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    OBA Noodle Bar

    4.4 (121 reviews)
    ModerateNoodles, Desserts, Ramen
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM

    OBA Noodle Bar Photos

    OBA NOODLE BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - OBA Noodle Bar

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    Helen S.

    The food is amazing and fresh. They have great options to choose from. The service is speedy and the ambiance is great. Right in downtown Exeter!

    OBA Ramen - A bowl of ramen contains slices of grilled pork, a halved soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk, shredded cabbage, corn, and a sheet of nori seaweed. The broth appears rich and flavorful, with various toppings arranged neatly. The bowl is placed on a colorful tablecloth with plates and glasses visible in the background, indicating a dining setting.
    Damien K.

    Came here for lunch. There was no wait to be seated and our host was nice. Went with one of the chicken appetizers and the OBA Ramen for main course. Ambiance of the restaurant was nice, quiet, and allowed for good conversation. Having done ramen quite frequently I'm probably becoming more demanding on my expectations. The ramen itself was fine. It was not bad but also not very memorable. Not a bad option if you are looking for ramen in the area given very limited choices, I also wouldn't be going massively far out of my way to come back.

    Nam Daeng !!! So good!!!! - A black bowl of noodle soup features tofu cubes, chopped green onions, cilantro, and cooked noodles submerged in broth. A black spoon rests inside the bowl, and orange chopsticks are placed on the side. The bowl is on a checkered tablecloth with a pink and white pattern, and part of a plate is visible in the background.
    Laramie D.

    Second time back! First time was in 2019, back in Exeter visiting family. Was so excited to find this place! Back again and we were very happy to see the Noodle Bar survived! And the food was delicious! My wife had the Thai soup and I had the Nam Deang soup! Perfect on a cold New Hampshire day! Nady and Ruby were excellent too!!! Thank you! We will be back!

    Jaimielyn B.

    With the cooler weather, I was definitely in the mood for something broth-based. This one place definitely hit the spot just right. First and foremost, please know that if there is crab rangoon to be had, I will have it. This was the first in looooong time that wasn't just a cream cheese wonton; it actually had crab! I would have filled up on just these alone. Though we also ordered the scallion pancake, which was also delicious. I got the Wonton and Egg Noodles. If I lived near this place and needed something hot and straightforward while under the weather, it would be this. The wontons were delicious and the clear broth was a great base to spice up with some chili oil. There was also plenty of it that I had leftovers! The prices were reasonable and the service was great. I'm so happy I chose this place for lunch and will definitely return when I'm back in the area.

    Beef pho
    Cristal C.

    I have all good things to say about this place! Great location with limited parking but you will find a spot nearby. Cute restaurant with great service! & everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing! I ordered a hot tea & a beef pho bowl. I highly recommend stopping in and trying this spot! I had to order a bowl to go also it was so good! There's nothing in the area that gets close to this quality & I'm grateful to have a great spot to visit for that pho/ ramen craving!

    Vegetable Dumplings - A black round plate contains eight fried vegetable dumplings, arranged in a semi-circle, garnished with sliced green onions. A small stainless steel bowl filled with soy sauce is placed on the plate. The plate is on a pink and white checkered tablecloth, with a glass of dark beverage and a decorative plate visible in the background.

    The vegetable dumplings and crab rangoon were amazing. The crab rangoon was made in house with fresh crab and a lot of it.

    BBQ Pork Sen Pak
    Michael R.

    Who doesn't love a good bowl of Ramen or an awesome noodle dish? This place has it covered with a modern take on classic Thai dishes. I've been here several times now, and lots of takeout during the height of the pandemic, and the food/service is consistently good. I like to start with the shrimp chips, some of the biggest and tastiest I've ever had. Ramen, Dang Dang noodles are all good. Tonight I tried the BBQ Pork Sen Pak which was really tasty. I really need to visit more often and work deeper into the menu as everything I see coming out of the kitchen looks great. Plenty of good choices in Exeter, so be sure to put this on the list when in town.

    View from restaurant
    Kristan S.

    Some of the best ramen I have had in New Hampshire. Quality broth! Service was 10/10. I got a boba tea and a duck dish as well and couldn't be happier. Also got a cute little treat after as a "merry Christmas" from the staff. The decoration is light, fun, but also warm and cozy. I had never been to Exeter before and, it is not close for me, but I will definitely go there again for the cute downtown and the great food at Oba!

    Chive cakes (vegan)
    Kellyanne L.

    I had the chive cakes. So good! I love how they have so many items for vegans! We will definitely be back!

    Ramen
    Olga S.

    Super delicious soup, but quite spicy! We've gotten takeout twice, and the first time we tried medium spicy (and we have quite the tolerance) and it was very intense. The ramen and beef noodle soups are my favorites. The takeout is preserved very well as they separate the liquid from the solids. Will continue to order from here!

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    1 year ago

    Best Ramen in the area. The Duck Noodle Soup is also delicious. Also, the staff are so nice it makes it such an enjoyable experience.

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    1 year ago

    Great food and service. Recommend this small but friendly restaurant located in Exeter New Hampshire.

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    1 year ago

    Tom yum soup is heavenly!!! Amazing staff-they are always so kind!!! Cozy ambiance-typically on the quiet side.

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    2 years ago

    Great soup. Got takeout, don't know much about the inside atmosphere. Good food at least

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Nuttaya S.

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    3 years ago

    Delicious drunken noodle bowl with udon noodles. Cozy space, quick friendly service and in middle of beautiful Exeter.

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    3 years ago

    Love the food and everyone is so friendly. We can't get enough of the pad Thai. Thank you!

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    3 years ago

    Our favorite lunch spot! The service was amazing and the food piping hot! What a special gem in the heart of Exeter!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - OBA Noodle Bar

    Do they offer any GF options?

    Yes, three mains.

    Do they have good vegetarian options?

    Yes

    View All 3 Questions

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    Momoyo Ramen - Chili Ramen

    Momoyo Ramen

    (49 reviews)

    $$

    I found this place through Yelp and decided to come here for lunch after seeing the photos of the…read moreramen. It's relatively small (only about ten seats) and at the time, only two people were working. It took a little bit for the food to come out (my dad was able to go order a coffee at Coffee Break Cafe next door and bring it back before our orders came out) but the portions were perfect for our lunch and my dad really enjoyed his! The noodles are dropped off on the bar for you to pick up and you grab your own chopsticks as well. We ordered the Chili Ramen (tonkotsu with chili oil on top) and the Shoyu Ramen, both with pork as the protein. The cook on the egg was great (nice and gooey in the center and the white was nice and soft) but it was a little cold and lacked flavor (could've been marinated for longer?). The pork was a nice cut of meat but despite being blowtorched it was a little chewy and lacked a bit of flavor also. The lack of marination on these toppings was helped by the fact that the broth was great and flavorful and if you ate them with the broth and noodles, it was satisfying! I think the broth was the best part; I tried both of them and enjoyed drinking the broth by itself even without eating the noodles with it. Overall, I thought the ramen was OK (the soup was the best part!) but for the price and portion I think this is a nice place to stop by for lunch! My dad enjoyed it a lot and was impressed by the authenticity for an American establishment.

    Not the best ramen . Took the classic ramen. Bowl was full but there was a bitter taste in the…read morepork sauce. Ambiance was a bit strange. Person at the counter was scratching under his armpits and was the same guy who prepare the food.

    Akita Ramen - Black garlic tonkotsu ramen

    Akita Ramen

    (90 reviews)

    $$

    HIGHLY RECOMMEND! The food is AMAZING and on point! I always get the tonkatsu ramen with extra…read moremarinated eggs. The broth is delicious, the eggs are perfectly marinated and soft boiled. They have so many toppings you can choose from. Great variety! The service is quick and efficient. The ambiance makes you feel like you are in Japan. The moment you walk in there are high top seats at the window, and a lot of small tables. The walls are decorated with Japanese ads and artworks. They have 2 television screens: 1 with anime playing and 1 with a Japanese style pbs station (showing cooking, travel, etc...). They fill up quickly but it just goes to show you how many people love it! You can do take out orders or dine in. They have you scan a QR code on your table to send you to their menu, which ends up being where you order and pay for everything. You then will get your drinks. Then any appetizers you order. Then your food will be out quickly. Highly recommend!

    A really nice ramen place to visit on cold winter days!…read more We've been here a few times in the past year and we're always pleased with the quality and flavor. We've ordered tonkatsu ramen, spicy Tokyo ramen, takoyaki, gyoza, the matcha latte, sake, calpico, and likely some other things over the visits and it's also delicious. The restaurant has an authentic feel and is decorated with a lot of vintage Japanese memorabilia and posts and such, it lends a nice vibe to the food. Service is a bit laid back, all orders are done via an app or website and the servers simply bring the food to you. But they are attentive with water refills and bussing of tables so it's not lazy. I recommend Akita!

    Anju Noodle Bar

    Anju Noodle Bar

    (397 reviews)

    $$

    Finding ourselves down in Portsmouth then Kittery this was the perfect spot to stop into for lunch…read more No wait for a spot and we decided to enjoy two of the window seats. They had a good mix of seating, with the mentioned window seats, bar seats, and tables. The staff were all friendly and service was extremely fast. Very impressive how quickly they brought our food out. Speaking of food, so many of the food options sounded good and we would definitely return to try more. My wife ended up getting the Duck Yuzu Shoyu Ramen and said it was the best ramen she has had. I had the Duck Yakisoba and was blown away as well. Especially comparing to some other similar spots they did not skimp on the duck at all. Along with that it was packed with flavor and both dishes were reasonably priced! If you are looking for a ramen/noodle spot this is a must-try!

    Pleasant pan-Asian restaurant in Kittery village - and a nice change from other typical venues like…read morediners and lobster pounds. They offer a variety of ramens and phos as well as some curry dishes and salads. My wife had their curried shrimp and green salad which were very good. The salad was excellent and the shrimp plump and spicy. I had their barbecue pork bun and was tempted by their ramens but went for the daily special of a duck pho. The pork bun was okay, having a different flavor profile than what I was expecting from usual Chinese pork buns. The pho, unfortunately, was a little disappointing: while the duck itself was good, lean and tasty, the broth was almost tasteless. Addition of their house hot sauce didn't improve it (maybe needed the real sriracha!). And - I got a stomach ache right after the meal (maybe from the raw bean sprouts?). Anyway, wished I'd gone with the ramen ... So some dishes were very good, some need work imo. We'll try it again - I haven't been put off by the experience tbh. Staff is very pleasant and friendly. The restaurant is clean and while a little on the small side, seating was comfortable and pleasant decor.

    Smack Noodle - Set of three smack buns

    Smack Noodle

    (233 reviews)

    $$

    Small, casual brick wall joint where most customers got takeout, but they have table service as…read morewell. Friendly and helpful. Seems mostly Thai (noodles) and Japanese (ramen), but some Chinese as well, with blurring involved on some of the dishes. Smack Bun: Basically an Asian take on a pulled pork sandwich. Cha-shu pork in a soft bao bun with crunchy vegetables and okonomi sauce very similar to a tangy sweet barbecue sauce. Nice that you can order them individually instead of committing to a set of three or so. Crispy Brussels Sprouts: A small serving with small pieces, lots of batter per piece and fried garlic integrated, but very light and brittle, so not too heavy. Good flavor, aided by the ginger sauce. Just not much sprout here. Crazy Noodle: Very soft flat rice noodles with an assortment of vegetables led by carrot and broccoli, tossed with protein of choice (I went chicken) in a spicy basil sauce that had some light sweetness for balance. Very enjoyable. Promising first visit. Hoping to try more menu items from the different categories to find their strengths.

    Finally made it here for a bowl of ramen - it did not disappoint! I got the spicy red tonkotsu…read more(forgot to get a picture), along with some "Smack Buns" (chashu pork in a fluffy bun w/ okonomi sauce). Everything was great. The ramen really hit the spot, and I honestly wanted to order another round of smack buns but had to control myself. Our waitress was very nice and attentive while we were there, and although the place is fairly small, we had plenty of room (there were 3 of us). Overall, I will definitely be making a return visit!

    Ichi Ramen - Chicken Fried Rice, Edamame, Eel Bibimbap, Tonkotsu Ramen, Chicken Udon Noodle Soup

    Ichi Ramen

    (18 reviews)

    $$

    The design of the place is simple, clean, classic. Service was very quick and responsive, answered…read moremy questions without hesitation. The food, I ordered the tonkotsu ( pork bone broth Ramen) was absolutely delicious. The ramen were firm, a bit chewy in a good way, the vegetables were crisp, the pork belly was decadent. The flavors are layered so perfectly that each spoonful they are dancing on your tongue. I will certainly return and now more often as the parking out back is free and convenient. R

    Each time I come back to this place--now three or four visits in--I'm reminded why it's become one…read moreof my go-to spots. The service is consistently friendly and attentive, and the menu pairs perfectly with the excellent house cocktails from their full bar. The ramen bowls remain the highlight. The Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen, especially, is outstanding: a rich, deeply flavorful broth, tender pork, and that comforting warmth that hits the spot on a cold New Hampshire day. The Bao Bao buns are a great way to start the meal, and the Takoyaki--light, crispy spheres filled with diced octopus and drizzled with savory sauces--adds a fun, flavorful twist to the appetizer lineup. On our latest visit, we tried the Okdol Bibimbap. The presentation was appealing and the flavors were solid, but the dish leaned a bit too heavily on the rice compared to the protein and vegetables. A slightly more generous balance of toppings would bring it right up to the level of their other standouts. Even so, this place continues to impress, and I'm already looking forward to coming back and exploring more of the menu on my next visit.

    OBA Noodle Bar - noodles - Updated May 2026

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