Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - San Diego (Kearny Mesa)

I’ve visited KitaKata Ramen twice. First time was about 3 weeks ago. On my first visit we arrived bout 6:15pm. There was a waitlist and we were just 2nd on the list. They were quite busy, and we waited about 30 min to be seated. I noticed they only had one person serving and bussing tables at the same time. They were definitely understaffed, but I noticed how hard the server was working. His name is Lewis. You can tell he was overwhelmed with how much work he has to do, but he remained with a positive attitude the whole time. Lewis deserves a raise! He finally sat us down, and after ordering the food came out within reasonable time (about 15 min). Lewis was very polite and apologized for the wait. We totally understood how busy he was. Not only did I tip 20%, but I also venmo’d him a sepa

Color me impressed. Dare I say the soup is refreshing? It doesn't feel like I'm drinking a gallon of oil like with any other place (which, don't get me wrong, is usually fine). The portion is quite good for the price too, despite a lack of bowl showmanship. They just use a regular looking bowl but fill it the heck up. I'm a sucker for firm noodles, and was able to customize it to be firm and added additional salt, which was perfect for my taste. The miso ramen is very miso flavored, which might not comform to everyone's preferences. My wife liked it though. Would come again. Tummy very happy.

A very nice ramen restaurant that has an authentic Japanese taste. Their signature ramen bowl is the Kitakata Ramen which has a light soy sauce and salt broth with slices of chashu (pork) and topped with scallions. This has a light, refreshing taste, that is wonderful for a second meal. They have other ramen broths, so if you prefer something heavier, you have that option. Also, their Karaage (fried chicken) is quite excellent, so try that as well! Overall, I'd come back when in the mood for ramen.

Bar seating Booth seating Table seating Lunch deals Extra noodles for 1.5$ (if you're very hungry) Clean place and nice service. It took a few minutes to get the order. Fast service. The order is without toppings. You add toppings for $ Nice servers.

Ever since my friend and I came into Kitakata our first time, it’s been a tradition each time I visit San Diego to go back here together. We’ve been 3 or 4 times now - it’s our favorite! I eat a lot of ramen, and Kitakata is one of a kind. The ramen is super flavorful without being heavy, the recipes are creative, and the noodles are curly and chewy. My favorite flavors have been the mapo tofu, hot and sour soup, and green chili shio ramen. We typically come in for lunch around 12:00/12:30 on weekends, and parking isn’t too bad since the lot is large and shared with Target. Service is always fast, attentive, and friendly. Serving size for a regular bowl is generous, and for 2 people for just ramen/no sides, the total came out to around 40$. I wish I had a Kitakata in my neighborhood - I