Chicago, IL
Best Ramen in Chicago.
Harry's top 10 ramen spots in Chicago score 83–91 on the Harry Score. 9 carry critic or guide backing. Prices run $ to $$$$.
Chicago's ramen boom didn't start in a Japantown — it started in Avondale, where Urbanbelly kicked off the citywide craze a decade back, and the map still skews north of the river because of it. That changes how you judge a bowl here: less pedigree, more whether a kitchen commits to one broth and executes it — a paitan that's actually emulsified, not just cloudy, noodles with real spring left in them. A rich, almost stew-thick bowl reads as Chicago. A thin, apologetic shoyu does not.
Ranked by Harry Score. The Harry Score is a weighted blend of Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and critic mentions. No paid placements. No affiliate links.
Scores last recomputed
Rudy's Ramen
ramen
1146 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
4.8 across 672 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Eater and The Infatuation.
$$
Harry
91
Worth It
81
Oiistar
ramen · japanese
1385 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
4.6 across 1.5k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Eater and The Infatuation.
$$
Harry
87
Worth It
79
Menya Goku
ramen
2207 W Montrose Ave, Chicago
4.8 across 288 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; praised by The Infatuation (The 15 Best Ramen Spots In Chicago).
$$
Harry
87
Worth It
78
RAMEN-SAN Lincoln Park
ramen · japanese
1962 N Halsted St, Chicago
4.9 across 4.2k Google reviews; praised by The Infatuation (The 15 Best Ramen Spots In Chicago).
$$
Harry
86
Worth It
78
Ramen Wasabi - Fulton Market
ramen
819 W Fulton Market, Chicago
4.5 across 752 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; named by Eater and The Infatuation.
$$
Harry
84
Worth It
77
DaiFuku Ramen
ramen
2155 S China Pl # A, Chicago
4.7 across 827 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; a sensible spend, nothing wasted here.
$$
Harry
84
Worth It
77
Monster Ramen
ramen
3435 W Fullerton Ave
4.5 across 560 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Eater and The Infatuation.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
$$$$
Harry
84
Worth It
73
High Five Ramen
ramen · japanese
112 N Green St, Chicago
4.5 across 1.4k Google reviews; named by The Infatuation and Eater.
$$
Harry
83
Worth It
77
Akahoshi Ramen
ramen
2340 N California Ave Ste B
4.4 across 630 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Eater 38 and Eater.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
$$$
Harry
83
Worth It
75
Strings Ramen Shop Hyde Park
ramen
1453 E 53rd St, Chicago
4.7 across 833 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; praised by The Infatuation (The 15 Best Ramen Spots In Chicago).
$
Harry
83
Worth It
81
Ramen in other cities
More cuisines in Chicago
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Questions Harry gets about ramen in Chicago
- What is the best ramen restaurant in Chicago?
- Rudy's Ramen tops Harry's ramen list for Chicago right now, with a Harry Score of 91/100.
- How does Harry Hungry score ramen restaurants in Chicago?
- Harry Hungry blends ratings from Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and critic mentions into a weighted Harry Score (0–100). A separate Worth It Score ranks restaurants by value for money. No paid placements, no affiliate links — the ranking is built from public data only.
- Are there tourist-trap ramen restaurants in Chicago to avoid?
- Harry Hungry flags restaurants where Tripadvisor ratings diverge significantly from local reviews — a common tourist-trap signal. See the tourist trap index for Chicago on Harry Hungry for a full breakdown.