Underbelly

I’m not normally a ramen fan, but underbelly is hands down one of the best ramen restaurants I’ve been to!
The service is so fast. As soon as you walk in you order at the counter, pay and then you’re seated which is brilliant in my opinion, it just makes the process so much easier! Oh and they don’t have any spoons or forks so practice your chopstick skills or get ready to slurp some ramen goodness!

I came back to Underbelly to give it a second try and I was even more disappointed.
I ordered the signature «Belly of the Beast» –
Broth: lacking in so much flavor. Very bland, below average, worse than instant ramen broth flavors. Really disappointing.
Noodles: Ok. Served slightly al dente, which I like. But just ok.
Ingredients: The meat is below average. Everything sort of tasted blah to me EXCEPT for the oxtail dumplings. What a waste to throw those perfect little things into that boring broth.
Price: OVERPRICED
Don’t order their apps either. Their pork belly buns and chicken buns are SO underwhelming and ridiculously overpriced too.
Beautiful ambiance and location, Underbelly. But your food is lacking. San Diego, open your eyes. THIS IS NOT GOOD RAMEN. Never again…

I am not a big Raman fan… Makes me think of college days and the bland Raman packets. But Underbelly is an exception! A friend recommended this and I am so glad I gave it a try. So flavorful and full of great veggies. This is the gourmet version of the college staple!

When I travel for work I get homesick. I miss my bed, I miss my family and I miss all my local Hawaii restaurants. Unreasonably homesick to the point that all I can think about is eating rice and noodles; sad but true. So when I heard my friends were headed to Underbelly for a midnight bite I couldn’t wait to try it!
It’s a small ramen operation with a menu that’s oddly similar to Lucky Belly, a Hawaii ramen restaurant in our Chinatown area. The restaurant is dark and hipster, but it’s perfect for the crowd of late night partiers looking for a bite to balance their cocktail intake. We sat at the counter, were served quickly and dove into our bowls. The ramen again, was very similar to Lucky Belly in almost every way shape and form, which is a hearty broth, noodles and a mixture of meat, nori and soft boiled egg. Not quite home, but a decent replacement until I’m back where my heart and stomach belong.

Fixed my noodle craving.
Had the vegetables noodle, pretty good
But my favorite thing was the pork belly buns.
Staff were friendly.

It was my first time in the Gaslamp district and my friends and I had a pretty filling lunch so we just decided to split the Belly of the Beast. I enjoy a good bowl of ramen and this place hits the spot! We grabbed seats near the outdoor seating area so we were able to chill and eat Definitely on the pricier side for meals, but I still felt full even after sharing.
The broth was hearty, meat tender, and egg boiled just the way I like it. All the flavors worked well together and I will definitely be coming back when i’m in the area!

Fall in love with Ramon in Hawaii, I finally found a place that comes close to what the Ramon is like there.
Had the vegetables Ramon. Super good.
The pork bellie buns were awesome.
Staff were way cool.

Oh My Goodness!!! I have to say… hands down, the BEST ramen ever!
Just a hop and a skip away from Little Italy is the most wonderful ramen house!

It wasn’t so «underwhelming» as the location in North Park. But I’m glad I tried the NP location first because it made this one so much better.
The broth had good flavors, noodles were hard and stuck together, meat was really good and we didn’t get that hot dog thing in our ramen. It was good for an untraditional ramen aka Americanized. Not sure where they got the no spoon idea but every ramen place I’ve been to in Japan they eat ramen with a spoon and every real ramen place on Convoy as well. Maybe from a different region somewhere in Japan… The pork belly bun was delicious too. Quite pricey for ramen but it’s in Little Italy and prime location.
Anyhoo, I had low expectations due to the NP location but this original one didn’t disappoint. Glad I can come here for lunch.

Cali people probably get many choices for good ramen, but a girl living in Pittsburgh is lucky to get this! I really loved Underbelly!
Was able to walk here from my hotel – Marriott Residence Inn Bayfront. Loved the hipster club vibe and skinny spiral staircase. The windows flip down to become tables in an indoor/​outdoor setting. Cute!
Taste — excellent! Hubby got the oxtail bowl and I got the tonkotsu. Usually, tonkotsu comes with pork belly but to add that was extra. And it’s not the best pork belly I’ve never tried. My mom’s version is superior ;).
Broth was tasty and the soft boiled egg was good but I prefer a good marinated ramen egg cut in half. I finished mine no problem so wish there were more noodles. I’m a ramen fiend so this portion might be enough for a normal person but just barely enough for the likes of me.
I liked the different types of condiments – the mustardly hot sauce packed a punch! My favorite was the red chili pepper spice blend of sesame seeds, cayenne and nori. So yummy!
We went here at 9pm-​ish and it was DARK! Their electricity bill must be so low b/​c it was dim to the point of not seeing anything.

Pretty sweet spot for ramen.
Came here for lunch on a Saturday. The place is located at the corner of the street — just look for the really hipster looking place. Parking can be a beezy, but we luckily found parking just down the street. So as I’ve said before, this place looks pretty hipster and modern at the same time. You got your indoor spiral staircase leading up to the Underbelly sign and some wood décor. The bathroom blends in with the wallpaper. The windows open to allow indoor and outdoor seating. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Anyways, I tried their famous Belly of the Beast ramen that came with oxtail dumpling and hoisin braised short ribs, beef brisket and a soft boiled egg. Man those dumplings and short ribs were on point. It really complimented the flavor of the ramen. They don’t give you spoons here, so be open to picking up your bowl and slurping your soup.
Definitely worth a try when you’re in Little Italy! Good ramen, not the best I’ve tried, but super solid nonetheless.

The doorman was a jerk.
Moving on… Underbelly has the potential to be a great restaurant located in the hip & trendy Little Italy neighborhood. I enjoyed the vegetarian ramen immensely! The noodles were cooked to perfection, succulent mushrooms, sprouts, onions and delicious broth filled my bowl and eventually my growling tummy. There’s a nice bar scene and although the space itself is pretty tight there were patio, window & upper level seating options available. I decided to order and leave due to the busyness. There was a line in front of the entrance with a gentleman standing watch to screen patrons wishing to come inside. Confused me a bit because I didn’t think this was a nightclub. Anywho, I walked to the entrance and felt like the doorman and I were having a standoff.
As a San Diego weekend visitor I was unsure of the ordering method here. When I walked up he firmly directed me to get at the end of the line before I could say a word. I tried to ask if this was necessary for ordering takeout; as I was not looking to be seated in the restaurant (assuming I’d place a takeout order at the nearby bar area). In a very sarcastic way he stated, «Uh yeah… no go ahead and get to the end of the line.» His rudeness totally left a bad taste in my mouth.
Wowwww…relax guy it’s really not that serious. Had I not valet parked and walked a block to get this food I wouldn’t tossed him a few choice words and starved another hour. He totally ruined my vibe along with any chances of a 5-​star rating for Underbelly. Pleasantries make all the difference in a dining experience.
2 stars for the ramen & ambience.
~Christy

Order your food first and then find a seat. My friend and I went at 4pm on a friday afternoon. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice breeze from the ocean. I ordered the underbelly ramen and it was yummy! It had three different kinds of pork. They have vegetarian ramen options as well. This is a good place to get a quick bit to dine alone, catch up with a friend or even a date.
Parking: Street parking $ 1.25/hour
Tip: They don’t have any spoons so bring your own or drink from the bowl

This is our favorite spot! There is nothing on the menu that we don’t love! Love the views, love the vibe, love the Belly of the Beast!
We eat here at least twice a month!

Entrance is in Kettner, next to the other building. Missed it the 1^st time.
Service: great. No problems with the server or the guy working the cashier. Everyone was nice.
Ambiance: nice and relaxed. It might be a bit difficult finding seats if you go on a busy night (I did not). No qualms about the wait or finding seating on a Wednesday round 10pm.
Vegetarian Review:
Vegetable Ramen: not so great
— comes w/​crunchy asparagus, hearty mushrooms, and a generous helping of seaweed. The veggies were good.
— The problem comes in the broth– zero flavor. Well, I guess that’s unfair. Not zero. Very, very minimal. There was a bit of oil on the top, but it wasn’t like, sesame oil that gave the broth flavor. We weren’t offered the condiments (soy sauce, hot sauce, i-​forgot-​the-​name-​powder…), but if I ever had to put soy sauce in my ramen, that’s a clear sign to run for the hills.
The place was interesting and nice, but the ramen really lacked flavor in the broth.

This place is located on the corner of FIr and Kettner. It has a huge arrow that’s lit up at night. Can’t miss it! The entrance is on the side, you might miss it if it’s your first time. Nice ambiance, kinda trendy due to the list of beers you can have with your ramen. Lol
Heat lamps!!! Cool lit up floor on the outside. This place is nice to eat at night!!! The price is reasonable. Service was very nice!
No condiments brought out to us. Although we didn’t need it, it would have been nice to be offered.
Water has a cucumber instead of a lemon. Yes! +1
Ramen on the other hand was just normal. Like decent for ramen. If you don’t what Shin-​Sen-​Gumi is, then this ramen will be good for you. If you do, you’ll find the muted broth to be just «ok». I had the Underbelly ramen. The best thing was the pork and the awesome soft boiled egg. The. Noodles were good, not amazingly great… but decent.
80’s music playing on the outside. Strong heat lamps and very trendy and cool ambience on the outside and inside. This would normally be a 3 star for me… but I like the how the outside seating let’s us face people walking. Also the food came out pretty fast. Just know that if it was just about the ramen alone, it would be 3 stars. Which means this a good place. Try it out if you’re in town. But know there is better ramen out there…

I have been to the Underbelly in North Park several times, but this was my first adventure into the one in Little Italy.
We arrived late on a Thursday night and we were greeted by he bartender. Let’s just say he had much passion for Ramen and Beer. He was most helpful in selecting both. It was most impressive. In fact, the service was great throughout the whole visit.
The Ramen was good but nothing exceptional. I had the vegetarian. I have had it many times at the North Park location and it always does the job. Not the best Ramen, but quite good late night.
I do like the set up in the North Park location. The bar is a great place to chill, eat Ramen, and drink an IPA.

Located in Little Italy. I walked here since my hotel was near by close. It was a Saturday mid-​afternoon. I placed my order at the bar area inside and sat on the patio.
On the patio alcohol is not offered but the bar on the front counter does serve alcohol but was in direct sunlight. I selected the underbelly Of the beast ramen — contains beef short rib, whole egg and oxtail dumplings. Definitely unique and tasty although it could have been hotter in temperature heat. If you prefer spicy go for the ghost chili sauce provided on each table. Service by the bartender and server were spot on and cordial friendly.
Overall, a good lunch which cured my ramen craving.

Underbelly ramen get in mahhhh bellllaaayyyy! Surprisingly no wait. I’m probably just so used to ramen places back home where it’s normal to have hour long waits… but of course, yay for no waiting!
You grab a menu on your way in. You order at the counter and they seat you. I love how they make you pay beforehand. It’s just so much more efficient. You don’t have to worry about flagging down a waiter for the check, causing you to get out quicker to then let more customers come in without waiting too long. I think ALL ramen places should do this to reduce long wait times.
I ordered the underbelly ramen. My boyfriend ordered the belly of the beast. The belly of the beast came with soft boiled egg, oxtail dumplings, beef brisket, and hoisin glazed short rib ($ 12). The underbelly ramen came with soft boiled egg, chashu belly, applewood smoked bacon, and adobo pulled pork ($ 10). All of these ramens included their standard toppings: bean sprouts, scallions, seaweed, and sesame seeds. The underbelly ramen is comparable to Orenchi in San Jose. The noodles were super soft and so was the chashu. It just melted in your mouth. The meat given was the standard amount, but they gave a whole lot more noodles than other ramen places! I recommend adding a little of their chili powder to give it an extra kick.
I really really liked the ramen at this place! :-)

I was warned that underbelly was overrated and overpriced for ramen. I decided to give this place a try since I was in the area. Each bowl was 8 – 12 dollars, 8 for the plain and 12 for their special, which I believe is reasonable for a fancier ramen place with good quality food. It’s only a couple dollars more than what you would get for if you went to convoy.
I actually loved the flavor of the broth, and the texture and chewiness of the noodles. They were cooked to perfection and not soft or soggy. Every bowl comes with bean sprouts, ginger, scallions, seaweed and sesame seeds. The belly of the beast had delicious oxtail dumplings that you can order on the side of any bowl of ramen! Interestingly, they don’t have soup spoons because you’re supposed to slurp the broth right out of the bowl which I was totally okay with!
I was surprised that they had buns, which are now frequently being served in the form of bao bun «tacos» so I had to try! The buns were delicious. The brisket was soft and chewy and glazed with a perfect amount of hoisin sauce, pairing well with the pickled cucumbers. I would definitely order these again. Even the couple that sat next to us were obsessing over how delicious they were!
On the tables they have soy sauce, chili oil, dry pepper flakes and their special ghost chili paste, which i tried and I’ll definitely say that a little bit goes a long way!
There is a wide selection of beer as well, I included a picture.