JINYA Ramen Bar

We lived in Japan for several years and so far this is as close as you can get to authentic Japanese Ramen in the States! We love the atmosphere. The staff is super nice, service is quick and the beer on tap is icy cold! Not to mention they have the game on at the bar!

Loving this place service is good, as well as the food. Needs to be bigger thats the only issue aside from that delicious.

Fantastic ramen with top notch service. Fresh ingredients, practically artisanal ramen soup. Great on a cold day to warm you up!

Small but nice atmosphere, love the shrimp ball appetizer and spicy chicken ramen is awesome, so is the the wonton ramen it would be better if they also have a spicy wonton ramen. Price is reasonable and good service.

We had the Jinya bun, cauliflower, Jinya No. 1, and Jinya No. 2. It was all awesome! Plus good beers on draft and great atmosphere. We will definitely be back.

My husband and I tried Jinya in Clear Lake for the first time recently. We really enjoyed the whole experience. We sat at the community table in the middle and enjoyed chatting with our neighbors. The only reason I’m giving 3 stars is because there is only one Ramen option for vegetarians, the Vegetable Soup Ramen. Although the portions were substantial, the veggie broth was bland. I wish they offered other veggie Ramen options. Or perhaps a more flavorful broth. The redeeming quality to the Veggie Ramen is that you can load it up with customized toppings from their large toppings selection.
My husband, however, LOVED the Jinya Chicken Ramen. He told me that the broth was very rich and flavorful. He really enjoyed it. We also tried a green bean special side dish they were offering that night. It was delicious. We would definitely go back.

Wish I would have known about this place sooner.
I do prefer to eat on the restaurant rather than get it to go. They give you separate containers when taking to go and the taste was not quite the same as in the restaurant.

Modern ramen restaurant with pretty good food and ok service. Definitely one of the better ramen I had, and I loved the bamboo sprouts and chashu in the noodle. Noodle was chewy and not overly cooked! However, I was pretty shocked when I had to pay $ 3 for a cup of hot tea…
Favorites:
Tonkotsu Assari ($ 9.95)
Tonkotsu Spicy ($ 10.95) — choose medium, was actually pretty spicy and covered up the favor of pork broth
Other orders:
Combination deal –crispy chicken & salad (+$ 4.75)

I keep seeing all my Unilocal friends check into Jinya, mostly the other location though. We happened to be in the Clearlake area and decided to finally try it out for ourselves and see what the hype is all about. I now see why this place is so popular and why it’s always mentioned when ramen comes up. The location is easy to find. It’s situated on a corner of a pretty old strip center. From the outside, it looks like any other restaurant, but on the inside, it’s a really nice, hip spot. The staff was all dressed casual in flannel. The music was a little loud but good.
Since I’m a ramen first timer, I needed a little help with the menu. Our amazing waitress Lavender gave us a very helpful run down of the menu. We decided to go with some of the popular dishes for our first time. For appetizers, we ordered the tempura Brussel sprouts and pork gyoza. My kids do not like Brussel sprouts, but they demolished the dish. The Brussel sprouts were fried to perfection and tasted great. The gyoza was good. A tad bit on the tiny side, but tasty. My teens were unsure about ramen so they ordered the Tokyo curry and crispy chicken and french fries. The curry was ground chicken curry and steamed rice. It was slightly on the sweet side but they enjoyed it. The crispy chicken was a hit at our table as well. They were dark meat chicken nuggets tempura fried. Soooo good! Even the fries were awesome and seasoned great. Now to the ramen. My wife ordered the Jinya Tonkotsu black, level 5 spicy. Sometimes when you order the spiciest level, it’s unbearable, but in this case, it was clear your sinuses spicy, but so delicious. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Ramen, level 4 spicy, and added a season egg and chicken soboro (spicy ground chicken), which were both recommended for this dish. Every single component of both ramen we ordered was absolutely delicious. The broth in both were like liquid heaven in our mouths!
We are definitely ramen fans now. I’m glad I tried the best for the first time. The food along with the excellent customer service was enough for us to want to come back again and again and again. Clearlake is definitely lucky to have such an awesome restaurant in town!

Yup, I’m back. Ok, so the place is kinda growing on me. It’s not always practical to drive to Chinatown so I’m glad they set up shop in Clear Lake. Their pork bun is oh so good, like how I remember it. I bought one for my friend. She agreed. I wanted to order some drinks, but it was a little too early for it. Don’t wanna be making any habits of that, hehe.
So today’s special was the brussel sprout tonkotsu ramen. I always prefer the thin noodles over the thick ones. It gets more broth that way. Oh yeah we also got some fried with truffle ketchup and I think I want to take a bottle of it with me. What is it they put in it, horseradish? Wasabi? Anyway. The ramen itself was very flavorful after I tinkered with it. That’s the thing about this place. You have to build up the flavor profile yourself to make it really perfect which I’m starting to accept. But they do have a lot more ramen options than I’ve seen at other places.
I keep forgetting how much more this place is than other ramen houses, $ 3 – 5 dollars more to be precise. It’s still a fun and swanky place to come for ramen. Now if I could just get them to stop shouting at me as I enter (they scream some sort of greeting every time someone enters… it gets old pretty quick). I like that they have an actual full bar. Not something you find at ramen places.

I’ve not written a review like this before. In my about 150 restaurant reviews this will only be my second one star rating. Also, I can’t remember a restaurant where I disliked the taste of every food I tried.
The exterior is unassuming. Inside the physical facility is appealing, but a little too dark to read the menu. The service was prompt and attentive. For us that’s were it ended.
The boom, boom music was too loud and the occasional shouts weren’t welcome. Fortunately these stopped half way through the meal
This has to be a matter of taste since, given the many four & five star ratings, many people must like the food. We had the Brussels Sprouts Tempura appetizer. My wife had the Spicy Chicken Ramen, and I had the Tonkotsu Spicy. A little way into it we swapped. I overtly disliked the taste of everything and my wife didn’t care for anything either, though it may not have been as intense a dislike as mine. It must be an acquired taste and I’m not going to suffer through trying to acquire it.
I guess you can’t blame the food, rather blame us for not liking it.
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We’ve Eaten Out Every Meal for more than 25 years

Yes!
I came here on Friday looking for something out of the box and Unilocal led me to this place. I figure, hey, I like noodles in the pack every now and then let me go see what REAL Ramen is like!
I arrived around 7pm and was seated immediately. Quickly after I was seated my waitress arrived asking if we wanted anything to drink. I can admit I was a bit overwhelmed. Typically when trying new food there’s a hesitancy and fear of «well what if I order the wrong thing» so we asked the waitress what she suggests. We decided upon a seaweed salad and tempura as apps. and a sassy girl cocktail. OMG that tempura shrimp was piping hot and sooooooo good. The drink wasn’t much to brag about but I’m a cocktail snob so don’t take that too seriously. I ordered the spicy chicken ramen and added mushrooms. I was unable to finish but they were kind enough to offer me a to-​go bowl before I even asked for one.
I noticed that the staff kept the tables clean and sat customers at rapid speeds. The waitress was very attentive it became funny to us because she had pretty bad timing. Anytime we would have a mouth full of food, she’d pop up and ask us how everything was and we were only able to nod in approval.
I will be back… soon.

This has got to be the worst ramen I ever ate in my life. My temperature of the broth was lukewarm. I ordered the cha cha which is supposedly for the garlic lovers. Nothing garlic about it. The broth was a thick consistency and was hard to swallow. Noodle didn’t taste freshly made the only thing I liked from here was the almond dessert. Will not be back. I will stick with samurai noodle.
After reading the comments from the owner, I feel that maybe if you spent more time training your staff instead running different scenarios and replaying videos then you will have a better eating establishment. People are either going to like your food or not. I’m one of those who did not. Constructive criticism is a great learning experience.
I stick with my original review. My food was not hot. No steam was rising from bowl. The taste of the broth was gross. I ate all my noodles but left the broth in the bowl.
In response to marrisa f. People don’t always complain to complain. Why I didn’t say anything when I was there? Simple. I didn’t like the broth flavor. What would they do? Nothing. People either like something or they don’t.
I love how people love to assume things about people they don’t even know. Lol.

Excellent food, impeccable service!
Start off with the Brussels sprouts tempura, gyoza and salmon sashimi! The salmon is to die for!
My friend loves the Cha Cha Cha and I love the vegetarian bowl… Fresh garlic is a must!
Close out the meal with the Annin Toful sweet almond pudding, it is amazing!
Jinya is def worth the 35 min drive from Galveston!

Decadence for your taste buds!
I’ve never had ramen before, but after seeing a food show I knew I needed to add this to my life.
I had the Tokyo Yatai Ramen with added fresh garlic and chicken soboro.
The broth has the right amount salt with good hints of chicken and pork.
The noodles are cooked well and all the toppings tasted great. I was slurping this goodness to the last drop.
We tried 3 apps– gyoza, shrimp balls, and bun.
The bun filled with tender tasty pork.
Gyozas had a good sear giving them a lil crispness. I love the gyoza sauce left on the table.
Shrimp balls had a rice crispy type coating giving a good crunch with a creamy center.

Best place in Southeast Houston for a delicious bowl of ramen!!!
Spicy Chicken Ramen — For the chicken lovers!!! You can choose between mild, spicy, or hot. I like to play it safe so I went mild. Mild has no level of spiciness though. No worries… they have a jar of their house ramen hot sauce at the table so you can create your own perfect bowl of spicy ramen. I added in about 4 scoops of the hot sauce. If you’re lazy, then you can just order the «spicy» level and you are good to go. This bowl contains creamy chicken broth (probably miso paste mixed with chicken broth), bean sprouts, and two sliced pieces of moist white chicken meat. I also added in some soft tofu (additional $ 1.00) and some fresh garlic (FREE!). (⁹⁄₁₀)
Tokyo Yatai — Chicken & pork broth with two sliced pieces of chicken meat, bamboo shoot, some green veggies, and a halved seasoned egg. The soup is clear so it’s not creamy like the Spicy Chicken Ramen. The broth also tastes a bit sweeter but just as perfectly seasoned. You can always customize your ramen by adding more toppings. It will cost you anywhere from 50 cents to $ 2. My boyfriend loves this entrée! (⁸⁄₁₀)
Vegetable Soup Ramen — For the meatless advocates! It comes with vegetable broth filled with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushroom, and more green veggies. I know it sounds super healthy but it’s super scrumptious too! Don’t worry about the ramen being tasteless and bland, because it won’t be!!! You can also request chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth. (⁸⁄₁₀)
The employees are friendly and I have never been disappointed with their customer service. They usually yell out something when guests come in. I’m guessing it’s some sort of Japanese greeting. The restaurant looks small but it’s actually pretty spacious. Everything looks clean so that’s a plus too!

So I went to eat there I had the chicken won ton soup. It was so good. Super healthy! Who knew ramen noodles could be so good!

I have been to both Jina-​NASA and Jinya-​Midtown, and have to say that the Jinya-​NASA location is my favorite! I typically order the Tonkotsu Black Ramen, Kale Lollipop (kale tempura) and tempura brussel sprouts — the ramen has a silky-​smooth broth, filled with tender pork slices, delicately seasoned soft-​boiled eggs, and thin noodles that have just the right amount of firmness. One of my favorite things about Jinya-​NASA, aside from the food itself, is the consistency in presentation, flavor, temperature, quality, and professional staffing. I usually sit in the bar area where Trevor, is always very courteous, prompt and attentive — however I have never had anything but excellent service from any of the waitstaff.
All in all, if you are looking for somewhere that is classy (yet casual), with excellent Ramen (some of the best I’ve ever had), and top notch service, Jinya-​NASA is the place to go. It is also my go-​to place to take out-​of-​town guests.

I love soups and broths. I love spiciness. When you combine spicy and soupy together, I’m pretty happy. So when they introduced me to their inferno and double inferno spiciness for their ramen broth – well, I was in heaven. I realize it’s not traditional ramen, and that’s okay with me. I’m all about fusion, so call this fusion ramen, and just enjoy it!
The noodles are perfect. Jinya has both the thing and thick noodles, so you can make your choice. They have the option to build your own ramen bowl with whatever add ins you want or you can order from the pre-​made bowls that have names and fit together.
They provide a ramen seasoning on the table so you can give the broth a bit more oomph, and it even has chunks of flavor in it (onion and garlic and ginger with the seasoning), and some of the hot chili sauce too.
We fell in love with the tempura battered and fried brussells sprouts, so so yummy.
They do have a bar-​like atmosphere, so it’s not exactly a ‘family’ type feel. I would imagine on a weekend evening, it gets crowded and loud. With the center eating area all bench style, community type dining, you might end up sitting next to someone you don’t know. In fact, the booths that run along the wall and the tables are so close together, it’s like you’re dining with other people. THAT I don’t like. In fact, I don’t like it enough that it’s the main reason they are getting four stars instead of five. For me, I just don’t like the interior atmosphere and it’s awkward with a wheelchair when the place is busy. When it’s slow, I can sit in the corner and not feel so crowded.
So we mostly order to go now, and it’s really good. They pack it nicely and easy to set up at home. The wontons are good too. The chicken slices are a bit… meh. I love the fresh spinach. Fresh garlic is free too! Get the crispy fried onions to toss on top as well. Worth it.
This has become one of my favorite meals. Again, I’m a soup and broth nut, and this isn’t traditional ramen, but it’s got all the things I love about soup and broth and the added kick of spice and the nice chewy crunch of ramen noodles… it’s all good. So good!
And if you’re young and single, this is a nice little ramen bar with decent drinks – try the cherry tree drink, I forget the name of it, but it’s so good!

Though the price may seem reasonable, I feel that the portioning is slightly lower than what good ramen establishments would provide. Well, this is coming from someone who’s been to Japan, where the average ramen place is godly compared to anywhere here. I will give credit to your broth, though I do wish it was a bit more creamier and tastier. Don’t get your ramen spicy btw, it’ll ruin the flavor of the ramen. Actually, if you order it normally and add just a spoon of the spicy sauce then you should be fine. The meat slices were pretty dang thin which sort of aggravated me. Mushrooms were decent portioning. Also, usually the egg comes free but I guess not here. This might sound weird too, but the noodles look dumb. The curliness of the noodle makes me think I’m eating packet ramen. I will say however that your noodle texture was not bad at all.
Don’t come hungry, because your normal bowl of ramen here won’t get you full, unless your stomach is the size of a 70 year old (sorry to those 70+ that are able to eat a lot).
All in all, I could find absolutely nothing special about this place that distinguishes itself from any ramen places I’ve been to in my life. If you believe it’s unfair that I’m comparing this place to places in Japan, trust me, I’m also thinking of ramen places I’ve been to in the U.S. too.
6/​10, would come back when I’ve exhausted my top options of places to eat.