There are a select few places in Des Moines that never disappoint. Ramen Club is on the top of that list. They always have a few starters or smaller plates to choose from. My favs- the spam musubi (homemade teriyaki on them..yum) & the Korean-style corn dogs.. they house the dog in a beautiful panko covering that hits your lips with the most satisfying flaky/crunchy texture.. upon biting into the dog, you get this gorgeous cheese pull from the mozzeralla they stuff them with..just wow. For the actual ramen, they offer two ever changing options- usually one with some sort of meat component, and then a vegan/ vegetarian one. I have no favorite for this category, as they're all so delicious, and impossible to not love because the noodles amongst everything else are made from scratch..my mouth waters just thinking of them. Oh, and the perfectly soft boiled marinated egg they always tuck in there..chefs kiss. They also offer some sort of dessert (occasionally two)..the butterscotch mochi is always a crowd pleaser, but the tropical matcha trifle has my heart.. I may or may not order extras when they offer this and hide them from my family in the freezer lol speaking of family, my kids (4 + 7 y/o) are absolutely in love with the noodles, and I love the leisure of a delicious meal on the fly for the nights i'm just too busy or exhausted to cook. They opperate out of Kitchen Spaces, and for what it's worth, the crew does a really great job transforming the space into their own for pick ups or sit down meals. Recently, they have started offering a 3 course sit down experience. Naturally I had to go, and everything from start to finish was on point. Last but not least the staff is always so kind, and works as a team- something I always feel good about supporting. I HIGHLY recommend checking them out if you're ever in the area!
Nancy W.
Finally got a chance to try this place out! I wasn't a huge fan of the Mexican ramen for the month of March so I was waiting for April to come out with something different but they never had something different until the 3 course meal on Cinco de Ramen! I hopped on that so fast! We had a great time! Ramen was good, egg was a bit too salty for me. Cream pie was good, yakitori was small for its size, the hibiscus tea we got went cold really fast because we were seated near the door and the space itself at kitchen spaces, seemed outdated.
Danie R.
I got ramen to dine in and a bunch of sides/sandos to go. The way they do dine in is awkward and I'm not quite sure works well but I did get my ramen served in a real bowl so I guess it works enough. Ramen flavor was good and the chips were fun but I thought it was missing something. Maybe it relied too much on the chips for salt? Also the chips seemed generic out of a bag chips. Nothing special. I liked the spicy sandwich a lot but it was hella greasy. Unfortunately not great for reheating but since they're only open one night a week (and a night I usually work) I really only had 1 chance to try everything... Brussels sprouts also awesome! Service was great!
Christine I.
Long overdue review. You gotta love this pop up for multiple reasons. 1) variety - every month is a different special ramen. Both ramen varieties include a meat and veggie option for our vegetarians. 2) they are a well loved LGBTQ+ owned local business - we love to support that! 3) their food is absolutely delicious. Their appetizers are YUM. I definitely recommend the artichoke tempura. It took awhile for me to order here. They are only available for pick up/dine in on wednesdays. I am on Instagram and their Instagram page has been very helpful. They have a how-to assemble on their website. If you're doing pick up, I much recommend getting the uncooked noodles. Literally takes a minute of boiling the noodles to assemble and makes me feel like I'm working with a Hello Fresh meal. Also. I recommend adding an egg with your ramen. Note. You can also order a day ahead and You can put in the time you'll pick it up. They are pretty popular so you do have to be patient since they're making all of this fresh. I have arrived at the time of pick up and still having to wait an additional 15 minutes bc they're stocked full of orders.
GameCaveArena
Good ramen and kimchi! Only open wednesdays as a pop up. Everything was tasty. If you dine in bring in your own drinks since it is a pop up and they only serve water. Super friendly staff and overall great experience. Highly recommend
Tyler Dickerson
This is literally heaven on earth or the closest thing to it, finding a good katsu sandwich is like finding a good significant other, it will make your life much happier. :)
Katie Gerlach
This place is a little gem! I’ve been meaning to pick up an order for months and finally did and was not disappointed. The order online and pick up process is super easy. We got their pork ramen and vegan corn dog. Both were amazing but have to give a special shout out to the vegan corn dog which has a chokehold on any regular corn dog. Seriously. If you’re vegan or a meat lover just try it.
Kelly Cherrier
This place is amazing and I'm not even a huge ramen fan. I got the Mapo tofu ramen, it was excellent, slightly spicy, generous toppings, beautiful tasting broth, the mapo tofu's flavor shined through well. The mochi bars where delicious and squishy. The vegan Korean corn dog was on a whole other level. Even the vegan cheese was excellent and suited the dish well. If the vegan corn dog was like that, the original will be amazing. You do assemble the ramen at home if you get it to go and if you have a ways to drive you might have to heat it up again. It saves well for the next day which is nice.The people there where super sweet, and you could hear them having fun in the kitchen cooking which is wholesome. They wrote my name on my bag in a cute manner and even added a Llama sticker. ?If you are a ramen fan definitely go here, if you arnt a ramen fan and enjoy some amazing food go here, the sides are excellent and there's lots of them so you can easily make a full meal out of them if you don't wanna get ramen.
Short version: Do you like ramen and Asian inspired snackadoos? Then you need to order every week! The menu changes monthly, everything is delicious, flavorful, and cooked to perfection(see the marinaded egg in the ramen). I have not had a bad item yet. The best ramen I have found in Des Moines. Fight me.
oldringo
The chicken Katsu sandwich I got was delicious! And my boyfriend said the ramen was great as well! The trifle we got for desert was delicious too! Would definitely recommend this place!
Ben Frederick
Ordered last night with my girlfriend. I had the chicken meatball ramen, and she had the chicken katsu sandwich. Neither one of us could sing high enough praises. The spicy miso broth especially was out of this world. The single bite I had of her sandwich almost made me wish I had room for both! Don't sleep on their desserts either. The tropical matcha trifle was a perfect end to the meal. We're already making plans to order again very soon!
Laci Lunsford-Davis
My family tried the chicken katsu ramen tonight and it was our first order ever. Before my husband finished his bowl he was making plans to order again. The egg was loved by everyone. We will definitely order again!
Cassandra M.
There are many things to love about Ramen Club - I especially appreciate the inclusion of veggie-friendly Ramen options for meat-free folks. The noodles have a beautiful texture, taste great and are all made in-house by staff. The menu changes every month, which is a fun surprise (so get ordering while you can because they sell out quickly each week!) The desserts are delicious, especially the current options of Butterscotch Mochi Bars and the Tropical Matcha Trifle. LOVE the variety in appetizer selections (especially Artichoke Tempura and Miso Brussels.) Easy to follow assembly directions are listed on the website. This is a great local business to support. Very excited to see the summer menus in the coming months.
There are a select few places in Des Moines that never disappoint. Ramen Club is on the top of that list. They always have a few starters or smaller plates to choose from. My favs- the spam musubi (homemade teriyaki on them..yum) & the Korean-style corn dogs.. they house the dog in a beautiful panko covering that hits your lips with the most satisfying flaky/crunchy texture.. upon biting into the dog, you get this gorgeous cheese pull from the mozzeralla they stuff them with..just wow. For the actual ramen, they offer two ever changing options- usually one with some sort of meat component, and then a vegan/ vegetarian one. I have no favorite for this category, as they're all so delicious, and impossible to not love because the noodles amongst everything else are made from scratch..my mouth waters just thinking of them. Oh, and the perfectly soft boiled marinated egg they always tuck in there..chefs kiss. They also offer some sort of dessert (occasionally two)..the butterscotch mochi is always a crowd pleaser, but the tropical matcha trifle has my heart.. I may or may not order extras when they offer this and hide them from my family in the freezer lol speaking of family, my kids (4 + 7 y/o) are absolutely in love with the noodles, and I love the leisure of a delicious meal on the fly for the nights i'm just too busy or exhausted to cook. They opperate out of Kitchen Spaces, and for what it's worth, the crew does a really great job transforming the space into their own for pick ups or sit down meals. Recently, they have started offering a 3 course sit down experience. Naturally I had to go, and everything from start to finish was on point. Last but not least the staff is always so kind, and works as a team- something I always feel good about supporting. I HIGHLY recommend checking them out if you're ever in the area!
Finally got a chance to try this place out! I wasn't a huge fan of the Mexican ramen for the month of March so I was waiting for April to come out with something different but they never had something different until the 3 course meal on Cinco de Ramen! I hopped on that so fast! We had a great time! Ramen was good, egg was a bit too salty for me. Cream pie was good, yakitori was small for its size, the hibiscus tea we got went cold really fast because we were seated near the door and the space itself at kitchen spaces, seemed outdated.
I got ramen to dine in and a bunch of sides/sandos to go. The way they do dine in is awkward and I'm not quite sure works well but I did get my ramen served in a real bowl so I guess it works enough. Ramen flavor was good and the chips were fun but I thought it was missing something. Maybe it relied too much on the chips for salt? Also the chips seemed generic out of a bag chips. Nothing special. I liked the spicy sandwich a lot but it was hella greasy. Unfortunately not great for reheating but since they're only open one night a week (and a night I usually work) I really only had 1 chance to try everything... Brussels sprouts also awesome! Service was great!
Long overdue review. You gotta love this pop up for multiple reasons. 1) variety - every month is a different special ramen. Both ramen varieties include a meat and veggie option for our vegetarians. 2) they are a well loved LGBTQ+ owned local business - we love to support that! 3) their food is absolutely delicious. Their appetizers are YUM. I definitely recommend the artichoke tempura. It took awhile for me to order here. They are only available for pick up/dine in on wednesdays. I am on Instagram and their Instagram page has been very helpful. They have a how-to assemble on their website. If you're doing pick up, I much recommend getting the uncooked noodles. Literally takes a minute of boiling the noodles to assemble and makes me feel like I'm working with a Hello Fresh meal. Also. I recommend adding an egg with your ramen. Note. You can also order a day ahead and You can put in the time you'll pick it up. They are pretty popular so you do have to be patient since they're making all of this fresh. I have arrived at the time of pick up and still having to wait an additional 15 minutes bc they're stocked full of orders.
Good ramen and kimchi! Only open wednesdays as a pop up. Everything was tasty. If you dine in bring in your own drinks since it is a pop up and they only serve water. Super friendly staff and overall great experience. Highly recommend
This is literally heaven on earth or the closest thing to it, finding a good katsu sandwich is like finding a good significant other, it will make your life much happier. :)
This place is a little gem! I’ve been meaning to pick up an order for months and finally did and was not disappointed. The order online and pick up process is super easy. We got their pork ramen and vegan corn dog. Both were amazing but have to give a special shout out to the vegan corn dog which has a chokehold on any regular corn dog. Seriously. If you’re vegan or a meat lover just try it.
This place is amazing and I'm not even a huge ramen fan. I got the Mapo tofu ramen, it was excellent, slightly spicy, generous toppings, beautiful tasting broth, the mapo tofu's flavor shined through well. The mochi bars where delicious and squishy. The vegan Korean corn dog was on a whole other level. Even the vegan cheese was excellent and suited the dish well. If the vegan corn dog was like that, the original will be amazing. You do assemble the ramen at home if you get it to go and if you have a ways to drive you might have to heat it up again. It saves well for the next day which is nice.The people there where super sweet, and you could hear them having fun in the kitchen cooking which is wholesome. They wrote my name on my bag in a cute manner and even added a Llama sticker. ?If you are a ramen fan definitely go here, if you arnt a ramen fan and enjoy some amazing food go here, the sides are excellent and there's lots of them so you can easily make a full meal out of them if you don't wanna get ramen.
BOMB. Only ramen in the city I will eat.
Worth trying
Restaurantji Recommends
Short version: Do you like ramen and Asian inspired snackadoos? Then you need to order every week! The menu changes monthly, everything is delicious, flavorful, and cooked to perfection(see the marinaded egg in the ramen). I have not had a bad item yet. The best ramen I have found in Des Moines. Fight me.
The chicken Katsu sandwich I got was delicious! And my boyfriend said the ramen was great as well! The trifle we got for desert was delicious too! Would definitely recommend this place!
Ordered last night with my girlfriend. I had the chicken meatball ramen, and she had the chicken katsu sandwich. Neither one of us could sing high enough praises. The spicy miso broth especially was out of this world. The single bite I had of her sandwich almost made me wish I had room for both! Don't sleep on their desserts either. The tropical matcha trifle was a perfect end to the meal. We're already making plans to order again very soon!
My family tried the chicken katsu ramen tonight and it was our first order ever. Before my husband finished his bowl he was making plans to order again. The egg was loved by everyone. We will definitely order again!
There are many things to love about Ramen Club - I especially appreciate the inclusion of veggie-friendly Ramen options for meat-free folks. The noodles have a beautiful texture, taste great and are all made in-house by staff. The menu changes every month, which is a fun surprise (so get ordering while you can because they sell out quickly each week!) The desserts are delicious, especially the current options of Butterscotch Mochi Bars and the Tropical Matcha Trifle. LOVE the variety in appetizer selections (especially Artichoke Tempura and Miso Brussels.) Easy to follow assembly directions are listed on the website. This is a great local business to support. Very excited to see the summer menus in the coming months.