Bad Luck Ramen Bar — Restaurant in Charlottesville

I don't normally write reviews but I was so blown away with how bad my groups experience was today that I feel the need to share.

Starting with location, I'm actually amazed we even found it. The GPS will take you on one of the main roads, however you need to drive through a very hilly (and crater filled) driveway around the back of the building to find the door. They have the tiniest signs ever telling you where to go.

Atmosphere wasn't bad, booths were reasonably comfortable and the decor was nice.

Service was slow, but they were very nice. Restaurant had 2 other tables and it took us about 45 minutes to get our food from the time we walked in the door. Probably the cooks fault tbh.

Now onto the food... The pork dumplings were decent; solid appetizer, and the only enjoyable part of our meal. The ramen. Oooohhh the ramen. I have never had worse, I would have been happier eating cup noodles from a 7/11 at 4am. We had a party of 3 and 2 of us ordered the same thing: 2 Nas originals and 1 Mr. Spicy. First of all, the 2 originals came out looking COMPLETELY different despite having the same ingredients. One came out with a standard looking tonkotsu broth that wasnt very good, the other came out super dark and genuinely tasted burnt. THEY BURNT THE BROTH. The only note you could taste in the Mr. Spicy was chilis. No salt, no richness from the pork meatballs, no umami. The Original broth tasted like they threw a couple aromatics into a pot for 30 minutes and called it a day. It wanted to be good, but needed to grow up. The noodles were clearly instant, which I honestly don't care about most of the time but these were soft and firm in ALL the wrong places and had a bizarre sweet undertone that I didn't care for. The Tonkotsu pork was edible but the pork meatballs had to have been 50% panko. They were grainy, flavorless, and didn't have any browning on them whatsoever. The veggies with each bowl were also disappointing. Bok Choi was bitter, mushrooms weren't half bad to me but my table didn't care for them, corn was canned corn. (can't really mess that one up) the only saving grace for any of the bowls was that eggs were perfectly good. Not hard boiled but not runny either, perfect jelly consistency. Still completely flavorless though.

It got to the point where me and my friends would keep trying parts of each other's food and laughing after each bite because none of it was good.

The drinks were ok. Sake and Sapporo can't miss. Their house saiko sodas were pretty awful though.

And to top it all of. My friend and I got sick about 5 hours later. Hope it's a coincidence but I doubt it. This was genuinely the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. I have NEVER felt the need to write a Google review for anything before today but I felt the need to share my thoughts. Take your money elsewhere, not only is this place super overpriced for ramen, it's not even good. Eating here truly...

Bad Luck Ramen... It's in the name folks.

My recent visit to Bad Luck Ramen left me with a sour taste, both literally and metaphorically. With a price tag of $19 (after tax included), I expected a dining experience that justified the cost, but unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed.

Let's start with the noodles themselves. The appearance of the noodles immediately raised suspicions; they looked like your run-of-the-mill, cheap store-bought variety. The lack of effort in crafting a unique or authentic noodle experience was disheartening. It appeared that the chef relied heavily on salt alone to carry the flavor profile, which everyone knows is the cheap way out.

What added insult to injury was the ambiance. If you're seeking a tranquil and oriental atmosphere for your ramen indulgence, Bad Luck Ramen falls short. Instead of soothing traditional music, the restaurant was blaring loud and annoying club bangers, creating an atmosphere that was far from conducive to a relaxed dining experience you would hope for.

Perhaps the only saving grace of this unfortunate culinary adventure was the friendly waiter who efficiently handled our checkout process and was very friendly - at least he's doing his job right.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a satisfying ramen experience that justifies the price, Bad Luck Ramen may not be the place for you. The lackluster noodles, overreliance on salt, disruptive ambiance, and a hefty bill make it a regrettable choice for those seeking an authentic and enjoyable ramen outing. Save your money and explore other, more promising options...

One of my favorite eateries by far. First I will start with the Sake, seeing this is the first and only Sake spot in Cville: I've tried every flavor of the Sake and honestly, they are all winners. You can tell they brew their Sake to perfection. The Olympus is my all-time favorite though, it is very smooth and rich, and it doesn't leave you with a hangover. Well, none of their drinks leaves you with a hangover. My most favorite dish would be the 3g Chicken Teriyaki, the eggrolls. The eggrolls are made just right, with a perfect crunch, a perfect mixture. Not greasy and oily at all. The Sweet Chili sauce that is made from scratch tops it off. If you're into Ramen bowls, I do recommend the Mr.Spicy(which is my favorite Ramen dish there). The Tempura shrimp are delicious, although it's just an appetizer but I highly recommend it as well. The Cali Board is tasty too, it's my fav sushi board. The orange sauce that they drizzle on it is delicious. The Dumplings are really good as well. Let's talk about the staff now, everyone is super dope and welcoming. They're all friendly and greet you with smiles and excellent customer service. All of the Supervisors are amazingly dope!! While dining there and becoming a regular customer, the staff made me feel like I was a part of their team. From the cooks, the boh team members, and all of the foh team members, upstanding service was always provided. I love the art and decor, easy on the eye. And they always have Anime playing on all the TV screens, if you're into Anime like myself. You would...