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We decided to check out Buya on our last night in St. Pete's. The restaurant itself is massive, and even during peak dinner hours, there were plenty of empty tables, which was surprising. It was nicely decorated, so it added to the vibe of the restaurant. That said, the service was great--our waiter was very attentive and checked in on us often. We ordered one appetizer and two bowls of ramen. The ramen took a while to arrive, and when it did, it was a mixed experience. I had the short rib ramen, and honestly, it was pretty mediocre. The broth was just okay, and the noodles were average at best. I tried a bite of my partner's pork belly ramen, and while the pork belly itself was delicious, the broth was surprisingly bland. My partner really enjoyed his ramen, but for me, having experienced some truly exceptional ramen in NYC, my expectations were much higher. Overall, it was an okay experience, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to return.
Wanted to love it but wasn't impressed. Came on a Tuesday night and service was almost nonexistent. It was dead, maybe two other tables of people in the whole restaurant. After being seated, nobody came to ask us if we needed water or anything for probably 15 mins and when I finally got tired of waiting and started looking around, I saw one waiter dodge behind a wall to hide from us! Shortly after that, someone finally came over to take our order. We asked for water and two ramens - a mushroom ramen and pork belly tonkatsu ramen. The food came but we never got water, so we had to ask for it again. The ramen was just okay - lots and lots of toppings and noodles but the broth wasn't that flavorful on either of them and there wasn't enough of it. Between the food and service, it was just ok and we probably wouldn't come back.
Favorite ramen in town! I always go chicken ramen and my sister loves the duck! Cocktail are great as well as the crispy rice tuna appetizer.
My wife and I decided to try this place when I was home for Christmas break. Ramen is one of our favorite meals so we couldn't help but stop in this spot. And let me tell you, we did not leave disappointed! We brought our newborn son so that was a little difficult to navigate but other than that the meal was good. My wife had the pork bao buns and I had the short rib bao buns. It was so good. The short rib was so tender and juicy. It also had a good sauce. For my main course I had the karrage chicken. This is one of my favorite dishes. The sauce they had to go with it was very tasty. I had a Cigar City Jai Alai with my meal. I must also say the ambience was very nice in the restaurant. The playlist they had was very good and the waiter was very hospitable. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Tampa Bay area.
5 stars for the food, 3 stars for the service! My best friend and I were seated for our reservation a little after 7pm. After about 10 minutes, we ordered the bok choy, two ramens, and a drink. 20 minutes later, the drink finally came - and wow, it was DELICIOUS! I think it was called the Coco Loco or something like that, it was a vodka cocktail with espresso, vanilla, and something else I don't remember. It tasted like a sugar cookie, but also like coffee ??? and it was amazing. 30 minutes after we ordered, our server came back up to us and let us know the kitchen was having problems, so she actually had to jump back there and cook with them, and she apologetically never put in our order. We put in our same food order again and were informed that it would be awhile. We definitely didn't realized that awhile would mean a full hour since we'd ordered. We ended up not eating until 830pm. We could tell there was a lot of stress and tension on the floor, and we get it - stuff happens. Our main complaint was that we weren't notified of any issues with the kitchen until so long after we ordered, and they were still pumping out to-go orders despite not being able to accommodate the in-house guests. Once we got our food, it was incredible. I had the duck ramen and my friend had the short rib. We loved every bite, though we basically vacuumed it into our mouths because we were so ravenously hungry at this point. Overall, it's a really great ramen place, and I imagine it was just a rough night.
Ambiance is perfect. Yummy Asian beer and spectacular ramen. If you're a fan of ramen and with the area- you have to give this place a shot. Recommend going at night and walking the streets afterwards
This ramenya has a great overall menu. Had a tough time choosing what to order! Definitely get the seaweed salad app, I couldn't stop eating the darker seaweed salad in the center but the cucumber pickles were also addictive. My date ordered extra egg on his, and when I saw only 1/2 an egg is put on the ramen I understood why however, the ratio of ingredients is right for the ramen and I didn't feel like I was swallowing noodles only during my meal. The ambiance is also very lovely, and I could see why my date picked it.
We met our friends here last night. It was such a great experience. I love the poke there and when it's hot it's even better as it's a cold dish. The short rib Ramen was great too. The service was excellent. The only downside was a particulary aggressive panhandler and this was no fault of the restaurant. We've come here several times but this time it was particularly good all around!
I went on a date and ordered Braised Short Rib Ramen and split some gyoza with my date. Let's start with the positives: Great location and proximity to a lot of cool things to do in Downtown St Pete. They got the vibe absolutely right. From the industrial looking interior to the lighting, they clearly know how to curate an ambiance. Plenty of seating options! Indoor, outdoor, tables, booth, bar, window. Idk I feel like this makes a difference for me because I *thought* there would be a wait, but there's tons of places to sit. Fabulous menu selection. Whether you're a new ramen girly or true ramen girly, there's something for you on the menu. Great portions!!! I took half my ramen bowl home. Now for areas of growth: While the meat in my raised was cooked well, it was significantly lacking in the flavor department. I added some of the chili oil and sauce on the table to the dish to make it taste like something. From there, it was smooth sailing but without it, I would have struggled to want to finish. The gyoza was good but the pieces were falling apart when we picked them up with chopsticks. I would've preferred them to be cooked longer/harder as the texture was really soft. Overall, this was far from the best ramen I've ever had, but the experience makes up for the food in other ways. I'm not itching to get back here but that's not to say I'd never return.
Just okay. I'm no ramen connoisseur...but I have had really good ramen, both in the states and in Japan. I had the chicken ramen and while the portion was decent and the chicken was flavorful, the broth was sub par. It was almost flavorless. We ordered the pork belly bao Buns for an appetizer and they were decent. Again, not the best I've had but not the worst either. They do have happy hour on all the shareables during the week as well (I think it's only 1$ off tho). I'm still on the hunt for the best ramen in the area. Maybe I'll have better luck in tampa!
Loved the short rib noodles! It was a beautiful night so sat outside to enjoy it, but I realized how nicely designed the interior space was so will sit inside at the bar next time. You can't go wrong with the short rib ramen. They have happy hour drink specials starting at 4pm (until either 6 or 7pm) and the mango mule was a winner.
Wish I could give this a 3.5 rating. Visited a few days ago, late Sept 2024. Came into this wary after mixed reviews from friends, & still mourning the closure of my favorite ramen shop (RIP Crane Ramen, I miss you all the time) in 2022 - I've seriously never found anywhere nearly as good, please rec me if you have anything. On to the review! Buns were okay, flavor wise - temp wise, they were cold but maybe it was an off night? Ramen was good! Broth was flavorful & I loved the egg + the duck. Lots of bok choy which I liked but others may not. Add the chili oil + whatever you prefer on it though - it's definitely a template made for customization. Noodles were perfect. Music was good, place was clean. I don't know if every ramen place just pales to my lost shop, but this was just average overall. Nothing insanely good, nothing really bad.
Amazing food! Everything was delicious and I love a good service. This staff was wonderful! My only regret is I should have gone with the spicy kimchi. Con: I wish there were cushions on the seats. LOL
2 years ago
2 years ago
I came here awhile ago and I distinctly remember the ramen I ordered was super flavorful and delicious. It was well worth the $16 and I want to say it's better than a few other ramen places I've been to around Tampa. Interior of the restaurant was nice but I ended up sitting outside in the nice weather. Service was friendly and quick. Dog friendly area Parking is limited at peak hours and it's paid parking read more
Review for: Saturday evening, Sept. 18 at 6:15 p.m. Bear with me, I'm not really a fan of Asian cuisine, but it was my hub's turn to choose where we dined tonight. PARKING As with all restaurants on a Saturday night downtown it's challenging to find parking. Got lucky and found a spot on 1st. RESERVATIONS Made a reservation online with ease earlier today. Arrived early and were seated quickly at a really nice booth which made me so happy. FOOD We opted for two appetizers based on Yelp reviews and images. The short rib buns were amazing as were the veggie gyoza/dumplings. For dinner I had the grilled chicken ramen. So delicious and so filling with the appetizers. I also don't drink, but they had a delicious house mocktail as well as a variety of iced teas, etc. SERVICE Everyone was so helpful from the hostess to the waitstaff. Our waitress was so kind, knowledgeable, and patient with my endless questions. I also have to point out that everyone working in the restaurant wore a mask - so thankful for that as it's something I'm not seeing as often lately. Please check this place out if you haven't already. Can't wait to return! Such an amazing experience. read more
Buya is a great Japanese American restaurants that cater to the American general taste palette. If you're looking for authentic Japanese ramen, this is not the spot. The toppings are not your traditional ramen toppings. It is good in it's own way. But a few things can be improved such as improve your egg game, it is probably the easiest to do. If you don't already marinate the egg, at least cook it to perfection and not overcook it. The broth was not sizzling hot, and by the a few spoons in, it was already luke warm temperature. Noodle soups need to be hottt. If you just want a bowl of ramen and don't want to drive outside the city, then this is your only choice. read more
2 years ago
Seafood ramen and the seaweed salad were fantastic. Went on a Saturday night after the Rays game, it was packed so service was a little slow but very nice. Really cool decor inside, too! read more
5 years ago
ORDERED - pork belly bao buns | $10 - braised short rib ramen | $16.50 SEATING AREA large area of inside seating by downtown st pete standards, bar seating, and outside seating BUT it still gets busy so just be prepared to wait PARKING just accept the fact you will have to park far away and walk during peak times such as dinner time, weekends and during ray's game days OVERALL enjoyed the ramen here; is it the best in st. pete? no, but it is good. i noticed that it didn't have an overpowering sodium taste and i didn't leave bloated and thirsty. as for the pork belly bao bun, is was good, but overpriced. if you've been thinking about trying out the ramen here, it's worth checking it out. 4/5 overall rating read more
3 years ago
1 year ago
We've been eating at Buya since their opening, so we've witnessed the evolution. We went sometime in the last six months and left believing that the golden days were truly done (as others have recently noted--flavor, disproportionate bowls, etc). I'm very happy to report that tonight was different. Flavor was on point and service from Kieth was great. It was the Buya we always looked forward to years ago, and hopefully the magic remains. read more
My brother and I came here after a day of fishing in the area. We saw the reviews and went for lunch on a Saturday. It was moderately busy during covid times with indoor and outdoor seating available. Service appeared to be a big problem during our visit. Either the wait staff was new or untrained, we had one server who was doing everything and was also the bartender. I think we were waited on three times: greeting/drink order, food order, and the check. The ramen here was good but lacked complexity in the broth. The best thing was it wasn't too salty. Overall, hopefully this was a hiccup but wasn't too impressed. read more
2 years ago
Pretty cool spot, would recommend more for dinner than lunch to feel the vibes more. Tuna crispy rice was not the best, edamame needed more salt but flavor was good, and the pork on the ramen was solid. read more
Food was excellent! At first glance, I thought that it was a bit pricey, but once our ramen came out and I saw how loaded up the bowls were, I totally understood. They put a really generous amount of the delicious short rib in my dish, which was made even more delicious with the array of sauces that are available at each table. I could tell that the restaurant may have been short-staffed when we visited, but our server was still super quick and friendly. Would love to come back! read more
I've never had ramen. Like real ramen, not the $1 packets. This was delicious! Loved the music, decor, vibe, and the chairs were amazing! Some places have chairs that are not comfortable but theses were great! I started off with the pork belly boa buns. Incredible! The pork belly was cooked to perfection! I opted for no sriracha aioli but instead a soy glaze. Amazing! For my meal I ordered the pork belly ramen. It has Tonkotsu, roasted pork belly, takana, shiitake, and black garlic oil. So delicious! So many flavors and textures. Loved it! Would definitely recommend and come back! read more
4 years ago
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Delicious food and cocktail options! Definitely a trendy place to try when in the Downtown St Pete area! Matt served some delicious cocktails & his service was 5 star! Definitely will be visiting again when craving a delicious Ramen! read more
Loved the short rib ramen!! Located on central Ave, this ramen place is close to lots of bars and restaurants and has plenty of nearby parking. They also have rice bowls on their menu which are gluten free. I took a star away because the servers weren't very helpful or friendly but I would definitely come back to try more items on their menu. read more
2 years ago
Extremely overpriced and bland, my Kirin was the best tasting thing I ordered. Service was also very slow for how empty the restaurant was. read more
3 years ago
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2 years ago
so awesome!! we went here on a whim craving ramen as out of towners. ambiance was great, service was an 11/10 and food was delicious! i would not say this is a traditional japanese ramen but still good regardless. we had the grilled chicken ramen, short rib ramen, karaage chicken and chili garlic edamame. all was great! would definitely go back for a good ramen meal. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
The ambiance is dim and chill. The food was delicious. I order the pork belly bun sooooo good. Also order the pork belly ramen was delicious. The server was pleasant. Over all experience was was good food was great. read more
3 years ago
Delicious is all I can say! Very quick service! If you are a fan of light ramen noodles this is the place for you! Also Try the ice cream flight! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
My mom and I came for the lunch special! Braised short rib ramen, great value and some of the best ramen we ever had! read more
3 years ago
Some of the best ramen I've ever had in my life. So much flavor and the meat was so dang tender. Def taking the hour+ drive to come back. Service was excellent as well! read more
2 years ago
Came here on a Friday rainy night and it definitely hit the spot. Me and my friend split the shirt rib ramen and it was a perfect portion for us. I got the crispy tuna and she got the edamame. The crispy rice was delish I put the chili oil on it and it was so good 8/10. The bill for me was $28 after tip for the split ramen and tuna which is pricy considering I didnt get a drink or anything either. The service was... good but odd. The servers are very chill and relaxed which was funny to see at a busy restaurant but they were good. We did have to find parking on the street and walk since it was a Friday night but overall a good experience. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
The ramen bowls have excellent flavor, but are light on protein. I had the crispy duck ramen and my husband had the seafood ramen. The duck ramen was tasty though it only had one small duck patty. The seafood ramen had three shrimp and a few muscles. It was excellently flavored though, and luckily, there are plenty of noodles to fill you up. The service was fine. We ordered two beers which came promptly. The bowls were served by a different waiter. That was the extent of the service that we needed. So I always object to the demand for a minimum 18% tip which we would have given anyway, but it is unpleasant to have the check to put in your face with the minimum tip at 18%. The atmosphere is nice and cozy particularly on a cold day. read more
2 years ago
Second time dining here and it was better than the first. The food is excellent and the staff attentive. The decor is spartan but I guess that's authentic for a real Japanese noodle house. This place is must try. read more
Crowded as expected on a Friday night , had a 20 minute wait for sidewalk table. it seemed a bit stuffy inside. Service was lackluster and even after being seated took a while for drink appetizers order. The food was top notch. Excellent bao buns, we had shrimp, pork belly and short rib. Consensus was the short rib was the best . would have ordered more but they ran out of buns! .. The ramen was fantastic. the broth deep and complex umami flavor. . The godzilla is a fine cocktail read more
2 years ago
The short rib ramen was absolutely delicious. The tuna crispy rice wasn't my favorite - the rice was bland and soggy, the vegetable gyoza were also slightly soggy. The kimchi was delicious. Unfortunately, the service was not as great as expected. When our appetizers were brought out, the server asked if we wanted sharing plates and never brought them out to us. when we were finished with our meal, it took a server over 10 minutes to come to our table to check on us/give us our check. The restaurant was not very busy inside, a little busy in the outdoor seating, but it looked like there were many staff who were just not attentive. The decor inside is really cute, and I wish the service was better. Would probably attempt pick up, as the ramen was very good. read more
More info about Buya
911 Central Ave
St Petersburg, FL 33705
Downtown St. Petersburg
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(727) 202-7010
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http://www.buyaramen.com
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Are the noodles rice or wheat?
Ramen is usually made with wheat. If you prefer rice noodles, try looking for a Vietnamese pho place, where both the pho and bun are made with rice.
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Buya - ramen - Updated August 2026
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