Szechuan Mansion Hotpot_Durham
Szechuan Mansion Hotpot_Durham, out in Durham, is our top pick — rated 4.9 out of 5 from 1,151 reviews.
Every spot we track for cheap ramen in Durham, ranked by rating and review volume. Search by name, or switch to the map.
33 restaurants on this page
33 restaurants
Szechuan Mansion Hotpot_Durham, out in Durham, is our top pick — rated 4.9 out of 5 from 1,151 reviews.
Creative Korean fare & craft coffee is served in this relaxed haunt with an expansive garden.
Rustic-chic spot serving chicken-centric Korean eats, including wings, noodle & rice dishes & gyoza.
Ramen Gear
* Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Sushi, hibachi & noodles are featured on the broad Japanese menu at this relaxed strip-mall option.
Casual restaurant serving homestyle Thai dishes, including curries, noodles & vegan options.
Sister Liu's Kitchen, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 443 reviews.
Kiichi Ramen, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 325 reviews.
M Tempura, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 301 reviews.
China Star, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 42 reviews.
Lulu Bang Bang, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 945 reviews.
Noodle 501, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 343 reviews.
Urban Noodle, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 324 reviews.
Bulkogi @ The Boxyard, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 263 reviews.
Hibachi-style steaks served at teppanyaki tables & specialties from a sushi bar in a casual setting.
Low-key joint serving familiar Thai & Chinese fare along with a kids' menu & health-conscious eats.
Chinese dining, including some less-standard dishes, in a subdued space with traditional sculptures.
A changing menu of East Asian–inspired fare & desserts is informed by what’s in season.
Low-key restaurant serving pho & other Vietnamese classic dishes, including vegetarian options.
Stylish eatery serving elevated Asian dishes & inventive sushi rolls, plus a large sake selection.
Sushi & Pan-Asian dishes served in a sleek, contemporary setting in the Homestead Shopping Center.
Ramen shop with a second-floor izakaya featuring Japanese small plates plus beer, wine & cocktails.
Sushi bar offerings & signature rolls, plus a menu of Pan-Asian options, in a casual setting.
Cheery restaurant serving Japanese dishes & sushi rolls, plus Thai & Vietnamese eats.
New Tokyo, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.1 out of 5 from 463 reviews.
Casual spot serving popular Japanese dishes including tonkatsu, curry ramen & tom yum broth.
Koi Sushi & Hibachi, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.1 out of 5 from 311 reviews.
bul box, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.1 out of 5 from 86 reviews.
More than 300 items are offered at this Japanese-American buffet with grilled fare & sushi.
Chicken Bee - Durham, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.0 out of 5 from 412 reviews.
Yaya Tea DURHAM, in Durham, is next up, rated 4.0 out of 5 from 216 reviews.
Counter-serve chain offering international noodle & pasta dishes from mac 'n' cheese to Pad Thai.
Roomy Japanese joint turning out basic sushi, noodles & teriyaki dishes ordered at the counter.
Japan Express, in Durham, is next up, rated 3.3 out of 5 from 485 reviews.
A curated PDF you can keep on your phone — everything worth eating, hand-picked and written up by us. Delivered to your inbox after checkout.
Secure checkout via Stripe. We'll email your guide once payment clears.
When I am after cheap ramen in Durham, the list above is where I start. It is already filtered toward cheap ramen, so it is easy to compare ratings, hours, and photos and pick the bowl you actually want — or switch to the map and tap "Use my location" to sort the same list by distance.
Cheap ramen is not lesser ramen. A bowl under about $15 in Durham is usually the sign of a shop that keeps its menu tight and its overhead low — one broth done properly, a couple of toppings, no table service to pay for. Some of the most respected shops in North Carolina sit squarely in this price band, because a long-simmered pork or chicken broth costs far less to make than it tastes like. This map filters Durham, NC down to budget-friendly bowls, sorted so you can find the cheapest good ramen closest to you rather than just the cheapest.
My approach is simple: I favor shops that specialize rather than do a little of everything, and I trust a strong rating that holds up across plenty of reviews over a perfect score from just a few. In Durham, I open a couple of listings, skim the most recent reviews and the photos, and go with the bowl that looks carefully made. The map keeps everything sorted by distance, so you are never trading quality for a long drive.
Prefer to widen the search? You can browse all ramen in Durham, NC or jump to cheap ramen near you nationwide.
The map above filters Durham, NC to restaurants in the budget price range — roughly under $15 a bowl. Enter your ZIP or click "Use my location" to sort by distance and find the closest affordable option.
Most markets run about $14 to $20 for a standard bowl. Anything under roughly $15 counts as budget, and under $12 is genuinely cheap. Prices climb with premium toppings like extra chashu or a marinated egg, which are usually a few dollars each.
Not usually. Price tracks overhead — rent, service model, decor — more than broth quality. Counter-service shops with a short menu often make excellent ramen precisely because they do one or two bowls extremely well instead of a long menu adequately.
Order the shop's standard bowl rather than the loaded special, skip extra toppings, and drink water instead of a beverage — that alone often saves $8 to $12. Lunch service is also frequently cheaper than dinner for the same bowl.
Kaedama is a refill of noodles added to your remaining broth, usually $1 to $3. At shops that offer it, ordering a standard bowl plus a kaedama is almost always cheaper than ordering a large or a second bowl.
Also browsing: Cheap Ramen Near Me · Ramen in Durham, NC · Ramen in North Carolina
From the community