Where to Find the Best Ramen in Chicago in 2024

Looking for the best ramen in Chicago? Chicago is a city of cultural influences from all over the world, which means its international-inspired cuisine offerings are top-notch, particularly when it comes to Asian fare.

It comes in a variety of forms found both littered throughout the city and in some of its famous Chicago food corridors like Chinatown and the Argyle Street neighborhood, serving the likes of world-class sushi, classic dim-sum, amazing Thai curries, and of course, delicious ramen.

Where is the best place to get ramen in Chicago?  Ramen, which has ridden a wave of popularity in the past decade in the city, is the singular focus of many of the city’s hottest eateries, offering both mild and spicy, but always steaming, bowls of rich broth, slurpable noodles and customizable toppings that suit any palate.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites, located in several of Chicago’s best neighborhoods for enjoying a cozy bowl during the snowy winter (or summer!) 

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• Learn to Make the Perfect Ramen
• Best Places to Find Ramen in Chicago

Learn to Make the Perfect Ramen

Cooking classes make an excellent opportunity to up your kitchen skills and try new dishes, including ramen, which has a wealth of varieties, spiciness levels, flavor combos and noodle varieties.

Try taking a cooking class in Chicago, where you can learn to make a variety of Japanese and other Asian cuisine favorites, including perfectly rolled sushi, potstickers and curries.

You can also take more general courses in kitchen basics for beginners which will help you master flavors and techniques.

Best Places to Find Ramen in Chicago

1. Furious Spoon 

Located in Logan Square, this place boasts some of the best spicy ramen in Chicago in the form of its namesake Furious Bowl. which is made with spicy miso broth.

For the beginner, try the cleverly named Mother Clucker made with honey-ginger chicken breast. Filled with funky graffiti-style art and a casual vibe, you can’t miss the sign and location on one of Milwaukee Avenue’s famous six-cornered intersections.

2. Kameya

Near the bustling Depaul Univeristy, this Lincoln Park stop for some of the best ramen in Chicago does double duty as a popular neighborhood sushi spot.

The stylish dark and cozy interior is especially pretty at night, when abundant neon and twinkle lights provide a perfect venue for a budget-friendly date idea in Chicago. A simple broth allows endless customization with pork belly, bulgogi beef, chicken katsu, seafood or gyoza dumplings.

3. Kizuki Ramen and Izakaya

A Wicker Park favorite with a second location in New City, Kizuki Ramen and Izakaya seek to bring a traditional Japanese Dining experience to Chicago with customizable bowls starting with a base of garlic tonkotsu with pork broth.

You can also try the innovative tsukemen, a deconstructed ramen variation that is presented with a separate bowl of broth for dipping.

While the modern and high-ceilinged dining room filled with dynamic artwork is more expansive than many ramen spots, there may be a short wait during peak times. 

4. Gyuro Ramen

The second concept restaurant of Strings owner Kenny Yang, this best ramen in Chicago eatery switches the conventionally beef bones of its guyukotsu-style ramen for bison bones, offering a rich and distinctive flavor.

Enjoy a bowl amid the lively and bright dining area, which features traditional red lanterns and imagery from street signs, giving it a downtown Tokyo feel.

For bigger appetites, try the $30 premium bowl featuring wagyu, beef tongue, beef chashu, braised beef with wagyu and truffle wontons. 

5. Kyuramen

While this best-in-Chicago ramen eatery may be an international chain, with locations throughout the US and Japan, its wide variety of ramen types makes it worth a visit, including traditional tonkotsu and shio varieties, as well as a more innovative kimchi ramen.

Enjoy a bowl with a variety of tasty small plates like popcorn chicken or Japanese fried oysters. They also have a wealth of Japanese beverages and an adjacent bubble tea shop, Tbaar. L

ocated downtown, this spot is filled with interesting and innovative sculptural elements, like a hive-shaped seating area and an immense wooden wishing tree. A second location exists in Oak Park, serving up some of the best ramen in the Chicago suburbs.  

6. Ramen-San

This best spot for ramen in Chicago’s River North is popular for its buns and dumplings, usually followed by Tokyo-style wavy noodles that incorporate surprising ingredients like chicken and buttered corn. The interior is sleek and industrial, with a lit bar and cozy nighttime vibe perfect for a date night.

They also feature great vegetarian options, including the Tantan-San with a plant-based broth, cremini mushrooms, bok choy and chunks of tofu.

7. Ramen Wasabi

This stop for the best ramen in Chicago is known for its steaming tonkotsu broth, which takes 45 hours to create Berkshire pork bones.

The interior of this Loahgn Square restaurant is sleek and contemporary with an industrial vibe, prompting you to sit awhile and enjoy a bowl of their fan-fave Original ramen or small plates like pork buns or fried chicken lollipops. 

8. High Five Ramen

Tucked under Green Street Smoked Meats in the West Loop, this restaurant in contention for Chicago’s best downtown ramen is usually hopping and may require a wait as seating is very limited.

Run by Hogsalt Hospitality, this underground spot is known for its spiciness, offering a selection of tonktsu, shoyu and maitake ramen, all of which are adjustable for heat. 

Their kanobo sauce is described as “face-numbing, tear-jerking, unbearable.” They also offer Japanese beers, sakes and cocktail slushies to cool you off. 

9. Monster Ramen 

Another Logan Square contender for best ramen in Chicago, Monster Ramen is a purveyor of gyukotsu-style ramen from southern Japan made from bison bone stock and chicken-based tori chintan.

The famous Monster Ramen, made from wagyu rib roast, wagyu chashu and beef jam, is a large indulgence, with noodles made in-house. The interior of Monster Ramen is bright and sleekly contemporary but limited in size, so expect a wait during busy times. 

10. E Ramen

Located in Bridgeport on the city’s south side, this best place for ramen in Chicago offers classic flavors culled from long-simmered broth made from both pork and chicken.

They also have a selection of appetizer small plates like chicken wings, dumplings and sushi rolls. For spice lovers, try the niku ramen flavored with ginger pickle. The casual neighborhood and laid-back feel is a quieter, less bustling alternative to downtown ramen shops.

11. Rakkan Ramen 

This stylish wood-lined industrial spot in the Argyle Street neighborhood is part of a popular Tokyo chain, offering some of the best ramen in Chicago if you’re looking for a plant-based broth. Made with dashi, mushrooms, onions, ginger, carrots and garlic, it’s a great alternative to traditional meat-based broths in other restaurants.

They also have gluten-free and kale noodles, making Rakkan Ramen a perfect place for those with dietary restrictions. 

12. Oiistar

A Wicker Park favorite, Oiistar is a trendy place for sampling some of the best ramen in Chicago made with housemade noodles and 18-hour pork stock.

Innovative in its dishes and naming, you can try fun bowls like the Musclemen, made with mussels and spicy tonkotsu flavors, or the  Pozolmen with pork loin, jalapeños, red onion and tomato.

They also have a variety of other Japanese favorites, including tempura fried cod, shrimp and portobello mushrooms. 

13. Shinya Ramen House

Another great Bridgeport spot for sampling some of the best ramen in Chicago, this place is known as the “Midnight Diner, ” staying open until 1:30 AM most nights of the week.

Shinya features a variety of noodles created from egg, matcha, rice, yam, soba and udon, as well as various broths like the citrus-laced yuzu-chicken and black garlic tonkotsu. The long hours and lantern-lined dining area make it a perfect spot for late-night cocktails and ramen.

14. Urbanbelly

Urbanbelly serves up some of Chicago’s best ramen both in its fast-casual Wicker Park location, as well as a Fulton Market food hall stall.

They specialize in noodles and non-traditional ramen served with a pho-like soup base with braised pork belly, radish, mushrooms and soft-boiled egg.

The Wicker Park location is a large space with abundant plants, dashes of color and a large patio. Sample the phat noodles or the coconut curry pho with a starter of their crab rangoon dumplings.

15. Strings

A repeat offender often named for the best ramen in Chicago located in Chinatown, Strings takes its noodles very seriously, making them in-house via an imported Japanese machine.

The firm and chewy texture sets the stage for innovative and fun takes on traditional ramen, including their “Hell Ramen” challenge (you get prizes if you can finish) made with Tianjing chili, Sichuan chili bean sauce, Thai chili, pequin chili, ghost peppers and scorpion peppers.

Many of String’s past chefs have gone on to create other local ramen shops. They also have additional locations in Hyde Park and Lakeview. 

Whether you are looking for an elevated spot making the best ramen in Chicago or a laid-back and casual quick bite, Chicago’s ramen shops have the perfect blend of steaming bowls perfect for sampling this Japanese-style creation in all its variations.

Whether you like it spicy or mild, traditional or innovative, Chicago ramen does not disappoint. 

For even more fun things to do in Chicago, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!