Noodle 501

My fiancé has been telling me about trying this place and finally gave it a shot and I can say this is the BEST RAMEN I ever had in Durham and will be coming back if you love kimchi deff get the kimchi tofu ramen bowl is so good and got a medium spice level and it was so filling and I love the texture of the tofu really soaked in all the flavors and the corn was a nice touch the owners were showing so much initiativeAnd leadership with running everything from cooking in the back and helping running the front I can understand the wait time on ordering because they are making fresh Hot ready ramen and the plating was beautiful too so maybe order some appetizers or have some patience because these people are really going all out for a decent price thank you Noodle 501 ! Keep up the awesome work

Will not be returning. Just OK and there are better noodle restaurants in the area at this price point. Rude staff. Beware that the summer roll is smaller than what you'd expect from a normal summer roll order at other restaurants. Two small halves, each contained one tiny shrimp, half the amount of noodles, and a piece of lettuce.

So delicious. This place is awesome. Got a curry noodle bowl and it was perfection. Noodles were cooked perfectly. The both was full of flavor. So good. The sampler appetizer was also very tasty. And the Thai tea was lovely. Our server was very nice and the food came out quickly. Live the hand painted walls. Will definitely go back.

I would give this place 3.5 stars for flavor- I did feel that the noodle broth was not bad but I do think there are better options around, and felt the same for the spring rolls and Rangoons- however I did think that it was awesome that they gave separate containers for the take out noodle and broth to keep it from getting soggy! All in all a good experience and would probably go back

We liked Noodle 501 OK. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.This is a casual Asian noodle restaurant located on 15-501 just off I-40 exit 270. Most of the noodles served here are Thai and our main server was Thai. This place isn't super "authentic," but it's decent for what it is, especially in this part of Durham. Expect about the same or maybe a step above the noodles served at a typical Triangle Thai restaurant. The noodle selection is better here.This restaurant opened on June 4, 2022: https://bit.ly/43ZvET4. It replaced the Firehouse Subs next door to the Starbucks in the Indigo Corners shopping center: https://bit.ly/436mLWs. The space has been renovated. It's got sort of an industrial, modern, street-food feel to it with corrugated and diamond-tread metal siding, exposed brick, murals, and pendant lighting.Noodle 501's noodles fall into three broad categories: (1) Stir-fried noodles or "dry" noodles, (2) curry noodles, and (3) noodle bowls, a.k.a. noodle soups. Most of the noodle soups are ramen with a chicken broth base. The stir-fried noodles, which are all Thai style (e.g., Pad Thai, Drunken Noodle) are among the more authentic items. During our visit, noodle entrees started at $14-17 each and proteins and extras cost anywhere from $1-6 each. The noodle bowls already include protein.Also, the restaurant serves more than just noodles. They offer an assortment of Asian apps and snacks, such as Fried Soft Shell Crab ($14) and Takoyaki (6 octopus balls for $9), and soups, like Thai Tom Yum (lemongrass) and Tom Kha (coconut) soup. On the menu, the Takoyaki caught my eye, but I was skeptical. That skepticism was confirmed when I saw a table near us order it. The Takoyaki didn't exactly look like the kind you'd get at a proper Japanese restaurant. It looked rough around the edges, including the bonito flakes on top. Not that it was bad. I just prefer higher quality. Desserts included Crispy Roti with or without ice cream ($4/5) and Mango Sticky Rice (seasonal, $7).Here's what my wife and I ordered:Starters* Loaded Fried Tofu (8 pieces for $6) - fried tofu topped with peanuts, scallions, and sweet chili sauce* Rotee & Curry ($6) - Indian pancake served with yellow curry and cucumber salad sauceStir-Fried Noodle* Pad Woon Sen ($14) - bean thread noodles stir-fried with choice of protein (we chose chicken, +$1), yellow onions, scallions, carrots, and celeryNoodle Bowls* Yen Ta Fo ($17) - flat rice noodles with roasted pork, calamari, fish balls, fried tofu, and bok choy in a fermented soybean pink soup, topped with fried wontons* Thai Style Chicken Ramen ($16) - chicken drumstick, thigh, and bok choyDessert* Mango Sticky Rice ($7) - seasonalBeverages* Thai Tea ($4)The Loaded Fried Tofu was a fun little snack though I probably wouldn't order it again. I wanted to see what it was like. Not bad. The Rotee & Curry was good, as it often is at Southeast Asian restaurants. Our order came with one fresh, savory pancake and a small side of curry. The pancake had appetizing an texture and overall, the app was delicious. I recommend it.The Pad Woon Sen was good and satisfying. Also, the portion size was generous. We took leftovers home. Pad Woon Sen is comfort food in Thailand. When I ordered it, our server said she had just had some earlier in the day. When it comes to Thai food, a lot of people know about Pad Thai, but less know about Pad Woon Sen. The main difference is the type of noodle used -- glass noodles or cellophane noodles. It's described on the menu here as bean thread noodles, which is also accurate. The only thing that stood out to me about Noodle 501's Pad Woon Sen that could be better was the chicken. It was a bit tough and dry.When I saw Yen Ta Fo on the menu, I had to order it. This was one of my sister's favorite noodle soups to eat in Thailand when we used to make annual trips there growing up. Yen Ta Fo is easier to find in the States now, but it's still relatively rare. It's known for its distinct pink broth which comes from the fermented bean paste. Noodle 501's Yen Ta Fo was OK. Certainly not like the ones you can get in Thailand. It tasted "instant" and the roasted chashu pork was tough and tasted cheap. Like the tofu, I probably wouldn't order the Yen Ta Fo again.Something I would order again is the Thai Style Chicken Ramen. It was yummy, and I found it to be relatively light. It had tender, bone-in chicken, ramen noodles with nice consistency, and a decent broth. The bok choy was fresh as well.I would also order the Mango Sticky Rice and Thai Tea again. Noodle 501's Mango Sticky Rice was unique because the rice was Thai blue sticky rice made with butterfly pea flower, and it was topped with black sesame seeds. The mango was ripe and sweet. The Thai Tea wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just solid.Service was great. The staff was polite and very attentive, including our server Aey.TL;DR version - Noodle 501 is acceptable for casual noodles out.

This place is legit! I ordered the duck ramen and it was amazing. The flavor profile was off the chart. The service is top notch and the restaurant layout was pretty cool. I totally recommend this place and can't wait to come back.

Service: 5/5The waitress was kind and the food came out very quick. Food: 3/5I ordered the drunken noodles which had good flavor but was much too oily for my liking. Also, the noodles were mushy and kind of over cooked. Portion size was adequate though and there was a good amount of meat. Overall: 4/5Not the best Thai food I've had but not terrible and the service is very fast.

I love the decor of Noodle 501. When you walk in, there is a large "chalkboard" with recommendations and ordering tips that cover the entire wall. It also has paintings of some anime characters and overall an enjoyable vibe. Most of all, I love their noodle dishes. I have gotten pad thai, drunken noodles, fried yellow curry noodles, Yen Ta Fo (my favorite), and their appetizers (probably skip on these as personally, they aren't very special. I love their noodles and variety that they have, but wouldn't say it's the most authentic foods for each cuisine. Service is generally good, but it can take a while for food to come and to get refills for water.

Food is great--watch the spice level. Service -- a bit quirky but caring.Food is centered on Thai, but kind os Asian-fusion.Nice--wish them well.

Ok I am going to change my original review. I think I was a bit negative and I want to support local business. I think overall this place is decent. I would not say it's anywhere near what I'm used to but It's a good place to get decent asian noodles. The tonkotsu ramen by far was the best. I did not like their drunken noodles. I have to caveat, that day we had been looking forward to going to another place but they were closed. We had just arrived from a long road trip and we were taking our son out last time before he started college and so it was a mixed day of tiredness, unmet expectations, and we were downright cranky. The manager did replace the drunken noodles for ramen, service was good but I still would say the noodle place is very average. But from the sounds of it, they seem like they are very receptive to customer feedback and able to change their recipes according to the reviews. We will visit again.