DC Noodles

5 of us had a later-​evening dinner at DC Noodles. We ordered 4 different noodle dishes and had a very tough time figuring out which we loved best! Final answer — each of us had a different favorite and there was no clear winner.
Personally, my two favorites were the PAD SEE EEW, and the G R E E N C U R RY made with squid ink spaghetti, eggplant, vegetables, fresh basil The Pad see eew was bold, rich and delicious. Noodles were tender and unctous, and the chef used FLAVOR instead of oil and sugar to enhance the dish. 10 out of 10
Equally wonderful was the green curry noodle dish. I normally have a Thai green curry w/​chicken and rice, so the noodles were an interesting change. Pasta doesn’t absorb flavor like rice does, but the sauce coated the noodles so perfectly that each bite was fragrant with herbs and bursting with curry goodness.
I visit DC 5 – 6 times /​year and I will definitely make DC Noodles a must-​stop for us

Went to DC Noodles around 8 pm on Saturday night. We were offered immediate bar seating or a table with a 15 minute wait. We sat at the bar.
Mr D and I each had a pumpkin 5 spice empanada to start. Smooth pumpkin filling wrapped in a very flakey dough, fantastic!
At first I thought about ordering my thai go-​to pad thai with tofu, but then I decided not to pull a basic-​white-​girl-​in-​a-​thai-​restaurant and go for something different. They had a interesting looking duck ramen in 5 spice broth on the menu, so I decided to give it a try. It was a complete failure for me. The first piece of duck I bit into had a large chunk of fat on it. I tried really hard to like this dish, but I had a textural issue with it. The manager could not have been sweeter or more patient, he replaced the dish with the pad thai that I had originally planned to order. Thank you DC Noodles!!!

Had the Szechuan Braised Duck Leg ramen bowl. It’s not a soup, and was what I was looking for. Delicious! My boyfriend said his Red Miso Ramen was also very good :)
Service was attentive & helpful; bar/​high top area atmosphere was really sleek/​industrial with metal tables & chairs with red wood seat/​backs. Seemed like a lot of people came in who ordered take-​out.

I am a fan of DC Noodles. With so many new ramen joints popping up all over town, this is a fine restaurant with very good noodles. The spicy miso ramen is amazing — very fresh, a bit spicy, and a delicious broth.
The service can be hit or miss here. We arrived in the restaurant around 5:30 PM without reservations. The place was pretty much empty as it was still early. The hostess was quite rude and refused to seat us until the last member of our party arrived. Okay, I totally understand that they prefer to seat you once your entire party is there. However, there isn’t really a comfortable place to hang out near the bar because of the design of the restaurant. A bit awkward to be standing by the door in a crowded corridor when there is a completely empty restaurant.

Great place. been there only once, and the experence was great.
tried the cillirita and chillijito and they are both awesome drinks!
tried the noodle soup with the spicy ginger broth and just hit the mark. very well made broth and good quantity. that just filled me up!
had to end with some coconut ice-​cream which was good too. cant wait to go out there again and try out some more dishes!

Four different noodle dishes were all wonderful. Dessert was even nice. Seafood dumplings 2 of us liked 2of us didn’t.

This place is trendy. Sleek cement walls. Light fixtures like works of abstract art. And RED chopsticks!
The service could have been better. I ate at the back bar. And was taken care of but nothing was personable or above and beyond. But attentive.
I ordered the grilled octopus for an app. From the happy hour special. I forget the ingredients in the sauce but it was really good.
For dinner I ordered a noodle soup. Egg noodles, broth and chicken. It was really good. Simple but with flavors. It didn’t taste too salty either.
I can’t wait to go back.

The food and the service was really good, but the cold sake way over priced. Nevertheless, they offer a decent selection of noodles and the red curry with shrimp is very tasty.
Reservations are very helpful because this place does get very busy on a Saturday evening. Will be back for more.

Still possibly my most favorite place in DC. inexpensive. great customer service-​ALWAYS friendly and accommodating. I love this place so much I had my 30^th birthday celebration here and boy did they pull out all the stops (last minute, mind you) for me! So much so, that all my friends have gone back to actually eat there sober, bc they saw how great I was treated there for my birthday, and they all like the food, as well.
But the reason I am writing this update is for my list of best ramen in DC. Although DC noodles is not known for being a ramen place, they’re more of a fusion Thai-​Asian cuisine place, I am in LOVE with their red miso ramen. It was originally on their rotating/​changing monthly menu, but after ordering their red miso off that menu so much, I finally asked them to put it on their regular menu bc its THAT good and I didn’t want to miss it not being on the following month’s special menu. The noodles are always perfectly soft, the broth hot and VERY flavorful, the corn is roasted, which gives even more element to it, and the egg is… idk how to describe it but it has more flavor than a regular soft or hard boiled egg.
So my fave in DC is still the red miso ramen at DC Noodles, tied with Toki’s kimchi ramen, in terms of amount of flavor. And both places treat me WELL, and have always delivered on quality and taste, but for some reason, I love the red miso here at DC Noodles just a noodle more: P
P. S. ALWAYS save room for dessert. So many good ones, especially on the monthly special menu. My faves are the lychee crème brûlée, lychee rice pudding, cherry blossom cheesecake, and sticky rice on coconut ice cream. I’m craving all of this now…

This place is soooo delicious. The food is so unique and flavorful! I have literally been craving it since I went a few weeks ago. I will definitely be going back VERY SOON!

We came here on a Friday night and even though it was a full house, we were promised a 15 minute wait time. The timing was pretty accurate and it wasn’t long before we were seated.
The ambiance is pretty casual yet trendy, low lighting and high top tables with high stools.
We started off our dinner with the pork belly bun, it was so delicious! The pork is so tender, it pulls apart seamlessly.
DC noodles offers different ways to get your noodle fix. Wok noodles, noodle salads, noodle soup, their house noodles, and curry noodles. I went ahead with a noodle soup with original broth and egg noodles. You get to create your own version by choosing your own broth and noodle type. Our orders didn’t take long to come to our table and soon we were munching on noodle goodness. The egg noodles are very thin compared to the rice noodle my friend ordered but still delicious nonetheless. My soup also contained string beans, cilantro, scallions, and what appeared to be grated carrots on top. I added chicken as my protein. I did feel like the chicken texture was odd and the chicken itself didn’t have much flavor so I didn’t eat much of it.
Overall, it was a great experience and I would like to return if I find myself in this area again.

Eh I don’t know. I’ve been spoiled in terms of noodles by living for a brief period in New York City. I know I shouldn’t be comparing DC noodles to the likes of Ippudo and Totto but it’s unfortunate, I am.
I came for lunch with a co-​worker during Snowzilla and ordered the pork buns, the Burmese Kao Soi, and the Noodle Soup with spicy broth and egg noodles. Everything was perfectly FINE, but nothing to write home about. If I could I would give 3 ½ stars (are you listening Unilocal people??? you could make or break a place by giving us the ability to use half stars!)
The pork buns had a little bit too much mustard in them, and the soup and Kao Soi weren’t anywhere near spicy. I asked for extra red pepper, and even that didn’t make much of a difference. My quest for excellent noodles in DC continues!

The crispy wings were awesome. I didn’t expect them to be that good! Now on to this noodle soup! I got the soup with chicken with thin noodles. I thought it was going to be like Phở but boy was I wrong. With Phở the meat is never seasoned, but this chicken was very well seasoned! It was beyond Heaven in a bowl. The noodle soup was AMAZING!!! I ate every drop and was too full. Everything was very flavorful and so delicious.

Every time I come here, I always think I need to come more often. The inside is decorated beautifully. The food is delicious. I had chicken satay and a pork bun to start. Both delicious. I then had a pork noodle soup with the clear broth. Love that broth, however I thought the pork was lacking. Too dry. My boyfriend had the spicy and it was way too spicy for him even though he normally likes spice!

Food was great! We go there at 1 and they close at 2:30. We did not feel rushed at all. Our waiter was very attentive. There is a great variety of vegetarian, seafood and meat options. The food was very tasty and my friend had enough left over to take home.
I’ll be back

This is a nice place. Good location on U street (very close to the Circulator stop, among other things). A big, modern, adult space. Smooth, competent service. A website that works. A menu with clearly delineated vegan options.
The soup hit the spot on a somewhat dreary and drizzly day. I went for the spicy broth, and it created a significant extended burn, while also conveying nuanced and contrasting tastes. It was a tad sour, but not enough to bother me (and I’m not a sour person); the fresh herbs and salty broth made for a satisfying dish.
I had questioned whether there would be enough protein, but in fact it was plenty. Getting tofu yielded four (delicious) pieces of fried tofu-​which would be pretty pitiful if that were it-​but also quite a bit of soft tofu, more than I’d put in a soup I made myself. Indeed, it was more than I could eat, and I found I’d over-​ordered. That being said, I was not too disappointed to end up with the fresh garden rolls and delicious peanut sauce-​sriracha combo on the side, and I was fine with taking leftovers.
This place is most comparable to Rice, a few blocks down the street, and if I recall correctly, the two are related. However, DC Noodles offered a bit more deliciousness for the money. I would be happy to return to see how they do with noodles without soup.

A friend told me that this place served the best curry noodles in town! So, had to try. It really was excellent.
Hubs and I shared two wonderful steaming hot bowls. The Red Curry noodles were a favorite with plenty of thick and rich, coconut based curry sauce! Usually places skimp on this, but, not so here! I also loved the combination of Asian pumpkin and vegetables nestled in with the green spinach linguine. I know this is a noodle place, but, they didn’t overdo the amount of noodles. It was just right.
Also tried a noodle soup with wide rice noodles. Excellent spicy ginger broth. Everything definitely tasted homemade and you could tell they put some thought into the combinations and the presentation is just pure art in a bowl! This is more of an upscale noodle place, but, I loved everything about it. Will definitely be back to slurp up more of these delicious noodles and sauces!

I came here for dinner before a concert at 9:30 club. My friend and I each ordered the pad thai, which was good, but NOT spicy at all…
This place also has a nice happy hour menu with drink and food specials. We ordered the wings and some beers, which were good!

The crispy brussel sprouts are a great way to start your meal. On a cold night, nothing beats their soups. My go-​to comfort food is their pad-​see-​ew.

A solid noodle joint.
Typically there is no wait. A wide variety of soup/​ramen options. Good ambience and good price point. It’s my go-​to when Im looking for low-​pressure asian dining. Good for parties.
I believe happy hour is only available at the bar (which if I recall only has ~6 seats).

I made a reservation for ten people at DC Noodles to celebrate my husband’s birthday. I called ahead and told the manager that I’d like to bring a cake and if it’s OK for them to hold it. He was very nice on the phone and agreed. The day came and I was surprised to learn that they want to charge $ 2 per person for the cake — not sure what the charge is for — holding the cake, providing extra plates and forks, not buying their desserts or all of it combined. Anyways, I was disappointed to learn about the charge once I was there, the manager did not tell me about it on the phone when I made the reservation. I had a quick talk to the waiter about the sudden charges and he said he will talk to the manager and let me know.
Now, the cake was a surprise and my husband didn’t know about it. It was kind of revealed once the waiter came to our table and said that the manager reduced the charge to $ 1 per person for the cake. Ugghh. Really??? I tried to interrupt him but my husband picked up some of it.
I was happy that they reduced the charge and even provided some candles since I have forgotten mine. Thank you! Now, I was getting excited for the food which did not disappoint. I had a spicy broth soup with thin rice noodles and chicken. My husband had the red miso ramen with some nicely charred pork belly. Both were pretty good. I really liked the ramen and will come back to have more in the future.

I had a serious craving for some Asian Fusion cuisine and my friend suggested this eatery. I had a great time! We came on a busy Friday night and were seated at what looked to be a make-​shift bar right next to the kitchen. No worries, it gave us our own space to chow down. The décor is pretty simple, it looks like what it is– a sophisticated noodle house, if that makes sense. I immediately ordered a lychee martini to drink, which was excellent by the way and perused the menu. I settled on a the pork belly buns for an appetizer and the stir-​fried Drunken Noodles w/​chicken as an entrée, with the squid ink spaghetti as my noodle option. The pork belly buns were tasty, with just the right amount of sweetness and carmelization. The drunken noodles were good, but man were they spicy! I must have missed reading the type of sauce that they were made with b/​c I was not expecting that spiciness. I got through a few bites b/​c it was still tasty, but I couldn’t take it and requested it be remade with a milder sauce. The second batch was perfect… a little bit of kick, but not overly spicy.
Service was okay here as well. Nothing earth-​shattering, but the server was attentive, maybe a bit TOO attentive. She kept asking if she could clear plates away. sometimes before we were done. That’s a pet peeve of mine when I’m dining, so she lost cool points for that. No other hiccups though. I definitely recommend DC Noodles!
NOTE: Parking sucks around here… and in D.C. in general. Give yourself extra time to hunt for street parking or just suck it up and pay the $ 10 to park a ½ block down the street.

I was pleasantly surprised with this place, especially since it serves noodles from various cuisines.
The Red Miso Ramen was delicious. The broth was flavorful with a good hint of spice, and the pork was tender and juicy. Plus, I liked the thickness and texture of the noodles. I actually liked this ramen better than Daikaya’s.
We also ordered the 5 Spice Duck Noodle Soup. Again, the broth was tasty with a strong soy saucy flavor. The noodles were good but thinner than the ramen, against my preference. The duck was a little overcooked, but they were very generous with the amount of meat.
Overall I’m a fan of this place. It is a bit expensive, $ 16 for each dish. But the bowl is huge and the meat is plenty. Plus, if you’re willing to pay for no wait and a peaceful meal, it may be worth it.

This is a wonderful place for dinner. The portions are a great size and the appetizers are tasty and hard to chose from. Also, the desserts… um amazing. It’s been hard trying to figure out gluten free dishes at restaurants because I inevitably get sick every time trying to guess ingredients for dishes.
Luckily here, they have a gluten free menu and also can make some dishes gluten free. My husband who isn’t about the gluten free life (and really, who can blame him), loves the pumpkin empanadas and the beef buns. I love the broth soup but also enjoyed the red curry soup (though a little heavy).
The mango sticky rice is delish as well as the coconut ice cream, which is my favorite and could eat it all day.
Also, another plus, a friend who doesn’t eat pork, found options here for broth, which unlike most places have it as a base.

Went for happy hour and was content. To be honest I was so excited, and probably should have been a little more realistic to look at the specific happy hour menu before getting my hopes up. If you are someone who can’t do overly spicy things, you’ll be limited in your options. Both food and drink wise.
In terms of the specific food, with the Asian pulled pork, be careful. In one bite I got 2 bones. With that said, it was great! I also loved the grilled chicken.
As for drinks, most of the mixed drinks are spicy, or based on ingredients, seem as though they would be overly sweet. They also aren’t overly generous with the amount they give you. On the menu it says only hot sake for happy hour but the nice waiter assured me cold sake was also an option. I’m not a sake connoisseur, but this was good.

I came here on a weekend night (can’t remember if it was Friday or Saturday) and it wasn’t too busy. The interior is super modern and I feel like it could turn into a club after the restaurant closes. It’s a cool atmosphere! I ordered the pad Thai because that is my favorite go to dish at Thai or Asian fusion places. I also had the Thai tea which is FANTASTIC! It’s pretty standard at any Thai place I’ve been, but here they give you a very large glass of it which is what made my day. I would definitely come here again – the pad Thai was excellent and I had enough for leftovers the next day.

I must be honest when I tell you, I’m very disappointed with DC noodle. Last Saturday a group of friends and I were on the hunt for some good food and I recommended that we try some Thai food. My good friend then proceeded to search for great places using his iPhone (you know the voice activated assailant… I forget her name) anyway, DC Noodle popped up and away we went.
It pains me to write this review because the food was excellent and the service was great too. The problem came a day later when I discovered that my bank card was over charged in excess of 30 dollars. How does something like this happen if I signed for one amount to only be charged a completely different about? Naturally, I called to see if I would be refunded the money or at the very least, receive a reply phone call after leaving not one but two numbers. I called early afternoon and waited for a call back. It never came. I called again to only be told that they were to busy to meet the needs of a customer who paid (over 100) and tipped very well. Shame on them, not the way to treat out of town guest. It’s not like I found the error weeks away from my dining experience. We are talking 24 hrs with pertinent information and details of my transaction.
I’m so disgusted at this point that I will never return to this restaurant and I caution all future dinners to pay cash!!!

I was staying in the neighborhood and wondered onto this location randomly. Saw the menu posted outside the restaurant and the options sounded good. Greeted by hostess and was promptly seated. The menus were on a Wooden board and were of good quality. Waiter came by and tried to take our order but we told him we weren’t ready and he cut me off and walked away. We finally ordered, food came out promptly. Calamari was not crispy, so it saddened me. The thai skewers were delicious, nicely seasoned. Edamame were good. The curry was spicy, nice coconut flavor but the green noodles were a bit over cooked. I order the chicken see-​ew and it was good.
When it came to pay the bill, they were about to close and the waiter handed us the bill and stood there until we settled the bill… And his breathe smelled like beer.
Overall food was aright.

4 stars for the food but 5 stars for the service! I frequent DC Noodles as it is just around the corner from my apt. When I first moved to U st last summer, I woke up one morning, hungover and craving noodle soup, specifically Phở. But as I’d just moved to the area and wasn’t familiar with any viet places at the time, I remembered seeing DC Noodles and opted to go there. And that was the start of an addiction, lol.
First off, they have happy hour EVERYDAY, including the weekend, from 5−7pm. I’ve posted pics of the HH menu. They have both food specials (small bites/​apps) and drink specials. The bartender is the BEST. Always courteous and goes out of his way. He’ll remember you, too, as do the rest of the staff and management there, after only a few times of visiting over the course of months. The hostess and servers are also always nice!
The food. ahhh. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the red miso ramen here. Its a very nice alternative to when I can’t make the trek to H St for Toki Underground, nor want to wait 2 hours, getting too drunk to eat it lol. For a nice, quick, sober night, DC Noodles’ ramen hits the spot SOO nicely. Their bao buns (aka fun buns on the menu!) are yummy, as well as their other noodle dishes I’ve had (Thai Basil Pesto, Pad Thai, Pad see eew). The only dessert I’ve had and the only one that matters to me for now, is the coconut ice cream with dark sticky rice on top. ITS. SO. FREAKING. GOOD. You have to try it, its light, refreshing, subtly sweet and just soooo good!
So in review, anytime I want a quick dinner alone, a drink and apps, or just looking for good service, I always walk down to DC Noodles b/​c there, I do feel like family!