Best Ramen on Convoy
8 picksThe short answer
The best ramen in Convoy: Menya Ultra for Michelin-listed tonkotsu (join the online waitlist), RakiRaki for oxtail, spicy miso and tsukemen until midnight, Kitakata Ban Nai for light shoyu, and Oi Shiba for duck ramen — eight shops in all, compared below.
The best ramen on Convoy depends on what you're after: Menya Ultra for the Michelin bowl, Tajima Ramen Convoy for reliable and open late, RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen for late-night ramen.
- Best for the Michelin bowl: Menya Ultra
- Best for reliable and open late: Tajima Ramen Convoy
- Best for late-night ramen: RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen
- Best for bold broth, easier parking: Nishiki Ramen
- Best for lighter shoyu: Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
- Best for cheap and no line: Monsta Ramen Curry
- Best for chicken paitan and vegan ramen: Karami Ramen
- Best for duck ramen and inari: Oi Shiba
How to choose
Convoy is San Diego's ramen capital — if you're looking for the best ramen in San Diego, most of the answers are on this street. The eight Convoy ramen shops worth the drive cover every style: rich tonkotsu, black garlic, light Fukushima shoyu, spicy miso, tsukemen, duck tori paitan, and a rare real vegan broth.
Menya Ultra is the Michelin-listed one everyone means — join its online waitlist before you drive. Out late? RakiRaki's kitchen runs until midnight every night and Tajima until 11:30 on weekends. Want lighter? Kitakata Ban Nai's shoyu. Want heat or vegan? Karami builds bowls your way. Want no line? Monsta and Nishiki turn tables fast. New and curious? Oi Shiba's duck ramen is the bowl everyone's posting.
Before you go: tips for ramen on Convoy
- Join Menya Ultra's online waitlist before you leave home
- Go at 11am on a weekday for walk-in seats at RakiRaki and Tajima
- Real vegan ramen: Karami (creamy soybean), Nishiki, Kitakata Ban Nai and Oi Shiba (double-check takeout orders)
- Tajima's happy hour runs Monday to Friday, 11:30am to 6pm
- Kitakata Ban Nai is card only and closes 3-5pm on weekdays; Menya Ultra and Karami also break between lunch and dinner
Compare the picks side by side
| Spot | Best for | Style | Noodles | Vegan bowl | Line | Open until | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menya Ultra | The Michelin bowl | Rich tonkotsu, Michelin-listed | House-made | - | Yelp/Google waitlist; minutes to 1 hr+ at peak | 9pm | Medium |
| Tajima Ramen Convoy | Reliable and open late | Tonkotsu, carnitas and black garlic, izakaya plates | Made in-house daily (spinach noodles available) | Yes, soy broth with spinach noodles | 15-30 min at dinner; walk in mid-afternoon | 10pm (11:30pm Fri–Sat) | Medium |
| RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen | Late-night ramen | Tonkotsu, oxtail, spicy miso, tsukemen | Chewy mochi noodles | Yes, from 5pm (Yasai menu) | 30-45 min at dinner; walk in at 11am | midnight | Brutal |
| Nishiki Ramen | Bold broth, easier parking | Bold garlic tonkotsu, curry | - | Yes | Online waitlist; ~15 min at weekend peak | 10pm (11pm Fri–Sat) | Medium |
| Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai | Lighter shoyu | Light Fukushima shoyu | Hand-crumpled, chewy; firmness to order | Yes (plus gluten-free noodles) | Busy at lunch and weekends; closed 3-5pm weekdays | 9pm (10pm Fri–Sat) | Easy |
| Monsta Ramen Curry | Cheap and no line | Budget ramen and Japanese curry | - | - | No line | 9:45pm | Medium |
| Karami Ramen | Chicken paitan and vegan ramen | Chicken paitan, mild to extra hot; soybean vegan | Egg or spinach noodles | Yes (soybean broth, spinach noodles) | Rarely; closed 2:30-5pm and Mondays | 9pm (9:30pm Fri–Sat) | Easy |
| Oi Shiba | Duck ramen and inari | Duck tori paitan, black garlic tonkotsu | Thin only | Yes | New; duck can sell out at lunch | 9:30pm (10:30pm Fri–Sat) | Brutal |
A dash means we haven't confirmed it. "Open until" is the usual closing time, from each shop's listed hours.
The 8 picks
Menya Ultra
The Michelin Guide-listed tonkotsu in Kearny Plaza — get the Ajitama (the egg is extra on the plain bowl) and the Nagoya fried chicken. Join the Yelp or Google waitlist before you drive; arrive by 10:30am or 4:30pm to skip most of the line.
Tajima Ramen Convoy
Where Tajima started in 2001 — a big, lively room with sports on, noodles now made in-house, bowls till 11:30pm on weekends and a happy hour that runs all afternoon. Get the carnitas ramen or Tajima Black.
RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen
Ramen and tsukemen with the kitchen open until midnight every night — oxtail, black garlic and spicy miso bowls on chewy mochi noodles, plus a $15 weekday lunch special. Lines at dinner, and the lot is brutal.
Nishiki Ramen
A Kearny Mesa fixture since 2015 in the Mitsuwa plaza — the garlicky Smoke Bomb Black, curry ramen and the fiery Akuma, plus vegan bowls, gluten-free noodles and a kids' meal. A 15% service charge is built in; eggs are extra.
Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
Fukushima-style Kitakata ramen by the Costco Business Center — a light, clean shoyu broth with thick, chewy noodles, a real vegan bowl and great fried chicken. Huge, easy parking lot; card only.
Monsta Ramen Curry
Budget ramen and Japanese curry in Convoy Village with lunch specials from about $10 and no big-name line. Regulars say the chicken cutlet curry beats the ramen.
Karami Ramen
A tiny Showa-style shop with creamy chicken paitan bowls from mild to extra hot, a real soybean vegan ramen, great karaage and an easy parking lot. Rarely a line — just note it closes 2:30-5pm.
Oi Shiba
New in September 2026 (moved from PB): a calm, good-looking room with five bowls — get the tori paitan duck ramen or the black garlic — and fresh-fish inari on the side. Duck can sell out at lunch.
ramen on Convoy: common questions
What's the best ramen on Convoy?
Menya Ultra is the one most people mean: Michelin Guide-listed tonkotsu with house-made noodles — join its online waitlist before you drive. For spicy miso and tsukemen, RakiRaki. For a lighter bowl, Kitakata Ban Nai's Fukushima-style shoyu. For something new, Oi Shiba's duck ramen.
Which ramen on Convoy is open latest?
RakiRaki, with last orders around midnight every night (the doors close at 1am). Tajima stays open until 11:30pm and Nishiki until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Most other ramen shops close by 9 or 10pm.
Is there vegan ramen on Convoy?
Yes. Karami makes a creamy soybean broth, and Nishiki, Kitakata Ban Nai and Oi Shiba (lion's mane and fried enoki) all have vegan bowls. One Oi Shiba takeout order arrived with pork, so check to-go bags.
How do I skip the line at Menya Ultra?
Join the waitlist on Yelp or Google before you leave, and you'll fill in a paper order sheet while you wait so food comes fast once you sit. Arriving by 10:30am for lunch or 4:30pm for dinner usually means little or no wait. It closes from 2pm to 5pm.
What's the cheapest ramen on Convoy?
Monsta Ramen & Curry, with $9 curry rice, lunch specials from about $10 and most appetizers $5-7. Tajima's weekday happy hour (11:30am to 6pm) is the other value play.
Where is parking easiest for ramen on Convoy?
Kitakata Ban Nai on Othello Avenue is rated easy, and Nishiki on Armour Street is calmer than the Convoy core. RakiRaki (Convoy Court) and Oi Shiba (Hive Plaza) sit on lots rated brutal.