Voluptuous Vegan
Yanagi Ramen is a solid addition to the area and a place I’d definitely return to. While it wasn’t the most mind-blowing ramen I’ve ever had, it was genuinely good—especially for the location—and clearly hits the spot when you’re craving something warm and comforting. I really appreciated the variety of vegetarian options, which felt thoughtfully done rather than like an afterthought. My bowl was flavorful and well-balanced, though worth noting: even after asking for heat, it wasn’t spicy at all, so spice lovers may want to temper expectations.
That said, the experience had a bit of a rough start. We arrived right at the posted opening time (11am) and ended up waiting outside in the freezing cold, unsure if they were actually open. We had to call to confirm, and only then did someone come to unlock the door. Once inside, I asked for hot tea—pretty standard at most Japanese spots—only to be told they were completely out, which was surprising.
All things considered, Yanagi Ramen delivers a dependable bowl with good vegetarian choices and a clean, modern space. A few opening-hour kinks and missing basics kept it from being great, but the food itself was enjoyable, and I’d happily come back—just not for spice, and hopefully next time with hot tea ready to go.
… moreArmando Godinez
Finally stopped by to try this place out. Service was decent with our waitress, but my order took around 20 minutes and my wife’s was delayed due to the kitchen and her ramen came out about 15 minutes after my ramen, so that put a damper on our meal.
I ordered the black garlic ramen with pork char siu. The flavor was decent and the noodles were good even though the portion of noodles wasn’t great. The broth lacked some salt and that garlic flavor to really give it umami.
My wife did the build your own ramen with chicken broth, chicken, bamboo shoots, edamame, corn and bean sprouts. The broth was flat and lacked salt and really any flavor and the add ins weren’t generous.
Seemed like food wasn’t being prepared for each table and in order as we noticed other people who had showed up after us receiving food before we received ours.
Not sure that we will visit this place again as there are better ramen places like Ohana Ramen or Hokkaido Ramen.
… moreDelia Salinas
We were driving through Lubbock and we were craving some ramen so we decided to stop and try this and it did not disappoint! The food was really good! We had the seafood and the spicy ramen and they were both delicious. The portions are great and the our server Angelita did a fantastic job!
… moreDe’Anna Lozano
So, I forgot to take a pic of the rice before I put my fork all through it everything was plated nicely, tried a couple of egg rolls, shrimp fried rice, shrimp sushi, and a build-your-own-ramen with spicy beef broth, steak, eggs, bamboo, shrimp and wavy noodles. It was all great and greatly priced! The waitress could have been a little more attentive but all in all, a good time and a good atmosphere.
… moreKeanan Owens
Asked them to make it extra spicy and they tried. While I would have liked things a little hotter, man it was delicious. This place has quickly become on of my favorite spots to eat. The food is incredible and the service is great too. Truly a must try if your a fan of sushi or ramen.
… moreuriel escobar
Honestly, the food was horrible. Service was barely okay, very vague interactions and it genuinely felt like she just didn’t care. Both the ramen and sushi tasted days old, and when the server let the manager know we were only given a 10% discount, we weren’t even able to eat more than 4 bites before coming to the conclusion that this restaurants food was absolute garbage. Would not recommend spending a cent here.
… moreCompletelyBooked
Absolutely love this place! A favorite spot for my fiancée and I to go to. The service is always great and friendly staff. Food is well made and great both with portions and pricing. Well decorated and well lit interior. The absolute BEST place for sushi and ramen in all of Lubbock!
… moreDaniel Dameron
We had dinner here around 6:00 on 4/5. We were warmly welcomed and immediately seated. We started off with hot sake (very hot, and very yummy) and the jalapeño bomb appetizer. The jalapeños were not too spicy, and the cream cheese really rounded out the flavor. The clear soup that came with the Habachi shrimp was delicious with a deep umami flavor and rich broth. The Habachi meat and veggies unfortunately had a plastic aftertaste that was not very pleasant. The West Texas Sushi roll was fantastic though. And the Yanagi Signature Ramen was superb. Overall, we enjoyed our meal and had a good time.
… moreTrent Stuckey
We came in for dinner on a Sunday night around 7. It was a little busy but we got sat immediately. The menu looked good but we got up and left after sitting unserved for about 15 minutes. Might try again some other time.
… moreC S
I was in town visiting friends and they got us ramen from this place because I’m vegan and they had a vegan ramen bowl! The food was picked up and brought to us and the restaurant apparently keeps the soup toppings and noodles separate from the broth until you’re ready to actually eat it. Ingenious because it keeps everything fresh and from getting soggy! I really enjoyed this place and so thankful they have vegan ramen in a small town with very little vegan options!
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