Daikaya Reviews

The absolute best ramen you will ever have in life. The place is very small but it makes up in flavor. Only complaint is the enormous wait time and that there is not more space otherwise this place is definitely a 5 star!

Great service and absolutely stellar food. Will make sure to hit this up next time I'm in the area.

Came in at lunch time with a group of six and we're almost immediately seated in the back booth, which was amazing. The interior is fun and there is a lot of light. The ramen was delicious, from the spicy miso to the veggie ramen!

Their Spicy miso ramen is amazing. Add the spice bomb to the ramen for a little kick.

Delicious ramen, I tried there original which was very flavorful. The broth is Rich and the noodles we're tasty. We sat at the bar which is always fun sine you get to watch the chefs cook your whole dish. They close at 8pm most days I think and the wait was about 45 minute's. No guaranteed seat if you come in late so go early!

Food was AMAZING! Service is super quick. Food was very flavorful. The Avocado Lime with Toasted Coconut ice cream topped it off.

This is two different restaurants, Daikaya on the first floor and Izakaya is another for going to the floor above. Google is not clear on this front.
Wish they separate the two restaurants because Daikaya DOES NOT take reservations and you're reserving for Izakaya!

With that clear out of the way, Daikaya has great famous ramen, salty and spicy nom. Worth a try! But when they're busy you can wait up to an hour! They'll text you when your table is ready, you could be seated with strangers btw, most of the seats and tables are connected. 4 stars.

Izakaya doesn't really have ramen, but have some flavorful snacks and entrees. Lots of drink options and a bar. Still have nice Japanese meals and pretty enjoyable. But salty in my opinion. 3 stars.

We had the veggie ramen with the veg spice bomb. It was really good! Will try to go again soon.

Rocky balboa: too salty, no harmony between elements at all. Couldn t taste sea urchin even it s in there. We had other cold dishes and not impressed.
Mentaike spaghetti: all I could taste was butter, no cod roe taste whatsoever.

Had other grilled dishes and they were better than the others but not as good to come back for next time.

Some of the best food I've ever had in my life. All of the small plates are amazing, especially the Japanese meatball. Amazing decor and nice mood lighting, definitely a good place for a date.

This review is for Izakaya on the 2nd floor. Great staff, great food and pretty cheap. We ordered plenty of items and everything was good! I really enjoyed my time there.

Great atmosphere, but when it comes to food... Had the Miso Ramen, sooooo salty and pretty dense. For me, the restaurant is a bit overrated and the food is overpriced. Will not come again.

Creative and interesting dishes! Certainly will visit again.

The pork and Brussels sprouts are an explosion of delicious flavor. The grilled scallops are a wonderful bite of perfectly cooked seafood. The grilled avocado is my favorite veggie on the menu... a superfood, to boot. Excellent dining experience from a two-time Iron Chef champion.

There is a lot of hype for this place that is way overpriced and just good enough ramen. The food was good enough and the staff was cute but I am taking points off for the bad tables and seats.

Ramen was ok, noodles were too thick. Lots of bean sprouts that came with it. Make sure to ask for less if you are not a big fan of them. Broth is ok, a little on the heavier side and it's a bit salty. Place is really small, expect to wait about 15-30 mins. I don't recommend the roast pork (pork belly) as this was a really thick cut and flavorless. Other than that service was great!

The ramen was so delicious. I had the vegetarian ramen and I was so surprised that I had as much flavor as it did.
The interior design and architecture of the building was gorgeous, the music was great, and the environment will just fun.
My only drawback was the price of the ramen ( please see the attached picture of the menu) but I guess that is to be expected in Washington DC.

There was quite the wait at this Ramen place. At the end of the day, I can't say it was completely worth it. The ramen was fine. But it didn't blow me away. If there is no wait, try it out. But if you have to wait at all, I would check elsewhere.

Even without the noodles the Shio ramen was very tasty! They will give you a bowl of rice instead of noodles if you are gluten conscious. From what I gathered, the SHIO ramen has the least gluten in it. The broth and ingredients were so flavorful I didn t miss the noodles at all! Very quick and kind service.

Good ramen and nice environment. Waiting time can reach upto 1.5 hours so it is advised to reserve a table earlier.

Noodle in Chicken broth was delightful and even aromatic. Wasn't heavy and Wasn't salty at all. I liked it.

Nice little spot, but kind of loud inside. The ramen was ramen, nothing extraordinary, but nice and filling if you get extra noodles and pork

Nice little spot to grab top notch ramen. Very friendly service and the guys behind the counter who make everything right there in front of you are very nice as well. The ramen itself is one of the best, and not too expensive.

This is a solid ramen joint. After studying in Tokyo for a year, I'm on a continual hunt for great ramen in America, and Daikaya's shoyu ramen definitely hit the spot. Their marinated eggs, nitamago, are perfect!

My reason for giving it four stars instead of five is that it's a bit expensive, moreso than any ramen restaurants in Japan, and more than most I've been to in America (like Sakuramen in Adam's Morgan). You also have to pay extra for individual toppings like menma and wakame that are often inclusives at other places.

Very easily metro accessible!

I haven't checked out the izakaya upstairs, but I will update this when I do!

The actual best.
Grab a drink up stairs while you wait. Not finished? They will take the drinks downstairs for you.
Ask for regular ramen and get a spice bomb on the side for your spice.

So long waiting and bad service as much as my experience was

!!! ATTENTION ALL EVENT PLANNERS & PEOPLE LOOKING TO DO PRIVATE DINING HERE !!!

Do NOT attempt to use Daikaya at all when looking for private dining. I called them hopefully to buyout the entire restaurant and give them business, but when I asked JOE THE GENERAL MANAGER about it, he was extremely rude. All I wanted to know was what the maximum capacity of the restaurant is, and he responded with "It's based on a case on case basis directly, and cannot provide that information" and then he proceeded to hang up on me. I would've been their direct client. This is an example of customer service provided by the GENERAL MANAGER which sets the customer service standard for the entire restaurant. You do not want to bring guests here.

This is a very popular place and receives pretty good review; but I do think the food quality is bad. It is nothing special and very salty. Most of ramens( other places ) are a little bit salty but the soup is very fresh and is full of meat flavor; but this soup is just very salty! I do not recommend this restaurant!

Be prepared for a wait. It s usually not a bad one but this is a popular spot.

Fresh ingredients quick serving happy stuff nothing more to add other than it's a most

Great location, friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, and drinks. The small plates meant to be share. Also easy to do a tasting menu. My favorites are grilled avocado, tuna poke tartare, smashed pee wee potatoes, pork and Brussel sprouts, Rice ball, Cacio e Pepe e Pepe Udon . Sake, Japanese whiskey and Japanese beers. I had to try them all the beer is quite tasty. The restaurant is very small. It can get very crowded. Beautiful decor. The first time I went there was for a friend birthday party we seat on the booth. I had come back many times since them. Every time I enjoy it more.

What can I say about Daikaya that hasn't been said? It's the best ramen in the city.

Was so crowded here when we came but that is because we came for a concert. Wish it was bigger.. The ramen was really good and flavorful. Me and my boyfriend sat at the bar and we can see the chef's making the bowls of ramen. It was a pretty cool seating area to watch how it's being made.

It was delicious food but an awkward setup. The waitresses kept having to reach over us.

Miso ramen is delicious! But slightly salty. Their Miso ramen is delicious. But little bit salty ..

Fantastic noodle spot. Generous portions in a cozy setting. Visit the izakaya upstairs if your wait is long.

Definitely the best ramen restaurant that I've been to. I've yet to try out the upstairs section but, I believe it functions as a small plates style restaurant The wait here tends to be pretty lengthy (45 minutes to an hour) but, it's well worth it. There are a lot of things to do in the area so the wait should be a breeze. I won't get in to all of the different offerings, you can check out the menu for itself but, I will say that it's very well rounded and I'm almost certain that there's something for everyone.

Soso. Not so great. Ramen is 16$ and noodle is boiling with merged.

Fast service and great ramen. I snagged a spicy miso ramen with extra everything, gyoza, and a sweet cocktail to wash it all down.

Simple and tasty. The spicy miso was the best. My husband has celiac disease. Options for him too. Funky casual place.

Hands down daikaya is the best ramen shop in DC. I've been to 6 different ramen shops and will always go back to daikaya. Nothing else comes close.

I was here during the dinner rush, but I had a seat within about 20 minutes. The waitress recommended the cocktail of the day with a pineapple-ginger shrub and it was delicious. Enjoyed the Ramen, too :)

Amazing service, fun staff, great food! Will go again next time I am in DC!!

This is my new favorite restaurant in the US. I'd been to the ramen downstairs before, that was good. But upstairs is truly great. I haven't had Japanese food this good since I was in Tokyo this summer. Get the grilled avocado, mentaiko mini domburi, and the pork with brussels sprouts. It won't disappoint and the service was very attentive too.

Yummy ramen! Worth it to get the extra noodles. We waited upstairs and got a drink until a spot opened up for lunch.

I felt salt was the most delicious when I compared the three.
I can't say anything because it's each person.
Waitress was a nicer guy.

Wonderful ramen shop that reminds me of the ones in Tokyo.

A bowl of something good. This place is deliciousness!

Delicious and trendy small plates. Definitely recommend after a capitals game

This is ramen. Yes. It is the nectar of the Gods and deserves to be treated as such. Don't worry about the wait. Go across the street to a bar and wait for it.

I got the spicy, which wasn't as spicy but made me sniffle a few times. Not bad. My girlfriend got the traditional bowl which tasted amazing as well. The vegetable ramen is LOADED. Highly recommended for someone not so much into the meats and whatnot.

Great ramen. Worth the wait. I hope the owners fixed the squeaky front door.

Ok tasting ramen, I've had better for cheaper in the area. Their singles seating table is very crampy and doesn't allow much room for movement. There was a feeling of an assembly line, you order-eat-pay and bounce. Wait time wasn't great either, it's best to expand or have reservations.

Amazing food. No reservations but we only waited 15 minutes. Their stock is amazing and noodles were perfect. Definitely a must do while your in DC.

It's okay. I'm not a ramen expert, but I think the noodles could have been softer.

Love this place. The waitress was so nice and offered suggestions. The wait time was a little long but we also went during Stanley Cup finals and on a Friday. It's worth the wait and would highly recommend going to when in DC.

Excellent ramen, nice smooth miso flavor with just a slight bite from the heat. The nitamago was perfectly runny although a little sweet for my tastes. The noodles were wonderfully cooked, just a tad chewy, which is a good thing in the case of ramen. Service was prompt and friendly, all in all my meal cost $20 and I had a great lunch. Highly recommend!

The ramen and sake are delicious but would have been a much better experience if the staff didn t cut us off and ask us to please leave and go upstairs (2F) if we want to hang out (even though there was no one waiting and we were still in the middle of finishing our one glass of drink each)

First time at a Ramen restaurant. Wow, the ramen was delicious! Got the spicy version, added corn and a spice bomb. OMG, so good! Tried using chop sticks for the first time ever. Added to the experience. Had two speciality drinks that were also delicious. This may have been my first time, but it won't be my last. A great place with great food.

I ordered spicy miso ramen and gyoza, but it was almost perfectly Japanese. About 23USD without chip. Let's go with room as you will be waiting like a popular store. it's recommended.

Excellent ramen, community seating so if that's not your thing keep that in mind.

This place makes me miss Tokyo. The food is great, and perfect for sharing with friends over a drink or two. Their Sake selection is quite extensive.

This place is highly overrated. Their Raman was not bad, but it's not that special. We ordered Shoyu Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen. The noodle was really awesome, but the pork belly was ok and the soup was average. They put too many bean sprouts which somewhat ruined the flavor of soup.

The customer service was great.

Small portions for the price. Food was tasty though.

Not a big fan of the ground meat they put in the meat ramen, and for $13 a bowl you'd think they'd at least include half of a bowled egg or at least another slice of meat. The veggie ramen had a good soup base, but was dominated by raw chopped brussel sprouts and only one good mushroom. I guess I've been spoiled by the great Totto ramen in NYC and the amazing dipping noodles in Tokyo, but this place fell really flat. Service was excellent though.

Yummy ramen. Probably the best ramen I've had in the DC area.

This place is fun, but nothing special. Friends told me it is very much like Japan, OK, but so what? The food is good, it is crowded, and loud. I don't really recommend this for an extraordinary dining experience. But it is fun to go to here once to know what people half your age are talking about.

Hands down the best shio ramen in the states. Reminds me of shio ramen in Japan, only thing I would change is the straight noodles instead of the wavy ones. But amazing!

Incredible ramen! I love the spicy their miso with extra veggies. Everything, including the soft serve, is made from scratch. I usually spend about $15 here. Two can split a bowl, or you can take home leftovers well-sealed Tupperware. The venue's chic & quaint. Expect a 30-60 minute wait and hangout in their sister bar on the second floor (stair accessed from the street).

Tasty, pretty close to what I grew up with. Prices took me aback, but rent is high in the city.

Went here for their Izakaya with one other person. Had an overall poor experience. Service was almost nonexistent, we had to flag down our waiter multiple times to order anything. We have both had Izakaya elsewhere in the US and in Japan; we were not very impressed with the food here. It wasn't bad, but for the price I expected much better. The best was the onigiri. Their sake and whiskey selections are good.

We did not try the ramen section, which is on the first floor. It seems like that might be much better according to other reviews.

One of the best, if not the best ramen broths I've had in D.C. Downstairs ramen service was quick and efficient, with a limited menu of high quality dishes for reasonable for DC prices. Try the Mugi Miso ramen for a complex unique full bodied broth, or the spicy Miso for a bit of balanced kick. Gyoza were fresh tasting, with a thin fresh wrapper and perfectly pan fried exterior.

Overrated ramen noodles. The broth was super salty. The noodles are fine. Don't waste your time waiting to get seated.

I never thought I would rave about pork belly and Brussels sprouts skewers, but they were outstanding.

I had to stand up and leave for the first time in my life. They have a lot of pictures on this listing, and I asked them if they have that, she is like :" no, we serve here only romen soup". Well you have a lot of pics in here on your listing..:" no men, we serve only romen here, those are not our pictures!" She turns around and goes and gossip with another waitress that gave me that gossipy look. If you post something on your page, better have it, not scam people with your $19 romen noodles soup. The worst experience ever. The waitress had light curly hair and I think she was wearing glasses.

Wait times can be long. I usually get a drink at the green turtle across the street to pass the time. Ramen is good but not as good as other places like Toki.

Having traveled and feasted on Ramen while in Japan ... yes, this is a close as you are going to get to tasting legit Japanese Ramen! Some of the best in the Nation s capital, and without a doubt in the Nation all together! I went for the spicy with sausage and pork belly! Spicy Miso with Butabara Kakini #porkbelky

Wait was long and they have a policy where everyone in your party must be together before they will seat you. Otherwise, the spicy ramen I got was pretty great. Broth was pretty rich and the noodles the right firmness. A little sad that the egg only came as an extra. For the Izakaya section, we loved the chicken thigh skewers so much so that we ordered several. The servers were nice and prompt.