HINODEYA Ramen & Bar Chestnut
HINODEYA Ramen & Bar Chestnut, out in San Francisco, is our top pick — rated 4.8 out of 5 from 857 reviews.
Every spot we track for cheap ramen in San Francisco, ranked by rating and review volume. Search by name, or switch to the map.
49 restaurants on this page
49 restaurants
HINODEYA Ramen & Bar Chestnut, out in San Francisco, is our top pick — rated 4.8 out of 5 from 857 reviews.
Mulan Malatang, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 151 reviews.
Cool restaurant with sidewalk seats dishing up Japanese noodle soups, donburi & yakisoba.
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Sushi Sheng 鮨昇, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 515 reviews.
Taniku Izakaya, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 431 reviews.
Laid-back operation serving Japanese bites, including sushi rolls, nigiri & sashimi.
HINODEYA Ramen Union Square, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 2,848 reviews.
HINODEYA Ramen & Bar Downtown, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 1,746 reviews.
Simply decorated Japanese noodle specialist serves up a menu of udon, tempura & mochi.
Taishoken San Francisco, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 472 reviews.
Ushi Taro Ramen Sunset, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 420 reviews.
American spin-off of Tokyo’s standout ramen brand brings a variety of combos to petite, modern digs.
Elevated ramen spot whipping up starters and dashi broth bowls in a simple, contemporary surrounding.
Contemporary spot for Japanese ramen (including hakata style), along with rice bowls, beer & sake.
Slow-cooked ramen, tsukemen, small bites & sake in stylish digs with rustic wood booths & bar seats.
Neighborhood venue dishing up ramen bowls & Japanese sides, plus beer, sake & soft-serve desserts.
This modern, petite cafe is known for its Japanese curry & noodle dishes & also serves sushi.
Contemporary Japanese joint with a sushi train & patio seating, also preparing noodle & rice dishes.
Wings, oysters & American bar bites, plus beer & wine, offered in a contemporary, convivial locale.
Japanese-style pub food specialist serving ramen & other nibbles in an airy atmosphere.
Laid-back, family-owned nook preparing creative sushi rolls & other homestyle Japanese meals.
Restaurant serving creative takes on ramen & other Japanese fare in a modern, artwork-adorned space.
Ramen soups with broth options & a variety of toppings served in an intimate, wood-paneled space.
Relaxed nook doling out eclectic Japanese fare, including ramen, sushi & meat skewers.
Compact restaurant serving ramen, rice bowls, sushi & other traditional Japanese fare.
Low-key neighborhood eatery offering traditional Japanese fare such as sushi, ramen & okonomiyaki.
Ramen noodle shop in the Embarcadero Center offering lunch & dinner in a modern space with a mural.
Thai curries, noodles & soups are served in a basic storefront space with a few tables.
Menya Kanemaru Golden Ramen, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 297 reviews.
Ramen Hiroshi San Francisco, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 244 reviews.
Japanese small plates, ramen & upmarket sake are dispatched in this simple yet stylish outpost.
Ramen, yakitori & other traditional Japanese small plates in simple, casual surrounds.
Made-to-order ramen with organic broth, plus veggie & pork toppings, fixed up in a food truck.
Tonkotsu- and shoyu-style ramen, rice bowls, beer & sake in a pint-size space with cozy tables.
Bright, airy deli & food marketplace with sandwiches, rice balls, bottled drinks, coffee & pastries.
Tekka House, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 166 reviews.
Modest Japanese ramen specialist also offering udon, teriyaki & sake by the serving or bottle.
Umai Ramen House, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 88 reviews.
Comfortable eatery serving classic udon & soba noodle soups, nabeyaki & other Japanese mains.
Menu of ramen bowls with signature broth & basic toppings, with additional ones available for a fee.
Tokyo-style ramen is served up with a slew of fresh ingredients plus gluten-free noodle options.
A Michelin-starred ramen outfit from Tokyo brings high-minded noodles & sides to buzzy quarters.
Ramen House, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 4.1 out of 5 from 155 reviews.
Contemporary cafe for meat, seafood & vegan ramen made with local elements, plus beer & sake.
Renowned for its pork broth, this casual Japanese chain offers a variety of soups & rice dishes.
Tiny Japanese restaurant drawing long lines for its ramen, though it serves sushi too.
Japanese fare like ramen & stir-fries, plus Chinese offerings, served in modest, compact quarters.
Qin's Ramen & Noodle Bar, in San Francisco, is next up, rated 3.7 out of 5 from 24 reviews.
Sleek, casual eatery & bar for ramen noodle soups, Pan-Asian small plates & Polynesian cocktails.
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When I am after cheap ramen in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco 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 California 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 San Francisco, CA 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 San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA or jump to cheap ramen near you nationwide.
The map above filters San Francisco, CA 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 San Francisco, CA · Ramen in California
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