clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
A large bowl of ramen shows an oily broth, a slice of meat, and toppings of a soft-boiled egg and vegetables.
Gankara miso at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen.
Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

Where to Eat Ramen in and Around Boston

The city’s ramen game has never been better

View as Map
Gankara miso at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen.
| Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

Ramen is the warm blanket of the food world, providing solace through the changing of the seasons. The Boston area is a treasure trove for this comforting Japanese dish, and plenty of restaurants serve a variety of bowls that should not be overlooked.

To note: Boston’s ramen landscape has drastically changed since this guide’s initial publication. With a growing number of restaurants centered on ramen popping up in and around the city, we updated this guide to reflect the specialty ramen scene that’s taking off.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House

Copy Link

This Malden ramen shop is a spinoff of a popular market that attracted customers with its “ramen Sundays.” Now, Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House is a direct source for that same ramen, including spicy and non-spicy miso versions.

Pikaichi

Copy Link

Once a beloved ramen destination in the Super 88 Food Court, Pikaichi has since settled into Medford as its permanent home. Pikaichi serves eight types of ramen, two of which have a vegetable-based broth. Heat-seekers should opt for the spiciest ramen on the menu, the jigoku ramen; the word jigoku means “hell” in Japanese and is adopted by ramen shops to describe the spiciest variety on its menu. It comes with an ultra-spicy shoyu broth. For a milder pick with a hint of citrus, try the yuzu shio.

Overhead view of a black plastic bowl full of a ramen with a thin brown broth, corn, pork, and a soft boiled egg.
Miso ramen from Pikaichi in Medford (via takeout).
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

Tsurumen

Copy Link

Tsurumen, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, is a no-frills spot with a short menu that focuses on Osaka-style ramen. Try the paitan ramen, which has a thick, cloudy, chicken-based broth (paitan means “white broth” in Japanese) and comes topped with pork chashu and scratch-made noodles. Though the shop was initially designed to be impermanent, Somerville folks have charmed the owners enough that they decided to stay after 1,000 days.

A white bowl filled with slices of pork, chopped onions, and various toppings
Paitan ramen at Tsurumen.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

Yume Wo Katare

Copy Link

Diners line up outside for a taste of the ramen at this popular Porter Square restaurant. The bowls of fatty pork ramen, made with thick noodles and pork broth, are among the best in Greater Boston. As the restaurant says, “Your choice is simple: two slices of pork, or five?” When diners finish their bowls inside the shop (it’s dine-in service only), they are given the opportunity to stand up and share their dreams in front of everyone in the restaurant.

Note: Yume Wo Katare is not associated with Yume Ga Arukara, the also-excellent udon-focused shop inside the nearby Porter Square Exchange. While the two shops originally shared a founder, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, he sold his stake in Yume Ga Arukara in 2020.

An overhead shot of a white plastic bowl filled with noodles, garlic, bean sprouts, and two thick slices of pork in broth, with a white plastic spoon on the side.
A satisfying bowl of ramen with two pork slices in October 2022.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Santouka Ramen

Copy Link

The first of three locations of this Japanese chain to open in the Boston area, Santouka in Cambridge offers a variety of classic Hokkaido-style ramen with choices such as tonkotsu shio, shoyu, miso, and specialty options like tonkotsu toroniku ramen: toroniku, a rare, tender cut of pig’s cheek, is served on the side. There is also a vegetarian option made with a soy-based vegan broth, menma kikurage mushrooms, soy sauce-marinated fu (or wheat gluten), and umeboshi. Santouka also has two other locations in Back Bay and Allston.

Menya Jiro

Copy Link

This award-winning ramen can be traced all the way to Kagoshima, Japan, where it became known for its freshly made noodles and chicken-and-pork broth, claiming accolades in Japan and the U.S. It offers three signature tonkotsu-based ramen dishes (spicy, rich, and light) and two miso broth-based vegetarian ramen dishes. It has three locations, one in Harvard Square, one inside a shopping mall in Dedham, and the other in Seaport.

Momosan

Copy Link

This fall 2021 newcomer, located inside the Hub Hall food hall in Boston’s West End, is getting a lot of buzz — it’s the first Boston restaurant from Iron Chef’s Masaharu Morimoto. While the rest of Hub Hall’s restaurants are fast-casual, this is a sit-down spot, offering seven ramen options (spicy tan-tan, tonkotsu, vegan spicy miso, and more), kushiyaki, a bunch of hot and cold appetizers, and a bit of sushi.

Closeup shot of a bowl of ramen with ground pork, a thick yellow-orange broth, a runny egg, and other toppings.
Tan-tan ramen at Momosan.
Momosan

Isshindo Ramen

Copy Link

Isshindo had big shoes to fill, taking over the space of the beloved Pikaichi at Super 88. (Fortunately, Pikaichi didn’t close for good; it relocated to Medford, and it remains among the area’s best ramen spots — see more details above.) But in its first few years — it opened in 2019 — Isshindo has hit the ground running, impressing with its range of broth offerings, from the creamy and rich tonkotsu (pork bone broth) to the tangy shio to the umami-forward miso, there’s a bowl for every taste.

A bowl of ramen with a black spoon, slices of meat, chopped vegetables, and a soft egg.
Ramen at Isshindo.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Tora Ramen

Copy Link

Sibling to Tora Japanese Restaurant, an excellent Chinatown restaurant focused on sushi and kaizen don (a bowl of rice topped with typically raw seafood), Tora Ramen serves a concise menu that features black garlic tonkotsu ramen, spicy miso ramen, and a few others, with snacks such as pork gyoza and crab croquettes also available.

Thin, folded slices of pork sit in a thin brown broth with an egg, greens, and more in a deep white bowl.
Shoyu ramen at Tora Ramen.
Tora Ramen

Ganko Ittetsu

Copy Link

This tiny Coolidge Corner ramen shop opened in late 2015, hidden inside the Arcade building, and features a selection of nine ramen options under the Sapporo-style umbrella, including the spicy gankara miso, the sesame-based tan-tan, and more. Two of the main components of the ramen broth (kaeshi, the soup base and dashi, the soup stock) are freshly made in-house. The team has also opened Gantetsu-Ya, a casual takoyaki and okonomiyaki shop in the same building. Just like other ramen hotspots, this place is small and can get busy quickly; go in small groups. It has a second shop in Providence, Rhode Island.

Totto Ramen

Copy Link

Originally from New York, this small ramen chain has two local outposts in Somerville’s Assembly Row, and South Bay Center in Dorchester, as well as one sister restaurant Yakitori Totto, a restaurant specializing in grilled chicken. While much of the Boston ramen scene focuses on pork bone-based tonkotsu broths, it’s all about the chicken at Totto; there are three variations of a chicken paitan (white, cloudy broth) ramen on the menu, as well as a vegetarian option.

Hakata Ramen

Copy Link

With sister locations in Boston’s Back Bay and in Waltham, Hakata’s Quincy spot is a popular choice for its ramen, featuring a dozen options, most of which are made with a pork bone-based broth. Also on the menu: sushi burgers and sushi burritos.

Sapporo Ramen

Copy Link

Formerly known as Migaku, Sapporo Ramen opened in Brookline Village in 2019. It’s known in particular for its Nagasaki-style champon, which is a noodle soup with seafood, pork, and stir-fried vegetables. The restaurant serves several styles of champon as well as spicy miso ramen, yakibuta (roast pork) ramen, and other hearty rice bowls and Japanese side dishes.

Bosso Ramen Tavern

Copy Link

Opened in March of 2022, this new ramen shop hopes to carve a niche for itself in the already-crowded Harvard Square ramen scene with its innovative and unconventional ramen inspired by an ocean town in Japan. It offers a great selection of bowls and izakaya-style small plates that “you have not seen anywhere,” proclaims owner Yasu Sasago. For great value, don’t miss out on the lunch specials.

A blue and green ceramic bowl filled with a red broth, cherry tomatoes, leafy greens, and noodles.
Bosso’s sanmi ramen with cherry tomatoes, arugula, Parmesan cheese, and green shiso oil.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Waku Waku Ramen

Copy Link

This ramen joint started in Chinatown and quickly made its expansion into Harvard Square last fall, followed by a location in Waltham opening soon. In addition to ramen, a variety of donburi (a bowl of rice topped with a dish, which can be chicken, beef, pork, or fish) and hand rolls are offered, as well as an extensive sake and soju list.

Mecha Noodle Bar

Copy Link

Mecha Noodle Bar started in Connecticut with multiple locations across the state. Last year, it started opening shops in Seaport and Brookline, and quickly went viral thanks to its boozy boba program and the eclectic cocktails. Pho and ramen are both offered; in addition to the noodle bowls for slurping, a good selection of snackable items inspired by Asian flavors are on the menu.

Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House

This Malden ramen shop is a spinoff of a popular market that attracted customers with its “ramen Sundays.” Now, Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House is a direct source for that same ramen, including spicy and non-spicy miso versions.

Pikaichi

Once a beloved ramen destination in the Super 88 Food Court, Pikaichi has since settled into Medford as its permanent home. Pikaichi serves eight types of ramen, two of which have a vegetable-based broth. Heat-seekers should opt for the spiciest ramen on the menu, the jigoku ramen; the word jigoku means “hell” in Japanese and is adopted by ramen shops to describe the spiciest variety on its menu. It comes with an ultra-spicy shoyu broth. For a milder pick with a hint of citrus, try the yuzu shio.

Overhead view of a black plastic bowl full of a ramen with a thin brown broth, corn, pork, and a soft boiled egg.
Miso ramen from Pikaichi in Medford (via takeout).
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

Tsurumen

Tsurumen, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, is a no-frills spot with a short menu that focuses on Osaka-style ramen. Try the paitan ramen, which has a thick, cloudy, chicken-based broth (paitan means “white broth” in Japanese) and comes topped with pork chashu and scratch-made noodles. Though the shop was initially designed to be impermanent, Somerville folks have charmed the owners enough that they decided to stay after 1,000 days.

A white bowl filled with slices of pork, chopped onions, and various toppings
Paitan ramen at Tsurumen.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

Yume Wo Katare

Diners line up outside for a taste of the ramen at this popular Porter Square restaurant. The bowls of fatty pork ramen, made with thick noodles and pork broth, are among the best in Greater Boston. As the restaurant says, “Your choice is simple: two slices of pork, or five?” When diners finish their bowls inside the shop (it’s dine-in service only), they are given the opportunity to stand up and share their dreams in front of everyone in the restaurant.

Note: Yume Wo Katare is not associated with Yume Ga Arukara, the also-excellent udon-focused shop inside the nearby Porter Square Exchange. While the two shops originally shared a founder, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, he sold his stake in Yume Ga Arukara in 2020.

An overhead shot of a white plastic bowl filled with noodles, garlic, bean sprouts, and two thick slices of pork in broth, with a white plastic spoon on the side.
A satisfying bowl of ramen with two pork slices in October 2022.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Santouka Ramen

The first of three locations of this Japanese chain to open in the Boston area, Santouka in Cambridge offers a variety of classic Hokkaido-style ramen with choices such as tonkotsu shio, shoyu, miso, and specialty options like tonkotsu toroniku ramen: toroniku, a rare, tender cut of pig’s cheek, is served on the side. There is also a vegetarian option made with a soy-based vegan broth, menma kikurage mushrooms, soy sauce-marinated fu (or wheat gluten), and umeboshi. Santouka also has two other locations in Back Bay and Allston.

Menya Jiro

This award-winning ramen can be traced all the way to Kagoshima, Japan, where it became known for its freshly made noodles and chicken-and-pork broth, claiming accolades in Japan and the U.S. It offers three signature tonkotsu-based ramen dishes (spicy, rich, and light) and two miso broth-based vegetarian ramen dishes. It has three locations, one in Harvard Square, one inside a shopping mall in Dedham, and the other in Seaport.

Momosan

This fall 2021 newcomer, located inside the Hub Hall food hall in Boston’s West End, is getting a lot of buzz — it’s the first Boston restaurant from Iron Chef’s Masaharu Morimoto. While the rest of Hub Hall’s restaurants are fast-casual, this is a sit-down spot, offering seven ramen options (spicy tan-tan, tonkotsu, vegan spicy miso, and more), kushiyaki, a bunch of hot and cold appetizers, and a bit of sushi.

Closeup shot of a bowl of ramen with ground pork, a thick yellow-orange broth, a runny egg, and other toppings.
Tan-tan ramen at Momosan.
Momosan

Isshindo Ramen

Isshindo had big shoes to fill, taking over the space of the beloved Pikaichi at Super 88. (Fortunately, Pikaichi didn’t close for good; it relocated to Medford, and it remains among the area’s best ramen spots — see more details above.) But in its first few years — it opened in 2019 — Isshindo has hit the ground running, impressing with its range of broth offerings, from the creamy and rich tonkotsu (pork bone broth) to the tangy shio to the umami-forward miso, there’s a bowl for every taste.

A bowl of ramen with a black spoon, slices of meat, chopped vegetables, and a soft egg.
Ramen at Isshindo.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Tora Ramen

Sibling to Tora Japanese Restaurant, an excellent Chinatown restaurant focused on sushi and kaizen don (a bowl of rice topped with typically raw seafood), Tora Ramen serves a concise menu that features black garlic tonkotsu ramen, spicy miso ramen, and a few others, with snacks such as pork gyoza and crab croquettes also available.

Thin, folded slices of pork sit in a thin brown broth with an egg, greens, and more in a deep white bowl.
Shoyu ramen at Tora Ramen.
Tora Ramen

Ganko Ittetsu

This tiny Coolidge Corner ramen shop opened in late 2015, hidden inside the Arcade building, and features a selection of nine ramen options under the Sapporo-style umbrella, including the spicy gankara miso, the sesame-based tan-tan, and more. Two of the main components of the ramen broth (kaeshi, the soup base and dashi, the soup stock) are freshly made in-house. The team has also opened Gantetsu-Ya, a casual takoyaki and okonomiyaki shop in the same building. Just like other ramen hotspots, this place is small and can get busy quickly; go in small groups. It has a second shop in Providence, Rhode Island.

Totto Ramen

Originally from New York, this small ramen chain has two local outposts in Somerville’s Assembly Row, and South Bay Center in Dorchester, as well as one sister restaurant Yakitori Totto, a restaurant specializing in grilled chicken. While much of the Boston ramen scene focuses on pork bone-based tonkotsu broths, it’s all about the chicken at Totto; there are three variations of a chicken paitan (white, cloudy broth) ramen on the menu, as well as a vegetarian option.

Hakata Ramen

With sister locations in Boston’s Back Bay and in Waltham, Hakata’s Quincy spot is a popular choice for its ramen, featuring a dozen options, most of which are made with a pork bone-based broth. Also on the menu: sushi burgers and sushi burritos.

Sapporo Ramen

Formerly known as Migaku, Sapporo Ramen opened in Brookline Village in 2019. It’s known in particular for its Nagasaki-style champon, which is a noodle soup with seafood, pork, and stir-fried vegetables. The restaurant serves several styles of champon as well as spicy miso ramen, yakibuta (roast pork) ramen, and other hearty rice bowls and Japanese side dishes.

Bosso Ramen Tavern

Opened in March of 2022, this new ramen shop hopes to carve a niche for itself in the already-crowded Harvard Square ramen scene with its innovative and unconventional ramen inspired by an ocean town in Japan. It offers a great selection of bowls and izakaya-style small plates that “you have not seen anywhere,” proclaims owner Yasu Sasago. For great value, don’t miss out on the lunch specials.

A blue and green ceramic bowl filled with a red broth, cherry tomatoes, leafy greens, and noodles.
Bosso’s sanmi ramen with cherry tomatoes, arugula, Parmesan cheese, and green shiso oil.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Waku Waku Ramen

This ramen joint started in Chinatown and quickly made its expansion into Harvard Square last fall, followed by a location in Waltham opening soon. In addition to ramen, a variety of donburi (a bowl of rice topped with a dish, which can be chicken, beef, pork, or fish) and hand rolls are offered, as well as an extensive sake and soju list.

Related Maps

Mecha Noodle Bar

Mecha Noodle Bar started in Connecticut with multiple locations across the state. Last year, it started opening shops in Seaport and Brookline, and quickly went viral thanks to its boozy boba program and the eclectic cocktails. Pho and ramen are both offered; in addition to the noodle bowls for slurping, a good selection of snackable items inspired by Asian flavors are on the menu.

Related Maps