This definitely isn't our favorite Ramen spot in the city, but they do have good options. I love that you can make all the ramens as spicy as you want. If you're looking for a new place to try, it may be worth trying to see if it fits your flavor palette. read more

I have been wanting to try this place since I've moved into the neighborhood, and I finally did when my brother came into town. If you're a ramen enthusiast, this place is a must-try. The wait is daunting and we were told it would be 2-hours since there is limited seating. The clever arrangement allows you to wait upstairs at Green Meats, creating a unique and comfortable waiting experience. We weren't finished with our drinks upstairs and we were allowed to bring them down to finish it. There is only one vegetarian ramen option but it exceeded my expectations. Flavorful, satisfying, and a great choice for those looking for meat-free options. read more

High Five Ramen - Mushroom ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

In Chicago for a convention, and a friend recommended this place. I def walked by it because the door blended in with the wall. We had to wait an hour but it was worth it! I got the signature ramen, 1/2 spice. The waiter warned me that depending on the cook, the spice can be overbearing. I took that with a grain of salt, and all the naivety, and ordered it anyway. I should've listened. I like hot foods, but I went too much. The fact that the food actually tasted good, real good, but after a few bites, my tongue was numb haha. My friends got no spice and 1/4 spice and they enjoyed it very well. I would've fully enjoyed it. I tried but was about to sweat a lot. It's a great flavor, just be mindful of the heat. Go 1/4. And order the frozen drinks. Nice way to offset the heat. Ambience was low lit and had an excellent playlist going! I will come back when I return to Chicago! read more

High Five Ramen - Half Spice Special Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is located downstairs in Green Street Meats. You can grab a drink in Green Street while you wait to be seated. The restaurant is very small. There are only about 16 stools. If you do not like to sit at bar stools/a counter this is not the place for you. That is the only seating available. The tonkatsu ramen was good. I got the 1/4th spice and didn't find it to be very spicy, but it had good flavors. read more

High Five Ramen - Tonkatsu - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best ramen I've ever had, absolutely worth the wait time - take the spice warning seriously read more

High Five Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This is my favorite ramen spot in Chicago. I love the mushroom ramen and I don't even like mushrooms! The broth is tasty and I appreciate the amount of spice that can be added. The portions are huge and it's always great to have leftovers the next day. read more

High Five Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant is nice and the ambience is great. Its dark and laid back like a dungeon. The food is great.

Cozy ramen spot for a chilly Chicago evening! We arrived Saturday evening at around 5pm. Be prepared to wait 2-2.5 hours, but once you are seated, you will be treated with casual yet courteous service! There are only 4 ramen bowls to choose from, and only one option for vegetarian/vegan folks. I ordered the Mushroom Maitake bowl with Full spice (very spicy but really hits on a chilly day). In addition, the coconut drink tastes like a refreshing Piña colada! I highly recommend this place, but definitely make sure to plan to wait a few hours especially on a Saturday evening. It'll be well worth the wait! read more

See all

High anticipated with 3 hour waits! I think I had to question my life's choices by waiting this long for ramen. They're not joking either. Saturday nights in CHI-town are ridiculous. We did what everybody else did. Went upstairs and go absolutely wasted until our table was ready. If you're hungry you can just order some food at Green Street Meats to hold you over. There are warnings about not ordering the Kanabo spice. I ignored it and still made it out alive after all that numbing spice. Think of it as a Chinese chongqing style spicy hot pot with all the kernels. The pork brisket is the star of the show so getting the signature bowl with all the fixings is the right move here. You can alternatively try different options if you'd like. Was it worth the hype? Kinda sorta. I wouldn't wait 3 hours on my own. It was sort of a journey into this highly anticipated bowl of ramen. If I do come back it would be on a weekday before the peak dinner rush. I wouldn't recommend coming here on a Saturday night unless you put your name down at like 2pm. I had a matcha ice cream to wash it all down. Overall it was satisfying. The place is TINY. You can probably just order online, do a pickup and take your meal upstairs imo. I don't think it would be frowned upon, especially with all that communal seating available. You can also order a bunch of drinks while you're at it too. read more

If you're looking for a temporary escape, this is the perfect place to go! Loved the playlist & the vibes. The staff were so nice & the ramen was soooo good. I ordered the signature tonkotsu bowl, with quarter spice. The pork belly was heavenly. It just all came together--not too spicy at all. read more

High Five Ramen - Signature Bowl (Tonkotsu) - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

ramen for white ppl. the foundation of any good ramen bowl is a solid broth. in this one, all u can taste is chili read more

We tried this cozy ramen spot end of December last year. I been wanting to try this place because the idea is very similar to Ichiran ramen we had in New York. The place offers cute and intimate dinning experience. We were told an hour wait time since they have very few seating options, but we were seated within 15 mins. The ramen was decent. I'd give it a 3/5 compared to other ramen I've tried in the city. Left one is Maitake ramen with 1/2 spiced. It was very very spicy. It would have tasted better if the broth wasn't so oily. Right one is Shoyu ramen without pork belly with 1/4 spicy. It wasn't spicy enough so I asked for extra spicy on the side. read more

High Five Ramen - Maitake and shoyu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite ramen bowl in the city! Food is phenomenal. Full spice definitely is quite spicy so half spice or less recommend for first timers. I typically always go for the signature tonkotsu broth which is so velvety and savory and delicious and the noodles have the perfect chew. Pork belly adds that fatty richness as well. Drinks are fun whether you're looking for a boozy slushy or their sake offerings, but you can always grab a drink at Green Street smoked meats upstairs if you prefer. Staff is great and I've never had a bad experience at all. Always kind and fun to talk to in between noodle slurps especially if you're sitting at the bar. The towel they give you after the meal is always welcome as well especially if you're pushing the spice limit! Ambiance is so cool too! Dim lighting and dark wood in the basement of Green Street meats, always playing great music. Anything from friends to colleagues to date night high five is good for any occasion. Limited seating so it's best to come right when they open and be in that first rotation otherwise you can likely expect a wait. Absolutely a unique experience and nothing like a belly full of warm noodles on a cold Chicago evening! Highly recommend! read more

A speakeasy ramen bar? Yes we have those. The speakeasy vibe here is awesome and the service prompt. The ramen here is good but just not the best in town. I tried the mushroom ramen at the bar tender's recommendation and it was quite flavorful for not being a pork broth. I just wish it came with more than the mushrooms, scallions and egg and some sprouts. A little bok choy would have been great for color, texture and filler. I got a highball which was from a ready to drink can and surprisingly good. I'd go back for drinks again and may give their tonkatsu a try as well. read more

High Five Ramen - Mushroom Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Always a long wait... but is it worth it? ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 7/10 Truly a hole in the wall type of place, it's actually often pretty hard to find your way to here without knowing where it is before hand. It's located in this one wall in a West Loop plaza leading down a dark staircase to a tiny bar area that seats maybe 5 max. So that's why there's always a 2-3 hour wait. They cannot seat very many people at a time at all. This is an eclectic place, being in a weird darkened area off of a side wall. I am not sure how I feel about the whole thing. It's not a typical experience for a ramen bar, but it is unique, I give it that. SERVICE: 6/10 Service is not bad, but constantly having a 2-3 hour wait is a problem. Clearly supply is not meeting demand and that is just illogical. I cannot understand why they would not expand to meet the demand. Maybe artificial scarcity or whatever. For that, that detracts from the service. FOOD: 7/10 Tonkatsu Ramen - 7/10 - For all of that wait and hullaballoo, this was remarkably average as far as ramen goes. Was it bad? No. Was it remarkable? No. Worth the wait? Definitely no. Maitake Ramen - 7/10 - This was a little more unique of a ramen dish than the standard flair at most places with a nice miso broth and veggies, but once again, it was just average. VALUE: 5/10 For the cost and wait time, the food was average, but altogether, that makes this package below average. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 1/10 Unlikely to return. TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: Cannot recommend. With constantly long wait times and in the end an unfortunately average ramen dish, I cannot tell anyone to come here. This place did not live up to the hype. Go to Shinya Ramen for cheaper and better ramen. OVERALL: 5/10 read more

High Five Ramen - Maitake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

The entrance door is kind of hidden. It's part of the brick wall on the left when you walk towards Trivoli Tavern. It leads you downstairs into a small area that seats 14-16 people. My friend and I got there for dinner around 5:45pm on a Thu night with no wait. The service was fast too. We got our ramen in like 10 min after we ordered. We both got 1/4 spice for the tonkotsu ramen. I can tolerate spicy food in general so it was not too spicy. If you want spicy then get 1/2 spice. The guy next to me got the full spice and he was sweating up a storm. Lol. The ramen noodles had the perfect texture and chewiness, and the miso broth was tasty. It is a little more on the salty side, but everything else was so good. The sliced pork belly was SO GOOD. Tender, juicy, and fatty. Haha. It melts in your mouth! read more

High Five Ramen - Tonkotsu 1/4 spice - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place has a super cozy vibe and the service was fantastic. I got the tonkatsu ramen with 1/4 spice, the cold brew green tea, and matcha mochi. The beverage and dessert were delicious. The ramen noodles were thick and squishy. The pork belly was super tender and had great flavor. The bean sprouts and green onion were good. I wasn't the biggest fan of the broth with 1/4 spice. The flavor wasn't quite right for me. I also like to feel a little bit of spice, but couldn't feel the heat at all. So I ordered extra spice and liked it a lot more after that. I definitely will be coming back and getting the 1/2 spice! read more

I've eaten at a lot of ramen spots over the years and consider myself to be huge fan of it. I did not look up this spot before going, I wanted to select on my own terms when arriving. We had to wait 2.5 hours before we would be able to be seated, so my friend and I gave our number to be texted when our seat was ready. We walked around the general area, lots of local businesses and eateries. Ambiance: You go into a beautiful decorated ally, decorated with twinkling lights. You open a door and walk down some dimly lit stairs to reach the host booth for seating. I personally love this aesthetic, it's unique and fun. Especially if on a date, i feel it takes some pressure away that may be presented with bright fluorescent lighting. The host leads you into the ramen restaurant and seats you at the bar seating area. It's decorated uniquely and has such a cool vibe. Service: The bartenders/ servers were very kind and welcoming! They were fun and vibrant, even offering us a free shot and lots of information about items we had questions on. Food: Everything looks delicious from the drinks to the food items. It was so hard to decide what to choose one since they all sounded so good. For ramen so chose the High Five signature Ramen bowl. Which is a pork and miso broth served with sliced pork belly, ramen noodles, seasoned egg, black garlic oil, bean sprouts and fresh scallions. It was SO flavorful and savory. The ramen was perfectly cooked, the veggies nice and crisp, the broth was EVERYTHING, the pork belly so tender and well seasoned, the egg as well . I savored EVERY SINGLE BITE. Something about a cool night and a hot bowl of ramen that just makes everything better. I just want to stress here that I absolutely loved this ramen. It was such a large portion as well. The price was very very reasonable for what you get. Eventually I decides on drinks I wanted, since all options sounded good. I chose the Cherry Blossom Vodka slush and we also had some sake. The cherry blossom slush was so refreshing and flavorful. Every sip was savored. It was a perfect contrast to the savory umami ramen flavor. Overall: I cannot recommend this ramen restaurant enough. It was so enchanting and mesmerizing. I often think and dream about the perfect blend of flavors of the meal so had here. I cannot wait to go back and try other options. Until then, I hope you try it out for yourself. ‍‍‍ read more

High Five Ramen - High Five Signature Ramen bowl - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This place is my fave. I go here biweekly and wait 20mins- 2 hours for their delicious ramen. This place reminds me of being at a ramen counter in Japan- no frills, but delicious. Half spice is as hot as I'm willing to go. It's flavorful and just the right amount of spice. read more

High Five Ramen - Half Spice - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came with a friend 25 min before opening, there was already eight people ahead of us and we barely made to first seating! People who don't make it (place seats 12) have an expected wait of an hour while the first folks finish. AMBIENCE - 7/10 -- Underground basement with candles and bar seating, an intimate feel yet reminds me of a cyberpunk scene with mellow yet thudding bass from the speakers. QUALITY - 6/10 signature bowl 1/4 spice -- we both agreed the broth was rather salty, the egg halves were especially salty. the noodle tastes fairly standard, a bit tougher and didn't absorb or project flavor as much as I hoped. the pork was utterly forgettable, quite mediocre. it didnt possess much tenderness which was a shame since it would have been quite interesting with the unique broth taste. it may be a good meat, but doesn't work well with the soup where a tender piece would have been better. I did not detect the spice outside of big gulp of broth. after finishing the broth, the spice did leave a pleasant aftertaste in the back of my mouth SERVICE - 10/10 -- solid service with water pitches at the ready. ramen came fairly quick, 15 min after order. staff were very caring and considerate, they offered heated towels and candy to go with our bill. it was enjoyable watching the staff in the prep process of the food. VALUE - 5/10 -- $20 and a long wait for forgettable (salty) ramen. your time is likely more valuable than this OVERALL - 6/10 -- wait in line, then watch ramen prepped live in a dimly lit bar. the watching is more memorable than the eating. read more

High Five Ramen - Preparing the ramens - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Hidden below the market, High Five Ramen has an interesting take on the ramen. The ramen almost has a midwestern/southern taste in that the broth has a smokey taste to it. In addition, the ramen comes with a smokey brisket that is both tender and juicy. While I enjoyed the ramen, the spice does not mess around! Highly recommend people to get the 1/4 spice level--only people that can truly truly handle spice should go beyond that! My one complaint is that the music is a bit too loud, and so it is hard to have a conversation with those around you. Overall, delicious food and funky vibes. read more

High Five Ramen - High Five Bowl - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There are not a lot of seats, it's a tiny kitchen, and there's not really a sign outside but you'll find damn good ramen in the basement bar. The broth is delicious and the staff is very helpful. read more

High Five Ramen - Ramen with extra noodles - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not so low key spot anymore. Service is fast but it's a waitlist. best to go with only at most 3 people or kill some time by drinking somewhere close by. The ramen itself is interesting. I opted to get 1/4 spice and I think that's enough spice level to enjoy it while not dying from the meal. I remember getting 1/2 spice and I was sweating and crying lol. I like the meat portion and they serve a whole egg vs half an egg typically seen in other ramen shops. However the broth is more on the heavier side and I'm more of a clearer broth kind of guy. To each their own! read more

High Five Ramen - Special Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been hearing rave reviews about this place so I wanted to try it. I tried it tonight and it was giving speakeasy with the regular plain door with barely any markings on it. When you open the door and walk down it was DARK. Like going into catacombs lit by candles dark which was a bit creepy. My friend and I were jot sure if it was the right place until we saw at the bottom of the stairs was the hostess. It was tiny. Probably only able to fit like 10-15 people MAX. it was hard to see the menu or the food and it took a bit for our eyes to adjust. I got the tonkatsu signature ramen with half spice and it came and it was SALTY. My friend got the same and hers was SALTY too. I only ate the small amount of noodles and the meat and tried to add water to recover but it was no use. I will probably not go back again. read more

High Five Ramen - tonkatsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered the Tonkotsu with quarter spice and later on added more spice up to the full spice level because it wasn't spicy enough for me. The Ramen was really good! The broth was flavorful, there was enough pork belly slices in it. The noodles were the right texture, not too soft. Their serving size is huge, I could barely finish my ramen. The restaurant is very small, and it can't fit more than 20 people at once. We had some issues with their wait time system, and you have to be in the restaurant for less than 10 mins for your reservation or you lose your slot. It was extremely busy on a Sunday. Long wait times, so plan accordingly. read more

High Five Ramen - Tonkotsu - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a fun experience. I don't know if we got lucky but we got here soon after opening and there was a small line. You had to go in a hidden way. There's only about 16 seats inside so it's a very intimate setting. There's only a couple choices of ramen so it's pretty straightforward menu-wise. It seems to be more of an authentic ramen taste, was very good. Had the Shiyo with added bok choy. read more

See all

Hole in the wall Ramen. We ate at another ramen spot while in Chicago and it did not compare to this place at all. We both ordered the go to ramen 1st one on the menu. The broth is very rich and flavorful if I'm not mistaken they let it brew over night. I added talking mushrooms to mine and was a great add on. We also got the painkiller drink it was on the expensive side but worth a shot. And ordered a matcha dessert was very tasty as well. It opens at 4 and people will be waiting outside as early as 3pm. Limited seating but very fast service and food time. I'd give this the best ramen spot in Chicago as of right now. read more

High Five Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Service was good, our server was really nice and they do warn you about the spice, but what they don't say is that it's just all chili flakes. You honestly are better off using the chili oil provided table-side. The spice wasn't crazy but even getting 1/2 spice is just eating a spoonful of chili flakes at a time. The pork belly and other toppings were AMAZING it was just hard to tell for the broth cuz all I could taste was the chili flakes. Noodles were perfect tho. The environmental was chill, loved the vibes. It was a really intimate seating and all of the staff is super nice and welcoming. Will probably come back but get 1/4 spice at most. read more

Whether you're a ramen connoisseur or a newbie looking to try out Japanese comfort food, High Five Ramen is a must-visit! I ordered the maitake ramen (mushroom miso broth - vegetarian) with 1/2 spice and it was bursting with flavor. The noodles had the perfect chewiness, and the assortment of toppings (bean sprouts, crispy maitake mushrooms, scallions, black garlic) added good texture. Next time, I will definitely try full spice. The chili crisp available on the counter also adds great spice and flavor to the ramen. The welcoming staff along with the cozy ambiance created a great atmosphere in the restaurant. The only downside? No reservations and the wait can be quite long but trust me, every minute spent in line is worth it! Walked in around 7pm on a Friday night and had a 45 minute wait (was expecting longer). We walked around and got drinks at a nearby spot in West Loop until our table was ready and the timing worked out perfectly. If you're a ramen lover like me, be sure to give high five ramen a visit! You won't be disappointed. read more

This was such a cute, intimate spot under Sawada coffee. We got there about 3:30 because e knew that there would be limited spots and that they opened at 4pm. My party of 5 got in immediately as they opened. We all tried every type of ramen and they were all good. The noodles are definitely top notch and I love how the sodium was not too much. I didn't add spice to mine but my friends added 1/2 spice and it was definitely delicious! This place was so cute and intimate. I would recommend going here for a date and to definitely come early! We passed the time by grabbing some coffee! read more

See all

After multiple attempts at coming here (and failing because the line was too long) I finally made it with only a 30 min wait (at 4pm on a Wednesday). Like the reviews say, it's super intimate. Mostly bar seating with a couple high tops against the back wall. The darkness takes a few minutes to adjust to. They recommend first timers to get the signature bowl which is a pork based broth with pork belly, egg, bean sprouts and green onions. There are multiple add ons that you can include for an extra cost (extra noodles, extra egg, extra pork belly, bok choy, mushrooms, you get the idea). There are a few spice levels to choose from- no spice, quarter, half, full and kanobo (from least spicy to spiciest). I did the half spice and it was a perfect amount of spicy (not too hot) but I felt as if the spice almost masked the flavor of the broth. I think you'd actually get a better broth flavor with the no spice. The broth is super salty and rich (definitely the kind to make you puffy the next day). The spice itself comes from the chili that they put on. The highlight was honestly the pork belly. Possibly the best pork belly in ramen that I've ever had. It was buttery, melt in your mouth, and so so flavorful. I would buy the pork belly to go if possible. I'm not sure if I would come back again just purely because of the wait during normal dinner hours. It was good, but not good enough to warrant such a long wait. If they ever change their menu I'd consider trying the new items! But if I ever do want it, they do do takeout so it's nice having that option. read more

High Five Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Amazing service. Little bit on the pricy side, I believe I payed $30 including tip but definitely worth it. Food and experience made it all the while read more

High Five Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

High Five Ramen is an American take on ramen, so if you're looking for something traditional, go elsewhere. I was recommended this spot by a colleague of mine who lives in the mid west, but I should've known better when he didn't know the difference between ramen and pho. The broth is extremely smokey because they get their meat from the American BBQ spot upstairs. And because their pork belly comes from the BBQ spot, it's not the chasiu you would find in a typical tonkotsu ramen. These are thick slabs of pork belly if that's your jam. The broth was really salty, so overall it made my ramen a little difficult to finish. The ramen noodles,though, are nice and springy. I can't comment on the ambiance or service since I ordered this for delivery since the wait was too long, but I definitely would not wait hours for this. I'm glad I tried it, but I'll probably keep my ramen eating to back home in Los Angeles. read more

I came here with some friends on a Friday night and there was a 2 hour wait. With the little seating and lot of hype, I wasn't too surprised. We ended up sitting upstairs at Green Street Smoked Meats and having a couple drinks while waiting - definitely made the time go by faster. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen with no spice. It was pretty good and I'm glad I finally got to try High Five, but I'm not sure I would come back if the wait is two hours every time. read more

High Five Ramen - Tonkotsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

High five used to be our go to place when we wanted ramen. However we've noticed the quality and flavor of the broth have been very unstable. Sometimes it would be too salty with not body, and sometimes it would be sweeter than usual. We really loved the unique taste.. but it seems like a gamble each time lately in what we will be getting. read more

Loved the atmosphere and the music as well, kind of reminded me of a game called coffee talk. I ordered a shio ramen and it was DELISH, I highly recommended it here and I am going to visit again :3 read more

High Five Ramen - Shio ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Got takeout from here and it was well packaged. The mitake ramen was filled with flavor and they did not skimp out on the toppings. I got the full spice and it truly was full spice. Very cool location -- it is underground. read more

Great experience. Food was amazing with meat sourced from Green Street above. Go 1/4 hot max if you're not big into spice. Was as good as 1 Star Michelin place in Tokyo in my opinion and quality of meat made it better. read more

WORTH THE WAIT! Hands down some of the best ramen in the entire city. Tucked away off the beaten path in the basement of green city meats, waited over two hours to indulge in the flavorful goodness of this 16 bar seating establishment. Menu is super simple, they only serve 4 types of ramen, nothing else. And Believe me, that's completely acceptable when they do what they do so so well. Had the signature ramen, with full spice. You pick your ramen, then you pick your spice, add a few extras if you wish. Cocktail and beverage menu, they also serve two frozen slushee options. Hipster, laid back, very little talking, just lots of slurping!! May be back too many times to count!!!! read more

See all

I feel like this place is super overrated. I didn't like the ramen. I felt like it was too subtle for me and I love my big flavors. The ambience and service is amazing, but I think because the food was just so disappointing, I wouldn't come back. read more