Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Shōwa Ramen

    3.5 (33 reviews)
    ModerateRamen
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Shōwa Ramen Photos

    SHŌWA RAMEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Shōwa Ramen

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Black Showa Ramen (with added egg)
    Michael K.

    This place is definitely NOT your go to place for ramen. I wouldn't even recommend it if you live on campus because of the high pricing. UCSD is literally 10 min away from Convoy, which is home to some of the best ramen spots in SD. The ramen is ridiculously mid, and I tried both the tonkotsu and black showa ramen on separate occasions which were both recommended by friends (with bad taste). Broth is very salty, and noodles obviously come from a package of some sort. Toppings are fine, but they only give you half an egg which is stingy af. The only reason why I came here before was for the chicken karaage, which they actually did well! It came before with 6 pieces and are crunchy outside with a nice coating and juicy on the inside which was great. Recently however, they decided to reduce the count to 5 for the same $8 price. So damn sad and stingy. I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you are a starving college student. Even then, I would say go somewhere else if you can.

    Window sign
    Emmett T.

    Showa Ramen has opened in the new cluster of eateries near the Ridge Walk Academic Complex on the UCSD campus. The ownership group also operates other restaurants in town including The Taco Stand. Seating is available inside the suite and on the front patio adjacent to the main entrance. All of the chairs and tables had a light colored wood grain look to make the ambiance feel bright. Ordering is done through a touch screen located in a kiosk in the center of the room. A bottleneck is created if there is a line waiting to enter an order into the system. It would be prudent to set up a second kiosk, maybe outside on the patio. The menu offered seven appetizers, two salads, three donburis, and six types of ramen. The prices were about average for a ramen shop in SD although they would dent the budget of a college student if he/she ate here regularly. At least this place will allow those on campus to get their ramen fix without having to travel off-site. I picked the Gyoza and Tonkotsu Ramen for my lunch. The former came as five pan-fried, pork and vegetable dumplings with a spicy dipping sauce. The latter was a noodle bowl of light pork broth containing a piece of pork belly, half egg, bamboo shoots, nori, green onions, and sesame seeds. I asked for an extra portion of noodles, however what I received should have been the quantity for a standard serving. Both items were prepared fairly quickly by the kitchen. The flavors were decent but nothing memorable.

    Gyoza
    Jocy C.

    Showa Ramen opened recently on UCSD campus. According to their website, they are inspired by the Shōwa era in Japan. "Old school meets new school with the mix of authentic flavor and a clean modern design that emphasizes simplicity and the highest quality ingredients." Shōwa Hospitality is the group behind popular eateries including The Taco Stand and Himitsu Sushi. I tried the following: - Tonkotsu Ramen - Cucumber Sunomono - Gyoza Pretty good for an on-campus eatery and for the price. ENJOY!! #JapaneseLove

    Shoyu Ramen and Gyoza
    Wesley C.

    Decided to finally come here after seeing it opened and all of the UCSD social media were advertising it! I think their ordering method is wow interesting, but I can anticipate lines getting quite long due to only one ordering kiosk. I think the strongest point of this restaurant is its location. Because it is right on campus, it is very easy to schedule meals with my friends there. However, this is where the strengths end. I don't think the taste is particularly great, so if you are a ramen purist, I'm not sure this is the place for you. Taste: 2/5. I think the taste of the food itself is average at best for the price. The noodles feel kind of chewy, there isn't that many toppings, only one piece of meat for the base bowl, and only half an egg. The broth is unmemorable. The Gyoza seems like they fried some frozen gyoza and served it. Maybe I have too high standards comparing to specialty ramen stores on Convoy. Ambience: 5/5. Overall, I think new sixth is great, everything is super new and fun to be around. Everything is definitely very clean, and while the restaurant itself is a bit small, the sunny SD weather allows for some excellent outside seating. Service: 4/5. I think all of the ACTUAL service is great, they call out your name and deliver the food to your tracks. However, I don't believe that having only one kiosk to order is very wise. To get in you have to wait for people to decide what they want since there's no menu available to look at while in the line. It seems pretty odd. BIG shout-out to Mimi, she is very cool!! I think this is a great place to casually eat ramen while chatting with your friends, or to get average ramen to go. The convenience factor makes this place worth it, but if you are looking for ramen to impress you, look elsewhere. 3/5

    Tonkotsu Ramen
    Johnny N.

    I wanted to try this spot out on the UCSD campus and went with some coworkers. The place is owned by the folks from The Taco Stand and recently opened here at UCSD as a push for alumni and locally-+owned businesses. The place has a kiosk ordering system, which I thought was convenient and great for indecisive folks like myself. I liked the general atmosphere of the restaurant, where there's plenty of indoor seating with outlets and USB ports and outdoor seating. I decided to try the Tonkotsu ramen, which is my usual barometer to try new places out. I thought the bowl looked a little sad for $13. I thought the quality of the meat and the texture of the noodles were great but the broth seemed both bland and salty at the same time. For on-campus food, I'd say this is above average from your typical Panda Expresses and dining halls, but I think there's better places to try out

    Séamus Ó.

    On the campus of UC San Diego, this ramen place offers a limited menu that's decent and satisfying. Because it's catered to students, there isn't much ambiance, and it can get quite busy at lunchtime. The campus offers a number of interesting food offerings, so if visiting UCSD, this is a nice place to grab lunch if you're not in a hurry.

    Tonkotsu Ramen, Garlic Edamame
    Selena F.

    Since all the openings of new restaurants in Sixth College, I've been excited to try some. Today, I decided on Showa Ramen and I was not disappointed. After a long day of classes, a bowl of ramen sounded really really good. You order on a screen when you walk on, which is super convenient and quick. I went with the tonkotsu ramen and garlic edamame. Can't go wrong with garlic edamame, and the ramen was pretty good. Definitely hits the spot if you're looking for a ramen place on campus. Service is great, too, they're very attentive and make sure you get all of your order. This was a great start to the newly opened restaurants on campus.

    people sitting at tables in a restaurant
    Grace N.

    Showa Ramen is a pretty good ramen place for being on a college campus. The aesthetic inside the restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and it has a nice vibe to it. I prefer my ramen broth light and not too fatty, and Showa Ramen does a good job of making light yet umami ramen. However, if you like fattier broths, then you might not satisfy your ramen craving here. The tonkatsu ramen was perfect for me, but it definitely was not as rich in flavor as other higher-end ramen restaurants. It's a nice ramen place to go for lunch with friends after class or dinner with visiting parents/friends. You might have to wait a bit for ramen as they can get crowded sometimes, but off rush hours have less of a wait. Also, if the weather is nice I recommend the outside seating (:

    Gyoza
    Jonaline A.

    I'm someone who doesn't eat ramen very much because it's just not something that I like all that much, but my friend brought me here and let me just say that it was one of the best ramen bowls I've ever had. I loved how light the broth was and the proportion to the noodles was perfect! The chashu pork was perfectly cooked and for the price of the bowl (about $13), I'd say you're getting a solid meal. It's a really tiny ramen shop where you order on a screen instead of through a person, which I thought was pretty unique. Definitely a place to check out!

    I forgot the name, it's probably tonkotsu
    Dennis N.

    Came here after studying with my girlfriend, she got the spicy miso ramen. Was expecting to dish out a fortune here because ramen is usually expensive. However it turned out to be decently priced I believe it was $26, I forgot. I don't have anything much to say, but I was satisfied; if you want ramen around UCSD, just go here to get your fix. I have a low standard for food, so take this review with a grain of salt

    Tonkutsu ramen, chicken kaarage

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Linh N.
    8
    47
    61

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 30
    Thanks 0
    Love this 23
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jocy C.
    1641
    1752
    8486

    4 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Séamus Ó.
    109
    461
    398

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dennis N.
    1
    50
    152

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Max S.
    2
    18
    11

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emily C.
    1
    62
    134

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Erin H.
    0
    11
    13

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Miss M.
    1
    67
    10

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D H.
    3
    53
    1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Shōwa Ramen

    You might also consider

    Ramen Nagi - Original ramen

    Ramen Nagi

    4.4(713 reviews)
    1.8 miUniversity City
    $$

    We recently brought friends here who requested a good place to eat and of the list of choices we…read moreprovided, they picked Ramen Nagi. My husband and I have been here several times before as it is both mine and my husband's favorite ramen eatery in San Diego. This is the best ramen in San Diego. After going on my own little ramen crawl around SD, this is the top of them all, bar none. If you really are craving something close to ramen in Japan, try this place. Everything is fantastic here but my favorite of all the ramen choices is the Red King (the spicy tonkotsu). The Black King is also good (squid ink) and has a nice umami punch to it with a good helping of garlic to seal the deal. The karage (fried chicken) is great as well. The texture is perfect and I think the sauce provided really added to the overall bite. The gyoza is also fantastic as well and they provide a dipping sauce that is not the standard dip but something better. If I recall, it is a lightly sweet pear-esque sauce with the consistency almost like apple sauce. It's very very good, don't knock it till you try it! The service is always quick and top-tier. They always have a jug of water with lemon slices and cups available to use at any time. Seating is both indoors and outdoors. Inside it can be a little cramped if you have a large group but outside has full tables next to the pond which is quite nice. This is not a traditional restaurant so there are a few things to keep in mind: 1) There are no reservations. 2) There is a dedicated queue outside and you need to wait in that to line to be seated. 3) They will not take you to be seated until your entire party is readily available so just be cognizant of that. 4) Everyone in your party will receive a red marker and a paper form to fill out your individual orders while you are in this line. If it is your first time, check the Chef Recommendation box at the top to make it easier. Sides are at the bottom (most ramen do not include an egg so if you want an egg make sure to mark it). 5) Your party may be seated at the same table as another party and share the space. If this is an issue for you, sit outside. 6) You get your receipt from your sever and pay at the register.

    First time I tried this place I wasn't surprised and was irritated because of the long wait…read more But this second time around it was no line to get in, and the food was absolutely delicious. Ordered the original king ramen with an egg. Broth was so good, it reminded me of the one I had in Tokyo. The thin noodles are also my favorite. Spicy level at 1 for extra flavor. The gyoza on the other hand are decent and very small. I will definitely be coming back for more ramen.

    Photos
    Ramen Nagi - Inside

    Inside

    Ramen Nagi - Limited Garlic King

    Limited Garlic King

    Ramen Nagi - Red king ramen

    See all

    Red king ramen

    Menya Ultra  - UTC La Jolla - Spicy Miso Ramen

    Menya Ultra - UTC La Jolla

    4.0(308 reviews)
    2.0 miUniversity City
    $$
    Kid friendly
    Vegetarian friendly

    TLDR: It's good ramen at a respectable price. I think they understand what people want in ramen,…read morethe items outside of ramen, and what they're willing to pay for. Tantanmen: As a person who isn't a big tantanmen fan, I was shocked that I enjoyed this. The spice level was tolerable, and the saltiness level was okay, until you get to the bottom 3rd of the bowl. You get good portions and meat to noodle ratio, so it's worth it. Tonkotsu Ajitama: Creamy with a touch of saltiness. I love a good tonkotsu ramen, and I think this is a good introduction to tonkotsu. I'm glad that they have a bunch of options so people can customize how they want their tonkotsu ramen. Pork Paiko: It's not a katsu, but it gives that vibe. I think this is a good thing to pair with the ramen. I think the vibe is different enough from the chashu, where it's worth ordering. Chicken Paiko: it's chicken katsu with a different vibe. The batter has more body and is a different vibe compared to their fried chicken (karaage). Although I think the pork paiko is better, people who prefer chicken can rest easy knowing this is good as well. Fried Gyoza: I don't know what to say. It's a fried dumpling. It's not remarkable enough to be considered amazing, but it wasn't bad either. The good kind of average in general. Fried Chicken: It's a decent fried chicken at a good size. I just hope they can maintain the size, since many establishments have a hard time maintaining chicken quality after a while. Service: You pay first before being seated, and most of the stuff is self-service, so the interaction is really just when ordering and when they drop off the food. Ambiance: Classic ramen shop. Well lit, smells good, and located in an upscale mall.

    Menya Ultra, Many of…read moremy friends are frequent visitors here and I have seen so many posts on IG, TikTok and YouTube. This is my first visit and I'd like to point out a couple things; * The serving of Chashu (5pcs) is very good in size and portion. * The noodles are very well cooked. * The broth very light and rich, but not to my personal liking. * Spacious seating. It isn't a ramen I would be inclined to have often. Maybe 1 or 2x a year. The service is great though, very friendly! Can't give them more stars because it isn't nearly as good as Ramen Nagi which is in the same shopping mall.

    Photos
    Menya Ultra  - UTC La Jolla
    Menya Ultra  - UTC La Jolla
    Menya Ultra  - UTC La Jolla - Nagoya Karaage 5pc

    See all

    Nagoya Karaage 5pc

    Shōwa Ramen - ramen - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...