If you’re looking for ramen in Phoenix, this is your guide. I don’t fully delve into the many great east valley options here, because Mesa and Chandler deserve their own post. Here are my ramen suggestions just within Phoenix city limits.

Generally speaking, the prices for ramen are quite similar everywhere on this list, ranging from about $16 to $21.

Mensho

This Japanese chain came to Phoenix by way of Mesa (a green flag if I’ve ever seen one). It boasts the richest broth of anywhere—almost too rich, depending on your preference. My husband calls this reminiscent of the cappuccino ramen in Fukuoka. The quality of all their ingredients is top tier.

I like their drink selection, which has a lot of less popular Japanese options. The space itself is also very traditional and aesthetic. Expect a small wait on weekends, but nothing as bad as their Mesa location.

Clever Koi

A great contender for the best ramen, even though it’s not the sole focus of their restaurant. Their sister concept Clever Ramen lets you DIY your choices all the way, but I find that unnecessary. They know what they’re doing with the dishes on the menu. If someone doesn’t eat pork, I would take them here for the miso shoyu chicken ramen or the vegan ramen.

This is the best place on this list for a cocktail. They also run the occasional fun special, like pozole ramen. You will need a reservation here on a weekend.

Obon

Like Clever Koi, they also serve a lot of non-ramen food, although their other focus is sushi. Their ramen menu has hits and misses from my perspective, but I’ve been told by a few people I ordered the wrong thing (classic tonkatsu) the first time I went.

They also have a vegan ramen option here. If the menu looks appealing but the Cityscape location doesn’t, you can try their sister spot in the Biltmore, Bisoturo.

Jinya

While this is a chain, so are a few other of these spots and it deserved a mention nonetheless. Their space is cute, their menu has a lot of different options (ramen-focused but with other choices as well), and I’ve liked everything I’ve had here. Be warned: their spicy is spicy.

If you’re looking for a lot of different broth options, this is probably the widest selection: chicken soy, creamy veggie, vegan miso, spicy yuzu, and classic pork.

The Honorable Mentions

Ramen Kagawa

Located in the heart of downtown, their location is great but their ramen isn’t my favorite. The broth doesn’t match the flavor of some other spots.

Cherry Blossom Noodle Cafe

This is an adorable concept with all kinds of noodle dishes, and I highly recommend going, but ramen wouldn’t be my go-to order here. It’s not the thing they do best. I usually order one of the stir fried noodle dishes here.