I cannot begin to express how impressed I was with this place but here's my attempt: first of all the atmosphere is perfect and trendy there's plenty of seating and a bar area. Second of all the staff is probably some of the greatest customer service I've ever received the server at the front answered all my questions and made sure I got everything I needed. When our food was delivered to us the food runners explain how and why everything is made the way it is all adding to the experience! Overall extremely friendly and helpful. The food itself...to die for! I got the belly of the beast ramen bowl and it was so delicious I scarfed it down in under ten minutes. 10/10 will be returning and everyone should go here. I love underbelly read more

Underbelly - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Visiting from out of town :-) the place is super yummy. Quick walk from our hotel. And the whole place looks very cool as well! Super attentive, even after being needy, picky customer I will definitely come back! read more

Just finished eating here as a first timer! It's a good ramen spot, on the smaller side. But great that it's open late on a Sunday night. The ramen was great but not as authentic as I would like. What we ordered: Belly of the beast ramen Crispy chicken wings The ramen was good. The wings were SO good. Crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle- tasted similar to orange chicken. The ghost chili pepper sauce is a great add on if you like spicy like us. Overall, would go again. read more

Underbelly - Belly of the beast ramen - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The ramen here is really great. Fantastic rich broth. Live right down the street and probably come once a week, would come more often but there is always a long line. Only issue I have with the line is there is only one cashier taking orders and this person appears to also be the bartender. Invest in a bartender and this place will be set. read more

Food, service, ambiance...all amazing. My guy and I went a few days ago, hands down the Bao buns are incredible. The playlist of music is SiCK!!! Kudos to the DJ!!! Loved every moment, from DC, when in San Diego, I'll def return. Referrals headed your way! Keep up the great job! read more

The food is to die for. It is the best ramen ever. The servers are so very friendly. And they get you, your food and any thing else you need so quickly. The ambiance is very lovely and so clean. There are lovey fireplaces and no trash or dust anywhere to be found. read more

Underbelly is located on a corner storefront with its industrial concept open seating. A friend and I decided to try it for lunch. The restaurant is small and seating is minimal and definitely a place where diners will not sit and mingle. There is a little wait if you go during rush hour but the wait isn't long. You order, you eat, you leave. Boiled Peanuts: Good but under cooked. It needed to be mushier, too hard. Shrimp Goyza: Very good and sauce was delicious. I didn't eat the garlic cloves on the side. Tonkotsu Bowl with Sake Braise Oxtail Dumpling: I love noodles so it was good. Soft boiled egg was good. The soup was a bit one note and less flavorful as I got to the bottom. I wouldn't recommend the Sake Braise Oxtail Dumpling because it was more dough than meat. Lacked flavor. Underbelly Ramen: Char-su Belly was too FATTY. Wouldn't recommend ordering again. Again, the soup was a bit one note. Lacked flavor. Servers were very nice. My glass had lipstick stains and that doesn't sit well with me. Cleanliness people, please! read more

Been craving to go here since it's opened. So glad I finally did so worth it. It's a small place so the wait can be really long if there's a lot of customers. You have to place your order first before being seated. We came on a Sunday at 7:30pm. It was pretty full but we got seated within 10 minutes of waiting in line. We sat on the outside. It was pretty chilly but the heaters helped a bit. We started with the garlic edamame. It was okay. Not really garlicky, all they did was sprinkle the spicy dried pepper over it. I had the underbelly ramen. Noodles were cooked perfectly and tender. The soup was extremely flavorful; ginger gave it a lil something something. The soft boiled egg was awesome as you break into it and it oozes over your ramen. I heard from somewhere that it was a soy sauced egg but it was just plain....kinda disappointed. The pork belly was tender and melts in your mouth, the bacon was delish and the sausage was okay but I'm not a fan of sausage so that doesn't say much. Most definitely I want to come back for more. read more

Great location and breezy open air experience for good weather. It can be a very romantic spot or a chill afterword wind down. There are a couple of previously enumerated oddities: you order before you sit and your waiter interaction is only for food delivery, water refills, and plate removal. Not the best feeling of service or convenience. That said, the ramen broth here is phenomenal. I understand the removal of spoons--but why not supply a straw!? It's that good! It's a big bowel with amazing accoutrements: perfectly boiled eggs with soft yolk, great quality pork belly, brisket, etc. However, The "sausage" was more like a weenie and the oxtail wasn't as savory as you'd expect. Plus the amount of actual ramen could have been a little more. The brisket side was great. The 7 radish salad was plentiful and had nice microgreens but the spicy tuna was a bit boring as was the radish's flavor. Spicy tuna isn't hard to do well, and radish needs a kick to taste like more than water. The beer and wine selection is fair. The bar does really well with the sake takes the cake: great variety of premium sake at very good prices. Pros: great setting, Ramen broth, pork fixings, and sake Cons: not enough ramen, weird ordering/serving situation, and a lot of items lack flavor read more

Came here on recommendation by Laura S and immediately loved the open air modern concept. The space is quite small so you may be rubbing elbows with the person next to you, but a great time to make small talk with some strangers---especially on a busy night where every seat in the place is taken. Underbelly is not your traditional Japanese ramen place except for the fact that you get to slurp your broth from your ginormous soup bowl since you don't get spoons---the way to eat your soup anyways. Had the Beast and the broth was very tasty---not too heavy and not too watery. Added an order of the bacon wrapped mushroom to my ramen but wasn't too excited about it so I have my eye on the short ribs or the beef brisket next time. Had the gyoza and it didn't blow me away and neither did the tataki---very average. The service was above par. Prices can't be beat---for the 2 of us with a couple of drinks, the bill came to $44. Overall we really enjoyed our experience but if you're looking for a traditional ramen noodle house, you may want to look elsewhere. read more

When I came to Underbelly it was my first time having Ramen. All I can say is delicious! It definitely sparked my taste buds and has left me craving Ramen ever since. The actual place is rather small and is indoor/outdoor so bring a jacket on chilly evenings. You go in, pick up menus, sit where you can find a place and order. More of a casual environment but very trendy. read more

On my way home from Chi Town, I was in the mood for some ramen. It's not too far from the airport, so I figured i wouldn't have to wait too long to eat. Unfortunately there was a bit of a wait when we arrived at the restaurant. The entrance was a little hard to find btw. After contemplating on if we should eat somewhere else, we talked to the guy at the bar. I told him we were hungry and wanted to eat. He surprisingly took our order and we found some seats outside. Yes! I had the underbelly ramen and my bf got the belly of the beast. The only thing different was the meats, so we tried each other's. The broth was pretty flavorful and when I added the spicy seasoning on the table, it tasted even better. Oh! I liked the refreshing cucumber waters. Nice vibe and good place to people watch! read more

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Underbelly is an awesome ramen place in Little Italy. It's awesome because they have really good selections of beers on draft. Even this Hitachino Red Rice Ale which you rarely see on tap in San Diego. Most ramen places (usually in Convoy) only offer Japanese beers on draft (e.g. Asahi and Kirin). I went there after dinner so I didn't get to try their food. Sitting at the bar area right in front of the cashier that night, I had two observations. One: I saw tons and tons of ramen coming out from the kitchen and they smelt delicious! I will definitely go back to try their ramen. B: 99% of the people ordered the number 1 underbelly ramen read more

Their ramen is pretty good. There's always a wait when I come here and seating is quite close to one another. I had the underbelly ramen. The broth was pretty good and the spicy seasoning they had was a really good addition to the bowl. They also serve you cucumber water and their japanese beer (not Sapporo or Asahi), which I forget the name, was good. read more

This place is hidden! We had to call for directions haha. There wasn't any visible signs outside, just one big neon-light arrow sign around the corner of the store. Though I'm glad we found this place. Great ramen! Especially their soft boiled eggs, it was done to perfection. Around $12 per ramen, which wasn't cheap. But I'm more than glad to spurge any day. Their spicy sauce was INSANELY hot. One dip or dap, it will send you straight to the bathroom, if not emergency room. Try at your own risk! Haha read more

I know this sounds crazy, but when we go to San Diego, and stay in Little Italy, our first stop is always Underbelly, even though it's a noodle house. I know, noodle house in Little Italy...who'd of thunk. My FAVS - Buns: Sous Vide Brisket, Pickeled Cucumber, Ginger Hoisin, May; Belly Of The Beast: Ramen, Soft Boiled Egg, Oxtail Dumplings, Smoked Brisket, Hoisin Glazed Short Rib. read more

I love UNDERBELLY! Their noodles are so delicious. I wish they were closer because I would definitely visit more often. I love the fact that they have gluten free/vegan options available as well. They always have yummy craft beers on tap too which is an added bonus. I love the ambiance and the set up of this quaint little restaurant. The only downfall is the lack of seating. When it is busy it can be a challenge to find a seat. And beware you can't save seats...before you order. Overall, I love this place and always look forward to going back. read more

This place just aight. It's a hipster ramen spot in Downtown SD with a really nice venue. I liked how you're pretty much eating in the heart of a busy downtown area. It really gives that metropolitan feel, which I wouldn't expect down in San Diego. The ramen itself is fairly average. It's not an authentic Japanese restaurant, so of course it's not gonna be the best. However, seeing that SD isn't exactly known for having Asian food, I'm guessing you'll take whatever you can get, which is exactly what we did here. The broth does have a nice, clear flavor to it and the noodles have good texture if you like them on the harder side. To be honest, this place was not that much better than buying DIY ramen ingredients from a Japanese market and making it yourself, so it was probably a little overpriced. However, if you don't feel like cooking and you're craving ramen, the food is still pretty good for about $8-10 (per ramen). If there's no better ramen places within your reach, then you might as well just come here for the downtown vibe. If you can find an authentic Japanese ramen place in SD, then definitely go there instead. read more

Finally got around to trying this place. The ramen is really good. Atmosphere is cool laid back. The windows acting double duty as tables is interesting. Staff is friendly especially when they find out it is your time here. No utensils other than chopsticks which your not very familiar with them makes it interesting. read more

Underbelly - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Underbelly=pork. Don't waste your time if you're vegetarian. The charred kimchi ramen broth was the most pathetic bland thing I've ever tasted - thankfully, my friend ordered it. I didn't mess around with appetizers or any other fancy fake stuff. I tasted the kimchi in my friend's dish and it's about as close to kimchi as the coleslaw at KFC. I just ordered the Belly of the Beast and after I was done, I had a Belly of a Beast. It was utterly satisfying and flavorful, lots of meat, perfectly cooked egg, delicious dumplings. I had no complaints. I like the open decor, and ambiance, but it wasn't anything that alone would make me want to come back. You order first at the register and then find seating. They don't provide spoons - they expect you to drink from the bowl, like millions of normal Asians. Also, parking is a big pain because the area has so many eateries and is in an older residential neighborhood where everyone parks on the street. Basically, a good place to take culinarily unadventurous people (some would say 'white' but I won't out of deference to the 4 people I know who break that mold) for watered down Asian food in a hipster ambiance. read more

Underbelly is located in a artsy/industrial area, but it's corner location with indoor and outdoor seating is ideal for people watching, sipping and slurping. Here's the protocol: you get in line, grab a menu so you can be ready with your lunch order and brew order. There is a nice selection of local microbrews, and a very tantalizing mouth watering selection of not only ramen, but tasty side dishes such as wings and stuffed buns. I had heard about the Belly of the Beast ramen so that was easy. I found a good IPA. After you pay, you point out your seat, and you're given a sculpted metal number. It was a splendid day, so I took a seat on the inside counter (liquor rules) which had outside seating across from you, so the breeze felt great. I heard the ooh's and aah's from other guests along with great smells. My Belly of the Beast arrived with only chopsticks ~ no spoons because they want you to enjoy it traditionally by picking up he bowl and slurping. On the table are the standard ramen condiments of togarashi, sesame oil as well as their scorpion sauce with habanero and scorpion chilies. The bowl was generous with two oxtail dumplings, slices of hoisin short rib, smoked brisket, char siu pork and a perfectly cooked (sous vide?) egg in a very good broth with nice thick ramen noodles. I sipped the delicious broth and admired the high quality of ingredients. Then I added the togarashi to spice it up. I heard the fellow next to me saying the scorpion sauce was not too hot, but use it sparingly. This added another dimension to is great dish. The slurping allowed me not to waste any of the goodies. The hoppy IPA went well with the dish. Now I needed a good nap... read more

Ehh, I was disappointed by this place. A lot of blogs hyped it up and talked about how amazing it was, but I wasn't blown away. Their broth was pretty bland, the noodles tasted only slightly better than instant ramen noodles. The only thing I liked were the oxtail dumplings. They were basically the only thing I enjoyed. A nice place to chill with friends but the food was subpar. read more

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Amazing underbelly ramen. The ambiance is very calming as well. Window seating is perfect for cooling off your ramen as you go to take a bite. No spoons given either so that you can drink the broth straight from the bowl. Good beer as well. Can't wait to go back and try more. read more

Underbelly - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came on a Saturday! Cute little place in Little Italy! The waitress recommended the Belly of the Beast or the Underbelly ramen. My friends and I each ordered the underbelly ramen! It was good! Good flavored broth, but it is not very authentic. I think they are big on the smoky flavor, with their (overly) leaned pork belly, a lot of sesame seeds! The underbelly ramen comes with four pieces of pork belly, a good portion of seaweed, bean sprouts, a soft-boiled egg, and a hand full of pull pork! They tell you that they don't provide soup spoons so you will slup the soup! The sauces on the table are the soy sauce, sesame oil, and hot sauce made from ghost peppers. read more

Underbelly - Underbelly Ramen! - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Obsessed...with it all the ambiance, food, and vibes such a perfect date night and honestly any night out

Best ramen period, love ramen? This is the place, I'm a not good writer but I'm a food lover read more

Underbelly - Belly of the beast - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Good ramen.. nice relaxing place. Long wait times when i went on a friday night. Meat was good and soup. Noodles can do bettter.

I came here from a recommendation from a fellow foodie friend. Honestly at first I was skeptical because of the non-Japanese name and the location of little Italy.. I am also an LA native and am completely spoiled by the vast selection of Asian food of my hometown so expectations were low. We came here on a weeknight and decent amount of people. I was skeptical because we were literally the only Asians in the restaurant, but I had faith in my friends recommendation. I got the belly of the beast and IT WAS GOOD! The highlight was definitely the meat, the meat was very tender and juicy. Usually ramen joints tend to overcook their meats but this place got the meat right! Unfortunately the soup base was.... OK. It's good but it didn't strike me as "Japanese". Soup base reminded me more of Chinese soups... Usually Japanese soup bases are much thicker and more savory, but this places soup was lighter and leans on the sweeter side? However me and my friends enjoyed the meal nonetheless, but if you're looking for authentic Japanese, this is not exactly what you'd get... read more

I thought the noodles and food was ok but certainly recently had better ramen at another restaurant. Underbelly did forget an item in our order that I considered in my rating; I understand this may not be normal due to the adversity experienced with COVID0-19 restrictions and possibly new to providing carry out service. read more

1/10 food was terrible and gave me food poisoning in less than 12 hours, still vomiting on day number 2 now will not EVER return!

I avoid meats and saturated fat (yup, just to be difficult and cute) so you can guess how delighted I was to find this awesome gem - and open during the pandemic lockdown! Keeping the patrons happy and healthy. Gorgeous day, lots of space on the plaza up the hill (boo coronavirus!) and amazing food. Seedy whatever ramen w/eggplant wrapped tofu, house kimchi. So good! Gorgeous. Delicious. Generous portions. Friendly staff. I'll be back again and again. read more

Items Ordered: (2) Bowls and Steamed Bun Appetizer Total Bill: Under $30 Satisfaction Level: Meh. This place got such rave reviews and the owners are supposed to be very renowned in the San Diego food market. We were not impressed by any means. The broth was bland.....bland bland bland. The fact that they wanted you to drink from the bowl was too overly emphasized. The meats were the same and not tastey at all. The steamed bun appetizers with beef had a terrible sauce on it that ruined the dish. Sad that it was a birthday dinner but the company and the view were amazing. read more

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One of my favorite ramen spots in San Diego! Always great service, great food and staff rocks.

Man the ramen here is amazing. I ordered the belly of the beast which had all the fixings. The broth was good but the star of the dish was the oxtail dumpling. The wrapping is sturdy enough to hold its shape but soft when you bite it. The filling is super flavorful and unique. Definitely recommend getting it in your ramen. Seating is a bit hard but they help you out after you order. Great service and amazing food! read more

Our final dinner on our mini vacation in San Diego. I ordered the underbelly ramen and it was delicious! The meat was tasty and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The only downside was the seating. Not a lot of room for large groups. It is mostly bar type seating either at the bar or windows. read more

Underbelly - Underbelly ramen- - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Going to little Italy, a ramen shop comes out from left field. If you want authentic ramen that has the flavor profile close to its roots, this place is not for you. Visiting from San Fransisco and comparing what we had their is not fair but just saying: broth and ramen are much better up north. And cheaper too. This is a fusion, so it adds an American twist to ramen. I personally can do without, as I don't feel the flavors in side pork belly sandwiches and ramen were good. If I have to put a ton of extra condiments to flavor the broth, then why would I not go to a place that already has a good broth? Judging the food on its own, it looks great, but he taste is not impressive. Inevitably I felt the restaurant came off as a snaptrap (where you judge based on the look of the food, not the taste) Would I come back? Maybe for drinks. Service was good, atmosphere was great, place is clean, food looked good, but the taste was just not there. Advice to the owner: The broth is the MOST important piece to ramen, both of the different bowls we ordered needed too many condiments to be added. Improve it to a point where condiments are not needed. read more

The Underbelly Ramen is fantastic. Extremely flavorful and satisfying...especially on a cold night. Pork belly Bao is very good as well. Great outdoor patio so covid friendly. read more

Underbelly was underwhelming to my belly. The Belly of the Beast ramen kept popping up on the lists of best ramen in San Diego, so I naturally had to check it out. The Underbelly in Little Italy is a cool shop in what has to be one of my favorite neighborhoods in SD. The shop in open air with indoor and outdoor seating. The one thing that was interesting about the restaurant itself is that almost all the seating is bar style, meaning most of their seats face the same direction. I get the concept, but I would caution trying to go here with a big group. Now to the ramen. The Belly of the Beast definitely had a lot going on with a soft boiled egg, oxtail dumpling, smoked brisket, and short ribs. I was excited to taste all the different elements, but sadly most things missed the mark. The highlights were the oxtail dumplings and a bit of the noodles, but that's about it. The biggest disappointment had to be the broth. It was really bland and had nothing much going for it. I finally found some spices on the counter to put in my bowl half way through my meal which only made it semi-decent. The bowl of noodles just didn't work that well. My go-to spot for ramen in SD is still Tajima's so, if you're in the mood for ramen, head towards Hillcrest instead of Little Italy. read more

Underbelly - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

You look at the menu, walk in to the bar, order your food, pay, grab a number and your drink and find a seat to eat at. It looks like it could've been a loft before the way the layout is, open restaurant with seats all along the restaurant both inside and outside. :::::Food:::::: The trio tartare was good, but more rice than fish, and no wasabi/nomish worthy sauce with it. But still a good size appetizer. Belly of the beast with bacon wrapped mushrooms added was so bomb you absolutely have to try it!!! Everything in it was amazing! Perfectly cooked egg anything is my star plus. I ordered two of these bowls and the app----$40------ which is $$$ for soup/ramen, but worth trying... Always packed! If you enjoy people watching this would be the perfect joint to do so. Singles or couples only kinda place, it's just too small for big groups. Only complaint would be I would've liked a spoon, but I think they want u to pick that thang up and start sippin to get a real ramen feel for it. And I do prefer my broth to be hot steaming swell. And ok I lied, another would be the price... Need to see if there are any deals... Oh wait, at 7pm they have certain beers on tap where u can keep the glass... That's a plus;) read more

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I ordered the Belly of the Beast, one of their most popular dishes. Pros: The chashu was very tender and flavorful. The BotB offers two types of chashu along with two dumplings. The dumplings were definitely a plus, and a nice change of pace for the ramen. The bean sprouts were actually a nice addition, adding some texture to it that I haven't tried in other ramen bowls before. Cons: Although its traditional, I didn't care for the store not offering spoons with your ramen. They insist you bring your bowl to your mouth and drink from it. I would have rather them not bring the spoon out, but offer it if necessary. The broth is sort of bland, but they give you seasoning to add. The only option for spicy is adding ghost chili, which is hit or miss because a little overage and you're screwed. Definitely be cautious using it, but if you like spicy, i recommend dipping your chop sticks in and then mixing it into your bowl a little at a time til you get it right. Store is tiny, so prepare for a wait if its peak hours. And a base bowl is $13 so its pretty pricy, but you are in downtown and the view is great. read more

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