Ramen Dojo

After all these years, Ramen Dojo is still solid and one of the best amongst so many newer spots in downtown San Mateo. Our host was warm and attentive. The restaurant is small and very homey.

One of the best ramen places in San Mateo! Flavorful soup, well-textured noodles, and well-cooked toppings. Soup is very similar to Ramen Parlor and Santa Ramen (all owned by the same owner). It used to be a lot more difficult to get a seat, but due to the explosion of dining options in San Mateo, it’s much easier to get a seat in the small, intimate venue. Plenty of street parking or in the lot behind the restaurant. Fast and friendly service.

I'm obsessed with Ramen Dojo! Being just 15 minutes from my place, I finally took the plunge and tried it after months of recommendations. The service is great, and the Ramen is AMAZING! I've tried 4 different plates, and each one is a favorite. I'm hooked now - definitely worth checking out!

The ramen was okay but the karaage was bad. I ordered a karaage ramen ($19) with garlic pork miso and extra spicy level. I love that it's actually spicy. But the main star, the karaage, was old karaage that was refried. Service was nice and the atmosphere was okay.

Cozy, nice small restaurant which can accommodate up to 36 people. You can easily find parking around the blocks. I went at noon on Monday and the place was 75% full. I was seated quickly at the bar area and my order was taken within 5 minutes. My ramen was served within the next 10 minutes. I got #5 on their new menu, the soft-shelled crab with garlic pork tonkotsu soup. It’s very flavorful and savory. The soft-shelled crab is to die for and the noodles have that right balance of softness and tenderness. Overall, very pleasant experience.

Took the family for the first time for a Saturday lunch. Got lucky with no line for a party of 5. We ordered pork garlic with pork belly and extra noodles. It was very filling meal. We had no spicy, mild, and med spicy. All delicious. Service was outstanding. Street parking was pretty easy. Can’t wait to come back.

5-Stars for the stellar service—the lady that attended me was very considerate, knowledgeable and energetic and set the mood for the dinner vibes. Also, her suggestion of special ramen was right on point. The pork and egg was cooked to perfection and the broth is rich. I enjoyed my ramen very much so. Good quality of music!

In a competitive space, this is a shining star!! 🌟 Huge bang for your buck with even bigger flavors. Very straightforward menu that comes out very quickly. Loved our service and the atmosphere of this restaurant. Highly recommend checking out - they advertise a 2018 Michelin on their door and it’s rightfully deserved.

Everything went well! While my daughter and I were waiting, we were a few minutes early, we checked out the menu that was posted on the outside. Within those few minutes we decided on what to order. Thankfully, they let us in, because it was cold and windy out! Food was 10/10! Soft shell crab ramen with the garlic pork base; despite the 1 quail egg (I wish there were a few more - 5 is ideal), it was so very good! Chicken karaage ramen with garlic pork base; the chicken pieces were bigger than expected. Tip: The lemon water was really fresh. I'd definitely go back!

This place is small (probably 24 customers max), but turnaround was fairly quick, and the food was very tasty. There's a clipboard hanging on the door for signups. For a first timer like me, it's not very noticeable...I walked right past it. When the food arrived, my first thought was that the portions aren't very big, but it was filling enough for me and my wife. The only negative comment I have is the open doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. I was able to see the chef preparing the food (with his bare hands), then wiping his hands on a rag on his workstation. And I saw him put his hand in his pocket. Also, in order for customers to get to the restroom, they need to walk right through the chef's workstation.

This is one of the coziest ramen spots I've been to in San Mateo, perfect for a cold winter night. The interior has limited seating, having a mom and pops feel to it. Got the premium tonkotsu with a soft shell crab added. The soup came out piping hot, and the broth was rich without being too heavy. There was only one very friendly lady serving the entire dining room, but she's surprisingly attentive to all and very efficient. Will definitely be back in the near future!

Got invited by my kidws and their friend to have ramen at one of their favorite places! Thanks for the invite! We came in and were lucky to grab the last table - I was worried that the wait would be super long because of how busy they wre, but after ordering, my sake came immediately, and our ramen came out in 10-15 minutes! And it was delicious! Everyone ordered extra pork because it is just that good! I was so happy to be included with the big kids, and thoroughly enjoyed the food, the waitstaff, the efficiency, and the company!

Ramen Dojo- the OG San Mateo ramen spot. Parking is more difficult compared to Ramen Parlor since there's only street parking, but in my opinion, Dojo is the winner. The spicy garlic pork ramen was comforting and delicious. The broth is so flavorful yet not too heavy. I rarely finish a bowl of ramen to myself and I did here, which 1- good portion size for me and 2- it's just that good. One thing to note is that they use quail egg instead of regular egg in their ramen. The lady who runs the place is extremely kind and sweet. The place is pretty small, but luckily we didn't have to wait during prime weekend lunch time. Even though so many ramen spots have opened up in San Mateo, Ramen Dojo will always be up there.

Such a wonderful little cozy ramen spot! Although there weren't many tables, my date and I got there early and secured one. The auntie serving us was so sweet. She handled the tables by herself and always had a cheery attitude. We each tried one of the popular ramen bowls. I got the soft shelled crab bowl. Both of us were quiet while eating our bowls so you KNOW the ramen was good. The broth was creamy, flavorful, and just the right amount of spice. The price was decent as well and there's parking right behind the spot. Very nice, I'd love to go back for another bowl!

I heard so much about this place for a while and got the chance to come here on monday for late lunch. I ordered a stew pork belly ramen -- Mild spicy and (House garlic pork) and the broth and noodles were really good! However I felt that the pork belly flavor didn't really go that well with the broth. Overall, it's a really good ramen spot in San Mateo!

We went here on Saturday afternoon for dinner we waited for 10 mins to be seated as its a small place and it was full. We ordered both the Ramen from their Special Ramen menu we got a Karaage chicken ramen in premium garlic pork broth and Shrimp wonton Ramen in house garlic pork broth. Both the Ramens were amazing. We enjoyed our food. It's a must visit place.

Food - 5/5 I got the Garlic Pork Ramen ($16.99), no spicy. It came with two fairly sized pieces of charsiu, quail egg, spinach, and seaweed. The broth was really flavorful and was the right amount of saltiness. I also loved the noodles! Not sure if they were handmade, but they had the perfect amount of bounciness to them. Service - 5/5 Food came out quick and waiter was nice We came at 11am so there wasn't any line but I've heard that there is often a long line for this place!

I've tried a few ramen spots all over the Bay Area, and so far my favorite is Ramen Nagi ( Ramen Bario in Honolulu is still my Top 1) I was in the mood for ramen, so I turned to Yelp to find a new spot that I haven't tried, and Ramen Dojo showed up. We arrived around noon on Saturday, and we waited for a little, not too bad since there was only 1 person working in the front. The waitress was super nice. We tried their standard tonkatsu ramen with the marinated egg. Their egg was really good, soup was also not bad. It's at the same level as Marufuku. They have a very simple menu, just ramen, not many other things. Overall, a good lunch and we left satisfied. I'll definitely put this in my rotation of ramen spots from now on.

Food was great! The food came fast, ramen, edamame and gyoza. Casual space, great value!

I've been coming here before it was Ramen Dojo and back when Santa owned this spot. The ramen remained excellent after the transition. This is a small spot and doesn't have a lot of space. If you need more room, you can visit their sister spot down the street at Ramen Parlor. Unlike Ramen Parlor, the Dojo specializes in more of the Ramen experience and has a very tight menu. Basically, just ramen and some toppings. It does seem to work as most people will say that this has better ramen than the other locations in the area. When this place opened, there wasn't as much competition with Ramen, Santa had moved and this was still one of the only good ramen spots around. Palo Alto and other areas are finally bringing the Ramen game to other locations. If you want Ramen and only Ramen, this is a great spot. A must try for any Ramen lover.

Was craving some ramen with a rich and flavorful broth, and this spot had exactly that! My party tried a variety of broths, and let me say all of them were delicious! I personally got the Garlic Broth and it was so savory and mouthwatering. The ratio to toppings and noodles were perfect, and honestly a whole bowl is doable yet satisfyingly filling. Topping included Bamboo shoots, mushrooms, seaweed, ground chicken, pork belly, and I added corn. The veggies pairs perfectly with the pork as they both soak in the broth. Also the dumplings were simple and good as well. Interior is small, but once you sign the waitlist the wait is more than worth the food you'll be delving into! Staff was kind as well, and very attentive as my dad wanted to extra toppings for his ramen after it had already arrived and they did not mind at all. Give this spot a chance, I assure you that you'll be glad you did!

Nickel and Dime Nestled into the quieter part of San Mateo, Ramen Dojo is a small quint place to dine (around 10-20 seats), offering multiple flavors of broth in their menu. Though busy at the time I dined, around 7:30 p.m. the service was kind and welcoming. After ordering with my party of 5, our ramens arrived twelve minutes later; here, the broth really steals the show with its striking umami. However, you may have noticed the title of this review. In the restaurant on the menu (and wall) are extra toppings. Two main complaints are, one, the value, and two, the topping cost. In terms of value, may orders come with little to no protein. I received paper thin and almost all fat chashu. One tiny quail egg in sight. Let's move on to where the nickel and dining begins; the toppings. One egg costs nearly four dollars and 5 minuscule shrimp dumplings are even more (if I remember correctly). Even after a full bowl of ramen, I left hungry. For that reason, it's a no. Verdict: Every business has things to improve upon, and I was impressed with the service of this place. However, toppings are too pricey. Portions are small in terms of protein.

Man, still so good and satisfying. A group came here at least 2-3 times a month pre pandemic and the tapered off post. Whenever u get a chance this is the place I visit. I wish they had an east bay location. If in the area, definitely check them out

Fantastic ramen. The broth was really really good. So garlicky. Noodles, bamboo, mushroom, quail egg, ajitama all done really well. The pork was fatty - the way I like it. Price is average for good ramen in this area - perhaps slightly under market actually (though still $$$ compared to where I'm from). Service is great. Was not crowded when I went and they were playing soft slow jazz music which I love. So yeah I love the ambiance too and highly recommend this place.

Small spot with street parking. Most bowls are $16.95 or $19.00. Not filled to the brim with soup or food but the garlic pork miso was very flavorful nonetheless. I would hope they might consider packing the bowls a little more with goodness. They use tiny quail eggs instead of the standard chicken eggs.

Came here on a Monday night to celebrate my dad's birthday. We ordered chicken Karaage and gyoza for appetizers which were both delicious. We got the pork belly Ramen in garlic pork broth soup. The broth was so tasty and flavorful. The egg and the pork value were a little bit overcooked. Service was a bit slow since there was only one staff and the place was busy. Ambiance was casual. Price was a bit high. Overall would recommend.

We tried Ramen Dojo for the first time and loved it! First of all the service was amazing. There was plenty of street parking in the back and it wasn't too busy on a Saturday. We both ordered the garlic pork ramen and thought the broth and noodles were delicious. I like how it came with a quail egg and fried garlic. Overall good experience and would come back

Ramen Dojo is one of the OG ramen spots in San Mateo. Before ramen was all hipster and $20 a bowl. Definitely has been a long minute since being at RD and seems like not much has changed in the interior. The menu is no frills and thrills, pretty basic. Most of the ramens are $16.95 and the house special ramens come in at $20. The house premium karaage ramen was a bit lackluster and disappointing. The broth didn't have much depth other than the spice. The chicken karaage was pretty dry. At least the egg and noodles were cooked well. Street parking only Small restaurant, only about 5 tables and bar seating Service was ok, pretty standard

TL;DR: Perfectly salted freshly made ramen with questionable bathroom location (straight through the food service station and within arm's reach of the patron's bowls). Warning! EACH patron MUST purchase a minimum of $16.95. wait time: - zero wait as we arrived a few minutes after opening time on a Saturday. ambiance: - very intimate, cozy, and tight. service: - punctual and professional food: [Worth It] - Mild Spicy Garlic Pork Ramen with House Noodles: perfectly salted broth with mouth-watering roasted pork and freshly roasted garlic. I tried a medium spicy broth too, which was too spicy as the spiciness builds with each scoop. [Not Worth It] restroom: - picture the restroom in an airplane! it's as tight and narrow but much cleaner. Don't plan on changing your baby in here though as there isn't enough room for that.

A weekend lunch at Ramen Dojo just before my friend's flight from SFO to NYC in the late afternoon was just the right idea and location. The restaurant is very easy to fins and was located in perhaps a slightly quieter side of the 3rd-4th Ave area of San Mateo. The restaurant itself was small and quaint with about 5 tables and 5-6 seats for dining. So it was easy to geet crowded even with a small clientele. Fortunately it was quiet for a Saturday lunch hour and we were seated immediately. Service was prompt and professional even though there was only one person working the whole restaurant. From what I could see there were two guys working the kitchen making the meals. My friend ordered the #1 from the special menu (she wanted the full size egg and the pork belly) spicy and I ordered standard Garlic Pork Ramen mild. I do love spicy foods and I even make my own chili sauce at home but I firmly believe that spiciness should enhance falvor and not overpower it. I also ordered the gyoza side dish. Our food was served only after a 5 minute wait. The ramen noodles were the thin kind which I personally like and the broth was mildly spicy and had a good taste of the garlic. The rest of the dish was quite good. Interestingly I wondered if they used a lot of MSG in the broth because my tongue was super dry and I downed two cups of water quickly. The gyoza tasted fine but for the price we got 3 small (about 2 inches long) gyozas which was thoroughly disappointing. Overall it was an OK ramen restaurant and I have had better. One weird thing was that the public restroom was in the back of the kitchen and one had to walk through the kitchen with food waiting to be served right beside you. Meake me wonder if....

Ramen was the best I ever had. I stopped coming here because I was heavily disappointed. It turns out they changed owners again since I last came here 6 years ago. It's a mother and daughter running the restaurant with a full staff. Tonight the daughter was the waitress/manager of the restaurant. The place hasn't really changed much since I came except for the menu. It was a full house. My mom and I got the last two seats. I ordered a number 5 special garlic pork and mom ordered a number 1 soy special. Also got the karaage. It was the best ramen I ever had! My mom and I cleaned our bowls. Waitress (also possibly the co-owner?) was very nice. We gave her a great tip. We will be back!!

Cozy, nice small restaurant which can accommodate up to 36 people. You can easily find parking around the blocks. I went at noon on Monday and the place was 75% full. I was seated quickly at the bar area and my order was taken within 5 minutes. My ramen was served within the next 10 minutes. I got #5 on their new menu, the soft-shelled crab with garlic pork tonkotsu soup. It's very flavorful and savory. The soft-shelled crab is to die for and the noodles have that right balance of softness and tenderness. Overall, very pleasant experience.

A nice little spot close to Espetus and cal train for ramen . There are six type of ramen with different soup base and toppings . I recommend soft shell and pork belly with pork miso soup base . Egg was hard boiled instead of poached . All in all affordable and decent place for quick ramen . Service was great . Ambiance was home dining .

Came in on a Friday with a party of 2 at around 12:30PM for lunch, we were seated immediately with a pretty light crowd at the restaurant. The space is small and off the main downtown strip. Service was super fast and efficient! We were in and out way less than an hour. #3 Karaage with garlic pork base - super good! The karaage is served inside the soup, but the texture works out great despite being soggy. The batter stays chewy and soaks up all the flavor of the soup. Noodles, toppings, and soup were great. #2 Ginger Pork with garlic pork base - my SO ordered this and he said he really liked it! I got a sip of the broth, it's definitely a bit heavier than mine and it was indeed tastey. This is his favorite ramen place, he came here once many years ago and remembered when there used to be a line out the door on any weekday. Times may have changed with competitors downtown, but I trust that the quality is still upheld. If you are a ramen lover I think this would be the go-to for you. For me this was an enjoyable meal, I just wish there were some more side options, and that the noodles were a bit too chewy.

Best ramen ever. Lots of flavor and great pork. My go to favorite restaurant. I go with my kids. They all love it

We arrived around 5:15pm welcomed in a calm, lightly lit restaurant where we were seated very quickly. The music was light and fitting for the environment. I ordered the garlic flavored tonkatsu ramen with the flavored egg (typical ramen egg) as it came with the quail egg. The broth was light with the perfect amount of flavor and the roasted garlic added a nice touch. The pork belly was light and made the ramen perfectly filling. The server checked on us about 4 times refilling water and making sure we were good to go. She had such welcoming and lovely energy. I would definitely come back again and it made my fix!

It has been a while since I have been here, but I am glad I made it back. They have updated their menus to include a "Special Menu" which has more options available. Sorry, I forgot to take pics of the menus but other people have posted them. There were 5 of us and the only options available to us was the bar area which was totally fine. If you have not been here before, it is a small local ramen spot so hard to come here if you are in a big group. Service: 4/5 The lady working the bar area was friendly but hard to understand some times. She always checked and refilled my water because I drink a lot of water. Have to stay hydrated Ambiance: 3.5/5 Not much to look at around the restaurant except 2 big boards that have a list of the special items you could add to your ramen. Maybe they could implement some type of music playing in the background. Food: 5/5 I ordered the Garlic Pork Spider Crab with extra roasted pork. The broth was delicious. I always loved their broth. This time I actually drank all the broth and I normally do not do that at all. Guess I was thirsty for their broth. Noodles were cooked perfectly. Just a little under Al dente. Had some spinach in it as well as a whole piece of garlic. The roasted pork was tender and yummy. I will definitely come back sooner than later.

The dishes were quite salty--if you enjoy bold sodium flavors, this could be the right place. Personally, I couldn't finish mine even after adding extra hot water. I also felt a bit concerned about kitchen hygiene, as guests pass through a very small kitchen to reach the restroom. On the way, I noticed packaged noodles that appeared premade, which might explain the taste and texture. I'm a bit surprised by the high rating, as I think there's still plenty of room for improvement. I appreciate small businesses and hope they can enhance the quality, as I really miss having a place like Ramen Nagi in Palo Alto.

This used to be one of the OG local good ramen joints in the area before larger franchised brands came in (~10ish years ago)! So it's been a hot moment since I've been back here. Despite not having been here in a long time, I'm glad that there were still quite a few patrons eating during Monday lunch. Definitely not as busy as it once was with long waits, but still patrons nonetheless! No wait at 12:30 PM. Broth is still savory and flavorful. I got the garlic pork option, which I guess for house is primarily that per our waitress's explanation. Premium has a bit of shoyu to the broth flavoring. Solid. Toppings, also solid. What's not solid is 1) the noodles aren't as thick and chewy with bounce that I like them to be and 2) while I was somewhat satisfied, this was certainly a "small" bowl for the amount of food to price. I could've probably had a whole 'mother bowl, but would recommend adding more noodles for next time. It's also a bit interesting to me that the price comparison to add a flavored egg relative to what else that you can get (e.g., pork, soft shell egg) isn't that far off which makes the flavored egg feel a bit on the pricier end.

My ramen was decent but was overly salty for me. Noodle was not overcooked and had decent amount of ingredients. Price was somewhat steep and service was almost overbearing but that could have been because I was sick and needed the warmth and substance of soup without anyone pushing me to have desert. Going right at opening meant there was no wait and there was ample street parking. You should give it a try if you want but if not, you are not missing out on anything special.

Ramen is really worth the hype. Thick chunk of pork belly accompanied with tender yet chewy noodles. Garlic-pork broth is quite amazing. Methinks better than Orenchi

Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon ~12:30 PM. There was no wait and maybe about 2-3 other tables seated at the time. The restaurant is very small and cozy with a capacity of about 25 people. Menu was very simple to read as they do not have a wide selection of items. This could be good since they specialize in ramen, but if you enjoy ordering food + apps then it is very limited. I ordered the Soft Shell Crab with Garlic Pork Miso broth and my boyfriend ordered the Stewed Pork Belly with Garlic Pork (House) broth. You have an option of 3 spice levels, as well. Both broths were so delicious! I could not decide which one I enjoyed more. I ordered the medium spicy, so it had a delicious tangy and spicy kick (very minimal) but the house broth was home-y and umami. I love my garlic and I was happy to find that I had a whole clove marinating in my yummy broth. The noodles were also firm and chewy. Great spot if you want to make a quick trip to satisfy your ramen craving. We were in and out of the restaurant in about 30-40 minutes.

Food was amazing first time there, and the lady taking orders was so helpful. Even with a client who didn't want noodles she recommended the best options

Met up with a friend and she was craving ramen, so we decided to check out Ramen Dojo. The waitress was very friendly. We both decided on the garlic pork ramen - mine was mild spicy and she got medium spicy. We also both ordered the flavor egg - perfectly jammy center. The broth was flavorful and I probably could've gone a bit spicier. Good amount of noodles and toppings. It was a good bowl of noodles.

With so many good ramen joints in San Mateo, it's hard to decide which one to eat at. A colleague recommended this place, and I'm glad I checked it out. The soft shell crab ramen is rich, savory, and delicious! I like the simple menu. I don't like circling around looking for parking, but that comes with the territory of eating in downtown. I was lucky and came in before the rush. It's a tiny place, so a wait is to be expected.

A nice cozy little place with an upbeat and super friendly waitress. We were driving back from Half moon bay and the weather was just perfect for ramen. Ramen Dojo was on our way back and we don't want to sit in traffic, so we decided to stop by. It didn't disappoint! We ordered the house garlic pork ramen, kareage chicken toppings, a side of rice and a side of pork belly. The broth is so tasty and hearty, ramen meat was soft and just melt in your mouth. The pork belly side was thick and soft and it was good just eating it with rice. Kareage was crispy and tastes good too. Overall, food was great! Will definitely come back!

I remember when ramen specialty shops were starting to pop up around the Bay Area and Ramen Dojo was the king that ruled them all. Granted, it has been years since I've decided to stop by, but ramen is delicious and my fiancé has to try them out. We arrived on a weekday afternoon and was immediately seated. Their menu is straightforward making it easy to come to a decision. We both opted for their garlic pork ramen (mine with mild spicy, his with medium spicy). The food came out quick and we were ready to dig in. While I will always have a fond memory of coming to Ramen Dojo for the first time years ago, the taste today is not one of my preference. The food isn't terrible, but I found the flavor to be lacking in some ways. Despite his broth being spicier than mine and having a kick to it, my fiancé agreed that he'd rather go to Ramen Parlor.

I ordered the Vegetarian corn cream ramen with chicken bits, with edamame and my boyfriend ordered Chicken Karaagi and we both enjoyed it. I like how this place is cute and small and the service was great, the lady had proper manners and seated us quickly I would definitely go back here again for the ramen!

Ramen Dojo used to be one of my favorites. It's been a long while since I visited and changes were notable. The lunch crowd and long line is gone. The reason maybe the substitutes in the menu? Noticeably missing is the soft boiled egg substituted by canned quail egg, and crunchy seaweed toppings are gone. I ordered shrimp wontons as a topping and they were obviously frozen and not fresh. The bowl of ramen is subpar.

Solid ramen joint!! Came for lunch on a Friday at 12:30 and we were seated immediately. There might be a bit of a wait if you come when it's crowded since the restaurant is fairly small. The menu is pretty simple and straightforward. There are also a bunch of options for add-ons. I ordered the garlic pork ramen with medium spice, which was super yummy and filling! The broth was thick and creamy, and it was blasted with flavor. The spice level was also perfect. It also came with a couple pieces of garlic that were absolutely delicious. Noodles were cooked perfectly, with a good bite to them. Service is also super fast here! After we had time to look at the menu, our orders were taken and food came out shortly afterwards. Parking can be a little bit challenging, but don't let it deter you from coming here! There's definitely more parking if you're willing to walk, with plenty of spots available behind the restaurant near the train tracks.

Even after all the years of struggles and COVID, Ramen Dojo stands strong as one of the top places for ramen in the bay area. The menu isn't extensive and hasn't changed much, but you can always rely on getting the garlic pork ramen as a solid choice. They had a seasonable special that was the "premium pork" ramen, but I'd say it's comparable and just as good as the garlic ramen. You can hardly go wrong and they do such a good job with what they have. If you're looking for a ramen place with more flavor selections, then Ramen Parlor (owned by the same people) is nearby and has a wider selection. However, I still think Ramen Dojo has more flavor and thus remains as my top choice.

Have not been here for awhile but food still great. Flavorful miso pork soup, one with additional egg and the other with soft shell crab!

Cute little ramen spot that feels very authentic and local. The ramen portion is big and the broth is packed with intense delicious flavor. There are many ramen spots in San Mateo and I'd put Ramen Dojo in my top 3!

This Ramen is so delicious. I go here every time I'm in San Mateo. I cannot recommend it enough. Yum yum yum.

Best ramen, I've ever had in my life, no ramen compares to this place and it's my place to go to, I've taken my whole family to this place just because I want to share with them how good the ramen is, now me and my sister are regulars to this place, it's flavor is unique and can't compare it to any other ramen around, not even ramen places in Japan town beat this place. It's a small place and it gets packed by noon with hungry office workers looking for food so be prepared to wait. Place is small and there is one server, seen her a couple of times, she is direct and gives quick service, her attitude is straight forward and very nice, if you say otherwise it's because you don't know how a hard a serving job can be when you are only one in a place. Recommend this place to everyone I know. Deserves 5 stars.

Coming home from sf and decided to stop here for dinner! Super small restraunt which gives it this very cute small vibe that I loved! The service was good considering there are so little amount of tables. I ended up getting there late in the evening and so they were sold out of their main dishes but their ramen is so delicious! The broth taste very fresh and like I want to have an entire another bowl. Delicious and highly recommend!!!

San Mateo has gotta be the Bay Area capitol of Japanese food, and this place has been on that ramen Mt. Rushmore for quite a while, and after seven years working in San Mateo, I've finally tried it. Now I don't know if it's true but I heard that Dojo, Santa, and Parlor are all owned by the same family, and if that's really the case--cool because each one has various similarities along with a glaring weakness. What's Dojo's? We'll get to that in a minute. Parking can be a little difficult but if you're lucky you can find a spot behind the building on Railroad Avenue. My girlfriend and I came in around 30 minute before the afternoon closing and were seated at the bar. I had the premium pork while she had the miso ramen. Dojo seems to be all about the spice, so I ordered mine in medium spicy and as soon as I took a sip... it hit me in the throat, so the spice level was legit. The broth was also really creamy but I didn't really get an in-your-face pork flavor. But subtle is fine. The problem? I think the quality of the pork left a lot to be desired. I think the stewed garlic pork at Santa Ramen tops what they have here, but hey--it's like paper scissors rock with that. The egg in here was amazing. Wash your ramen down with a Sapporo and you'll be a happy guest. So yeah, I'd be back at Dojo if it was an option but I have to admit Parlor is my favorite in San Mateo and it's right across the street.