Food is good and tastes great, but has given me horrible diarrhea TWICE now. The first time when I tried it with a group of friends, we all had the same issue but thought it was because we all were coming down with a cold. I gave the food the benefit of the doubt and went again yesterday. I've had horrible GI issues the entire day, even though I tried something different this time. My friend who I went with also had the same problem both times we went.
Chass C.
As a ramen enthusiast on a quest to uncover Madison's top noodle spot, I recently visited Strings Ramen with a friend. Opting for the Sui Gyoza - boiled chicken dumplings with a spicy ponzu sauce - alongside the Spicy Crab Miso Ramen at Level one spice, our expectations were high. While the ramen was decent, it didn't quite hit the mark of extraordinary. However, the Sui Gyoza stole the show with its flavorful filling and zesty ponzu sauce, leaving a lasting impression. Service was impeccable, and the convenience of finding parking right in front was a definite plus in a city where parking can often be a challenge. Though the ramen didn't blow me away, the overall experience was enjoyable, making it a worthwhile stop on my quest for the perfect bowl of noodles.
Elizabeth S.
Ordered a vegetarian ramen, the serving size was much smaller than I expected for the price that was charged. There was some flavor in the ramen, but it definitely needed more flavor to be considered a ramen at all, more like a watered-down soup with a lot of oil floating atop. Not a lot of noodles and was very disappointed. I finished my meal here and then found another place to eat so I could actually feel fuller. Not going again.
Vince H.
Quick service, and busy spot right on state street. There's a lot of competitors around but I find strings is the best one in this block! They have fresh noodles, and their shoyu base broth is flavorful and not too salty. Highly recommend!
Alex L.
Got the tonkotsu belly ramen - absolutely delicious. I should've taken a picture before diving in! Service was attentive (the table next to me had an error with their order and it was fixed quickly) and quick, the music is perfectly pleasant pop music, and the tables for four+ are comfy. will happily come back - one of the great restaurants in walking distance.
Miko I.
We ordered miso ramen with kurobuta pork. The broth completely lacked flavors, as if they forgot to add salt entirely. All they would have to do was just taste before they serve anything. The pork was good, but the overall experience was disappointing.
Kira A.
Always delicious and amazing. Take the spicy-heat ratings seriously; the spicy is really spicy.
Jeffrey R.
Im gonna give it a 5/5! Pretty great ramen for Madison. Which by itself I would give probably an 8.5/10. The ambiance of the restaurant is great! It's so cozy and somehow makes me hungry just being there. The service is also nice. I only have been there a few times, having the same server, but they were very efficient and polite, while not being too vocal (ideal for a ramen place imo) Thanks for the good food! 9/10. Rating 5/5 because it's the closest to how I feel.
Ed H.
Pretty tasty chain ramen joint well located in Madison and staffed by non-Japanese East Asians. We stopped by for lunch on a game day when most of the usual places had huge lines, it seems Strings Ramen wasn't in people's game day plans, which is fine. Wasn't super hungry so just got the Tonkotsu Kura Buta (Pork Belly) ramen. It was served in a decent sized bowl and generally nicely hot. The broth was really good, a fairly deep complex and very tasty Tonkotsu broth, surprisingly good for a chain place. The Chasu was a nice thick slice of pork, also very tasty. There were some decent additional toppings, a piece of Nori, a soft boiled egg, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo, sesame seeds and scallion. These toppings were all pretty good but the egg was cold, it most definitely was boiled before and came out of the refrigerator. This was bit of a dissappointing note to an otherwise very good bowl of ramen. One other thing I didn't appreciate was the several mentions in the menu of how China influenced ramen or served as an ancestor to the development of ramen in Japan. While there is some truth to this, it seemed unnecessary and distracted from the focus on ramen, which is a Japanese dish. Lets just focus on the ramen and different styles of Japanese ramen.Overall the service was good, the ramen was good, the place is clean and would go again.
Hannah C.
rAAAAAAAAAAH OMFG THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE.. MADISON i had 0 expectations for ramen but strings blew me away. so yummy, such a good pricepoint in my opinion, and super nice staff and so cozy!! cant wait to come back for more in the cold winter months
Have gone a couple of times and it is consistently delicious. The pork belly is always a great choice. Love the regular and the pork ramen.
Bao N.
If I have to pick a ramen place in town this will always be my pick. The atmosphere is lively with many patrons and music going. The service was great but the servers some times lack the knowledge of the food items. This isn't an issue normally but the food that are offered were very specific, such as tonkotsu ramen or rice dishes, so I would have expected the servers to know their food. The food were great no matter which one we chose. All items had a unique taste to them, even if you get the same ramen but with different toppings. It was also a little funny in that they have a ramen with some of the world hottest peppers. Appetizer were great in taste but not in size if you are planning on sharing appetizers. There are multiple tables for you to sit down with long tables for groups and smaller tables along the walls for single or pairs. The downside is the size of the location made it a little too close to the tables adjacent to you. You would also have to wait a few minutes depending on the time you eat because there are sometimes line out the door, proving how popular this place is. Overall the restaurant is a must go for ramen lovers. The only thing holding the restaurant back is the size of the place but the wait is worth it.
Marla S.
Damn good ramen. The toppings are perfect, and they offer different level "spice bombs" for the more adventurous pallet. That way you can enjoy a good miso, but still get in the kick.
Neha B.
We dined in on a weekend and we were seated lol okay right away. I enjoyed reading the history of ramen and guide to eating ramen on their menu. I got the Vegetarian Hell Ramen Level 2 and it wasn't as spicy, so I added some Onikasu (red spice) that was provided on each table. My husband got a level 3, and that was spicy! The broth was very flavorful and I liked the toppings as well. This is easily one of my favorite ramen places in the area. Pro tip: If you are unsure about the spice level for your Hell Ramen, then level down on your spice and add Onikasu (red spice) on the table to bring the spice level to your liking.
Google user
Beware. All these sites for cars have been updated by the company and they have eliminated most of their cars in the area. Dont waste your 25 non-refundable application fee. You will find there are now only 3 cars in a 6 mile radius of the Capital. Failure to update their maps and contradictory information provided by customer service, blamed on failure for all representatives to have these updates, demonstrates the company lacks the adequate infrastructure to do the job and serve their customers. So disappointing. A viable Community Car rental is so needed and appropriate for a city like Madison. **This is a dated review. The program has been revamped and that deserves recognition. Please see more up to date reviews. I have not used the new service. E.G.
Food is good and tastes great, but has given me horrible diarrhea TWICE now. The first time when I tried it with a group of friends, we all had the same issue but thought it was because we all were coming down with a cold. I gave the food the benefit of the doubt and went again yesterday. I've had horrible GI issues the entire day, even though I tried something different this time. My friend who I went with also had the same problem both times we went.
As a ramen enthusiast on a quest to uncover Madison's top noodle spot, I recently visited Strings Ramen with a friend. Opting for the Sui Gyoza - boiled chicken dumplings with a spicy ponzu sauce - alongside the Spicy Crab Miso Ramen at Level one spice, our expectations were high. While the ramen was decent, it didn't quite hit the mark of extraordinary. However, the Sui Gyoza stole the show with its flavorful filling and zesty ponzu sauce, leaving a lasting impression. Service was impeccable, and the convenience of finding parking right in front was a definite plus in a city where parking can often be a challenge. Though the ramen didn't blow me away, the overall experience was enjoyable, making it a worthwhile stop on my quest for the perfect bowl of noodles.
Ordered a vegetarian ramen, the serving size was much smaller than I expected for the price that was charged. There was some flavor in the ramen, but it definitely needed more flavor to be considered a ramen at all, more like a watered-down soup with a lot of oil floating atop. Not a lot of noodles and was very disappointed. I finished my meal here and then found another place to eat so I could actually feel fuller. Not going again.
Quick service, and busy spot right on state street. There's a lot of competitors around but I find strings is the best one in this block! They have fresh noodles, and their shoyu base broth is flavorful and not too salty. Highly recommend!
Got the tonkotsu belly ramen - absolutely delicious. I should've taken a picture before diving in! Service was attentive (the table next to me had an error with their order and it was fixed quickly) and quick, the music is perfectly pleasant pop music, and the tables for four+ are comfy. will happily come back - one of the great restaurants in walking distance.
We ordered miso ramen with kurobuta pork. The broth completely lacked flavors, as if they forgot to add salt entirely. All they would have to do was just taste before they serve anything. The pork was good, but the overall experience was disappointing.
Always delicious and amazing. Take the spicy-heat ratings seriously; the spicy is really spicy.
Im gonna give it a 5/5! Pretty great ramen for Madison. Which by itself I would give probably an 8.5/10. The ambiance of the restaurant is great! It's so cozy and somehow makes me hungry just being there. The service is also nice. I only have been there a few times, having the same server, but they were very efficient and polite, while not being too vocal (ideal for a ramen place imo) Thanks for the good food! 9/10. Rating 5/5 because it's the closest to how I feel.
Pretty tasty chain ramen joint well located in Madison and staffed by non-Japanese East Asians. We stopped by for lunch on a game day when most of the usual places had huge lines, it seems Strings Ramen wasn't in people's game day plans, which is fine. Wasn't super hungry so just got the Tonkotsu Kura Buta (Pork Belly) ramen. It was served in a decent sized bowl and generally nicely hot. The broth was really good, a fairly deep complex and very tasty Tonkotsu broth, surprisingly good for a chain place. The Chasu was a nice thick slice of pork, also very tasty. There were some decent additional toppings, a piece of Nori, a soft boiled egg, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo, sesame seeds and scallion. These toppings were all pretty good but the egg was cold, it most definitely was boiled before and came out of the refrigerator. This was bit of a dissappointing note to an otherwise very good bowl of ramen. One other thing I didn't appreciate was the several mentions in the menu of how China influenced ramen or served as an ancestor to the development of ramen in Japan. While there is some truth to this, it seemed unnecessary and distracted from the focus on ramen, which is a Japanese dish. Lets just focus on the ramen and different styles of Japanese ramen.Overall the service was good, the ramen was good, the place is clean and would go again.
rAAAAAAAAAAH OMFG THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE.. MADISON i had 0 expectations for ramen but strings blew me away. so yummy, such a good pricepoint in my opinion, and super nice staff and so cozy!! cant wait to come back for more in the cold winter months
Restaurantji Recommends
Have gone a couple of times and it is consistently delicious. The pork belly is always a great choice. Love the regular and the pork ramen.
If I have to pick a ramen place in town this will always be my pick. The atmosphere is lively with many patrons and music going. The service was great but the servers some times lack the knowledge of the food items. This isn't an issue normally but the food that are offered were very specific, such as tonkotsu ramen or rice dishes, so I would have expected the servers to know their food. The food were great no matter which one we chose. All items had a unique taste to them, even if you get the same ramen but with different toppings. It was also a little funny in that they have a ramen with some of the world hottest peppers. Appetizer were great in taste but not in size if you are planning on sharing appetizers. There are multiple tables for you to sit down with long tables for groups and smaller tables along the walls for single or pairs. The downside is the size of the location made it a little too close to the tables adjacent to you. You would also have to wait a few minutes depending on the time you eat because there are sometimes line out the door, proving how popular this place is. Overall the restaurant is a must go for ramen lovers. The only thing holding the restaurant back is the size of the place but the wait is worth it.
Damn good ramen. The toppings are perfect, and they offer different level "spice bombs" for the more adventurous pallet. That way you can enjoy a good miso, but still get in the kick.
We dined in on a weekend and we were seated lol okay right away. I enjoyed reading the history of ramen and guide to eating ramen on their menu. I got the Vegetarian Hell Ramen Level 2 and it wasn't as spicy, so I added some Onikasu (red spice) that was provided on each table. My husband got a level 3, and that was spicy! The broth was very flavorful and I liked the toppings as well. This is easily one of my favorite ramen places in the area. Pro tip: If you are unsure about the spice level for your Hell Ramen, then level down on your spice and add Onikasu (red spice) on the table to bring the spice level to your liking.
Beware. All these sites for cars have been updated by the company and they have eliminated most of their cars in the area. Dont waste your 25 non-refundable application fee. You will find there are now only 3 cars in a 6 mile radius of the Capital. Failure to update their maps and contradictory information provided by customer service, blamed on failure for all representatives to have these updates, demonstrates the company lacks the adequate infrastructure to do the job and serve their customers. So disappointing. A viable Community Car rental is so needed and appropriate for a city like Madison. **This is a dated review. The program has been revamped and that deserves recognition. Please see more up to date reviews. I have not used the new service. E.G.