4 Central Coast restaurants among top ramen spots in California, Yelp says. See where

Sarah Linn, Hanh Truong
·2 min read

Craving a steaming hot bowl of noodle soup? A handful of Central Coast restaurants are among the best places for ramen in California, according to Yelp.

On Tuesday, the popular review site published its list of the Top 100 Ramen Spots in California, just in time for National Ramen Day on Thursday.

Chowa Bowl in Morro Bay was the only San Luis Obispo County restaurant to make Yelp’s list, landing at No. 30.

The takeout-only restaurant, which opened at 898 Main St., Suite D, in January 2023, has two ramen options on its Asian food menu: rock shoyu ramen with pork belly and Morro miso ramen with tofu.

In her Yelp review, Robyn A. of Nipomo said the restaurant serves “delicious food for a good price” with “friendly service.”

Elsewhere on the Central Coast, Nikka Ramen in Goleta landed at No. 47 on Yelp’s list and Santa Barbara Craft Ramen was No. 88.

Toribashi in Monterey was ranked at No. 90.

This is where the action happens at Morro Bay’s new Chowa Bowl, with the order/takeout window on the right. Shown is just some of the outdoor-only seating area. Kathe Tanner
This is where the action happens at Morro Bay’s new Chowa Bowl, with the order/takeout window on the right. Shown is just some of the outdoor-only seating area. Kathe Tanner

What are the best ramen restaurants in California?

These are the top 10 best ramen restaurants in California, according to Yelp:

  1. Susuru Ramen Bar, 5179 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles

  2. GONZO!, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

  3. RamenKoko, 7750 Palm Ave., Suite N, Highland

  4. HiroNori Craft Ramen, 3803 5th Ave., San Diego

  5. Ramen Hajime, 5229 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara

  6. Sen Noodle House, 18350 Soledad Canyon Road, Unit A, Santa Clarita

  7. Taishoken San Francisco, 665 Valencia St., San Francisco

  8. Moto Ramen, 11172 Washington Blvd., Culver City

  9. Umami Ramen, 187 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 160, Folsom

  10. Umigame Japanese Kitchen, 13608 Ventura Blvd., Los Angeles

A bowl of miso ramen noodle soup. Yelp published its Top 100 Ramen Spots in California list on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. GMVozd/Getty Images
A bowl of miso ramen noodle soup. Yelp published its Top 100 Ramen Spots in California list on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. GMVozd/Getty Images

How did Yelp come up with 100 ramen spots in California list?

To come up with its rankings, Yelp “identified businesses in the ramen category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning relevant keywords.”

The site then ranked those spots based on factors including “the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords,” it said.

In the case of restaurants with more than one location, only the spot with the highest ranking was included on the list.

The businesses mentioned on Yelp’s list were open and had passing health scores as of March 1, the site said.