My go-to place to eat with friends after climbing. Delicious Udon. Love the Nikutama Udon with Shrimp Tempura read more

Marugame Udon - Nikutama Udon with Shrimp Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

One of my favorite fast casual spots!!! All the food is so fresh and the shrimp tempura and potato croquette are my favs!! I just get the regular original Kake for $7 also! I love that you can come here solo or even with a big group of 10!! Service is very quick and you can even ask them to fresh fry a tempura for you now! read more

Marugame Udon - #1 and #5 Big chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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It's been awhile since we ate at this location and Marugame Udon itself. We were in the area and decided to eat lunch here. FOOD: I was excited to find out they now offer rice bowls because they didn't had one before. I tried their "Cheese Katsu Tomatama Rice Bowl" - it was good but not the best, I'm not sure what kind of sauce it came in but it was mixed in the rice, the portion was big for me so I ended up taking home half of it. We also tried #2 "Bolognese" regular size which is from their new item - it was okay, I can't explain the flavors in it if its too sweet or salty or oily but it's definitely not my type of food. I wish I opted for #1 Nikutama Bowl. We also got the #10 "Kake" regular which is a classic udon. It still taste the same as when we used to eat here many years ago. We also got 6pcs of shrimp tempura on the side and 1 sweet potato croquette. SERVICE: It was fast since it's like a cafeteria style - once you enter you tell the server the food you like and then they make it right in front of you and place it in a tray then give it to you, and pay at the end. I just didn't like the girl that served us, she was like shouting when she asked us on what size of the food we order, I wanted to like say to her "I can hear you and no need to raise your voice" she looked like she is pissed or something because we couldn't decide what to eat and she's probably being impatient - she needs retraining on customer service. AMBIENCE: It's still exactly the same as when we last ate here back on 2018 or 2019. Lots of tables aand seats and great for big group, they still have a few outside table as well. PARKING: As usual the parking is hard - street parking is the only option and you must be patient to look for a spot or willing to walk far or like for us, we went to this public parking and paid $10. read more

Marugame Udon - Outside 5/31/26 - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've eaten at Marugame on Sawtelle many times, and if you're craving udon, this is the place. For me, Marugame has the best udon -- consistently flavorful, perfectly chewy, and always satisfying. I've tried other udon spots, but nothing compares to theirs. It's simply the most delicious. If you want a reliable, comforting bowl of udon, Marugame never disappoints. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Food: - Freshly made udon at a good price! - Kake udon: Light broth with udon noodles - Nikutama: broth is more of a dipping sauce, with stronger saltier flavors, beef is tender but a little fatty; poached egg is delicious, udon noodles have QQ texture and bounce Ambiance: - plenty of seating inside and outside the restaurant - cafeteria style: order udon at the counter and walk through the line to pick up any tempura then finish at the cashier read more

Marugame Udon - Kake - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Originally I was not a big fan of Udon. It grew on me after I had it for a couple times. Ordered classic dashi udon with beef and piece of egg. Udon was fresh and meat was tender. I went there on off peak hour so not a lot of people there. Plenty of tables and clean inside. read more

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I've been to this location 15-20 times over the past 7 years, and it has always been a consistent spot for a quick meal. However, during my most recent visit in April 2026 the regular portion size has become so much smaller, for the same price. Basically the size of my hand and I have small hands (see photo)! I remember the bowls being bigger, and I'd never think about ordering a large size because the regular was plenty for me, but now the udon portion is barely enough to make me feel full. A bit disappointing and honestly makes me less enticed to go back. read more

Marugame Udon - Regular beef udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Delicious food. Quick service. Friendly staff. Reasonable price. Good ambiance. Worth revisiting. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Been to a few marugame udon restaurants in other cities but this one was the cutest. I got a tomato egg and beef rice dish but it was a little spicy and tasted like curry, not what I expected. Their tonkatsu udon was really yummy though and of course all the tempura sides were great! read more

Amazing! But not all amazing... The udon was amazing! Tastes of a value which costs twice of what I paid so score there! But the other accompaniment food was almost horrendous. The chicken was cold, tough, and unpleasant overall. Don't recommend it. The gyoza was cold and also taste like it's been sitting. I think as whole the food experience is a mixed bag but just come here for the udon and Maybe the other stuff if you know it is fresh. Otherwise the other stuff is likely sitting out for longer than it should be. Definitely coming back but only for udon! read more

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Although I am DEVASTATED that the fish cake tempura is no longer available, Marugame Udon remains a solid choice for a comfort meal. I used to come here a lot during my college days, and the line would be out the door. However, on this Monday night, I was able to waltz right in. Ambiance is casual and quick. In addition to udon, they also have other options such as tendon and curry, but I've only ever gotten the nikutama udon. A regular size is enough for me because I always go overboard with the tempura. After you order your bowl of udon (or whatever you got), the tempura are laid out for you to grab. Be careful, although each piece is only around $2, they stack up quick if you have hungry eyes (like me). My favorite piece used to be the fish cake tempura, but it's no longer there. I live down in OC, so I would usually go to the South Coast Plaza location, which also didn't have it. I thought that the Sawtelle location might still have it, but the girl at the front said they discontinued it over the summer (so sad!) please please please bring it back. But aside from that, the imitation crab tempura was very good and similar. The taste is the same as the fish cake, but the texture is different. Stringier instead of condensed and solid. My bowl with 4 pieces of tempura cost around $25. It'll be cheaper, obviously, if you don't take as much tempura. But in my opinion, the tempura is the best part. There's so many fun ways to eat it. On its own, it's slightly crisp. Dipping it in tempura sauce makes it a little sweet. And letting it soak in your udon broth gives you a satisfying, soggy, soup filled bite. The udon itself is decent. If you've never been, it's worth a visit, and even if you have, Marugame is a solid choice. read more

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love marugame! the vegan tantan is always solid, but i do wish they would introduce more vegetarian options!! perfect if you're looking for a quick bite to eat that's still delicious read more

Marugame Udon - tantan - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Favorite affordable delicious luxurious meal for college kids & working professional!! Real definition of good meal & happy tummy read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Casual cafeteria-style chain serving udon and tempura, perfect for larger groups with different tastes. 4/5 Beef tomatama curry udon (seasonal) - Not spicy at all! The thin beef slices, stewed tomato, and egg ribbons pair wonderfully with the fresh udon. Reminded me of Chinese tomato egg stir-fry. I usually skip the tempura as the regular bowls are a substantial meal, but I am a sucker for the shrimp and veggie tempura. Students can also receive 15% off with their ID. read more

Marugame Udon - Beef tomatama curry udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Basically, the order process is that you tell them what number you want and then you grab tempura and other add-ons. 24, Beef, tomato, egg: 9/10 5, Creamy tonkatsu chashu: 7/10 (chashu tasted weird) in terms of quality 1. mitsuwa 2. marugame 3. yoshinoya in terms of seating/atmosphere: It was very clean and they had seating both indoors/outdoors. It felt very ambient and I liked the water/sauces station they provided. read more

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Marugame is always solid, but I feel like the menu has changed a lot over time, and I miss the old tonkotsu udon. Nowadays, I think the $10 deal with kake or bk and tempura is more worth it than the other options. The line is also always long in Sawtelle, but it goes fast and there's always seating inside. For a parking hack, park at the Marshalls and get validated there for 24 hrs and walk over! read more

Marugame Udon - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Marugame Udon offers a good variety of broths, sauces, and toppings, making it easy to customize. Fried chicken and udon was good. Lines can get long. read more

Marugame Udon - Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place fascinates me. Consistent, casual yet delectable, reliable, and packed with value. I never thought I'd find myself here twice in one week with the whole family. I'm not the hugest udon fan, and I usually opt for rice dishes, especially the curry dishes, but when I do have an itch, this is one of the few places I'll go. Everything is made fresh to order, and I always marvel at how they can maintain high quality, yet keep the line moving. No matter how long the line gets (we come on Saturday afternoons), I've never had to wait more than 5-6 minutes to give my order. If you're a student (we have 2 in my family), bring your I.D., as they give a very meaningful discount. read more

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The prices are amazing, the options are amazing, I love this place!!! I tried their seasonal Spicy Tomatama curry udon. 10/10 exactly what I'm craving. I LOVE Japanese curry with a little spice, thick noodles, (I added cheese for a thicker broth) UGHHHHHH!!!! I'm still thinking about. Workers could've been a bit nicer, but I'm sure they get a variety of customers throughout the day read more

Marugame Udon - Spicy tomatama curry udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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First time at this establishment service was friendly. The soup base was a bit too salty and fishy for my taste. Had the Kake udon, noodles are good with a tempura shrimp which was a bit too oily in taste. I did enjoy the zucchini the best. Also had the chicken tempura it was ok (thigh meat). Hubby had the creamy broth udon with pork the broth was nice since it was chicken based with a slight fishy undertone but not overpowering. With also had a potato croquette had good flavor. Overall experience was alright but don't know if we would be back again anytime soon. No drinks just water with tip paid shy of 40 dollars. Restaurant and area was busy around 7pm on a Friday night. Parking can be a bit hard to find we did see there was a Parking garage close by. read more

Marugame Udon - Kake udon side of shrimp zucchini chicken tempura and potato croquette. Bottom Creamy broth Udon pork. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Visiting west LA and haven't had marugame since visiting Hawaii. This location is good. There are a lot of tables and a lot of servers. There are even tables outside. Wonderful place to get some udon. They have rice bowls but I think they give too much rice and not enough meat. read more

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We were craving for some udon so we went here. This is probably my 3rd time, we went 2 weeks ago on a Saturday at around 3sh so there was no line. My son ordered the basic one - kake and I prefer the nikutama . The udon noodles are freshly made so it's very good. Fyi it's self service read more

Marugame Udon - Nikutama udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

You can never go wrong with Marugame Udon. It is self serve and food is prepared in front of you. If you want extra sides, you can grab them from the prepared stations. Food is cheap and taste alright. Though there isn't any extraordinary. I wish there is cream udon here or even mentaiko. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I had a meal here back in 2019 with some Yelp friends. It was my first introduction to Marugame Udon. I thought it was okay. Then one opened up in my city (Mar. 2024) and I found myself enjoying it so much that I started frequenting it. This Marugame Udon is located in Sawtelle Japantown. Parking is metered on the streets. It can be difficult to procure a parking spot. I came at the right time and 3 spots were open right in front of the restaurant! SCORE! When you walk in, the staff greets you. You order your Udon, take it and help yourself to the tempura you want, and then pay for your meal. There's another self-service area where you grab your tempura dipping sauce, water, utensils & napkins. This restaurant is a quick service where you are in charge of getting your necessities. The staff will sometimes check on you and help you out. My D-I-L told me about the Sawtelle location's anniversary which included an Udon Making Class. I got the email, but hadn't checked it. I quickly went to sign up. I was surprised that most of the spots had been reserved already! I got to attend the first one! Have you ever made Udon Noodles? Here, they use flour imported from Japan, water, and salt to make them. We got to use a fancy knife (similar to a cleaver with a unique handle) to cut the noodles. We ate the very noodles we had just made after watching them being cooked! They gave us Creamy Broth & BK Sauce to dip or soak them in. We were also given some tempura & a drink. We got to wear and keep an apron & bandana, too! This was such a fun experience! And now that I've made Udon Noodles, I have a greater appreciation and will enjoy them even more! I really liked Udon with the Creamy Broth! The staff here are so friendly and welcoming! Probably a little more energetic than usual due to this being their Anniversary and having Udon Making Classes. It was so much fun! I almost want a bowl of Udon now! read more

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3.5 stars for a good decent affordable meal. Tempura is tasty but all the marugame udons in LA lack the bounciness, chewiness, and freshness of the noodles that you can find at the marugame in Honolulu. I wonder why that is, surely it's the same recipe right? But yeah the Honolulu's udon noodles is far superior to the branches in LA. But if you're in the area looking for a quick satisfying meal- it'll do. read more

Marugame is celebrating their 8th anniversary! I've been a regular here for years, but I just realized I've never written a review, silly me! Food: My number one order here will always be the Curry Nikutama Udon. The combination of the sweet and savory curry broth, the tender beef with onions, the silky, perfectly cooked egg, the fresh thick and chewy noodles, plus the tempura and green onion topping all come together to create a beautiful dish bursting with flavor. If I ever want a break from udon, my second go-to is the Premium Rice Bowl. The rice is coated in dashi sauce and topped with shrimp and vegetable tempura along with crispy chicken. The new Creamy Broth Udon is also pretty good. It's made with a rich, creamy chicken broth and topped with juicy pork chashu, the same perfect udon, and eggs. Service: Unique cafeteria-style self-serve. You get to watch the cooking in action, place your order, and pass by a variety of tempura and other items before paying for your food. Ambiance: Clean and entertaining, especially since you can see right into the kitchen. Bonus points for the outdoor seating, which means I can bring my dog along! read more

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First of all, shoutout to Jacob, who provided top-tier service. Also, tl;dr: get the nikutama. Now for the actual review. I've been a regular of the location in The Shops At Santa Anita for a while and this is just as good, if not better. It seems to me that the layout is a bit better, and there's even two entrances. The prices are really good, service is fast and efficient, the options are many (please get the Big Chicken Katsu as a side), and the noodles have the right amount of chewiness. They also currently have good promos, but I was really hungry, so I just went for a regular Nikutama (Beef 肉 + Egg 玉) udon bowl. 10/10 read more

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Convenient and fast cafeteria-style Japanese udon spot! This food chain is worth checking out if you've never been. Their broths and udon noodles are made well and they have a good amount of fried add-ons that you can choose yourself. Seating is first come, first served so if it's busy it can be a hard to find a table. Service is standard for a place like this. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Cute little Japanese udon restaurant in the middle of Sawtelle. No store specific parking but there's plenty of street parking around! We got the Bolognese udon + Nakutama bento. Food is a little greasy though.. You order at the window and the rest is self serve! Server and cashier was nice read more

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The food here was amazing and very flavorful. The Nikutama and gyozas were my favorite. I look forward to going back soon to try more things off their menu. All this food plus drinks was about $50. The service was great and our server was very helpful. She helped us choose our udon and gave us broth samples to try. After you order the udon, you can select additional items that are ready off to the side. There is lots of seating available. The only con I experienced was that the tables and booths looked like they could use a good wipe and sanitation. read more

Marugame Udon - forgot the name of the top one but the bottom is nikutama - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Convenient and fast cafeteria-style Japanese udon spot! This food chain is worth checking out if you've never been. Their broths and udon noodles are made well and they have a good amount of fried add-ons that you can choose yourself. Seating is first come, first served so if it's busy it can be a hard to find a table. Service is standard for a place like this. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came over for lunch on a Saturday. Place was busy but line moved fast. The place was clean and prices were fair. Parking a bit of a challenge but expected in the Sawtelle area. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Marugame Udon is my go to ramen fix in Sawtelle whenever I am in a rush. Service here is quite fast even though lines could reach through the street. The pricing is fair and the quality of their udon is superb! Also they have a wide selection for tempuras very crispy and great pair with the udon. read more

Marugame Udon - Tonkotsu udon with tempura and potato croquette - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I have been to many Marugame locations, and I appreciate that service is always quick and there is plenty of seating. I would not say they serve the highest quality udon, but the staff here are friendly and helpful with questions. I tried the creamy broth udon, and it was overly salty with overcooked noodles. The tempura is always fresh and tasty. I still stop by when I want something quick and simple. read more

Marugame Udon - creamy broth - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Marugame has a variety of soups to choose from. I like how they also have rice bowls & tempura if you're not feeling soup. I got one of the popular ones, Nikatama which is served with beef and soft boiled egg. As I was continuing down the line in the tempura section they didn't have what I wanted (I think they were probably still frying more. Ngl kinda disappointed). So I opted for their other options... still good. They have drinks for you to grab before you pay. They have a little station in the middle for you to grab water, tempura sauce, and even to go containers for your leftovers, which I think is convenient so you don't have to bother the staff for whatever it is you need. The udon soup is delicious. The noodles have a great texture (IMO) and the broth has great umami flavor. I got zucchini tempura which wasn't as crunchy as I'd like but the cook on the zucchini was perfect as it was well cooked. The shrimp was delicious and very light. After I ordered, it got busy. Luckily we sat in the corner, but I noticed the middle seats are so close to each other so you are fairly close to the person you're sitting next to. And it can get loud in here when busy. read more

Marugame Udon - Nikutama udon soup with zucchini, shrimp, and pumpkin tempura & gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I can't believe it's taken me this long to try Marugame Udon, it is such a nice, warm, flavorful meal. I really like the broth, and the udon texture itself is perfection. The beef is also super tender and well marinated, and I love the soft egg that adds a bit of creaminess to the meal. Absolutely be back to eat in person one day! read more

Marugame Udon - Beef Nikutame - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I'm in love with this place. The noodles are the perfect consistency. Freshly made with a great texture. The teriyaki chicken and beef are really good. There is a tempura bar with so many different choices - shrimp, pumpkin, tamago, squid, etc. - and you can get unlimited tempura sauce. Staff is really friendly and there is a lot of seating. You order and get your food then you sit. read more

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This has been a frequent go to spot for us, as it's just a really good comfort food. The curry nikutama is my go to and I usually get a side of the fireball to go with it. When you get your udon (or rice) you also go through and pick out the sides you want (for an extra cost) and I usually go for the tamagoyaki and if I'm extra hungry I'll add a potato croquette as well. We also usually share a side of gyoza- also delicious! Sometimes the sides may be a little cold, as depending on what time you go they may have been sitting there for a little bit but it's never really an issue, and usually still really great! The service is good- they are attentive when you order and never really make a mistake when ringing you up. Can get busy at night but the way their line works, they make it so a seat is always available and you don't need to hold a seat for your party (and they really encourage you not to save a seat as well, which I appreciate). The inside is always clean, I always see the people there cleaning the tables basically once they are finished. It's a chain type of spot for sure but has become a frequent spot for us when we are craving something quick and filling! read more

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Never disappoints. There are a lot of restaurants on Sawtelle but we always find ourselves heading to Marugame. We like this location due to its welcoming feel, fast service and abundance of seating. We got here around 6:30 on a weeknight and it wasn't crowded. You walk up choose your order and it's served up right in front of you. You are handed a tray with your udon or dish of choice then you can choose additional sides like tamagoyaki yaki (fluffy sweet egg roll), potato croquettes, gyoza, tempura, chicken Katsu. Everything is freshly made and very tasty. The restaurant is kept clean and the service is very fast. Once you are done, you dispose of your trash and there is a place to deposit your tray and bowl. It's efficient comfort food at its best! read more

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Comfortable eats with lots of flavor and great selection. The Nikutama is always a classic and a great pick me up. Has been and remains a staple whenever I am in the area read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California