Went there at 7:45 on a Monday night and was told that they were out of noodles. Let me repeat that: the ramen place was OUT OF NOODLES.

Love their lunch deal!! Potstickers, ramen and a soda all for 15$. The ramen is authentic and delicious. The space is small but the service is great! read more

So good!! I got the vegan ramen and it was unreal. Love how many veggies they put in it and the chili oil on top is so good. The noodles tasked super homemade and you could tell it's all fresh. Not too many tables but we got lucky and were seated right away. Really attentive service too. Will definitely be returning soon. read more

This is the second time we've been here, but this place has the best Tonkatsu ramen I've ever had by far! The broth is rich and flavorful and the noodles are perfectly cooked, as well as the pork. Both times, we got the pork gyozas, and they come with the best sauce, which I usually pour into my ramen because it's so good! The first time we went, my boyfriend got the Hell Ramen 3, and he loved it. He typically handles spice really well, so the second time we went, he tried the Hell Ramen 5 Challenge. Prior to the challenge, they had him sign a waiver. Rules of the challenge is to finish the whole bowl, broth and all, in 20min and you only get one cup of water. A few bites in and my boyfriend was could NOT handle the spice. Def don't recommend the challenge, even if you think you would be able to handle the spice. The pain stayed with him for DAYS and you could only imagine it coming out!! (Ew!) Def recommend Strings for ramen, but NOT the Hell Ramen challenge!!! read more

Strings Ramen - Tonkotsu with Kuro Buta Hell Ramen Level 3 Sui Gyoza (6pcs) - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

updating review from 4 to 5 -- honestly it's exactly everything i want in a local ramen joint. also the traditional mochi is really tasty. additionally the staff is so nice and friendly. read more

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3.5 Service: 3.5 Food: 3 Ambiance: 4 Tristen was a great server! He was accommodating & attentive. But the chefs forgot to make our donburi so it came out late. Good thing we reminded them otherwise they would've forgot about it! Food- not the typical curly ramen. Noodles are egg noodles but straight, thin noodles. I ordered spicy clams & pork (ground pork) miso ramen. I expected it to be "spicy" but I guess it meant "spicy pork"(?) which wasn't spicy at all! I typically order spicy miso ramen elsewhere, so I think it's a fair comparison. Not sure if I'll be back, but if I did, I shall try the Hell's Ramen list. Free edamame with Yelp checkin. It came with red seasoning rather than typical salt. You can't go wrong with edamame. Tasted pretty same like everywhere else. Kid's menu is legit. Perfect size for my toddler. Couldn't tell you about bigger kids since I only have a little one. They had chair booster for a booth seat; seat had some friction so it was fine. I didn't see any high chair around. Husband ordered Kuro Buta Tonkotsu ramen which came with ONE!! Chashu (pork). You have option of pork loin or pork belly. He chose pork belly. Portion was small for $13.95. Bathroom- felt like I was in a ship's bathroom. It was so tight, especially the small sink! Right across from bathroom is part of kitchen area so you get to snoop in on the junks they have in the back. It's fairly a small place. Most of the seating is on high tops with some booths. Booths don't have a back to lean on. The chopsticks and spoons are on the table so you don't have to ask for server for extra in case they drop! Went for a weekend lunch but it was pretty empty. Perhaps because there was Northalsted Market Days happening. read more

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We came here around 6:30 on a Saturday and surprisingly there was no wait! There was plenty of street parking outside on Belmont. It's also very close to a red line stop. It's a very cozy seating space. It might feel a little claustrophobic to some people, but I didn't mind it although I do think it's not very optimal. We started out with the pork gyoza which was delicious! We also received a free edamame per a Yelp checkin. We both got the kuro buta tonkotsu ramen. You get a choice of pork belly or pork loin and we chose the pork belly. It was delicious! However if you're not a fan of super fatty meat, definitely stay away from the belly as it was fatter than most other pork belly I've had. My one complaint is that there was only one slice of meat; most other ramen places usually give more. I added a side of their level 1 hell sauce and added that to taste. I have a pretty high spice tolerance and the level 1 was perfect- it wasn't spicy to the point where I felt like my mouth was on fire but gave a nice kick to the ramen. For dessert we got the Japanese mochi with red bean paste and a matcha sponge cake. The mochi came wrapped in a banana leaf and was delicious. The matcha sponge cake was ok; it was a little dry to me but the taste was fine. Overall a great experience here. I would definitely come back! read more

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Strings has been on my bucket list for some time now and why not give it a try when it's 15 20 degrees in Chicago. Strings has consistently been rated on all of the best ramen places in Chicago. I've been to Wasabi Ramen, Ramen-San, Slurping Turtle, and Furious Spoon so that's what I'll compare it to. I ordered the Sriracha broccoli with bacon bits because it sounded intriguing and I needed to add some greens to my meal. It was very good and some of the freshest broccoli I've had. Why can't I cook broccoli that fresh... It was loaded with flavor and it didn't have too much spice to it. It was actually sweet as the sauce was mixed with probably a teriyaki base. At Strings Ramen, they have the Level 5 Hell Ramen challenge. So being the exotic spice master Tom I am, I ended up ordering the Level 3 Hell Ramen. I love spicy food and have a very high spice tolerance, but since this is my first time to the place I was smart and thought I should work up to it. The Level 3 was delicious! I loved the noodles as you can tell they were made in house. They had a different texture to it over the store bought brands. The spice was not overly spicy for me. Probably a 6 out of 10 for me, but it got spicier as I finished the bowl, but I wasn't sweating. It definitely cleared up my sinuses, which was the goal for tonight! The ambience was average noise level and they had a decent amount of seating. I could definitely see it getting crowded on weekends at peak times. Bernadette was an excellent waitress as I told her it was a my first time and she explained the entire menu to me. Overall, I will definitely recommend Strings Ramen and make it one of my go-to spots for ramen as it was delicious! read more

Strings Ramen - Level 3 Hell Ramen! - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had the Pork Gyoza (there was a choice of pork, chicken or veggie), Shoyu Prime Ramen and Tonkotsu Premium. Everything was delicious. The filet mignon was medium rare and perfectly tender. We went here before a cubs day game, and it's BYOB, so you can bring your own wine or beer, so we brought some Old Irving Beezer that went very well with the food. Will definitely be back! read more

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This place is fine. Right off the Belmont station. The Prime is a good beef ramen option if you don't want pork or chicken. I've sampled some rice dish of theirs in the past -- they were handing them out a while back. Service is okay, could be worse. We were seated immediately, but shortly afterwards the tables were all filled and there was a wait out the door. read more

Strings Ramen - Prime Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything was perfect, service excellent, tonkastsu ramen with pork belly was tasty! read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a crowded place even on a Sunday night. I ordered the pork belly with the noodles and it was delicious. They have just as much takeout as they have sit down orders if not more. Ramen as good as it gets. Thank you. read more

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I recommend Strings. I ordered Hiyasjhi Cyuka, cold ramen in a sense. The sauce tasted pretty authentic. I have also tasted Gyudon. The sauce for Gyidon was pretty good. One thing about it that I was a bit surprised was the type of cut of beef they have for this dish. The ones I am used to be having back in Japan has thinly sliced beef with fat. I am not crazy about having too much fat (with red meat) but it gives a bit more flavor and sweetness to the dish (I think) so that is something I'd mention. Otherwise, the interior looked very nice and has the minimalist look without being too dark or boring. I'd definitely go back! read more

The ramen here is so delicious. I think about it when I'm not there. The broth is so flavorful and noodles are cooked perfectly. The toppings never overpower and there's the perfect amount of then. There's a kick of spice that really brings all the ramen bowls together. I've had the tonkotsu spicy clam and pork and kinoko shoyu and both were amazing. Service is also great and efficient! read more

Strings Ramen - Tonkotsu Spicy Clam and Pork and Tonkotsu with Kuro Buta - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were right around the corner at the country club for a group outing that involves a little alcohol. The night was cold, and we wanted to have something that would warm up our cold bodies, and an even hungrier appetite. We were trying to find what options that were around and there were two noodle places that we saw on the map. Furious spoon and strings were on the menu. Since it was getting pretty cold, and the reviews were looking reasonable, we gave Strings our attendance. You come right through the wind proof doors and you're approached by staff almost immediately. The staff are attentive and are checking in to make sure that you aren't choking on your poor decisions of getting the hell sauce or hell ramen. Poor girl next to me was coughing the whole time and the waiter was making sure she didn't choke because of a hell ramen lvl 3. Free edamame is a plus when you check in. The noodles were al dente and had a good bite to it. The shoyu kuro bota was tasty but I felt like it was missing the savoriness I was hoping for, but my gfs tonkotsu ramen soup was definitely way richer in taste, definitely will have to go and try that on the next go around! There was definitely a lot of foods that were there for us to try in the future. Hell ramen? Maybe when I'm feeling braver and have time to recuperate the day after Give it a go! read more

Pretty good, service was quick and sweet. They use what tasted like regular spaghetti noodles for their ramen though which was a bit weird. The kansui component of the noodle was definitely missing. Amazing prices and amazing staff, overall good spot! read more

Strings Ramen - Miso Spicy Clam and Pork - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for a lunch date on a Sunday and the service was excellent, the food was good, but not amazing. I ordered the hell ramen level 1 and my friend ordered the pork broth one as recommended by the waiter. The hell ramen is good, but fair warning, even the level one is pretty spicy. The pork ramen was also tasty and probably better than the hell ramen. Personally, I prefer skinnier and curlier ramen noodles, but the soup overall was still good. read more

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I got their Tonkotsu with Kurobuta (with pork belly) and enjoyed it a lot. The pork belly was soft in most parts but there were some that were still a bit stiff. Adding more veggies in it might be better too. The soup was really addictive. I'd love to go back and try their Miso ramen and the Hell Ramen! The venue was also much smaller than I thought so you may have to expect waiting outside during peak hours read more

Strings Ramen - Tonkotsu with Kuro Buta - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I lived in Japan for a while and have pretty high standards when it comes to noodles and Strings has the best noodles in Chicago. Some other of the popular ramen places get close by importing the noodles from Japan but Strings actually makes their own. We were talking to one of the servers who said they invested major money it buying a noodle maker from Japan because it's so essential to their philosophy on Ramen. I also LOVE that they have a full-bodied vegetarian ramen option. No thin veggie stock here. It's loaded with mushrooms and the mascarpone just melts in and gives and extra fatty/umami oomph (seriously just try it before you knock it). Table turnover is fast like good ramen should be. Get extra noodles to take home! They're fresh so you have to boil them yourselves for 90 seconds. read more

By far the best covid quarantine delivery I've had in Chicago or, well, anywhere. You can just take a look at the photos. They sent me a cute spoon/chopstick set (not made of splintery wood) that can be reused so the plastic isn't wasteful unless you waste it. The ramen was as amazing as if I were there, but I was in front of CNN instead! And I got edamame and -omg- chicken gyoza. YUM. Everything was packaged so that it would travel well and then come together well at home. And my little tamago was delish. Compares favorably to the Michelin ramen I had in japan a few years ago. Egg is definitely better. read more

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The food was very good! The gyoza and Tonkotsu Ramen were fantastic! The place is small, so not ideal for large groups. The service was efficient and very professional. I will definitely visit again the next time I'm in town! read more

I love it here. When you check in you get free edamame, the ramen comes out so hot and fresh and SO QUICK. My all time favorite is the miso pork belly.. I get it every time and am so happy after each. I also tried the pork gyoza dumplings and they are a must try appetizer!! They have a great sauce on it and the seasoning is to die for. I realized they have the seasoning on the table as well so I'll be putting it on the edamame too! read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time ordering from Strings Ramen and it did not disappoint. I do not normally write reviews but it was too delicious not to. I ordered the chicken potstickers and the tonkotsu spicy ramen with a side of the hell sauce. I can not wait to try the ramen in person. I'm sure it'll be even better. read more

Was not impressed by Strings. Been waiting to try this place for a while and enjoy ramen a lot. However, their online menu does not match up with their uber eats menu and my order came with raw meat. It was sitting in its own blood which contaminated the egg. Had to take out the COLD raw meat and cook it in order to eat it, which is an extra step I was not anticipating. Also wasn't expecting to not be able to eat my egg from the blood on it. The beef broth was salty and the noodles average. Not sure I would try this place again. read more

Strings Ramen - Egg sitting in blood from raw meat we took out and had to cook. - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for lunch with my sister at around 2pm on a Friday, so we could be seated immediately (which was great since I'd heard this place can have long waits). The dining area is rather small but the atmosphere was really colorful and trendy. The service was very quick and super friendly! We got our food pretty quickly. The thing that stood out to me about this place was how large the portions were compared to other places I tried. Further, using Yelp's voucher for a free edamame for the table came in handy; I really enjoyed the unique and savory sesame seed-based seasoning they put on the edamame. However, the hype I'd heard about the ramen at this place fell short of my expectations. I ordered the turkey miso ramen out of curiosity; I'd never been anywhere that offered turkey in ramen! It came with a lot of shredded turkey, corn, seaweed, mushroom, bean sprouts, scallions, and the broth was chicken and turkey-based. I was really hoping to like this dish, but the combination of pulled turkey and corn made this ramen feel chicken soup-esque to me. It didn't really highly the flavors characteristic of other ramens I've tried. I feel as if people who don't eat pork can't get the best out of the classic ramen flavors from ordering turkey miso. read more

Strings Ramen - Edamame - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I FINALLY got the chance to eat here, and the only thing I am mad at is that I didn't come sooner! The food here is amazing! I was recommended by a friend that has been swearing by this place for years! She told me to get the spicy scallop bowl, which is a HIT! It was a perfectly balanced bowl of sushi rice, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, and scallop sashimi with japanese mayo, chili oil and thin sliced cucumbers. IT WAS PERFECT! We both got bowls of ramen. He got kuro buta in his and turkey in mine. The broth was REAL and it was RICH. No cutting corners here. The hand made noodles had just the right bite to them, not too chewy. The service is very quick and all the staff is very polite. This place deserves ten stars! read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Was here visiting with some friends and had an absolutely amazing experience! I got the level 2 spicy level on their hell menu and i loved it! The noodles and broth were on point! My favorite thing wasn't even their ramen but their pork geoza! It was paired in an amazing sauce that brought out the flavor perfectly. Food - 5/5 Service - 4/5 our waitress kept leaving the table without even talking to us or waiting to see if we needed anything. Other than that she was friendly Vibe - 5/5 amazing decor and music Value - 4/5 really solid pricing I will definitely be back here! Would i recommend it? Absolutely! read more

Absolutely amazing. I ordered the Hell Ramen Level 2 with a side of shrimp gyoza and it was the best meal that I had in Chicago. Super spicy broth, minced pork, crunchy calamari, thin mushrooms, and peppers. Additionally, the noodles are a lot tougher than the ramen you typically order, which I personally enjoyed more. Even the shrimp dumplings were completely on point. Can't recommend Strings Ramen enough! read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I broke a sweat and cried while eating this. It was so good but definitely spicy for me. My lips and mouth got a little numb, but would I eat it again? YES..but maybe with a glass of milk on the side. On a scale of 1-10 for spicy-ness, I'd say 7. My girlfriends and I dined inside. The staff were very good about safety measures with covid-19. They had a big bottle of hand sanitizer when you walk in for use, the staff wore task face masks and face shields with gloves. They scanned your temperatures one by one, and then show you to your table. The tables were sanitized before we were seated, the tables were distanced. (Every other table) and there were clear plastic dividers. Service was fast. They provided a small bottle of hand sanitizer for the table. There was a sign that encouraged the continued use of our face masks until we received our food which we followed. I would definitely come again! read more

Strings Ramen - Hell Ramen Level 2 - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The ambiance and music of this place is first off 5/5 Broth 4.8/5: not the regular heavy creamy taste tonkutsu has, on the lighter side but still very delicious Noodles have an al dante/firm feel, hard to mess up noodles though, very good Egg was so soft and had a light precious taste Pork Belly is so fatty but it's so impeccably good, especially the outside of it Honorable mention to the mushrooms, they usually don't impress unlike this one. Overall 5/5 read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm going to keep this short and sweet... The Hell Ramen is THEBOMB.COM!!! I got level one which was just a hint of heat but next time I will (insert Ciara song) "level up." I added an egg and pork belly because on it own it's just ground pork. This gym bro needs his extra protein. All in all, it was delicious, flavorful and it fulfilled my ramen craving! If you can't handle some heat, get it and you won't regret it! read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came in at 10pm. Love that it's open until midnight. Love the house music at a comfortable volume. Love the bright, warm, welcoming color scheme. Love that help was provided in explaining menu items. Love that my order (cat rice.. which is not really but basically spicy tuna sashimi over warm rice with seaweed) came literally within minutes. Love that I went to order hot tea but she told me it came with my food. Love the flavor explosion that transpired in my mouth. And it's byob? I think I read that somewhere and just forgot to bring in some beer I already have, but no big. (Fyi byob is beer and wine only) I came in with a coupon I received at Chicago Gourmet and honestly, I might not have otherwise and I'm glad I did. Wise, effective marketing. I'm really looking forward to trying out their ramen which I've heard good things about as well. After visiting a lesser Yelp star rated establishment this week to my disappointment and against my better judgment, I am so pleased. Yelpers, thanks for the help. We always know what's up. And this place is what's up. read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been wanting to try this ramen place since I've heard raving reviews but nothing about the food was mind blowing to me. We got the tonkatsu buta which is the regular pork belly ramen with half a soft boiled egg and seaweed. The broth was good but too rich and salty for my taste. The portion size is smaller compared to other ramen places in the city and there was just two pieces of pork belly. The service was good but too eager for my preference. Because the place was so crowded and small, I feel like the waiters were trying to get people in and out very quickly and made me a little anxious to really enjoy my meal. The restaurant is super small and it is always super packed, so be prepared to wait 20-30 minutes hovering awkwardly above eating patrons. All the tables are packed closely to one another and the bathrooms are barely larger than closets. Tip: check in on yelp to get a free edamame appetizer! read more

Strings Ramen - Tonkatsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lovely food!! Service was good too, great ambiance. Just wish it was more spicy, hell level 1 wasn't insanely hot.

Stopped here for lunch right after getting off a 14+ hour flight. Belmont has a great variety of food choices and decided on ramen because it was cold and blustery. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen, which has creamy pork bone stock, pork, egg, black mayu oil, garlic oil, crushed garlic, sesame seed, scallions, and menma. Delicious and flavorful ramen!! read more

Strings Ramen - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice decor, music, and speedy service make this a great place to visit. The cherry blossom soda and shrimp gyoza were fantastic. The ramen noodles felt undercooked before I let them sit a bit. (I was starving so it was tempting to just chow down.) I would have liked a more potent savory beef flavor than the seaweed flavor that permeated throughout, making it feel very same-y taste wise in spite of the wide variety of cool ingredients. My waitress was really nice too. All in all a good place to check out that I would like to revisit to try other menu items. read more

Strings Ramen - Cherry blossom soda - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Kudos for this place accommodating our group of 7. We had a long wait which was totally understandable. The servers communicated great with us as we waited for our entire group to arrive. Once we were all there, we were able to be seated all together! The food came out quickly and it was all so delicious. My husband ordered tonkotsu ramen with level 3 spice and garlic oil on the side. I would love to bottle that garlic oil and take it home. So yummy! I got chashu donburi which for $10 I was impressed with the portion. Enough for lunch the next day! I also piled chili oil on mine which was a great addition. Loved it all! read more

Really solid ramen spot. You can even learn a little Japanese here! The menu has some terms along with a dictionary you can look them up at to understand them. My boyfriend ordered the premium tonkatsu for $18 while I just ordered the regular tonkatsu with pork belly. Great portions, extra noodles are so cheap (less than $2!), and the flavors are delicious. The ramen actually comes with an egg and a bunch of ingredients not listed on the menu, so just ask your waiter. We easily found parking across the street on a Saturday afternoon. The service was excellent and I saw they have sakedon here for a really reasonable price ($12) so I will be coming back to try that. read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Phenomenal. Most of this is filler because I don't have much else to say. We ordered the Sriracha Broccoli, Chicken Gyoza, and various ramen and everything was impeccable! The servers are super nice and it's right off the Belmont red line stop. Will absolutely return for that BROCCOLI. That alone is worth 5 stars. Didn't even get a picture of it. Just trust me on this one. read more

Strings Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love, love, love! The only ramen I ask for delivery. The miso pork belly is awesome! Also you have to try the gyoza and the edamame. They are not like the ones you can find in other restaurants. They have a delicious spicy seasoning. read more

Strings Ramen - Miso pork belly ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois