o-ramen — Restaurant in Pullman

Went there for lunch with the family. When we were seated by a server, another employee interrupted us and told us we had to go back and wait and that even though this server was seating us, we were not actually seating. I found this to be very rude as the server had specifically told us that it was our turn to be seated and directed us to our seats. When we were finally seated (almost another 5 minutes later), we were given our waters and then never checked on again for the next 45 minutes. It wasn’t until I stopped a waitress to check on the food (I used the QR code to order) because it had been almost an hour and we had watched several other tables get their food first, that we were checked on and had our water refilled. This entire time that we waited, 3-4 staff members loitered around the cash register and chatted with other college friends. Service was absolutely horrible. When our food finally came it was okay, but the terrible service and unwelcoming atmosphere really ruined it for everyone. Unfortunately it was hard to enjoy lunch with my family given the rude and disrespectful attitude of the employees and I will not be returning.

Updated Review from 01/19/2024: Absolutely abhorrent service once again. I’m so utterly disappointed in the way the servers treat their customers here. I went in for my fiancés birthday with a coupon for $7 off for her birthday and was told that I was not able to use the coupon even though it said “sign up today for $7 off”. After the waitress said we were not able to get it the same day if we signed up, we discovered we were already signed up for the coupon anyways beforehand! They refused to honor the discount that said it is applicable and that is disgusting business practices. Unbelievable that I would give this place...

I mean, let's face it, in Pullman if you don't want a burger, or a steak, or pizza, or wings, then you have an extremely limited range of choices for dining.

Fortunately there's o-ramen to provide a very refreshing culinary respite, and it is a welcome alternative. Without a doubt the ramen is pretty good and I will not hesitate to have a bowl whenever I'm in town. In the context of Pullman eateries I would give it 5 stars.

However we do not live in a bubble, and the world is getting smaller and smaller, no better demonstrated by o-ramen itself and being established by a regional local.

And when you pull back and survey the world of ramen you'll see that it is very competitive and the bar is set rather high. Would it rate well in Seattle? How about L.A.? Tokyo? Given this context I'd say that while o-ramen is decent it sits in the middle of the pack. I found the broth over-salty, but that could just be me. I did find it flavorful but I think it lacked any distinctiveness that would set it apart from any other.

The karaage was very tender and juicy, but the seasoning was uni-dimensional as I could taste only salt. Same could be said for chasu - cooked very well but very salty.

To be clear - I would not hesitate to eat here again, but that's because it's in Pullman. If I had a choice of other ramen places then I'd have to...

Tucked away in our little college town, O-Ramen is a small, modern ramen shop that surprises with both flavor and design.

The broth is rich and deeply flavorful, the noodles are made in-house, and the pork belly? Melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And yes, this is Pullman — home of the college student diet — but don’t let that fool you. This is not Top Ramen. The bowls are big, beautifully made, and packed with quality. It’s definitely pricier than instant noodles, but totally worth it. I often split one with a friend and still walk away full and satisfied.

The space is clean and modern, with subtle nods to Japanese minimalism — soft lighting, soji-style accents, and well-placed pops of color. The wall art is worth a visit on its own: from a distance, it looks like traditional woodblock prints, but a closer look reveals pop culture references — think Pokémon and classic movies — reimagined in the style of Edo-period Japan. It’s clever, stylish, and totally unexpected.

Whether you're a ramen devotee or just looking for something warm and satisfying, O-Ramen delivers. Easily one of the best (and most surprising) dining experiences in Pullman.

Huge thanks to the owners for bringing something this special to our town. We’re so glad...