic meal and a great vibe, this is definitely the place to go. I'm so glad I stopped by, and I will absolutely be coming back. Highly recommended!“

“Cool sushi spot, atmosphere was very chill. I was pretty much the only one eating at the time. Sashimi was good, the 49er roll wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be but this pace was still great. Staff was very courteous and the food came really fast. They also give you large portions. You'll get full fast at this spot.“

“I came here after going to Marufuku in walnut creek and having the absolute worst ramen of my life. I had to get that garbage taste out of my mouth.

Ramen shop accomplished that mission. The ramen egg was eggcellent. It was fully seasoned with a cured yolk. If you zoom in on the egg you can tell the texture of the white wasn't perfect but I think that is just part of making them in mass quantities for a restaurant.

The noodles were very good. Good texture and good snap. The broth was creamy and rich. I ate everything, including the soup.

I very much enjoyed that it looks like they took a torch to the chashu to give it a good charr which elevated it to another level. Really made it stand out from other chashu at other ramen shops.

Definitely recommend eating here. Some of my favorite ramen in the east bay.“

“The sushi was very mid. The lemon flavour on the 49er was too strong and overpowering.

The Fiery Wagyu’s flavour was far from a traditional ramen flavour, but I really enjoyed it! And that’s the only reason I’m giving this place four stars instead of three.“

“Very friendly quick service. And the food was delicious!“

“nice variety of food which was amazing. definitely going back“

“Bento boxes were great, so many options to chose from. Would definitely go back.“

“The dumplings and fried rice was very tasty, and the hospitality was great at the door. We talked to two women there who were personable and so kind to us making it a highlight of our trip to SF! They’ve been open for 60+ years for a reason, check them out!!“

“The food is great and worth the price. Only issue is the staff as a whole are not friendly at all. They barely acknowledge your existence and is even worse on phone. But dang good food.“