Minneapolis' Best Ramen Bowls
This one is for the noodle lovers. From classic Japanese broths to smoky, modern bowls and hand-pulled noodle standouts, these Minneapolis ramen spots deliver comfort in every slurp.
The Minneapolis ramen scene, once a niche offering, has grown into a citywide love affair spanning cozy neighborhood hangouts, polished date-night destinations, late-night izakayas, and boundary-pushing noodle shops. Across the city, chefs are honoring traditional techniques while also embracing creativity, regional influences, and bold interpretations that reflect Minneapolis’ ever-evolving food culture.
Whether you’re craving a rich, slow-simmered broth, a deeply satisfying vegetarian option, or even a standout brothless ramen, Minneapolis delivers. From Eat Street to Linden Hills and beyond, these ramen spots offer something for every kind of noodle lover.
Staff Meeting - The Fan Favorite
Location: Eat Street Crossing
Staff Meeting couldn’t come recommended highly enough - and for good reason. Upon walking into the playful, irreverent shop, you're greeted with a menu of comfort food without pretention. Andy Tran, a Staff Meeting Representative puts it best: “we take our broth very seriously, but not ourselves.” It feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a traditional ramen shop. The Appa With Da Choppa is an incredible vegetarian option with deep, umami roots and bright, crisp bites of bean sprout and charred bok choy while the Kurimichikin offers a deeply comforting bowl of classic chicken ramen and a smooth finish. Appetizers are a must at Staff Meeting, the Oboreta Dango (drowned dumplings) are a sauce lover's dream, and who could pass up a perfectly crispy, sweet & spicy chicken wing? All in all, Staff Meeting is a light hearted go-to with seriously good eats - a perfect balance of quality and personality.
Kyatchi - The Date Night Bowl
Location: Kingfield neighborhood
Kyatchi is the definition of cozy - warm, intimate, and polished with a strong bar presence including 16 rotating tap beers and a balanced selection of Sake. The service here is outstanding with helpful, knowledgeable wait staff who make you feel right at home. It’s welcoming and ideal for lingering a little longer, just what you want from a good date night spot.
Their classic ramen is perfectly balanced with tender pork belly, smokey, charred bok choy and crunchy bamboo shoots - all floating in a sea of homemade ramen stock and slurpy noodles topped off with a perfectly soft cooked egg and a bright bite of green onion. Outside of ramen, their menu offers an expanse of great bites. The Cauliflower Nishumori and Kinoko Curry are highlights alongside a full sushi program and a playful small menu of loaded hot dogs. Dessert is an absolute must, Donna’s Cheesecake is made in house and topped with a sweet and salty miso caramel. Chef's kiss.
Tenka Ramen - The Lake Street Staple
Location: Uptown
Tenka is your casual, no-frills, neighborhood staple that’ll have you coming back time after time. The very traditional Japanese style menu offers all around solid broths and a well rounded topping selection, but the Spicy Miso is definitely a stand out. Crispy fried ground pork and crunchy pieces of corn make for a wonderful texture story in a bowl of buttery, warm broth and a peppery finish. They also offer two perfectly fluffy buns, one chicken and one pork and a lovely harumaki (veggie spring roll) fried to crispy perfection with a soft inside. The menu gets really fun when you get into their selection of fruity and floral bubble teas and refreshing Japanese sodas. A perfect spot for take out on a night in, or a sick day delivery.
Moto-i - The Brothless Standout
Location: LynLake neighborhood
Moto-i holds a singular place in Minneapolis’ ramen scene as the first sake brewery to open outside of Japan. With nearly two decades of sake-making expertise, the izakaya-style space blends late nights, small plates, and a thoughtful drink program with seriously good noodles. Open until midnight with weekend brunch, it’s a spot that encourages lingering and sharing.
While traditional ramen is available, Moto-i offers an immaculate brothless ramen. The creamy, umami, slightly smokey Pork Abura offers springy noodles luxuriously tossed in rendered pork fat, allowing them to absorb the flavor from their in-house 24 hour smoked pork shoulder. The word you’re looking for is indulgent. Or, opt for an incredible vegan option with the Maitake Abura, another brothless ramen with maitake mushroom, roasted corn and summer squash and a perfectly poached egg. It’s buttery and a little nutty with bright finish from the Ponzu and pickled red onions. Pair your bowl with a side of fries and miso-bernaise or the beloved Benny Buns, and explore a drink menu that includes house-made sake, sake cocktails, whiskey and sake flights, and a well-crafted mocktail list. Perfect for lingering for just one more bite, one more drink, or maybe even one more sake bomb, if that’s your style.
And to finally settle a long-standing local debate, it’s pronounced Moto-eye, not Moto-ee.
Roku Ramen - The Broth Purists
Location: Downtown Minneapolis
Modern, sleek, and centrally located, Roku Ramen is perfect for pre-event and late night dining. Their broths are simmered for 20+ hours, creating space for rich, deep flavors that deserve to be savored. The menu is traditional with chef forward enhancements - like the Tokyo Miso, a velvety slow cooked broth with pull apart pork chashu and a roasted black garlic oil to finish. The Pork Dumpling Ramen allows the dumplings to soak up all the flavors of the broth making for an indulgent, deeply flavorful bite. All in all, Roku offers a hefty 15 bowls of slurpy noodles, plus a delightful line up of appetizers and small bites to add on. All in all, Roku Ramen is a downtown standout and a flavorful testament to the rewards of patience.
Meet Up Noodle - The Hand-Pulled Wildcard
Location: Eat Street
Meet Up Noodle might be the new kid on the block, but they did not come to play. This fully Chinese noodle house specializes in hand-pulled and hand-cut noodles made fresh daily, a technique that determines thickness and texture in real time and allows the noodles to fully absorb the broth rather than sit in it.
The menu centers dishes from Northwestern China, where noodles, not rice, are the foundation of the table. Lanzhou Beef Noodles are a fan favorite, featuring beautifully springy noodles and a deeply aromatic broth. Other standouts include Chongqing spicy noodles with ground pork, bok choy, and peanuts, and soft, steamed wontons drenched in a creamy chili oil sauce. With generous portions, warm hospitality, and an expansive, highly shareable menu, Meet Up Noodle is a fun, flavorful stop for groups looking to explore something truly unique.
One thing every spot on the list has in common is their love for the craft, hospitality, and feeding people well. Whether you’re settling in for a playful, comfort-driven bowl, planning a lingering date night, or exploring brothless ramen and hand-pulled noodles that challenge expectations, there’s no shortage of options worth seeking out.
