JINYA Ramen Bar - Baton Rouge — Restaurant in Baton Rouge

When this restaurant first opened, it was a novelty so it was cool. The staff was on top of everything and the food was decent, even though the ramen is "meh" and more of a kissing cousin to the real deal. All these years later, the overly loud music that makes you have to talk loud to be heard and listen hard to catch conversation, is tiresome. Some pros (In my opinion): If you're a vegetarian, this is the place for you. Vegetarian dishes are prominently marked and encouraged on the menu. The decor interesting. The bar has a good selection of domestic and imported alcohol, including an interesting selection of Japanese whiskeys. There are some good dishes on the menu- one of my favorites is the crispy chicken thigh pieces (The chicken is the only reason they get an extra star for the food.). There are 3 jars of different spices on each table you can use to flavor or heighten the heat level of your food. Your ramen can be made mild, medium, hot, and super hot by asking the server. Some people like the music. It's always a type of pop that's high energy. The cons (again, in my opinion): The original waitstaff is long gone and the turnover is insane, so I can only imagine what's happening behind the scenes. Some servers are on their game, but many aren't and do their best "I'm just here for a paycheck and my tip". A lot of them don't even pretend to be polite and a couple have serious stone faces as they stand by your table. The last time we were there, our initial server had just left her prison guard job, judging by her demeanor. Thank God her shift ended during our meal because our next server was a friendly breath of fresh air. And don't get me started on the hostesses. It's like being greeted by bored, sullen teenagers who are resentful they have to work for a living. The ramen, as I mentioned earlier, is incredibly mid and Americanized to the inth degree. There is no subtlety or delicacy with their ramen. It's a loud noodle soup with an egg thrown in. If you want additional toppings, be prepared to pay through the nose because they range from $2-5 each...for a single topping. The salads and starters are also high. This restaurant is is extremely overpriced. I can only assume it's because Jinya is a franchise and the owner has to pay a hefty price to be a part of it. Don't let me forget, your ramen may come out to you lukewarm. This restaurant is located inside Perkins Rowe. The street parking can be tough to find and is metered. Whether you choose the free parking garage, Barnes and Nobles' parking lot or street parking, chances are, you're in for a hike. Bring an umbrella, just in case. Read my above comment about the music. This is the perfect place to plan a crime because nobody will hear you. Be aware your plan may go awry because your partner in crime probably didn't hear you either. The music is nails on a chalkboard annoying. Now, you may be asking yourself, if you dislike this restaurant so much, why do you keep on going? Trust me, I don't go here willingly. My teenage daughter insists on dragging me here because she thinks it's cool. It's cool alright, and even cooler when your ramen arrives with no steam rising from it and grease floating in pools on top. I don't know why she thinks it's cool. She must think the atmosphere is cool or something because she'll barely eat the food at Jinya but will turn around and inhale a bowl of legit pho from a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant with questionable cleanliness standards. Thankfully, she knows I'm good for one annual trip and that's it. We were last there in July 2025, and things hadn't changed one bit. So yeah, you may love it. I don't. The loud music, coupled with slooooooow, angry service, and overpriced/overhyped food is a...

Day 1: This place was a welcome surprise. I was looking for a late lunch. I walked in and just before seating me, the hostess yells what sounds like “earshay” and everyone else says it, too! Cool welcome…I sat at the bar and was immediately greeted by Mason. I asked what I should try as a first timer. He recommended the Spicy Creamy Vegan and the Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura. The Spicy Creamy Vegan Shrimp Tempura reminded me of a Bang Bang Shrimp, but these were huge and a lot more flavorful. The balance of the spicy with the crispiness of the tempura and flavor of the shrimp was really nice. Shortly after beginning to enjoy my shrimp, my ramen arrived. I like how each person I encountered seemed so glad to be there. I must say, it was refreshing. The Spicy Creamy Ramen was simply beautiful and smelled amazing. Mason showed me how to use my chop sticks and spoon to lift the ramen from the bottom of the bowl to mix it and even out the temperature of the dish. From my first bite to my last was absolutely scrumptious. And the sweetest thing — there was a cute little message at the bottom of the bowl…”No Ramen. No Life.” But that’s not all. When you leave, they yell something that sounds like “airigotto”. I have to warn you: The portions are extremely filling. If you want a great time, with great people, and great food, you absolutely must visit Mason at the bar at Jinya! Day 2: I came back and got the Jalapeño Buttered Corn, Crispy Chicken, Sautéed Broccolini, Caramelized Cauliflower, Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura (again), and Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen (again). The Jalapeño Buttered Corn was sweet corn sliced off of the cob with the kick of fresh jalapeño. Loved this! The Crispy Chicken was really good. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The Sautéed Broccolini was tasty. It was not over cooked and had a slight crunch o the stalk. Great flavors and very fresh-tasting. The Caramelized Cauliflower was my favorite of today. The pine nuts and garlic really set this off. You just have to taste it. My bartender today was the amazing Dillon! Truly a sweetheart and super patient as I attempted to try their whole menu. Stay tuned for my next Jinya adventure…again, if you love great service, great food, great conversation, you know where to go— Jinya Ramen Bar...

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to post this but after heating up leftovers and realizing that the broth tasted off. I decided to post my experience.

We visited Jinya on 9/12/25 & this was our fourth time eating there. This was the absolute worst experience ever. The server couldn't answer any of our questions. He looked completely lost. It took 45mins+ to get our ramen but the steamed rice was served within 10 mins. So the rice was practically cold by the time the ramen arrived. Toppings were missing. We informed the server and he seemed dumbfounded. We were missing bok choy and spicy sauce. We normally get 2 orders of bok choy each with about 3-5 leaves. This time only 2 leaves each. We ordered 2 orders of mushrooms and it seemed we had maybe a teaspoon of mushrooms a piece. We usually order 1 extra green onion because its enough for 2; this time it was barely enough for 1. We both ordered the birria ramen and only had about 4 small pieces of beef. It just seemed we were robbed and only received about half of what we usually get. One positive, the amount of tofu was great, we typically don't get a decent amount.

Now to the drinks! I received a drink with a glass that was very chipped almost to the point where it could have cut my lip. We were worried that perhaps some glass could have possibly been inside of the drink. We requested that the drink be remade with a new glass. They agreed at first and then stated they were “out of kiwi,” so the drink could not be made over. The next drink I ordered was supposed to have vodka but actually tasted like a mocktail. Overall, we were not pleased with the food or service. So, we decided to not even eat there and asked for boxes to go and the check. This was our new favorite place but now we will have to find another spot with better service and consistent...