Another amazing experience at Nikka! We were seated right away and our server immediately greeted us and made sure we knew they temporarily stopped serving sushi. That was no problem for us because we were craving a chashu bowl and some chicken karaage! This was different from other chashu bowls I've had. This one was more balanced with fibrous ingredients like apples and lettuce. It was amazing regardless! I can't wait to come back again! read more

See all

Had an awesome meal at Nikka Ramen with my dad during a weekend trip to Santa Barbara. This has been one of our go to ramen spots for years, and it never disappoints. The tonkotsu ramen is the star. I always get the Kuro with the black garlic oil, which is hands down my favorite. The broth is incredibly thick, rich, and full of flavor. You can really tell the quality of the pork and the care that goes into the broth every single time. My dad usually goes for the classic tonkotsu with garlic, and it is just as solid and comforting. I always add extra pork, corn, scallions, a little spice, and extra black garlic oil. That black garlic oil takes it to another level with this smooth, garlicky, creamy depth that is unreal. Portions are generous for the price, which makes it even better. Service was excellent. Our server was friendly, attentive, and quick, from taking our order to refilling our drinks. We felt taken care of the whole time. If you are in the Santa Barbara area and looking for a reliable, high-quality ramen spot with amazing broth and great service, this place is an easy recommendation. read more

See all

Best ramen I have ever had hands down I've had so much ramen recently and nothing compares to Nikka You need to go like seriously The pork shoulder was so insanely good and the portions are insane! I had to summon all my energy to finish my bowl and oh my how it was worth it I wish I lived in Santa Barbara so I could go here everyday! Thank you Nikka for changing my life read more

Nikka Ramen - Shoyu - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

A solid ramen place in Goleta! We came for lunch and they tried their best to make a big table for our group with 3 kids. Inside is spacious, bright, and clean. My Kuro ramen was really flavorful and filled to the bowl brim. I had a ton of toppings and pork shoulder (which was super tender and flavorful)!! The thick noodles were well cooked and went well with the broth. Everyone else's bowls were big and packed with meat/noodles/toppings/etc. Price is decent for what you get too! Overall, this is a great place to fulfill your ramen cravings if you're in the area! read more

Nikka Ramen - Black Garlic "Kuro" - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Update: 5 years later.... The place is still awesome. My new favorite is the recently added cold shoyu ramen. It used to be seasonal for summer only but they extended it as a permanent menu item. So good, and the staff are super friendly. I had a professor from Japan visit a few years ago for a 3 month sabbatical and he said this is the only good ramen place in SB or Goleta. read more

Yea this place is a solid ramen spot. Always get the Kuro ramen with the tasty short rib beef and I add a jammy egg. The broth is thick and rich. The noodles were chewy. The egg was perfectly cooked, marinated and jammy. read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Get the classic standard ramen on the menu Ramen broth is brewed over a day They legit have a guy whose only job is to worry about the broth This is like sixteen dollars you may think that is pricey But for it to be the best ramen in Santa Barbara so that's what you are getting You are going to get the best ramen in the county The sushi for appetizers is amazing too so don't be afraid to do that The pork is really good too read more

Nikka Ramen - Curry Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Insane food. Super delicious and great service would go back. Ambiance pleasant too!

Nikka Ramen was one of the first place in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area to start serving authentic ramen. My goto here is the shoyu ramen. Normally, it is savory, clean tasting, and I liked the thick noodles more than the thin noodles in the tonkotsu ramen. I don't know what happened today. It was super salty, one dimensional, and lacked the deep chicken flavor of their normal shoyu ramen. I am hoping that this is a one time thing and not because they cut corners and ruin a good product. read more

Nikka Ramen - Sushi menu - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Genuinely some of the best food I've had in Santa Barbara, and the staff is so friendly and attentive too!! I got the spicy tonkotsu ramen with thick noodles and it was perfect. So rich, flavorful, and savory with a hefty amount of toppings for every bite! The chashu bowl was also perfect -- smoky, caramelized pieces of pork belly on fluffy rice. Seriously so satisfying. This is for sure going to be a go-to stop whenever I'm in town! read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Service was not as good this visit. The main room was almost full and the server just told us to go find a seat in the other room. He didn't lead us or point into any direction, nothing. We just sat wherever and luckily a server came over without having to wait too long to order. I tried the tonkatsu ramen with the pork belly this time. I do NOT recommend the pork belly. For some reason they crisp up each of the just 2 slices of pork belly to the point where each slice is over cooked. It was tough to eat. Stick with the pork shoulder. Tried the chicken karage I don't recommend either. It was chicken thigh cut into small pieces and over fried until it was dry and tough to eat. I wondered why they served with a vinegar sauce and not the typical mayo. I understood when I ate a piece as the chicken was way too salty. This visit I would give just 2 stars, but 3 averages out my two visits. read more

See all

Located in a small shopping center, nice little eatery, I stopped in for dinner. I had the small Chashu bowl, it was perfect and filling. The apple salad gave it a bit of sweetness to balance the saltiness. read more

Nikka Ramen - Small Chashu bowl - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Great ramen and Japanese food overall. Negatives: -price, the prices are a little higher which is common in Santa Barbara area. They do offer smaller sizes for the rice bowls, which still give you great value to portion size. Additionally the other ramen place in this area is more expensive and unjustified. For the portion sizes I wouldn't count this against them. Though for those more sensitive with money, I will leave this here. Positives: -taste, the ramen is excellent. I would say I like it almost as much as ramen nagi. I got the spicy tonkatsu ramen. What stood out for me were the thick noodles. These noodles are preferred as they are very good at holding on to the broth. The pork shoulder was very tender and the protein portion was very generous. We also got a small pork belly bowl, and the small poke bowl. They were both good, my wife loved the pork belly bowl, the pork was crispy and had tons of flavor. The bun sampler was also great. -service, quick and responsive -ambiance, modern and had a Japanese charm Overall 5/5 Next time we visit Santa Barbara we'll be looking to go here again read more

See all

ONE OF THE BEST RAMENS I HAVE EVER HADDDD!!! so flavorful and delicious and hit the spot on a cold night! I LOVE ramen and this place was SOOO quick and SOOO yummy and fresh! I could have drinkin the broth on its own! love this place and want to go back ASAPPPP!! I had the veggie ramen by the way with a side of chili oil! read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

We were welcomed at the door and seated immediately to a busy a delightful dining room. Even with all their well tasty dishes, the TONKOTSU RAMEN ORIGINAL BLACK GARLIC "KURO" stood out to me. You have a choice of noodle thickness and cut of meat. I chose think and the pork shoulder. The ramen also comes with a nice complement of vegetables too. The ramen was served not long after ordering, it was surprisingly quick. The taste and smoothness of the broth was just right. Not too heavy and a depth of flavor. The noodles had just the right bite that added to my enjoyment. The ramen is a generous portion with a great amount of meat that filled the bowl. I know everyone will enjoy their meal as much as I did, maybe more. read more

Nikka Ramen - TONKOTSU BLACK GARLIC "KURO" RAMEN with spinach. This bowl is with pork belly. - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

The Tonkatsu was so good! A lot of flavor and they are very generous with the amount of protein they give. The Poke bowl with salmon and tuna was fresh (and I'm picky) and the additional of diced apples and corn was an interesting ingredient, but it added a nice touch of flavor!! The small was the perfect size! Super friendly staff and clean restaurant is a definite plus!! Come check out Nikka Ramen if you're in the Santa Barbara area!! It's worth some ramen, especially on a chilly day!! read more

Nikka Ramen - Poke Bowl - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Overall: A // 5 stars Obviously, Nikka Ramen is known for their ramen in which their broths are carefully cooked through the night to develop an intensely rich Tonkotsu. However, what I realized during my time in Santa Barbara was that there are some hidden gems on their menu that are even more show stopping than their ramen, like their Poke Salad. Recently, when I came back for a weekend getaway, I noticed they had upgraded their menu with an entire sushi section with some truly unbeatable prices on special cuts. Highly recommend Nikka Ramen as a chill spot to grab some really good food at some really competitive prices. Sunday night at 8p had no line too!! (Poke Salad: S) - This remains one of my favorite salads in Santa Barbara. At the same price as a regular fast casual poke place, this bowl is just a harmonious medley of fresh and vibrant flavors; we have a salad filled with corn, apples, and the sesame dressing for some sweet and umami; there's marinated salmon on top of a bed of rice for saline and comfort. This dish is just so well thought out, that you can clearly taste that they took every opportunity they could to elevate the flavor profile and make it that much more special. (Uni Sashimi: A) - Incredibly generous serving of uni for only $24 with maintained freshness; this is cheaper than when I went to the fish market downtown or the fisherman's wharf to buy uni directly, and it comes fully cleaned and plated too! This is definitely the place to have Santa Barbara uni. Food: +1 Presentation: E Price: +2 Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +1 Overall: 5 stars Insta/Beli/Yelp/TikTok: @amei_eats read more

See all

This is one of the spots I absolutely NEED to stop by whenever I'm in sb!!! The interior is pretty clean and spacious and the service is good. Also, the portions are huge. Spicy tuna crispy rice- 9/10 soooo yummy and there's so much spicy tuna on there!! For some reason ramen places have the best spicy tuna crispy rice like even better than sushi restaurants sometimes. Spicy ramen with thick noodles- 7.5/10 also delicious!! I think this is absolutely the best ramen I've ever had in Santa Barbara. I don't love it as much as I used to since moving back to Orange County, but I still think it's very solid ramen and is super tasty nonetheless. I also added broccolini to mine, and was expecting fried or roasted ones, but it was just steamed which threw me off a bit since it was really tough. Overall, I think it's great and nostalgic and I will definitely be visiting every time I visit sb!! read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Got the coral garlic bowl within noodles - very good. Quick service. Very nice rich broth and the pork shoulder was excellent.

The best Ramen I've ever had in my life - - and I grew up in Hawaii so I have had plenty. The broth is outstanding very flavorful and cooked over 24 hours so that it's creamy. We both had the spicy version which was very spicy. I had homemade thick noodles; my husband had thin noodles, and both were excellent. Highly recommend trying this place. read more

It was my first time and the broth was delicious. I will be returning. I was in a hurry and without requesting my order be expedited. I was served within 10 min of my arrival. read more

Nikka Ramen - Tonkotsu - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

This ramen was really tasty! I definitely would recommend this place if you're craving ramen in the area! This is a cute little ramen shop. I got my food pretty quickly and the service here is great. I really enjoyed the broth, very rich which is what I prefer. The pork belly was nice an tasty, great texture, the cuts were a lot thicker than what I was expecting. I liked the thick noodles they offer here too. read more

Nikka Ramen - Kuro - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

i usually don't leave reviews unless i'm blown away but this place did not disappoint. i've never had good ramen before since the idea of wet noodles in watery broth never sounded appetizing to me. im also vegetarian, so the appeal of high quality meats and broths doesn't apply to me either. but when i ordered the veggie ramen i was completely blown away by how amazing it was. the broth was super thick, creamy, and flavorful. i couldn't get enough of it. i asked to swap the thin noodles for "sb craft ramen noodles" which was an excellent choice since the noodles were delicious! while i wish the tofu had been marinated or something since it was a little bland and i wish the tomato had been cooked a little, i couldn't complain because everything else was so good it made up for it! nikka didn't skimp out on toppings either. as i was eating my noodles i told my boyfriend, "i can't get enough of this broth!" and he replied, "i've never seen someone complain about not being skimped out of ingredients" so yes, my veggie ramen was the star of the show. i can't say how my boyfriend's ramen tasted since he eats meat and i wasn't able to try it, but it seemed like he was super happy. i did order him a side of extra meat since he has a big appetite. he got both pork shoulder and pork belly, and he loved them both. the service was good, our waitress was super helpful in helping us choose what to order. it was pretty busy (we came around 6pm on a saturday) but were seating within 5 minutes of arriving. overall a wonderful experience and we will be coming back!! read more

Nikka Ramen - veggie ramen, Shiro ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

My family loves Nikka Ramen. We love the Ramen and all of the food. My kids even love Nikka Ramen.

One of my favorite restaurants in the goleta/santa barbara area. I usually get the ramen here because it's so good, but this time decided to switch it up and get the pork belly charshiu bowl. The food was a really good portion for the price and the service is always amazing. Always a comfort spot for me with nice and chill vibes. Would always recommend! read more

Nikka Ramen - small pork belly bowl - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

What a pleasant and satisfying spot for when you're craving Japanese food in Goleta! Nikka Ramen is apart of a local establishment group that provides delicious and high quality food in the area! Whether you are craving ramen, sushi, or something new, they have exactly what you need. My boyfriend and I headed here for dinner around 6 pm and the place was quite busy! The restaurant can seat about 50 people I'd say, and it was full! We didn't have to wait though, since it was just us two, and we're seated and assured quick. The staff were very nice and helpful! We began the meal with the chashu pork buns and both got their spicy tonkotsu ramen for our main course. The pork buns were ok. The chashu was great and super tender, but the bao was soggy and the dish was overall quite sweet. We didn't prefer the addition of caramelized onions in this dish. Next time we would pass on this. The ramen was the star of the show. You have the choice of thin traditional noodles of thick craft noodles, and either pork belly or pork shoulder. I got thin noodles and pork belly, while my boyfriend got thick noodles and pork shoulder. 24 hour cooked broth, fresh noodles, tender meat, what else could you ask for? The broth was incredibly rich and flavorful, creamy almost. It perfectly coated the noodles. The noodles themselves were nice and chewy! The pork belly was greatly cooked, the fat melts in your mouth while the meat is bit through like butter. I loved it!! My boyfriend loved the thick noodles. They're the thickness of chow mein, but taste like a traditional ramen noodle. The pork should was super tender as well and flavorful. This ramen was nicely spicy, just enough to enhance the eating experience! So so good! Nikka Ramen is great! It has always been reliable and the ramen is so great. You have to stop by if you haven't already!!! read more

See all

Always such a treat to visit Nikka Ramen. Decided to try something new for me today. Tsekumen w/chicken. Sooo delish! Perfect for a warm day. Service was great. Seated quickly, service was quick and food came out lighting fast. read more

See all

Overall the meal was super delicious!!! The small bowl was super filling my choice of meat was pork. Staff were super friendly. When I got there it wasn't too loud but quickly got packed and for a good reason. The sauce in the bowl was delicious and I could not put down the pork. Rice stuck together and I would definitely go back on a hungrier day and grab a larger bowl. read more

Nikka Ramen - Small Chashu Bowl - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

We decided to give this place a try based on the Yelp reviews, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a very disappointing experience. It was overrated. We arrived around 7:00 PM, and the restaurant was getting busy, which gave us hope that the food would be good. Sadly, that wasn't the case. We ordered their spicy ramen -- but the broth was overwhelmingly salty and greasy. None of us were able to finish our portions. We ended up spending nearly $200, not including gratuity, for 7 people and it felt like a complete waste. Definitely not the dining experience we were expecting. read more

Nikka Ramen - Spicy Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

About 10 minutes from the UCSB campus, this place did not disappoint. Staff was really friendly and we were seated right away. Prices are reasonable and portions were very generous. Here is what we had: *Gyoza - standard crispy pot stickers *Side salad - this was a stunner! Came with fresh apples, corn, tomato's, avocado and more. Dressing was perfection! *spam Musubi - it's a Musubi, need I say more? *Tonkatsu - creamy fatty broth perfection. Good flavor and had a good ratio of meat to noodles. *pork belly bowl - tender well-seasoned meat with all the fixings. read more

See all

Really delicious. We were seated asap and got our ramen within minutes of ordering. Staff is friendly and efficient. Tonkatsu ramen with garlic base - really good! I'm not a huge garlic person but my husband enjoyed it Curry ramen- even better. You can tell it's the S&B golden curry sauce base (which I love).I really loved my ramen and was overall well executed. In both: noodles were great. Ramen egg was good but a little cold. The PORK BELLY IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! Best pork belly ever!!! Like that alone could be an appetizer!! I've had ramen in Japan and all over CA. The #1 stop for ramen is tajima in San Diego, however Nikka would definitely be up there in the ranks. I appreciated that the portions weren't crazy big and well priced. I liked the sweet little touch of unique flavored hi-chew with our check. Overall this is a really good ramen place and I would definitely return. Def want to try their pork shoulder bowl read more

See all

I've never finished a whole bowl of ramen before until I went to this place! The tonkotsu ramen was delicious! I highly recommend getting the ramen with pork belly-- it was very juicy and soft! They also served our food fast- I waited maybe 10 minutes or less after I ordered my food read more

Nikka Ramen - Tonkotsu Ramen (Black Garlic "Kuro") with pork belly - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

We had a long day from traveling from Cambria and exploring Santa Barbara, so after checking into our nearby hotel, we decided to stay close and choose something across the street since we were starving. Restaurant is huge and very clean. Decor is cute and ambience is chill. Service was great and quick. We had our food in no time. Our waiter was great and let us know the favorites that everyone likes to order. We ended up on getting the chicken kaarage, gyoza, and ramen. I usually love karaage but there wasn't anything special with this one because it was still yummy. The gyoza was soft and rich in flavor. Our ramen, was even better. I would have to say that everything was on the saltier side but that was expected. Portions are huge so maybe sharing is good if you are not too hungry or have a small appetite. This place is great for groups and also for happy hour. If I am ever in the area again, I may need to stop by again to try out the other popular dishes like the Spam Musubi. read more

We were seated very quickly and the staff were very helpful. The interior was well lit and had many tables. One thing to note is that parking in the area is a bit tight. Chashu Bowl: 5/5 - very filling, nice combination of flavors Shoyu Ramen: 4.5/5 - 3 pieces of pork belly! Broth was a little salty though Chicken Karaage: 4/5 - not too salty, pretty good portion as well read more

See all

Came in from out of town to visit Santa Barbara and decided to try out Nikka Ramen! The restaurant is pretty big and the service is pretty fast! The broth is not too salty and the portion sizes are really decent. The parking is a bit hard but you can always try searching behind the stores as well. I like the flexibility for a vegan option as well. Their spicy option is not that spicy but it has enough to give a small kick. The environment is pretty solid, nothing to write home about though. One small complaint I had is that when we were eating our food we ended up finding a desiccant ball in our food :( which kind of ruined the eating experience. But maybe it will be better quality controlled next time. We reported it to the server and they said they would do something about it but nothing actually happened haha. Overall probably I would come back but I have some trust issues with this place... read more

This is my favorite ramen place in all of SB and Ventura county. Their service is fast and food is always on point. They do get quite busy so be sure that you get here with all your party members and they will seat you. I always go for the Tonkutsu Ramen with thick noodles and add corn. I also appreciate that they have both pork AND chicken broth for my friends that dont eat pork. I love the meat choices for ramen, I personally always go with pork shoulder. The parking can be difficult so I'd recommend to carpool or uber so you don't have to fight for parking. read more

A solid ramen place for the area with great toppings from the chashu to the egg. Disappointed that an egg is not included in the bowl but that seems to be standard around Santa Barbara and Goleta. They've gotten pricier over the years but so has everything else. Their Aka Ramen is not really spicy but the flavor is quite good so this is my usual order when I go here. I do think Sachi Ramen has more flavorful broth but Nikka Ramen is much more convenient for me to get to. I actually think that they also have great non-ramen options as well. Their chashu bowl and poke bowl are well priced, filling, and delicious. I recommend getting a poke bowl with a side of chashu. Also, their takeout is extremely well packaged and it's easy to order. A solid option if you don't want to go to the restaurant to eat. read more

Great ramen spot, probably the best in Santa Barbara, definitely from what I've tasted. Their broth is rich, creamy, porky, everything you could want in a tonkatsu broth. Paired with some great quality toppings, and thick egg noodles, delicious. I love how they also have a japanese supermarket you could visit after to shop all sorts of goods from japanese foods to japanese kitchen utensils. Great especially for a place like Santa Barbara where there aren't a lot of options. read more

Nikka Ramen - Spicy Tonkatsu - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Delicious ramen with a cozy ambiance. Tried their curry ramen with pork shoulder and it was so tender, and broth was rich. Their gyoza was also yummy! read more

Nikka Ramen - Curry Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Food was amazing! My server Elijah was knowledgeable, funny, and the food arrived perfectly on time. Definitely would come back!