Tajima Ramen College Heights

I used to love this place, but they just suck now. Every time I give them another chance, they mess up my order or do something foul. My final straw - i ordered the spicy sesame ramen and paid for extra carnitas. The ramen is supposed to come with ground beef. When I tell you, they sprinkled ground beef on it as if it was parsley. It wasn’t even enough for a spoon full. How did they think that was okay? Then, the side of carnitas that i ordered, was packaged in a huge bowl, and there was literally just a couple of shreds of carnitas. It’s so disappointing in this economy, you go to a nice spot, pay for a meal that’s not cheap, and they don’t even have the decency to give a normal amount of protein that I’m paying for! I won’t be coming back here again

I just paid almost 24$ for chicken noodle and.katsu.. and thats what i got.. the chicken is ridiculously small portions.. there was no utensils.. and when I tried to call them.. it wont let me the talk to them..and it tastel like Marochan they are definitely scam!!!

Food was below average to be honest. We got 2 bowls of tonkotsu ramen and a ground pork on top of fries. The fries were average, the meat on top was kinda dry but the sauce saved it. The ramen is little disappointed, the broth is not rich and flavorful enough for a tonkotsu ramen, Pork Chashu was really dry, the egg was mid. The Service is great, the place is clean. This good for locals but for food taste can’t compared to other ramen places.

Tajima Ramen in San Diego offers a consistently delightful dining experience for ramen lovers. With several locations across the city, including Convoy, East Village, and Crown Point, this ramen spot has become a staple for both locals and visitors alike. The highlight of Tajima Ramen is undoubtedly its rich and flavorful broths, which cater to a variety of tastes. Whether you prefer a hearty tonkotsu, a lighter shoyu, or a spicy miso ramen, there’s something to suit every palate. The noodles are perfectly cooked, with a satisfying texture that complements the savory broths.

This place definitely needs a new manager if there is one. It is a chaos and people are waiting in lines (around 4-5) to pick up their orders. Not sure when they place theirs but mine was more than 90 minutes but was still waiting. Finally, I decided to cancel since it is not worth it. Hopefully I will not get charged since I asked them to cancel.

Great food. Good service. Great atmosphere. Their Tajima fries (loaded fries) is so good. Their matcha refresher is so refreshing too. I never had matcha that is not latte (with milk). They nailed it with their matcha refresher. I had tajima black which is basically tonkutso ramen with black garlic sauce and my husband had carnitas ramen. It's a Mexican inspired Japanese ramen. It's comparable to Nishikki's takuma except that it has Mexican twist with the carnitas, cilantro leaves and lime I love the pork chasu on my black tajima ramen. It's thick, authentic chasu and the fat melts in my mouth. Just love it. I just wish that our server would check on us instead of me calling his attention every time we need something.

I found it really interesting how the Bonito flakes on the Takoyaki were moving when our food got served and they tasted good. The chicken ramen was good as well but I've had more flavorful chicken broth. The spicy ramen was okay.

Kiera was our server. Upon coming into the restaurant at 9:20PM, when they close at 10PM, the look on some faces when we walked in, was not very welcoming. Unfortunately, our dining experience was overshadowed by how we were treated near the end of our meal. As we were still enjoying our dinner, the staff began putting chairs up around us, clearly signaling they wanted us to leave — even though we hadn't finished. We felt rushed to pay, and the overall atmosphere became uncomfortable very quickly. I did have to use the restroom towards the end of dinner, and when I came out of the restroom, I noticed my guest I was with was no longer in the restaurant. The doors to get out of the restaurant were also locked, and one of the staff members said "Oh, I forgot you were in there." My guest should have been able to comfortably wait for me to finish using the restroom, rather then being put outside. It's understandable that restaurants have closing times, but the way it was handled came across as rude and unprofessional. A polite reminder or gentle indication would have been much more appropriate. This experience left a disappointing final impression on what could have been an enjoyable evening. I come to Tajima often and have never experienced service like this in all of my years of coming here. It was not acceptable and it needs to be fixed immediately.

Just watched a concert at SDSU and decided to get something warm to eat afterward. We started with Cream Cheese Wontons. - deep-fried cream cheese in wonton skin served with sweet & sour sauce They were very simple and delicious. A nice start before the entrees arrived. We ordered the -TAJIMA BLACK original pork bone broth with egg noodles, pork chashu, 1/2 ramen egg, corn, baby bok choy, green on-ions, and sesame seeds The egg was cooked perfectly and very flavorful. We also ordered the - VEGAN RAMEN creamy soy based broth, spinach noodles, marinated tofu, braised takenoko, wood ear mushrooms, baby bok choy, corn, green onions, and sesame seeds I enjoyed this one because it was light and creamy. I liked the spinach noodles and the mushrooms. I ordered a to go Vegan Ramen so my daughter would enjoy it too. Would definitely recommend this place! The restaurant is clean and the service is great too.

Great black Ramen. I had it with spinach noodles. The egg was cooked perfectly. The pork charash was delicious and tender. It literally melts in your mouth. The flavor of the broth was wonderful. The problem was the cucumbers were horrid. Mine was a pick up order and the cucumbers were not even cold and they had the some what spicy powder on them. I would just stick to Asian. cucumbers.. a great example is the recipe used by Din Tai Fung. My food was ready to be picked up when I arrived. Ambiance of restaurant is modern.

Crazy rain storm...we just finished with open house...it was a very long day and we were tired...and HUNGRY! Told Bee we need to eat after this. We were going to get pho, but I was craving karaage and I suggested here. Since it's in the college area, we knew it was going to be crowded, and it was...30-40 minute wait...but it was only 20 and we were happy! Love the carnitas ramen and dunking my karaage in it. Great pineapple cider! All the servers were friendly! My only complaint, and it's not really the fault of Tajima...why do people go out to eat and just look at their phones??? LOL!

You have to get the Carnitas Ramen! And you cannot leave without trying their Matcha Panna Cotta! This place is top tier. Their Taji-Matcha Iced Tea was so light refreshing. It's water based, with matcha, and your choice of flavor: mango, passion fruit, lychee, or strawberry. I got the mango flavor. Their Pork Gyoza was deliciously crispy and chewy. The Cream Cheese Wontons look and tasted perfect. The dipping sauce it comes with is sweet but also a little spicy. The Chicken Katsu bun was so soft, crunchy, but very light. The Carnitas Ramen was spicy, hardy, the meat was tender, and the noodles were perfect. The Matcha Panna Cotta was so light and the berries so sweet and tart, it was a great way to end the meal. 10/10, the Panna Cotta is the message!

I frequent this location often. The food is good. The service however is a mix review honestly. This evening I went in for my togo order and sat at the bar for like 15-20 mins. Not one bartender asked if I wanted anything. That's pretty poor customer service. Atleast ask if I would like a glass of water. I could have ordered a beer while I waited but I was ignored. I've seen this same bare tender when we come in and she's no friendly at all. It's not her fault it's management.

Have been to this location before and genuinely love all my Tajima visits The crispy tuna rice wasn't the best I've had but a good start to the meal, went with my usual spicy sesame ramen but due to my lack of clarification received marinated tofu instead of boiled which I usually like to help cut the richness of the broth. My partner and I both agree the broth was lacking some flavor and depth today but since we both enjoy Tajima we will still return, service was great and prompt as usual!

This was my first time trying this Tajima location, and we were seated right away with prompt service to follow, a great start. We kicked things off with the spicy tuna crispy rice, which was delicious. My only drawback? It only comes with three pieces. Next time, we're definitely doubling up. For our main, we both went with the spicy sesame ramen. While I've had deeper, more flavorful broth at other Tajima spots, this one fell a bit flat and needed some doctoring to match my usual taste. It could've just been an off day. That said, I know what Tajima is capable of, so I'm definitely giving this location another shot.

We waited about 5-10 minutes for a table, only issue being there is no place to wait. Came here for the carnitas ramen and it was pretty good. Nice spice level. Tasted like a posole ramen. You do sit pretty close to other diners but overall not too bad, but I could still hear other conversations. Would come again.

They forgot our order and despite it not being a busy evening, it took a while to get help. Good service just slow. Great throwback music in the background keeping the vibes going. Ordered chicken ramen. Glad they gave bok choy for extra veggies but the broth was OK / mid. Good texture for the noodles ! Was about to order dessert but they gave us the check for just ramen. Not the best experience but hope they learn from this.

Friends brought me to Tajima for the first time! Food was amazing, fresh, and drinks were quick to receive! Kiera was our server and had great energy; inviting, kind, and got us anything we asked for, as well as all the other workers :) Definitely will come back for the great service and outstanding food!

TODAY im leaving 5 stars!!!! My husband, my daughter and I have become semi regulars at this location and we have to say that most times the service is lacking. Not terrible but lacking. The food though is absolutely amazing. It's my daughter's favorite(and she's picky). Today we waited about 30 minutes to be sat and let me tell you it was worth it! We obviously know our meal was going to be great but the service we received from Alexa was just outstanding! Alexa is in our opinion what service here should be! We will keep coming back because we love the food bet today Alexa showed us the the service could also compliment our meal! Tajima College shea keeper!

I've been to this location a few times and the service quality differs each time. The first time I went, the service was great (even when it was busy). Our food came out fast and the waiter was available. The second time I went, it took over 40 minutes for our food to come out and our waiter wasn't as accommodating (it was empty). The third time I went, the service was good again. Their ramen is good and I would recommend their black garlic flavor. Ask for the pepper flakes if you like a little kick to your ramen.

We loved our visit had the spicy ramen and it was amazing, the garlic edamame is also amazing. We brought our toddler they sell noodles and broth sides so we got her that and she loved it. Servers were so attentive and even brought my daughter training chop sticks.

Food was super good and would come back. Went beyond my expectations. And the place is nice and calm

Amazing service! Stephanie was amazing! 10/10 service if she doesn't get a promotion I will not be coming back! Lol amazing ramen, edamame, the lighting was amazing store is clean and bathrooms are beautiful. The vibe is great as well!

Ordered Uber eats because I'm suffering from Laryngitis, I have no voice and I'm sick. I wanted to order something comforting and warm but only to have something completely off sent to me. It's pretty annoying because I can't even call to complain about my order, my voice is completely gone. I paid extra for pork and got chicken, which the quality and quantity was horrible. I can't believe you guys put this quality of chicken in your food. It's so thin and super dry. I definitely would never recommend. You shouldn't even offer it. My ramen was good, per usual. All I have to say is take extra care when packaging. We pay extra fee's for convenience expecting what we order. Now I'm stuck with food I didn't want, and will not eat. Generous 2 stars because I still liked my ramen.

Our waitress Sophia was amazing! Super nice and super professional... My first time here and I really enjoyed everything I tried... From the cream cheese wontons to the carnitas ramen.. I'll definitely come back!

Always a great ramen experience at Tajima. I went for happy hour so it was cheap beers on tap, good apps and as always, delicious tonkatsu ramen. It was nice to walk in without needing to wait. Everyone was very polite and helpful. The place wasn't too busy yet which was nice. As always, the ramen was the highlight of the meal. Can't beat that amazing broth. I'm glad it was a chilly day, because it was perfect weather for a trip to Tajima.

My boyfriend and me both absolutely love the carnitas ramen, it's so delicious. And the edamamae is great.

Really good ramen, I tried the spicy sesame and it was really flavorful, just the right amount of sesame oil so it's not too much. Got soup to-go, also tried the carnitas ramen, tajima black, and pork gyoza - all good. It looks like a cool place to sit, will maybe next time in SD.

Food: Always tastes fresh, deeply well seasoned hot broth. Pork gyoza is my fav, tender & tasty. Carnitas-braised pork- was über tender. Wine & Beer are served here.. Service: Unparalleled upon entering, easily answering questions. Team works harmoniously with genuine respect for one another.Before I could ask for water, To Go bagged carefully with zero. leakage. Ambiance: Small but not overcrowded area, simply decorated. Strip Mall Parking is ample with a Handicapped Space nearby. Highly Recommended!

I absolutely love this ramen spot. As an SDSU student, it's so close to campus and the waiters and waitress are so nice. You are greeted very welcoming and they promptly take your order. If there's a wait, they have a link to see your queue so you can check it live time! The ramen is fantastic and all the appetizers are amazing. I would recommend the garlic edamame and the Tajima White Ramen from here!

Leaving yet another positive review for this place because it always exceeds my expectations. Today I was here for happy hour which is SUCH A DEAL! $3.50 beers is what really got me, along with $3.50 apps and other select items. I had the spicy garlic edamame and the carnitas ramen and it was soooo yummy. Stephanie was behind the bar today. She was so friendly, she made me feel like we've known each other for years. I even got a second beer to just chat with her a little longer. Love this place and their crew! See ya next week.

Food was amazing. One of the best ramen spots in SD. Happy hour deal fire. Service was great. Highly recommend, classic tonkatsu and karage was amazing

Do not order takeout here. They forget to provide all items ordered even when done through the restaurant itself (no third party). Ordered takeout at the bar and they did not provide the dessert that I paid for. Had to drive back to drive back to pickup the dessert. Very unprofessional how they handled their mistake. They refuse to provide any sort of compensation and the lead was there refusing to provide anything for the mistake that they made. Also, the Tonkotsu did not have the egg per their online menu. Will not be coming back to their service inconsistencies and lack of basic customer service.

I've had Convoy Tajima before and I remember loving it. This one was good but not great. Food as good, service was a bit lacking but the ambiance is great, the inside is nice!

Just wanted to update my review to share that their Truffle Ribeye Ramen is a must try!! The truffle oil is not over powering and compliments the ribeye and broth perfectly. Definitely recommend getting it while it is still around (I think it's a limited time item).

Service We were seated right away. And from there we were treated with a good server. Everyone who came to our table was so nice and helpful. Food Fantastic. We had garlic edamame and crispy rice tuna to start. DELICIOUS. I had vegan ramen and it was amazing. He had miso ramen which he loved. It was all very good. Ambience The place is great. Not too crowded not too loud. Clean. Exactly what you expect from any establishment.

Great ramen! We got the Tonkatsu and Birria and the Karage Chicken- all excellent. Service was quick and the space was clean. Small parking lot, but plenty of spots.

I visited once long ago when they first opened and I didn't recall it being fabulous. For being Tajima and in my area at the time, I was super bummed. We were in the area and decided to give it another try. It was not bad, but not great either. We came in around dinner time and it was not super packed, but we opted to eat at the bar. I wasn't super hungry, just wanted something to warm up. We ordered to share the following items: - Gyoza: these were good and typical of other locations. - Karaage: these were for the most part good, slightly over battered. I don't care for the spicy mayo and didn't have the other kind... but was able to get plain mayo. - Tajima ramen: it was good. They didn't have many extra topping options at this location which is also a bummer... not even fried garlic!?! Who doesn't love fried garlic?!? Must be the area it serves. Overall not bad for a quick dinner. Complete college scene. Staff were nice. Small parking lot shared with Smash Burger and Big 5. It was a Monday night so there was no issue parking. 2024: 9

The #1 Ramen Spot - Better Than Menya Ultra and Underbelly. I've tried every big-name ramen place, including Michelin-starred Menya Ultra and Underbelly, but Tajima Ramen takes the crown. Their Tonkotsu broth is the creamiest and most flavorful I've ever had. The toppings are next-level--better than any other spot, with way more variety and quality. The pork bao buns are out of this world incredible. The service is amazing, and the interior is beautiful. They even have a manga wall featuring Bleach, my favorite anime, which blew me away. I wasn't even a ramen fan before Tajima, but now I'm hooked. If you're looking for the best ramen experience, this is the place to go!

Best place. I'm here 4 times a week. So delicious, great service and atmosphere. Would highly recommend here!

I've never really had to do this before, but this is a terrible meal that was sent by Tajima. Usually, when I order a chashu bowl I get plenty of pork with my rice. This time I got three measly pieces of fat. This is the first time I've been disappointed with them in a long time.

Love love love the Tajima chain!!!! Came to this location maybe 3 times and it has never failed! Food is good and service is great. The carnitas ramen is my go to

Soooooo yummy. The waitress was super nice and took the time to answer our questions about the menu. We didn't feel rushed at all which was nice. The chairs are a bit uncomfortable, but it was still a nice dine-in experience!

Came here with some of my friends, we had heard good things. What we didn't hear was that the cooks are slower than molasses. We placed our order and watched an entire 4th quarter of football on the TV. No sign of the food. Writing this review 45 min after ordering, still no sign of life. Update- When our food finally arrived it was cold. Seemed like it had been sitting for 20 min before they brought it out. I honestly would have rather made myself frozen meals from the grocery store instead of spending an hour and a half waiting for lukewarm food. In addition to that all, the restaurant had no clean forks! I myself have stability issues in my hands, so chopsticks are difficult to use. Instead I had to try and eat the noodles in my soup with an oversized spoon. To say this experience was unpleasant would be an understatement. It appears to be very poorly managed, with a fork shortage. Will not be returning, and hope to save as many people as possible from a ruined meal.

TL;DR: decent spot to get a quick fix of ramen and some sides Ordered: - Karaage (4/5): unexpectedly large pieces of chicken which was a plus since we were sharing - otherwise just good chicken - Shishito peppers (1/5): wayyyy too salty and charred - hard pass - Edamame (-/5): it's edamame - Tajima Ramen '23 (4/5): ok broth with a large piece of pork on top. Good flavors but wish the broth had a deeper flavor - Creamy chicken Ramen (4/5): deeper broth than the Tajima ramen but really lacking in substance otherwise. The toppings (spinach, onions, marinated bamboo) didn't really mesh well with the creamy chicken flavorj Service was quick to start but dropped off after apps. Waited nearly 15 minutes before flagging another server to find ours to get the rest of the order Be back soon next time the ramen bug bites Cheers, Tajima!

Used to love this place. Had to stop going because they changed the recipe of the original ramen I always got and it's so much worse now.

There was no wait when we got here. The service was friendly and offered some great recommendations. Food was hot, fast and delicious. I was impressed by all the flavor in the vegetarian ramen, sometimes it can be a little bland. Would totally recommend this spot.

We ordered to go! We got the spicy sesame ramen, and the karaage chicken soo good. This place always hits the spot. Awesome service, and upbeat family ambience.

Love this place! We eat here about once a week and it's always perfect. Brandon and Julian were great! The service is amazing. The atmosphere is great, and you can see the kitchen from where you eat. Cannot recommend this place enough!!

My boyfriend and I came in around 8pm on a Saturday so obviously they were pretty busy, but there was just enough room for us at the bar without needing to wait for seats. Service was quick, casual, and friendly. There's a pretty lax vibe here, so despite it being almost a full house, I didn't find myself being too overwhelmed- maybe the Sapporo helped too :) I got the Tajima Black, different from the other 2 Tajima house ramens because the broth is infused with black garlic oil. I've never tried black garlic before, but as a garlic lover I knew it was time to try. I was definitely not disappointed! The noodles are pretty good, but the extras and the broth are the stars of the show. Each table has some spicy chili sauce (as well as salt) to use as needed, and I ended up with about 4 spoonfuls that gave the soup a really great spice that hits you in the throat. The chashu pork was cooked perfectly, so tender and despite me not normally being too big on meat in general (especially pork), it was my favorite part of the meal. You get a huge piece of it too! The egg was marinated beautifully and has a slight but bold sweetness. Next time I'll add an extra half. I've gotten Tajima on Doordash, and honestly, I wasn't the biggest fan. I'd recommend coming in for the full experience so it's hot and fresh. After eating this yesterday, I was still dreaming about it all day today hahah. Will definitely be back!

Love the ramen here, so good and less busy than the Claremont location. I will be coming back here next time

Get the ramen, skip the broccolini. They charge $1 to add it on, and I feel so ripped off because they don't specify it's literally one tiny piece you're paying extra for. When I called to voice my concern, they didn't care and said I was out of luck. No wonder this location has less than 4 stars

I love this place! Their chicken fried rice and karaage are to die for! Everyone here is so friendly and personable too, I really can't say enough good things! I love the food and the vibe! The Tajima Black ramen is also a symphony

Love Tajima. Thai location is definitely better than the North Park. Got wontons, edamame and carnitas ramen. Super delicious. Quiet on a Tuesday Afternoon. There were maybe 5 people in there. Definitely seemed to rush me and my friend...

Came in to pick up some ramen today around 2:00pm. The female waitress did not even acknowledge us at all yet passed by us like 5 times but actually asked the guy behind us if he's waiting for an order. Yet the man behind us came after us and was waiting just like us. The female worker was wearing a black shirt with some denim jeans. Also another man came and she stood infront of us asking that man if he had been helped yet. She did not even look at us. The male waiter was great tho. He was the only one that acknowledged us at all but he also did forget to give us an update on our order after we asked the first time. When we got here they told us there was one item missing yet we ended up waiting like another 20min for the one item? That didn't really make sense.

Great food and service! Nice date night spot, can get a bit busy but it's worth the wait!

Impeccable service. Little to NO wait times to be seated. Staff is super friendly, and are always around to ask if you need anything. Food was delicious, literally everything on the menu is good. Prices are GOOD for the area. Online/to-go service is top notch as well. Amazing overall. Thank you.