Today, friends, we’re going to talk about noodles. And not just any noodles—the BEST noodles in the Bay Area, according to some folks who identify as local food enthusiasts.
From ramen and udon to spaghetti and linguine, these noodle recommendations span the gamut of a dish few humans dislike. The judges? Off the Grid’s “Insiders”—a fun and diverse group of food-loving folks from around the Bay Area who are always game to eat food and talk about it with us.
We ask our OTG Insiders about what their favorite types of noodles are, their go-to spots and why they love them. Here’s what they had to say! (And if you’re interested in becoming one of these super-duper cool Insiders yourself, head here!)
20 Places To Find the Best Noodles in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, the Peninsula and Beyond.
1) Udon noodles from Marugame Udon
Chad, San Francisco
Follow: @sugar_chaddy
Why: Noodles are fresh made daily and prepped to order. There’s a wide selection of aromatic broths, so you can visit often without getting bored. We recommend the dashi bowls for a light, fishy soup or the miso udon for an umami-loaded, vegan soup.
2) Ramen noodles from Taishoken
Queena, San Francisco & Peninsula
Follow: @bobaqueenandeats
Why: Taishoken is known for their tsukemen, a dipping ramen made with pork, chicken, dried anchovy, and dried bonito. The noodles and soup are served separately, so you dip the chewy ramen noodles into the rich, fishy sauce. Their tender, flavorful pork chashu goes well with the texture of the tsukemen. They also offer soupless ramen and the traditional ramen with broth. Taishoken delivers quality food and provides the chance to experience different types of ramen!
3) Wagyu beef chow fun from Palette Tea House
Amy, San Francisco
Follow: @cookingwithamy
Why: I love all noodles! The wagyu beef chow fun from Palette Tea House is a splurge worthy version of a Cantonese classic. It has the typical bean sprouts and onions, but using wagyu adds an extra layer of richness over the smoky wok-fried noodles.
4) Ramen noodles from Ushi Taro
Lainie, San Francisco
Why: Their small menu allows them to focus on a handful of dishes like ox tail tomato ramen and spicy ramen served with an onsen egg and truffle. I love their vegan option and I order it spicy.
5) Tomato Beef Pan Fried Noodles from Perilla
Erika, San Francisco
Follow: @Erikalchan
Why: So garlicky and such a nice noodle texture. Tomato Beef Pan Fried Noodles from China North. Tomato Beef reminds me of my childhood. Perfect ratio of crunchy to saucy tomato and chunks of beef.
6) Kao soi (Thai curry noodles) from Spice Me
Jennifer, San Leandro
Why: When I was working in Half Moon Bay, I always craved noodle soup on foggy days, but there weren’t any pho or beef noodle soup spots. One day, out of desperation, I ordered the Khao Soi and I haven’t looked back. The slurpable noodles, tender beef chunks, and subtly sweet coconut milk curry with a fresh squeeze of lime has never disappointed.
7) Garlic noodles from PPQ Beef Noodle House
Myra, Daly City
Why: Some places have garlic noodles, but you can barely taste the garlic, but at PPQ the noodles are garlicky and buttery.
8) Laghman from Tarim Garden [Santa Clara]
Why: Xinjiang cuisine is rare across the Bay Area, but at Tarim Garden you can find a lot of traditional dishes. Laghman is a hand-pulled noodle dish made with aromatic spices, mushrooms, and often includes meat.
9) Pho gai (chicken) from Sai’s Vietnamese Restaurant
Sarah, San Francisco
Why: Because it has a really flavorful, clear, not overly-salted, and piping *hot* broth. Farmhouse Thai for khao soi – hefty serving of although there aren’t many places that have khao soi so I definitely could be missing a place that has a version I might like better! Also I just checked their menu and they apparently don’t even have it anymore….
10) Ramen noodles from HiroNori Craft Ramen or Ramen Nagi
Davelyn, Mountain View
Follow: @davcouch
Why: I’m a vegetable lover and I love how ramen is so inclusive of different kinds of foods like protein and veggies. The noodles at these spots are also very fresh and tasty.
11) Pho soups from House of Pho
Cheryl, San Jose
Why: They have flavorful pho soups and great portions.
12) Hot & Sour Noodle Soup and Duck Noodle Soup from Chong Qing Xiao Mian
Judi B., San Francisco
Why: I get warmed up with both their “Hot & Sour Noodle Soup” and “Duck Noodle Soup” Super fine fresh ingredients and unique combinations create inimitable noodle soups that rock my soul!
13) Unique Ramen Bowls from Mensho Tokyo [San Francisco]
Why: The ramen here is unlike any other. Their matcha ramen is a rich, creamy chicken soup topped with pork chashu, kale, and chives. I love their Blaze ramen that stacks heat in multiple ways — Szechuan pepper, chili sauce, and fried chile
14) Italian pasta at Doppio Zero
Bria, Pleasant Hill
Why: It’s super authentic! There was also a food truck that came to the Pleasant Hill markets with fresh pasta and the option to create your own xombo with meat and sauce. Can’t remember their name (we miss you out here!) but they were really good too
15) Vermicelli and pad thai from Thai Farmhouse, MAU, House of Nanking
Orkid, San Francisco
Follow: @3pencilsdesign
Why: My favorites are Thai Farmhouse, MAU, House of Nanking (I know old news), YAMO, Noodle in a Haystack… too many places are good.
15) Ramen at Ramen Nagi
Gabrielle, San Bruno
Follow: @gabby.san
Why: Customization options are very similar to how it is in Japan, broth is delicious; Hinodeya Ramen Bar — can order/pay bill all through phone, has vegan options, broth also delicious and large servings.
16) Pho curry chicken soup from Pho Element
Ld, Burlingame
Why: Always delicious, Don’t see this elsewhere Pho has a very nice balance to make the curry rich but not heavy. Gives it a delightful unctuousness.
17) Chinese-style noodles from Bund
May D., San Francisco
Follow: @zumbawithmayd
Why: Authentic Shanghai style soy sauce noodle. Delicious and authentic. Taiwan – very reasonable and old school style of Taiwanese noodle.
18) Dan dan style noodles from Kagawa-Ya Udon and Chefus
Natalie, Burlingame
Follow: @natimmarie
Why: I love spicy noodle dishes in all formats (but particularly dan dan style). It is nice to have it in deep, rich broth. I love when there is minced meat. I have had spicy beef dan dan udon noodles from Kagawa-Ya Udon. This had spicy minced beef and it had the richest broth. It came with fresh cilantro and scallion which amplified the flavor. This had homemade udon noodles.
My second favorite noodle place is from Chefus (a delivery service for the bay) and they offer spicy noodle with minced pork. It comes with fresh flavors from scallions, peanuts, and preserved mustard greens. Both places have a good variety of texture, colors, and flavor in these minced meat noodle dishes.
19) Pho from Ben Tre
Dan, Daly City
Why: Great broth, generous meat portions.
20) Kiwami Tonkotsu from from Ramen Hajime [San Jose]
Why: Some of the best ramen in the South Bay. The Kiwami Tonkotsu is simple but really savory thanks to a drizzle of black garlic sauce. It’s also served with a side of lime which brightens the richness.
Looking for more food recommendations? Check out our guide to the best burgers in the Bay Area.
