Bokujō Ramen

First time visiting after hearing about this online. Really loved the atmosphere and decor. Service was okay, but not really helpful for a person trying restaurant quality Ramen for the first time. The menu could have been better at describing the the dishes and what to expect. Perhaps some photos. Had the Buffalo Ramen entree and it was delicious, the Ramen definitely had a great texture and was plentiful. The Buffalo meat was sliced thin and held together in the bowl. My girlfriend tried the Pork Belly Ramen entree and she liked it, but it was very heavy on garlic flavor for my taste. The hard boiled egg was slightly cool on the inside on both of our dishes but didn't detract overall. Our main waitress was very utilitarian in service and did not seen very friendly or eager to educate new diners. Another waitress was more helpful when our primary waitress wasn't around. We also had the Black Hills Mushroom appetizer and it was okay, but not possessing any wow I'd definitely order that again factor. Could have used a bit of butter to enhance the flavor. Really enjoyed the Japanese videos of Ultraman that played during the visit and the liberal presence of Godzilla throughout the the restaurant 🐲

Lived in Rapid for a few months for work and everyone recommended this place. I loved their bison ramen and found it unique, although after a while the broth became bitter with all the arugula. I was able to visit the associated Bokujo Bodega next door while here. There is a lot of potential for this to be a nice, small spot with Japanese imports. However, I found that most of the products were US-based rather than directly from Japan, I am not sure how this effects the tax rate. I bought a bunch of goodies to snack on at home!

Best ramen we’ve ever had, hands down. You also need to try the bison bun. The restaurant is so uniquely decorated, which makes the whole experience that much better! I don’t think a single item on the menu would disappoint. It is clear that chef Justin Warner and his wife have devoted a lot of time to their craft. Also, stop by the bodega next door after you’ve eaten, if you want a treat or even some broth to-go.

Food was good. Mushroom miso, bison, spicy cucumbers. Hot tea was decent. Really loud inside. Not good for sitting and enjoying a meal with someone. Hard to hear.

We stopped here by chance on a family vacation as my sister wanted ramen. A google search and the great reviews led us to eat lunch here. The food was fantastic! But little did we know its Justin Warner’s restaurant (from Food Network). All I can say is that it was the best choice we could have made. Great service, great food and then we got to meet Justin (who was at his newly opened Bodega next door!). Justin was so kind and gracious, what a great guy!! Whether you’re a local or here on vacation, highly recommend stopping by

Terribly disappointed. We love to watch Diners drive-ins and dives and Guy's grocery games. I took my daughter there for her 19th birthday and we were super excited. What a letdown! The place is small and dark and the staff is weird and not friendly. The food was good however. The menu is disappointing as well, not much to offer. We are a huge fan of Justin Warner. I think he better visit his restaurant a little more often. We frequent triple d joints because they're usually really good, but this one did not hit the mark at all!

Worth the long wait! Had the Veggie Shoyu ramen; good texture and umami flavor. Amazing atmosphere. Check it out if you’re in Rapid City, definitely worth it!

Tonight a friend and I were craving ramen. We started with the hot sake, had a few appetizers and shared some bison bone ramen. The menu is intimate and cozy as the place itself, every dish being an absolute banger. Everyone was helpful and friendly and everything was delicious. On a cold night in downtown Rapid City, Bokujō was such a perfect choice for a couple of friends to catch up and share a damn good meal.

I am going to start off saying this place is everything I wanted and more. Or expected and more. Either way. I was very please with everything we had here. We were in Sturgis for the rally and I found out that Justin's place was not far and the menu looked great. So we drove up for lunch one day. We were immediately greeted by a nice lady and sat against the wall. The place is smaller than I thought it would be in an unassuming shopping strip. The decor inside is really fun. I walked around and saw the karaoke rooms and pretty wall art. Between 4 of us we ordered cucumber salad (amazing), 3 ramen (delicious and one person referred to the egg as sexy), a bison bao bun and furfaki salad. The dressing on that salad was amazing! We also had some beers, and a bottle of delicious sake to share. Great meal overall! The only thing I think that could have made the meal better was if Justin himself was there to chat with. If I am ever in the area again, I will definitely stop in for something delicious.

The service and ambiance really pulled through the experience for me. I was greeted instantly and received attentive and friendly service from the staff throughout. They were very knowledgeable about the ramen choices. I will say, it is a bit hard to find, and you really have to look for it? as it's not located right in the main street with other establishments, but around the corner. Street parking is also available around the corner as well. I was a bit let down by the food. Maybe I had my expectations set too high, as I was excited to try Justin Warner's restaurant, as he's one of my favorites to watch on the Food Network. I had the Tonkatsu Ramen with an extra egg. The egg was my favorite part, great flavor and the cook, soft boil, was excellent. The pork was nice and tender with a crispy outside. The broth is where it fell short for me. It was very thin and a bit watery. When I think of Tonkatsu ramen, and ramen in general, I think of rich flavors especially with the broth. I hate to say, there was nothing special about the broth I had. Aside from that, I also had edamame which was excellent. If I'm ever back in the area, I would come back and try a different ramen. Maybe it was an off night?

I once had a "cheeseburger and fry" meal cooked by a Japanese person, at a restaurant in Japan. I could tell they tried, but while eating I never really was able to shake the feeling that everything was off versus the beloved, original USA creation. For me, those foreign buns, patty, fries--even the ketchup--entered a kind of gastronimic "uncanny valley". And no one is comfortable with or likes "uncanny valleys." Reverse that and it'd be applicable to my experience here. I sampled the "Yokohama pork bone" ramen. The broth was lacking; the egg seemed plain; the wavy pork belly tasted like disintegrating wood pulp. Only noodles were passable. And the bill added to my dissatisfaction with a final sting: over $20, for what was basically an uncanny imitation. But you see, in Japan, at least when I requested "ketchup" they knew what it was and brought me some. When I asked my trendy-but-actually-clueless Bokujo Ramen server for "shichimi," she relayed that to the equally pretentious chef who responded with--and I quote--"no, no fish" (because he must have thought someone was asking about "sushi," this being a "Japanese"-wannabe eatery displaying a ton of glaring culturally appropriate objects and decorations). Fucking amateurs.

Great ramen place in Rapid City! Thank you for the cozy vibes and quick service. I ordered the Bison Ramen, which was unique and delicious. Ramen size was generous. Will be back when I'm visiting!

This place is totally awesome - your typical ramen place with rapid city influence! Super fun decor. The ramen was fantastic! I had the one with pork belly and my husband had the one with bison and they were both delicious! The noodles were the best noodles I've ever had in a ramen and the broth was delicious - just needed more salt. The soft boiled egg was perfect and the scallions were perfect in there. When we walked in, the server totally looked like a random guy, not someone who was working there. I've never seen a waiter/host wearing gym shorts and a random t-shirt, hence the 4 stars (and the lack of salt).

Easy to find the parking is right around the corner. The seating is slightly limited, but they have karaoke rooms!! It's a Japanese restaurant with a Western flare. Lots of swag decorate the walls and it's cool! We ordered a bison bun, a little dry but very tasty. Our ramen we ordered was Beef, Bison and Pork. Each comes with a soy sauce egg soft boiled, which is very delicious. The vegetables are well seasoned. The meat is prepared well. Now we are in South Dakota and you wouldn't expect a Ramen! But the reviews were good so we had to give it a shot! It was good, I've had ramen in many places, but it was good.

Still awesome. Liked it better this time around! I wish they had the dumplings available at lunch like at dinner.

Amazing food! Great customer service Loved the beef ramen I had, if you're ever in town and want to eat ramen this is the place to go!

5 stars for aesthetic, service, food and fish tank. Seriously, don't overlook the fish tank. It's Mount Rushmore themed. I had the miso ramen and can you believe they had two vegetarian ramen options here? It's hard to do flavorful veggie ramen but this one hit the bullseye. My ramen was flavorful, wholesome and filling. My friend got the bison ramen and enjoyed it. There is also a karaoke room here!

We were intrigued by the promise of bison ramen at Bokujo Ramen and made it a priority to visit when we were in Rapid City. We stopped by for a late dinner - less than an hour before they closed, but the place was completely packed and there were two other parties ahead of us. Luckily seating didn't take too long, maybe around 15 minutes, and we were able to order and dig in to the very unique ramen served here. Bison Bone Ramen ($20) - If you didn't tell me that the broth was bison, I'm not sure I could tell. The aromatics come out first with quite a bit of ginger, then it transitions into a soy flavor and finally a very slight beefiness. Sunflower seeds and arugula add bitterness. The ramen here is on the thicker side, cooked quite all dente with a bit of a firm but nice bounce. The bison, served in almost a kafta-type shape, is very lean and is charred well and cooked until it's easy to eat; not fall apart tender, but also not extremely chewy. The egg here is perfection - marinated in a deeply savory soy and sporting a yolk that's jammy but not runny. The broth is quite light and after finishing the dish, I felt satisfied but not particularly full. (4/5) Beef Bone Ramen ($18) - The broth in this ramen is quite one note and tastes very strongly of roasted beef bones. The noodles are thinner, softer, and not nearly as bouncy as the ones included in the bison bone ramen. There's some kale, scallion, and a skewer of chislic that includes four pieces of tender beef. The same excellent jammy egg is included as well. I thought this was overall a little weaker than the bison ramen. (3/5) In both cases I thought that the broth was missing depth of flavor with not nearly enough body. There's just something off about them - like maybe they are missing some layered umami elements, perhaps. Both broths are extremely thin, without the fattier unctuous elements that a broth with lots of emulsified fat/collagen/cartilage/gelatin typically has. It's more of a thin and watery ramen rather than a thick filling one. Still, the ramen at Bukujo is definitely worth trying, just because the fusion dishes are so uniquely South Dakotan. I would never make this my go-to ramen shop, but it's somewhere I'd recommend people try out. Bathrooms: Two individual rooms through a curtain in the back

This was a really fun find for our first meal in Rapid City. The restaurant is filled with interesting Japanese themed posters and Knick knacks and was very entertaining to look around. Service was prompt and friendly. The food was interesting but overall a bit on the heavy side (even for ramen). It is definitely Japanese style ramen and we enjoyed trying the various combinations. Worth a try definitely to check out the vibe and the (secret) karaoke room!

Good!! I was pleasantly surprised at how good the ramen was here. I've lived in CA and Chicago, so I've had a lot of ramen. The egg in the ramen here was waaay better than any ramen I've had in Chicago! We ordered the bison ramen and the broth was delicious. The meat was also very tender and paired well with the broth. Could do without the sunflower seeds BUT we didn't mind them overall. Servers were super nice. Try this place!

As I was making my trek from Cali to South Dakota, my last stop was in Rapid City. I figured there had to be a place that was on Food Networks DDD and Bokujo Ramen was one of the names on the show. Lucky for me it was only a block away from the hotel where I was staying. The interior is a cute little place and the bar area was a nice little hang out with a variety of Saki choices. After driving 8 hrs this place was a very nice welcome. The menu isn't complicated and pretty straight forward with a nice selection of ramen. I'm always a fan of pork belly so I went with the Yokohoma Pork Bone Ramen, which is composed of Pork Belly, Spinach, Scallions, &Soy Sauce Egg. What I found different to these compared to standard ramens is the volume or bowl seemed about 15% larger in proportion. Regardless, it was very tasty. I enjoyed the ramen and choices here and would recommend to anyone that's stopping through town to visit Bokujo and get yourself some tasty ramen.

I got off the plane and immediately headed to the Ramen shop to be honest. The hope was that I would get to meet Justin Warner head chef and owner of the restaurant but he wasn't there initially the food was fantastic. The Ramen is out of this world so much so that I had to come back the next day and I forgot to take a picture of that Ramen, but I ordered the bison Ramen, the second time which was equally as good as I'm eating my Ramen and enjoying the ambience that is Chef Warner low and behold, he walks out and stands right in front of me and of course my mouth dropped open because I've watched him on Food Network since his time on Food Network star what an amazing man super humble thank you

I found this place online and thought I might give it a try since I was visiting the area. I ordered the pork belly bun and tonkatsu ramen. The oko bun was full of flavors and I love how tender the meat was. However the ramen was not as impressive as I hoped. The broth was very light and was not as flavorful. Overall, the staff was very nice and helpful but I wished they turned down the music a little.

I have been waiting two years to come back to this shop and it lived up to the hype of my memory! I love love love Bokujō ramen! First the food is amazing. I got a bison bun, the mushroom miso ramen, and three mochi ice creams - pistachio, chocolate, and mango. The Bison bun was so delicious - the meat was so tender, the wasabi sauce gave it great flavor and the cabbage gave it a nice crunch. The ramen was so flavorful and chock full of mushrooms - it was definitely a good price for what you got! And finally the mochi flavors were all delicious, a perfect way to wrap up my meal. Additionally, the aesthetic is so fun - they have a lot of trinkets from Japan and cowboy inspired knick knacks. Finally, the waitstaff did a great job. The only thing I hate about Bokujo is that it isn't closer to where I live! I'll be thinking about Bokujo until next time I'm in the area.

Terrific ramen. Among the best I've ever had. The service was good despite the restaurant being quite busy at the time. Definitely recommend.

This is an amazing ramen place! The decoration and the collected toys are from Japan. You cannot even move your eyes out of them. The ramen are so yummy! Their flavors and portions are very satisfying! The service is warm and patient. I am so happy to find this place while traveling!

Best Ramen in the Midwest!!! Friendly staff!!! Great atmosphere!! Mazenman Ramen and the Oko Buns are definitely our favs!!

Best Ramen in the continental US! Must have the Bison Bone Ramen and doo yourself the favor and the Wagyu fat pls... this is over the top delicious!

Bokujo Ramen Was Such A Sweet Little Place In Rapid City! I Was Small But Was So Charming! We Were Greeted Upon Walking In And The Vibe Was Casual And Retro Anime Themed. The Pink Napkins Were The Cutest Touch For Me! The Ramen Was Hot And Flavorful and For The Price It Was Well Worth It! There Was A Lot Of Food, I Couldn't Even Finish My Bowl, Which Speaks To The Value. The Ramen Was Fresh And Definitely Hit The Spot On A Chilly Day In Rapid City! Although I Am Not A Rapid City Native, I Would Definitely Suggest Bokujo To Anyone In The Area!

The ramen here is pretty good! I heard about it through triple D. The broth was flavorful and had good ramen texture. The bison broth was delicious! I love the egg the most! So tasty and perfectly cooked!

The food was great. While it is a small menu and has some non-traditional Japanese offerings, the tonkotsu ramen was very well done. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the dish had a complex flavor profile. My small critiques would be that there was no option to select green tea and the water tasted weird.

Ordered the bison bone ramen and a soda. Got the soda right away. After about 20-25 minutes the waiter told me there was a glitch in their ordering system and my order got lost and it would be out in about five minutes. When I got the bill, they had given me a discount because of the issue.

An incredible find in Rapid City. We were not expecting such excellent ramen on our roadtrip - and thematically, one with bison meat! We really enjoyed the bison ramen and the buns, and the service was friendly and attentive.

Ramen was fabulous! Atmosphere was calming! Thoroughly enjoyed my dinner while here from Florida!

We come here all the time and the ramen is amazing! Cute little spot with a small but phenomenal menu. They also have secret party rooms with pinball and video games! Staff is always wonderful too. Highly recommend this place!

Really great ramen, and great service! They have a fun selection of sakes - I highly recommend the hot sake - and a couple Japanese beers. My current favorite spot in Rapid.

What an awesome little sit down! So much japanese pop culture all over the restaurant! I always get the pork tonkotsu with an extra egg and it never disappoints! Wait staff is always speedy, attentive and kind. 10/10 would recommend anyone in downtown Rapid looking for a quick bite!

Food is awesome, the inside is really well decorated. A great place if you love Ramen.

I love their spin on ramen! Especially the bison bone one. The place is cool, lots of stuff to look at. Wish they had booths to make it cozier. The people that work there are fast and nice.

A+ ramen in a super fun and kitschy setting. We have never been to Rapid City and did a deep dive into the restaurants downtown. The Food Network nerd in me was thrilled to discover that this was Justin Warner's place so we eagerly showed up for lunch promptly at 11am. We had the bison bun and mushroom foil as starters, both delicious. I typically don't love steamed buns (too sweet for me) but the dough here is perfect - seasoned well and the wasabi slaw, yum! We ordered 2 traditional bowls of ramen, the pork and the beef. Added on chili oil, YUM. Especially loved the pork ramen because the wood ear mushrooms in it added such great flavor and texture. Topped it all off with some beer and sake and voilá! Perfect lunch. Highly recommend!

Wow. I'm not always a ramen fan, but the level of culinary talent here is something that most (even supposedly high-quality) restaurants in the Black Hills lack. I even love the ramen! What a gem.

My family and I ordered this ramen for takeout. I picked it up at the restaurant, which had a fun decor and featured a lot of Japanese memorabilia. It is dark in terms of lighting inside, so it's good for a night out and there's even a Karaoke room for events. The staff was very nice and helpful when I came in, and there was a good amount of people dining for lunch. There are tables in the main dining area and also a bar, if you want to do bar seating/dining by yourself. I tried the Bison bone ramen, and it was very good! I appreciated the instructions on how to prepare the ramen if you do takeout to ensure freshness. If you do takeout, it comes with the noodles and seasoning on the bottom of the bowl, with a separated tin for the fixings (meats, veggies, other ingredients), and the broth in a separate bowl so that the noodles wouldn't get soggy/overcooked. It was very flavorful, although I my noodles still felt overcooked despite the careful preparation, but the good flavor compensated for any faults there. We also ordered pork baos which are big portions, and delicious. I'd definitely recommend Bokujo Ramen, and hopefully can dine-in next time!

Delicious spot for those who know what real ramen is... *Dear Yelp, here are a few more sentences for the people who enjoy reading reviews rather than getting outside & experiencing what this world has to offer. Remember what life was like before yelp? We just went places 'cause they looked cool, tried restaurants 'cause they looked nice or someone recommended it... but now, most of us go on Yelp. Why? To read novel length reviews from wannabe journalists? Or are you like me: I just want to look at the menu before hand, check out the prices, & know if I'll get food poisoning or not. Either way, you read this long rant, thanks, I hope I made you laugh :) Oh and thanks Covid for making me lose my Elite status

My husband and I found out about this place several months ago. We are from Arizona and I've been plotting on how to come here. I'm so happy be finally had the opportunity this gem is delightful. When we sat down we were offered their special Bison bun which was eaten before any photos. It's a bao bun with bison, cabbage and a wasabi mayo. Everything about it was delicious. Also that wasabi mayo was the best I've had and I'd buy a bottle of it. The high was 93 and we were hot. I thought it was funny that we chose a place with hot food. The server advised when we got in that they have cold ramen. Normally I would have passed on that but I was hot. My husband got the Bison Bone Ramen (hot) and I got the cold version. The bison was cooked perfectly and the flavors were amazing. My husband finished his entire bowl broth and all which I've never seen him do before. The cold version was weird just because it's not what you'd expect however it was so good and just what you need on those hot days. The flavors are different. The bisons temp was good it was not super cold or hot. The egg was creamy and the arugula is a nice peppery flavor to compliment the broth. The restaurant decorated with cute Knick Knacks. I didn't know Justin Warner has his own action figures. You have the option to sit in the bar, at a counter, or in tables. We got there a few minutes after they opened as we were leaving there was a huge line.

Ok, well that was delicious. In town for a conference and walked a couple of blocks from my hotel to this little cozy spot. Sat by my lame and lonesome self at the bar and was served this huge bowl of amazingly prepared ramen goodness. I went for their signature dish of the bison bone ramen with added mushrooms, and definitely made the right choice! The broth was savory, and the buffalo was tender. Didn't intend to eat the whole thing, but only a bit of self-discipline kept me from licking the bowl, lol. Wait staff was super nice. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town!

Our high food expectations were exceeded! We started with the oxtail gyoza which were deliciously meaty and perfectly formed around the meat. The Mushroom foil was buttery and I will be making this next week at home with a selection of shrooms. Already sated - we watched our Beef Bone Ramen and Spicy Miso hit the table. The portions are huge. The Ramen eggs cooked to perfection. Jammy on the inside and gray on the outside. A process Chef Justin explained to us the following week when we went back. I will be trying this at home. The ramen were infused with the broth and so tasty no extra ingredients were even needed - but hey ho we ate it all. Washed down with some cold Hakutsaru Draft, we left and staggered over to Zeitaku Foot Massage and promptly settled into oblivion while dreaming of the next Ramen egg. We returned for the lunch the following week and enjoyed some conversation with Justin, an extremely polite, interesting and curious person. His love for Japan is clear. He is definitely in the top 5 most photographed "must see" in South Dakota, with only Presidents and Buffalo ahead of him. He patiently posed and smiled enthusiastically with everyone. A classy individual indeed clearly grateful for what he has. He has trained his chefs and the food is flawless even when Chef is not present. A top notch local eatery with zero attitude, the grand master has taught his students well.

Had the chance to go to Rapid City and couldn't pass up a chance to eat at Justin Warner's ramen cafe. It was exceptional. We had the bison ramen and loved it. We also had the Oko bun and Bison bun, both were delicious. Highly recommend if you're anywhere close.

Love this place. Food is stupendous, service is top notch. Love the ambiance. Justin and his crew know how to do ramen. Just wish the gyozo was offered more often.

Stopped in here to check out the Rapid City ramen scene and were pleasantly surprised. Definitely a locally influenced menu with their bison bone ramen. It was delicious. As was the classic ramen. Wife asked if they could make the chilled veggie shoyu ramen hot instead, and they were happy to do that. Did not realize Guy Fieri of DDD had been there and also loved the bison bone ramen. By the way, there's actually no bone in the ramen. Just some very tender bison meat.

Bokujo Ramen is great! I keep telling everyone that my ramen here was the best meal I had on my South Dakota adventure. This hip and cool place is hidden in plain sight in downtown Rapid City. There is a large parking lot across the street from the restaurant and plenty of street parking in the area. The inside of the shop is like a teenage Japanese anime dream. There is a lot of swag on the walls, and it looks like church pews were used for some of the seating. The effect is pretty cool and makes the experience even nicer. I sat down and looked over the menu. They have a curated menu with just a few options for food and drink. I chose the bison ramen and a local beer for my dinner. That's right. Bison ramen. I think this may be their signature dish. The ingredients are all local including seeds and greens. The dish includes a generous portion of grilled bison brisket which is just damn good. The broth is bison bone too with a great flavor. The portions are perfect after a long day of exploring the area. My beer was also refreshing and a good compliment to the food. Staff were great and clearly loved their work. This place deserves the respect it receives on Yelp, and if you are reading this review you should head over soon. Bokujo Ramen was my best meal in a week in Rapid City and it may be yours too.

I consider myself a bit of a ramen snob. After living in Japan for 6 years I had the chance to try many ramens. Little old Rapid City has a secret. The Bokujo ramen house is spectacular ramen. Great service, has the Tokyo feel for decoration. If you like ramen. Go. Now.

cute place! it was a little crowded so we had to wait about 15 minutes for our table which we didn't mind because they had a seating area and gave us menus to look at while we waited. the hostess was nice! once seated, we waited about 8 minutes for our server. she was nice and helpful when we had a lot of questions. while we were here, they had oxtail potstickers. my parents enjoyed them but they weren't super great in my opinion. they did come with a yummy sauce. edamame was good but a little salty. our food came out pretty fast. i got the beef bone ramen. had good flavor and i thought it was really good! my family enjoyed theirs. the beef itself had good flavor and was not too tender but no too tough. egg was delicious!! my family had pork belly and bison. they loved it all! it was all average priced and i thought this was a great spot! i would definitely come back.

I'm always happy when I eat here. It has both traditional ramen and some unique twists. Service is good and the wait is typical. Love all the comics and memorabilia in the walls. Looking for good ramen. You've found it.

Everytime I've been there they've always had great service, they have amazing food that's a great proportion for it s price, and the great environment and uniqueness makes them really stand out

Good ramen for the area, very satisfied, good customer service, nice ambience, interesting decor from Japan

Visiting Rapid city we were looking for some dinner. We were reluctant to drop by because of the very few reviews, all 5 stars, but very few. The place is small but nicely decorated, the menu is small and lacks a few items that a true ramen restaurant needs. We started by asking for hot tea, none in the menu, pretty strange for a Japanese restaurant, so we only drank water. The ramen, we had bison, pork and veggie ramens, all were good but not exactly something that would blow you off your seat, but keep on working at it. My issue with the pork bone ramen was that it had very little pork belly.

A bit hard to find but worth the search. Ordered take out. The food was great the staff friendly. Good all around experience