Johnny Noodle King — Restaurant in Detroit

Listen, I can't tell you enough good things about this place, I'm serious. I've had these guys on my short list for years, and I finally had a chance to make it in to get an experience of a lifetime here. If I could live in this restaurant, I WOULD. It's just that good and the staff is top notch.

I was down here doing other stuff and realized Johnny Noodle King was 2.3 miles away. It was a crisp Friday afternoon and I had all the time in the world. It's located near the Ambassador Bridge, which you should stop and take a photo of like I did.

I walked in and was greeted by a wonderful hostess. She asked where I'd like to sit and offered me a space at the bar. I gladly sat down near a nice guy named Phil, and got a menu from a nice lady who's name escapes me at this point.

See, I don't eat pork. like at all. So that kind of limited my options, but you can still eat plenty of good food here, so that's not a problem. Some restaurants go heavy on the pork because I think it's cheaper than other meats, but again that's just my opinion.

I told the staff that it was my first time here and they were like omg what? HOW? I just never had time. Many offered their suggestions and we finally decided on the Burnt Garlic Miso. I also got the Rangoon as an appetizer because I was just that hungry.

The Rangoon was fabulous and it came with a sweet and barely spicy dipping sauce. When my food came out I was blown away at how it looked, and almost broke into tears it was so nice looking. My total bill was $23 and change, but you know what? The service here was priceless. The whole staff seemed happy, and were absolutely fabulous. I cannot say enough good things about these people.

Being nice especially when you don't know what someone's going through whether it's good or bad can make all the difference. I wish I could have done more for these guys because they all seem so passionate about working here, and everyone seems to get along.

And, the foods very good! I couldn't finish all the Ramen but I will be back. This place is also in great shape, and the buildings in good order. (Not all restaurants are.) Thank you Johnny Noodle King, you guys really...

Let me start off with the fact that I love Johnny Noodle King! I rave about this place to everyone I know. I have been going since it opened and stay a fan all throughout COVID and its expansion. That is why I was beyond disappointed when I ordered a pick up order and waited over an hour and didn’t receive good service. I placed my order 30 minutes before I arrived and still had to wait. Now, I don’t mind waiting. It was Saturday and it was busy, nonetheless, the host at first didn’t acknowledge me. I was waiting with my toddler child, and a woman and her husband came in 20 minutes after and was given a free pop and offered water for their wait. We were not! In addition, 2 pick up orders (including one that was taken after I had arrived) were given out before my order. I also asked for a napkin, I said excuse me 3 times and was ignored, I walked back to the waiting area and then the server acknowledge me and said sorry! So that means you heard me and ignored me for over a minute, ok! When I told him the order I was waiting on, I was ignored, and then told that my ordered had already been picked up! How??? I’ve been waiting almost an hour at that point.

It was giving the vibe that certain people were greeted nicely and some people were greeted with a smug and unwelcoming vibe. I watched the greeter offer waiting spots to some individuals and even chat it up with them and some individuals were told they had to wait and it wasn’t any space at the bar for them. I watched this go on for over an hour and I did not appreciate that at all. Detroit is for all of us and all people and I definitely got the vibe that only certain demographics are treated nice and warm, while others may be treated nice when there isn’t a big crowd around. Maybe I’m overthinking, but as a fan of this place and consistent customer, my service was lackluster and even offensive to me to see how others who look similar to me were treated. Once I got my food, no apology or any acknowledgment of my long wait. I’ve never had...

The food did not disappoint. There is something for everyone here. From pork belly to shrimp to chicken or beef or tofu you can't go wrong. They have a couple vegan options also. The pictures are of the Pad SI U and the shredded pork red curry.

This place gets really busy at dinner and the line begins to form out the door. There are some bar seats and some communal ( sharing) tables as well (3 of them?) But only about 7 smaller tables for intimate setting meals. They are all lined in a row along the side of the restaurant.

There is also only one toilet and unfortunately there is a table that sits right outside of it. So, not only do you get the uncomfortable atmosphere of a line queuing beside you while you eat, but you possibly also get the enjoyment of knowing which Patron ate what meal as they whaft by you one after the other. Hopefully, you never end up in the seat by the Red Door.

The seats by the window where we were seated were anchored to the floor and very firm and uncomfortable. They are the same Barstool type That you see in the picture here. However, they served their purpose and as busy as this restaurant gets, I did not feel the need to sit around and chitchat after eating.

The Mochi was very interesting and very well made. It was not something I would ever order again, but my friend liked it and happily ate the whole thing. I didn't even know what it was when I ordered it so perhaps it is because I didn't expect the outside to be sticky. Either way, it was soft texture sticky rice dumpling around and ice cream filling. It was interesting and I'm glad I tried it.

The plum wine is very sweet.

Overall, this is a really good place to try if you're looking for a noodle place with authentic flavors. If you're not sure what you want, definitely ask the wait staff they are extremely helpful.

Maybe look at the menu online before you go to get an idea of something that you may want to try.

It is very flavorful and a good value...