March is National Noodle Month, but if you ask us, the best noodles in Colorado deserve an entire year of adoration. From ramen to udon, the Centennial State is home to quite a few highly-rated Japanese restaurants that know a thing or two about delicious, slurp-worthy broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and all the add-ins you could possibly want. To narrow the list of date-night contenders, it helps to consider your cravings. Ramen or udon? A standalone restaurant or top-tier chain dining experience? Ahead, we break down the best noodles in Colorado, all of which deserve a spot on your dining bucket list and roster of road trip pit stops.
Why Colorado Is a Noodle Lover’s Dream
Much of the best Asian food in Colorado is clustered in the capital. When it comes to ramen, TOKIO and Domo Japanese Country Food are two of Denver’s most beloved independent Japanese restaurants, both serving soul-nourishing noodles and broths, among other authentic dishes like edamame, gyoza, chicken karaage, and takoyaki. Beyond their menus, both TOKIO and Domo stand out with their eye-catching interiors. Where TOKIO was designed by Kanji Ueki, who designed some of the earliest Apple stores, and is sleek, simple, and accented with warm mood lighting, Domo Japanese Country Foods has seating spread between a rustic Japanese-inspired country house and an authentic Japanese garden with lush greenery and pretty pink cherry blossom trees.
Denver is a top foodie destination, but it’s far from the only city in the state to dish up seriously stellar noodles. Roughly 25 minutes to the east, Katsu Ramen in Aurora receives rave reviews for its traditional Japanese ramen, including black garlic tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, spicy chicken, veggie, and curry options. The popular eatery also sells rice balls, poke, gyoza, and plenty of Japanese beverages to wash it all down.
Meanwhile, in Boulder, locals and visitors alike frequent Osaka’s, which is known not only for its ramen, sushi, and tempura, but also for its unique Osakas Burger, which uses okonomiyaki pancakes as a bun. Another must-try Boulder restaurant for some of the best noodles in Colorado is Zoe Ma Ma, conveniently located on Pearl Street. The Michelin-recommended, home-style eatery specializes in Chinese street food and handmade noodles, featuring four signature noodle dishes and a bevy of dim sum, rice, and sides.
The Best Ramen Chains in Colorado
If you enjoy finding high-quality restaurants that you can savor in different locales, there are a few top-notch ramen chains in Colorado. Uncle Ramen, with locations in the Highlands and Washington Park West neighborhoods of Denver, is a small, no-frills ramen shop dishing up noodles and buns, with plenty of ways to customize broth bowls. (Spicy Bomb, anyone?)
There’s also Bowl Izakaya, 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes north of Denver, depending on whether you go to the Longmont, Loveland, or Greeley location. This ramen, yakitori, and sushi joint is one of my and my fiancé’s personal faves since moving to Colorado. Between the grilled gyoza, spicy dragon bao, garlic chicken ramen, chicken karaage, seaweed salad, and green dragon roll, we can’t get enough…