Dragonfly Noodle

Ambiance: 9 Quality: 8.3 Taste: 9.3 Cleanliness: 9 Service: 6 Met Expectations: 8 Value: 9.5 Overall: 84.4 Price: $-$$ Dragonfly Noodle is a small, ramen and phở joint located just off of Pearl Street (parking can be a bit annoying for those driving). I'll start off by saying if I would have only ordered the ramen, my overall score would have been well into the 90s. I ordered the Black Tonkotsu Ramen, the Roast Duck Bao, and some hot oolong tea. Let's start with the not so good. The bao, while it had good flavor, was very soggy on the underside. I'm not sure why this was, but it was a let down. My picture isn't great, but you can see how moist it is in the photo. Additionally, my hot tea didn't come out until I was almost done with my meal. That was a disappointment as well. It seemed the main employee doing nearly everything didn't know how to do the tea, and needed trained. I can understand, but my score for service will have to stand. Noted, though, it was a quality oolong I was served when I eventually was. Now onto the great. The ramen is fantastic. Good, rich flavor with all the fixings you want. The smoked pork belly (somewhere between chashu and char siu for the real ramen folks out there) is a gift from the heavens. For all that is holy, get extra. But, the ramen is the star at this restaurant. Stick to that and you'll go home very happy. The ambiance is nice; the aesthetic reminds me of my time in Japan and felt authentic. I'm sad to not be giving a better score, as I feel it was an off experience. I'll definitely be back for more of the ramen, though! And if it's better, I'll revise my score.

We had some food and drinks here, shout out to Sophia and Michaela fpr their excellent service! House made ramen noodles were nice, hot sake on a cold day was a win, pho was legit too. Keep it up, props to the owner and chefs. much love from a Portland, OR visitor.

After visiting the Farmer's Market right by Dushanbe Tea House on the 13th Street, strolled to the Dragonfly Noodles on Pearl and 10th in Boulder for lunch. It is right by the famed Zoe Ma Ma, with open patio seating. The restaurant was quite busy in early afternoon on Saturday. The menu was the same as their 16th Street location in Denver, but everything was ordered and prepaid by phone through scanning the QR code on the table, and the server would bring the dishes to the table. The service was attentive but not bothersome. Ordered the Maine Lobster miso ramen, black tonkotsu ramen, roasted duck bao and pork belly bao. The ramen soup was savory and umami. The ramen noodle was made in the restaurant every morning to ensure the freshness and taste. The bao was freshly out of the steamer, very fluffy and chewy. The roasted duck and pork belly were well marinated and very tasteful.

My server Jo Conforti made my day when I went to dragonfly noodle. Her amazing attitude, sweet smile, and hardworking spirit made me know I was in great hands. And I haven’t even talked about the food yet. BEST MEAL EVER. Wow I am just dreaming about going back.

The vegetarian options were pretty limited (there's basically only a couple items on the menu for vegetarians), and while it was good, I've had much better ramen at other places. The portion sizes are very large though which is nice. I liked the decor a lot and the food arrived quickly.

The food was great. I got the miso chicken ramen and chili oil. Very tasty. But there were so many dirty dishes around not very appealing to eat next to.

Service is virtually non existent due to QR scanners and payment right off the bat. When we did order, our 2 bowls of ramen were brought almost 30 minutes apart. The restaurant was not very busy so there’s not really any reasonable explanation for that and it was placed on the same order. Both bowls were cold when we received them as well. And when I say cold, it’s not that it sat out and lost temperature. All of our toppings like the mushrooms, baby bok-choi, and soft boiled egg on top were literally at a refrigerated temperature and it was like eating cold leftovers. The broth was room temp, and somehow at the very bottom the noodles were warm. Not hot, but warm. For being supposedly a top spot for Ramen in the area, that was the most disappointing ramen I’ve ever had.

Hands down best tonkotsu i have ever had. Spicy miso ramen was also better than the best spots i have had in little toyke lA. Brisket bun was also amazing but it wasn’t a real bun, more like a biscuit

Very mid ramen joint in downtown Boulder. We were excited by their homemade ramen advertisement and high ratings, but it unfortunately fell pretty short. They have a lot of menu items besides ramen, but I think the ramen will be your best bet! For the 4 of us, we all shared 3 baos - duck, pork belly, eggplant, the black tonkatsu ramen, and a stir fried noodle dish. It was actually a good amount of food for us because we weren't super hungry for an early dinner. - Baos: They're around $4 per piece and none of them really stood out. The pork belly was not very fatty and the roast duck didn't have any crispy skin. The panko eggplant was just ok, but lacked flavor - Cucumber salad: The sauce did not soak into the cucumber at all so it was quite bland even though there were a lot of sauces/spices. - Black tonkatsu ramen: probably the best dish out of everything we ordered, but still not very flavorful. The broth is usually rich and flavorful, but this was lacking in depth - Saucey seafood stir fried noodles: came with about 2 scallops and maybe 4 shrimp. It was very liquidy, which I guess is where the "saucey" comes from, but again, not flavorful at all. I think all the items just didn't have enough salt or spices, or were not marinated long enough in anything

This was very yummy! A bit more expensive than some other ramen places I've been to but I think Tim's worth it. I got the black tonkotsu ramen and it was super yummy. Apparently they make their noodles in house and I really liked the texture of them! If you like Jinya, it's a similar texture to that. I swapped the pork belly for grilled chicken and it was cooked really well and was very flavorful. And the bean sprouts have a bit of spice so if you can't handle a tiny bit of spice, ask for it without it. The server was nice and the vibes were good. Would come again!

The black katsu ramen so was so good! This is all that was left! From LA and have tried many popular spots and this bowl kept up and surpassed a lot of them!

My first time at dragonfly noodle. I went for the Ramen and got the Tonkotso. It was very flavorful. The temperature of the broth, however, was not as hot as it should've been when it was brought to the table. What was more irritating than that was the fact that the egg was actually cold. A freshly cooked hot runny egg on Ramen is a common delicious thing, not a cold hard boiled egg, I mentioned it to the server who asked everything was and we'll see how much they care.

Sophia was amazing!! And food was unbeatable, best ramen in Boulder / Denver hands down!

The customer service is as enough we won't ever go back. They don't have servers you order from a window which allows the high school kids they employ to treat you like dirt. Here's the thing they advertise no serve charges or tipping yet tag on 15% to every order whether you dine in or go. This allows the kids working there to do nothing. Our drinks came way after our food when we asked to sit away from kids the young girl threw our silver ware down and said ughhhhh whatever. Food was dropped and never saw her again we needed sauce, we got the wrong order. Because they do service charge included it allows staff to act like kids. Never would ever go back and would never recommend the food was ok and for two people $85 with teas that came after food. Needs better management and care!

The owner of this restaurant is so welcoming and friendly, he offered a complimentary drink after hearing I was visiting from out of town. Tasty broth, amazing noodles and plenty of gluten free options. Such a great place I can't wait to visit when I move to Colorado in 2025!

The most delicious dinner I've had in a while. Service is super quick and friendly. Added an egg to my noodles and it made it that much better. Perfect for a snowy night :)

The pho was in top tier of my (somewhat vast) experience, and the service was terrific. The homemade noodles here are great and make a big difference. It's worth trying out... I hear the ramen is great too.

My friend and I picked this place based on reviews and location and it truly did not disappoint! We got Vegetarian options (veggie ramen and eggplant bao) and it was the best I've had! We had to order 3 more of the eggplant Bao to-go because they were THAT good. The quality and quantity was great and the location made it that much better. The owner also stepped out from the kitchen after everyone was served and personally introduced himself. He seemed genuinely interested in where we were visiting from and how we heard about the place which felt so thoughtful. My friend and I both would highly recommend!

The food was ok. They pride themselves on homemade noodles but they were really bad. It was like they used the wrong flour or overcooked the noodles.

Great service for sure. Ordered chicken udon and ramen. Chicken udon was ok. But ramen was tasty but egg noodles were stuck and a bit starchy. Roast duck bao was also delicious; i prefer the hoisin sauce on the side cause it is over powering. I am not sure about tipping cause i don't really the total so i am not sure if i added the tips.

Good enough but seriously over-priced. My to-go buns were broken in the container. Still tasty but a little hassle to dig out of the to-go box. I'm sure rent is nuts in that location but 25% lower prices (minimum), they'd probably quadruple business. Very nice staff and the man at the front (owner?) was especially strong.

Ordered on uber eats. Driver had to wait at the restaurant even though they said it was ready. Payed for extra jalapeños with my pho, and they gave me none. Can't even get a refund. Hate this place.

Visiting from San Gabriel Valley CA (Los Angeles) which is known for the endless incredible Asian food options. I've eaten at dozens of authentic ramen places and Dragonfly Noodle is on par with the best of them. Seriously impressed with the flavors in the Black Tonkastu Ramen and the fresh made noodles were excellent. Definitely worth a visit!

The Black Tonkotsu with Cherrywood smoked pork belly is out of this world! I got it with the soft egg, kimchi and spicy chili oil. It was one of the tastiest bowls of ramen I've had in years. The staff was friendly and kind, the restaurant was super clean and they hand make the noodles. I'd love to go back to try their Singapore noodles!

They make their noodles fresh and the broth was really tasty! I also loved the atmosphere along with good service!

"Hands down the best ramen spot in town! The owner is incredibly welcoming and attentive. The noodles are freshly made and add a perfect texture to the flavorful broth. Definitely a must-try for any ramen enthusiast!"

3 1/2 stars The ramen is good and looks beautiful with very fresh ingredients but a little pricey when you pay for the adds on. You order at the counter and the food is brought at your table, so it feels a bit like an upscale fastfood. Last time, I went with my daughter for lunch and we were commenting how the atmosphere is a little sad, very bare with darkish red and green. That said, I guess it's a good place if you are particular about your ramen.

it was mid. service was good but food took a long time. not a lot of meat for $17 ramen. got a weird chewy bite of chicken. ambiance was cute.

This is the best ramen in boulder period. My go to is the spicy miso but the tonkotsu is also incredible.

I quite enjoyed my experience at Dragonfly Noodle. First thing I'd like to address is the price - yes, it will be quite pricey as this restaurant is based on Pearl St so expect to pay at least $15 for a mall anywhere here by the mall. Venue: the restaurant has a modern flare, the seating, decor, utensils, etc all seem to have a 'new'-ness feel to it so theres that the restaurant was very clean!

The restaurant was pretty clean and had enough room to accommodate large groups. Food was alright, nothing special when it comes to ramen. Spicy Miso was supposed to have cherrywood smoked pork belly; no cherrywood flavor, and the pork belly was the thinest cut I've ever had, I liken it to boiled bacon quality. Roasted Duck Bao was not anything special. The wait to get the food after ordering was too long; 40 minutes to wait for ramen, and it wasn't even a busy evening, maybe 4 tables occupied to include ours. When we finally got our food, they served 2 orders out of 6; we waited another 15 minutes to get everyone's food. Also, service was non-existent, I needed to ask for water refills multiple times. Recommend you look elsewhere for your ramen experience, based on quality and service.

I have had iffy experiences with ramen in Boulder and have been in search of a new spot when I'm feeling like I need a little noodle in my life and I think I have found the spot. When you walk in you order and take a seat and they bring out your food, which I enjoyed but not sure how it would work if I wanted several beers which is often times the case but I'm sure would be no problem if I just asked. I got the spicy ramen which hit the spot, the noodles were thick and cooked well and the broth was outstanding, but be warned it is spicy. Lastly, the environment was welcoming and friendly. I went on a Monday afternoon so it wasn't in peak hours by any means so I can't speak on how they run the show then but overall great experience, will be back! Maybe tonight actually

Has the Spicy Ramen. Spice level was ok. Noodles were a bit mushy and there wasn't much Protein in the bowl. Atmosphere was decent and ordering was at the counter. Food a 2 but atmosphere a 3

The place is living off its location. The ramen is weak. The broth is good but the noodles were mushy (overcooked?). The meat was thin and also mushy and no oomph. The pho was exactly similar. We also got their a half hour before closing the previous night and it was like we had leprosy so we left and came back the next day at lunch. Won't be coming back.

After putting our name down at a few restaurants with long waits, we came across this place in the back corner and decided to give them some support. There was actually no wait at all, but unfortunately they ran out of their namesake ramen. I ended up getting the spicy red-ram ramen, which had cherry wood smoked pork belly, spicy miso bomb, sansho-chili oil, spicy sprouts, scallion, and cloud ear mushrooms in a miso-kombu-bonito broth. My friend opted for the same and we also shared a pork belly bao. I liked that you can see them making their noodles on sight. It was very soothing and satisfying. Although the noodles were fresh, the ramen was just decent and bao bun was just okay. This might explain why the restaurant was not full, but maybe because they also ran out of their most popular ramen as well.

I hate to say it but Chimera was quite a letdown if you're looking for tasty ramen. The presentation was great and the cashier was very nice but unfortunately the flavors just weren't there. If you've ever had good ramen in any major city with a decent Asian population you know to expect very savory and strong flavors. We tried to get the heaviest, most hearty looking thing on the menu hoping it'd have a savory and flavorful broth but it tasted pretty bland overall. The noodles were also al dente // slightly undercooked which is also uncharacteristic of ramen. The pork belly quality was good but still much too bland. I hate to say it, but similar to our experience at Zoe Mamas (Chimera's sister restaurant and local fan favorite) the food here seems to have been tempered down way too much - perhaps catering to localized palettes which is understandable as a business, but disappointing to anyone looking for good ramen.

Service is absolute terrible! Pho is nasty! Does not taste like Vietnamese! I'm Vietnamese and this is crap food! If you want good authentic pho, must visit Denver! This place is very disappointing! I had ordered and two tables got their food before mine and my family had ate and finished their food before me! I had to walk up to them and asked for my food twice! They had handed the hot bowl to me and not place it on the table. This is my first and last place visiting here. I had the miso happy! It didn't make me happy! Miso unhappy! The ramen is not the best as they advertised! The chicken tasted very processed, the soup is very blah, no flavor what so ever! It does not taste authentic at all! Don't waste your time or money here! Omg and their edamame extra salty. Please tone it down a bit! And add more flavor to the ramen pleaseeee! As for the pho take that crap off ur menu! Tip: Guys Save you some time by going to Costco and get the edamames and season it yourself! Food and service made me miso unhappy and hangry! I left that crappy full bowl! I couldn't eat it! Not including the shady tip crap! They don't deserve a tip! They don't even service you! Besides bring you water and chopsticks. I had to get off my table to ask for stuff! Horrible guys!

I highly recommend you guys to get the duck and pork belly baos. They were a delicious light lunch after our afternoon exploring the Boulder area. Each bao had delicious protein and was accompanied with fresh greens and a light touch of sweet hoisin sauce. You can't beat this deliciousness.

This is an amazing place just off Pearl St in Boulder. The Ramen is made right there and was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend the signature Ramen bowl with a soft egg added. The owner also walked around during lunch and talked to every table - super welcoming environment all around.

Just plain awesome! We always stop by when we are in town. If you are a Ramen fan, then Dragonfly is a must !

Really good food and really great service! I am definitely coming back here the next time i'm looking for good ramen!

Ramen was delicious and everyone working there was super nice and helpful. The place gorgeous inside and super clean.

Very cute place! Inside was very clean, modern looking, and a great stop for either lunch or dinner. I don't know it's because of COVID, but ordering was so quick and easy! Made things very nice. I got the Miso Happy Ramen, and it was everything I was looking for. No complaints. HUGE thumbs up for small details: I ordered a coke to drink and they gave me an ice cold cup to pour it in! I like that.

Great place with a good atmosphere. The people who worked there were all very nice. The restaurant included the tip in our order price with a message about how they pay their workers a livable wage, which is always good to see. They had many options including vegetarian ramen, which can be hard to find. I recommend!

Food was good but very overpriced, $2 to add an egg to a dish that traditionally has an egg was too much. With so many choices in Boulder I will not be returning. Bathroom was disgusting.

We love this place! We regularly drive up from Golden because it's the best ramen we've found after we realized the wonders of ramen on a trip to Japan a few years ago. The spicy beef baos are great too, and the service is quick and friendly! Delicious delicious delicious!

The menu is small. There's mainly 3 ramen bowls to choose from: pork belly, grilled chicken or vegetarian. Unlike other ramen places, it does not offer different types of broth to choose from. The standards toppings is rather skim, with boiled eggs not included. The service was fast and we were seated immediately upon arrival on a Sunday. It is a maze yo find the restrooms.

Without question, the single worst bowl of Pho I've ever had in my life. If I had to describe it in a word: Salt. So, so much salt. The broth basically just tasted like a bowl of salted water and nothing else. The reason for this became apparent after I asked the waitress for what I get at every pho spot; a side dish with hoison, sriracha, chili oil, and fish sauce. See, I was taught by an old Vietnamese grandma that owned a restaurant I used to live above to always put your condiments in a side dish, rather than directly in the broth. Putting them straight in the bowl is seen as an insult to the chef who worked over two days to make that broth what it is. So you season to your liking from the side instead. They had the chili oil and the hoison, but no fish sauce. Let me repeat that: a restaurant serving VIETNAMESE FOOD didn't have FISH SAUCE. That's like saying an Italian place didn't have any tomatoes in the back. It's a core, essential ingredient to pho and just about every other major Viet dish out there. Major red flag for authenticity or flavor. For comparison, Black Pepper Pho on Pearl has two different house-made fish sauces, one sweetened and one traditional. Giving two stars because the waitress was nice enough and the service was decent. Nice ambience too. But my goodness, the salt. Just hypertension in a bowl at a certain point.

DO NOT EAT HERE OR AT ZOE MAMA a line cook lost their fingers in the scallion shredder and they still use the shredder. they share scallions with zoe mama next door. I don't know about you but no matter how much you clean the machine there was still fingers that got chopped into bits in it.

The food was very good, the ramen was outstanding! Service was good as well, food came out super fast

Excellent. Especially black tonkatsu. Added chili oil and soft egg. Also had the happy miso (swapped in rare steak for chix). Yummm.

What a cute family owned/operated restaurant! Our family loved the food, the people who work there, and the wonderful environment there. The ramen was really good as well as all the baos we had. Will be back for sure!

Friends and I came here for an early dinner and good catch up session. I ordered the eggplant bao bun which was lacking in flavor on the eggplant and needed more sauce. The bun itself was fabulous so it was really disappointing to have the insides not match the skill of the bun. I also ordered the vegetarian ramen and the broth was so disappointing. No, I am not a vegetarian but it takes skill to make a veggie dish that you don't miss the meat on. The ramen was delicious as were the mushrooms but everything else was pretty one note. For dessert, we ordered mochi and had asked for two flavors in one order. The waiter didn't get the order right so we ended up with more mochi than we had wanted. It was good though - the green tea being my favorite by far.

I am sad to say that during my hunt for ramen, Chimera was a let down. I ended up passing by with my family and we ordered an order of pork buns and 4 ramens. Mine specifically was the chimera ramen made spicy. Onto the food! Now, the ramen. I had high hopes for the ramen considering the high amount of stars. But I just couldn't get into it. For me, at least, the broth threw the whole bowl off. It didn't taste right and then when I mixed the chili paste it really threw my taste buds off. The ramen noodles were good and the pork belly was well done, but the broth really ruined everything for me. The one redeeming factor for me was the pork buns. The buns felt fresh and paired extremely well with the pork belly. The sauce at the bottom also blended well with each bite. They might need to cool down on the green stuff (I can't remember the name) because it almost overpowered the bun itself. Overall, Chimera was a let down but I'm not opposed to giving it another shot. It is possible that it was just an off day but for now I'm going to have to give Chimera a 3 star.

The ramen here is delicious! Do not trust some of the other reviews. I'm from Los Angeles and this beats out anything I've had there. The pork tonkatsu with a soft egg, absolutely amazing. And the owners are just so nice.

Pretty good! They definitely had good COVID protocols in place, more so than most restaurants I've been to so that was great. There seemed to be a nice little patio but it was freezing so we ate inside. The food was all around good and really no complaints at all. Wouldn't be my first choice in Boulder but definitely worth coming back to. Cute for dates....unless you splash ramen broth all over yourself like me oOops! ;)

We sat outdoors and enjoyed a slightly chilly evening -- the food was excellent and exactly what we wanted for the cold day. We ordered the spicy ramen and a pork bao to try. The pork bao is reminiscent of Peking duck (烤鸭）with similar sauces, although the pickled cucumber was an interesting addition. Wasn't amazing, and would skip this. The spicy ramen, however, was great! Loved the taste of the soup and the ramen. The noodles themselves felt more like Chinese thin noodles than ramen noodles, which is interesting. Yummy!