Typically I love this place, have been going here for a couple years and pretty much exclusively order their curry udon and their spicy edamame. Sometimes trialing other appetizers. I've never had issues before. Haven't been eating out much so I hadn't been in about 8 months, ordered it Tuesday and have been incredibly sick since abt thirty minutes after eating it. It's now Thursday and I am still home from work barely able to hold down pedialyte, toast and apple sauce. I was not going to leave a review thinking it might've just been my stomach being sensitive but that's not very typical for me and I'm seeing quite a few reviews that other people have gotten food poisoning here.. still gave them two stars because all of my other experiences here have been great but something has definitely changed recently.. please raku fix whatever is going on! read more

Three and a half stars! Really cool place with a very Japanese vibe inside! The small tables, the bar and the order kiosk all reminded me of my time in Japan. The menu of pretty straight forward and easy to order. The staff was also friendly and helpful. The orders come of very fast, within minutes, and over all good ramen. I had the spicy tonkotsu ramen and it really was good. That said, the broth lacked much depth of flavor which makes me think they make it quickly without letting the broth really develop. That said, good portion, the meat and eggs were great and the noodles weren't bad. Def felt like instant noodles but not bad. All combined I would likely come back though the pricing is a bit high. Side note- the asahi draft beer was freaking fresh and delicious! read more

Raku Ramen - Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

We love going here whenever we are in town. It's a small local place with great food and a cozy atmosphere. The service is always fantastic. We like the kara age, gyoza, and the breakfast plate with eggs and spam is to die for. read more

See all

Service was fast and friendly, atmosphere was lovely if not a little chilly inside. The broth in the black garlic oil ramen was very rich and flavorful, definitely a highlight. However the pork was tough and dry. The noodles were also lacking in flavor however the wavy noodles in the shoyu were fantastic read more

Raku Ramen - Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

The food here is pretty good. The ramen broth in the "Raku Ramen" is great, both the chicken katsu and the tonkatsu are great, but the noodles themselves aren't impressive. They're too soft and lack any real flavor. We come here just for the katsu because it's really good. Service has also been nice every time we've come here. read more

Raku Ramen - "Raku Ramen" with an extra egg - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Had the spicy pork Ramen DoorDashed to the Hotel SLO. Definitely make sure to order extra broth if you do take out. The ramen was very good and came quickly when ordered. I wish it had been a little more spicy but definitely worth trying. read more

This ramen place can be ordered at the counter (cash only) or the kiosk (credit card). The kiosk is cool but there are so many side options after picking what you want to eat it could take a long time to place the order. Lots of seating for dine in or takeout. Then the food comes to the table, very quick I thought. After eating you take the dishes to the drop off spot like some Japanese restaurants, this is common at some ramen shops in Japan. The ramen is good. Ordered the spicy tonkotsu. Very good and made well. The chashu was tender. The noodles are thin and were okay but I prefer thicker noodles. read more

See all

Order at the kiosk desk through their app--pretty easy and quick to use. Self seat yourself after. We ordered the small bowl of shoyu ramen with bamboo shoots, small bowl of tonkotsu ramen with mushrooms, and the bento box with salmon and yellowtail collar. The service was fast and the ramen came pretty quickly. I liked the Q to the noodle chew, and the broth was pretty flavorful. It's just quite pricey for the amount and ingredients given. There's one piece of chasu pork belly and half egg. The bento box requires two minimum protein and the fish options were $9 each. Overall good quality and flavor, but just pretty pricey. I will definitely come back for a good ramen fix when I'm craving it! read more

See all

The food is freakin tasty! So we're staying out in San Simeon this Memorial weekend and we literally drove 30 minutes each way to get our ramen fix. We got to the restaurant around 8:40 and the guy tending the register informed us all orders were to go at that point. I didn't really like that as it sorta ruined my yelp photo, but whatever we ordered at the kiosk to pay by card and waited less than 10 minutes for our order. My husband ordered the Raku Ramen and I ordered the Miso Ramen. I liked that the pork cutlet was packed separately from the soup. Also the containers kept our toppings separate from the broth which was appreciated and a definite plus. A negative was that they did not provide any utensils or sauces. We had to ask for them or grab them ourselves. I didn't like that. But overall, the experience was okay. The ramen was worth it. Very flavorful and large portions. Would definitely come again. read more

See all

Good but not great Ramen. I ordered Raku Ramen. Starts w Tonkotsu broth. They then add chile oil, corn, and bamboo. They top it off w a giant chicken katsu. Overall the combination is good but my noodles were overcooked so too soft. Price is reasonable as it included a large piece of chicken. read more

Raku Ramen - Raku Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I love Raku, we drive an hour to go monthly, but tonight we went and WOW! Seeing the female and male worker yelling at each other, over orders was terrible. They couldn't figure out the orders, we ordered at the kiosk but opted for takeout and our order was made for dine in. We tried correcting them and the female began yelling at the kitchen staff. When we drove off, with our order we had our chicken missing from our Raku Ramen, and mixed tempura was just veggies, all burnt. Again I love Raku but for the price I should be getting better quality food and the food I paid for. read more

Review by customers from all the way from Texas! The food was an absolute 10/10, we had ordered Chashu Bun, a Chicken Katsu Don, a Chicken teriyaki Soba, and lastly a Seafood Tamyum Ramen- (all very tasty) all for a good deal! And overall the ambience and service very nice, sweet people! I can't wait to come back to Cali soon once more! read more

See all

This all around three star Ramen. Ordered the miso Ramen and had decent broth. The chasu was thinly sliced, cold and dry. Portion size was okay. Overall, would not recommend. Self serve kiosk, self bussing dishes and they ask for a tip. Tipping before receiving your food or service is always cringe. read more

FOOD: The ramen is decent but overly priced for what the quality is but then again it is located in SLO so go figure. The additional toppings can get pricey as well ranging in $1-2 on top of the already $18-20 ramen bowl. That's pretty steep. The tonkatsu broth they serve here tends to be too salty for my liking I try to add butter to tone it down and some chili oil usually does the trick but like I said with the additional toppings it gets more expensive. The katsudon from my last visit was great. Not too much breading on the pork but definitely not worth the $18 lol that pricing is insane for a pork cutlet and barely any egg and a huge bowl of rice. I would've been better off at a Hawaiian bbq spot for that price with 3 types of meat lol. The apple sake was good though, highly recommend. Takoyaki was great as always. SERVICE: The kiosks helps a lot with ordering with the pictures and descriptions of the menu. Makes it quicker too. As for the servers bringing out the food, they've always been nice and efficient whenever we asked for something we needed or a question about the menu. No problems there. AMBIANCE: Place is tight with space but makes it work. Plenty of seating but can definitely see this spot getting incredibly packed being it a prime spot for Cal Poly students, Cuesta students and other local residents being it on Foothill. It can get loud depending how busy they are. So far every time I visited it was clean and neat. It's a good once in a while splurge on ramen type of spot. I wouldn't say it's a regular spot to go to since it is really pricey for what it is. I like how customizable you can make it though. I think you can find better ramen that's less salty and cheaper pricing somewhere else. If you're sharing with someone then this wouldn't be a bad option. read more

Raku Ramen - Katsudon $18 pretty steep for what it is but tasted good. - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

My favorite ramen spot in SLO county by far. Food is fantastic Veggie ramen is so freaking tasty and the spicy edamame are beyond bomb! Chicken Karaage, spam breakfast, salmon and tonkotsu always Service is great and fast and the ambiance is the great, especially the one little side booth in the back. I come here at least once a month from the original opening back on Monterey. read more

Raku Ramen - Veggie Ramen and spicy edamame - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

My first time walking into Raku Ramen, I ordered the Mary Black Oil Ramen. The both was custom made for me, and I also double order bamboo shoots, it was very delicious and wonderful. It made my taste buds very happy. The staff are Super nice, and Kind and professional! I will be back to dine at your place again. I am truly appreciative of your hard work. One of the Bests Ramen I have slurped. read more

Cute place with self-serve kiosk but crazyyy pricing. You are in SLO so it just had to make sense somewhere. Seat yourself and the servers come out with your order to your table and you get rid of the trays yourself as well. I got the tonkatsu broth which I was surprised by! Broth was pretty nice and flavorful but the chicken ramen we also ordered had no flavor in the broth at all. Really wish it had some seasoning or something in there and not just the taste of the char from the chicken. Drinks are self serve from spouts as well, and the bathroom was pretty clean at the time I went. Would try this place again but will also explore other ramen places in the area to test prices and broths. read more

This is the best ramen I've had. Get it atleast 3 times a month. Very quick and great to share

It's just alright. The noodles are a bit overcooked and the flavor isn't really all there read more

Raku Ramen - Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Delicious-Fresh-Authentic Stopped in with Linkin to get Ramen to go and boy was I surprised how heavy our bag was to carry. My girlfriend, who is a vegetarian was super excited when i prepared her bowl of Ramen. Fresh vegetables shopping with a vegetable stock, she was in Heaven. I ordered the beef ramen and the flavors were rich with a hint of smokiness. You get a decent amount of noodles since it is best CP expect there to be a wait. Trust when I say they have the best miso. Overall A read more

Raku Ramen - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

We picked up an order of tonkatsu ramen and chicken cutlet curry. The ramen wasn't great - very little broth, and what was there wasn't flavorful. The curry was just ok, but there wasn't even enough curry to cover the chicken - let alone the large mound of completely flavorless white rice next to it. The large chunks of potato in the curry were overcooked and, again, there wasn't enough curry sauce to flavor them. I'd go just about anywhere else. This was a bunch of money for bad food. read more

Best ramen I've had yet. The spicy tonkotsu makes my mouth water. The service is nothing special, but you really can't expect much these days. It has the classic smell of ramen and table cleaning fluid inside. I love this place and will continue to come back for years to come. read more

We loved the amount of food given, especially the meat portion compared to ramen. It was an amazing place to eat while it was raining. The ramen filled both of us up. However, we're used to cheaper prices. The service was amazing, the person at the counter offered helped and even told the cooks to hold on certain ingredients in the ramen. (My partner is a bit picky!) Over all, it was a great experience. read more

Raku Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

Good if you're in the area for craving Japanese ramen and pretty solid. The broth was clean and noodles were cooked perfectly. Pretty simple. Not many toppings besides chashu pork, egg and fishcake - other toppings are extra. Service was good, but order is self-order with the touch kiosk. read more

Raku Ramen - Shoyu ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

The good: * Great vibe, environment, and service. Random weekday evening had plenty of people, a long (but fast-moving) line * Efficient ordering system with kiosks! * Karaage, albeit it's an accomplishment to mess up fried chicken thighs :) The not so good: * Ramen on (IMO) all levels. Spicy tonkotsu was bland across the board. Overcooked egg, overcooked noodles, shockingly flavorless fried garlic. Green onions were fine. * $$ - expensive even for a former metro dweller like me. I will say though...Raku seems like it has the most potential with respect to ingredients + existing hardware. I think with some recipe tweaks this place could be pretty decent to potentially really good. For the time being, I've given up on Raku and SLO ramen in general unfortunately... read more

Food is yummy and the service is just incredible! We had a group stay in a little past closing time for a birthday the other day and they did not mind at all, and in fact, turned on a birthday song for us! read more

Was super excited to try this ramen, but it was just mid and super pricey. Seriously just shy of $50 for two ramens and one coke and I had to order it myself off of the kiosk as there wasnt even a way to order from a person. There are way better ramen options read more

Mixed feelings: the place has big portions, kiosk service, great fried tonkatsu, good noodles, but mild flavor broth. You order at a kiosk if you're paying with card, price seems a little high for kiosk order ramen, but then it comes out and you're like damn these portions are huge and it looks great! And then try the broth and you're underwhelmed. I love ramen, but I'd try somewhere else next time. read more

Food is consistently good. That said, we order the same ramen soups every time (spicy tonkatsu with extras once in awhile). So good and heartwarming. Service is efficient and professional. Nice place but we are local so we typically order takeout. read more

It may shock you to know that my favorite menu item from Raku ramen is not the ramen, but it is the soba. The soba from here always hit the spot and I miss it a lot now that I am no longer living in SLO. The ramen, unfortunately, is quite mediocre and ranks lower than most other ramen places that I have been to. I do like the ambiance of the restaurant and the manager was quite nice. read more

Had the veggie ramen but added fried tofu and corn. Bowl was filling and service extremely quick. I drove a good 40 min and it was well worth the trip. Can't wait to come Back and try a different version read more

See all

Raku Ramen has moved from Monterey St. to their new location on Foothill Blvd., closer to Cal Poly University. The interior is brighter and more inviting than before, with an artistic modern vibe to their space. It's very much like a Japanese fast food interior, not a romantic place to schmooze a date. It's great for a casual lunch or dinner. There is a small increase in seating area, and parking is convenient in the shared lot. The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. The ordering system could use a small improvement. There are three large, easy to read monitors showing their menu items. When ordering at the cashier, only cash is accepted. The two order-placing kiosk touchscreens are for non-cash transactions. There is no signage to indicate this. Also, one can not readily see that additional ramen toppings can be added, nor is it clear that a Combo Meal with an add-on (a mini salad, different dons or tempura) is available at a reduced charge. This is not apparent if ordering in person at the cashier, although the Order Online and kiosk menus make these options more clear. On our last trip here, we ordered the Raku Ramen (Pork bone-broth rich and creamy flavored with thin ramen noodles, a soft boiled half-egg, bamboo shoots, corn, chili oil and scallions, with a fried pork cutlet), and a Beef Yakisoba (stir fried noodles with beef and vegetables with a sweet sauce similar to Worcestershire). The Raku Ramen was good, very flavorful and was served quickly and hot. The pork cutlet was lacking. The Beef Yakisoba was very good. It was filled with a lot of stir fried lettuce, broccoli, onions, bamboo shoots and carrots. There was a good amount of beef, but it was tough and chewy. Overall, 3.5 stars, rounded-up to 4. read more

See all

Ugh I really really wanted to like this place because my husband used to come here when he attended CP SLO. But, born and raised in LA and I have been exposed to really amazing ramen places. Unfortunately, this ramen broth lacked taste for me and was really hard to finish. Although, staff and environment were amazing. It just wasn't it for me. read more

Raku Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

The ramen, priced with a $20 premium, didn't deliver in full like one would imagine with that price tag. There was too much oil, which almost overshadowed the taste of the noodles, and the saffron note wasn't that authentic to do the dish justice at that price. And, again, while the presentation was very pleasing to the eye, from a flavor profile and ingredient balance, it really didn't match up to the more "upscale" price, particularly from others who are showing house-made noodles at a much more modest price point. If anything, the takoyaki were somewhat short of desirable but, of course, a better value as a side at $9 to accompany the ramen. It was presented in an okay-sized portion and tasted pretty alright; there's potential to refine the flavor a little to equal the presentation that was excellent. Sadly, here is where the tidiness of the restaurant is not able to compete with the other efficiency. However, the mess and stickiness at the tables and floor, respectively, reduce the overall experience; this is an area I would encourage the establishment to address promptly. read more

Raku Ramen - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

The broth was so tasty. The thick noodles also had a great bite. The service was great, the host helped us check out on the mobile order device. And the ambiance was very pleasant and clean. read more

Raku Ramen - Tonkotsu Ramen with thick cut noodles - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

in a nutshell: yes i will come back! the portion is plenty. the appetizers are delicious. the ramen are done right. overall is pretty solid. one thing i wish they could improve is the egg, they need to be more runny. read more

See all

So so so so good, just a bit expensive. But that's from someone who likes customizing so I'm okay with it. Broth is SO comforting

Here visiting SLO. Wasn't sure what to expect here. Was it gon be like a Panda Express or like a legit Japanese place? To my surprise, the tempura udon, takoyaki and gyoza was really good. It's a very casual place. I'm not sure how the other foods here are but if you're looking for something quick, try here. read more

Raku Ramen - Tempura udon (tempura came later, on the side) and gyoza - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Came to dinner reading the reviews thinking hey this place sounds great ... boy was I wrong, first thing is you have to pay by card at the kiosk and if you have cash you have to ask .... my Spicy Tonkatsu ramen had 0 flavor which was very disappointing because it looks very good the noodles where even cooked right which is very hard to find ramen shops that cook them just right not to hard not to soft.... My Karage Chicken came out after my ramen (yes my appetizer came out last) completely ruined and overcooked it tastes like its been sitting in a pan all day and is harder than a rock.... The staff seems like its an inconvenience to help out the customers the "ambiance" looks as if someone on acid and had an anime kink painted the place in traditional colors of red white and black .... Needless to say I wont be back and I dont recommend this place read more

Raku Ramen - Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

After having ramen from raku ramen the quality of food is not as great and there service, I'm not from SLO and got food from them last minute while they were closing(30 mins before) but there ramen was nothing compared to ramen I had before, don't get me wrong it's not bad but I would never order here again, the service was great but the quality was mid (fifty/fifty) maybe I caught them last minute before closing but I felt like it just wasn't it.. it's my first ramen spot in SLO so I'll let you guys know when I get another bowl on this town and if it taste the same or not but for now Hon ramen in Bakersfield ca is the best I had for tonkotsu ramen read more