This ramen bar is an excellent addition to the downtown Lowell restaurant scene. I came here with a few friends on a Wednesday night - when live music was playing. The music was very good, however the venue is a little small and made it impossible to talk without yelling. The service was a little slow, but when I eventually got my drink - things started to improve. When I finally received my food, it was worth waiting every minute. I ordered a vegetarian ramen, added an egg, with got it the second level of spiciness. It was incredible! The entire meal was loaded with flavor. I was practically drinking the broth at the end. This place is absolutely worth a visit, you might just have to wait on slow stuff. I have lived in Lowell for a very long time, and this is a nice change. I definitely miss the mambo grill, but this is a decent replacement. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Vegetarian Ramen, added an egg, 2nd level spice. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

I wouldn't say this place is GREAT but it is not awful. I got the pork belly bao, the flavors were there but it was super watery and was even soaking the bun. The ramen surprised me because it looked like it would have a lot of flavor (I also got level 3 spicy), however the broth was really underwhelming; there's no flavor despite the color of the broth being bright red. The service however was quick, although the place is small and gets busy we still got seated pretty quickly. A good place to try out but I don't think I will be coming again. read more

Excellent food, great atmosphere and very friendly and professional staff. We got the smoked chicken and Miso pork ramen. The food came in giant bowls, steaming hot and delicious. Very enjoyable, and highly recommended if you're interested in some top notch ramen! Like it even needs to be said, but waaaaaaay better than the dollar ramen you'll get at the grocery store :) read more

I got the smoked chicken ramen spicy level 3. It is indeed spicy but very tasty. I didn't like how largely cut up the red cabbage was but that's just my preference. And some of the chicken piece were a little hard but overall it was really good. Service was quick. They also have bar seating which is nice for a small restaurant. I deff recommend and will be going back to try the other ramens on the menu. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Roasted chicken ramen and the Lychee martini - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Ramen is the best for the winter. And this restaurant is perfect for the cold and the spice. I finally got into their famous ramen bar. It wasn't a long line since we came early early but after 30 mins of opening the line was packed. The food was delicious. Their spice was to spicy but I got their tonkatsu which was perfect. The chicken ramen was surprisingly better. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Great ambiance and variety! We came for the ramen but fell in love with the Gochujang Bolognese! I love the crispy, but soft on the inside rice cakes. It was smothered with meat sauce and cheese. Perfection! Ramen was good too, but I think it could have been even better with the traditional yellow noodles. This might be a personal preference. We still ate everything because the broth was so creamy and flavorful. As busy as they are on a Friday night, the service was great. Food came out pretty fast and steamy hot. Will def be back! read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Gochujang Bolognese aka deliciousness! - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Went here with my husband and a friend. We got lucky and there was no wait even though it was Saturday; we had a two seater table but they also creatively use the ledge along the street window as seats. We also ordered shumai as a starter ($5), and the sauce on it actually had a kick, which is great. As an entree, I had the tonkatsu ramen with "level 2" spice ($14); I would probably go for a 3 next time. The noodles weren't as thick as I expect from ramen and tasted kinda boring buuut they were fine. I probably enjoyed my egg the most, and the pork was also really good. I was nowhere near close to finishing it and took these leftovers home. While we were there it took kinda long for our food to arrive; something about the printer not working and our orders not getting to the kitchen. Our server was also friendly. We'll probably come here again sometime. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

After reading some of reviews in Yelp, I decided to check this place out. Overall, it was not the most spectacular ramen place. I will list some of my findings and analysis. - Decor and atmosphere was not bad, but place was cold inside. We went in there when outside temperature was 10 degree. It was not well heated. - Wait time was bit long to my liking. I have measured 25 minutes from order to my first bite. Anything that takes more than 15 minutes in restaurant is considered as slow in my standard. - Ramen broth was not bad, but they give little. They could use more broth per bowl. Also it was very lukewarm. I like my ramen broth to be scorching hot. - Ramen noodle was very tender and only thing I really liked about this place. - Pork in the ramen has bit of smell. I think they put a lot of effort to suppress that but I could still smell pork. - Price was bit on high side IMO. It was not bad, but it does not stand out in the crowded space of ramen houses. Also, it was bit expensive for my taste. read more

I'm not a vegetarian , but I'm not opposed to vegetarian food. I didn't feel like eating Asian meat and ordered the vegetarian ramen soup; eewww! Will NOT go back, but that's my opinion and others may love it. As for me: no! read more

Delicious ramen!! The staff is very kind and helpful. The atmosphere inside is very relaxed and comfortable

So we order one smoke chicken and one pork belly ramen. We wait like 30 mins. They serve us 2 raw pork belly ramen. Both noodle is raw and stuck. The female service with extremely bad attitude at the Beginning. And after she served wrong order She said kitchen is close and she can put some hot water for the noodle. Lol. What a joker. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Raw noodle. Wrong meat. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

I'm not a big ramen person, pan fried noodles yes, ramen soup not so much. Needless to say, I ordered the dumplings and baos. They were very tasty and freshly made. I like the fact they have soju and a variety of Asian beers. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Baos and beer, such a good combo - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Great ramen with the perfect lunch or post night out hangover cure. Only problem is they're never open on the weekends when I want a bowl. Open up earlier than 5pm and I'd go here a lot more often. read more

I'm very disappointed in my visit last night. I brought my boyfriend here after raving about my last visit and nothing about last nights visit came remotely close. we stopped in at about 8 pm last night. the wait to be seated wasn't long at all. they had to clean up a table and we were seated within 5 minutes. we put in our drink orders, a small hot sake and a lychee sake bellini and ordered the gochujang bolognese and a bowl of the tonkontsu ramen as well as an order of the pork belly baos. we got our drinks. the waitress spilled quite a bit on the table and apologized, figured she would bring some extra napkins over for us to clean up the mess but she never came back. the wait for our baos took forever. but after we got it, the wait for our food took forever. about 45 min after we ordered our meal, our waitress comes up to me and tells me that they have no bolognese and to pick something else from the menu. i was a little annoyed considering we'd been waiting for so long already. i placed an order for the koji aged crispy chicken bao instead of choosing another entree or ramen. she came out with the ramen and my boyfriend and i split the bowl. we finished our food. we finished our drinks. we waited for our baos. and we waited. about 10-15 min later our waitress came over ready to give us the check and we mentioned how we were still waiting for our baos. she said they would be out soon. about 20-25minutes passed by and we were still waiting. no acknowledgment from her at all. one by one i see her bring plates and plates of baos to other tables and tend to them but completely ignore our table. at least check in on us. let us know what's going on. finally boyfriend and i got tired of waiting around as it was almost 10, and we were still waiting. we flagged her down and obviously at this point we were agitated. we told her we were still waiting for our baos and she said yeah they're making them all at once. and left and came back within two seconds with our baos. we were tired and annoyed so we ate them quickly so we could leave. boyfriend thinks she forgot about us completely and took someone else's order of baos because after she gave us our baos another employee came over with baos thinking they were ours. we finished our baos, paid our check, and left at 10pm. TWO HOURS. our visit was 2 hrs long. for 2 people. and all we ordered was 2 drinks, a bowl of ramen and 2 orders of baos. seriously?! i was super disappointed when they had no bolognese as i drove all the way from braintree for it. and then the ridiculous waiting game was even more off-putting. very very disappointed. read more

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Parking in downtown is never easy Place is cute and cozy Service was a little slow Love the corn read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Food is top notch but my favorite is the bar area. Just a cool a$& place to have a nice craft cocktail or even a light beer after Tonkatsu.

Never order takeout from this place! When we got home with our chicken ramen the noodles were COVERED in mold and the egg was brown, mushy, and unrecognizable as an egg. I call and they told me there was nothing wrong with my food and that it was supposed to look like that. I asked for a refund and they only refunded me the price of the ramen but not the tip I regret leaving. Would not recommend takeout. This food looked like it had been sitting for weeks before it was served to us. read more

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Ramen is good came here for a birthday dinner and happy I did, I'd come back for sure read more

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This has been my favorite restaurant for years and it's so good. 1981 ramen bar is the best ramen around and their COVID service is really good I have to warn anyone reading this it is so very spicy like it's spicier than you expect read more

I love ramen and never thought that I would leave a bad review at a ramen restaurant but it was the worst ramen I ever had. We got seated right away but waited an hour to get ramen. Mind you, the restaurant wasnt busy, im not sure what takes them so long. The second problem was that the chef got the noodle out on the bowl but didn't put the broth in an hour later so I have a giant lump of noodle stuck together. The octopus noodle was very salty, almost inedible. The only reason it didn't get 1 star is that my husband said his noodle is decent. That has been said, we will not be back again. read more

Good first experience here. Decor is simple and rustic. Lighting at the bar was odd, I enjoyed sitting there but it was too bright. Drinks were great. We tried a couple of specials. Bartender was knowledgeable about different liquors. We tried the cucumbers and they were so so good. Chicken wings were loved by my husband. We each ordered different ramen bowls. The vegetarian was fantastic. I could have enjoyed twice the broth without added ingredients it was so good. My husband had the pork broth and felt similarly about his. Really great place to go on a date, with friends or stop in alone. Will return! read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Vegetarian Ramen bowl - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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This place offers great ramen collection,the service is very nice though I didn't like the mochi but the chicken wings and the ramen was good.I've heard they serve great pork belly,will surely try it sometime. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Originally was supposed to go to Lowell Burger Company, but the placed was not open even though their hours said they were supposed to be. so came here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. the Ramen was good, I got the tonkotsu ramen, the broth was hearty and flavorful, the noodles were firm yet tender, and the charsiu was moist very tender and flavorful. it wasn't too spicy, enough of a kick for flavor. I was however blown away by the pork belly bao, the combination of the porkbelly (which was very moist at tender, like melt in your mouth tender) and the sauce and the pickled radish was excellent and flavorful. so good that I got another order. the drinks were good, had a Mai Tai which was excellent because it was not super sweet and overpowering as most mai tai's that I have had are. did not get to try their beer or Japanese whiskey that was on the menu, but it looks like they have quite a good selection. will definitely be back to indulge again. read more

Came here on a Friday night. The wait for 3 was not bad at all ~ 35 minutes. Apps: we had wings and duck bao. I like duck, but this duck didn't taste that good. And it was a bit dry to me even though they had a sauce on them. It needed a sauce in the bun too. The wings were really good and tasty. I don't like cucumber in my pork buns in general, so that was a negative for me. I picked them out but the juice lingered. Ramen: We ordered the regular tonkotsu ramen. You can choose spice level (mild, medium, extreme). I went with mild it had perfect amount of kick. My partner got extreme hot, and he loved it. The noodles were the thin, firm-ish kind I like in my ramen. Not over-cooked, soft or instant-noodle like. I think they could've cooked a teeny bit longer though. The broth was not as rich as the rich tonkotsu broths I've had at NY places. It was still tasty though. The pork was too fatty, not enough actual meat. We asked for extra pork too, but it seemed to be the standard amount of pork that other ramen places give. I could do without the nori. Service was a bit slow, but they were nice and checked on you. One thing that upset me was that they set our tables automatically with forks instead of chopsticks. It was a bit offensive that they assumed because we were non-Asian people we did not know how to use chopsticks. (Unless that's just what this place does? It was not a good move to us nonetheless.) As a ramen place you should set it with chopsticks automatically unless the patron requests a fork. I've never seen that in the many other ramen places I've dined at, and I've had ramen at at least 10 other restaurants in various states. They also need better chopsticks because the wood on theirs doesn't smooth out properly. I know it seems like a pesky thing to complain about, but it kills the atmosphere and authenticity you're trying to create. Overall, cool place- ramen is good. Definitely nice for the locals, but not a dish worth driving to. read more

Really good ramen. The workers are super welcoming. The edamame is super nice and has a salty taste to it. The mochi there is really good, and not too expensive. You can pick the different spice levels for the ramen which i love! It's a big portion too, and it fills you up. They place really good music, and everyone there is super upbeat and happy. I got the Tonkotsu Miso Ramen and I don't regret it one bit. Definitely recommend and will be going there again. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Tonkotsu Miso Ramen - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Great Food, Drinks & Service! Tried this place out for the first time on a Friday Night. Found parking right in front. No wait. Haven't tried their Ramen yet, but their appetizers were great. read more

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This restaurant has a great vibe. Brick walls, ample seating at the bar or tables, and upbeat music.The staff is super friendly and helpful. We started with the chicken wings which were served freshly prepared, hot, and crispy. Have a cold beer or glass of water close by as they have a "kick". Then we had the chicken and pork ramen. Both were ordered with the lowest level of spice, and were very tasty. Both bowls were very tasty. The pork was a bit richer due to the fat on it. Each was served with an egg and some veggies. All ramen bowls have the option of adding additional items for $1 each. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Pork - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Got both , Boas,. Fresh and delish. Ramen smoked chicken .was great also. Highly recommed. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Ramen was delicious; the broth had a great flavor. Outdoor seating was a great option. A little noisy, but that's to be expected being along the street. Would return! read more

Finally a local ramen place to enjoy! Came here last night during their test kitchen night, and you can tell this place will be busy in the future. Had the tonkotsu ramen ($11), which has a broth that's been simmering for 48 hours. The #1 semi soft boiled egg was perfect and added a unique touch to my soup. The pork bellies were also amazing that they were tenderly cooked and melted in my mouth. There was some baby corn that seemed charred for added flavor. And spicy radish pieces that I handed off to my boyfriend instead. There was excess noodles that I couldn't finish, but that's usually how it is for 'authentic' ramen bowls. The noodles themselves seemed tough. Also had the pork belly baos ($8/2 pieces) which was so yummy! It had kimchi and aoili mayo type dressing. And I love the white soft buns. I would definitely hit up this place again, maybe once their bar officially opens for some drinks (lychee soju?!!!) and to try the caramelized chicken wings that we didn't get the chance to try yet. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Tonkostu ramen - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Came here for a soft opening (test kitchen) with my friends after hearing about it via Instagram and other social media outlets. Please note: I am reviewing based on my initial experience and I know that I will frequent it more and give a chance to upgrade to 5 stars. Location: Heart of Downtown Lowell where all the bars are at and there's this new joint with tons of foot traffic (smart). Service: When we got there it was pretty packed so I expected the wait to be long (30 mins) and that was okay considering so many people want to try. Once we were sat down, we were served by our waitress right away. She was very attentive and nice. Gave us a new jug of ice cold water without us asking (that's a plus!). Price: $11 for the ramen (choice of tonkotsu with pork bellies and egg or chicken ). I don't remember the price of the pork baos (buns) sorry. Food: I loved the tonkotsu ramen (with two pieces of great tasting pork bellies) and the pork baos (with kimchi and aoli mayonnaise type dressing)! With the ramen, just my preference that I add sriracha to give it more flavor, but you may not need to. Overall, I'm glad this establishment is around since it's the first of its kind in Lowell, so hopefully it stays for a long time. Andddd the owner came to our table to get our thoughts on the food and we had nothing but nice things to say. Always nice to see that the business appreciates the feedback to improve or address any issues (not that there were any). Conclusion: Give this business your business but don't expect too much! Enjoy, you won't regret it! read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Pork baos - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Great decor ! I had vegetarian ramen ! Flavorful broth and tasty veggies !! I went on sat night at 6 before a show and the place was pack and line to get it ! A lot of ! Going there later today so hope it is pen bc it is Xmas eve day !! Great addition to Lowell restaurants !! read more

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Got seated right away by the window Ramen was okay..... the pork was really good not amazing though Kinda of loud but normal noise level for a bar scene read more

My sister and her fiancé took my husband and I here for dinner one night as they had been recommending it to us for awhile! It was super good! We had to wait for our table at the bar and there was one table that had finished a long time before but were just sitting there. It was a little annoying but once we finally got to sit down and order the whole experience got way better. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

We showed up after 6 PM and the place was packed. The place itself isn't very large and there's not many tables. We snagged the last (2) tables of 2 and the server converted it into a table for four. There was an extensive demographic for the clientele. There were young people, older people, college kids, families with small children, white people, south Asians and North Asians. (You get the point!) The bar area was a nice touch. For those who didn't want to wait for a table, they could opt for the bar seats and watch the bartenders create some yummy cocktails or check out the cooks on the right prepare their food in the open space kitchen. Our server brought us menu's right away. There were also specials posted on the chalkboard for seasonal drinks and cocktails. I went with the lychee vodka marini (there are two kinds), The martini was absolutely delicious! It wasn't too strong and the lychee flavor wasn't overwhelming. I also liked that it wasn't too sweet. As we starting drinking, more people started to arrive. It was a bit awkward because we were seated by the hostess station/entrance. As the wait started to accumulate, I felt like people were staring at us and listening in on our conversations. It wasn't a huge deal but it was just a little weird since every sentence comes out of my mouth contains profanity. For starters, we split the grilled corn, aranchini and crispy chicken baos. each plate came with 3-4 pieces but we were able to share among our group of 4. I LOVED EVERYTHING! The corn was a guilty pleasure, it was grilled and smothered with butter, panko and lime aioli (aka mayonnaise). The braised short rib and fontini cheese aranchini was soooo good! I loved the tender beef inside the fried balls of goodness. I prefer this fusion over any Italian version out there. Good bye ground beef, hello braised short rib! The steam bao's were on the pricey side ($7.00/8.00) for two pieces. Although they weren't the BEST that I have ever had, they were still good. I enjoyed the contrast with the crunchy chicken and the "pillowy" soft bun. I could probably imitate it and make it at home. We were getting kind of full from grazing on snacks and throwing back pumpkin beers all day but we had to try the ramen. Afterall, the restaurant is called 1981 Ramen Bar. Since the other 3 were getting ramen, I opted to change it up a bit. I went with the rice gnocchi bolognese. It was so good! it reminded me of sliced rice cakes topped with bolognese sauce.The portion was plentiful and I had leftovers to take home. My fellow diners were kind enough to let me try their ramen soup. The pork broth in the tonkotsu ramen was bold and full of flavor. I'm not surprised that it takes 48 hour to prepare the broth. I liked that you can customize the soup and do "add ons" for an extra couple of bucks. Those items included: marinated eggs, mushroom, corn, chicken and my favorite, the pork belly confit. The smoked chicken ramen featured a different broth and had smoked brick chicken, corn and pickled radish. Smoked chicken ramen The bill came out to about $ 120.00 for 4 drinks, 3 apps and 4 entrees. It's pricier than your typical Asian noodle eatery but the ambiance and menu is quite different. You pay for the experience. I don't think I'd be a regular but I'd definitely go back again. Service was really great! For pics, visit http://www.mami-eggroll.com/2015/10/1981-ramen-bar.html read more

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It's a good local ramen bar . My wife and I enjoy our food . We would definitely come back here . The service was good too .

Food was delicious and plentiful, server was friendly and accommodating, spicy was adjustable and mine was hot, the way I like it. Three stars because the window table we had was in desperate need of a good and thorough cleaning. The inside of the window had dried on soup splatter and the sill had hardened dried out noodles on it. The utensils needed to be sent back for additional cleaning, which they did without complaint. It's the little details like cleanliness that set apart fair restaurants from good ones. I hope management reads this and hires a cleaning crew to come in and doll up the place. read more

Not sure why this place doesn't have 4+ stars, but it's one of my favorite places to frequent in downtown Lowell. The chef/owner is awesome - he remembers us every time we are back and treats us with such hospitality. My favorite dishes are (in no particular order): 1)Brown butter rice stick gnocchi - an Italian classic turned on its head and better than most Italian versions 2)The "dry" octopus ramen - a super delicious and unique take on pad Thai 3)Smoked Chicken Ramen - my favorite of all the ramen bowls, they adjust the heat to your preference and the broth is mighty comforting You can't go wrong with any of the baos either - my kids are obsessed with the duck ones, especially. Drink list is on point - they have a fantastic lychee martini along with the white grape sake, specially brought in and will blow your mind if you are into white grape and/or sake. read more

This has been my favorite restaurant for years, I could eat the Smoked Chicken Ramen every day for the rest of my life. I like to get it spicy even though it burns my lips it's a flavorful party in my mouth (you can get it without spice too) The apps are delicious too, I enjoy the sweet and spicy cauliflower, the wings, and the dumplings. The duck boa is amazing. The menu is on the smaller side, but that's because everything on there is perfected! Also the vibes are immaculate, great music especially if your a Drake fan, and staff is always friendly. I wish this business all the success in the world and if they ever close I might die. True life of a ramen bar addict.. read more

1981 Ramen Bar - Smoked chicken ramen bowls, so beautiful... I'm drooling as I type this - Chicken Wings Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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To be fair, I haven't been since they had recently opened. The food was good enough, though the noodles lacked a chew factor... Kinda felt like thoroughly cooked angel hair pasta in my mouth; I like a thick and chewy ramen noodle. The pork belly bao was fine, but not exceptional. The presentation was beautiful, the atmosphere is hip. It's definitely worth stopping by. I've been meaning to go back, and I definitely will. I'll update when I do. read more