These noodles are a mood! The whole atmosphere of the restaurant is rad it's what I envision going into a noodle bar in a different country. They have more options on the side and drinks. Honestly a whole variety of drinks from Japan I wish I could try them all. We got a spicy bowl and the miso based ramen. They were both so good, you get a lot for your money. It's a bit on the pricey side but deliciously worth it. You need to order first then sit, don't be intimidated by the seating they move fast! Give it a try! read more

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I expected a lot because of the high reviews but I left disappointed. The service was good and we were helped right away, but the food just didn't quite hit the mark. I used to live in Japan and I actually been to Tokyo. This ramen is nowhere near as good. The noodles themselves also seemed cheap, like packet ramen. For the price of the food, in addition to quality... would not come back. About an hour after the review, I guess the owner needed a witty response to make herself feel better about her mid-ramen. I stated that I've been to Japan to give other readers a point of reference. Sorry for leaving an honest review on Yelp, where people leave reviews... Responding to your 2nd response: I don't care if you think your family is "working hard." Your food tells me they're not working hard enough. You were clearly pressed by the review, and wanted to get snappy. Instead of trying to justify your responses put more time into your restaurant. If you want a review that is more constructive, here goes. Noodles: buy better ones or make better ones that aren't like plastic. Also bowls require more than what you are giving Broth: Way too oily both for the spicy miso and the black. The flavors are not present enough. So hire better chefs or review your recipe Pork: the pork was way too mushy. Again, buy better ones Service: at least the guys that were serving were attentive, good for you. Invest in better quality ingredients. I'm all for paying high prices for quality food, but yours is not worth it. read more

Great outdoor and indoor seating area. Order at the counter and then the food is delivered to you. I loved the inside decor and we all got different ramens that were delicious. read more

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We had been recommended Gonzo by a friend who raved about it. We went on a saturday in the summer, just after 5pm. Parking was tricky (the lot is big but very full) but we were able to grab a spot. The restaurant was busy but there were plenty of seats. We walked up and ordered right away and sat down. Inside was super cute, tons of cool Japanese drinks and snacks. Cute lighting, etc. we sat on the patio which was also nice! Super random and nit picky, but they have self serve filtered water which tasted great, just wish it was cold. It was very much room temperature. Just a suggestion! I got the Gonzo Green vegan ramen. I am a vegetarian & a ramen lover (maybe not a likely combo). I know ramen get's it's flavor from the meaty broth so veggie ramen can be a bit tricky to pull off. However this ramen was the least flavorful veggie ramen I have ever had. It didn't taste like hardly anything. The noodles were nice, tofu was good. But the broth had no flavor, i even tried adding their chili oil, still boring. My boyfriend got the chicken Karaage bowl. He loved it. Rated it 4/5. It looked good too. I have heard their non vegan ramen is delicious. I hate to leave restaurants bad reviews, I know times are tough. Thats why I am leaving 4 stars. I think the rest of their menu is really popular. But as a vegetarian, ramen spots usually have one option for us so I like to know if it's worth trying out. I would skip this place if you're vegetarian/vegan. But definitely check it out if you eat meat! Hoping they consider jazzing up their veggie ramen in the future. So often the veggie option is an after thought (take out all the stuff and call it a veggie option.) it's a bummer read more

GONZO! - Vegan Ramen (front) & Chicken Karaage Bowl (back) - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Everything outstanding. Great. Comfort food Try it once you'll be hooked. Severs very friendly and accommodating to questions about the different combinations of dishes. read more

Very friendly and attentive staff. The food was delicious and served quickly. Would definitely revisit. read more

Hard to say whether or not it's the best ramen in town, because there's so many great ramen shops around here, but it's in the running. Gonzo definitely has the best vibes, which is actually saying something. read more

Food:4/5 a great ramen spot and but nothing out of the ordinary/ remarkable. Service: 5/5 you order and pay first giving the restaurant a more casual feel. Waited in line for about 15 minutes and waited for food for less than 15 on a wed night. Staff is attentive. Ambiance/cleanliness: 5/5 love the immersion of japanese culture you get when you step into here. Clean and comfortable. Seating a little too close. read more

GONZO! - Gonzo black (red bowl) & miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The restaurant ambiance is awesome and fun. This is the best ramen that I have ever had. Met the owner and her son. He gave me the recommendation to try the black ramen. It was delicious! Noodles were perfect and the chicken was tender. They both checked on me afterwards to see what I thought. They definitely take pride in what they offer. Traveling from Florida, I will be back for this ramen. Never to be forgotten!! read more

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We have always passed by this shop and never looked, but we finally tried it. And we are so glad we did! They have seating inside but only a couple of tables, they do have patio dining which a staff member tells you where you can sit when they talk to you while you wait in line to order. We had the tonkotsu ramen and the gonzo black. And both were amazing! The meat was so tender it literally falls off when you pick it up, so flavorful and noodles were perfectly cooked! Decent price, good vibes. And the staff, oh my, probably one of the places that has such friendly and kind people working. I highly reccomend to try out. We'll definitely be back. read more

GONZO! - Left: tonkotsu ramen, right: gonzo black - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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I'm not the biggest fan of Japanese ramen so I give 1 more star than I would've! I think it's a lovely restaurant with such cute vibes with cool drinks & snacks that you won't see in other Japanese restaurants. We got Gonzo black and red, the broth for both dishes were salty & heavy. My boyfriend and I couldn't finish even half of the bowl, but rest of our party devoured theirs & said they really enjoyed their food! Still had an enjoyable experience and I can see a lot of people doing so as well. read more

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Located in the touristy spot of Carlsbad Village so parking is slim pickings or paid lots. Restaurant is located upstairs with inside and outside seating. Sunny day in November, so outside it is. Order your food at the register, gentleman is very helpful explaining the various ramen choices and flavors. Friend got the Gonzo black which had the black garlic oil in the tonkatsu broth. I got the miso ramen with Kim Chee, which was very savory; I asked for chili oil and was brought some delicious homemade concoction! Noodles were firm and fresh, broth was savory and delicious m, egg was jammy with a soy sauce flavor, a great bowl of ramen! Server was attentive and friendly. I believe they have happy hour as well!! read more

GONZO! - Miso ramen with Kim Chee - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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As my girlfriend and I finish our meals I refill our water cup and looked at the keychains on the counter for a second as they looked cool. As I go sit down a worker with medium length dark hair comes over to me and accuses me of stealing a keychain, he claimed he saw me took it. Accusing someone of being a thief is unprofessional and inappropriate. Very disappointed in how this man treated us read more

Ordered the black ramen, it was so flavorful and delicious along with great gyoza. Workers really nice too. We ate outside and enjoyed everything about this place. Their bowls looked really good, I tried the chicken kaarage it was really tasty too. If you're craving ramen, don't even think about it. Stop here! read more

The hype is real. It's rated #2 on top 25 ramen spots across US at Yelp and YES it's that good. The Tonkotsu was by far the best. The spicy miso ramen was the worst. Too heavy and creamy. The black garlic was also alright but the Tonkotsu was just perfect! The Karaage was also crunchy and juicy. Definitely get the spicy on the side. That was flavorful and perfect. Next time, go with Tonkotsu, add extra karaage on the side with extra spicy on the side. Really good' bravo! read more

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This place was so dam good! The anime/Japanese street vibe was fun - I love watching OnePiece and it was on for us when we went in. Staff was awesome answered all our questions - gave us tokens for their gaming place across the way. As an aside, I am a huge Hunter S Thompson fan and I will not lie the name of this place was a draw for me - I got a scarf and I got a sticker - Gonzo for life. Now - to brass tacks as they say - The Ramen is my favorite so far that I have had - I have had a few purposely planned road trips up and down the state to get the best Ramen - I even followed the 100 best Ramen list here on Yelp. I think that this is the best place I have been to so far - broth clean and yummy the flavors are so on point - I love spicy and I got it - my boys had the regular - all just so good. It is worth every minute you have to get there and try everything - they even have my favorite snacks Takoyaki - get yourself a bowl and have a blast. read more

The coziest comfort meal in North County San Diego and my favorite ramen place of all time. If you're looking for authentic ramen and some other Japanese dishes like curry, this is the perfect place. All of their food tastes so authentic and flavorful, but my go to order is the Gonzo Black. It's like a traditional tonkatsu ramen dish, but with subtle smoky garlic flavor. Highly recommend! read more

GONZO! - Gonzo Black - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Starting today, I can honestly say this is by far my favorite ramen spot in all of San Diego County. I know, pretty bold statement but hear me out. The owner Mika-san is from Niigata, Japan and has brought her talents to Carlsbad to create flavorful broths with her husband and three sons. Everything is authentic as it gets! I ordered the Gonzo Black Ramen with Go Super Spicy sauce on the side to add in myself. Please note that every other place I have tried that offers black garlic ramen makes the garlic oil overbearing but Gonzo has found the perfect ratio. The black garlic oil with their amazing tonkotsu broth creates a smoky umami you can't replicate with anything else. I added the super spicy sauce little by little to reach my perfect spice level and I appreciate how the sauce doesn't alter the flavor too much. One thing I feel people don't really mention is flavor redundancy. Some ramen spots you start to get tired of the flavor because it's too rich or too bland. There was never a point I felt that way with Gonzo's ramen, the whole meal was as enjoyable as the first bite. It was almost as if someone vacuumed my bowl lol. The noodles are thin and semi-firm and soak the broth well. The chashu was pretty tender and had the perfect amount of fat to keep it juicy and flavorful. I could be wrong but it seems like it's marinated because it has a darker tint than other chashus i've tried in the past. Last but not least, the egg was cooked to perfection. The decor inside makes you feel as if you're inside an izakaya in Japan. They got the whole place lit up with lanterns and Japanese movie posters. If you prefer sitting outside they also have patio seating available. They even have onigiri and other miscellaneous items you can purchase as well! What more can I say? Fire ramen. Dope employees. Best decorations in the game. The only thing that sucks is that I live in Chula Vista so I can't come here everyday. At least it'll give me enough time to crave it cause ill definitely be back sooner than later. Arigato Gonzo! read more

GONZO! - Decorations - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Ramen is good and the price is fair. Located in a very busy plaza tho so weekend parking may be difficult. I got the black garlic ramen ... very good and the flavor is strong. Pretty good size meat portion. My husband got the Cha Siu bowl and he liked the flavor tho I think it's a bit salty. Tons of outdoor seating for your dog. Also if you pay with cash, you get a slight discount. read more

GONZO! - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I've visited Gonzo Ramen twice and ordered the Gonzo Black Ramen each time. For some odd reason the first time I ordered this ramen, it had chicken instead of char siu. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious but I was expecting pork. The second time I dined here, my ramen had char siu. It was even more delicious and I highly recommend this! I really like the oily, garlicky broth. This ramen pairs perfectly with a tall, cold Sapporo and a cold winter's night. Service is very friendly and attentive. Your food comes out quickly and hot! Support this is small local business. read more

GONZO! - Black Gonzo ramen. - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Service: GREAT service! The owner, his wife and sons were spectacular. The lady who was at the register was EXTREMELY patient, kind, and sweet. I have an allergy and she was very thorough with finding out if any of the dishes contained wheat, and let me know about cross contamination. With my millions of questions, she didn't make me feel rushed, annoyed, or that i was a painful customer. I sincerely appreciated her, and honestly - it was one of the highlights of the experience. Food: Our table had ordered a number of different dishes. They were out of bean sprouts so actually the ramen that had come to our table even thought it was supposed to come with bean sprouts it didn't. So that was a bummer. Also, unfortunately even though they have gluten free noodles, their ramen broth is NOT gluten free. So they cater more to gluten sensitivities, rather than allergies. So this is something that people with gluten allergies should note. I think when we had looked at the menu and saw gluten free noodles, we thought that it could be all gluten free, so i was really excited to finally have "gluten free ramen". With that being said, I ordered the Chicken Karaage bowl, and for $15 I think I could have gone somewhere better. There was barely any flavor because there was barely any sauce. The rice was plain, chicken was like fried chicken, and to be honest.. not worth the price. I was still hungry. We also ordered the edamame and tofu. The edamame was good. The tofu was a little chewy. For the Miso Ramen, my husband said the broth was flavorful but extremely rich. He actually usually drinks all the broth, but this time wasted most of it, and only ate the noodles and the Tonkatsu. The noodle portion was VERY small he said. We actually left HUNGRY believe it or not. The cucumber salad was good.. but for $6 not worth it. Just cucumber and dressing... It was not a traditional Sunomono. We also ordered Sake.. and that was good too. All in all, I am not sure we would come back here. Would rather drive down further south in san diego to get more traditional ramen, or japanese food. read more

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It was my first time at Gonzo and it won't be the last! It's a casual place, order at the counter and they'll do the rest. The service was friendly and very attentive from all employees. We started with the gyoza and edamame. Both were tasty. The gyoza was hot & crispy and the sauce was super flavorful. I had the Gonzo Red- no meat, extra egg + spinach. The broth was flavorful not too spicy so if you are looking for a kick, definitely upgrade to the next level of spice! The ingredients were fresh & portions are large. Overall a great ramen find in North County. read more

GONZO! - Gonzo Red - no meat, extra egg + spinach Edamame & gyoza. - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The hype is real! The ramen broth is mesmerizing.... Feels just like I'm back in Japan! The agedashi tofu and takoyaki are also nostalgic. The only suggestion I'd suggest is to order the tonkatsu ramen and black garlic oil on the side. This way, you can add just enough to give you a hint of garlic. Ordering the black garlic ramen is the same thing but it's heavy on the garlic. The tonkatsu ramen broth has a ton of flavor on its own. Nice large slices of tender pork belly ... very hearty and generous. Karaage chicken bowl looks small but was just the right portion. Son gave it a thumbs up. Pork Katsu curry was awesome but a hair over cooked. Kids loved the Japanese popsicles! I stole several bites of the icy sour... tasted much like ramune soda. Last note... don't let the long line deter you. A short 20 minute wait was definitely worth it. As soon as you order, you pay and they find a table for your party. Eat and go. Large parties would be more difficult but doable. They don't take reservations. Oh and 10% military discount :) read more

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Fantastic ramen, perfect atmosphere! Gonzo Ramen is awesome. The staff and service was very kind and professional. Recommend ordering an extra egg with the ramen because they are incredibly tasty. We're definitely coming back! read more

Good food and good service. The ramen soup base if very flavorful. The curry was good with chicken Karaage

Very very good ramen and super filling plates! Will be going back there soon to get more of this amazing food !!

if you've ever had ramen in san diego like convoy or even hillcrest area... this place is trash in comparison. honestly we were excited to try a new ramen spot after driving south all day, so we decided on this one as it has pretty decent reviews & nice pictures. the workers were very attentive and eager to please & keep things going smooth. they were honestly probably the best part of the whole experience lol. as for the food... tofu was okay. nothing special. they brought out our ramens before receiving the garlic edemame too. we had gotten the black & red ramens. it's funny that the red miso broth was more creamier than the tonkotsu black. how that makes sense i'm not sure, the black was literally water and oil. barely any flavor. the only thing saving it was the pork and egg. i fear maruchan packets have more flavor than that. they brought out the spicy garlic edemame & wow it was so bad lmfao. they didn't even sautee any type of sauce with the edemame. at the least they could have added garlic paste, soy sauce, and their spice. but no, edemame beans were hard and bitter, the "chili" (which was literally just crispy chili barely spicy garlic chunks) was literally in clumps on top of the bone dry edemame. on my soul it was so disappointing considering the fact that it's almost hard to mess up edemame. you actually have to try to not make it appetizing for it to taste the way it did when we tried. also it stunk like garbage that's been laying out in the summertime which is weird i've never smelled edemame like that. ambiance was cool, i do have a problem with people taking their sweet time at the tables as we had to wait a little longer for the bar. honestly would be better if the restaurant was full service. all in all 2/10 for the gonzo black, 4/10 for gonzo red, 5/10 for the tofu, and 1/10 for the "spicy garlic" edemame. & no this isn't us being haters, if you've ever tried ramen nagi or tajima just save yourself the 50-70 bucks. you'll be disappointed as well. read more

First time here we came right after we were done with Legoland..... so you order than you dine a table their menu is simple and it's easy to order. We met the owners that night my two older kids ordered extra noodles since they had extra broth. The owner brought it over to our table and made small talk with my youngest kid we were celebrating his 5th birthday and the owner waited until we finished our food and brought a little ice cream/ mochi dessert and all the employees sang happy birthday to him it was the sweetest thing ever my eyes got watery.. any ways not only friendly and respectful staff but food was amazing we will definitely come back once we are back in town... btw we are from Anaheim Thank you to the owners and staff read more

GONZO! - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

ramens so good that it was on middle of the one day trip but I ended up getting an hotel near here

awesome ramen, great atmosphere! Service is fine. You order in line and pay and then find a table. Love their cute store too!

A Cool hip spot for a quick ramen or rice bowls with meat. Service is fast. They have an arcade that sell anime stuff across the shop. read more

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By far, my favorite... and I'm a pretty good Ramen critic. Love the vibe. And I appreciate the backstory of this family-run restaurant!! read more

GONZO! - Gonzo Black - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The service here is amazing! So fast! They have you walk in to order, and the owner ask how many in your party and by the time you complete your order there's a table reserved for you! We have had good ramen, but this ramen was amazing!! Even my daughter whose a picky eater finished her bowl! My favorite thing was being able to enjoy my ramen bowl while watching one piece on there tv! Overall great ambiance for anime lovers Most definitely going to be making this a regular visit Everytime we come to Carlsbad read more

GONZO! - Kids ramen features luffy eating! - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We got takeout, thus I cannot speak to the service or ambiance. I was in search of something easy to eat. The miso ramen was quite tasty and I would not hesitate to order it again. read more

Hands down, THE BEST ramen in Carlsbad! While the line was long (and almost daunting), I knew this place would not disappoint us. The line went reasonably quickly. We had a party of 8 and each of us absolutely loved what we ordered. I requested a side of the spicy chili on the side. It was so flavorful that I ended up using the entire thing! We also ordered Takoyaki. It was so delicious and perfectly cooked through. That has been problematic at other restaurants, so I was quite impressed and so happy. I found the atmosphere fun and interesting, it reminded me a lot of Japan. The owners are lovely people, so friendly and welcoming. Turns out she's from my mother's home town! Super cool and rare. I recommend that you try Gonzo! You won't be disappointed. read more

The best Japanese room in Cali !!! Family owned and operated in the carlsbad village ! Great atmosphere and vibes ! You have to try it ! They have Japanese Sodas and a Japanese arcade ! read more

GONZO! - Spicy chicken carriage bowl - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Food on Point. Both bowls were quality noodles and broth that make you want to drink it after finishing. Went up to order and within 15 minutes got our food. The vibe in there was cool with the fun paper japanese lamps above and magazines/ treats. read more

GONZO! - spicy red bowl - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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The ramen is delicious and the staff is super friendly. Ask the curly hair blond dude with the beard to take you a photo. read more

GONZO! - Ramen Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great place. Good vibes. Will be back. Food is really good. Nice decor. We go there with kids.

Gonzo serves good food , drinks and has a great vibe. The service is the best in town. We recommend GONZO in the Village..