Tanaka Ramen — Restaurant in College Station

I guess! I'm going to be a Karen. For leaving this review. So we walk in The waitresses is like two and there's three people clearly standing there okay.. 😆 she sets us down goes get the menus comes back asked what we would like to drink came back within a few minutes didn't leave a straws. So then she comes back to the table and she's like are you ready to order and I'm like can we get some appetizers she like yeah what would you like. like that wasn't even an option for us to have a appetizer or something. Then I'm like excuse me? She puts her finger up to me and says give me a moment. she wasn't even doing anything but walking around doing absolutely nothing finally she comes over there I just said can we get some straws .So the appetizers are coming out one by one they were okay the popcorn chicken was like what the hell so we order our food the noodles are bland. I saw another comment saying that she could have had better noodles from a cup. I would have to agree with her noodles here were nasty no flavor. The waitress never even comes back to the table we need napkins we needed some more to drink I'm like excuse me can I get something else to drink she's like huh excuse me like she didn't hear me how to say it twice it wasn't even loud in there. I'm like more to drink she's like yeah but the refill I have to charge you for we got a Dr pepper you already charged us for the first Dr pepper what the heck was she even talking about charge for a refill lady you charged us for the first Dr pepper. The waitress Just waited at the door with her arms crossed just waiting for people to come in to be seated she could have been walking around asking people if they needed anything. Definitely bad work ethics they don't even check on you to see if you're okay what a shame. If you need anything and it's like if you did need something it was an inconvenience to them. Got the bill and I was like $82 which in my head it should have been $71 so I guess they charge a lot for a refill for Dr pepper. I'm just disappointed cuz I was super excited to eat here. Then the lady didn't know you how to work card machine so she took me to the front the other lady scanned it and it went right through. The lady I didn't catch her name but she literally gave me the ick yes I said ick her whole vibe was just nasty. I really think restaurants need to do better because it's not like it's. McDonald's and it was a $2 cheeseburger although I think the $2 cheeseburgers would have been better. $82 for noodles dude do better if going to charge that much least make the noodles flavorable and appetizing. whatever Karen...

Upon first glance, the ambiance and menu at Tanaka suggested a promising experience—a blend of contemporary presentation and familiar comfort. Unfortunately, the anticipation quickly gave way to profound disappointment.

The white rice, a cornerstone of any respectable Asian kitchen, arrived dry and texturally unyielding, as though it had been prepared long before service began. It was surprising, even disheartening, to encounter such an oversight from a restaurant of this nature.

The chicken karaage, traditionally known for its crisp, evenly coated exterior and bite-sized portions, defied expectations in the worst way. The pieces were oversized—closer in scale to whole chicken wings—and only partially breaded, resulting in an inconsistent, unappetizing dish that bore little resemblance to its namesake.

The gyoza, meanwhile, arrived tepid and limp, suggesting they were either reheated inadequately or not cooked through at all. The flavors, too, felt tired—bereft of the vibrancy that normally defines this beloved staple.

Rarely does a meal leave me feeling worse than when I arrived, but this was one such occasion. Dining should offer comfort, satisfaction, even delight. Sadly, Tanaka delivered none of these. I cannot, in good conscience,...

This used to be my favorite restaurant but every time I’ve been there in the past year the quality of food has been terrible. Yesterday I got the tonkotsu shio and the broth tasted bland and overly greasy with no flavor at all (a far cry from the savory broth that kept me coming to Tanaka every month for years) and they neglected to tell me that they were out of the thick noodle that comes with the dish when I ordered over the phone and instead I was informed that my noodles were changed to the less appetizing thin noodles by a paper sign on the front door, even the person who handed off my food when I paid didn’t let me know of the change. The eggs were just hard boiled eggs. I usually got extra eggs because I loved the marinated soy soft boiled eggs they used to serve in the ramen but the disappointment of getting plain hard boiled eggs instead was real. I couldn’t even get halfway through the ramen because of how gross and bland it was.

I’m so disappointed in how the quality of food has dropped. Bring back the old cooks, whoever you hired recently is not making your food correctly because every time I’ve been to Tanaka since the pandemic it has tasted different (not in a good way). This will be the last time I go to Tanaka ramen...