Soul Ramen
★ 3.8 · 25 reviews Chicago Opened 20 June 2026
Ramen built on gumbo, egusi and suya instead of tonkotsu
Airian McDuffy opened Soul Ramen on the ground floor of Oakwood Shores on June 20, 2026, after testing the idea as a pop-up first. His reasoning was simple: the South Side had few spots to sit down, be social, and eat something new.
The bowls stack stews, roux-based sauces and spice blends from across the African diaspora onto ramen noodles, pulling from gumbo, curry, egusi, suya and island cooking. Rahim Muhammad, from the Jean Banchet award-winning team at Mahari in Hyde Park, advises the kitchen. Saint Della's Lance Watson is culinary director.
Good to know
- Open 2pm to 9pm, closed Tuesdays.
What guests say
Reviews by Google-
kyle lenoir 7 reviews · Local Guide 6 September 2026
Jerk ramen was tasty and a good portion. Good spice level. The wings were tasty and a good sweet savory balance. beignets had a nice cinnamon toast twist and were enough to share with the table. The The server was nice and detailed about the offerings. My friends also enjoyed their food. They had the oxtail and the curry.
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Deshawn Phillips 5 reviews 29 August 2026
I went there by accident but was pleasantly surprised. Place was cozy almost like a candle lit dinner, perfect for a date. Food was good. I had the jerk ramen. The broth was unique spicy, earthy with a hidden sweetness to it. The cocktails are very good my only con is that they were a lil light on the liqah. Dessert was ok i had the crème brûlée donut. It tasted like a Krispy cream donut which i liked but they lost me at the sugar crystal things on top. I would have preferred a donut with a traditional crème brûlée i could dip it in. But thats just nitpicking. Overall amazing. Ive been to a lot of black owned restaurants that cost too much but offer bland unimaginative food but not her 10s across the board.
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Shelby Edwards 2 reviews 28 August 2026
Service was great and I enjoyed the vibe!
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Hyde Park Center for Healing LLC 8 reviews · Local Guide 4 August 2026
Came here once and got the shrimp po boa and a whiskey peach drink. Came right back the next day. Maybe they had a rough opening week based on some of the reviews but from my experience- I would not let it deter you. I loved the food, it’s so cute in there, and black woman owned. Couldn’t tell me nothing bad about it.
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Sherri Hamilton 9 reviews · Local Guide 17 July 2026
10 out of 10
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