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Santa Ramen
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
1944 S El Camino RealSan Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 344-5918
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon, Wed-Sat 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Sun 5:30 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1537 reviews for Santa Ramen
Review Highlights
"Their stewed pork ROCKS MY WORLD."
(in 284 reviews)
"love the chicken karaage, love the fried tofu."
(in 75 reviews)
"Fried Garlic, $1.00, fabulous, HIGHLY recommend."
(in 70 reviews)
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1536 reviews in English
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Review from Tiger W.
2/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Not Much to Say that hasn't been said already.
This place just shows me how much I miss the Bay Area.
Great Simple Menu with "FRESH" made Ramen Noodles. It's doesn't get better than this...except at their sister location down the street. -
Review from Jack B.
San Mateo, CA
2/3/2012
Awesome...we go here whenever we can. I get the pork broth with premium pork, egg, spicy. So incredibly yum...haven't tried the other ramen places in the bay area cause they're so stinkin' far away, but yeah...the best ramen I've ever had. I wish they did take-out...I would come here soooo often =) The lines are painful though, so try to avoid busy times.
Oh and I tried Ramen Dojo (same owners) - for whatever reason, their ramen gives me stomach problems (I tried two separate times) - my friends and family have no problems at Ramen Dojo though; so yeah, I only do Santa Ramen now - no stomach troubles and oh so tasty =) -
Review from Harry T.
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been on quite a mission to find the best ramen places in the Bay Area so I had to stop by Santa Ramen and check it out.
I had the pork broth and added the fried garlic to it. The noodles were a little undercooked, pork wasn't as tender as the pork I had at Orenchi, Dojo, and Santouka, and the broth was OK. Not the best broth I've had but it's still good. I would be careful about ordering the fried garlic in your ramen. I thought it was going to be garlic cloves but it's like tiny pieces of minced garlic. It's a nice addition to the broth but since the garlic was EVERYWHERE, I had this overwhelming taste of it in every bite. One thing I do have to complain about is the egg. I was super excited to eat my egg and even saved it for last. I was expecting this yellow gooey stuff to come out and when I bit into it, it was a hard boiled egg -______-
This place has a pretty good amount of seating and also has a small bar area, perfect for singles or maybe even 2 people. We still had to wait for a table for 4 but it wasn't too bad, only like 15min. -
Review from Kim R.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
ehhhhh....
Not as great as I had hoped it to be.. So you choose your ramen, each ramen (shoyu, miso, tonkotsu) has it's own type of toppings, but if you want to add more of course is additional charge, extra chashu is well worth it. They give you a LOT of ramen which is good if your the kind of person that always orders extra this place is for you. I barely could finish mine. I was kind of disappointed in the broth, something was missing and their egg is NOT goey... so sad.. I ordered it because I thought it was going to be goey... :(( -
Review from Cat C.
San Mateo, CA
2/9/2012
When I first came here, I thought, oh it's OK ramen. Then I tried a bunch of other places in the bay area. I haven't had better ramen, except in one place in mountainview.
The prices are decent, and service is hurried but not impolite. Simple menu, but they try to do it well. It's just horribly crowded all the time, it's quite good, but is it THAT good...? Still, I'd recommend it. -
Review from Mel D.
Irvine, CA
1/30/2012
A-OK. Maybe I'm biased bc I love my favorites. Shin Sen Gumi in Fountain Valley and Santouka in Costa Mesa. I'm surprised this place is so hyped up. But then again, so is Ajisen in Irvine, and I'm not a big fan of that place either.
Far from anything special or amazing, but good enough to satisfy my ramen craving, if it's considered one of the greatest in San Mateo. -
Review from Raquel Y.
Ok, normally I would only give something 5 stars if I tried it a second time and STILL loved it. But, I'm giving it 5 stars because:
[http://www.yelp.com/bi...]
1. It doesn't deserve 3.5 stars because I was debating between 4 or 5. The pork ramen was delicious!!!! This is my #12 Ramen joint to try in the Bay Area ALONE! And yes, it's good. More than 3.5 stars good. People who gave this place low stars probably didn't get PORK ramen. And if they did, then they're garbage.
2. SUPER fast. We were in and out in 30 minutes on a Friday night! Weird, bf said there's usually a line but it was raining hard that night. But rainy weather usually means hot bowl of ramen to me!
3. I woke up the next morning feeling like having it again. I even woke up and sang Kesha's "tick tock" version going "Wake up in the morning feeling like San-ta Ramen" lol =P
Comparing to other ramen places, I feel like this ramen restaurant kind of "upped" my standards a bit. I have had Ramen Dojo and Dojo was delicious as well, but I'd rather come here and eat fast rather than wait an hour just to get seated.
Fried Garlic is good to add if you like the garlic taste.
Only thing that disappointed me was that they ran out of boiled eggs :( I love boiled eggs in my ramen. It was 7:30pm, so maybe come a bit earlier if you like 'em too
Ramen is what cheers me up on a good day. I'm obsessed with ramen. And this pork ramen bowl with garlic was out of this world. Wow.
I am sad that this place is far from me :( C'mon East Bay, open up some ramen places!!!Listed in: Ramen in Nor Cal!
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Review from Andy T.
San Jose, CA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
The service is great in this place and very organized about people who are next to be seated because they have a line order but i must say their ramen is not up to par to my tasting. i'm so used to thicker noodles, real fried garlic cloves, and whole pieces of pork. got none of those here. i know that every ramen place has their unique ramen style i'm not saying theirs is bad just simply not my taste preference.
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Review from anicca x.
Oakland, CA
1/29/2012
I don't need to say much. I think the fact that I'm willing to drive all the way from Oakland to wait in a long ass line to eat this ramen says it all. Or maybe it just says that there are absolutely no good places to eat ramen in the east bay. boohoo.
I will say one more thing...stewed pork. yummmmmm. -
Review from Jenna L.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Don't DONT ever get the chicken skewers. Not sure what my bfan was thinking. He keeps getting chicken things. It was cold and a little pink. Well i'm not one to complain, but there's this talk about salmonella being a big deal.
BUT, I do enjoy their ramen : ) It did hit the spot on a cold day. I ben to Santa Ramen when it was smaller and a hole in the wall. Now it's grown to a mature restaurant. We waited for a bit.. not at all a bad wait. Food came fast. Although sadly, they were out of the miso flavor i think.. Wish they had more meat though. :) -
Review from Mona W.
Not bad but very forgettable. I frankly do not understand the reasons behind the long line.
Their broth is definitely not salty. It was just very mellow. I actually think they could use a little more salt in both the tonkutso broth and miso broth to offset the lack of flavors. The toppings were alright. Charsiu has nice fat to meat ratio and was perfectly cooked. Other toppings like mushroom and bean sprouts were just standard fare. The noodles lacked personality.
A bowl of basic ramen is fairly inexpensive but your bill quickly rack up as you add more toppings. Is that tiny bit of cabbage and shitaki mushroom worth $2.50? I am really not sure.Listed in: Silicon Valley Ramen Roundup
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Review from Michael L.
San Mateo, CA
Updated - 1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
If San Mateo ramen was the 2011-2012 NFL Football Season then:
-Ramen Dojo are the Green Bay Packers. Impeccable. Their noodles go yard. Their toppings go yard. Their broth goes yard (get the garlic pork broth... sooooo good). Their only fumble is their small restaurant, so you have to wait FOR....E....VER (imagine The Sandlot voice). That small ass building is pretty much the KC Chiefs... giving them a garbage loss. MOVE OUT TO A BIGGER SPOT!
-Ramen Parlor are the San Francisco 49ers with their D being their lobster oil and that oh so juicy piece of shrimp in the soup. Mmmm...
-Santa Ramen are the Cincinnati Bengals. Almost there but not quite. Their Jerome Simpson back flip into the end zone would have to be their large restaurant. You don't have to wait in ridiculous Disneyland lines like at Ramen Dojo.
-Himawari are the New Orleans Saints because they have a wide selection of go-to players/menu items (compliment your ramen with sushi or how about the agedashi tofu or how about the karaage, etc.) and their oh so awesome roasted garlic on the table (which is free and not extra $$$)
-Ajisen are the Indianapolis Colts... better Luck next year (see what I did there?). Their noodles are weak. Soup sucks. The only thing they have going for them AKA their Peyton Manning is their "Premium Pork" (Combo #1). But it doesn't really mean anything because everything else in the combo #1 sucks from the cabbage to the soup to the noodles. That bowl gets 2 wins for those 2 pieces of pork. OOOOH! So surprising... the Colts only had 2 wins this year too. They're definitely the Indianapolis Colts. Suck for Luck. Their karaage isn't even good, and they advertise it like it's Tim Tebow.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/19/2011
This place is dece. I mean, it takes forever to sit down. The ramen is good, but not as good as… Read more »
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Review from sabrina l.
Los Angeles, CA
1/9/2012
I have heard about my cousins and brother going to Santa Ramen for a while now. So I think it hyped my expectation.
But I also think we came at a weird time when my daughter fell asleep in the car and I found out Santa Ramen doesn't do to go orders.
I've learned to appreciate that while not perfect, that Ramen Jinya in LA lets you have the convenience of getting ramen to go.
We ordered 3 bowls of the pork ramen, mine with a boiled egg and garlic.
I've also grown to love the soft-boiled egg from Ramen Jinya in LA so I was disappointed when the egg at Santa came out completely and fully cooked.
However, the fried garlic chips which was delish (although admittedly too garlicky even for my tastes!).
I failed to get the pork belly as suggested by my brother so perhaps that pork belly would have tipped this review much higher.
I don't think I'd request to come back here when there are so many places to try in the Bay Area. But I'm glad I checked this off my list. -
Review from Samantha K.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Broth. This place is no joke. It definitely is the most flavorful pork broth I've had in a while. In all of my three visits to Santa Ramen, this broth has always been amazingly consistent. Saying it was rich and decadent would be an exaggeration but it was just that delicious. One should always order the pork flavor on their first visit.
I quite enjoyed this broth more than Ramen Dojo since the mild option was much too strong for me (although I could've asked for non-spicy). I'm kind of a weak sauce when it comes to spicy food but I'm down to try anything once. At Santa Ramen, customers can order spicy flavoring as a topping.
Noodles. Nice and firm with a good amount of chew. These were noodles done right, not over or undercooked; as they should be.
Chsh. The chsh was a bit of a miss for me, but still yummy. Sliced nice and thick, however it felt like it was cooked unevenly as only some slices were moist and tender. The bowl came with three slices, which I think is the standard serving portion for this element.
Extras. While their chsh was a miss, points were redeemed with the tenderness of their stewed premium pork. Yummy and just falls apart when your break it into smaller pieces. Extra points for lots of green onions, lots of kikurage mushrooms for you mushroom lovers (I personally gave all of mine to my friend's bowl), I ordered extra corn and got lots of it, and points for presentation. This bowl falls short of one point due to a non-soft boiled egg. *sigh*
Overall. I will definitely come back to this place again for more, perhaps with a smaller group next time. They are open for lunch and dinner service, however the restaurant won't seat your party unless your entire party is present. Kind of a pain I know but that's fair. Prepare to get there early, but on the plus side, the line starts inside the restaurant. -
Review from Abby S.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not sure if it's the chilly weather or just a love of all things salty, but I've been on a Ramen kick lately...
Although Himawari in San Mateo is delicious, I really do want to try other famous Ramen joints in the area. Unfortunately, the lines for these places are always really, really long! Santa Ramen is no exception, of course. Everyone raves about this particular spot and I really do want to try it. But I'm too impatient to spend an hour lurking around in line. It doesn't help that they close around 2 pm on weekdays, so if you get in line around 12:30 - 1 pm, you might not to get to sit down and actually enjoy your meal...
Any tips on days of the week or times that aren't so busy?Listed in: Noodlin' around
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Review from Becky S.
Martinez, CA
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
What I type next may shock readers...
but I think this ramen joint is comparable to Orenchi.
GASP! ::FAINT:: Yeah, whatever. Okay here's why:
Though the broth isn't as delicious as Orenchi's, it still packs a powerful punch. AND, it's not nearly as salty as Orenchi's, so by the time I finish my bowl, I'm not wanting to down a gallon of water. In fact, I could've drank all of the broth if I wanted to (I didn't). The noodles had a really good consistency. AND, they didn't automatically add the soft-boiled egg, which to me, is a plus. I loved Orenchi's soft boiled egg the first time, but I didn't need to eat it again. Plus, it was a dollar cheaper. Not too shabby!
The line to wait to be seated seems intimidating, but actually moves pretty quickly. But beware: you cannot wait in line and put your name down until your whole party is there! Boo-urns! -
Review from Annissa H.
San Jose, CA
1/15/2012
I like this place SO much better than dojo!
I don't get why everyone loves dojo better. I think Santa's broth is so much more flavorful. Dojo's was spicy and hot, but other than that it had no real flavor.
SANTA FTWWWW -
Review from Cecilia T.
San Mateo, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
3.5 to 4 stars and here's why:
What's 5 star here is the stewed pork that you can order for an extra 3 or 4 bucks. (ouch) but this is a must have - it is SOOOOO good here. Like melting and mouthwatering in the ramen. If you just get the tonkatsu with regular pork you will be sorely disappointed because the regular pork is dry and thin.
5 star for cleanliness and space - I like their relocated spot - not cramped in but more open atmosphere. It's convenient to park and good to bring a group of friends. I came during lunch on a weekday so I've yet to experience just how crowded it might get.
Service is fast.
What's 3.5-4 stars is the broth - it was a solid broth but I've had better. Who knows, based on other people's reviews perhaps the quality of the broth depends on which day you come or your mood! Noodles are solid too although I prefer the softer noodles.
What's 3 stars is the price - I mean, i have to pay like $14-15 total when i get the tonkatsu ramen with stewed pork. Seriously? Ack, if the broth was spectacular then i'd be willing to shell out this kind of dough but seriously , cut the price on the stewed pork! -
Review from Cherylynn N.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011 2 photos
So THIS is where the Ramen Craze began? THIS is the place that has set the standard for which all other SF Bay Area ramen were judged against (though I've heard it has significantly declined in quality)?
Several years ago, it seemed Santa Ramen was the household name for ramen. I wasn't a big foodie back then so my ramen of choice was Maruchan. Sad, I know.
For the few who don't know, Santa Ramen is the first of their trilogy of ramen places with Ramen Dojo and Ramen Parlor (newest one) being their sister restaurants.
Being 4+ years late on the Santa Ramen hype, just how does it stack up other ramen restaurants? Mediocre, supbar execution AND overhyped are just some of the words to describe Santa Ramen.
Each choice of ramen base (Soy sauce, Tonkotsu, or Miso) comes with varying toppings. I choose the Tonkotsu (pork bone) Ramen which came with Green Onion, Kikurage Mushrooms, and two slices of Chashu Roasted Pork ($8.50). I added the Kurobuta Stewed Pork Belly ($4.75), Boiled Egg ($1), Corn ($1) and Fried Garlic ($1) which totaled to $16.75. Complimentary SHI*TLOAD OF MSG is included. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Although the tonkotsu broth was slightly milky with a mild pork nuance, it was lacking a rich complex stewed bone depth of flavor. The predominant flavor was dry-mouth inducing MSG as I had to reach for a gulp of water with each slurp. The noodles were al-dente but lacked a toothsome chewiness to them. The slices of chashu were surprisingly more tender than the lacquered chunks of kurobuta pork belly which were overwhelming salty and cold in the center. It's a good thing I added the fried garlic for some texture contrast and corn which added sweetness to balance all the saltiness. Don't bother adding an egg as it was just a plain, boring hard-boiled egg (no runny yolk).
We also ordered the Chicken Karaage ($6.50) http://www.yelp.com/bi... which I liked better than the ramen (the same experience I had with Ramen Parlor). It was deliciously crisp and succulently tender with subtle ginger flavor.
Typical of an Asian restaurant, service was fast, efficient, and indifferent. My only gripe is one of the waitresses plopped our bill on the table midway through our dinner. Every time one of the waitresses passed by, they looked to see if we paid the bill. Had there been a long wait, I wouldn't be as perturbed but there was NO wait.
I'm sure Santa Ramen was much better earlier in its time before better competitors entered the industry. With that being said, a 45 minute drive in traffic for cotton ball mouth for the remaining of the night and into the wee hours of the morning? NO, THANK YOU. Please just give me a bowl of Maruchan with a raw egg on top. I'll be happier and be $16.75 richer.
OTHER NOTES:
*Of its 3 umbrella restaurants, Ramen Dojo ranks #1 followed by Santa Ramen by default because Ramen Parlor was a ramen fail for me.
*Largest dining area of its three restaurants with seating for about 50+ people.
*Your entire party must be present to be seated.
*Inside the shopping plaza with Fresh Choice, Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, and Nijiya Market.Listed in: REAL Ramen? What's that?!?!?
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Review from Katie L.
Irvine, CA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I became a foodie in irvine where santouka and shinsengumi first introduced me to fantastic ramen. So when my friend started raving about Santa ramen, I was really skeptical.
After arriving before it opened and standing in the long line, we finally got seated in a pleasantly decorated large room.
Santa ramen is decent to say the least. I got the miso broth which came with beansprouts, green onions, bamboo shoots, two slices of pork and a piece of dry roasted seaweed. I added the special stewed pork (which was an extra 5 bucks), a boiled egg, and extra noodles.
The broth was thicker than I'm used to, not overly salty..delicious.
The noodles were perfect.
The stewed pork was very sweet and for the two pieces I got, it was so not worth it. One of the pieces was cooked perfectly while the other was quite dry.
They forgot my egg and the two pieces of pork it usually comes with...I mean, seriously?! And when those came, the egg was overboiled and the slices of pork were so thin.
Needless to say, I was really disappointed, ESP with all of the hype. But maybe it's just because I've experienced FANTASTIC ramen, and this is just a little under GREAT. However this is the best ramen I've had in the bay area so far, and the portions, with the extra noodles, were decent-- I was STUFFED. And let me tell you, I rarely get stuffed from ramen, satisfied, yes; but definitely not stuffed, so bonus ones for that one!!
I would rate it a total of 3.5, but since yelp only allows whole numbers, i rounded up. It doesn't deserve a 3, but it doesn't really deserve the 4!! -
Review from Cece Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012
This place is so good! The broth was one of the best ramen places I had in the bay area. Rich, not too salty broth with ramen and great pieces of pork (thank god it's not all pork fat) just made a perfect end to the night. I would usually think it's pathetic to drive forty minutes just for ramen, but I got to say Santa Ramen was worth it every surp of it! Santa beats Dojo in every aspect from the broth to the pork. I didn't need to drink eight cups of water afterwards, glad there's no MSG in their broth. Definitely coming back soon!
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Review from Jenny K.
12/29/2011
*Delicious ramen, but not that only place where I can get delicious ramen*
- An annoyed lady takes your order while you wait in line, after you skim thru their menu. I actually like such an efficient system.
- Miso ramen without extra stuff comes down close to 10 bucks after a 40-min wait and 20-min eating at the table, so that's -$10/hr. It's just noodles man, I can make better use of my hour.
I'm certainly a bigger fan of Halu Ramen than Santa, judging from
the long line, the so-so service, the price for value, and the food itself. -
Review from Jeremy K.
Burlingame, CA
12/20/2011
After 3 years of searching for better, none have surpassed the POFF level of Santa. I get tonkotsu broth and stew pork, or tonkotsu with spicy cod roe and seaweed. Taste the broth first. Add a little spice and some red ginger, then have some noodles and then a bite of pork. Yum!!! It does it for me everytime. This is not a meal for those afraid of POFF (pieces of floating fat). Time to go for a run. ;)
The consistent lines for years should tell you something. If it was cheap I would be wary, but it is a bit pricey for ramen - about $15 including some nice toppings. So if people are still giving it high ratings, it must be legit... Well, I think it is. I recently took my daughter here, and she loves it too, and she has the palate in the family. :) -
Review from Joyce H.
I didn't get to try the stewed pork, so maybe I'll rejudge after I do that.
I liked the tonkotsu soup a lot, and the noodles had great texture...but I felt like something was missing. More flavor perhaps. I ended up adding in flavoring on my own which I usually never do at ramen joints. I also really didn't like their completely hard boiled egg which cost me EXTRA. I was so disappointed that it wasn't half cooked like at Halu or Orenchi or anywhere else...
I probably would not come back here if not for the fact that I need to try the stewed pork. The wait time on a Thursday night was around 10 minutes. -
Review from Patty Q.
Stockton, CA
12/3/2011
You better watch out, the garlic they fry,
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Ramen is delicious in town.
They made a toppings list,
Noodles taste better than rice;
Its salty, so get beer, tea, or water on ice,
Santa Ramen is delicious in town.
They see you in line waiting,
Ordered: corn, cabbage & shitake
They ask you if you want anything else,
Remember the kimchee is spice-say!
O! You better watch out!
the garlic they fry! (yum!)
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Ramen is delicious in town.
Santa Ramen is delicious in town! -
Review from Katrina T.
Cupertino, CA
Probably one of the best ramen I have ever had.
There is a wait, but not too bad. Unlike many other ramen places I've been to, this place actually has room to accomodate a lot of people! It isn't squishy inside at all.
Once we were finally seated, my cousins and I shared the Chicken Karage as the appetizer. WOW. The chicken pieces were pretty big and it was so juicy and tender! It wasn't too fried either, it was perfectly crisp. I definitely put the chicken in my Soy (Miso) Ramen which gave it even more flavor. The ramen was too yummy. The broth seemed buttery (idk why) but it was so good! I loved the bamboo that was in it and there was tons of noodle. Their noodles tasted pretty fresh and cooked perfectly. It wasn't overcooked where it was hard to bite into, it was cooked just right so that when you bit it, it broke off nicely. The green onions that were sprinkled at the top of the bowl made the dish much more refreshing! Usually I feel content after eating ramen, but I felt extremely full after! That means this place did well in its portions.
Worth the drive to San Mateo for some delish ramen. -
Review from Matthew H.
San Bruno, CA
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
First of all, I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Have been here dozens of times, satisfied on every occasion. Our family has down a good schedule/routine
LUNCH- Opens 11:30
Get there at 11
If you miss that arrive 12:20-ish
DINNER-5:30
Get there around 5:10 and if u miss that like around 6
Pork-flavor just noodles is always a favorite, mainly just so you can enjoy the noodles, soaked in the rich broth. The dessert is okay. -
Review from Jessica L.
San Mateo, CA
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hmmm not sure I see the obsession with Ramen yet.
Been here twice and enjoyed the Ramen well enough but it was not spectacular for the price its just "A-OK"
I MUCH prefer the robust flavor of pho....Listed in: San Ma-awesome
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Review from Lai C.
Dublin, CA
12/24/2011
overrated for me. Not bad but not worth waiting an hour for. We did get there at 11am and were first in line. I would recommend that. They open at 11:30am.
I got the pork ramen $7.95 with $1.50 spicy add on. Kinda expensive and I don't like that they charge for spicy. I haven't been to any other ramen places that do that. Glad I tried it once but most likely would just go check out other places.
The other good thing is the parking was easier than going into downtown San Mateo. It's in a strip mall, so the parking is free. -
Review from faye b.
Daly City, CA
12/19/2011 11 Check-ins Here
This used to be my favorite place for ramen. Really. I loved coming here for their pork broth and chewy noodles, and their black sesame pudding. It was worth the drive and the wait in line.
But not anymore. Since I've first started coming here, the quality of their food and service have been steadily in decline, so I have not come here in a while because of that. Well, *hoping that tonight would be different somehow*, I went here last night with my cousin who had never been to a ramen joint before. I thought I'd take her to where I had my first "real" bowl of ramen. Man, what an embarrassment. Broth wasn't as tasty as I remember, chicken karaage was super greasy, hard boiled egg was super boiled-hard as a rock boiled! The egg was just gross. The only thing good about dinner last night was my Sprite and the black sesame pudding.
But the worst part of it all, is that I woke up TWICE in the middle of the night to pay visit to the porcelain throne. Yup. FOOD POISONING. With the tummy aches, the cold sweats and everything. Sorry, not pretty, but it's the mother-effing truth. Thank goodness my cousin didn't like her soup and barely touched it, otherwise I'd feel so guilty having her tummy feel the way mine does now. And I have a presentation to give this morning. So thank you Santa Ramen. I won't be coming back.
(...now I really need to figure out how to make their black sesame pudding =T ...) -
Review from Alexandra R.
Bay Area
12/20/2011 1 photo
Came here 30 mins before closing and there was no line! They only had 1 type of ramen left, the tonkatsu, which was fine because I was starving. I added the spicy ($1.50) fried garlic ($1) and corn ($1), had some of the karaage chicken (was aiiiiite. I asked for any kind of hot sauce which they didn't have (wtf!?) because it was missing something....), and the grilled squid (SOO BLAND!! Uhm, terrible recommendation yelpers!). The noodles were cooked well, but the broth was just OK. I might come back to try a different broth... but would probably try somewhere else first.
Damn me and my spoiled ramen tastebuds. -
Review from ann n.
South San Francisco, CA
12/19/2011
Totally sub-par. The noodles were a little too "al dente" (if you can even use that word to describe ramen noodles). And the add-on egg i paid a buck for was cold and hard boiled. It might as well been a ice cube in the hot broth.
Mokutanya in b-game is much better. -
Review from Tehmin L.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had so much hope for this place since our friend's who go there all the time said it was so good. Most likely, I won't going to this place again.
Service - Pretty poor
- It took awhile to seat us and then when we got seated, the waitress would literally avoid eye contact and would not come over. She would go to the tables around us and when we tried to flag her down, she would pretend she didn't see us. Anyways, we eventually got her to come over but it took forever and then it took another eternity to get water.
Food - Meh
- They ran out of a bunch of stuff we wanted so we had to order other stuff. I ordered the extra ramen and when I got the bowl, the entire bowl was basically ramen and very little broth. I had to dig to the bottom to get a taste of it.
- We also got the squid and fried chicken. The squid was bland but the chicken was good -
Review from Andrew C.
San Mateo, CA
11/15/2011
Santa Ramen has one of the best reputations in the area -- and for their food, it is maybe earned. Long version below. Short version: the wait staff was rude, and the owner hit me in the face and tried to take my phone. Literally. Again, the owner of this establishment HIT ME IN THE FACE, because I had the audacity to complain about the disrespect and poor service my associates and I had received. Anyway...
The food might be ok...
Unfortunately their service is bloody terrible. Insanely so, in fact. For birthday celebrations I steered a group of four -- two close friends, my wife, and I -- to this place for yummy noodles and squid. From the moment the group entered the restaurant we were greeted with complete disrespect and rudeness.
I was picking something up next door and then coming right in, while the rest of the party went in. It is (for some reason) standard practice at many restaurants to not seat any party until all of its members arrive, but this is usually communicated respectfully: it was not, in this case. In fact, the woman at the door basically told my party to leave. When they said that I would be right in, they were yelled at that all people needed to spend a certain amount of money or they would not be served. (I am pretty sure that is illegal.)
When we finally were seated (there were plenty of open tables, and no line: it was late on a Monday night) the server literally slammed empty glasses down on the table, to communicate just how welcomed we were here. (It was kind of like the Cantina in the original Star Wars: we were droids, being told "We don't serve your kind here!") There was a pretty mild miscommunication about the order, and one of us received the wrong item: it was a fairly understandable issue, with nobody to blame on either side. Generally this is a "no big deal", and they either take the item back to replace it, or just remove it and scratch it off the bill.
Not here, though. Not tonight. It took THREE wait staff to sort this issue. Simply telling them it wasn't the right item didn't work. Trying to compassionately explain how the miscommunication had happened didn't work. Getting frustrated and asking them to just "take it away" didn't work, either. Then we were threatened with extra bills & what sounded like "penalty fines" for the whole ordeal: suffice it to say our meal sucked. The whole staff as staring at us; our drinks went empty and unfilled, and any attempt to get service was met with disrespect and rude responses. They wouldn't even come to collect the check at the end of the meal. I finally flagged down a server and asked to speak to the owner.
This made matters worse. She got very upset, and tried to meekly tell me something about that one item that there was confusion over -- I didn't care abou the item, I was complaining about the service and the hostility. Then she just up and wandered away in mid-sentence, without collecting my check. I spoke to three other staff before moving to the bar and waiting for the owner -- who was "somewhere" and would be back "sometime" -- to be brought out. As soon as this man entered the area, ALL of the other staff immediately vacated -- I found myself in an isolated area of the restaurant with no immediate witnesses around. I did not like this, but I figured it was no big deal, and I tried to explain my case to the owner.
He kept rambling about that one item from the menu, and tried to berate us for not having understood his menu. I explained that I wasn't talking about the menu, or the item, but the service. I explained that I expected and apology and some respect. He called me names in Japanese -- I know enough of the language to recognize a slur when I hear it -- and I laughed at him, as this situation was completely out of control. It got more out of control when the owner struck me in the hand and face -- not hard enough to leave a mark or cause great injury, but enough to try and get a rise out of me -- and then tried to take my phone from me. Then he threatened to call the police.
The situation ended when *I* called the police, waited for their arrival, and left. With no witnesses to the assault, there was nothing that they could do unless I pressed charges -- which seemed really stupid, given that the guy had made sure that there was nobody around to see his actions, and it was my word against his.
I had friends waiting in the car and a birthday to celebrate. I got no apology, and -- much to my own dismay -- I paid for the food we ate and left.
That's right. I paid for the food, even after the owner assaulted me, and every single staff member insulted and disrespected every single member of my (polite, quiet, and well-mannered) party. I may have been in an establishment that had somehow missed the memo on what "respect" and "honor" are, but *I* was raised differently.
The food was OK but the blatant disrespect and random bigotry pointed our way -- not to mention the physical assaults -- sort of ruined i -
Review from Jeanne C.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2011
The pork ramen is so good. I'm sorry. The broth is just delicious, and I'm not a broth type of girl. This place is very comparable to Santouka in terms of deliciousness of broth and flavors. I pass on Himawara near by -- something about their noodle consistency rubs me the wrong way.
I was sad to say they ran out of the special pork by the time we got there. But the good thing was there was no wait and the food came out quick!
Coming back here for sure... -
Review from Allie P.
Los Angeles, CA
If you're starving, beware of coming here during lunch hours! I had a party of 6 and the line was already at the door. Luckily, it seemed to be moving at at somewhat good pace, but the restaurant is small. While you wait in line, they take your order down. I got the Miso Ramen w/ egg and nappa. It looked like a lot of food once it came out and I was unable to finish it - taking majority of it back home with me. Tea is free. I did feel somewhat rushed once seated b/c the line was still long when we were eating to the time we left. Not sure if I would really drive back to San Mateo just for this... I like Ajisen Ramen more.
-
Review from Virginia C.
Milpitas, CA
11/28/2011 1 photo
This is one vote I must cast. Santa Ramen had been on my list for a long time. Finallly tried and they blew me away. Seriously they should catch a better break on yelp.
Had the tonkotsu (simply referred to as "pork flavor"), added "spicy" and "premium pork" which is stewed pork belly. Flavor deserved 5 stars. The broth was rich, not cloying - you know you're getting your slow-cooked marrow's worth. The spicy mix added depth and complexity, not just heat. The pork belly was fall-apart good, silky and well marinated. The noodle texture was perfect, sopping up generous broth as you slurp. The only gripe one may have is that a lot of add-on's one may expect to be included at various other ramen joints such as soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, seaweed, etc. all cost extra so you may wind up with a much heftier check than at first glance.
Definitely one of the best bowls of ramen I've ever had. Heck, one of the best things I've ever eaten, period.
Overall four stars because of the wait (but that's because they're so popular - because they're so good!), but the efficiency in taking orders in advance somewhat makes up for it. And of course the heavenly bowl is arguably worth the wait. Also it's not the most relaxing place to dine in. Basically they want you in and out in a jiffy, but that is the nature of such establishments, and they're never rude about it.
This is certainly one place I'll go out of my way to get more of. -
Review from Steven F.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2011
Decent bowl of ramen. I think the pork broth is the best.
Broth is good. Good amount of noodles and toppings.
The pork that comes with it looks a little plain, but is actually quite tender, fatty, and pretty good.
I would vote against extra noodles because they just add more noodles to the bowl and messes up the ratio of ingredients.
Appetizer:
Fried Chicken - Delicious i would get it again. -
Review from Mike G.
San Carlos, CA
11/21/2011
Yum!
Most everybody I know gets the same thing! This would not apply to your Jewish or Muslim friends, but get the Pork Ramen. The broth is incredibly rich. These folks are not afraid of seasoning. The meat is done to perfection and practically melts in your mouth. The noodles themselves have just the right texture and are the perfect base for all of the friendly flavors in a Big Boy sized, piping hot bowl. Careful now!
Just like Momma used to say, "blow on it first". -
Review from Lisa N.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Broth was too heavy for me.
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