Ramen Restaurants near Berkeley, CA

“WHEN: Sat @6pm

PARKING: There is metered parking around, and is free after 6pm. It may be a bit tricky especially around meal time, but keep circling and you’ll find a spot near by enough.

This cute little ramen shop has such perfect lighting coming through thanks to thier skylight. We weren’t actually hungry so we shared the following:

TONKOTSU - $16.50 (Regular)
Pork Belly Chashu, Bamboo Shoots, Red Onion, Wood Ear Mushrooms, Green Onion, Ajitama Egg.

You get a choice of noodles to pick:
1.) Hakata - Thin Straight
2.) Sapporo - Medium Thick Wavy

Figured since it’s my first time here, I choose the most basic version of their bowl of ramen. I chose Sapparo and for some reason expected it to be thicker/wider, but regardless it was still good! The presentation of this bowl is just gorgeous, served on a small wooden platter. The red onion is chopped, and the pork Belly is quite tender. Regarding the egg, you get just half. Overall this bowl of ramen is creamy, rich, and the right amount of flavor and salt. But still make sure to drink at least a glass of water!

CREAMY CHASHU PORK CROQUETTES - $8.50
I have never seen anything like this so I must give it a try! It actually didn’t come out piping hot, so I was able to drive in right away! It was definitely creamy (like ramen) and had pieces of the Chasu pork, encased in a crispy and warm batter that was deep fried. It also comes with a katsu sauce and I really enjoyed it.

The staff was friendly and didn’t make us feel bad for ordering enough of just one, but man I was so full. Had to walk around downtown Berkeley for awhile.“

“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.“

“We are visiting from Israel and had a wonderful dinner here. Every dish was delicious, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff made us feel truly welcome. One of the best meals we've had during our California trip. Thank you for a great experience!“

“This is one of our favorite places, though the quality/taste of the food is variable. In other words, you need to know what to order because they do some things better than others, which isn't too surprising given the many choices in their menu. My recommendation is to get the mentaiko carbonara, IMHO the best thing they serve.“

“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!“

“Great ramen.

We got the Signature Toripaitan, one original and one spicy. It was good, plenty of food and excellent flavor. It's a small and cozy restaurant, wouldn't recommend for large crowds. Get their early, pretty much at opening time or else be prepared to wait outside.“

“This ramen spot is legit. Went Thursday night and got lucky.. No wait for a table & parking opened up after 2 loops.

Enoki chips were a good start. Got the Garlic Knockout ramen and it hit the spot. Noodles had perfect texture & it was super garlicky, just how I like it. Fast service too. 10/10 if you’re craving ramen. I'll be back to try the other items on the menu.“

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

“I’ve always been a big fan of ramen, and this place is definitely one of my top two recommendations in the East Bay/Oakland area! The only other spot I’d suggest is Mensho on Piedmont Ave. I’ve been coming here for years, and my favorite is always the Chicken Paitan DX. The broth is always so rich and flavorful with just the right amount of umami and not too much salt. I absolutely love when that grilled sizzling chicken leg comes out it’s just so delicious! You can try their other sides and appetizers, but this order will fill you up pretty fast. The staff are always super attentive, and the restaurant has a perfect vibe for a date night or just hanging out with friends. Plus, the line is much shorter than the one in San Francisco Japantown. I’m a huge fan of this restaurant and would highly recommend it to all ramen lovers! 😋“

“Amazing 🤩 Great service and tasty food“

“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 place is our favorite! The food is consistently great, the staff are warm and attentive. We come here almost every weekend and love the half priced Sake on Fridays! I tell everyone about this place and hope it sticks around for a long time :)

We also get the heart skewers, gyoza with house sauce, tantan men ramen and the tonkotsu. The curry is also divine!

Shoutout to G who is the best waitress! She takes great care of me and my family.

Come here asap! Love this place“

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

“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.“

“Visited Hinodeya Ramen solo and thought it was a great spot for dining alone. The food was delicious—I ordered the chicken ramen and chicken karaage, and both were fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. The service was friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. Overall, a great ramen spot that I’d definitely recommend, whether you’re dining solo or with friends.“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“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!!!“

“On my first visit to the restaurant, I ordered edemame, fried mushrooms, and vegetarian Ramen. The food exceeded all my expectations! The service was attentive and quick. I had a great experience at Ushi Taro Ramen and cannot wait to go back!“

“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“

“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!“

“I love Ramen Station!! I’ve been coming here for a couple of years now and it’s a great place :)) it’s a self-service establishment so you pretty much never see staff unless they’re cleaning or restocking outside of the kitchen. It’s always very well maintained and it’s nice to eat outside with the view of the water!!“

“One of a small handful of state-side ramen experiences that’s equaled some of the ramen bowls I’ve enjoyed in Japan. The yuzu ramen is the stand-out.

I brought my discerning professional chef friend here and when he tasted the yuzu broth, he immediately ordered a bowl from Hiroshi, then boxed up the meal he already had in front of him from another stall.

But maybe the clearest indication of Hiroshi Ramen’s visit-worthiness is the fact that it has unseated Super Duper Birger as my 11yr old son’s gold standard go-to restaurant.

The 1-3 star reviews here have me thinking there really should be a qualifications exam before you’re aloud to rate a restaurant on these platforms.

Just go.“

“Came here after a long work day and it was so awesome.

Good:
- The sushi was amazing- we just split 5 rolls amongst 3 of us and it was just enough food
- I liked the sunflower roll and the lion king roll and the baked rolls - the baked ones come with smaller portion sizes though
- The staff are very nice and service comes quick - especially for some of the more popular rolls
- Tasty cucumber salad and edamame
- Very clean interior

Bad:
- The place is pretty small so limited seats available
- Gets expensive

Overall this place was so tasty and would come again!“

“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.“

“I got the chicken katsu curry and it was phenomenal, best I’ve ever had. Chill atmosphere, friendly staff, it felt like I was sitting down for a home cooked meal. Any time I’m in the area for work I’m coming here to explore more of the menu items. The chicken katsu curry came with a salad, miso soup, rice, and curry separate from the chicken. The hot tea was good too“

“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.“

“Relatively healthy food, not greasy, very flavorful, good portions and prices. Fresh food. I eat here from doordash very often.

One criticism is the boba teas are very expensive for their size, but this problem only exist for the teas.“

“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.“

“We had an incredible experience here! Finding a place that pairs top-tier food with a genuinely welcoming environment for families can be a challenge, but this spot nailed it.

The Food: The vegetarian/vegan ramen was absolutely delicious. It was rich, deeply flavorful broth, perfect noodles, and beautifully prepared toppings. It's easily some of the best vegetarian/vegan ramen around.

The Vibe: Exceptionally kid-friendly without sacrificing the great atmosphere.

The Service: What really blew us away was the staff's incredible hospitality. They went above and beyond to make our kids feel special, even turning a simple drink order into a small theatrical performance to ensure it was poured exactly 50/50 between two cups.

Fantastic food, wonderful team, and an all-around great spot for parents and plant-based foodies alike. We will absolutely be back!“

“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!“

“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!!“