Nozaru Ramen Bar

Amazing service, friendly staff, the food was delicious, too! I may be a bit biased though, due to the gluten free friendly options my wife was able to choose from. Music and Ambiance was a vibe to experience.Thank you for the memories!

Greetings,I have been a patron of Nozaru for over four years now. I live on Van Dyke Ave. right off of Adams Ave., and it is just a short drive or walk down the block. I come often either by myself, or with guests of my own. It has great food and for the most part, good enough if not great service.Isaac is my favorite waiter there. He is always personable, patient, conversational, and most importantly, he is pleasant.I just left the restaurant, and I have to say, I was very disappointed, borderline insulted.My guests and I were tended to by a man named Zack. Zack did not greet us at our table. A young girl did and brought our menus out. That was not the problem at all. We were not offered to order any refreshments and/or libations at all, and she seemed off thrown when I asked her if we could order some drinks to commence our late afternoon, early evening outing. When she returned with our hot sake, I had to ask her to please poor out my first hot sake drink. It is traditional for an individual to have their sake served to them and in return one should serve their companion. Not doing so is regarded as Tejaku and it is rude.It was not more than two to three minutes after she brought our drinks that Zack came to ask us if we were ready to order. He DID NOT introduce himself, and didn't even bother to ask us if we had any questions to ask at all. That was in VERY POOR TASTE.I had to ask his name from the young lady before leaving, specifically for the purpose of authoring this Yelp review alone.I had to say to him that we had just arrived and if he would please allow us a moment or so. He was visibly out of his depth in service etiquette, and considering that this was far from a true fine dining Michelin rated restaurant, I was not shocked, but I was disappointed and a little dismayed by his quality of service considering my past experiences there. They were not all great, but better thus far. I did think it prudent to order some hors d'oeuvres. I felt that I needed to let him know that we would order more as we saw adequate. He acknowledged, but I now know that he was not understanding what that meant at all.The restaurant was empty by the way. This "Burn and Turn" mentality was a VERY GRIEVOUS LACK OF ELOQUENCE.We enjoyed some edamame, some gyoza, some sushi on the table, but we were nowhere close to finished when this Zack fella came out with the bill.I had to let him know that we were not finished dining yet, and that I as well as my guests would be grateful if he did not rush us and allowed us to order our meal when we felt ready. He shrugged and walked away. No class.We all conversed about this at the table, and we decided that it would be best to go elsewhere for dinner. I did order a bit more edamame and a poke dish, but we left to have dinner, desert, and coffee elsewhere. I am sorry that this happened tonight. I wish that it had not. When I asked Zack for the check, he DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE COURTESY OR GOOD TASTE OF COMING TO DROP IT OFF HIMSELF OR OF THANKING US FOR OUR VISIT.A lady that is there often brought it. He just stood behind the counter watching.I grew up close to Downtown San Diego in a small community called Banker's Hill, and I worked in a lot of restaurant jobs as a waiter and as a bar keep in the Gaslamp Section as a young man for most of my twenties, and I know how to take care of people properly as well as generate revenue for my restaurants and maximize my gratuity, Zack has NO IDEA OF HOW TO DO THIS AND IS HURTING THIS SMALL RESTAURANT WITHOUT ADEQUATE TRAINING. I will not allow him to be my server ever again, there or anywhere else for that matter.In the spirit of grace, compassion, and allowing him the "benefit of the doubt" as it is said, I left him $20.00 bucks cash on a measly $77.00 dollar tab, but it could easily have been $35 to $40+ had he known how to do his job correctly. To the owners, leadership, and more seasoned staff at Nozaru, please do not fire him, but instead, TEACH HIM how to create a dining and service experience, and how to maximize each table for both the establishment and for himself.If you all pool tips there, THEN LET HIM KNOW THAT HE'S NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS AND HURTING YOUR REVENUE AS A TEAM.Thank you all as always,Juan.

Small shop in Normal Heights with kind of a surf-shack vibe. Came on Friday for lunch (they only do lunch Fri-Sun I think). Got my standard order of Karaage and got the Black Heights ramen. The chicken was perfectly serviceable, but nothing memorable. The ramen was the same. Their menu is a bit of everything (sushi, small plates, ramen). Their ramen is definitely original. Riffs on traditional stuff but certainly not traditional. I found the broth to be too salty. The tare kind of overpowered the flavor of the soup. Noodles were not memorable, egg was fine, chashu also just fine. The bowl came with bacon bits as a topping which seems to be an offering on a few of the bowls here. I wonder if that contributed to the saltiness?I enjoyed the vibe and the service was friendly. The food was just okay. If I was in the area and really craving ramen I'd consider it, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Also the prices are slightly higher than average for ramen in the city. Another ramen spot to try checked off the list.

Before coming to Nozaru, I had never heard of a ramen burrito... I was hesitant to order bc it sounds strange. However it did not disappoint. Think sweet and savory, noodles and fries. Sounds weird right? Surprisingly delicious! 10/10 recommend I wish I knew the name of these ramen dishes bc they were delicious. Made with love. Service was also great

If you're looking for an authentic ramen experience, this ain't it. If you want a spot for fusion ramen, poke bowls, burritos, etc - this could be your spot. Love that they've got a special on most weekdays. Gives the sense of community for sure. Personally, not a spot I'd be rushing to go to for ramen again. However, if I were already in the area (conveniently parked) and wanted a fun spot for an appetizer/beer, I might stop by again.

We live around the corner and come often for takeout and occasionally dine in. The restaurant interior is bold and beautiful - i love the design, art, and style in there. There's also a little outdoor seating on the curb, so technically pups can join you for dinner / join in on the fun!Conveniently Nozaru offers both ramen and sushi. We've tried their apps too, not bad. Owner is from Japan. I highly recommend dining in over taking to-go because i think the ramen is much better when freshly enjoyed hot straight outta the kitchen.m. I like the Tokyo Chicken bc it's a solid predictably clean-tasting, savory ramen, without being too heavy. That soy egg is like simply wow so i like to add an extra one to my order.Service is always friendly and ambiance is intimately quaint and warm. If you're looking for a comforting bowl of ramen or jidori wings paired with a cold glass of beer, they also have happy hours i believe on...Wednesdays i may be wrong so don't quote me

Decent pricing for good food, nothing too crazy in regards to food but the ambiance and decorations inside were cool. Also service was great as they assisted my friend greatly with dietary restrictions.

My first time having ramen was a blast thanks to Nozaru. The guest service was through the roof! While it may look small from the outside, there's plenty of room once you walk in. And as soon as you walk in you're greeted with big smiles and a lovely welcome. Out of the many restaurants San Diego has to offer I highly recommend you stop by this place and if you have a craving for spicy food (like myself) you should try the volcano paste they add to the soup. 10/10 for me. Ps. They also have bomb sushi!!!!

GF Options-for sensitivities/intolerance, Dairy Free, Vegetarian OptionsSo happy to have found a spot offering GF tonkatsu ramen with a jammy egg and chashu! I don't think I'd recommend this place to celiacs though. I did get mild brain fog after my meal which tells me there was slight cross contamination, but I was happy to actually have ramen for the first time in a long time. Servers were super friendly, communicative, and attentive. The restaurant allows you to seat yourself and they bring the menus to you! They have a small outdoor seating area perfect for dogs.

Friendly and fast service.I ordered the "Hot" Spicy Heights ramen. It did not disappoint. The perfect level of spice. The karaage chicken was also very delicious. Will definitely come again!