Yelp Names The Hottest Ramen Spots In The US In Restaurant Top 100

Yelp has released its Top 100 U.S. Restaurants for 2024, and we are slurping up the goodness seeing how many ramen spots made the list. After all, who doesn't love a warm bowl of noodles and meat cozied up in delicious broth? 

If you've never had ramen, it's an Asian-style noodle dish with wheat noodles served in a hearty broth and including any number of ingredients. The soup is typically flavored with miso and soy sauce, and topped with a choice of meats like pork belly, beef, and chicken, along with nori, soy-marinated boiled egg, scallions, bamboo shoots, and more. The combinations of ramen are truly endless and chefs have experimented in brilliant ways to get their bowls the spotlight they deserve — and apparently it's working with so many spots now nabbing Yelp honors.

From meaty bowls with a spicy kick to vegetarian-friendly tofu options, chefs have whipped up a little something for everyone. According to Yelp, here are some of the best spots to score ramen in the country.

Menya Rui in St. Louis, Missouri landed the number-two spot, making it the highest-ranked ramen joint on Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants for 2024 list. The Pork Shoyu and the Chicken Shoyu ramen are local favorites, both of which come with bamboo shoots and soft-boiled eggs in a comforting broth. Menya Rui also offers brothless ramen, like their "Original Aburasoba," which comes with thick noodles tossed in scallop oil and house shoyu, topped with pork shoulder chasyu, menma, gyofun, nori, and beansprouts. Are you drooling yet? At such a high rank on the list, a bowl at Menya Rui, which opened in April 2022, is worth a visit to St. Louis.

In the nation's capital, Michelin-recognized Menya Hosaki ranks at number 59. Chef Eric Yoo spent his childhood in Seoul, Korea, where his love for ramen began. He learned the intricacies of the dish from his grandmother, who made homemade noodles, and the street stalls of Korean markets. Years later, Chef Eric opened his pop-up ramen shop Junction Deli in Maryland, and in September 2020, grew to the well-loved Menya Hosaki ramen restaurant. The locals rave about the "Triple Threat" ramen, which comes with chicken, pork, and a smoky dashi broth. The "Spicy Tonkotsu" with chili-infused pork paitan broth made with pork bones is also recommended for spice lovers.

Tucked inside the Southwest Portland H-Mart, an Asian grocery store, is Lucky Cat Ramen, which lands number 62 on the list. What could be better than doing a grocery run and then grabbing one of just a handful of seats at a counter bar for a piping hot bowl of ramen? Despite plenty of meat options, the locals love their veggie ramen, too, which comes with tofu, corn, kale, and seaweed in a flavorful broth. You can also pick your spice level for each menu option. With just four appetizers and four entrees on the menu, making a decision is easy. 

Ramen is comforting and delicious, but we're here for all the noods! Other spots with banger noodles that also made Yelp's 2024 list include Adela's Country Eatery in Hawaii, which snagged the number-seven spot on the list with fresh noodles made daily from local produce. Colorful green avocado, dark purple ube, and yellow taro noodles come topped with short ribs and pork belly in one dish.

At number 33 is Shigotonin Tapas & Saki Bar in Las Vegas for all the bougie, high-rolling foodies on the strip. These noodles are topped with luxe ingredients like uni (sea urchin) and Kobe beef. There is plenty of sushi and sashimi to choose from, too.

So, how does Yelp make these coveted selections? It's a community-reviewed platform, which means regular diners rate their favorite restaurants. As the site says, "To determine the Top 100 Places to Eat in 2024, Yelp's data science team analyzed user submissions to determine the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions and finalized the rankings with the expertise of our Community Managers."

So, it's regular diners making the call. No food critics, no experts. Whether you agree with Yelp's choices or not, it's hard to argue against a steaming bowl of ramen. Whether you dine at your local ramen place or spruce up your instant ramen at home, happy slurping!