The last 2 times I was here the excellent tofu "chasu" was still on the menu but my soup was served with plain pre-made Inari pouches and the substitution wasn't explained. The servers just shrugged. The soup base was also more oily. Still a good bowl of noodles though. read more

We came on a somewhat busy Thursday night. There were people at some tables but it was not super full by any means. We were meeting friends after work and just wanted to grab a bite to eat when we made the mistake of stopping by Ippudo. We came with 4 people and were waiting for a 5th. We were seated, and when we let the waiter know we had a 5th on their way, he informed us the house rules stated that we must be put to the back of the line in order to accommodate a 5th person. He then went to check the line, and said there was no wait and if our 5th person showed up then we could move to the larger table. We sat and decided to order an appetizer to wait for our friend. In the span of the next 10 minutes we were constantly bombarded with waiters from their server station 2 feet away asking us if we were ready to order. When we explained our situation, we were met with people telling us we were not allowed to change tables, that we would have to get back up and go wait at the front of the restaurant, and at one point one waitress came over with an "are you ready to order?" and when we said no we got an eye roll and a under the breath groan from the waitress. We collectively agreed that this was the most unwelcome any of us had ever felt at a restaurant and decided to head out after paying for our mediocre app of under seasoned fries, which we stopped for despite the experience. Bottom line, 10/10 do not recommend. read more

the ramen was surprisingly good. particularly the broth. it even smelled good! it was tasty and not too rich even though it was a tonkatsu which is generally on the rich and thick side. you can choose the density of the noodle which was interesting. i did feel like the portion was on the small side though especially for the price. unfortunately you have to pay for the fancy decor and downtown SF location. i went on a weekday at noon and didnt have to wait so thats nice. read more

A bowl of decent flavorful ramen for over $20 is what you get in San Francisco. Sigh!

Yum!! I was a single business traveler the evening I came to Ippudo. I love that they have a communal table for those eating alone. Service is top notch, very attentive from all of the servers! I tried their pork buns, very tasty and the Shiromaru ramen. It was very flavorful, but I wanted to spice it up a bit (too afraid to order the spicy version but will try next time). read more

Great service and very welcoming. Buns and Ramen. Do it. Ramen broth just needed a little bit more flavor. Frequent the NYC branch and SF equally as good. read more

First of all, the ambiance reminds me of In Situ, Michelin star restaurant in SF Moma, so artsy and cool. This place has locations in Berkeley and New York too. The staff were so attentive, we had five different servers come up to us to ask us if we knew what to order or if we had any questions about their menu - that's never happened to me anywhere in a restaurant before! I asked the waitress about it and she said they don't have stations but rather all help each other out with different tables. My friends and I shared the chicken karaage for appetizers, it was all right, but I ordered the wasabi ramen with egg and boy oh boy was that delicious!! I finished all of it. The noodles were delicious and I could drink the broth all day. I also ordered the highball (with matcha) but did not enjoy it, I should've realized that whiskey isn't really my thing even when mixed with soda water and my all-time favorite matcha. Anyways, I didn't get to try their other food, but this place is worth checking out for sure if you're into ramen! read more

Yuki & Inae were so hospitable and so helpful! I've had the ramen from Ippudo in New York and in San Francisco it was just as yummy! Thank you guys so much for dinner, we really enjoyed our time! read more

Amazing. We had one of everything - karage, buns, shishito peppers, and ramen. Plus, the rosé sake was a revelation. Definitely coming back.

I came here on a Sunday night with a group of 7. I give it a 3 because of the service. I would not recommend this place for a group larger than 4. Food - 5 If you have had Ippudo elsewhere, you can expect the same great flavors. There's a reason they are a worldwide chain. I ordered the pork buns and the Akamaru Tamago ramen with bamboo shoots. The pork buns are always delicious. I would come back just for the ramen broth. The only bad thing is that my egg still had some shell pieces on it. It was just surprising since I would think they would have that part down. Service - 2 I can't speak to the wait time since I came later but they would only seat entire parties. Taking of orders was quick and easy. They announced last call for appetizers around 9pm. The rest of the service was not very good. They didn't seem to know who ordered what. Appetizers came out and they announced what it was at one end of the table hoping we had memorized everyone's orders. For the ramen bowls, they seemed to know the vicinity of where on the table it should go. They would stand either at one end of the table or in the middle of the table and call it out. I sat at one end of the table and the server came out with a dish and said "It's one of yours" when we weren't sure whose it was. My add-on of bamboo shoots was delivered on a plate at the other side of the table (not inside the ramen bowl), so the other side of the table thought it was complimentary. I would never come here again with a group larger than 4 because my dish would just get lost. I never saw the servers again except to take empty bowls and dishes. I only got to ask for more water at the end of my meal when she was quickly taking my bowl. read more

Amazing Ramen spot! I had the classic Ramen dish which was very flavorful and generous portion. The Veggie Bun was OUTSTANDING! Highly recommend (there is a reason the line is always out the door) read more

Came here on a weeknight because I didn't feel like waiting for Mensho and there was no line. I ordered the Karaka Spicy ramen with hard boiled egg and honestly the dish was a 2/5 and the service felt very uncoordinated. The noodles were flavorless and the broth was very bland, almost like drinking salted hot water. As for the egg, the white was so rubbery it felt like chewing on leather. Save your time and money. If you want good ramen, go wait in line at Mensho Tokyo a few blocks away. read more

I've tried their classic shiromaru ramen and I usually order the noodles firm. Very chewy and the soup base is so yummy! Also, a must try is the pork buns. read more

Wonderful ramen. Didn't know It could be so good. Nuanced. Flavorful. Very satisfying

Just set my timer for 40 min as the hostess told me it would be a 40 min wait. Went to a store down the street came back 34 min they said they called our name so she removed us off our list and told us it would be another 25 min wait. She never mentioned this policy when I placed my name on the list. Lack of courtesy to let people know about there policy is not worth eating here. read more

Amazing food and huge pieces of karaage (best I've ever had). The staff are super friendly and the restaurant is beautifully spacious. Always love how Ippudo has the $2 option to top up your noodles. read more

I Went there three times in a week I stayed in San Francisco. There was a long waiting line but it worth waiting. There are many menus. Good services. Kid freindly environment. read more

Ippudo is amazing! I don't know why there are a lot of haters who don't believe the hype. It's really good! The style is different from what most people are used to, but that's a good thing. It's great to have options with distinct flavors and specialties. I first tried Ippudo in NYC and loved it. I was thrilled to learn it was coming to SF and went right away. You can still beat the line if you go early on a weekday especially. It's not impossible to get in. The service was great. Everyone greets you upon entry. The everything is on point from start to finish. The taste of the broth is phenomenal and you can choose the firmness of the noodles and how spicy you want it. Everything is customizable and really well done. So if you are skeptical and haven't tried it at least try it. Don't expect it to be something it's not. Just go in with an open mind and open heart. This is good food. They know what they're doing. I have no clue what people are talking about when they don't like it. No one's ever given me a good reason. With the options in SF, Ippudo is a blessing to have around here. I got nothing but love for it. read more

Weird artificial line. Empty tables inside, but waiting 25 minutes to get in and saw a long line when we left. Its like they are tricking people into thinking there is demand by forcing a line. Food was good as always. One of my fav places in NYC so Im glad we have it in SF now. Pork belly buns are the best. read more

I was there once when it first opened. I took my family there last night. The ramen was good as before. But my wife thought it's not as good as Ichiran ramen we had in Tokyo recently. The waiting time was long. One think I will complain is the fonts in their menu are way too small. I can't hardly read the descriptions under each menu item. read more

Great addition to the food scene in Yerba Buena Alley. Lucked out on my visit and was seated right away at one of the spacious communal tables. Had the pork buns (very yummy!) and the Bonita ramen bowl. Just the perfect firmness and amount of noodles and very tasty broth. Did leave a little room to share an ice cream with my dining pal. The service was great. Will be back to try all the other variety of bowls. read more

Great food and fantastic service every time I come here. There is usually a wait, but the food comes out fast and they move tables fairly quickly. Definitely worth waiting for. Big fan of both the chicken and pork buns as starters. read more

Top-notch flavors for the broth, and the ramen noodles are house made. However the amount of noodles is a bit skimpy. You can pay $2 more to order more noodles, but the price is already a bit high. That said, I did enjoy the Akamaru Ramen, which includes a dab of flavorful miso paste. Also, if you are a small eater and don't finish your meal, they do not provide any containers to take home leftovers. read more

delicious noodles and broth. they have high chairs :) but no to-go boxes so eat everything!

Given the hype bestowed upon this place when it opened, my hopes were up and the experience sadly did not come close. The ramen was just OK (better options nearby, especially The Ramen Bar) and service was legitimately bad. On a Monday night a 35 minute wait became well over an hour as staff gave away our table to someone else, even though the waiting area is tiny. Service at the bar was extremely slow and not worth the watery cocktail. And again, ramen was just fine - but many of the things I'd expect in ramen (like an egg) are extra. Nowhere near the hype. read more

Love this place !!! Beat ramen in the area!! The decoration is so pretty inside the store.

I just went here today and it was absolutely spectacular. I started out with an appetizer of french fries with their truffle salt and fried chicken. The french fries were amazing, they were just the right bit of crispiness and the truffle salt added this great flavor to it. The fried chicken was great too, incredibly crispy and some great flavors on the meat. I also ordered their Shiromaru Classic, which was delicious. The meat was tender and tasty and the ramen was absolutely the best. The broth was great too, it felt like a second meal eating the broth after finishing the ramen and meat. The service was alright, but everytime someone entered the restaurant the staff would chant something I could not understand and it was incredibly distracting and felt a little excessive. They also did not allow takeout of leftover food due to "stringent food quality control" which was incredibly disappointing. Like I had this great meal and I could not finish the broth and would have loved to take it home, but they didn't allow it. I decided to give it four stars because of the odd service and their takeout policy, other than that, everything was above average and satsified my needs. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - No takeout of left over foods - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ramen tastes ok but not worth wait more than 15 min (luckily there's no line at all). However, the service is horrible and the waiters and waitresses are not professional at all. We ha e a group of 3 people, and came in sat by a 4 people table. While we were eating our noodles, I saw one of my friend showed up by himself, so I just waved to him and asked him to sit with us. However, the waitress came twice and told us "it is usually not allowed if a party not having all people arrived..." I explained to her that we saw him coincidently here and asked him to join us although we already started eating. What is the problem? I actually don't think the waitress understood me and she said another time "it is not allowed". Here have a question, what would most people do if they see a friend(by himself) in a restaurant and having an extra seat? Isnt it natural inviting him over sit together? After the friend sit down, no water, no menu, no chopsticks for 10 min so we had to wave multiple times to ask if he could order food. Anyways, I had pretty bad experience here-- I think Ippudo rates itself more than it should-- they think there's always lines and people waiting just for noodles.nope, I am not coming here anymore and so are my friends. I don't recommend, and I don't think they deserves more than 2 stars. read more

All I have to say is Thank goodness for Ippudo SF! Since moving to SF, I've had Mensho and another shop in Japantown and they have been painfully disappointing. Ippudo wasn't even the best I had in Japan but I'm sure glad they're on the west coast now! read more

I really wanted to like Ippudo but honestly I wouldn't go back and I would tell to anyone, its not worth it. First, the wait is VERY long. We went around 8PM on a Wednesday night and they told us the wait would be 30 minutes for two people. We were then not seated for an hour and 15 minutes. This was frustrating but not the end of the world. After we were seated, our waitress was knowledgable and friendly, the service is good. However, the food is mediocre at best and it's very expensive. We ordered, one pork bun, chicken wings, 2 veggie ramens and 2 beers and it was close to $90. It was simply just not worth it. My final thoughts, VERY long wait and VERY expensive and just truly not worth it. I'd suggest many other restaurants in SF to spend your money and time. read more

Got food poisoning from this place. How does a $20 bowl of ramen give you food poisoning. Never coming back here

I love Ippudo in general. Had ippudo ramen often in Japan and was so excited and looking forward to opening of this one in SF. We got in without the wait so that was great but food was disappointing. . Ramen soup did not have enough flavor that I remember, the temperature of soup was also not hot enough, they did not have any garnishes on the table, and when I pointed to order on the menu on the wall the waitress just said "that's just a decor and we are not serving these"?! what is the point of having menu on the wall if they are not serving? Hope they will improve and that I can taste real flavor of Ippudo soon. read more

ughhh.. not recommend. interesting indoors decor but the ramen was not good.felt like I ate a ton of salt in the ramens. pork buns were ok.

If you are going to ramen, go here. You're gonna wait. Maybe for a long time. But bowls of ramen are amazing and you can pay a little more for extra noodles and fixings if you have leftover broth. read more

The service was terrible, don't waste your time here. The host was rude... the food is mediocre and our waiter never came to the table.

I've been to Ippudo in NY, HK, and Berkeley and I'm glad they opened one up in SF. The wait wasn't too long (~20mins) and the restaurant has a nice ambiance. I got the spicy karaka ramen which was good (but not that spicy), the flavor of the broth was excellent but I felt the portions were on the small side. Will be back for sure. read more

The Ramen was good. But we did not enjoy our experience there at all. After we ordered, we waited for 45 minutes for the ramen. The restaurant was VERY poorly managed. The waitresses were all very inexperienced. The cook was slow. When we were leaving, 60% of the tables were empty. We were surprised to see a line outside. read more

My boyfriend and I were very specific in our order in stressing that he has very serious allergy to beans so we needed our ramen without the bean sprouts. Our server said that was fine and it would be noted. As our food came to the table, the food runner also ensured us that there were no bean sprouts. Then, about halfway through eating, we noticed bean sprouts in his ramen. We alerted waitstaff who apologized, took solely his ramen off of the check and told us that "actually, the bean sprouts are boiled in the same water as the ramen so for future reference, we shouldn't order ramen." I explained that it would have been GREAT to have that information upon telling our server about the allergy. Overall, the situation was unfortunate enough - but the way they handled it was so extremely disappointing. I have never written a bad yelp review and am usually very capable of understanding mistakes but this was crazy. read more

What a great place. We were visiting Some friends in SF and they raved about this place. Our excellent server Philippe got us dialed up with the menu and some fairly priced sake. We slurped every speck of our ramen and wishing that we had ordered more pork buns. But don't be surprised to wait for a seat and you may have to sit at a community table. No question we will be back and that we would recommend Ippudo to anyone, even if they are ramen rookies. Thanks Philippi. read more

I got the spicy karage. It was not spicy, Small portion size, flavorful broth, noodles were too thin for my liking and nothing about my experience wowed me. So just ok but probably won't return. Maybe the other options were better... read more