Don Don Express

We ordered online over the pandemic and really enjoyed it, so we decided to visit in person. Unfortunately, I think the quality has decreased since then. I was surprised by the amount of good reviews; I think it's good but not great. The food is good, but tastes a little cheap: everything tastes watered down. From the salad dressing to the soy sauce and teriyaki chicken. Overall, it was still very enjoyable! They have many options and the food is still tasty. It reminds me of comfort food but Asian; it is cheerful, simple, and satisfying to eat.

Great food. Great price. You should try.

One of the best ramen in town in my opinion! The food was great and so was the service.

I’m perplexed. Why are there so many great reviews about this place? Surely someone is paying for bots to create positive reviews. Well, it worked! I went to this location tonight at approximately 9pm. Their closing time is 9:30. I arrived without another customer in the place and the owners were eating dinner with their family. I felt bad, I don’t want disrupt a family meal. On to my salivary nourishment or lack there of! It was HORRIBLE!!! A frozen food meal from HEB would be a Michelin rated meal in comparison and even that is being gratuitous! The hot and sour soup was nothing more than beef consume, cornstarch and a very insignificant amount of vegetables, if that’s what you can call it. The pork egg roll which the owner sold me on was burnt. The sauce to dip it in was once again, water, red dye, cornstarch, sugar and a sprinkle of vinegar, really disgusting. The hot mustard, if I can even call it that, came in a “to go” ketchup style packet that was a far cry from anything it should have resembled. We also ordered the crab appetizers It was basically the leftovers of spicy imitation crab filling with old wonton dough. Please refer to the picks for this. I hear you, “What do you expect from cheap Chinese food”? Well… Something edible at the VERY LEAST! This meal has now found is $60 home in my garbage disposal. It was DISGUSTING beyond belief!! I wouldn’t refer my worst enemy to eat here!! DON’T waste your time or money in this $$$hit hole!!

Such delicious food. It just started pouring rain so I don't think they were expecting anyone at 3 in the afternoon. The lobster dumplings and oyako don were great. My daughter said the Tonkatsu was better than her favorite place. It will be somewhere we will add to our rotation.

I discovered this place from a lunch flyer and it decided to try it out and ordered a variety of dishes from sesame chicken, Kimchi, chicken katsu. It was the best decision ever made, every dish we ordered was cooked so well especially for take out my food was still crispy and hot! They have the best kimchi ever, I will definitely be returning so happy I found this place!!

Very cute inside, lunch was amazing. We had the spicy edamame , and 2 omurice. I had the papa's omurice and OMG DELICIOUS! Tasted like mama made it with LOVE! sides were a lovely spinach salad and hot and sour soup! Will definitely be coming back!

Everything was good the beef yakisoba was just right not too much sauce or too sweet just right and also they don't skimp on the beef. The fried calamari was also good and the chili oil is better the average, service was also very good. Look forward to returning to try their ramen it looked good but the middle of the summer is not when i typically eat ramen...

Have been coming here since I was nine it's my favorite restaurant I'm 13 now the family there is very kind, hard working, and overall Amazing they have plenty of options and all of them are good and I'm picky so that says a lot just overall greatly recommend this place. Plus it is a minute from my school love getting this right after school.

Still love this place. The menu isn't huge but everyone can find something they like. I tried the shrimp soba (noodles) today and like everything else, it was delicious. The shrimp was fresh, as were the onions and peppers. It's fast, reasonably priced, and the owner/server is so kind. I am always proud to bring my friends. I know they will be well cared for and leave satisfied.

Don Don Ramen is my absolute go-to! Their Inferno Ramen is a fiery flavor bomb, and the omelette rice is pure comfort food. The owner and her family are incredibly welcoming, making the whole experience even better. It's perfect for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner fix. Highly recommended!

The rice inside the omurice was perfectly seasoned and delicious! it wasn't exactly the omurice i envisioned but it certainly was yummy.

The best tofu ever. It was so well done. Very flavorful and made to order. We ordered the sesame sweet and sour tofu bowl. We will be coming here again. The fried rice was so good as well. We were so excited to eat we forgot to take pictures.

The restaurant has consistent service and quality of food. I wish there was a greater selection of Japanese food, but it is slightly Americanized. It is listed as Japanese, but there's a mix of different east asian cuisine. Overall a good place to chow down.

Exceptional food with great service. The quality and quantity of food was great value. Family owned and operated with care and integrity. Quiet atmosphere and very clean

Christmas Day traditions call for Chinese food! We couldn't find many places open but this hidden gem right down the street from us was not only open but gave us some tasty food and hot green tea! We enjoyed curry pancakes, soba noodle stir fry, and ramen! All were so good!

I very seldom write reviews. HOWEVER, the SERVICE was 10/10 - not only were they quick but very kind and attentive. Ramen was delicious! Hidden gem for sure. I'll be back!!!

i love this place so much, i accidentally discovered it during covid and have been a regular ever since. The family that owns this restaurant is always so sweet and informative they all seem like such kind people. the crab Rangoons here are the BEST i've ever had by far!! the food here is excellent especially considering the asian food near by it is top tier! i really like the interior of this restaurant aswell its nice and cozy, even tho its smaller it's very private and just super cute!

Wow. This is a hidden gem. If you passed by you could miss it. It's tucked away on 620/El Salido in a small shopping center. The service was great and the food was phenomenal. All the food was freshly made and both dishes came out hot and tasty. I will definitely be coming back here. Thank you Don Don.

We've only gotten take out here but the food from this little unassuming place in a strip center is very tasty!

Nice and authentic. The strawberry chicken is unique. Love the stewed pork too. Roasted duck is good too.

Top notch chicken teriyaki bento! My chicken was grilled perfect and the teriyaki sauce is super good. My rice was nice and warm and the sushi pieces were made well. I'm coming back to try more items.

This is a family favorite. Their katsu don and fried rice are wonderful. The bento box is a great deal for delicious food. I would like to see better egg rolls and a bit more affordable appetizers, but overall the food is always delicious, and the family owners are sweet and wonderful people.

Just got takeout here and they are small but mighty! The prices are great for the portion size and the quality. We had the teriyaki chicken bento, sesame chicken don, and the inferno ramen. The bento was terrific - the miso soup warm and not too salty, and the chicken teriyaki was juicy and paired great with the rice. I especially liked their salad dressing. From what my family tells me, the other items were also great. The inferno ramen is listed as spicy however it is a relatively mild level. Will definitely return!

Ughhh- I was craving it so bad I forgot to take a pic. Amazing 10/10 will order Tonkotsu Ramen again!!!!! Felt likestaying in and order from the nearest place which is Don Dons and I'm a fannnn!!!!!

This place is a hidden gem! It's a family operated restaurant, and everyone is really friendly. They remember us when we come back and even know our order now. The teriyaki is s amazing. The rice is perfect. The sushi is fresh. They cook your food when you order, so it doesn't sit around. They are reasonably priced for when you get. Give this place a try, you will not be disappointed!

This place has great food. The prices are outstanding compared to similar restaurants in the area. The staff is friendly enough to make sure your order is correct. The food does not take long to prepare. The store is small but worth it.

Great local place that is easy to overlook. Definitely recommend giving it a try especially if you like fast Asian comfort food.

Cheap and good. What more do you want for a quick noodle joint? The ramen is great and the chicken yaki soba always delivers. It's a small family-run spot where they move quick and the food doesn't disappoint.

My family and I gave been eating at Don Don Express since they opened. They serve some of the best Ramen in the Austin area. We were happy to see they have dine-in service. The also seem to do an amazing amount of takeout. We decided to try something new this time. We started with the Golden Fried Tofu and the Curry Pancakes. The tofu had the perfect crunchy outside texture and the inside was soft and smooth. NOT rubbery like many place serve. It had the right amount of saltiness. We thought it is better than their calamari (our usual appetizer). The pancakes had a nice crisp exterior and fluffy center. They came with a fancy curry dipped sauce. I did order my usual Curry Ramen with comes with shrimp. The broth was appropriately hot (unlike the lukewarm served at other establishments). The flavors were great. Totally satisfying meal. Don Don will remain on 'My Keepers List'.

I really enjoyed the spicy edamame, sweet potato tempura, and spicy chicken don. I did not love the tonkatsu ramen, but the staff is amazing and the restaurant is very clean. I would come again and try something else.

We'll just cut to the chase: 1. Will the food here change your life? No. 2. Will you get annoyed at the Anglo table next to you blathering endlessly about dashi & panko? Yes. 3. Is it easier to get your Japanese fix here than to make it yourself? Oh hell yes. Don Don is not a dedicated sushi place, but they're solid with the other usual suspects. I enjoyed the omurice, but if ramen is your only jam, you might consider one or two other places. We'll return here for the katsus & yakisobas. Everything on the menu appears to average around $10, and at lunch you'll save a dollar and be gifted with soup. Other thoughts: I think the toughest gig in show business has to be a couple running a restaurant or food truck together; that's got to require an insane amount of patience & dedication. I actually don't know, but a bonus star anyway. And it's real easy to drive right past Don Don Express on 620, so look out for it. And I've lived in student housing that had more square footage. If this place was even close to my hood, I'd be a regular. And bring my own chopsticks.

The food is outstanding, their website needs work. Would like to see picture of what I'm ordering. I keep trying to sign up but I get NO email with options to change my password.

Blink and you'll miss Don Don Express. It's in a little strip mall on the corner of N FM620 and El Salido. Use the Chevron gas station on the corner as your landmark. Food: Katsudon - theirs is chicken, not pork, so bear that in mind. Batter is light yet super crunchy, and just enough to coat the chicken without overtaking the meat. Served over rice with egg and cooked Spanish onion. If I had to nit, the rice was a bit too wet with the light sauce from the egg and onion. The rice didn't have enough time to soak it all up before it was served. But the flavor was spot on. Service: This is a little family run spot where the husband cooks and the wife is your server. They have three kids (I know because I stopped in at 12:30pm on a Saturday and interrupted their family lunch time.) To their credit, the parents hopped into action as their kids finished their meals. Food was cooked to order and brought out in good time. Overall: Give it a go, and support a local business. Food was fresh, delicious, and the place is unpretentious, and clean. Parking spots outside, and they take cards.

Just bought to deliver to my office. Rice is dry and the "steak" is really awful. The dish has no good flavor because is over cooked. You can tell is not very fresh.

had Ramen here today. nothing noteworthy to be a repeat customer. the broth is not thick and flavorful. the chasu is thin cut and has after taste to it the noodles are off the shelf grocery item.

Cute family-run restaurant! Seems like they do a lot of delivery and takeout. It was empty when we went on a Thursday night around 6:15. There are about 8 to 10 tables seating between two to four people each, so not a place for a large crowd. I got the chicken katsu don and really enjoyed it! The chicken was fried well and the sauce for the rice was curiously sweet. Portion size was perfect. My friends got the omurice, and that looked very good too. They said the salad and dressing tasted especially good. Will definitely come again!

Oh my gosh. The lobster dumplings are 10/10. They have the right kick without the jalapeño and with it, it's some good heat!!!!!!! I totally recommend them. The curry ramen is 7/10. I've never had something like this before. I think it just lacks a little flavor. It is good to try if you haven't had curry ramen before. It might be because I order it to go so once the pandemic ends I'll come and try it again.

A gem in a unexpected location! Nestled in a small strip mall in a quaint space (small probably because they do mostly delivery and takeout) this is an incredible find. Everything on the menu is delicious and reasonably priced. We ordered the chicken don and beef don. Both were delicious, came in huge portions (enough to share) with plenty of well seasoned rice, vegetables, and the meat cooked to perfection. If you can pick just one, I would recommend the beef, but both were satisfying! We also ordered the avocado bomb to start. This is half of a baked avocado stuffed with crabmeat and topped with bread crumbs. This was absolutely delicious, the only thing I would change is maybe less breadcrumbs. So glad we stumbled on this place, will definitely be back!!

I have always been a big huge fan of eating Japanese Don, but I haven't been able to locate a good solid traditional Japanese restaurant who can satisfy my craving. Today while I was reading the Community Impact, I saw this news of Don Don Express had been opened since beginning of 2018, because we don't live on this side of town, we were not able to find out the existing of this restaurant. Tonight my friend and I ordered the following two dishes: Oyako Don Fish Katsu Don Hands down to the Chef/Owner Jerry, he just made my day and years of searching for good quality Japanese Don. They use the traditional Japanese rice, on my Oyako Don (Chicken with Egg and Onions) the Egg and Onions over the rice was perfectly sweetened, the Chicken was also very well cooked. On my friend's Fish Katsu Don, the deep fried fish was perfectly fried in light golden color, the fish was thick and still bit juicy!! My friend and I both are really picky on food, and we both dropped our jars when we were enjoying our food. I definitely will be back, and will also spread out the words to the surrounding to bring bigger awareness.

My husband and I were very hungry, and we were in the mood for some Asian Cuisine. After a couple of searches we found this place. While it was empty (we came in at 1:30PM on a Friday), we were quickly seated and given menus. We ordered Chicken Omurice and Fish Katsu Don (Both on lunch special, so it came with soup, we picked Egg Drop). Both were DELICIOUS. The chicken was juicy, it had Rice that was just bursting with flavor and was a great dish. The Katsu was also very impressive. The battered fish was not dry at all, crispy and the rice, onion, egg and sauce had something about it that made me go back for more! We will definitely be coming back...maybe we will try the ramen!

Ordered the Spicy Chicken Don via delivery and was pleasantly surprised at the heat level! Crunchy fried chicken with a sweet and savory sauce. Rice was cooked well and everything arrived on time. Highly recommend if you're looking for something spicy!

Loved this place! Great customer service & delicious food! They don't have a ramen with chicken in it only pork. I asked if they could do chicken and he accommodated me!

I've driven past this place a few times but never thought much of it. Then one day I was yelping to find a place that serves katsu after I learned that Papa Donkatsu had closed (and their new restaurant no longer serves it). Don Don Express popped up and the reviews were decent, so tonight I finally checked it out. Do not let the quaint space fool you, the food here is extremely delicious. I tried the Katsu-don and the combo omurice and both were so tasty and filling. Prices are great too! Definitely plan to hit this place if you're looking for an inexpensive, filling, and delicious meal.

My girlfriend and I were craving rice dishes and we found this place in the area. We were happy to find out they had a happy hour menu and it was a really good deal for Don rice bowls! I tried the combination omurice and it was cooked really well. It was a fluffy omlette with combination fried rice inside and topped with ketchup. The fried rice was seasoned well and the eggs were cooked perfectly. My girlfriend got the chicken don bowl and it was also very tasty. The rice was cooked with just the right texture and it was topped with chicken, eggs, and onions that was packed with flavor. The owner was nice, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed for the meal. He even gave us a free dessert at the end which was a fried banana roll with a sweet creamy raspberry sauce. Overall, it was a great meal and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

I noticed this place served omurice, so I got the lunch special shrimp omurice with Tom yum soup. I added in the banana egg rolls, for something sweet alongside everything. None of these items I had tried before. Tasty omurice that leans more towards Chinese flavors than the sweeter Japanese flavors. The omurice doesn't come with the unique egg that when you cut open oozes onto the rice. Rather, this omurice comes with a beaten omelette laid on top of the rice. The gelatinous texture of the Tom Yum soup wasn't appealing to me. I loved the banana egg rolls! Crispy and simply sweet, I want to try to recreate these! Just a thin egg roll wrapped around a couple of slices of banana and served with condensed milk. They offered curbside pickup, just call in letting them know. Easy online ordering system.

I went to this restaurant based on the reviews poster here. I can say you all were right, the food is delicious, I needed somewhere where I could eat rice or chicken and my husband could eat his ramen. Man, the Tonkutsu ramen was awesome, I asked the Spicy Chicken rice bowl and it did not dissapoint... Also, the Mexican Coca Cola is the closest to Salvadoran Coca Cola (Because the sugar is different in flavor) so I was delighted. I am giving a 4 star review because I still need to try out more food, but so far it was great!

Man oh man - this place is such a gem. It is absolutely delicious and the owner is so nice. We had the kimchi ramen and the teriyaki bento box...we were all so happy with our food we didn't even speak much because we were so engulfed in eating it. I am so excited we found this place and we cannot wait to come back. Thank you for being amazing!

Great local business that serves excellent Asian comfort food standards for an affordable price. We had the Beef Omurice and Curry Ramen which were both delicious. Omurice tasted like it was made with love from a home kitchen. Definitely check this place out!

I am an eater. I eat more than I should. I always clean my plate. If I don't finish my food, it means there was enough for three people or it was inedible. Welp, this place has reasonable portions, but at least 95% of my food remained. I ordered the Tonkatsu ramen. The broth lacked deep flavor, was thin, yet was still way off. The pork/chashu tasted rancid, though I could tell it wasn't actually rotten. The noodles were thick/chewy and eggy. The actual egg was flavorless and unpleasant at the same time. It was, of course, served with a super awkward ladle and a bowl of hot and sour soup. The waitress said, "You didn't like it," because my bowl was nearly untouched. I agreed I didn't like it. She turned to get us the check. I took the ramen to-go, let it rot in the fridge for two days and threw it away. BTW, it was only $1 less than Ramen Tatsu-Ya. Hubby had the beef fried rice, which tasted heavily of sesame oil. The meat, just like everything else, lacked flavor. The rice must have been brown rice, because the texture wasn't what one would expect from fried rice. He did eat his meal, but in the car said, " Please don't make me go back there again." At least I was served a warm flat Mexican Coke with a large glass of ice to wash it down. Hubby's wasn't flat, but it was served warm as well. I told the waitress that my Coke was flat and she just stared at me. To be fair, there was a language barrier. When we got home, I microwaved an Amy's enchiladas frozen meal. Those I can recommend.

Chicken Katsu Don and Chicken Yaki Soba were both fantastic. Got Gyoza as an appetizer. Leaving happy and full

I want to preface this by saying you shouldn't order this expecting Tatsuya level ramen to roll up. Order this like I did, far from the comforts of the ramen power houses in the city, and just wanting something tasty that hits the spot. I won't share photos because I think to go presentation takes away from everything, but hope to go in person someday so I can update this review with them. I ordered the cheese ramen, lobster dumplings, and hot and sour soup. The cheese ramen was quite nice. The broth was lacking some oomf, but the bacon was a nice touch and perfectly crisp. The ajitama had a bit of an odd sweetness to it, almost like anise that I didn't really care for. I also couldn't detect cheese flavour, which I guess they must use American cheese and melt it into the broth. The lobster dumplings were fantastic and nicely presented. They are much smaller than expected though, are 3 to an order, and are made with wonton skin then fried until crispy. The hot and sour soup had good flavour, but the consistency was throwing me off. It's very thick and gelatinous, which made it have a weird mouth feel. This took away from the experience, but I think it could be great once thinned out. Overall I was still pleased with my experience and ate everything. Next time I wind up this far from home I'll be ordering again!

Judging from the name we thought this would just be another knock off Panda Express dishing up cheap disgusting overly sweet corn starched chicken dishes. We couldn't have been more wrong, this place is unbelievably good. They specialize in ramen and don rice bowls. We ordered the Inferno ramen, minced pork in a spicy broth with all the fixings. The perfectly cooked noodles have a slight chew to them which we love. IMO better than Michi and Tatsuya. The lunch special was less than $9 and came with a side of soup, yes your soup comes with more soup. The chicken katsu don blew us away. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, not too bready and served over a heaping pile of rice, egg, and onions, and yes, cup of soup. For less than $8 amazing doesn't begin to describe it. Service was top notch, dining area clean, and with these prices you really can't ask for anything more. A+ all the way.

Ordered the tonkotsu ramen only. They give you 3 pieces of chashu pork, more than other places. They also give you 2 pieces of egg, again, more than other places. I asked that the noodle be firm, and they did that well. The problem is the broth. When it was placed on the table, I couldn't tell whether the broth was tonkotsu or miso... almost. The appearance of the broth was telling. It was also very very salty, and I didn't taste the creamy tonkotsu brothiness typical in a good tonkotsu. I haven't tried their other foods, only the ramen. Finally, as I stood at the counter to order, it was very sticky floor. The bathroom floor was also had grime on it. The overall atmosphere is fine, but sticky dirty floors. May go back to try other foods, it not the ramen.

Lame excuse for Asian food. oily and not consistent. Go elsewhere. when you complain-theysay thank you for your feedback. No im sorry or we try harder next time.

Have eaten here twice, had Don bowls both times as well as a "crab rangoon" appetizer. Rangoons and chicken were very crispy! Chicken was hand-breaded thigh meat. The only "meh": The sweet and sour sauce for the Rangoons was very standard. Arguably the only non-home mad Huge portions of rice and chicken! Friends have had bentos and all 3 have been pleased. Good portioning, will fill you but not excessive. Perfect for lunch!

The egg drop soup was exactly what we wanted. The spicy edmmy is on point. The food is delicious and the service was awesome. If all of that wasn't enough when we got the check I was pleasantly surprised that it was extremely affordable. Will definitely come back and tell people about this place.