If there’s one thing I think this city needs a little more of, it’s ramen. Obviously, I’m not talking Top Ramen here people, even though TikTok has helped me up my cheap ramen game.
But I’m talking real-deal, order-a-second-bowl ramen. It’s the kind you’re still thinking about on the drive home.
Columbus has a lot more ramen than it used to. Meshikou on Bethel Rd has been at it since 2014, and newer shops have opened everywhere from German Village to a counter inside North Market. Twelve of them are below.
| Shop | Neighborhood | Known for |
| Meshikou | Northwest (Bethel Rd) | Chicken paitan at the city’s dedicated-ramen original, open since 2014 |
| Fukuryu Ramen | Upper Arlington (Lane Ave) + Dublin (Bridge Park) | Big menu, traditional and modern bowls |
| Tensuke Ramen | Northwest (Japan Marketplace) | Ramen inside the Japanese market |
| Tiger + Lily | Downtown | Ramen plus soupless noodle bowls |
| Ampersand Asian Supper Club | Uptown Westerville | Supper-club room, broths they take personally |
| Kyushu Ramen Bar | Grandview, Bethel Rd, Lewis Center | Kyushu Black Garlic Tonkotsu |
| Satori Ramen Bar | North Market Downtown | Tokyo-trained founder, market-counter bowls |
| Mizu No Kaori | German Village | Ramen and tsukemen |
| Zundo Ramen & Donburi | Old North + Westerville | Tonkotsu and donburi |
| Kirin Noodle Bar | Clintonville | Tan tan men and pork soup dumplings |
| Hiro Ramen & Tea | Northwest (Sawmill Rd) | Robot servers, ramen and milk tea |
| Asuka Ramen | Dublin (Sawmill Rd) | Tonkotsu Black and Nagoya-style mazemen |
Meshikou
When I think about ramen, Meshikou is usually the first spot that comes to mind. I’ve honestly never had a bad dish there. On top of yummy eats like the Spicy Miso Paitan Ramen or the Fireball Paitan Ramen, you’ll also be impressed by the super friendly and helpful staff. You can read more about our visit right here.
Address: 1506 Bethel Rd., Columbus
Website: Meshikou
Fukuryu Ramen
Fukuryu Ramen is such a delight. I’m not quite sure why, but when I eat there I always feel like I’m on vacation. Maybe that’s because it feels like a place that’s way too cool for me. They have a huge variety of ramen options, including traditional and modern styles. They also offer Japanese fried chicken and it’s bomb.com. See, I’m really not cool.
Address: 1600 W Lane Ave., Upper Arlington; 4540 Bridge Park Ave., Dublin. A third kitchen at 748 Harmon Ave. is takeout and delivery only. The Lane Ave original spent a stretch as Izakaya Ryu and is back under the Fukuryu name. A Milky Way Matcha bar opened inside it in June.
Website: Fukuryu Ramen
Tensuke Ramen
Before we even talk about the ramen, we have to talk about the fact that when you walk into Tensuke Ramen, you’ll pass a sign on a ceiling that says, “Don’t bump your noodle”. It’s precious and it instantly makes you realize that you’ve come to the right place for a pick me up. If you knew this spot as Tensuke Express, it’s the same place, renamed Tensuke Ramen in 2024. The ramen here is good, so you should probably prepare yourself for a little wait. Which is alright, because it will only make you appreciate it more.
Address: 1155 Old Henderson Rd., Columbus
Website: Tensuke Ramen
Tiger + Lily
I love Tiger + Lily for so many reasons, but the reason I love them the most is their ramen. They’ve got a decently sized menu, with options ranging from beef to turkey and just about everything in between. They also have soupless noodles, which is basically ramen without the broth.
Address: 19 E Gay St., Columbus
Website: Tiger + Lily
Ampersand Asian Supper Club
Ampersand Asian Supper Club has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. Their ramen is so delicious and they’ve got these killer french fries that you probably won’t have room for but you should order anyway. Ampersand opened its Uptown Westerville room in 2025 and closed the Short North original that September.
Address: 32 W College Ave., Westerville
Website: Ampersand Asian Supper Club
Kyushu Ramen Bar
Grandview got the first Kyushu in 2022. Lewis Center came next in 2023, and a third shop opened on Bethel Rd in November 2025. Two tonkotsu bowls carry the shop’s name, the Kyushu Classic Tonkotsu and the Kyushu Black Garlic Tonkotsu, and pan-fried gyoza are on the starters list. The two newer locations also do sushi (the Grandview original doesn’t, so plan accordingly).
Address: 1280 W 5th Ave., Columbus (Grandview); 784 Bethel Rd., Columbus; 6418 Pullman Dr., Lewis Center
Website: Kyushu Ramen Bar
Satori Ramen Bar
Satori is the North Market’s ramen counter, and it punches way above what you’d expect from a market stall. Founder Seigo Nishimura trained in Tokyo and cooked in a Michelin-rated New York kitchen before coming to Columbus. The menu has brothless, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. It keeps market hours and closes early, by 7 at the latest and 5 on Sundays and Mondays.
Address: 59 Spruce St., Columbus (North Market Downtown)
Website: Satori Ramen Bar
Mizu No Kaori
Over on S Fourth St in German Village, Mizu No Kaori has been open since October 2025. It does ramen and tsukemen, the dipping-noodle style where the broth arrives on the side. The broths simmer for hours, and the tonkotsu comes with black garlic oil.
Address: 495 S Fourth St., Columbus
Website: Mizu No Kaori
Zundo Ramen & Donburi
Zundo came up from Cincinnati, where it started in Over-the-Rhine in 2018. Rich tonkotsu is the headliner, and the menu also has tsukemen. If you can’t face another broth, there are donburi rice bowls. Heads up: they’re closed Mondays. There’s a second location in Westerville if High Street isn’t happening.
Address: 2500 N High St., Columbus; 599 S State St., Westerville
Website: Zundo Ramen & Donburi
Kirin Noodle Bar
Kirin is a Japanese noodle bar in Clintonville. The ramen list runs from shoyu, shio, miso and spicy miso through tan tan men to seafood and lobster bowls. The pork xiaolong bao come five to an order for $6.99, and the sushi side of the menu includes a Lobster Crunch Roll. The drink menu has fruit teas like mango and lychee, plus Thai tea.
Address: 4227 N High St., Columbus
Website: Kirin Noodle Bar
Hiro Ramen & Tea
Hiro took over a former Burger King on Sawmill Rd in 2022 and turned it into a ramen and bubble tea spot where robot servers carry bowls out to the table. The menu covers the tonkotsu standards, and the drink list has milk teas and fruit teas. One note: they close on Tuesdays.
Address: 4800 Sawmill Rd., Columbus
Website: Hiro Ramen & Tea
Asuka Ramen
The old Noodle Topia space on Sawmill Rd has been Asuka Ramen since the fall of 2023. The signature bowl is the Tonkotsu Black, a slow-cooked pork broth finished with house black garlic oil. Asuka also does mazemen, a Nagoya-style brothless ramen. Other shops do soupless noodles, but the kitchen says nobody else in Columbus does the Nagoya style. There’s a full bar and bubble tea.
Address: 7541 Sawmill Rd., Dublin
Website: Asuka Ramen
Coming soon: Tonchin. The Tokyo-born tonkotsu chain has signage up at 965 N High St. in the Short North, with no opening date announced yet.
Columbus ramen FAQ
What’s the best ramen shop in Columbus?
Meshikou is the safest first bowl. It’s the city’s dedicated-ramen original, open since 2014. For a specific craving, use the list above, with Fukuryu for menu range and Mizu No Kaori or Zundo for tsukemen.
Where can I get tsukemen in Columbus?
Mizu No Kaori in German Village and Zundo Ramen & Donburi in Old North both have tsukemen on the regular menu.
Is there good ramen in downtown Columbus?
Tiger + Lily on Gay St and Satori Ramen Bar inside North Market are both downtown. Satori keeps market hours, so treat it as a lunch stop.
