Best Ramen in Chicago
Located in Logan Square, this highly anticipated shop from Reddit-famous ramen aficionado Mike Satinover (Ramen_Lord) channels his Sapporo-inspired, decade-long pop-up work into a tightly focused menu of four ramens: a Sapporo-style miso (Sapporo-style noodles, bean sprouts, menma, pork chashu), a shoyu (Sapporo-style noodles, nori, menma, pork chashu), a broth-free tantanmen (extra-thick noodles, ma-la spice, pork soboro, chili oil, bok choy), and an aburasoba (extra-thick noodles, garlic, shoyu, cubed chashu). Embracing specialization and constraints to sharpen execution, the restaurant prioritizes consistency over variety, a strategy that has earned enthusiastic early praise — including a former Tribune critic calling it the best ramen he’s had in Chicago. The 55-seat space (booths, window seats, kitchen-facing counter spots and a 20-person communal table) was intended to evoke Japan’s tiny street-side noodle stands but was enlarged to meet local building codes. Reservations via OpenTable are heavily booked through December 29, though the team is exploring additional slots and currently serves up to 60 walk-ins per day; current hours are 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Satinover has also been unusually transparent about the build-out process on Instagram, sharing design updates and pre-opening challenges as he transitions from enthusiastic pop-up chef to full-time restaurateur.
This tiny West Loop basement bar helped define Chicago’s spicy tonkotsu era—first-come only, with bowls that range from gentle to incendiary. Featured by Eater Chicago and beloved by locals for its late-night atmosphere.
A longtime neighborhood anchor known for silky, slow-cooked tonkotsu and an excellent vegan tan tan men. Recognized by the Michelin Guide and regularly recommended by Time Out and The Infatuation.
Wicker Park’s creative ramen pioneer blends handmade noodles with bold flavors, from black garlic tonkotsu to garlicky fried chicken on the side. Often cited by Time Out and Eater as a solid, personality-filled stop.
For years, Chicago ramen heavyweights High Five, Wasabi, and Menya Goku have been our go-tos, consistently impressing us with their fantastic pork-based, tonkotsu bowls. But a new challenger is vying for Chicago’s ramen throne. One with velvety, hard-to-find, beef-based gyukotsu broth. And that place is Monster Ramen. Monster Ramen sits innocently on a corner in Logan Square—just a white neon sign glowing against a matte black exterior. The bright, narrow space has a few tables, but our favorite seats are the ones at the kitchen counter. Looking through glass separators, it’s like watching a TV that only broadcasts the Monster Ramen Channel. You can see all of the action: bowls being meticulously constructed, billowing clouds of steam emanating from pots, and the staff maneuvering through the narrow kitchen with well-timed, choreographed movements. CHI Guide Chicago's Best New Restaurants Of 2022 photo credit: Kim Kovacik The menu has a few starters and a handful of non-soup dishes, but the ramen is why you’re here. Specifically, the four bowls made with gyukotsu, an incredible beef bone broth. Unlike the almost-milky creaminess of pork-based tonkotsu, their gyukotsu is light (but still plenty beefy), and complemented with thin, springy housemade noodles. For a straightforward beef flavor, get one of their salt-seasoned shio bowls. But for more complexity, our favorite is “The Monster.” Toppings like beef jam, tender wagyu, and mushrooms give this bowl extra meatiness, while swirls of garlic miso tare mixed into the broth adds so much umami, the walls of reality practically disintegrate with each spoonful. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Monster Ramen already sets itself apart in Chicago’s ramen landscape simply by having beef broth on its menu. But the fact that their bowls are always balanced and flavorful makes it one of our favorite spots in the city for a casual meal—ramen or otherwise. Though it can get busy with friends catching up, couples, or parents trying to keep their kid from showering themselves in soup, we’ve often been seated immediately. But even if there’s a wait (usually 15 minutes or less), you can just happily pass the time by watching the Monster Ramen Show happening in the kitchen. Food Rundown Gyoza You can get these fried or poached, and with either a beef or vegetable filling. Both of the fillings are great, but we like our gyoza fried—the crispy bottom adds a nice contrast to the soft top. The accompanying yuzu ponzu sauce adds an extra layer of complexity, giving each bite some tart sweetness. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Spicy Menma This dish is simple—just thinly sliced pieces of bamboo shoots drizzled in chili oil. But the menma has a perfectly crisp texture, and a sweet and earthy flavor that's nicely complemented by nuttiness and spice from the chili oil. This is a fantastic starter. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Shio Tokusei The gyukotsu broth in the shio tokusei has a focused, beefy flavor courtesy of shio tare. And though the addition of beef jam and chashu may feel like it will go overboard with the meatiness, a splash of yuzu lightens everything up with some citrusy brightness. photo credit: Kim Kovacik The Monster Like five students splitting a two-bedroom in New York, this bowl is packed. In addition to the aforementioned chashu and beef jam, The Monster comes with buttery wagyu rib roast, a sweet and savory soft-boiled egg, and a garden’s worth of vegetables and greens. Additional richness comes from the garlic miso tare, but it never feels overpowering. This is a must-order. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Shoyu Plus This is one of the two chicken-broth bowls on the menu, and though it has a much lighter flavor than the beef bowls, it has plenty of umami. This is from its soy sauce seasoning, the katsuo shoyu tare. Garlic, scallions, and raw red onions add some fragrance, while roasted sesame gives just a hint of nuttiness. photo credit: Kim Kovacik
From the Wasabi team, this intimate North Center counter zeroes in on tantanmen with peppercorn tingle, plus a refined modern shoyu. Covered by ABC7 and the Chicago Reader; a favorite of critics for focused, flavorful bowls.
Rudy’s Ramen in Noble Square keeps things simple. The short menu only has four appetizers and seven ramen options. There aren’t any super deluxe bowls with 37 toppings. Rudy’s sticks to the basics, and it’s perfect. Each bowl is balanced with rich-but-not-too-fatty pork broth (or a mushroom broth for vegetarians) and just a handful of toppings like menma, ajitama, along with springy noodles. The open dining room is simple, too—a few plant wall decals and basket lamps above the kitchen counter. But the staff and the eponymous Rudy keep the place from feeling sterile, often stopping by to chat. Plus, since it’s usually not too crowded, it's reliable for a last-minute dinner.
West Loop’s neon-lit ramen bar specializes in gyukotsu, swapping in rich bison or beef bone broths with wagyu upgrades. Time Out and Eater note its unique lane in Chicago’s noodle landscape.
A family-owned Lakeview favorite since 2017, offering customizable bowls from pork belly to chicken katsu alongside sushi. Eater’s ramen guide gives it due credit as a reliable local standby.
Shinya Ramen House is the only ramen shop in Chicago open until 1:30am. Because it's open late, this cozy place in Bridgeport is usually packed all night with people grabbing food after hanging out at the bar, and IIT students who decided to come here instead of microwaving some cup noodles. Though their standard bowls are good, Shinya's specialty options are worth trying as well, like vegan tomato, curry, and—though purists might cringe at the sight of it—miso ramen with udon noodles. Aside from table seating, they also have a small area where you can slurp noodles while sitting on floor cushions.