4. Restaurants

U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station

4515 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105
  • (206) 453-3788
  • Store is closed

U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station Menu

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  • Chrystina S.

    I had higher expectations before I drove across the bridge for some fresh udon. Based on the reviews they made it sound like some really good Japanese noodle restaurant. But too me, it was just ok. First of all, it's more like a fast food/cafeteria ambiance. All the workers looked like an assembly line. I didn't really taste the super freshness compared to other hot udon soups I've had. You wait in line and pick from the 8 different item from the menu on the wall. Then you place your order and you get your food in less than 3 minutes because everything is already pre-cooked (like fast food). I ordered the Niku udon since that was the only one with meat and I added 1 piece of karaage. The girl barely dunked my noodles in the water hence it was kinda hard when I ate it. The broth was good. Noodles were thicker and super square it made it hard to pick up and slurp. I didn't get that chewy elastic texture of udon. Overall, I'm glad I tried it, and will only be back if I'm in a hurry and starving for some cheap and quick noodle soup.

    (2)

  • Arie L.

    Pretty fast, cheap, filling. Good broth. Lots of choices. Hand made noodles were on point and delicious. Ours were chewy but soft. I ordered the on-tama udon, which had the soft spring egg in it. My BFF ordered the Niku udon, sukiyaki braised beef on top. We both ended up sharing the tempura broccoli and fried chicken. If you are lucky, you can get a fresh batch. Which I highly recommend because our chicken and broccoli tempura were kind of soggy. Don't forget the complimentary tempura sauce, hot temperature. This was a fun experience. They save on costs by having you bus your own table. So be nice and clean up after yourself.

    (4)

  • Lehua S.

    I honestly just thought this place was alright. Maybe it was just the specific Udon I chose but I am used to some pretty authentic Udon from my hometown in Hawaii and these noodles seemed very tough to me. I also thought the tempura was sub-par and pricey.

    (3)

  • Reimi D.

    We got here at a good time...I think only about a half hour after they opened. They were already blowing up but there were still some open seats. This is the kind of place where you go to eat and then bounce, so the turn around for a seat is fairly regular. The udon is made right there. The right balance of chewy and firm. At first you might feel kind of rushed: there are all these signs that tell you how to order and to basically get your shit straight by the time you get up to the actual noodle station. But they all seemed pretty patient. I just ordered the kitsune udon to make the order process smoother. Like most udon shops they also have a section where you can pick out a bunch of tempura and other deep fried goodness. I got the takoyaki ($1.99), and while good, I could tell it had been out for a little while. Not a big deal though. The small size is actually pretty filling, the broth was delicious. It hit the right spot, especially on a rainy day. Oh, and the restroom was clean.

    (5)

  • Philip W.

    When I'm on the Ave, my noodle dish of choice is pho. I love how quick and simple it is. Walk into a pho restaurant, ask for the pho special, and start munching away five minutes later. After my experience at U:Don though, I might have to start mixing udon into my noodle adventures of the Ave! Preparing your udon is more of an assembly line procedure here. You start at the beginning and order what udon you want (I recall about 6-8 different choices) and proceed to add your meat and side dishes. This whole process is very simple and quick- the same traits I value in my pho restaurants. The line workers waste no time in preparing your udon noodles and your broth of choice. Once done, you pay at the end and sit yourself down at one of the many wooden stools. The udon itself was very delicious and I found myself finishing every last bite of those thick noodles and the pork that came with it. I added a spam musubi to my meal and I highly recommend you do so too. Definitely a place to add to your Ave dining repertoire.

    (4)

  • Cynthia L.

    Ooooh I just got SERVED! Meaning I just got served too much food on one plate. That never happens to me. I normally order two dishes minimum because I'm rarely filled by a single serving. U:Don is a place where I've met my match. U-District is a rare food stop for me unless I'm doing business in the area and U:Don is small, with fast-paced service--which serves its clientele efficiently. There are a couple of booths, but mostly small tables. Why have conventional fast food when you can have quality grubbins? They have several handmade noodle bowls available like tan tan (spicy) and sukiyaki but I had the Kitsune Udon bowl, with sweet marinated fried tofu, ginger and green onions. The broth was beautifully clear and mildly flavored. The best part about ordering/waiting for the nice man to hand you the bowl of noodles is checking out at the end. You know how retail stores have all the last-minute little fun stuff for you to gaze at while you wait to check out? That's their MO here. Takoyaki (octopus balls), fried veggies of all kinds, salmon onigiri (the sweet potato was fabulous! The broccoli piece was huge and full of crunchy delight!) Silly me, I could not figure out how to unwrap the salmon onigiri correctly, to the delight and entertainment of my company haha Oh yeah, so I ordered the medium bowl, while my friends ordered the small bowls. They were smartly and I was un-smartly. I forget that udon is such a thick noodle and they are so generous with it here, I got full....2/3 of the way through. Egads. Me. What.the.heck. They have Jones soda on tap (ginger ale!) and desserts like Japanese flan...wow, just a fun, interesting place with amazing prices. I'll find more reasons to come to the U-District!

    (4)

  • Rachel C.

    Although my experience with udon is limited, I've been here a few times and have always been really pleased. The people who work there are great, and the noodles they make are so good! I wasn't really prepared for the cafeteria-style service when I went in, but it's pretty straight forward-- choose your broth/toppings/if you want it hot or chilled and they whip it up in front of you. Choose sides (tempura is very good) and they check you out at the end of the line.

    (5)

  • Jessica D.

    Ooooh I am happppy! Finally got the chance to try u:don and it was delicious! It was also definitely so cheap! I looked at the menu through yelp's pictures and didn't believe the prices. I came in expecting prices to be much higher, especially since those pictures were old, but they weren't! I got size medium, which honestly is more of a large and definitely filling. I'll be honest that the udon is a bit bland and you might get bored after a little but definitely pick up some sides as you're about to check out. There was tempura'd everything!! I was kinda disappointed a small piece of tempura pumpkin was $1 but at least I enjoyed it. But still... Kinda really disappointed because I love pumpkin. There was karaage, takoyaki, onigiri, musubi.. It was like a mini Japanese street fair in a small hot bar. I'm definitely going back there soon!

    (4)

  • Stacy K.

    I give this 5 Stars for the noodles as they were perfect! But, I would only give the broth 2 stars, so I decided make it 4 stars. I got the Niku Udon, which comes with beef, but the broth tasted really fishy, I mean really fishy. Not sure if I got a bad batch where they used too much fish sauce or if that is normal. It wasn't awful,it was just a bit overpowering with the fish smell and taste, but I added some soy sauce and chili sauce and that really helped and I did eat the whole thing. All and all I love the noodles, love the concept, employees were really nice, but didn't love the broth so much.

    (4)

  • Saejin K.

    For u district this udon is pretty good! I'm giving it 4 stars because I had the curry udon which was delicious but a little off putting for someone who grew up eating udon. The "soup" was more like a heavy sauce which is reminiscent of Korean curry (karae) packet sauce. The other "con" was that the poached egg was undercooked with the egg whites still runny and the soup wasn't hot enough to cook it further. I'll definitely come back to try the soup udon though! The noodles were fresh and I liked the tempura options. I got the crab and sweet potato tempura which I will definitely get again next time.

    (4)

  • Linda L.

    Food: LOVE the broth, first time here, the udon noodles were cooked very well, second time, it was a bit too chewy. I like the Kitsune Udon, but my boyfriend prefers the Niku. Service: very nice service, quick orders, love the option of buying add on to customize your bowl. Cons: having to put away your dishes and sort out spoons, garbage, etc. but the good food makes up for it.

    (4)

  • Will D.

    I really love this place. I told my BF that this was one of my "top five" dining experiences in Seattle. If I still worked in the U District, I'd eat here every damn week. I always get tempura broccoli. You should too. Today they had eggplant as well. Delicious! The noodles. The broth. The seaweed. How can you go wrong?

    (5)

  • Melody P.

    A day off and went to late lunch with my buddy, Thrill the Killer! We met up by Convention Place Station and took route 73 to the Ave. It was very quick and convenient. I bet we decided this place because of the cold weather! This place is like a fast food place for Udon. Well, the udon noodles are freshly made in store. I thought it was pretty cool. Both of us had Niku beef undon, just different size. I love the beef. However, I wish it was a little more. Also, there were tempera and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) I thought the chicken was actually pretty good. I couldn't figure out where the sauce was for the tempera. We picked a spot to sit. It was almost packed. After we were done with the food, you need to bring your dirty dishes to a spot, just like McDonald's.

    (4)

  • Gary L.

    My family absolutely loves this place. One of the cheapest places to feed our family of four. There are many options of fresh Udon and sides. Our typical order: 2 large bowls, one Niku and one TanTan. Sides: spam musubi, chicken kaarage, and octopus balls. If only it was easier to find parking around the Ave!

    (5)

  • Dan K.

    This little no-frills shop in the heart of the U district is a gem and let me tell you why. But first off let me say that I stake no claim in being a subject matter expert on udon noodles. Yes, I have been to Japan many times for work and I currently reside in LA, an area well saturated with small pockets of authentic, delectable eateries of the Japanese fare. We are no strangers to the experience of delicious artisanal Japanese noodles. That being said, U:Don offers a combination of three things that I have yet to find even in a culturally diverse mecca like LA when it comes to udon: variety, taste, and value. The first thing you'll notice about the menu is all the offerings. Zaru, curry, and traditional shio udon are standards, but ontama? Niku? Tan tan? This spot brings a simple concept but allows patrons to experience it in different ways that capitalize on Japanese authenticity rather than fusion. Sampling all the variants will make you believe you are tasting udon from different parts of Japan, which definitely is as regionally diverse in its cuisine as it is on the menu at u:Don. Second, it's delicious! The dash broth is so light and clean yet flavorful you'll never feel weighed down after slurping down a bowl. The curry is ripe with flavor rather than being too salty like at most other places. The dipping sauces are on point. The noodles are house made using special machines from Japan and it shows in their texture and consistency. Not rubbery, not too translucent or too opaque. The udon noodles are truly the best I've had in the US. Finally, the cost. The prices here are such a reasonable value for what you can get. Most people will be stuffed after one bowl. But at this price it's hard not reach for additional items such as karage, tempura, croquettes. Pretty soon you've spent $15 for a heaping mound of food on your tray. This is about the same price as one bowl of udon only at the well known establishments in LA. Sold. Bonus: the emoticon in the name. Clever. U:Don wins on multiple levels. It's a good thing I don't live in Seattle because the hardest part of my week would be trying to avoid going to this place multiple times a week for lunch or dinner.

    (5)

  • Mo A.

    One of the best Japanese food I have ever had. When we first came, the place was very packed that there was a long line. We were debating whether to leave or stay. We are glad to this day we did stay and ate their food. I ordered On-tama Udon and chili sauce on the top, makes it taste the best. I also had the octopus balls, they are great as well, you should try them. If you are looking for a wonderful soup that tastes like you never had before, this is the place to be.

    (4)

  • Brittany N.

    My boyfriend and I happened to stop in at U:Don two years ago because we were drawn in by the happy face on the sign! :D :D :D It was also a cold December evening, perfect for some rejuvenating Japanese noodle elixirs. Since that evening, we've gone back once a year, in December, to relive the memories and taste some deliciously made udon! Upon entering the restaurant, we quickly realized that this was a unique noodle shop where you can customize your udon bowl with toppings and side orders. Do not mistake U:Don for a run-of-the-mill fast food type of restaurant. The bowls of udon you order here are consistently authentic in taste in comparison to other Japanese restaurants in the area. I attribute it to their commitment to producing noodles, soups, and sauces from scratch and with all fresh, natural ingredients. There is a welcome sign explaining how U:Don strives to produce healthy Sanuki province-style noodles, while also creating an environment where you feel as if you are eating at an udon shop in Japan. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I felt I was in Japan, but the noodles were definitely fresh 'n tasty. :D Noodle recommendations: -Niku Udon: Sukiyaki braised beef, green onion, seaweed, freshly grated ginger -Kitsune Udon: Extra thick, fried and marinated tofu, green onion, seaweed, and freshly grated ginger -Curry Udon: Spicy Japanese curry dashi soup with beef and onions, sliced green onion Topping and side recommendations: -Salmon or unagi onigri -Spam or unagi musubi -Takoyaki (Three crunchy balls on a stick with octopus inside) -Kaki-Age (Tempura ball of veggies) Free perks: -Unlimited fried tempura flakes to sprinkle on your soup -Extra freshly grated ginger or green onions Service is excellent: Both fast and friendly! I anticipate coming back every year in the future. If only U:Don existed when I was a student at UW! Now I have to get my U:Don fix once a year in December, haha!

    (4)

  • Navid A.

    Udon doesn't have a large selection, but what they do have, they do well. I got the Niku Udon which was spot on. I have been to other udon places, but this is one of the better locations. I love how I can seem them making the noodles in front of me. The food is fresh and tastes delicious. They offer a ton of different toppings for your udon, some have an extra charge, but all taste great. One of my favorite parts is the selection of mostly fried foods they have. I am not usually a fan of fried foods, but their tempura batter is light and crispy and goes well with the udon. They have a lot of different things to choose from like crab, green beans, chicken and octopus. I like Udon and also enjoy their low prices for a filling bowl of soup.

    (4)

  • Safira M.

    This place is my favorite place to get udon. They have big bowls and they taste wonderful. I love the curry udon, it's udon with curry and beef. The prices aren't expensive and it's totally worth it with the food that you get. It is a self service restaurant. You can get side dishes after you pick your udon. They have tempura, takoyaki, etc as side dishes. The side dishes are relatively cheap but you don't realize it can be pricey when you start to take so many at a time ( just because everything looks so tempting ). I always get karage as a side dish, it's totally worth it.

    (5)

  • Jessica D.

    Used to love this place and indeed I've come here for what I thought was great food many times. Unfortunately last time was the last time. I got the soup udon and a few sides including fried tofu. When I bit into the tofu I noticed that it was cold. Obviously it had been sitting out at room temperature for some time. I thought it was weird but ate it anyway... what a mistake. In less than an hour I had all the signs of food poisoning. Headache, upset stomach, etc. It wasn't long before it all came back up. I see that other people have commented that chicken and fish on the bar are at room temperature. The response from management was that items could be ordered fresh. That's great but doesn't deal with the fact that at risk foods are kept in the danger zone for extended periods of time. This is a massive violation of food safety procedures. They need to fix this problem soon before they make even more people sick.

    (1)

  • Eric Q.

    The Ave has a bunch of good food around and for reasonable prices too. This is one of the restaurants that I keep on coming back to for something to eat when no one can think of anything The appearance of the restaurant looks nice with all the wooden furniture and everything. The people working there were all very friendly and nice You can even see all the noodles being made. I usually get the niku udon which is the one with beef. Noodles were good and the soup is so amazing that I actually do finish all of it. I actually really liked the Takoyaki here (octopus balls). Probably one of the best I tried. Felt like the kara age needed more crisp but maybe that's just me since i am too used to regular crispy fried chicken x) Overall great place. You should definitely stop by here and get a bite :)

    (4)

  • Meredith H.

    Just finished lunch here and wow. I wasn't sure what to expect, having never had this type of food before, but I was impressed. The food was awesome. I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Morgan R.

    Quality cheap eats. The udon noodles are fresh (you watch them make them) and cooked to order, the tempura is average (but for cheap eats, it's great), the line moves quickly, and the menu has a variety of preparations. This is student-food that's good enough for adults. Fast, inexpensive and better nutrition than most fast-food. I'm a fan (though the atmosphere is definitely student hangout - nothing fancy, but clean and well organized).

    (4)

  • Latifa S.

    I've been coming here since the very first day that they opened in December of 2011!! First of all: let me clear this up. Fresh noodles are in a league of their own. Be it Udon, ramen, Chinese hand pulled noodles, soba, pasta and all the dan dan noodles in between. Fresh handmade noodles ~ there's nothing like it when it's made right! You really don't need to dilute it with shitload of spices, sauces and craps on it. You basically eat it with minimal spice to enjoy the art of the noodles. If not, you are better off getting those package ones and cooking at home. Cause you don't know ish! Ok on to the noodles~ this is like the mini version of Marukame back in the island. A huge cafeteria style noodle shop with noodles being pulled and tempura being fried as you order. You pick your broth, you pick your tempura. The main attraction here is the Udon! And if you want to dilute your ish, ask them for the home made hot sauce. They will give it to you. Udon: soft and chewy as they should be! Broth: I wouldn't mind some real curry broth but for now, I will settle with their version of curry beef! In my experience:the real Japanese curry broth is so heavy: you will be slurping through your bowl. Well, that's what I like anyway. Tempura: this is where they lose that 1 star! It's a much much smaller tempura bar compared to the one I love back home and they have very limited selection of fried stuffs. One can only eat karaage aka fried chicken so many times. Suggestion: swap out the items on tempura bar? Perhaps you can add more/better seafood selection. Or add other morsels to the fryer? Over all: $7.99 is a pretty cheap meal for fresh hand pulled noodles and being an udon/noodle connoisseur , I enjoy this place! I am that snob that makes my own noodles by hand at home or only go to places that make fresh pastas. For me: this place is great. I do think they should have a better ventilation system because you will always smell like grease and deep fryer after eating here. Apart from that, you can be in and out in 30 minutes or less with your tummy full of noodles. Nom Nom Nom!

    (4)

  • Connie N.

    Pretty good udon. I like that you can customize it how you like. I had the kitaune udon and the broth was pretty flavorful, udon was right amount of chewiness, and portion size was pretty generous for a size small. I liked the tempura add on and chicken karaage. Overall, the meal was really good. It was convenient and affordable.

    (4)

  • Mindi D.

    Finally made it to U:Don and we loved it! My husband and I both had the Niku Udon (it comes with a great broth and beef with onions on top. Very Very flavorful! I had the small size which was plenty of food especially if you purchase some tempura too! The tempura was really nice (had the broccoli, sweet potato and a shrimp) and then also had a piece of chicken karaage - soooo moist! We will definitely be going back again!

    (5)

  • Mimi H.

    I believe one of the greatest pleasures in life is a bowl of hot, freshly made udon noodle soup! Ever since my trip to Waikiki and having Marukame Udon, I fantasize every now and then about crispy tempura shrimp atop those soft noodles. I was so glad to have found this place on a cold day. UW students are incredibly lucky!! Same cafeteria style: get in line, select a soup/noodle combo, add in any extras (eggs, beef, tofu), grab as much tempura appetizers, and pay. I really enjoyed that the tempura flakes were self-serve, which means you can get as much as you want with no charge. Kitsune -- Udon and soup with an extra thick fried and marinated tofu. A cute little boy highly recommended this to me as I was looking at the menu. Soup was hot and flavorful, not overpowering. Noodles, could have been cooked longer :( GREAT poached eggs with yolk oozing all over. The tofu reminded me of a thick piece of sweet tofu skin .. something very interesting but I think I'd have to opt for my niku/beef from now on. Curry -- Curry dashi flavored soup with noodles and pieces of beef. Thicker in consistency, which is ideal. Flavor was also really good and hot. Not too spicy or strong of curry scent. Tempura -- Kabocha, sweet potato, Japanese yam, broccoli, asparagus, mushroom, shrimp, fish croquette, potato croquette, chicken karaage, takoyaki, mixed vegetables, and musubis. They were okay, only because I love deep fried anything. These were barely warm/cold and not crunchy when bit into :( Decent sized restaurant and there's a long bar to sit at. This makes for a quick meal, not some place you can comfortably lounge around at with your buddies. I am going to come back for their Dan Dan and Niku Udon!!

    (4)

  • Jamie B.

    We went here on a recommendation of a friend. I am not a huge fan of noodles, but boy was this great! I had no idea that you could make udon taste so good or come in so many different varieties. I had the Curry and it was the perfect flavor and spice. Once you have your bowl, you move down the line and you you get choose the side items that you want. There were so many to choose from and they were all delicious!

    (5)

  • Mel L.

    I'm a big fan of this place. I used to come regularly, but recently new workers have been hired and I've become less and less impressed. Some of the new staff are extremely rude. I asked for a soup ontama and the girl was like, UH soup? As if I was stupid. As a regular visitor I am familiar that there is also a dry sauce option and they usually ask soup or sauce. It's probably her inexperience which is fine, but her tone was totally unnecessary. I was in a rush to get to work so was kinda like, eh. Whatever. There was a guy in front of me and he and the cashier spent a good few minutes talking about the guy's designer glasses. The cashier just talked on and on about them. Like really?

    (3)

  • Kat T.

    I have mixed feelings about this place. On one hand, I love the good location and simple decor, and my different group of friends like it a lot so I've been brought in here several times. I like that it's self-service (perfect if you want a conversation without being bothered by servers), and I like the friendly workers. The unagi musubi with brown rice (around $3.50) is good, cheap, and filling for a quick bite - please don't stop making this! My last visit however left much to be desired. I was asked if I wanted "everything" on my niku udon, which I responded "sure", not realizing what it entails... When I went up to the cashier I was charged extra 30 cents because she had included wakame! Not a big deal in terms of price, but I wished I were informed. However the worst part was I was halfway through my niku udon when I felt extremely sick and had to throw up. Not sure if the meat wasn't fresh, or it was way too rich, but I felt so repelled that I didn't finish my food.

    (3)

  • Lin W.

    It's a great concept. The food was okay quality however. The noodle was chewy and my add-on sukiyaki beef had 3 slices of meat and all onions. I would go to a Japanese restaurant for an authentic cold noodle experience.

    (3)

  • Jon W.

    Fast, fresh, delicious. Get there during rush or their tempura will taste a little soggy, but other than that! Go!

    (4)

  • Daniel B.

    Not very cheap but tasty. I will definitely go back to give it another try. The curry udon soup was very thick and rich and unless you are looking for something like a stew I wouldn't recommend it. Also the sides are not kept warm so the pieces of chicken and veggies are room temperature, which isn't as tasty as hot.

    (3)

  • Vicky L.

    If you have budget concern, this is not bad. If you are looking for some quality Japanese food, not here.

    (3)

  • Marie B.

    Thick cut udon noodles in your choice of broth and toppings (bowl size come in three sizes, cost varies) plus various fried goods like tempura and izakaya items. Ordered and served cafeteria style. Straight-forward, economical, and tasty (for me and the kiddo ~$10/per person). Bus your table at the end. Perfect restaurant concept for the Ave in the UDistrict. There's also a second location over on Capitol Hill.

    (4)

  • Jonathan C.

    This place is ok for quick bite. The rotation is quick, seating is good. The u-don itself is so-so. It's all about the timing of noodle in hot water, but my u-don was not cooked well. It was still hard when i chew. The broth is nothing special, bit bland. Their side menu are good and I liked it a lot. The takoyaki was good. the fried food are cooked near perfect. Honestly, if I was a student and grabbing lunch by myself or with one friend, this is good place to go. I don't recommended this place for big group.

    (3)

  • Mie T.

    Every time I miss Japanese food, I come here. Spicy tantan zaru, the cold one is awesome----. Because the tare, the dipping sauce of tantan was so good, I carried it back home. I think it can used for other noodles, topping of pizza also. I always want to eat different kinds of dishes every time I come here, so it always ends up to be around 15 dollars because the side dishes like onigiri, takoyaki are a bit pricey. But it's worth it! I also like tuna mayo Onigiri and vegetable tempura. I like takoyaki but it's fried,,,, the authentic takoyaki is not fried,,,, yet I eat it every time. Honestly speaking, I do not like BGM much,,,and it's too loud.. And trays and dishes are not so clean sometimes,,, Yet, I really like this place-!

    (4)

  • Hui-yu Y.

    I've been to udon restaurants in Japan, and this restaurant is pretty similar to them in terms of taste and authenticity. My husband ordered a dipping sauce Udon, where as I ordered a hot spring egg udon. I got the hot soup whereas his dipping sauce is cold. His noodle was very chewy and the sauce was good with some green onions and wasabi (u can add them up youself), but it's cold.. so I don't like it as much. Mine was good.. good hot spring egg, good noodles, and it's hot. We also got some other fried stuff as well, such as veggie tempura. The veggie tempura is suppose to be a cake (like u can't separate it) in japan, but it's very easily separated here.. that's the only thing that's somewhat off from what i expected.. The total comes down to about $14 per person since we ordered like 6 pieces of fried stuff, but it's still acceptable. Overall I like it and would go there again. I'm actually going there again with my friends tomorrow!!

    (4)

  • Jane L.

    Love Udon! Can't beat the price and of course the fresh made noodles. We frequent this place at least 2 times a week and the food is always consistent. Friendly staff, great service, lots of options in terms of their udon variations. The only con is finding parking, and when it's busy it's BUSY and can make for a hard time to grab a table and or booth to sit and eat.

    (5)

  • Pete H.

    Definitely some very good Udon. Haven't had Udon that good in ages. High quality ingredients. Did not get a headache nor feel tired like at most places that add in artificial ingredients. I've been to a number of Udon places across the country including Hawaii. This has to be one of the best. More than 50% Asian customers. The Americans that are here are with their Asian friends. Good day for hot soup. I had niku Udon (beef) with egg, greens onions, ginger, chicken tempura, squid and crab tempera. Really hits the spot.

    (5)

  • Auntie E.

    Excellent fresh noodles, lively vibe. Inexpensive, tasty, and fast. Was able to dine in and get out in 20-25 minutes! Loved the Niku Udon, sukiyaki beef, yum. If u get the tempura vegetables, try to get them when they bring them out. Kid liked the Spam Musubi and Salmon Musubi. This is kid's favorite spot in the UDistrict.

    (4)

  • Amy E.

    What a delightful surprise! My prediction was proven wrong. I was expecting a fast food noodle joint with overly salty broth and mediocre noodles. Instead I got a solid bowl of noodles. The main thing I couldn't stop thinking about was that the broth was not too salty. Most places and especially fast food places will over season/salt their foods. The broth was seasoned pretty well. I got the niku undon which is a beef udon with soup. The slices of beef were delicious and the noodles had a good texture. I didn't put any add-ons. For some reason the add-ons didn't really appeal to me. Most were fried foods. I also didn't get a sickly feeling after eating the noodles. Sometimes I will feel weird from the MSG or seasonings in soups. The udon didn't feel heavy. I was pretty impressed and content. The only thing I would request is to have more options. There wasn't many different styles of Udon to choose from. They all seemed very similar or close variations of the same style. I understand that the add-ons change the style of udon, but think it would be neat to see a few more different broths or more variety for the add-ons. I would certainly return. It was good for the price and speedy good service.

    (4)

  • John O.

    Outstanding quality for ready-made foods. We had curry udon , zaru udon, and various tempuras. The udon noodles were toothsome and of very good quality. The curry was satisfying in a comfort food way. All the tempurs, shrimp and all the vegies, were exceptional - they would compare favorably with any of the Japanese restaurants in Seattle. All-in-all, an exceptional value for fast, satisfying food.

    (4)

  • Mooshie R.

    I wandered in here with a couple of friends; pretty good noodle place for the reasonably cheap price. Choose what you want with your udon/the soup, and the size (small, med, large). Stand in line as they scoop everything and prepare it into your bowl, top it off with unlimited tempura flakes, and select from a variety of tempura extras at the end. The noodles were pretty good; the broth was flavorful, but not immensely salty, thankfully. I wouldn't say it's anything special, but overall, it's a convenient place that will probably satisfy the casual diner's udon cravings.

    (4)

  • Fuzz H.

    From my first experience here I would say that this is a good place to get a quick bite on the ave. the udon noodle has a great texture but the dipping sauce (goma) I had was just-OK. I actually enjoyed the assortments of tempura and karaage they have here. They're all delicious and pretty cheap. I would just come here for those. On a hot day like today, it would have been nice if they have Houji-cha but the cashier said they only have regular sencha and oolong. =( I can see myself coming back here once in a while but maybe not for zaru udon.

    (3)

  • Jane C.

    I have been here so many times and I can't believe I haven't written a review yet! I LOVE THIS PLACE especially on a cold rainy day. It is a "bit" of a walk from campus for someone lazy like me, but it is well worth it every time! The only complain I do have is that their trays are always wet! That is easy to overlook because... The noodles are fresh and the soup is spot on - not too salty or bland. I love that this place is a fast, while still being fresh type of place. During lunch and dinner service hours, this place can get pretty packed. If you are coming with a big group (4+) it may be hard to find a seat. I find comfort that they give out their little tempura pieces leftover from other foods for your udon, to me that is just GENIUS! (and a way not to waste something that is tasty in soup). Because of their low prices, you would have to bus your own table. Some quick tips: If you are wearing fleece or any other type of fabric that may have odor linger, be sure to take it off and place it in your bag or backpack, the fried smell can quickly penetrate onto your clothes. Quick tip 2 - sign up for their five star rewards program if you frequent - it is free & you have nothing to lose! Quick tip 3 - If you want an egg, I think it is like 5c cheaper if you get the noodle soup and add that on than if you were to get the on-tama. (I am not sure how they account for this at the cashiers checkout) Other than that..Happy Eating!

    (5)

  • Jess M.

    The Dashi Udon here is the best! Plus they have kabocha tempura.

    (4)

  • Wayne C.

    What's not to love about U:don? Fresh, cooked to order udon that's just the right chewiness every single time along with many soup bases (or cold noodles if that's your cup of tea) to suite any taste buds. They also have a variety of sizes so you'll never feel over or underwhelmed by the portion amount you get. U:don also has an expansive selection of traditional and non-traditional Japanese tempura, and I must say that their tempura dipping sauce is on point! This place is cafeteria style and fresh, traditional Japanese udon can be yours within no time at all, but you might want to avoid lunch and dinner hours because the line can get long; even then however, the wait is never more than 10-15 mins. Their prices are extremely fair too! My personal favorite would have to be the curry udon, as I prefer a stronger base for my udon, but those who like a lighter soup will certainly not be disappointed with the normal soup base, its equally delicious. One of my favorite places on the ave, and I highly recommend everyone to give it a try.

    (5)

  • Lena L.

    Good broth, good udon, good fried stuff. But pricey when you add everything up. For a small udon, takoyaki and some tempura with a small ice cream it came out to be around 11$ + after tax. This didn't even really fill me up all the way and I don't have a huge appetite or anything. But the flavors and the freshness of the udon that they make right in front of your eyes is pretty nice. I liked the place but I will probably visit someplace else for lunch that's cheaper and just as filling. However, if you are craving udon this is place is good place to go with a lot of options.

    (3)

  • Jacob K.

    I wish this place was everywhere! - 4.5 stars Hyper-specialization is a good thing when it comes to U:Don. They serve some of the best udon noodles that I have ever tasted! Their menu is simple; choose a size, select a style (hot or cold), choose any extra toppings you'd like and that's it! There it is all about the noodle, which is made fresh all-day long right before you. Once you have your bowl of delicious noodle, slide down their self-serve tempura bar then pay. Done! Seating is fairly abundant and looked like they could accommodate groups. The atmosphere is casual, modern, simple and clean. This is really a no frills place. I tried the special, Ume Niku Oroshi (noodles with sukiyaki braised beef, grated diakon radish, seaweed, umeboshi [japanese pickled plum], dashi shoyu sauce, green onion and ginger - ~$6.50/medium) served hot with a side of tempura octopus balls (~$1.50/stick). The udon was perfectly cooked, springy with bit of chew, while the beef was tender and flavorful. All the ingredients were fresh and high quality. The octopus balls were hot with a crisp outside, custardy inside and plenty of tasty octopus drizzled with a spicy mayo. Overall, I wish there was one of these places in every town, because I could eat there everyday and be happy. It is too good to pass up.

    (5)

  • Mikiko T.

    The udon noodles I had at U:Don was possibly the best udon noodles outside of Japan. Made-from-scratch udon noodles are widely available in Japan but I had to make my peace with store-bought, mushy udon because there was no place I knew that served fresh udon noodles. At U:Don, I tried their Kitsune Udon and I was impressed the Kitsune (thin, fried tofu) was made in house! The noodles, soup, toppings were all authentic and delicious. :) Kitsune udon and Kakiage topping (fried tempura veggies) were the best combo ever!! The portion was pretty generous. I was hungry, so I ordered medium size noodle bowl, but I couldn't finish it all. I am going to get small when we go there next time. My husband and I were completely stuffed, and the bill was under $20. The service was fast and efficient too despite we visited during the dinner rush. Inexpensive, authentic, delicious, Japanese made-from-scratch, fast; U:Don has it all!!!

    (4)

  • Victoria V.

    best six-dollar noodle bowl in town, period. this place is clean, fast, always has seating (even when the line is significant), and there's a great array of soup / dipping choices for different tastes. I'm a consistent ontama (noodles, broth, put an egg on it, seaweed and green onion), the boyf is more adventurous and loves the curry and beef / most of the other dishes. lots of fried bits to add on to your dinner if you're into that sort of thing, via a serve-yourself tempura bar that charges by the piece. excellent pho-alternative, worth the trip to the UD.

    (4)

  • Hiroyuki T.

    I have a mixed review on U:Don. I like the udon noodle of their Capital Hills store, But I don't like that of U District store.

    (4)

  • Lauren C.

    One of my favorite places on the ave. The soup udon is amazing and great for a cold day. The egg is an amazing addition to any of the udon options, I totally recommend adding it on. The other sides are super tasty, I've tried all of them and you really can't go wrong. Portions are awesome especially for the price! I've totally come and ordered a large and split it with a friend before! The noodles are always perfect, chewy and never too soft. My favorites would have to be either the curry or the ontama. This place is definitely one of the best places to stop by and eat when you're in the U-district! Fast, cheap, filling, and most importantly super tasty!

    (4)

  • Quinn D.

    Very clean, organized, and fresh. Take note Momofuko. The is an employee constantly making the udon noodles. The ingredients are fresh and space is very clean. I wish there are other noodle options. I know, it is a udon cafe. Beautiful presentation. 3.5

    (3)

  • Tony L.

    If I could, I would rate U:Don as 3 1/2 stars. We stopped by on a Friday night after the dinner rush, wanting something easy and quick for dinner. The place was empty (less than an hour before closing), but they had a ton of workers to help you. There are a lot of options to choose from, but we decided on ordering: Kitsune udon: I liked the tofu, slightly sweet, with the ginger and green onion topping. The udon itself was pretty good as well. Oroshi udon: while good, I liked the kitsune one better. For this one, I got it with sauce, and the taste was good (not watered down by soup). We also ordered some tempura, but since it was the end of the night, it wasn't as fresh as it could be (although I did like the shrimp one). We took some musubi (get the spam one) to go as well. The setup is similar to Marukame Udon on Waikiki, but it doesn't live up to the comparison (something about waiting in a long line after coming from the beach in 80 degree weather). The high volume of Marukame means that everything is fresher. However, the udon is good, and I will have to come back during the dinner rush to experience fresher tempura.

    (3)

  • Serena W.

    Yummy chewy udon! Be warned- the TanTan udon is SPICY! The red hot chili oil they put on at the end is not for the faint of heart! The noodle is cooked just right, a Medium size bowl is a very hefty portion, and the soup is very yummy. Don't feel pressured to get the appetizers if you're not too hungry tho, the udon itself is more than enough. I would definitely come back to try other flavors on another cold rainy day!

    (4)

  • Tim P.

    OMG! It was like being instantly transported to Osaka. The noodles: tender, yet chewy. The broth: flavorful and rich. The tempura: perfectly crispy and light. The takoyaki: crispy outside, soft inside, with a tender morsel of octopus. If I could give a rating of 500 stars they'd have it. Go. Now.

    (5)

  • Hana L.

    When this place opened during my junior year of college....I was the happiest UW student!!! I love noodles, especially udon. My mom always gives me crap for eating so much carbs and starch but I don't care...can I justify that it's fresh, handmade udon (not pre-packaged junk!) When my bf and I both lived in the U-district, this was one of our prime spots to dine. It's fairly cheap, the portions were generous, tasted great, and it just hits the spot on a cold Seattle day. The restaurant is set up like a fast food joint; get what you want, pick your sides, pay, and then find a place to sit to eat. High traffic times = no open seating so beware. Get a quick bite and leave? I personally love the food here. Never had authentic udon (although I have had udon IN Japan...but at a bath house so I don't think that counts) but I've had my fair share of good udon in Hawaii and Korea (ironic much?). The noodles are all handmade in the store, you can see them making it in front of you as you proceed down the line. This makes for very fresh, thick, chewy, and slurpable noodles! The broth is flavorful and the perfect saltiness. There are a variety of broth choices: curry, nikku (marinated slice beef) and more. I always get just those normal soup udon with extra soup while the bf likes curry or nikku. You can add seaweed, green onions, ginger and unlimited amounts of tempura flakes! Once you receive your udon, you can get side items a la carte. There are all sorts of tempura veggies (broccoli is my fave) and meats, as well as musubis and onigiris. I recommend getting the chicken karaage!! It's the perfect protein to add with your meal; it's like very well seasoned fried chicken. And they're only $0.60 for a big piece! Desserts like green tea ice cream, and cream puffs can also be added. I love coming here! I wish they opened more locations so I can get my udon fix more often.

    (5)

  • Papa S.

    Hands down the best udon around. Hand made fresh udon noodles with a great savory broth makes a great meal. Sides are delicious as well with a wide variety to appeal to everyone. Service is great and fast. If your around, stop by and get some delicious udon

    (5)

  • Shaya A.

    This was such a great find on the Ave! I lived near Honolulu for a few months and they had a place just like this-- cafeteria-style Udon and tempura priced by the piece. I loved it there but I actually liked the udon here better, the sauce and broths we had were savory, full of flavor, and not fish-based (big plus for me). My husband and I each ordered a large bowl with assorted tempura and it ended up being a HUGE amount of food with enough leftovers for us both to have it again for dinner tomorrow, all for the low, low price of $23. I had the Niku, and the beef was tasty. Next time I plan on getting the Tan Tan, and that next time is probably going to be very soon :) Definitely recommend and I'm so happy to have a place like this in the Seattle area!

    (5)

  • Thanh T.

    Love this place! What can I say that hasn't already been said? I come here frequently and it never disappoints.

    (5)

  • Liz C.

    This place is probably one of the more unique places on the ave. You don't see a lot of places specializing just around udon. I walked in and this was my first time. It was rainy and cold outside (but that's typical Seattle weather) so some hot broth and noodles sounded divine. You enter in and it's bright. There is a menu on the wall with all the prices and kinds of udon they offer. They have a few choices, not a huge selection, but a decent around 5-7 different kinds. They have small, medium and large bowls available. The price is actually pretty decent, running from around 5-7$ for a small depending on the type of udon you get. Then you go to the first stop where you grab a tray and then you tell the person who is behind the counter what kind of udon you want. Then they start to put the noodles in the bowl, the right broth, and the toppings. Usually they offer the typical udon toppings like seaweed and green onions. Then you take your bowl, put it on your tray and slide right on down. You can get a small plate and put whatever sides you want. There's tempura, takoyaki, and all kinds of other things, thing I don't even know about. However, these are more on the expensive side. You pay per piece and I'm not entirely sure if it's worth it. I usually am used to getting shrimp tempura udon, but seeing that I had to pay over a dollar for just one piece of shrimp tempura, I wasn't impressed. Anyways, back to the food, I got the Niku udon which is pretty much beef udon. The broth was warm and it was pretty good. The noodles were of course thick and wide, which makes udon such comfort food. The udon wasn't superb, and I would say that I have had better, but knowing that this udon places has so many different ways of preparing different udons is nice to know. Maybe the Niku udon just wasn't the right one for me. My boyfriend got the spicy tantan udon. It's the newest one on the menu and the broth has a total spicy kick to it. If you like spicy food, this is probably the one for you. In my opinion, it was a bit too spicy but I guess some people just love the heat. We also got some takoyaki. It was like a sweet donut filled with octopus. My boyfriend and I really didn't know what to expect of it, but it tasted alright. The flavors all meshed onto my taste buds and I wasn't sure if I really liked it or not, but my boyfriend devoured the whole thing. The shrimp tempura piece was just your typical tempura, so nothing too fancy there. After your done you have to bus your table which is near the front door. By the way, they have really nice cold water here, which is a total plus. And a lot of bar seating if you are eating here alone. Overall, the place is a nice addition to the add. There are some days where people crave pho and udon. You need these kinds of spots, especially in the Winter, to warm your soul. I'll be back here if I ever feel like udon again for sure.

    (3)

  • Julie V.

    I honestly have nothing bad to write about this place. The workers were extremely friendly and the food was good. I got the ontama udon and I forgot what my boyfriend got but they give you a choice of either hot udon or chilled udon, and sauce-based udon or soup-based udon. Boyfriend and I both tried different things, I got the hot soup-based and he got the chilled sauce-based. We both enjoyed our food including the side dishes. We grabbed a bunch of sides including karaage, spam musubi, and other things that I don't know what they're called. They were all decent-yummy! This place is inexpensive and has a good amount of seats. Oh and not to mention, you get your food instantly. It's kind of like a buffet/fast food style restaurant. Probably my favorite place for udon at the moment :)

    (5)

  • Julie P.

    Cafeterialstyle udon is so much fun! Order your udon, you can add chili oil and wakame to any of the broths, wait about 2-3min for it to be made in front of you and the proceed down the line to pick up the different tempura'd items. I especially liked the chicken karage which was freshly cooked and was very well marinated. The price was reasonable, about $7 a bowl and the tempura is a la carte and reasonably priced. We had the medium size bowl which was a lot of noodles and will get the small next time.

    (4)

  • Anthony B.

    When it's cold and damp outside and I'm not in the mood for Pho or Noodle Nation U:Don is typically my next choice. The staff here are always friendly but this is cafeteria style and you bus your own table. So there isn't much else to say. The interior is sparse and very zen. The Seats are only small wood stools at small tables. Their noodles are great! Freshly made in house and cooked up fresh to order. I've had the curry sauce (watery and not that flavorful) and the on-tama(the egg adds nice layers of complexity. But today I was drawn in by the new Tan-Tan style. Which as advertised was about 4 spicy stars of spicy pork deliciousness! The chili oil tasted like standard stuff mixed in with delicious ground pork. A great way to clear the sinuses out. The fried food additions are usually pretty good. I'll grab some veggies, the karaage (nice black pepper spice), and against my better judgement the takoyaki. The takoyaki are usually a little stale and soft. Oh and the side dishes add up really quick. Easily skyrocketing your $7 Udon into the $12-15 range. The only reason this place gets 3 instead of 4 stars is that without fail I always get an upset stomach when I eat here... It hasn't stopped me from coming back. But it is something to note.

    (3)

  • Joyce J.

    I really enjoy the freshly made udon noodles and the broth here is fairly decent. I wish we have places like this on the east side since we don't have quality udons. The toppings were little bit on the light side. I got the niku udon and it was not a lot of meat. I do like how there are different fried items and side items that you can grab after you got your udon. But these items can add up if you go too crazy. I got the sausage which was nothing to write home about. The karaage and the other fried items looked a little cold so I didn't get that. For the price, I think U:Don offers delivers good value. I would love to come again and try some other udons here.

    (4)

  • Elaine W.

    I like to come here whenever I need to grab a quick lunch. I usually order their small tan tan noodle in soup. The udon is a nice chewy texture and their soup, be warned, is quite spicy with chili oil and ground pork. The karaage chicken pieces are quite big. I once got three pieces with my meal, and soon regretted because I had trouble finishing them. Overall, it's a decent fast food restaurant to grab a quick bite, especially when you need some hot soup noodle on a cold winter's day!

    (4)

  • Yumiko K.

    Their kakiage could have been better, but their udon was much better than my first experience. It was chewier, and I really enjoyed it chilled (Tan tan goma zaru is what I ordered.) The ground meat sauce was a bit spicy. I would have been OK without it. The best part of my order was the goma (sesame) dipping sauce. It was rich, creamy, and perfect with chilled udon noodles.

    (4)

  • Shereen A.

    I was realllllllllllly REAAAAALLLLLLY excited about this place. I think the concept is great but unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. Sad face. I ordered the special, spicy Tan Tan broth without the pork (because I don't eat pork). Instead, I replaced it with tofu. The broth wasn't spicy (I can't handle much but it wasn't spicy at all). The tofu (or did tempeh disguise itself as tofu?) was soaking in a sweet broth. Interesting flavor but didn't compliment the flavor of the spicy broth. Overall, felt the broth didn't exhibit much flavor and was a tad bit salty. Udon. LOVED. the. noodles. Texture was so deliciously chewy and they give you plenty of them. However, using chopsticks, the noodles were super slippery. It felt like it took a lot of effort to eat. Since I was a starvin marvin, I had to use a fork or I probably would have just found something else to eat and taken it to go. For some reason, I felt it was very inefficient to eat here. They have soy sauce and some spice mix on every table. The water here is SO good (don't ask, just gulp!) I also got onigiri as a side. I must have opened the plastic wrap incorrectly because all the nori fell into my lap. ::Insert confused face here:: I was pretty confused and just stuck it on the outside of the rice and ate it that way. The rice to salmon ratio was huge. I was also confused with the types of broth. They specify that the "soup" is vegetarian, but is everything else vegetarian? chicken? beef? pork? Makes it hard to share with vegetarians/chickatarians. Wish it was indicated more clearly. I made myself a bib with the napkins to avoid splatter central all over my shirt. Enjoyed the udon. Would come back to try another broth, but if the broth doesn't meet flavor expectations (throw me some garlic, yo!), I probably won't be back unless I can purchase the udon by itself. The staff is nice. Portion size is great and a la carte everything is fried bar has much variety.

    (2)

  • Simon R.

    They make their own udon noodles in-house, the service is cafeteria-style and you get to choose your tempura toppings. Intriguing, so I really wanted to like this place. After visiting twice, I found that U:Don long on intrigue but short on follow-through. Of the udon options, I endorse the curry udon. But, the rest of the broth options I tried over several visits were bland. I can't say much good about the rest of the experience. The soda machine was not kept (meaning it was producing syrupy Jones soda), the ice machine refused to dispense ice, the tables were dirty and the staff seemed uninterested in anything but their own personal lives. The business seemed disconnected from the customer experience. It was a big disappointment for me. I love Japanese food and I liked the concept behind U:Don. But, I've had much better Udon elsewhere. Try the guy in Wallingford or the Korean dude in Red Bowl. As for this place, I won't be returning anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Amanda H.

    High quality noodles and huge portion sizes! There is also a huge selection of side dishes. Great place!

    (5)

  • Henry L.

    I like their fast food style food ordering and friendly atmosphere. They don't care if you seat for 5 mins or 2 hours. The Udon is like my rating A-OK. very fresh and nothing wrong with it. I'd hope they'd also offer Ramen noodle because I like the texture of Ramen noodle better. it seems the Udon's very healthy because even after eating a large bowl with some tempura, I still wasn't that full.

    (3)

  • Monica B.

    Wow! Beautiful, fresh noodles that have the perfect texture. That's all I can remember because I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a bit as I hovered over my bowl slurping noodles and broth. As others have described, you walk in and view items on the wall menu. You grab a cafeteria tray and a small dish for your sides (if you want). From there, you order your noodles. I ordered a medium but honestly, it was a little big. I got the soup udon because I wanted to taste the base and the noodles in a simple state. My friend got the tan-tan which is the spicy pork. I got chicken karaage and tempura flakes to go with mine. The chicken karaage could use a little less time in the fryer but that may be intentional as a crisp fry will help it hold up to the broth. The only thing better than my udon was watching my friend eat the tan-tan. First, he had a single tear. As the meal progressed, he started turning red. By the time he got to the bottom of the bowl, he was surrounded by a pile of napkins that had been destroyed by either dabbing his eyes or blowing his nose. Too funny! I don't think it's that spicy but I didn't eat the whole bowl. Aside from udon, you can get ramune and Jones soda on tap. There are also a number of different kinds of musubi if you need something to grab and go. Service was fast! They asked if we could wait 1 minute for our noodles. Uh...yeah! I'd wait longer for fresh noodles but I appreciated the communication. Don't forget to bus your tables on your way out!

    (4)

  • Justin Y.

    Good portions for a great price! I came here yesterday, ordered a large on-tama udon (~$7.18 after tax) and was quite satisfied by the end of my meal. Now to the food: The noodles - A medium firm consistency, just enough to chew on yet soft enough not to overwork your jaw muscles lol. Very good housemade noodles. The soup - It was not overly greasy, which is important, but the flavor was a little different from what I'm used to LA (overall). It was a little bit lighter and broth-ier, and its because it's only "lightly dressed with dashi -shoyu sauce." I personally prefer a little more concentrated soy sauce broth in my soup...haha. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone who likes udon. Great place to eat on a cold Seattle day/night.

    (4)

  • Jason G.

    Good stuff here- fresh made noodles, lots of toppings and sides. Reminds me of an Udon chain I frequented while living in Japan. You'll be coming back often.

    (5)

  • Wendy Y.

    Cafeteria looking restaurant that specializes in udon and nothing but udon, yes please! My dear is a bigger fan than I am when it comes to freshly made udon. It works out between us because all I need to do is tag along, eat with him, and Yelp it up. This joint is strategically located near the university. Whether you are a poor student, faculty member, locals, or visitors like us, this place has the bang-for-the-buck food that everyone can enjoy and walk out happy. I got myself a On-tama Udon and my partner got himself a Oroshi. The problem I always find with brothy udon is that you can't have it all. You can't have hot broth and bouncy noodles. You ought to sacrifice one. So this day, the sacrifice was the noodle. Because the noodles were soft (not bouncy), it's hard to tell whether or not it's hand made if you were to blind fold me. Aside from that the broth was clean (slightly salty). The spring egg was cooked perfectly. I got myself a side order of fried lotus sandwich. It's not really a sandwich but some sort of meat was in between two pieces of lotus and then fried, I figure that's the best way to explain it. The fried food was good. However, overall I wasn't a fan of my order due to the soft noodles. My partner's was a solid 4 star though. He got the Oroshi chilled in sauce. It was bouncy and very fresh. The grated daikon and ginger worked beautifully with the noodles. He got himself some fried food which was crispy and a Spam sushi. Ok. I am not a fan or preserved food like Spam from a tin but I must admit it was pretty darn good. I am not sure what else was in it to make it so good, but it was good. Overall we enjoyed our meals here. Food is fresh and the self serve system made our time here fast. This place gets 3.75 star.

    (4)

  • Jessica L.

    U:DON is easily one of my favorite restaurants! Having eaten at U:DON on countless occasions, I've always had a fantastic experience. The restaurant is exceptionally clean, the food is fresh, and the staff is very friendly. The owner, Tak, does a great job of managing the restaurant. He's a very talented chef and it's obvious he trains his staff well as U:DON has the best noodles on the Ave. The level of care that goes into the preparation of the noodles, sauces, and tempura is impressive. I always can rely on this restaurant for a quick, satisfying, and affordable meal. Not that I've graduated from UW and moved out of U-district, I always have cravings for their udon and tempura. I used to eat so much tempura and I never got tired of it! My favorites are the chicken karaage (which is honestly the best karaage I've had anywhere so far), the kabocha squash, and the takoyaki. If I get into dental school at UW I already know where I'll be eating on a regular basis. For anyone who hasn't been before, I highly recommend U:DON for a really fun, modern presentation of traditional Japanese food.

    (5)

  • Katy H.

    Awesomely cheap spot on the Ave for hot soup on a cold night. Easy ordering, low prices, fast lines, fresh food. It's set up like a cafeteria where you order the broth or soup style you want, pick a size portion, then you select the toppings and sides yourself with fresh offerings and easy to find tongs. Get to the register and they tally your order. (So glad they took a card and aren't cash only like many nearby places!) Eat your soup, get a to-go cup if you need to take some home, bus your table and repeat one day soon!

    (4)

  • Kari G.

    Ate here for lunch on a Saturday. It wasn't very busy and there were plenty of choices in seating. The concept of this place is pretty brilliant: It's cafeteria style where you move your tray down a buffet style area/kitchen in a linear way. The line (if there is one) goes fairly quickly and the people who work the line are friendly and fast. You begin by ordering a sort of base udon noodle soup bowl that is a complete standalone soup as is (the portion of which is a pretty legit size). They make the soup as you stand there and then you slide down the line with your tray towards the check out. As you move along, you have the option of grabbing tempura veggies and other Japanese bites to add into your soup or consume as sides. You'd think that the cafeteria style model of getting your food would render the food inedible, but it's really some of the best I've had -- especially for the price. I ordered the Niku Udon and it was simple yet elegant, with really flavorful scraps of beef and wonderful broth. I snagged some tempura squash and spam masubi on my way to the check out and even though I was skeptical (as who knows how long they had been sitting out there under the heat lamps or what the quality would be like), I was willing to roll the dice. Both were warm, a fresh texture and flavorful. I enjoyed the spam masubi particularly, as it's been really hard to find quality spam masubi in the mainland US. My one complaint would be the noodles: the noodles are a bit on the firm side and aren't really passable as quality udon noodles. Kind of disappointing if you're all hot and bothered for real udon noodles and then they turn out to be some cheapy, firm noodley things. But still: I would come back for sure :)

    (4)

  • Kayla A.

    I came across this place while searching for a great udon place in Seattle. After reviewing the reviews and pictures, I decided to give it a try. My boyfriend and I visited U:Don for lunch on a weekend. It's located near the university so it was packed with a lot of college students and a couple of families. The concept of U:Don was very easy and convenient. You walk in, choose the type of udon soup base you want, then go on to add your toppings and sides. I had the curry soup based and it was yummmmmmy!! The noodles had the perfect consistency and was not too "grainy" or "powdery". As far as the sides go, they were pretty standard of a Japanese restaurant (a variety of tempura, chicken karaage, etc.). I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a quick, affordable, udon place. I'm definitely going back to try the different soup bases. It is street parking only, and might get difficult considering the location, but we lucked out.

    (4)

  • Alexa N.

    I went here after a day of shopping with some friends. I got the medium ontoma udon and two sweet potato tempura and a potato croquette. The noodles had a great texture and the croquette was delicious with the sauce. The broth wasn't that flavorful however, but it had a faint ginger taste. And the sweet potato tempura were a bit on the cold side. However this means was cheap and convenient so I might come back later in the future.

    (3)

  • Rosalind W.

    Soup was basic. Very fresh and great udon. Shrimp Shumai was good but pricey $2 for 4. Sides are self served.

    (3)

  • Marina K.

    Great place for authentic udon. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. A lot of good options for broth and toppings. On cold, wet Seattle days, it really does the trick. Definitely give this place a try!!!

    (5)

  • Eileen D.

    I love this place! 1) affordable aka cheap, 2) refreshing, 3) great for the indecisive and 4) it's next to Yunnies! I have a lot of tummy issues and can always come here for ease on my stomach. Great to come here when you feel sick too. I usually get the niku udon with all topping and add an egg. Today I felt hungry and add shrimp tempura. This is why I always come back - can build up your dish. Itadakimas!

    (5)

  • Richie D.

    In the land of eternal Autumn, everyone loves a bowl of warm, comfort food. This time, it's not the infamous Pho... The Udon noodles craze has arrived! Picture U:Don as an Asian Subway, but where you truly "have it your way" while still "eat[ing] fresh." You pick the noodle, style, size, and protein (whether it be beef, chicken or an egg yolk). I was new to the drill so I started gentle with the Soup Udon: Udon noodles served hot in dashi broth with sliced green onions and grated fresh ginger. Through the glass you watch the Udon Expert throw your goods (and even bowl!) in boiling hot water to get everything to the same temperature, as you continue to stroll along in the cafeteria-style line. I would have taken a picture for Yelp but they have a "no pictures allowed" sign on the glass, most likely to keep the line moving and avoiding gaper's blocks. Before hitting the register many 'tempurized' goodies are lined up for your taking. There are also Karaage, Kaki-Age and Onigiri, just promise me to not ask me what any of those are. I recommend the potato croquette and tempura sweet potato which I grabbed right off the bat. Crunchy fried deliciousness! Just don't miss the warm Tempura sauce at register in a pump coffee thermos. Unfortunately, the tempura items have been sitting out for a bit and are cool to touch, so the dip is a must. Your ride is over when you end up at the register and pay for all your picks. Do as I did: Skip the long wait at Thai Tom's and come here.

    (5)

  • Danja V.

    I loved this place when I was on the mainland. I wish we had one near me in Honolulu. PLEASE OPEN in Koko Marina. I miss your deliciousness!

    (4)

  • Eugene Y.

    So glad to see such a place in Seattle. This serf serving noodle place is popular in Japan and Hawaii nowadays. Overall okay. But I was disappointed with the sauce for cold zaru. I hope it was just that one I got at that time because it tasted totally bad.

    (3)

  • Katrina L.

    Great udon noodles and flavorful broth! I like how you get to pick different toppings/sides for your udon. It's also very cheap! When it's rainy, it can be hard to find seats because everyone comes here to warm up.

    (5)

  • Nina H.

    I definitely had a much better experience the second time around! I ordered the medium-sized niku udon and some takoyaki balls. The udon was really, really tasty! Much tastier than the last bowls that I ordered last time. The meat reminded me of the kind in Yoshinoya bowls (yum!) My total came out to be around $9 which wasn't too bad. It was pretty empty on a Sunday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. which was pretty nice. I was hesitant to pick up a shrimp tempura because it was a little pricy in my opinion so I got the takoyaki which was $1.99 for 3, which was a bit more reasonable. Overall, the udon and broth really hit the spot and was perfect for a rainy afternoon!

    (4)

  • Jonathan L.

    Best udon place in Seattle! Great for students near UW, and the service is quick and easy. Price is a little pricey for poor college kids, but definitely worth your money and great location.

    (5)

  • Katie C.

    Like the noodle station idea, and having the choice of pick out different side dishes on your own. So you are not limited to what your noodle order is. I tried the Curry udon and it was pretty good, just a bit too salty for me but I do like it. On the side I had fried mushroom and karaage. The fried mushroom was a bit disappointing because the mushrooms were not fried enough for me. The karaage was pretty good. My friend ordered the shrimp dumpling and takoyaki. They were both really good. The shrimp dumpling doesn't have much of a shrimp flavor but more like fish (not in a bad fishy way ) The also have a soda station where you can enjoy the Jones Soda or hot water for your tea!

    (4)

  • enmi k.

    Awesome options if you like tempura. Love modular foods! Udon noodles are super chewy and everything seems fresh.

    (5)

  • Mallory M.

    Fast, yummy, decently priced! Some of the tempura is lacking but the udon is consistent

    (4)

  • Tuan V.

    The restaurant is clean, and deserves credit for this! Especially considering it's in the U-district. The restaurant setup also lends itself to fast service, although I'm not a fan of self-servicing your own tables. Sadly, the Udon is not that great. It's not bad, it just doesn't stimulate your taste buds. I've had good udon before, and the broth here lacks depth. I like the fried options such as tempura, but they don't excel in taste neither. The pricing is a wee-bit expensive, considering I view this as a restaurant to get you full, rather than one that you seek out as a connoisseur. I easily go over $12-14 on a meal, which is almost twice as much as teriyaki or pho. The food quality doesn't justify this price, considering there is no table service. They would have received 2 stars, but the 3 stars is for it being one of the cleanest restaurants on The Ave.

    (3)

  • Madeleine Q.

    If you want some quick, no-fuss udon to warm your belly on a cold chilly night, this is the perfect place to stop by. I have tried several udon featured on their menu and thought they were decent. However, for the price you pay, you can probably make equally tasty if not better udon if you have the time to make a stop at any Asian grocery store to pick up the ingredients and afford to spend 20 minutes cooking at home. They do have a wide variety of tempura options and I noticed that many people get them on the side, which ends up becoming $12-15+ per person. I would definitely go back for convenience but I was not super impressed with the quality or the affordability of their menu.

    (3)

  • Denise L.

    First time I ever had "buffet style" udon was at Marukame Udon in Waikiki. With an hour wait time in a line outside the restaurant, the udon was good but I'm not sure if it was worth the long wait. And then something amazing happened: I discovered U:Don. And to my surprise, it was very comparable to Marukame's udon except no long wait! It may be hard to find seating during busy lunch hours or when UW is in session, but tables usually open up relatively quick since students come and go so often. Cold, rainy Seattle winters? Gimme dat On-tama Udon or Kitsune Udon. Hot Seattle summer? Their cold noodles are bombdizzle. Their tempura is fresh, and I can't pass on the takoyaki balls either. Also, unlimited crunchy flakes?! Ah-may-zing. Anyone who loves udon needs to try the one of their dishes with cold noodle/soup. It's life changing. Best udon spot in Seattle.

    (4)

  • Bari S.

    Fun place. Vegetarian soup broth is full of flavor. Noodles are always wonderful and fresh. Tempura appetizers are delicious. Staff is always helpful. I like the booths, very comfortable.

    (5)

  • Landon N.

    I get the udon curry which is hands down the best thing there Very polite workers and comfortable atmosphere

    (5)

  • Lindsey K.

    This place was pretty good. My girlfriend LOVED it. I had the niku udon and it was pretty tasty. It was only $6.50 for a medium bowl which was a pretty good size. I could not finish it. My girlfriend got the medium Spicy Tan Tan Udon (hot) for $7.00 or $7.50 and she really liked it. We ordered a side of chicken karaage, tako something, and potato croquette. I think I would definitely come here again. I really want to try the curry udon. :) OH! They make their udon noodles fresh here, hence the name, "U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station." LoL.

    (4)

  • Violet H.

    Delish broth, lotus root tempura was super good, big portions, nice staff, noodles spot on. I had the curry udon and I recommend it! Very nice seating area, music is a little loud but not bad. Great for groups!

    (4)

  • Jay S.

    Bottom Line: Authentic, simple udon with nice sides you can customize for a reasonable price in a very casual, clean, cafeteria-style atmosphere. Grab a tray, tell them what you want on the line, pick your sides, eat! --------------------------------------------------­--------------------- Noodles are freshly made before your eyes and have a great bounce and texture. Allie described the broth as clean, and she is spot on - a clear (non cloudy), simple broth should not be underestimated. Udon has about 6 different udon offerings - we're always a big party, so we've tried several: niku udon, kitsune and on-tama - all were enjoyed. My one daughter always orders nikudon or niku udon and she thought her dish was very good; again, the word "clean" came up. I had the on-tama, which is udon with egg in a dashi sauce. I'm more of a ramen person - but I found this very satisfying. I particularly love the customizable sides. This is great for those on a budget....or the very hungry or fussy. You can pick tempura by the piece - you don't bother with items you don't like. I'm able to get all the broccoli and kabocha I want! The caveat is the tempura sits a little bit, so it won't be the best you've had. Also, they carry other items that seem to rotate: onigiri, takoyaki, karaage (salty), kaki-age, etc. We just need a few more places like this in Seattle, give me one in Tacoma (please!) and then I'll relax. It seems like I have the worst time finding good udon and ramen around here. (Yes, I know we have Aloha, Samurai, Boom, etc...but we should have more!) Go north to Vancouver or south to LA and you find an abundance of both. Why???

    (4)

  • Prateek B.

    The restaurant is vibrant and clean relative to most other restaurants in the UDistrict. The ambiance is minimalistic, yet leaves little more to be desired (which is quite an interesting experience.) Moving on to the food itself: The Udon was pretty good every time that I have eaten here, not too soft, not too salty, not too oily. And the tempura options will spoil you, especially since the tempura is all so good! What is lacking here is the broth, it lacked depth and character so ought for the sauce! Also, whilst the curry Udon here is my favorite, it is sometimes quite salty. I highly recommend getting a version with meat in it as this adds dimension to the broth and if you are vegetarian ask to add dikon and pickled plums. They also add an egg on request which is another fun way to add dimension to the Udon. Quick Tips: 1. Get a size down and make up my getting more tempura 2. The Curry Udon is good, but if not try to add depth to the broth by adding meat, dikon or an egg. 3. Do not get a fountain drink! It tastes weird, trust me. 4. Try their fried chicken, Im not usually a fan either, but you'll thank me.

    (3)

  • Amanda K.

    Had to satisfy my soup udon craving despite the sunny weather yesterday. The niku is amazing. I don't know what's in the sukiyaki beef mixture, but it's BOMB.

    (4)

  • Neon H.

    Trays were soaking wet... other than that I would like them to be towel dried if possible. Updated: Niku udon broth was heavy this time around.. too much fat stock. But other than that, sides were plentiful and filling. I got takoyaki(not as good as others I have tried but it will have to do) and tempura was nice and crispy! :) I would come back on a colder day.

    (4)

  • Jeanny M.

    They are now charging 55c for take out orders (makes sense, because doing so uses up three containers, plus a paper bag). Not sure how the take-out fee affects the 'if you bring back the bag you get a free dessert' though. If you need a container for leftovers after eating here, there's a 27c charge. New faces to the tempura buffet: Jalapeno popper--The cream cheese filling is mixed with something extra (that's red, maybe tomato in some form?). It's yummy. Corn and jalapeno fritter, which is awesome because the corn is sweet and crunchy. The jalapeno isn't very spicy though. Pork/veggie skewer thing which was quite substantial and cooked perfectly. And, I've finally tried their on-tama/cold/sauce. I've hesitated on this because I could not see myself enjoying cold noodles plus a runny egg. But...it was amazing! I dare say, it may be my new favorite! :D Compared to the on-tama/hot/sauce and on-tama/hot/soup, the cold/sauce version is more flavorful. The egg was more eggy. The herbs (the green onion especially popped) more herby. The cold noodles were....chewy! (you thought I'd say "noodley" eh?) I haven't yet ordered any of the new items at the end of the bar, the seaweed salad and pickled veggies. The pricepoint of the items at the end are high-ish, which I have to weigh against skipping their tempura bar entirely since I generally spend about $12 or less for lunch there. Plus, I think it'd be a lot of food besides and I would sorely miss the variety that the tempura buffet provides. I think it best to be shared w/ your dining partner, so I plan to do that next time I'm here. It would be nice if their online menu is more comprehensive, like their take-out menus. I like looking at pictures and reading descriptions. :)

    (5)

  • Chris C.

    This place has great udon (my favorite is the niku udon) and the Karaage chicken is also very good. The seasoning on the chicken was on point and with very little additional cost (60 cents). The soup is flavorful, the noodles are high quality, and the even the smallest bowl size is filling. The broth is already made so the service is very fast. The restaurant itself is very modern-looking and very clean. Overall, great experience and they have made me a repeat customer!

    (5)

  • Ray I.

    Got the udon in which you had to dip it in the sauce. It was way too salty. Were we supposed to dilute it with water or did I miss that memo? I will not be coming back.

    (2)

  • Will T.

    A great alternative to pho soupwise for the AVE. Your visit will (probably) look like this: Hear the employees yell at you when you (greeting you) Stare at the menu on the wall and have a tough time figuring out what to get. See a white guy making the noodles behind the counter. Get your soup poured and handed to you. Add some side dishes (optional) Pay.

    (4)

  • Herman E.

    Fresh udon virgin. So fresh that you can see them rolling it out and cutting it in through the front glass partition while lining up. I was there when they were rolling it out and I got some fresh cut udon. Yes, this is my first time. I've always had the frozen or the packaged. Frozen is not bad, packaged is bletch. This is much nicer, and has a good consistency. Hard to describe, but it's nice. Two bowls ordered, a kitsune and curry beef. The kitsune was a simple clear broth soup udon with sweetened tofu. Pretty good but the tofu was a bit to sweet for me. I would have preferred savoury. Curry beef was, well, curry flavoured. This was a very deeply seasoned curry in terms of spices. I actually found it a bit salty, but not overly salty. The additional items ordered were chicken karaage and, I had to do it, SPAM SUSHI. I have never seen this before, so I had to try it. Surprisingly, there was not too much spam taste to this. The rice and the Japanese mayo balanced it out quite nicely. I doubt I'd order this again, but I had to try it. The chicken karaage was very nicely seasoned and crispy. Next time, I'm doing the cold option. Bang for the buck is definitely here. I guess they had this in mind because it's located in the U District and they're likely aiming this at students. Totally self serve cafeteria style, and bus your own table when you're done.

    (4)

  • Alex B.

    The foods here are good only for the first couple times of visit because somehow you get tired of the flavor really fast. If you are looking for a nice Japanese noodles place on the Ave, you can't miss this one.

    (4)

  • Gem N.

    umm... this was my first time eating here and I didnt know it was a self-serve restaurant so I sat there and wait and it became a bit awkward after abt 5 mins. anw, the food was just okay, I expected more in my noodle bowl but it came out with nothing special, the broth was good tho. I feel okay, but not satisfied.

    (3)

  • Jian M.

    I used to go to this restaurant but I won't go there again because of what happened today. Today I ordered a niku udon to go and they gave me the rice bowl, which doesn't have any soup for sure. I didn't know that, when I came back to home, I thought they only forgot to give me the udon soup. When I went back and got the soup, then I realized that they even didn't give me the udon. After that, the man told me that I have to pay for another udon, and he was very impatient, and even angry. They placed the wrong order and gave me the wrong stuff, I had to go back like three times to get what I ordered and paid twice , I was not angry but they were angry, what a joke. Their attitude is the worst I have ever seen.

    (1)

  • Patricia S.

    Freshly made udon right in front of you. The soup base is very authentic. I love their fried chicken. Will definitely come again!

    (5)

  • Rachel G.

    Loved it! Something a little different than my ramen spot. Beef curry udon is so good! Get some!

    (5)

  • Angel I.

    U:Don is one of my favorite restaurants on the Ave. I love their fresh udon. My favorite is the Niku udon which comes with beef. I also like the curry udon. The udon can get pricey if you add a lot of sides. Download the LevelUp app to pay and you can credit after a certain spending amount. Also, sign up for their Five Stars rewards card and you can get a free bowl of udon after 10 udon bowls. The sides can be a hit or miss depending on how fresh the tempura is. They have great fountain beverages like Jones sodas and juices, so better than the typical fountain drinks.

    (5)

  • Dan W.

    Walk in, review the board for your options, toppings and sides you choose on your own after you get your bowl. I ordered the Kitsune ramen with tofu, and udon noodles were good, better than the packaged kind I've been purchasing. The large size is large... I was hungry and had trouble finishing it. The sides you choose on your own, though note that u pay per piece. Next time I'll skip the cold tempura. I came in after the lunch hour and the place wasn't that busy with mostly open tables. There are a few tables with seat backs, but mostly are stools to sit on.

    (4)

  • Grace H.

    What's good on a normal Seattle night aka wet, cold & rainy, you ask?! UDON!!! Words can't describe my love and appreciation for chewy, thick noodles in a pleasantly flavorful broth. Located in the heart of the U District, U:Don is fast, affordable, and most importantly, DELICIOUS. Depending on my mood, I can get anything from the niku (beef) udon, kitsune (tofu curd) udon, or the curry udon, a super tasty bowl of shredded niku and onions in a Japanese curry sauce. Don't forget to order a size of udon that can leave room for the awesome side dishes. For example, shrimp tempura, kakiage (mixed veggie tempera), or the spam musubis. Pretty soon you'll have spent $10-12 on your meal. And you will walk out of U:Don and back into the dreary, cold Seattle weather. But who cares, you just had an awesome bowl of udon noodles to keep you warm and fuzzy inside. If you love U:Don and are by chance taking a fun-in-the-sun vacay to Honolulu, HI (my hometown!), definitely check out Marukame Udon in Waikiki. It's just like U:Don, BUT BETTER.

    (4)

  • Corinna K.

    Fans of Jackson Pollock will enjoy recreating his pieces with noodle-splashback and their shirts. Your spatter medium is up to you - curry broth? Shoyu sauce? Tan tan broth with chili oil? Dashi? With green onions and wakame, or without? Plenty of options to create a sloppy masterpiece all over your top half. I selected the curry udon in order to paint a nice yellow tint all over my sweater. The broth that actually made it to my mouth was delicious - savory, sweet, nice onion base and chunks of beef throughout. The noodles were also a success, with a firm bite and just enough bounce. The tempura options were satisfyingly light and crunchy, though the kabocha did not live up to its $1 price tag - stick to the kara age and maybe some of the other vegetables. Will I be back? Most definitely, although I'll bring some plastic sheeting to wrap around myself. I simply don't have the élan to pull off the modern art/soupy murder scene aesthetic.

    (4)

  • Tim C.

    This place has some pretty good noodles and soup. But the sides are where they get you, and they are way overpriced. You can easily turn a large bowl of noodles from $6.50 to $12 with just a few pieces of tempura or karaage. That just seems ridiculous to me. I guess they need to make their money somehow. If you come and just get noodles and soup, it's a worthwhile meal. Otherwise, you end up scratching your head wondering where all your money went.

    (3)

  • Andre L.

    I absolutely love this place. They all greet you when you walk in the door, a nice touch. Food is always delicious, cheap, and consistent. They have a wide enough selection of soups that are similar but different. You can choose extras like spam musubi and shrimp tempura at an extra cost (typically $0.99 per piece which is a bit expensive but not a deal breaker). Bus your own tables and limited seating (tables open up often so it's not too bad). All in all, this place is a solid choice.

    (4)

  • Monty H.

    Really enjoyed my beef udon. Loved the slightly sweet & salty broth with a zing of fresh ginger. Added egg and some tempura. Efficient, clean place. Will be back.

    (4)

  • Noreen B.

    My first experience went great! I'm very new to the type of ordering system they have but the servers are good @ explaining ^_^ they make their own noodles, served fresh, and everything was easy to find. I like their table sets, easy to get on and out. Not too crowded, casual, and clean. Will definitely come back and try the curry udon!!!

    (5)

  • Stephanie W.

    Read the rave reviews... Was in the area and decided to pop in and give it a try... I must say...there's a reason why its in the U district and not in Bellevue. I thought it would be more like marukame udon in Waikiki, authentic hand made noodles. I think the idea is grand and the ala carte is a good idea but I guess nothing beats marukame's udon. Good attempt but I probably wouldn't drive all the way from Bellevue on a Friday again unless I'm in da hood (which I almost never am).

    (2)

  • Sunny L.

    Good udon, reasonable prices, quick and friendly service...what more could you ask for? There are a few different broth and noodle combinations that you can choose from, all of which are under $10. After you choose your noodle and soup, you move down the line and pick any a la carte options that you would like to add (large variety - tempura, croquettes, meat, veggies...tons of tasty options here!). The pricing for the a la carte items were all reasonable as well, all around $1 or less. There were so many options that it was hard for me to resist going overboard on the toppings! You can also add tempura flakes, free of charge. Great location on the Ave. I definitely recommend this place, especially on a cold and rainy day! A bowl of udon from u:don will warm you right up!

    (4)

  • Hiro M.

    For an udon place, it's not that bad. But, I always compare food to my mom's cooking. The semi-low prices are a great deal for the college students. If you're looking for a quick in/out place to eat some Japanese noodles, this place is for you. Temper your expectations if you're expecting authentic Japanese cuisine. If you're in the area, definitely check out this noodle spot and see for yourself.

    (3)

  • Vivian H.

    I am usually not an udon fan, but this place was getting such good reviews that I couldn't help but come in for (a second) dinner last week. BF and I were greeted enthusiastically as we stepped inside. I ordered the on-tama udon with sauce and the bf wanted curry but they were sold out, so he got niku instead. Prices are SO cheap, probably to encourage you to load up at the hot bar. My small order was only $4 something, and a regular small soup udon was only $3.75. At the hot bar I got tempura eggplant, shrimp, bacon and tomato, mushroom, and pudding. The eggplant and shrimp were my favorite. Skip the pudding; it's the Hapi brand purin - such a rip off for $2. I enjoyed my udon - it was filling and the noodles had the perfect texture. I could've done without the egg. BF's niku udon was good too. I can't wait to come back!

    (4)

  • Q T.

    I came here with my brother and sister for a weekend lunch on a cold day. They went to a similar style shop in Hawaii last year so they wanted to check this place out. The place is clean and bright, it's located in the U-district so mostly young people eating and working there. The decor and the lighting reminds me a lot about similar noodle shops in Tokyo. Udon can fill you up easily, the more so when you add extra fried stuff like tempura, so go for a medium bowl. On-tama and Niku are the 2 I would recommend, and pick the soup option instead of sauce. The egg in the on-tama was poached just right, such a delight. The takoyaki was good. Everything else was crisp and warm. If you bring kids, get them a Murane carbonated drink, they would love those. Due to the location and inconvenient parking situation, I don't think we can frequent this place.

    (3)

  • Gnome E.

    I really don't care about a place somewhere in another country or state that you had udon in and claim it's the best or better. I've been eating udon since I was in the womb and this place serves up a pretty good bowl. For my first and second time eating there, I ordered kitsune udon. They give you 2 very generously sized pieces of aburaage and a heaping pile of green onions. The broth was light but still very flavorful and the noodles were fresh and chewy. There's free tempura bits to sprinkle over your udon! On my third visit I strayed from my usual and tried the curry udon. Not a bad choice as it was definitely tasty but the curry was a bit too sweet for my taste buds. I also prefer a soupier curry broth. But, it was still delicious and the soup definitely flavored the noodles well. I love the pick-your-own-tempura (and other stuff) line! It's nice to be able to choose which veggies you want and how many pieces. If you haven't tried tempura kabocha before you must. Most places that offer tempura usually do not include kabocha in the mix so it's a nice treat. All three of my visits have been after 2pm and before 5pm which is not during any kind of lunch or dinner rush and I've never had a problem with their tempura lacking in crunch - even the water retaining tempura mushrooms have been crunchy every time. They also sell chicken karaage by the piece and while I would understand if some people thought it was a bit salty, I think it's perfectly flavored, but I usually lean more on the salty side. I think this place is great for what it is (cafeteria style eatery...who cares!) and compared to any udon I've had, it's as good as anything else and sometimes even better. Is it the best of all the lands? Probably not, but it's certainly very yummy in my opinion.

    (4)

  • Kevin K.

    3.5/5 rounded up to 4 It's pretty affordable at a good price. I got a medium Niku Udon with lots of gyoza and tempura for a reasonable $8. The food was also very fast. The buffet items somewhat lack in quality, but the soup itself is well worth the experience. This is definitely one of the better soup places on the Ave in my opinion.

    (4)

  • Victoria K.

    I love this place. The noodles have the ideal texture - I call it "bouncy." It's firm but not quite chewy, not really soft per se, I don't even know how to describe it. The texture is perfect. No matter what you get for noodles, it will be delicious. Tan Tan pork noodles are my favorite. It's cheap, it's cafeteria style which can be really great for novelty fun, it's clean, the staff is friendly, and the noodles are excellent. I could take or leave the tempura bar, so that isn't really factoring into my review because I usually skip it. Also, I could do without having to drive to the u district to get these noodles (open a Ballard shop, please!!). Anyway, go try it. It's fantastic.

    (4)

  • Jeff L.

    The owner's frying skills are AWESOME. I'll gladly start on cholesterol medication just to eat all the deep fried stuff coming out of the oil. It was all soft and crunchy as it should be. The croquettes were my daughter's favorite and I agreed it was delicious. As for the udons, I can't say I have very fond or nostalgic memories of eating udons growing up in Taiwan(but loved eating ramen). It didn't invoke those same comfort food feelings I normally would have had. Nevertheless, the noodles were chewy and the portions were decent. Best Udon in Seattle.(granted, there aren't any others that specialize in this) I need to go back a few more times to sample their entire menu but I am liking what I ate already. Well Done.

    (5)

  • Giggly C.

    Tak, I love your spicy ramen. I'm not sharing with anyone else. Wonderful sauce. Great fresh noodles. It hits the spot. Arigato!

    (5)

  • Yvonne D.

    The Udon was very good and fresh, the service were quick and friendly. However, if you just eat a bowl of udon, then there's not much but the udon for under $10....but if you want any of the goodies it get expensive. Maybe it's just me, I'm not use to buying a bowl of udon with a couple karaage and a drink for $15, consider the place is more of a fast food joint then a restaurant. However, aside from the price issue, everything else was great.

    (4)

  • Sarah Z.

    I had never had Udon before, my husband and I were craving Ramen and couldn't find an open joint nearby at 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon, so we went for Udon instead. It was really nice. Nice, chewy noodles, yummy warm broth and just a few toppings. The soup was very simple but very satisfying.

    (4)

  • Jessica N.

    Go inside and pick your type of udon, then move down the cafeteria line to pick out toppings for an added price. I came the first or second day after the place had opened and there was hardly a soul inside. The soup was ok, but it kind of weirds me out that tempura (which should be hot and fresh) was sitting out getting stale and soggy on a cafeteria line where anyone could just touch it or cough on it, whatever. Also, the tempura is $1 per piece, which is a little high. In all, it was an ok meal in a cute location, but there are many better places to eat in the city.

    (3)

  • Rose S.

    Yes fellow Yelpers when it comes to udon in Seattle this is truly as good as it gets. I am both big fan in general of the big fat chewy noodles as well as hand shaven noodles. And these guys are doing it right!!! So let me break it down for you. 1 star earned because they are they only Seattle restaurant dedicated to udon and basically nothing else. For those of you use to the more robust noodle dishes of Samurai noodle and Aloha. With their slow roasted tonkotsu broth. Or to those who have most likely eaten udon at other restaurants in Seattle. I want to tell you most likely you have been eating nabeyaki udon, udon with veggies, kamaboko and meat in it. That is a type of udon eaten in Japan but it is not the standard way. U:Don does it the standard way and that is why they earn the first star. 1 star earned for the noodles. They are hand made daily after allowing to rest for over 16 hours. I know this because I had the opportunity to not only speak with the owner/Chef Tak but he allowed me to take a tour of his whole facility. This man really really cares about his udon and it shows. I have been here twice and absolutely loved my noodle experience. I found that in both of my bowls there were actually several different textures to my noodles. Some where firm and chewy and others were softer. I think this speaks to the hand made nature of the noodles and actually enhanced my dining experience. In addition the subtle flavor of the noodles were intoxicating. The outer part of the noodle just barely absorbed some of the broth whole there was the simple clean taste of the noodle the further I chewed. 1 star earned for the broth. Yes the broth. That broth that others have said was too bland. Again folks this isn't ramen and it is not nebayaki udon. This is udon in it's purest form. The only way it gets any purer is to eat it zaru style and it is still just too cold for that at the moment. But back to the broth. It is as it should be. A nice clean simple light broth. Never too heavy never too sweet and never never should it be salty. U:Don gets it right their broth strikes that perfect balance between subtle flavor without being over powering. It takes Chef Tak and his staff 24 hours to make his basic dashi broth just right. Even though he is only using a handful of ingredients. He says "we work really hard, to make our broth as clean and simple as possible" and they have done just that. 1. star earned for side dishes and toppings. Eating a cheap bowl of udon either at Hanamaru or a mom and pop udon shop in Japan was always one of my favorite meals. Typically I prefer Kake Udon or simple soup udon as it is called at U:Don. This way I can add the toppings to my liking. Like in Japan they offer the same sort of toppings. Fresh ginger, green onion, tempura batter flakes and for me personally I like a side of yuzu, sudachi or lemon U:Don has lemon. At the table they also offer ichimi togarashi or Japanese seven spice powder. A big bonus for me though is that they have onsen tamago. A slightly congealed egg that i love to crack over the top of my noodles. All of the above toppings are fresh and with the exception of the egg are free and you can have as much or as little or none at all depending on your preference. The side dishes are also just like most places in Japan. Fresh seasonal often local tempura veggies fried perfectly in a tempura deep frier imported from Japan. I prefer the room temperature tempura because that is how it is served at udon shops in Japan. Their tempura batter is also excellent. Not too thick so it doesn't absorb excess oil and become soggy and heavy and coat my tongue with oil so I can't enjoy my udon. The veggies are just right at al dente texture. I also tried the karaage and also found it to be on part with what I would eat in Japan. I would certainly describe it as tasty and not of looking or tasting of leprosy. Then again I don't know what leprosy taste like since it sounds unappetizing to say the least. 1. Finally star earned for set up. Again the cafeteria style is just like both big chain and many small mom and pop shops in Japan. Come in grab your tray look at menu tell the person what you want grab some sides pay and go. Easy, simple fast. It just isn't like most restaurants with the exception of Chipotle I guess in Seattle. Again I consider that a good thing. It is nice to see U:Don shaking things up and keeping it as true to what I experienced most often when I lived in Japan. For all that it still feels super clean, modern and a place I could either dine and dash in or just as comfortable hang out and chat with my friends for awhile. I will have a full account of U:Don the history of udon in Japan, basic of udon broth and noodles as well as my full interview with Chef Tak at umailabs.com

    (5)

  • Brett L.

    We've been to Udon twice now, but have eaten there only once. On our first visit, we found a small, clean, and well-organized contemporary space. You order by standing in a cafeteria-style line and telling the first guy behind the counter what size, soup base, and toppings you would like with your udon. And presto!... you get a steaming bowl of hand-made udon noodles. If you want, you can then choose from various different types of tempura further down the line. While the udon noodles had a nice texture, and the broth had a solid flavor, the tempura was fairly mediocre. Some pieces were cooked adequately while other pieces had raw batter in the center. The food alone during our first visit would merit a solid 3+ stars, but our second visit was very disappointing... We were hanging out with a couple friends on a Saturday night, and the four of us decided a hot bowl of noodles sounded good. We arrived around 8:40p. Although their posted closing time was 10:00p, when we opened the door, the guy behind the counter said they were closed. Apparently things were slow, so they decided to close early that night. Now I understand that things may be slower during the summer as they undoubtedly rely on the college crowd for much of their business. Still, why don't they just post an alternate summer schedule on their website and stick to it? It's not like they closed a few minutes early. Without notice, they closed 90 minutes early! Successful business are built on good and reliable service. They turned away four paying customers who had driven from a different part of town just for some hot udon. They say their business was slow? What better way to limit your customer base and ensure that trend continues?! Plus, I assume the employees are paid hourly. I'm curious what happens to their pay on days where management feels like pulling the plug on a whim? I can't say we'll never return, but it was a real turn-off.

    (2)

  • Brandy V.

    Tasty, fresh made noodles on the cheap. They're fast and friendly. It's perfect.

    (5)

  • Alexandra P.

    Fresh and delicious lunch spot! Love how the restaurant works, no matter what soup I choose, it's always been tasty, filling, and the fresh house made noodles are on point!

    (5)

  • Anthony M.

    Good and good price.

    (4)

  • Sarah m. G.

    Cheap, huge, quick, great service, but not that much selection. I've actually been there twice. The first time was..uh..not great. The noodle were not not cooked through, was too salty, and even the karaage (japanese friend chicken) was too salty :/ My friend didn't even finish hers. There's only like 6 kinds of udon you can choose from (I remember: curry, spring egg, fried Tofu skin udon). I hope they'll add more :/.. It's kind of like fast food-ish style? you take your tray, take your 'snack' plate, order up front, take your noodle, move to the left to pick your snacks, and then pay. The guy who made my noodle (put noodle in bowl, add stock, then fried tofu, then green onion and ginger). Anyways, went back the second time and it was all good :) hopefully it's an improvement rather than a range.

    (4)

  • Lucas B.

    I keep having subpar experiences here and it is my own fault. I have figured out that the curry is the way to go. Check. Then it is time to select add-ons. I know the chicken is out of this world, so I get a couple of those. Check. Then I go and grab a tempura vegetable or two because I feel like I should eat something slightly nutritious. This is my big mistake. Why? EVERY tempura vegetable I get turns out to have a pocket of uncooked batter hiding in it. If it is mushrooms, then there is batter hiding inside the cap. If it is broccoli, the outside is crisp but inside the floret is full of raw batter. I put up with more than most but this triggers some basic disgust instinct and ends my meal. With some disciplined ordering I hope to one day have a good experience here, but I have rate it based on past bad ones.

    (2)

  • Michelle N.

    I think it's important not to expect gourmet udon or anything - you can tell by the set up of the store. Which, might I add, is very cute and simple (+clean!) :) I was actually nicely surprised by my visit. The employees are so sweet and welcoming. My friend ordered a small curry udon (it was sweet) and I got the ontama udon (the one with the egg in it). Really yummy and made in good portions. I like that you can pick your sides. I'm also glad they offer that orange seasoning, I forget it's name, but I get so grumpy whenever udon restaurants don't have it haha. Overall an awesome place to stop by for a light meal :)

    (4)

  • Dylan M.

    This place has a really cool concept and interior design but the actual quality of the food is subpar. Everything is very clean and there's a lot of customization which is awesome and allows for a variety of different meals but it's white people Japanese food. The udon served here is nowhere near authentic which is evident in the taste and preparation of the food.

    (2)

  • K K.

    Always consistently great! I often crave their Niku Udon and their Niku Ume Oroshi on soup (instead of sauce). Karaage and Tempura Shrimp are the best! Totally recommended. Parking is super tricky since this is on the Ave.

    (5)

  • Stephen E.

    A great place for noodles and tempura! Both extremely fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. An extremely authentic experience, without having to appear like they are trying to be authentic.

    (5)

  • Charisma Y.

    They seemed like good prices at first. What really gets the cost to go up is the tempura. 99 cents for a piece of shrimp. 99 cents for a piece of potato. Before you know it, you're up to 10 bucks with the smallest udon bowl you can order and just three pieces of tempura. Definitely not to my liking. The broth isn't exactly the bees knees either. They give you more noodles than soup. Nothing upsets me more than horrible proportions when it comes to food. And bland food.

    (2)

  • Kira B.

    The curry broth is delicious.

    (5)

  • Kim C.

    highly disappointing. As an udon place I was expecting exceptional, if not just decent udon. It tasted just like any packaged, undercooked udon. They also charge by the piece, so every topping you get adds $$ to the basic noodle and soup. The (over)pricing structure and under par quality make sure I'll never return.

    (1)

  • Lisa W.

    Ate here last Friday and I'm a fan! Based on the price of the dishes, the portions and the quality of food, I'll definitely be going back! There was some faint music in the background, the space is bright and well-lit and had a nice clean, open atmosphere! The food was pretty good too. Maybe not somewhere you go on a date, but a fun place for friends. Will definitely be going back soon!

    (4)

  • Jessie F.

    I work next door to this place and have been watching the construction happen for months now. I've lurked peeping in any hole in the paper they had over the windows anxiously awaiting what was to come. Today it opened and while anything was going to be better than the pita pit that once existed here I had no idea it would be this awesome. I love japanese food. I would eat it all the time if I could and now I can! 4:00 came today and U:Don opened it's doors. I headed over filled with wonderment. I was like a child in front of a christmas tree with a bunch of presents under it. Anyhow, I'm getting carried away... There are a bunch of different kinds of udon you can pick from. Most of which are vegetarian. YES! I chose the Kitsune Udon which has fried tofu floating on top of it looking so delicious. It smells as good as it looks as well. Mmmm. I couldn't just stop there. I had to sample as many things as I could get my little mitts on. I wandered towards the tempura bar. YES there is a tempura bar, hungry yelpers! I plucked from the bar a small smattering of what was offered. I grabbed a stick of little mushrooms, a potato croquet and just for kicks a tempura soft boiled egg. I took all of my goodies to the counter and paid the man for my udon, tempura snacks and a fountain soda. They have JONES FROM THE FOUNTAIN!!! All of these things cost me around $12. A deal on the Ave. They also offer complimentary condiments to take with you that include mayo and this delicious kind of almost teriyaki sauce for your dipping enjoyment. Also, all of the employees were really really sweet and more than helpful in my first time U:Don confusion. These guys know what they're doing. The soup broth was delicious and flavorful. The tofu was perfectly sweet. The udon was amazing and super fresh tasting. The tempura was also so freaking delicious. The potato croquet especially. With the sauce.. So good! The egg, I didn't know what I was to expect but it was also wonderful! Across the board a five star experience. I will be back. Probably every day since I just have to go next door. NOM NOM NOM. (ps. it's really cute and clean in there.)

    (5)

  • Grant K.

    This place is exactly what the U District needed! Granted, there is a heavy presence of Asian food in the area, but there is very little in the way of Japanese food. Sure, you have great Teriyaki places like Nasal, and occasionally good Japanese-inspired dishes from Hawaiian spots, but getting a bowl of udon sometimes just hits the spot. I used to live in UW's South campus dorms, and I definitely would have killed for something like this back then. Being of Japanese descent, udon is one of my favourite comfort foods. Upon walking into this place, I was a little skeptical. It seemed to be set up akin to a Qdoba or a Subway (and I love both of these establishments, but they don't exactly scream "authentic" ethnic foods), but I was very quickly surprised. They have an excellent selection of serve-yourself side dishes (tempura, karaage, onigiri and even kabocha!) in addition to soñé pretty tasty upon. It's quick, affordable, and the curry udon was exactly as flavorful as it sounds. The staff is also friendly and accommodating (my girlfriend has an onion allergy, which they did their best to cater to) and they keep Jones soda as their fountain selection. Keeping it local, tasting good, making me feel like I was back in Japan and being treated well...I was in heaven! As a long time member of the food service industry, I was duly impressed and have definitely been suggesting this place to my friends and family. You might not be able to expect fine dining, but you can definitely anticipate a quick fix for your Japanes cravings!

    (5)

  • Robin A.

    I've been here a couple times now, and it's always been consistently good. I've gotten the curry beef twice, and another more traditional udon another time, and it's always been good. The noodles are the perfect amount of chewy, the broth is delicious, and the sides are great. I especially like the takoyaki skewers (grilled octopus balls). My only complaint is that the last time I went, it was near the bottom of the soup pan for the curry beef soup, so I got a few little bits of beef... seems like a bit of a letdown. I know this wasn't the case the previous time I had the curry beef, so this was disappointing. Curry beef should have beef, you know? Other than that, great place for a quick bite on the Ave.

    (4)

  • Lily L.

    Six years ago, I went to Montreal, and had udon. It was the most tasty udon I ever have. I am fairly disappointed in this place because I had better. As mention in someone else's review, grabbing udon with BARE hand is disgusting. I am sure some glove won't hurt. The broth was really light, maybe I am just use to pho (flavorful). It was so light that a cup of miso soup would overpowered it. The noodles had an uneven texture. The service is wonderful (well a whole team of people greet you.. not sure if they are really happy or venting the anger at you as you leave) I am not a big fan of their cafeteria style. (so many places on the ave do this to save money :( , so no need to have waiter) ADVICE: look at the menu ahead of time, since there space is small. It would be pretty annoying to keep having people pass by you so they can go ahead and order.

    (2)

  • Chenguang W.

    their curry udon and tempura are amazing.

    (4)

  • Ashwin R.

    U:Don is a new joint located right along the Ave in Seattle's U-District. It's been newly remodeled and has a clean, aesthetic, definitively Japanese look. U:Don is unique in having one of the only Udon noodle making machines in the city. For those of you who don't know, udon is one of the most popular Japanese quick eats. Well, how does U:Don compare in the pantheon of eateries around the world? Well, FANTASTICALLY, I must say. U:Don provides spectacular fresh noodles, the base of the food, and fine embellishments, including curry preparations, braised, meats, and tempura. Add some cute, fantastic desserts, a Jones Soda dispenser, and an assortment of teas, all at a very reasonable price, and you have a delicious, tasty, filling, new foodie experience of the most veteren of you Seattle foodies out there! U:Don has arrived, and in grand style. Go check in out, grab a fast lunch, or sit down for a casual dinner, and you will be pleased. Chef Tak Kurachi has done a wonderful job with place, and I suspect it will be around for a long time to grace Seattle's ecclectic palate. Fantastic option, especially if you are in or near the U District or are craving a fun, Japanase culinary experience. Highly recommended

    (5)

  • Poko S.

    Noodles was too old. It had bad texture. They preboiled noodles,. i will try again in busy hour to get fresher noodles. I didnt like there tempra. ice cold hard tempra was bad idea for cold noodles.

    (2)

  • Kate W.

    My husband and I were lucky enough to get to try out U:Don last night for their opening Friends and Family Event. The food was great! The noodles are fresh and made right in front of you in a specialty machine brought in from Japan. The broth was delicious. I had tofu as a topping and my husband had beef. We would recommend both. The tempera was also good... great dipped into the udon broth. This is a new U District restaurant that you definitely need to try!!!

    (5)

  • Amy C.

    I ordered the niku udon, and while the beef was quite delicious, the soup was rather bland. I was a little sad, too, because all the tastiness of the beef bleeds into the soup and gets flavorless as well.

    (3)

  • Lindsey T.

    As far as fast food goes, I am a fan! I don't normally like cafeteria-style eateries, but this place was exactly what I needed before heading to a last minute movie. It's inexpensive and pretty tasty. I ordered the on-tama udon served hot. I thought the broth was rich in flavor and the noodles had a good texture. The tempura wasn't great- not fresh and pretty soggy- but for being pre-cooked and sitting at a bar, not too awful. I still ate it! :) I would go back for the udon and skip the tempura. Again, for the price and convenience, a great place to eat. Give it a shot if you need a quick udon fix.

    (4)

  • Maria Y.

    I hadn't been back to the upper Ave in several years until I went to lunch with my friend a couple weeks ago. While we ended up eating lunch at Ruzhen, I noticed this place a few doors down and was intrigued. I looked it up on Yelp and was encouraged by the positive reviews, so I came here yesterday and was not disappointed! I've actually been wanting to try kitsune udon for ages but hadn't found a place in Seattle that served it until now. I had a medium kitsune udon with all the extras (ginger, green onion, wakame seaweed) with 2 tempura green beans, one piece of kabocha squash, and one piece of squid tentacles. It was delicious! The noodles were chewy and the broth was flavorful and tasty (though I did need to drink a lot of water). It cost $11.64, which I thought was a reasonable price considering a meh lunch at Panera or another chain can easily cost that much. Most days, I would probably be satisfied with a small bowl and/or fewer sides, but I was really starving and it filled me up. Business was pretty steady at lunchtime on a Saturday in between quarters, so I'm sure this place gets packed during the school year. The atmosphere was good with fun Jpop music. I love that they make the noodles right there. I think this location used to be Pita Pit a long time ago, but with what U:Don has done with the space it looks a lot nicer and cleaner; Pita Pit was pretty divey. I will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Mary N.

    Oh my, as you walking you watch them make noodles off of a mechanical machine. This can be hard if you are starving. but it's nice to see that your noodles are made fresh. I have been here few times and each time I leave I an satisfied. This simple, you pick a lunch tray and order a broth type that goes on the udon. They ask you what size, small, medium or large. The broth is either a base of clear or Curry. There's different variations of what goes in the clear broth, I've tried it with eggs, with mince meat, and with spicy sauce. Then you pick your size, you can get seaweed, ginger, and green onions in the soup. If the udon soup is not enough you can order pieces of tempura or stuff. Always quick and good.

    (4)

  • Paige Y.

    Back in New York - no more U:Don. But we did have the last udon before departure. Service was great and the food was again great. Missing those karaage. Maria from NY's photos show the staff who was really wonderful!

    (5)

  • Caley Z.

    Great Udon options! The Noodles are chewy and there is a good variety of noodles (hot, cold, with eggs, with meats... etc.) I usually get the Medium size. There is also a lot of tempura/side dishes too! I got a fried tofu one and that was great. Overall, good options to satisfy my noodle cravings. Other Pros: - Reasonable Price - Nice seating area - Friendly staff

    (4)

  • Maria G.

    Absolutely cannot believe that I am still the Duchess of this place on Yelp check-in after so many years. I really, really don't have the $$$ and time to fly back each time after I crave fresh udon noodles. I have searched all of Manhattan/Queens/Fort Lee and I have been thoroughly disappointed. Please open a store in NYC asap. Remember...it is really you, not me ;)

    (5)

  • Samantha G.

    U:Don is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots on the ave! I love that they make their own noodles. They're hearty, chewy and so good. So U:Don's set up is cafeteria-style: pick up a try and follow the line. The first station is where you order your udon and then it leads you to the sides. My go-to is their curry udon (small). I'm a sucker for Japanese curry. I highly recommend adding an egg to this dish, the yolk and curry is too irresistible together. I always have to get a side of their takoyaki to make this a complete meal. I think U:Don makes some of the better takoyaki I've tried in Seattle. Sometimes I'll get a musubi (spam or salmon) to bring to work for a snack. I know, it's easy and cheaper to make it yourself but I appreciate the convenience of just buying one, and not eating a plate of DIY musubis to myself. U:Don's food is not only delicious but reasonably priced. Come here especially if you need a break from the abundance of Thai food on the ave. ;)

    (4)

  • Alice C.

    I'm not typically a fan of noodle soups, so I didn't frequent U:Don until I tried dipping sauce for the udon noodles... Life = changed. I like the noodles at U:Don because they're super fresh and thick. A downside is that they are super duper long!! One single noodle doesn't fit in my spoon without cutting it. Whatever, minor complaint. I've found that the tempura items you can pick after getting noodles aren't the greatest. They are laid out for you to pick out so usually they're cold. A little expensive too, if you ask me. Small order of goma zaru + chili oil is the bomb dot com, perfect serving size. It's on a paper next to where you order, not on the big menu.

    (4)

  • Shane B.

    First of all, it's pronounced "YOU-don." (The restaurant name, not the actual soup). Everyone makes fun of me for pronouncing it that way, but it definitely says the pronunciation on the poster inside. So yeah.. take that.. Anyway.. U:Don is one of my favorite places on the Ave, and it serves as a good alternative to all the cheap Pho places around U-district. The menu is simple and the service is fast; you pick one of I think eight main soup options, which include curry udon and niku udon (my personal favorite). Then they put the fresh broth, green onion, ginger, seaweed (all optional), and noodles together for you under a minute. Afterwards, you get all your sides, which are also optional but pretty good. I usually get a piece of karaage, which I believe is a type of Japanese fried chicken. Finally you go and pay up front. In terms of the food, the only two words I can really use to describe it are clean, and fresh. It's a very hearty meal for sure, and you don't feel (or smell) gross eating it. A medium soup, depending on which you get, without any sides or drink should come up to about 7 bucks, which is very affordable, and it should be enough to fill you up. Some other pluses are that you can get unlimited tempura for free on the side, and the soda fountains have Jones soda, if you're into that. Everything about U:Don, from the menu, to the decor, is simple. And that's pretty much exactly why I like it.

    (4)

  • Abbygail E.

    I love the concept of this place. You pick the type of udon, pick the size, and get to watch as they make it right before your eyes. I wasn't prepared for the side dishes you get to pick out buffet style so I ordered a medium sized bowl of Niku udon. In just minutes, I had my food in hand and was seated. For less than 10$ I was able to have a filling lunch. Their medium is quite generous and was filled with a ton of fat udon noodles, which I love! The soup was light and slightly sweet which I thought paired perfectly with the udon and beef. The only downside was that the tables were sticky and their water was murky?

    (4)

  • Francis D.

    Really great Udon! Fresh & tasty. The best one I've tasted had to be on in Hawaii, but if you can't be there this is poll the next best stop. Portions are great for Udon noodles so unless your hungry don't get a large :P lots of side dish selections.

    (4)

  • Emiko K.

    UDON! So good. I like the set up. Quick and easy. Tasty. Get in get out, just like in Japan. :) I ordered the spicy udon. It is not on the menu so you'll need to ask them about it when you get to the counter. If you like spicy, you are going to loooove this. Also another thing I love about udon is the fact that they have the tempura ready for you to combine with your udon. It's so quick and easy and delicious!!! My Personal Rating Key One star: the food was bad and I had a negative experience. Two star: I had a more negative experience and would not come here again but the food was good so I may. Three store: everything is good except one thing. Example-the food is good, the price is more reasonable but the atmosphere is lacking class. These are sometimes my go to more than four stars because I usually care about price more than I do about atmosphere. Four stars: Everything is great, food, experience but the price may be on the upper end. I would not recommend this first to Obama unless he didn't like my five stars. Five stars: I would recommend this to Obama. The price may be on he upper end.

    (3)

  • Tony L.

    It's like the chipotle of noodle soups. You get yr base and you get to pick toppings. The broths here are just okay and nothing spectacular. If you want toppings on yr udon, be prepared to spend at least $10 for a bowl of noodle soup. (:-/). It achieves its purpose, to be a boring, cheap noodle place in a place full of people looking for cheap eats (because tuition, nahmean?) If I were writing this review at 9pm, I would probably give it four stars because getting udon late at night is second to getting done at the clubs. Alas, it is only 1pm and I should really do something with my life other than writing Yelp reviews. I think I just broke the fourth wall. I can finally go outside, yay! Strong 3 outta 5

    (3)

  • Lee A.

    4 stars for great U:don. This was the best I've had in the US. The noodles are really good, they make them there. You can get a big bowl of soup for a low price. I can't wait to go back again. It's a little confusing the first time through. They also have a tempura Buffet. It's okay, not the best or the worst. I was pretty annoyed by a few things. One was that the labels for the tempura buffet were wrong and or missing. When I asked them what the things were in an annoyed way they told me to look at the labels. They finally came around and noticed they were wrong and missing but didn't do anything to fix it. It's also loud. This is because the place is really good and it gets crowded. I'm waiting for the weekend because I really want to go back.

    (4)

  • Angela T.

    Cool concept where you choose the broth or type of udon you want, then you can self serve with extra appetizers or toppings for additional prices. I came here pretty late and so their quality wasn't as fresh to me. I ordered the popular udon Niku and added tofu and tempera sausage which were both decent. My udon was barely warm and not hot steaming like my friends udon, so it definitely changed how it tastes and wasn't as satisfying as I thought. Cost ended up being $7 total for a good amount of udon and side appetizers, so it's worth the price. Overall, I would come here again during the day and try to get another type of broth considering how fair the prices are. Concept is pretty cool and the workers are pretty friendly!

    (3)

  • Christy K.

    One of my favorite go-to places on the Ave!!!! (: LOOOOVE THEIR CURRY, NIKU, AND THEIR TAKOYAKI!!!! They also have CHEAP karaage and great Onigiri for snacking! If you're on a budget having side dishes as a meal or a larger bowl of soup udon isn't a bad idea!

    (5)

  • Kenny O.

    Oh man, I wanted to like this place so much. Especially when my girlfriend discovered it when she was randomly searching for house made udon after our trip to Marukame in Waikiki. I was so excited but was left disappointed. The place is cafeteria style, line up and grab a tray before someone takes your order and once you get your bowl of udon you choose from a bunch of different deep fried items like chicken karaage and veggie tempura. There are a good amount of tables but the wooden stools for some of them are highly uncomfortable and a couple of tables seemed to be pretty unstable. I got the tan tan udon and a piece of chicken karaage and a piece of veggie tempura with a drink. The meal came to $14.50...that came across as pretty expensive. The noodles were good but the soup/sauce wasn't that great, the chicken was really good but the veggie tempura was tasteless. It was a nice meal to eat when it was cold out but nothing special at all. Maybe I was comparing it too much with Marukame (which is absolutely heaven sent) and it really just isn't fair but idk. The price at the end just seemed extremely high for what I got. I won't be in any hurry to go any time soon but I think i'd try it again just because it's the only house made udon anywhere near home and I guess my girlfriend's ontoma was a lot better than my dish...so I would probably get that haha.

    (3)

  • Jacqueline T.

    Good udon noodles, yummy flavorful broth, good portions, good add ons, and reasonably priced :D (haha i like their U:Don smiley.) Would come back if i'm in the area (weekend parking is much friendlier than weekdays). its like our own version of Marukame in HNL ;) And all you can add on complimentary tempura flakes. Suggestions for the restaurant: Add in one of those one way"fan like" bar's so that customers (selfish students *cough*) who come in, don't start hogging tables. Or even a sign would help too. Please order food first, and grab a table after. The line up goes relatively quick (but this is dependent on sitting availability). So suck it up, and get in line like the rest of us.

    (4)

  • Michele M.

    I love U:Don! When I was a student at UW I ate here a lot. I live on the Eastside now, but I still make trips out to Udistrict just to eat here. U:Don reminds me of the famous Murakame Udon, which is a chain restaurant in Japan that was brought over to Hawaii. Both make their noodles in house, and the style of the restaurant is the a cafeteria, where you grab a tray and pick out the food you want. The quality of the food is always consistent. While U:Don isn't nearly as cheap as Murakame, it's still a decent price for food on The Ave. I ALWAYS get Kitsune Udon topped with ginger, seaweed and green onion, and then I load up on the sides. I really enjoy the Karaage, potato croquette and the vegetable tempura cluster.

    (4)

  • John B.

    Lots of options and helpful staff. Fresh noodles and excellent value. I ordered a medium hot tan-tan (spicy) udon and grabbed 2 tempura fried vegetables. I can eat a lot and it was too much food for me. Even a small noodle dish without the tempura would have been fine. I will definitely go back when the weather gets a little cooler.

    (4)

  • Vania K.

    3.5 stars. Dammit, sometimes I really wish Yelp would let me rate in half star increments. U:Don is more than A-OK but it's probably not my first choice for food. It's a great place for lunch, it seems that you can always find a table for two even though they're super busy during lunch hours. I couldn't help but bump this up to 4 stars because the people working here have always been very friendly and helpful. You're supposed to bus your own table but I never had to. I've now tried the curry udon and the spicy udon (hot). Both are good, although the curry udon is definitely heavier. The small bowl is filling enough for me, but I wish they'd give more meat and/or other toppings with your udon. The udon is perfect, fresh(ly made here!) and chewy. The soup is tasty but not all that special to me. I suggest skipping the fried toppings you can add on ala carte. The heat lamp doesn't seem to do its job, so the food has been disappointingly room cold and dry. Instead, go to Mee Sum (half a block away) and get the popcorn chicken there to satisfy your cravings for deep fried goodness.

    (4)

  • Rob G.

    At long last my quest for a good udon restaurant in the United States has come to an end. I ordered kitsune udon and wasn't disappointed at all. The restaurant is very clean and the staff seems friendly. I will be back!

    (5)

  • Ang C.

    I like this place. I mean, you are eating freshly made udon noodles which are made out of flour. You can watch the noodle guy cook the noodles. So stay away gluten free peeps! The small is more than enough for me since flour has a tendency to fill up quickly. The original plain flavor with chopped ginger is simple and fragrant. I got one piece of chicken karaage which was excellent since it was NOT heavily breaded or overly salty like 99 % of the karaage I've had in restaurants. Tea Republik just so happens to be next door :)

    (4)

  • Ann Marie L.

    Some really good Udon! Went just after they opened so it wasn't too crowded.. I loved everything from the noodles, fried tofu, broth... Spacious seating and clean! You go in, choose a soup - add any additional goods then they have a side bar of various fried goods (tempura, karaage). Ive attached a picture of the menu and my selections:) Will definitely return

    (5)

  • Natasha P.

    I've loved udon my entire life. Like, I'm pretty sure that I wanted udon for my fourth birthday. So it is absolutely no surprise that I got on a bus when I have no clue about the Seattle bus system just to go to this place. Annoying university students aside, this place is f--king unicorn magic. Amazing White boys (okay, I saw one, but still, kinda cool) making udon noodles from scratch behind the glass, cafeteria-style with a self-serve bar of tempura (I'm trying to decrease my fried food intake, so I avoided), cute wooden tables or booths, Jones soda. The noodle thickness and consistency is stellar. The first round I got tan tan udon and that is absolutely not for a lamb tummy like mine, but if you're fierce and can handle a major kick, I highly recommend it. Second time I got a little smarter and ordered the Niku; the beef is flavorful and sweet, and the whole bowl is generally very mild and soothing (think: perfect hangover food). And yes, I completely justified getting two bowls of udon in one visit, but there was some takeout involved and some marital assistance. U:Don is reason number 5 that I need to move to Seattle.

    (5)

  • Chelsea L.

    I really, really like this place but there are a couple things I think need to change. Good things first - the noodles taste great, my favorite so far is the zaru udon. So nice on a hot day! Better than sauce udon. And they have calpico yaaaay. Oroshi udon is good if you like radish. The tempura has all been good. I start with $5 of noodles and end with a $15 bill because I grab so much tempura. It's kinda weird that they don't let you take pictures... is that to speed up the line, or..? First, the noodles are way too long!!! You can hardly fit ONE noodle in your mouth! Biting noodles is gross to me so I have to sit there and try to eat this thing one noodle at a time, but it's so hard to get the noodles apart because they are all tangled and so long. They really need to be shorter it drives me crazy when I try to eat them. There's no reason for a 3 foot long noodle. Second, the workers are not the best. Especially the one girl who is always on the register. She's really awkward and kinda makes me uncomfortable even though I know she's trying to be nice.. but the thing that was the worst to me is she doesn't really know the food. We had picked up a croquette and she asked if we wanted the sauce for it since you don't use tempura sauce. She said it was "tonkatsu something..or whatever..." while laughingly shaking her head. I know she's not Japanese but know the food you are serving. I'll totally keep coming back for yummy udon but shorter noodles and better trained workers please!!

    (4)

  • Kay N.

    This place is so good! You walk in and wait in line to tell them your choice of udon soup. That is where you mention if you want it cold or hot and any extra sides you would want like seaweed, egg, meat, etc. My bf and I both got the tan tan udon soup which consist of spicy ground pork. You can also get tempura veggies, shrimp, squid, etc as you go down the line right before you pay. The soup was very tasty and the tempura was delicious. Did I mention that it is very inexpensive? I will definitely return!

    (4)

  • Brittany L.

    This is one of my favorite spots on the ave. Sometimes I neglect it though because it's kinda far up the ave and I'm lazy haha. Food is delicious. I can never stray away from the ontama udon, the egg is cooked so that its still yolky and the white is just on the edge of opaque and translucent. I always get a small and it's the perfect amount of food! The noodles are great, slurpable and delightfully chewy! The tempura options are fresh and plentiful but I usually just stick with a bowl of the complimentary flakes and a salmon onigiri. I love that the staff greet you as you're walking in and out. However, being here twice in the past week I've noticed that they've hired some new employees. The guy who made my udon today gave me a small when I asked for a medium after I saw him mess up another customer's order as well. I mean I guess, a small is my go-to size anyway. He also made my udon last week and was visibly super frustrated after he smashed my egg. When I got to the register a new girl was being trained and omg. She was speaking so quietly, made no eye contact, and just radiated a super unfriendly vibe. Like I know you're new and you're learning how to work the register but you gotta act like you actually wanted this job too! The girl who was training her was very nice though! 5 stars for food but 4 stars overall because the service I've received lately is so disappointing.

    (4)

  • Linh N.

    3 star because I missed this place. Haven't been here since I was at UW and that was about 5 years ago. I had been craving udon for 2 weeks. Ask all my friends, I wouldn't stop talking about it so I asked them if they would like to come with me to get some. We all got the tan tan udon with an egg. It was good, I was definitely full but I lied to myself when I said it might be spicy because it wasn't at all. My broth got cold really fast. The soup was warm not even hot and that kind of ruined it for me. The takoyaki though, so yummy and for only $1.99!! What a steal, I might come back just for those. For the udon, maybe, if they ever decide to serve the broth at a higher temp.

    (3)

  • Myduyen N.

    My coworker recommended me to go here for lunch and boy am I glad I came here. I want to eat udon everyday now!!! Since it was my first time I was a bit lost. There's a process to this place; first you choose what type of udon (hot or cold) then comes the broth. There are different sizes; small to large. After that there are different sides you can choose from for additional costs. Last but not least you pay for your meal and seat yourself. I tried the curry beef udon with a tempura crab leg and a gyoza. It was by far the best udon!!!! The curry broth was a bit spicy but still delicious. The broth is thicker than the other broth. I ordered a medium but wished I got a small instead. I will definitely come back with my family to try out the other broths and different sides!!!

    (5)

  • Tammy N.

    this restaurant is ok. its like cafeteria style service. you pick out what you want and they serve it to you on your tray. i found that the soup was a little too sweet for my taste. the udon noodles were actually very good and had a nice consistency to them. as for the topping, i got the bean curd. that was also a little too sweet for my liking. for my sides, i grabbed the squash tempura and the potato tempura. oh and the salmon onigiri. those were actually very good. they have tempura sauce right by the register in a thermos that you can pour into your own little sauce bowl. the facility was pretty clean. it is self service so its actually pretty nice that its clean. i recommend this place to anyone who likes udon. i think its ok. ive had better in honolulu at marukame udon WHICH I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ANYONE WHO IS IN THE AREA! oh, they also dont allow photos of where they prepare your dish. i think its like for "secret recipe" stuff. im not sure why though.

    (3)

  • Anna Z.

    This is the best place to get your udon fix in Seattle (especially when you're craving Marukame in Honolulu). I usually get a small bowl of udon with shrimp tempura, eggplant tempura, and takoyaki. I love that the udon noodles are fresh and handmade. It is cooked just to the right texture, soft yet still chewy enough. Try it for yourself! Niku udon: clear broth with beef, green onions, and ginger. This always hits the spot on a cold rainy day. The extra $ for wakame seaweed is worth it. Curry udon: curry broth with beef, green onions, and ginger. Japanese curry is probably my favorite type of curry. It's flavorful (a little on the salty side), not very spicy, and slurp-worthy. Tan Tan udon: I order this cold with a soft egg. I must warn you, this is very spicy. You can order this hot as well and it will sort of take down the spice level a bit.

    (4)

  • Ivana S.

    They have a cute Japanese cafeteria" -esque set up going on here. The food is a little pricey for how little food they give you here, but still tastes おいしい. I had to get a spam musubi on the side to fill me up. Concluding thought: tastes good but not enough food.

    (3)

  • Annie M.

    When my friends and I walked in, there as no acknowledgement whatsoever. I understand if it's busy but it wasn't; you can manage a "hello" at least. The layout of the ordering system is a little confusing. You pick a noodle, a side to with it and a dessert. I assumed that everything was mad to order, but all of the sides are pre-made and kept under heat lamps! I got the udon soup; not bad but the guy barely gave me any broth. I also got a piece of shrimp tempura, surprisingly not bad. A little dry (probably cause it's been sitting there for a while). All jn all it wasn't bad. Cute decor and the lady that rung me up was very nice.

    (3)

  • Judy H.

    Dee-lish! I'm a huge fan of noodles, especially udon. I rarely come across restaurants that only specialize in udon so you can imagine how flippin' excited I was when I spotted U:Don Noodle Station. My boyfriend and I were already stuffed from lunch, but we were strolling down University Way and the sweet aroma of fresh-made noodles filled my nostrils. I had to pay a visit. U:Don is interesting in that it makes delicious and authentic udon, but with a fast food/assembly line vibe. Everything is quick and efficient, not to mention super affordable. You can customize your udon bowl with various toppings and sides. First, you select the size, then the type/style of noodles, and then any extra toppings you'd like. So easy! My boyfriend and I shared a small bowl of Kitsune Udon, which consists of aburaage (deep-fried thin pieces of tofu), loads of green onions, and seaweed. This was monstrously addictive. The savory broth filled the porous niches of the marinated fried tofu. The aburaage was also a perfect consistency, not too hard or tough. The noodles were broad and thick, with a clean chewy texture. They were slippery though so they did test my chopsticks skills. Everything at U:Don is made from scratch: the soup, noodles, sauces, they're all natural ingredients. You can truly taste the authenticity and top-notch quality. They also offer free unlimited fried tempura flakes to sprinkle on your noodles. The goodness never ends! Clever marketing/branding strategy; can you spot the happy face in U:Don?

    (4)

  • Jingwen Y.

    My entire experience can be described as sitting in a typography class where there are lot of design elements and I was just more interested in the substance. Don't get me wrong you definitely would get full and their way of serving it was interesting. I just prefer to get my order and know exactly what's in it rather than getting a modern udon experience. It's hip and it's on the ave, I'm sure it will do well. Probably not my place for udon.

    (3)

  • Annie L.

    I was excited to come here because I'd read good things about it on Yelp! And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The (freshly made!) noodles were nice and chewy, and the broth that it came in was delightfully flavorful. I also really enjoyed the tempura buffet--I got a piece of fried tofu and one of shrimp tempura, both of which were delicious! All that, for just over seven dollars. It was nice and clean inside, and everyone working there was very friendly. I'll definitely be back!

    (4)

  • Kathleen C.

    Super simple place. Almost like a build your own udon. I usually just get a normal udon with an egg and the beef slices on top (because there's really no other protein to add). I love the tempura flakes you can get to add on top though. For some reason for being super simple noodle soup, I really like it! Not very expensive either. I wanna say comes out no more than around $8. Just overall comforting food.

    (4)

  • Tien D.

    Let me just start by saying that the portion sizes are a lot larger than you would expect! After walking the university district street fair, we were starving (or at least we thought we were). So what did we do? We each ordered the largest size bowl. I ended up getting the Niku Udon, which tasted a little bit saltier than the Soup Udon. Upon entry, you go into the line, grab a tray and pretty much tell the server what udon bowl you want and the size. After getting your bowl, you slide down and choose different sides/toppings you want in your udon, each with a different set price (besides the tempura flakes, which are free. yayyyyy)! After that you pay at the cashier at the end of the line and seat yourself. I really like the cafeteria type service, as I find it very efficient. Everything looked super delicious! I do admit, my udon was slightly undercooked. I tried my fiancé's udon noodles and preferred it to mine, but besides that, everything was delicious. I do wish we would have just ordered the regular size instead of large because I find that you tend to savor the dish more when there is less of it. In our case we savored half the dish and then forced ourselves to finish the rest because we were too full. The tempura was delicious! Anyway, after your meal, you put your own dishes away. The place looked pretty popular too!

    (4)

  • Shirley K.

    I came here for lunch with my friends and didn't really know what to expect because they said it was buffet style in some of the reviews. It's kind of like a cafeteria line (think more like the Ikea cafeteria) where you grab a tray and order what kind of udon you want and then they ask you what toppings you want. They don't let you take pictures in line so sorry if my memory is a little off but I believe they had green onions and seaweed. Then they have a nice selection of tempura. I was so happy to see sweet potato (yellow not orange) tempura and Japanese pumpkin tempura (green outside and orange inside, they're sliced). I don't remember how much each of them were but you do have to pay for them so don't think buffet! The place didn't have a lot of tables so we had to wait for a table. The udon was actually pretty good. I really liked my sweet potato tempura though. It was nice a crispy and wasn't super oily. The Japanese pumpkin tempura was okay. I've had better but I was still very satisfied with my meal. I will probably be back for lunch when I'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Jenny J.

    Cheapest takoyaki in the area! Hot tan tan noodles are my favorite because they are actually spicy. I come here if I want to eat by myself because it's quick dining.

    (4)

  • Samantha S.

    The first time I saw U:Don, I was immediately drawn in by the happiness and excitement that radiated from its name. The simplicity of the ordering process is efficient and satisfying, and as you wait, you get to watch your noodles being made to perfection. They have a variety of different and delicious udons to select from, and each bowl ranges from $5 to $8. I usually get the Niku Udon with takoyaki on the side. Their takoyaki is my favorite. The food is spectacular, and my friends and I go here all the time. If you haven't experienced the wonderful taste of U:Don, you're missing out!

    (5)

  • Daphne M.

    RATING: 3.8/5 ***BOTTOM LINE: Good for the price, innovative style, appreciate that they are attempting more authentic method, but needs some improvement on the quality of the broth and texture of the noodles. But there's much potential, will probably come back again. Good that it's open late (till 10pm on most nights). My Japanese native friend and I visited and tried their soup udon. After reading some reviews that make claims to the authenticity of the dish, I feel compelled to pass along some information from my native Japanese friend on the type of udon being served here. First of all, according to both the website and my friend, this type of udon is the SANUKI UDON style from West Japan. There are many types of udon from different regions. It is more delicate and less sweet than Kantou style udon from East Japan, which is heavier on the mirin and soy sauce. Sanuki udon happens to be a very basic and traditional style. **Focus is on the broth and the noodles**, so don't be expecting to put a ton of proteins or tons of topping other than green onion, some ginger, or agedama (tempura flakes). They do have toppings such as tempura and side dishes available. But the heart of the dish is that it's meant to be enjoyed with bare minimum toppings. (And never topped with karaage...that's a side dish!) ***BROTH = 3/5. The main ingredients in Sanuki udon broth are kelp, iriko (dried anchovies) and bonito (a type of fish) flakes. It is more delicate than the Kantou style (East Japan), which means there is less mirin, sake and (dark?) soy sauce. And classic Sanuki style broth definitely doesn't require shittake mushrooms as some other reviews have claimed. Both my friend and I found the broth to taste little of msg, which was good, but we'd prefer the broth to have a deeper flavor. With such few ingredients, the quality of the kelp, anchovies and bonito flakes is everything. My Japanese friend refuses to use cheap kelp and bonito flakes from around here, which are of lower quality than expensive types he gets directly from Japan. So given their prices are $3.75 for a small bowl, $4.75 for a medium, I give them props for attempting something authentic and cheap while facing high costs of ingredients. But you get what you pay for...don't go there expecting the most incredible broth and most decadent noodles. It's pretty good for U-district. ***NOODLES = 3/5. They are definitely hand shaven noodles, they have the machine for making noodles right out in front. Being Chinese, I'm really picky about hand-shaven noodles. I applaud them for taking the time/effort to make noodles from scratch, but they were too mushy and not as chewy as we wanted. But again, that also depends on ingredients (e.g. good flour) and time to cook noodles and properly arrest the cooking to prevent the mushiness (can't start boiling them until ready to serve, which is probably not time-efficient for their setup). ***ATMOSPHERE/AMBIANCE/STAFF = 5/5. They were very nice. Decor was modern, very clean. The "assembly line" wasn't rocket science and pretty efficient; you give your order of noodles, then add toppings/sides from a buffet-style spread. Pay at the end. So while not the best udon I've ever had in or outside of Japan, I give them credit for trying to do something authentic at a student-friendly price. I would hope that they actually improve the quality of the ingredients to forgo the cheaper prices for better food. But I look forward to the evolution and progression of this restaurant, and wish them the best.

    (4)

  • Thayne W.

    Very much like being back in Japan. Very delicious.

    (4)

  • Andrew M.

    Good noodles and decent tempura.

    (4)

  • Chika K.

    Would've given it 5 stars but they ran out spoons, so we had to wait a little to drink the soup with our udon. But other than that, it was delicious! I had the special, Ume oroshi udon. It was awesome! Also, I love the tempura "bar" that also has karaage chicken too. If this place had a parking lot, I think I'd be here every week.

    (4)

  • Davis H.

    Great fresh noodles! I ordered the nuki udon and picked up a few sides, too. The sides had been sitting out for awhile but were still tasty. Liked it more than pho.

    (4)

  • Doris J.

    This place is THEE best udon place in Seattle. HANDS DOWN. They make their noodles right there so it's just so fresh and yummy. The broth is good. The owner is really nice. It's VERY affordable. I love this place. My family and I are addicted.

    (5)

  • Margaret S.

    I am a huge udon lover and this place does the trick for my udon craving. I had the niku (meat) udon. The broth is a bit on the sweeter side, but good nonetheless. The udon noodles were the perfect texture, thickness and doneness. The tempura sides are great -- enjoyed the sweet potato tempura. Definitely will return!!!

    (4)

  • Shannon M.

    I was pleasantly surprised to run across this new place. Their sign doesn't stick out from the road, so you need to be looking for it...honestly, I noticed the delicious smell coming from the restaurant before I even noticed the place. It's pretty affordable for the amount of food you get - I'd say even more filling than Pho. You could even make a meal just out of the small hot bar (I totally recommend the asparagus tempura). The sign inside made it easier to order and the staff are very friendly. I went with 2 other people - one said he really liked it and the other said she probably wouldn't get it again only because she didn't like the "slimy" noodle texture - but she would get the small bar stuff again. Personally, I didn't mind the noodle texture and I am definitively going back!

    (4)

  • A B.

    Solid for what it is. Always fast, friendly, good fresh udon--fast becoming one of my favorite places on the Ave. Other people seem to like it too; it's always crowded. I think the kitsune udon is the best bet. My only complaint is that the tempura always seems to be cold and sort of moist, although flavorful and delicate. If they could get that part of their lineup together it would make it nearly perfect udon fast food.

    (4)

  • Camille L.

    I went here for the first time today and I loved it. The atmosphere, the people, and the food are all wonderful. The noodles are perfect in texture and taste and you get to watch them make em so you know they are fresh! the soup broth on its own is really flavorful, the added green onion and ginger paste you can choose to add really gives it a kick. The tempura there is also nice and crispy the shrimp and chicken were especially good and there was a huge selection of different veggies. The medium soup is actually surprisingly filling, I ended up having some left overs which is saying something. I look forward to frequenting U:don.

    (5)

  • Kelly L.

    Good udon a few variations and sizes ($5.50 for a small; a medium is already pretty big). Plus tempura you can choose from ten types cafeteria style. The tempura was light and crisp; especially the shrimp, though a couple of the others (e.g. the pumpkin) may have had time to cool to room temp and weren't quite as fresh from the fryer crisp (but still tasty). Nice and bright, modern place. Bustling with students, some Japanese folks, and a mix of hungry eaters. Just what the university district needs!

    (5)

  • Shane R.

    i have never seen an udon shop in the u.s, so i was really excited. got the on tama udon, which has egg. the noodles are hand made in a machine right in front of you so they are fresh and bouncy. this type of udon comes with a thicker saltier broth, which i liked. my only complaint is that the egg was cold.

    (4)

  • Tom B.

    I visited U:Don for the first time today after a friend excitedly told me about it yesterday. It is SO WONDERFUL! To get the clearest, simplest experience of it I had a large bowl of just the basic soup udon, and a beautiful potato croquette. Real homemade noodles and real homemade croquette!! Just fabulous!! And by the way, the whole thing came to only $6.83 including tax! I'm so eager to go back again soon and try more of their offerings. And I'm telling all my friends about it, of course.

    (5)

  • jeannette k.

    Really delicious! I am new to Japanese ramen- I love Samurai Noodle in the ID, so I wanted to try this place. It's very clean/organized and the decor is nice for a U-District joint. The staff is very friendly & warm. You pass the open kitchen as you take a tray down the line, ordering your soup from the chef in the size you want, then picking out which which fresh tempura (or other items) you would like- serving yourself on a separate plate. The broth on the dish I had was great, and the noodles were perfect. I was thrilled I could opt out of fresh ginger- nice that the soup is made to order in front of you. I had the Niku Udon and tempura sweet potato & kiraage chicken. Definitely try the Karaage chicken! I didn't feel weighed down after eating my small bowl, it was just perfect. Thumbs up up! Too bad I don't work down the street anymore, U:Don would have been a great option.

    (5)

  • Sean P.

    decent price, cool idea, authentic japanese lots of variety cool concept fast, fairly priced (except for the tempura, which can be overpriced) As long as you don't over do it on the tempura or the other things they try to get you to buy (like how they charge you for the seaweed, wakami)

    (4)

  • Shar S.

    You can enjoy the best udon noodle in the city. I love the cold noodle which is very chewy.

    (5)

  • Eric C.

    it's still new-ish, so it can look crazy packed - not to say it wasn't. it's pretty good - worth going back to and trying another couple of items

    (4)

  • Faith Y.

    First, the emoticon in their name is way adorable. Second, third, fourth and so forth, this place has already found its way into the noodle section of my heart. U: Don is a great place to visit and shake up your "pho 5X a week" routine. (You know you have a pho routine). The first thing I noticed was someone hand rolling and cutting udon noodles at the beginning of the line. Fresh noodles are hard to get by so I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't coming out of packages. There are three different bowl sizes and then you choose your broth which includes kitsune, curry, niku and more. Then slide your tray over to fried food nirvana: the tempura bar. The tempura can add up but you can get a nice fluttered piece of lightly battered eggplant or crunchy shrimp tempura for $.99. There's also potato croquettes, bacon tomato and triangles of onigiri (rice balls w/ fish or ume). There's unlimited free tempura flakes and you can throw in a bottle of ramune for a sweet bubbly. Total cost? $7-$10 max unless you're on tempura overload. For those complaining about the service, remember that it's cafeteria-style, not Canlis. I found it charming that they greeted every customer in Japanese (both coming and going). If that's the extent of their courtesy, works for me as long as the noodles continue to be tasty and cheap.

    (4)

  • Azure S.

    I had to Udon with Sauce. It was plain but tasted very good. I thought the texture of the noodles was great. I do not recommend either the spam musubi or the takoyaki. The musubi was bland and the takoyaki was cold and not very good.

    (3)

  • Mz S.

    Solid 3 stars. Efficient. Nice hot soup with fresh udon. Can get a little pricey if you add sides and toppings. The unagi musubi was not bad either.

    (3)

  • Andy C.

    Love this place! Not much to add from what others have already said, but this is a must try place if you like noodles.

    (5)

  • Simon K.

    I have been looking for a place like you for a long time, ever since my trip 1.5 years ago in Hawaii, and a place called Murakami, I have been looking for you, and in U:Don, I could say I have found it. It is almost the same style, except the mass crazy lineups, where you come into the store, get a tray and go through a conveyor belt lineup with what your main order is, and continue all the way through the tempura and other deep fried cooked items like the prawn and the other fried up vegetables, then you get to the karaage and the onigiri (Spam!) and I was taken back to my first time having fresh udon. With all the ramen shops I have been to there is something just so different about udon. The thickness is one of them, but the bite, texture is completely different. After you have had fresh udon, it's tough to go back to your frozen packaged home cooked stuff, but at the same time stores that have been doing fresh udon don't all do it the same, and that can either make you a star in my eyes, or truly mess these noodles up to the point I don't want any part of it (rarely the case, but it can happen). Also what you order determines the bite of the noodles, cold or hot, it's not just about temperature, and I choose mine to be cold just for that bouncy chewy texture that you cannot get out of a hot broth-y bowl of udon. I ordered the Oroshi udon, grated daikon radish, grated ginger, a lemon wedge, and topped off with some shoyu sauce. You can have this either hot or cold, I decided on the chilly option. My partner, she had (I'm thinking) a hot On-tama, and I even though the noodles were practically cooked the same, in the end she was enjoying the cold bowl (my bowl) much more, saying that she feels like she is wasting money ordering the hot udon. I was really going at mine, mixing all the grated daikon and ginger together with the sauce and the lemon, every bite was more enjoyable, and the bounce is hard to describe, except that there was life in these noodles. Thick, a very slight gooey separation, bounce, density, complex yet simple. Definitely one of my favorite foods, and then you have the hot soup broth udon, you'd think it would be the same yet something with the hot broth just thins out the noodles and makes them a little limpy, not to the point of breaking apart, but changes the complexity of the noodles strands, they look like they shrink when in the hot broth. U:Don is probably around a 4.5 in my book, or close to it, the cold is done well, the broth on the hot is not as tasty as what I have had in Hawaii at Murakami but the layout of the operation is pretty much the same. I have to say that the SPAM onigiri was one of the best I have ever tasted (yes... ever...) I ate half and tucked the other half away in my partner's purse for the next day and it was still soft. I know there was Japanese mayo in that thing, and some other sauce, it worked, and it was a great snack (breakfast) the next day. This is a place for a cheap good meal, and with not many options for the fresh 'Udon' they have not cheaped out and have done a good job. I really can't wait to come back and try more variations of this dish!

    (4)

  • Jon L.

    I visited Japan earlier this year. While I was at the Kyoto train station about to head back to Tokyo, I was scrambling to figure out where to eat for breakfast. I came across this intriguing standing room only udon shop. That's right. No chairs here, you eat standing up. In this unassuming train station restaurant, I had one of the best udon meals that I have ever had. The fact that it was just ¥450 was amazing in itself. I was excited to hear U:Don opening up in the U-District because it sounded very much in the vein of that Kyoto train station restaurant. Except that you actually can have a sitdown meal. The ambiance is also surprisingly good for a fast casual restaurant. Decor is modern. The restaurant is located in the former Pita Pit location on University Way. The setup is cafeteria style. For my Yelp friends in Hawaii, this restaurant is reminiscent of Marukame Udon in Waikiki. The order process is very similar. There are eight types of udon to choose from in three different sizes (small/medium/large). Pricing is affordable. Around the $5-6 range, though it depends on the size. Not as cheap as Japan, but as compared to other Seattle restaurants. In addition to udon, there is a selection of tempura, fried meats and onigiri to choose from. Prices vary depending on item, between $.49 to $1.49 it seems. I like the cafeteria setup because it makes it easier to choose which items I want to include with the udon. It would be bad if these items were dumped into the udon making the breading soggy. Also if you feel like eating dessert, there are also a few items offered. They also have Jones Soda fountain and Japanese bottled drinks here. I had the medium kitsune udon ($5.75), a piece of chicken karaage ($.49), a shrimp tempura ($1.49) and a Jones Soda ($1.49). The kitsune has fried and marinated tofu in it. The flavoring in this udon reminds me of eating inari sushi. The broth has that same sugary vinegary taste to it. I liked the ginger and green onions added to the dish. It enhanced the flavor. I found the udon to be good, though I think the broth was distractingly sweet. I actually would have liked the tofu with a different sauce combination. A shoyu based udon with the tofu would have been better. As for the sides, I found the chicken karaage to be decent and shrimp tempura to be as well. All in all, I found my meal to be good, but not as great as the one in Kyoto. But I do see promise here. I would love to see an udon with kamaboko which is how I prefer it. From reading the reviews, it sounds like fishcake is offered. I think a fried variety would suffice too if there is one. U:Don is an excellent addition to the U-District restaurant scene. And just in time for winter in Seattle! Udon is a great dish to eat to keep warm during the cold months here.

    (4)

  • Rona L.

    This place was just okay. I ordered the On-tama udon, and although I loved the chewiness of the noodles, I felt that the broth lacked salt -- it was pretty bland actually. I did love their "tempura/side bar" though. I picked out a yummy tempura mass consisting of carrots, potato, and some other stuff AND some delicious octopus balls. I just wish the sides were crunchier and warmer, because when they've been sitting out for a while, they start to get soft. The service was great though and it was fun to watch the employees behind the counter prepare your food. I won't cross this off the list because it IS nice to have another noodle option besides pho and ramen on the Ave, but next time I go, I'll probably order something else.

    (3)

  • Julie N.

    Fairly cheap and delicious Japanese food that is served fast and conveniently in a comfortable atmosphere makes U:Don a really lovely place to eat out at. U:Don has a really warm, inviting and comfortable atmosphere. It is also very clean and sanitary which, when you think about some other restaurants on the ave, is really quite a wonderful thing. As many have mentioned, the process of ordering is really simple; you first pick up a tray, tell the guy what Udon you want, udon noodles go into a bowl, broth goes into the bowl, and then you get to choose your toppings which include wakame, grated ginger, green onions and on-tama. Then you get to choose sides of various Japanese appetizers--typical things like tempura and takoyaki. At the end when you get to the register, you then can ask for things such as drinks, or desserts. The food is delicious and great for those cold, rainy Seattle days! But even during the summer U:Don would be a great place to go to because they serve great cold dishes as well. The staff is so wonderful, kind, patient and considerate! When I was picking out my sides, I was told by a staff member "If you see anything you'd like, we can make a fresh batch for you!" And their uniforms have a cute ":D" logo on them which really gives them a friendly appearance, haha. I have a few little nit-picky complaints about U:Don! First, some of their items are a little expensive, like the sides, the bottled Japanese drinks and the dessert--all things you could bus down to Uwajimaya for and get for cheaper. Second, sometimes their udon broth is really salty, which gives it more of a western touch and detracts from the delicate Japanese "umami" taste. I usually order kitsune udon and it's fine, but when my sisters and I went here, they ordered a curry udon and a niku udon. Both had salty broths and had to dilute it with my broth. Besides that, everything else about U:Don is great. What impresses me the most about U:Don is how inviting it is. Sometimes it's hard/uncomfortable to eat out by yourself, especially at certain restaurants, but udon has wonderful seating and has a very Japanese-like bar seating that both people who and who are not eating with others can sit at in peace and enjoy their udon.

    (4)

  • Jamie R.

    This joint has been on my list for what seems like forever, and this week I finally go my chance to go and I am so glad I did! I had the curry udon, and chose a few tempura items from the hot bar, the squash, broccoli and also a piece of karage chicken. The chicken was delicious and super moist, I almost went back and bought more. The tempura wasn't soggy, it was nice and crisp as it should be!! Now the udon, mmmm the udon. Nice thick perfectly cooked noodles and a rich curry broth, oh so good. The staff wasn't too friendly, not rude, but not friendly. The facility was nice and clean and we had no trouble finding a table. Great joint all the way!

    (5)

  • Carolyn T.

    First time I've been here and I love it! The large was way larger than I expected, the staff is incredibly nice and the soup is wonderfully flavorful. The staff is very friendly, offered to tempura fry fresh items if I didn't see anything I wanted. Definitely will be coming back here again to try a different flavor!

    (5)

  • Jade L.

    Love how they make their own noodles with their udon noodle machine. They have a cafeteria style restaurant and a tempura bar, very similar to Marukame Udon in Waikiki, Hawaii if anyone has ever been. I ordered the On-tama Udon with the seaweed, green onions, and a spoonful of ginger, which added some nice heat. Very good broth, although a little saltier than I normally liked and nice chewy noodles. Cleanliness of the restaurant was a little questionable. It didn't feels super clean (tables not wiped down between patrons). I was a little scared to use the water cups that were left out by the soda fountain. But overall, a good eat at a good price.

    (3)

  • Annie T.

    This place will receive 5 stars from me for now since it is the only place in Seattle that serves freshly made udon. I believe they copied their design from Marukume in Hawaii, but it's a great idea! The niku udon is my favorite, with all the toppings of course. It's hard to skip over the tempura line as you are walking down, so I'm always picking up a croquette as well. It's the best deal if you come with a friend and order a large bowl, but if you don't want to share then small/med is more than enough. The soup is light and fresh and if you didn't buy any deep fried stuff, then it's a super healthy meal! That's the biggest selling point for me, which is I can decide when to indulge and when to hold back. This is one of the best restaurants on the Ave right now, though it a bit farther up. I'm glad to see the Ave expanding beyond the usual pho/teriyaki/thai.

    (5)

  • Kimmy C.

    When hungry and don't feel like cooking eat something different on the ave. In case you don't feel like eating pad thai, pizza, or chicken teriyaki covers majority of University Ave's small restaurants, U:Don is an awesome place for a new change. U:Don makes there noodles fresh and I would have to say that these noodles taste way better than the store bought package noodles in the cold section. They are also loaded with salt. I think that the broth for the U:Don place is a bit bland but you can probably add toppings or choose one of the saucy bowls for more flavor I bet. I think the next two I want to try are the new tan tan noodles and the curry udon. Be careful with adding additional sides! This place could get really pricey. I reached 10 dollars with a small bowl of noodles and two sides. Also, I think coming in busy hours will probably be the best time. I wonder how long do the tempura sides sit in the "buffet" sides? Choose wisely! Otherwise, totally worth checking out if its not feeling like a pad thai or chicken teriyaki kind of night.

    (4)

  • Rachel A.

    I have to say, a "tempura bar" is one of those things that sounds good on paper and then in practice, not so great. Why do you want fried things that have just hung around on a tray for a while? Despite that, I did try a kabocha slice. Not worth $1. The udon is nice, although not particularly memorable (I had the chilled noodles with a poached egg). The staff were friendly, at least. Another place in the U-district tried, another hundred to go!

    (3)

  • Sunny H.

    Always a fun place. Like their noodles a lot but I've definitely had better. I like mine chewier and softer. I also am not a big fan of soggy tempuras. I know it's inexpensive, but...

    (3)

  • Steven L.

    This is by far the best udon I've had. The place is located right on the Ave so you shouldn't have a problem finding it. The noodles are made fresh and you can definitely taste it. One of the best parts of this place is that it's made to order. Nothing really sits out (expect the fried food) until you order it. If you're a beef guy, Nikku don is the best! I'm a huge broth guy ( pho is one of my favorite places to eat) and the broth here is awesome! 5 stars!!

    (5)

  • Noriko A.

    When growing up in Japan, my parents would drive us for hours just to eat these home made noodles that were worth the day drive. Those noodles were so specials that people drove hours just like we did to get a $5 bowl of noodles. I was so looking forward to the short 30-min drive to try this place and enjoy a soulful bowl of home-made udon noodles. Yes, the only place in Seattle offering home-made udon. This was supposed to be my food therapy of the day. I walked out of the place after my bowl of udon feeling as if I'd just gotten an unsatisfying full-body massage. It was "good" but I wouldn't call it special. It looked and tasted very authentic; however, it didn't have the "wow" or soothing factor I was looking for. I will try it again when I am back in the area and see if I happened to have visited the restaurant on an off day. It is definitely fun to be able to "design" your own bowl of soup.

    (3)

  • Praisye S.

    After hearing a good review about this place. Me and my friend came to eat here for dinner for the first time, a couple days ago. I am not a fan of their cafeteria style, but for the price of the food that is fairly cheap. I can't complain about it. I was about to give this place 4 stars on my review, because I like their food! But one thing that really bothering me was when the gentleman who helped me and my friend, grabbing our udon with BARE hand! GROSS! I read a lot of review about this, that I really hope that the owner will take care this issue. So, I think giving this place 3 stars is fair enough, right? =)

    (3)

  • Sean C.

    I have always wanted to come to this restaurant. If I had chosen the traditional UW route instead of working full time and going to school full time online, I imagine I would eat here all the time. This is a very decent place Once before, I ventured in here but couldn't figure out how to order and was intimidated and left. Today I went with a friend and we totally figured it out. We walked in and read a board that listed all of the different udon dishes. They're adequately priced and they have extra traditional treats you can buy. This is the first restaurant I've seen that has a Jones Soda fountain!!! I ordered a medium bowl, and should've ordered a small. It's very cultural because you have to eat with chop sticks. But the noodles are delicious and flavorful. This is a really reliable restaurant and I recommend.

    (4)

  • Jay M.

    Winter in Seattle sucks. I'm as far away from being a rain person as possible so the drizzling gloom that envelops Seattle for months at a time usually puts me in a lethargic mood. On days like that, I like to come to U:Don and enjoy a nice medium udon with lots of tempura. The staff is always very friendly, the wait time is pretty much non-existent (the food is delivered Chipotle style) and the quality is outstanding. I'm a fan of simplicity and U:don delivers. Choose your soup and size and it's prepared in front of you. Move your tray towards the cashier and choose from a wide selection of tempura prepared fresh. The noodles are chewy but soft and the broth is filling. The ambiance is quite nice although it is located on one of the sketchiest blocks of the U-district and parking will be a pain.

    (5)

  • Mailani W.

    I've ate at U:Don half a dozen times, and it consistently delivers ultra delicious, house-made, udon noodles served your style. If it wasn't for their one and only dreadful location on the Ave, my opportunity to eat more udon than pho could be plausible one day. Top three I recommend are the curry udon, niku (aka beef udon), and Kitsune (pronounced kitsu-nay udon aka fried and marinated tofu pouch). You'd be crazy not to get the raw seaweed, ginger, scallion extras they offer to top off your bowl. It makes it complete and derish-ous! The curry is Japanese style, so it's really mild, but packs a lot of flavor, and coats the piping hot noodles like butter. Make sure you're not wearing a fancy shmancy white shirt since curry backsplashes just..happen.. Unless you are savagely hungry or a big guy, a small bowl is plenty for me, especially when you add the tempura/sides to your tray. It's kind of odd that the chicken kara-age is only 40 cents a piece and the kabocha squash tempura is a dollar. The veggie tempura can add up so keep tabs on that so you're not shocked by your $15 bowl of udon. They have spam musubis and onigiri (rice ball triangles with nori) on the warmer and open up at 11:30 am! That is golden breakfast/lunch/snack/4th meal food to go people.

    (4)

  • Brigette S.

    I love this place alot! I'm a vegetarian and they have an amazing veggie soup udon. The price is definatwly reasonable. I usually get a small or medium and it definatwly will fill you up! the tempura is good, not great but definatwly worth getting. The tempura sauce is amazing as well. They have shakers on the table that are filled with red little bits and sesame seeds(I don't know what it's called) but I definatwly reccomend to put it in your udon! It adds a little spice and isn't overwhelming. If your thinking about going , GO!

    (5)

  • Alexandra M.

    Best udon place in U-District for sure! Infinitely better than Samurai Noodle. It's got a cafeteria setting - basically like Chipotle or Subway for udon. Going to come here a lot more often now that the weather is perfect for hot udon every night.

    (4)

  • Chris W.

    Very pleased with the friendly service, prices, food quality, offerings, and heck, the entire atmosphere here. I went looking for a cheap place to grab grub before a movie, and assumed it was your standard noodle house. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with Samurai Noodle's success, but this place is clean and sleek and offers a few nice western/local touches like Jones fountain drinks. All of our dishes were pleasantly spiced, the tan tan udon was enough to get a friend soup-drunk with chiles and a nice sesame toastiness. I had the plain soup, a simple dashi broth that didn't lack for flavor, and the sides offered much more than simple potato croquettes, they had decent takoyaki, and some sort of corn fritters with lobster bits. I finally have a place I'll visit often in the U-district other than Pam's, hooray!

    (4)

  • Kate S.

    Udon noodles done Subway style. Pick the noodle. Pick the style. Pick your size. Pick your protein, toppings, and sides. Then slurp away. I've heard a lot of good things, but I admit being wary walking into this joint. Cuz really, something like this could crash and burn. Luckily for our party of 5 it did not! I got the spicy tan tan udon -- soup style and hot! And I can say "no" to the green onions!? Awesome! The medium bowl was bigger than my head...so I sadly avoided all the awesome skewers and tempura fried goodness they offered further down the assembly line. Which was a good thing, because I didn't finish my soup. Not for want of trying! It was DELICIOUS! The broth was bright, with a heat that continued to build so much (they give warnings about the tan tan) that I ended up refilling my ginger ale (Jones soda on tap people!) like 4 times. The spicy pork was killer. And the noodles (which are cooked to order folks) were thick, chewy, and delightfully slurpable. And VERY filling. The sips of broth from the curry and uh, Im guessing standard soups were all excellent as well. For fast food this place does you right. Congrats U:Don for offering cheap food on the Ave that is actually enjoyable to eat!

    (4)

  • Michael K.

    Love at first visit, but upon second look, several shortcomings. The good: they make the noodles right there at a fare price, served up fast. The bad: irritating pop music, pricey, soggy fried side dishes, lack of atmosphere.

    (2)

  • Jack V.

    I live outside Seattle and my trip to this place is worth it. the food is awesome and also the employees. Customer Service at its best. Fortunately there was no line atthe time of my vist!

    (5)

  • Chelsea S.

    Not to put anyone on the spot but I think a person who isn't Asian would only give this place a 5/5 star review. You're paying for something here, that you can get at a store and make at home for HALF of the Price! Although the people that work at this spot, are extremely NICE so thats a plus and it saves you the hasle. The decor was for more of a show, then for comfort, looks cheap to be honest. Liked the Jones soda Fountain Machine and I thought that the Leche flan pudding cups, with the little spoons were cute. Didn't like that you had to pay extra, for a to go bowl. Don't think I'll come back here again.

    (2)

  • Lisa N.

    I have a new favourite Japanese noodle joint! U:Don is not only adorable (the :D is enough to win me over alone), it is clean, inexpensive, full of choices, and smells (and tastes) delicious! The place is set up in a cafeteria/Chipotle-esque manner; there is a helpful visual menu at the entrance and you get to watch them make the noodles FRESH as you're waiting in line. I was so fascinated by the guy preparing the noodle dough that I barely noticed that I was standing in a line. When you get up to the ordering area you inform them what kind you'd like (I got niku udon with sukiyaki braised beef, ginger, onions, green onions, and tasty broth and my friend got on-tama -- topped with an egg!) and they prepare it right in front of you. There's a little tray with optional tempura flakes should you so desire to dress your noodles with flaky goodness, which I of course did. Following the noodle station there are trays of tempura vegetables, takoyaki, onigiri, karaage, and various other sides that you can add to your tray. My food was absolutely stellar-- the thick noodles were cooked perfectly (not remotely mushy, not too firm) and the broth was flavourful, savory, and married the ginger and mirin/soy flavours from my beef perfectly. I ordered a small and it was plenty of food, especially with my supplemental takoyaki balls (also excellent). The seating area is very simply designed with a bench/bar running alongside the ordering line, a few booths for larger groups, and some tables. Part of me really hopes they don't get too busy to become a takeout-only joint for me, but part of me also really hopes they garner a ton of business and expand because everybody should be able to experience fresh, high quality noodles. :)

    (5)

  • Nanako E.

    First, let me say that I am Japanese. I go back to Japan every summer to visit relatives. So I know a thing or two about Japanese cuisine. I was a bit skeptical coming here...I was expecting it to be like any other noodle shop: mediocre, bland, and overpriced. This was not the case at U:Don. I was first greeted by the friendly staff when I walked in. The menu was simple and easy to figure out. I got the niku udon (I got a medium, but I could probably easily get full off of a small). They pile fresh ginger and green onions on top, and you can top it off with tempura flakes if your heart desires. After you get your noodles, you can choose from a variety of side dishes, including Japanese fried chicken and an assortment of tempura (even half-boiled egg tempura!) I got a piece of the fried chicken (its been a favorite dish of mine since I was little) and the satsumaimo (sweet potato) tempura. All this for a bit over $7.50. The broth was full of flavor but not overpowering, the noodles were the perfect texture, and the meat was cooked and flavored just right. I can safely say this place is a legitimate Japanese udon shop. Reminds me of the udon shop I go to in Japan near my grandma's house. :)

    (5)

  • Kelly M.

    this place was great! It is cold and grey a lot here and whats better on a cold day than hot soup? Hot soup with the most flavorful tofu and a tempura buffet. Yep, TEMPURA BUFFET. So delicious. I like the Udon soup or sauce with marinated tofu and then, as far as the tempura goes, the Japanese sweet potato, kabucha, green beans, broccoli, and mushrooms. My mouth is genuinely watering thinking about this.

    (5)

  • Jen T.

    What a bummer! I was pretty excited to hear that there was a udon restaurant in Seattle. However, this place was a major let down. The concept was a bit tricky and different to to Seattle and in order to be successful- the team should probably be a little more helpful in assisting the customers in their orders. Granted they were pretty new- the whole staff was pretty unorganized and there were maybe what seemed to be about 8 people standing behind the counter just staring. After we finally asked for assistance in how the whole process worked- we realized that it was like a Hospital Cafe. You pick up a wooden tray and would order what type of udon you wanted. ( which in this case the gentleman who served this udon dipped his bare thumb in my udon- GROSS) then you would continue to slide your tray on ( the trays would make a screetchy noise- perhaps they have not oiled the counters or polished the trays enough) You then come upon what is a hot bar semi filled with tempura fried veggies/ protein. Each was priced as you pick- just like a hospital cafeteria. After selecting your items- you are then rung up. The Udon itself was decent- nothing special. I understand it is fresh- but I honestly could not taste the difference between that and the frozen udon you would get at the asian grocery store. The broth was basic. The tempura was half cold and perhaps since it had been sitting on the hot bar for a while it was almost stale crunchy/ greasy. The clear cheap tempura type. :( Bummer. A bowl of udon, 1 takoyaki stick, 1 piece of Chicken Karage, 1 Shrimp tempura, and 1 fish cake. total:$10 I would take this money down the street and get a $5 bowl of pho- definitely more fulfilling and worth it. ;)

    (2)

  • Linda L.

    So, I would like to preface this by saying I once made udon for a living. I say this because I saw another low rating where someone said that it was likely bad because they just didn't know enough about how to make udon tasty. When I walked in, I was happy with the general layout of the restaurant and the listed prices. This was to be incredibly short lived. I ordered a soup udon, assuming I would be given the ingredients needed to make it taste like something other than noodles in slightly flavorful water. They had proteins available, like shrimp tempura. However, they lacked shittake mushrooms (which a soup udon generally tastes terrible without), no red ginger, they did not offer kamaboko (a fish cake), and if there was any mirin in the soup base it must have been microscopic amounts. The noodles themselves are advertised as being hand shaven. They tasted exactly like the sort you can buy in single serving plastic wrap at the store for a dollar. If they really are hand shaven, they should be embarrassed to advertise as such. I padded my meal with some karaage (a sort of Japanese fried chicken that is great to dip in butter/mayo) and they did not have any butter/mayo for this. Also, the karaage looked about as appetizing as leprosy. I got it anyway, as I often find looks can be deceiving. In this case, it also tasted like leprosy. I put a piece of shrimp tempura in my soup, and it was the only edible part of the whole meal. When I saw that Yelp had 8 favorable reviews, I was not surprised. When I walked in the restaurant I was greeted by an army of noodle jockeys. I counted 7 people behind the counter. This means the staff outnumbered the guest 4 to 1. You'd think one of these people would offer to help the less knowledgeable on what is good in different sorts of udon. However, it makes sense they wouldn't offer this as clearly not a single one of them has the slightest clue. tl;dr version: Avoid like that crazy ex who stole your cat.

    (1)

  • tomoko y.

    Did you know they have different style of udon in each city in Japan? Just like we have different style of BBQ pork in USA..... So, I understand some American yelpers were not that into U:don's udon if they'd never had Sanuki style before....but that's OK :) I am from Japan, and the Sanuki style udon is my favorite kind of Udon (this style is originally from Kagawa in Japan). And U:don make good one. Yes, they do.

    (5)

  • Audrey F.

    One of my favorite places to eat on the ave. The broth is great, noodles are perfect texture and the price is reasonable. The price can get expensive fast when you pile on the tempura, so proceed with caution. Try the soup on-tama, it's my favorite.

    (5)

  • Daniel P.

    Yum! This is a great place to go to for lunch. The noodles fill you up without making you feel stuff. The sides are also very good. Overall, the taste is very authentic and simple.

    (5)

  • Shari d.

    I came here for Lunch today since I was in the area on business. I had read about it online and in the Ibuki magazine so I thought I would give it a try. I ordered the small Kake-Udon which is labled "Soup Udon" and added some complimentary tempura bits. I also got a piece of Kabocha and Shrimp Tempura. Add a soda and the total was $7.81. Not bad for what I got. The soup was light which is how I like it, I hate it when it is overly salty and tasting of too much shoyu. The shrimp tempura was light and crispy, perfectly cooked and all around yummy. The pumpkin was OK. I wish they had kamaboko but that is OK. All in all I got exactly what I wanted at a price that is cheaper than most others. I am coming back.

    (4)

  • Bond H.

    I'm addicted to this place. Fast, affordable and delicious.

    (5)

  • Hai Yen N.

    It's easy to get carried away here. I ordered the regular soup noodle and then grabbed way too many tempura items: kabocha, mushroom, shrimp, sausage. The tempura batter was just the right amount; it was crispy and had that great fried flavor without being greasy. My udon was the perfect texture, firm and toothsome. And the soup broth was flavorful, salty and a little sweet and very soothing. I felt like I piled my tray high and my total still came out under $10! The kids who work here are really nice and it's clean and bright. Great spot for a quick and filling dinner.

    (4)

  • Lilly T.

    Love the concept & the fact that they make fresh udon but wasn't impressed with the broth. I got the niku udon which is the kind that comes with sukiyaki beef. The broth wasn't too flavorful and had only a faint flavor of the sukiyaki. I was also disappointed that it only came with about 3 small slices of beef! The noodles are nice & firm and you know it's freshly made because you see them cutting it while you wait in line for your order! I love that you can also add all kinds of sides like tempura, karage, takoyaki, etc for a small additional price. Very affordable & quick! Clean space and very friendly service. Wouldn't go out of my way to come here but definitely worth a try.

    (3)

  • Ulysses L.

    U:Don - supposedly pronounced (YOU-don), is a nice little udon noodle place crammed between 45th and 47th st (a lady asked me where it was once...I had to look around for a sec before realizing it was just across the street - you might miss it if you walk by quickly). It's cafeteria style, so just take your tray, get your noodles and soup base, then add on stuff like tempura or karage. PROS: This little restaurant falls into the same category as Samurai Noodle and Blue C Sushi in the sense that it's VERY CHIC and contemporary in style - far from a traditional restaurant, this place boasts a look that says yes, we paid some designers quite a lot to make this place look nice. The prices are fine, a BIT MORE THAN I'D LIKE TO PAY for udon noodles (around 7-9 dollars with toppings), but hey, not bad. It's tasty, but not particularly spectacular. I think the best thing about this place is that it's CAFETERIA STYLE, and the lines seem to go quickly. CONS: My friend I went with said the cooks did not greet us, which I didn't notice - they say something quickly in what is presumably Japanese (.....well, if you don't know Japanese, you can assume they said stuff correctly...) which might have been a greeting. At best, an unenthusiastic "Iraasssssshaiiiiimasldhhfsjkhd" Some of the topings are a bit expensive. $1 for a short shrimp tempura? No thanks. Nobody likes a soft, soggy shrimp either - it looked like a dejected Finding Nemo character. As a former tempura chef, the tempura here's not all too great. ALL THE NOODLES LOOK THE SAME: they just use the same Udon noodles, with different soup bases Bottom line is, if you get a Large, you will be full, and the noodle's aren't bad and the prices aren't either. If you want other "side dishes" (toppings), they got that stuff too, like onigiri and vegetable tempura. Come here with your buddies for lunch sometime!

    (3)

  • Daniel L.

    Okay, I know most people are probably disappointed seeing yet ANOTHER noodle place on the ave, but I must express just how refreshing it is to FINALLY have a place that sells strictly udon. What's even better is that these guys are doing it right! (also, I give these guys extra points for making the restaurant look SO much nicer, compared to the acid trip veggies and cheese faces of the old Pita Pit) It is cafeteria style so you grab a tray, order from the people behind the counter, and they serve you within a couple of minutes. It's an extremely quick and efficient system, and because of it I can see this place thriving. They have 6-7 different varieties of Udon soup combinations, and after you get your noodles you can choose a bunch of different tempura options that are individually priced. Really sweet idea! However one thing that was disappointing to me is that they rarely have shrimp tempura because it is so popular... Either way, this place is going to get my regular business, especially to warm myself up during this cold winter season. Great noodles and food at a great price!

    (4)

  • Munya S.

    On a rainy, dreary night in Seattle, the body craves comfort food. U:Don satisfies that craving just perfectly, at college-friendly prices to boot. The wait can be a little long, but it's worth it. Before you go any further, pay attention: it does matter which dish you order as they really vary. My dining companion had the "udon soup" while I had the "sauce udon." Sauce udon won by a long shot. Order it hot (not cold) with the green onions, ginger, and seaweed, and ask for chili oil on top. Stir it all together and alternate between spooning the liquid goodness into your mouth and slurping the noodles with chopsticks. It is oh so flavorful. {The udon soup, on the other hand, was pretty bland and the "soup" part was more water than broth.} I'll definitely come back here when I'm feeling under the weather and my soul needs a pick-me-up. You should too.

    (4)

  • Mei I.

    Needed a to go order, getting my 3 dishes took less than 10 minutes! the oroshi udon, sauce udon, and nikku udon were all delicious. I was a little hesitant, since my expectations are always high for Japanese restaurants, but U:don most definitely met expectations. anyone looking for some good Japanese food, look no further!

    (4)

  • Ashley D.

    I've been meaning to try this place out forever since I love udon, so I was excited when I finally got a chance to go with a friend. She recommended the curry udon, so I took her recommendation and decided to try it out. They serve you the udon at the front and then you go past almost like a salad bar of different things to buy such as tempura and onigiri. Though, the tempura and onigiri are pretty expensive considering how much you get (one piece) and how easy and cheap it is to make of the items they had available. I ended up getting a piece of shrimp tempura with my small bowl of udon and didn't expect it to be almost $10. I really wish this place were as amazing as I expected, but the udon wasn't anything mind blowing and definitely not worth the amount of money I paid for it; I even ended up pretty hungry still after finishing both the udon and the tempura. Since this place is so close to other places such as Thai Tom where the food is outstanding, around the same price (or cheaper), and much more filling I don't think I will be returning to U:Don.

    (3)

  • Lisa Maria K.

    quick - convenient - yummy! what better could you ask for in a college district as far as food goes? the choices are diverse yet clear cut and the layout of ordering/self service is great. the noodles are hand made which i appreciate, a bit thick but nonetheless filling, combined with the heart warming broth - we have winning combination. pricing is decent and affordable. **try all the tempura's & other sides, i especially like the curry croquette** happy eating :)

    (4)

  • Carolyn J.

    Came to eat here for dinner with a couple of my girlfriends and I was pretty stoked to try it. My girlfriends ate here for dinner the previous night and exclaimed U:Don to be the cutest restaurant with the best broth. I opted for the soup udon--nothing to it, just broth and diced green onions. The broth was too bland for my taste but with a whole lot of chili powder seasoning, it was somewhat difficult to let down the spoon. The noodles weren't fully cooked but otherwise the overall udon soup was delicious. I wouldn't mind coming back here, but probably not for awhile. The curry udon is remarked to be quite good, I might be a bit skeptical but go for it!

    (2)

  • Eric N.

    A very nice alternative to ramen I ordered a large curry udon along with shrimp tofu. Hot broth, flavorful curry beef, and fresh chewy udon makes me a fan of this place. Definitely a nice spot to eat on the Ave.

    (4)

  • Yiling W.

    It seemed like a pretty good pick when i got to the door as more and more students showed up to wait for them to open at 11:30. So i went here for udon take out, and they have a good system down for keeping the items separate so your noodles don't get too bloated and your chicken karaage doesn't go soggy before you get home to combine it all. Besides that, there's a good variety of a la carte items to choose from, and the broth base is savory delicious while the noodles are cooked to the right degree. Yum.

    (5)

  • Vanessa K.

    So, I like other Ave goers have been watching them set up shop for awhile now, wondering just what was gonna replace the Pita Pit. I was surprised they decided to open over the holidays, but once they did I invited a friend to go try it out with me over lunch. First off,I love the simple birch-wood interior, and the big menu board with photos and prices first thing makes it very easy to figure out what you want. I don't understand these people who say they have a hard time ordering. Have you ever been to Chipotle? Same basic idea. I ordered the curry udon and my friend got the kitsune and we were both very happy with our orders. In fact, I get cravings for the curry udon now, and I've never had any Japanese-style curry before. it's very good and I highly recommend if you've never had it. I went back a second time by myself a few days ago to get more curry udon, and they were out of lids for the sodas, but a few bumps for a new business that has been as busy as theirs is to be expected. The staff was super nice about it and I love the group hello/goodbye you get when coming and going. All in all, they have the flavor, the price is right and the portions are good. I expect they will go far on the Ave.

    (4)

  • Shauna H.

    When I'm volunteering at the Grand Illusion, I usually take a break between the first and second shows to get some food. My night (Wednesday for all you creeps out there!) coincides with A Pizza Mart's all-day happy hour, so I usually park it over there for a cider and a small pizza for not that many dollars. However, I had a bunch of crappy junk to eat last Wednesday and by the time I was at the theater all I wanted was some food that seemed even mildly healthier than a meat-and-cheese-Frisbee, so I checked Yelp and read about this place. Fresh noodles, cheap, and within walking distance of the GI? Sold. When I walked in I was a little overwhelmed; everyone there seemed to know what was going on except me. I ordered a medium On-tama udon which, in hindsight, was way too big for me. The guy I ordered it from fired off a lot of questions at me very fast and it was so loud in there I could barely hear him, but I managed to come away with a bowl of noodles in hot broth, an egg, ginger, green onions, and seaweed. Cool. I made my way down the hot bar and grabbed too many things (as others warned I probably would) - some Japanese pumpkin, some tempura prawns, another thing I don't remember that I ate very fast - and ordered a soda to add to my already full tray. I ended up paying around $11 for all that food which, again, was way too much for me. Next time I think I could get away with something closer to $7 that would be an amount of food I could actually finish. This place is only expensive if you let it be! I found a place to sit, which was an awkward solo table in the middle of the restaurant. I could've parked at the counter, but I like room to spread out, so instead I kind of sat in the anxiety-inducing fishbowl seat among a bunch of college freshmen and kids set to "YELL LEVEL 9". It was cool, like being in a recently remodeled international airport terminal, and the noodles were delicious. This place is cool. The food is good. It's cute. If you don't get to travel a lot in your daily life, this is a good alternative. When the guy with the noodles asks you anything, just say yes - he's probably right.

    (4)

  • Shannon M.

    Tasty, interesting assembly-line style udon. A novel little shop on the Ave- clean, bright, and welcoming. I'll probably be back, even though it was a bit pricey.

    (4)

  • Koichi K.

    ...medium ontama chilled...

    (5)

  • Alex T.

    I was seriously so excited about heading into this restaurant and let me tell you, I was so satisfied! This is a relatively new restaurant that acts more like a buffet line than a sit down restaurant, which is great because noodles in Japan are meant to be eaten quickly (at least for lunch and stuff). I will personally say that although udon is not my favorite type of noodle, this place did not disappoint. You basically just start off and order the type of udon you want, any sides (tempura, TAKOYAKI, etc.) You then pay at the end of the station. Quick, excellent, and simple. I ended up getting the (niku udon), which was their udon with thinly sliced meat which is usually used in sukiyaki. It had a sweet taste and wonderful texture. The noodles themselves were cooked perfectly and I was definitely satisfied! It has a really cool looking decor inside, with lots of single seats at a bar-like table. Definitely will be back!

    (5)

  • Chi-Kit C.

    This place is an udon-lover's paradise- fresh, relatively quick and inexpensive. You grab a tray and line up to order from a few different noodle types. (Some can also be ordered as 'sauce style', instead of the regular soup style) The noodles are literally being made right in front of you. I have to say, it's kinda neat, as I've never seen the process before. There's a great little buffet of tempura. I'm not sure if the selections stay the same daily, but there were items like a bacon-wrapped tomato, kombucha, sweet potatoes, shrimp, as well as chicken karaage. I loved the bright and simple design of the interior. We will be coming back to satisfy our udon cravings.

    (4)

  • May N.

    Udon is one of my favorite types of noodles, so I was ecstatic to know that a new place opened up so close to school. The staff is super friendly and welcoming when you walk in. However, the shouts of welcomes do get a little annoying if it's a busy day and they do it for everyone. I love the concept of semi-self serve. Ordering is super simple with the "instruction board" on the wall and your list of choices. Portions are a very decent size. I'm not one of those girls who stops eating before I'm full. A small size definitely gets me there. I usually go straight to the niku udon (has sukiyaki beef). I am not particularly impressed with the broth and find it kind of flavorless, but the sukiyaki sauce on the beef really helps flavor it. The noodles themselves were quite good and I enjoy the additions of onion and ginger. I always make a point to grab a piece or two of tempura, which I enjoy very much. The mixed vegetable tempura is HUGE and a great deal! The self busing conceptually I'm ok with, but it gets kind of tricky/messy since everyone's order inevitably contains soup. I wish they came up with some way to dispose of all the liquid. At this point, I just see people trying to carefully place their bowls in the bin without splashing themselves. Overall, I like them a lot. I've gone several times and intend to continue doing so. A star off for the bland soup and the busing bins.

    (4)

  • Jenn N.

    I had the Niku Udon. It was a little bland but after I added some soy sauce, it was fine. I ate at a place similar to this in Hawaii and was hoping to relive the experience. The udon was okay, there are a few side dishes you can get after you get your udon but not many choices. I live in Seatac and it was fun to try but I wouldn't drive to the Ave just for this.

    (3)

  • Max Z.

    This is the best udon I have eaten in Seattle. I like watching them use their machine to make noodles from scratch while you wait in line. I really like the À la carte items that you can add. They sometimes leave their tempura items out a bit too long, but considering the short shelf life of tempura after it's been fried I guess it's hard to avoid that.

    (4)

  • Vicki S.

    I adore this place! Fresh, cheap, delicious udon. From the cook warming your bowl with hot water, to perfect soft-boiled eggs and chewy perfectly cooked noodles, this place doesn't feel like like fast food. The sides at the tempura station can be a hit or miss depending on how freshly items are made, so keep that in mind.

    (4)

  • Chris Y.

    The udon is served like a high school cafeteria.... Choose the type of udon you want and move on to the next area where you choose soggy tempura... Sorry soggy tempura is a HUGE NO-NO in my book. I was about to leave when I saw this. Comm'on guys...at least serve fresh fried tempura. The udon is just ok if you're craving udon on the ave, but no way is it deserving of anything more than 3 stars.

    (2)

  • Janet H.

    Just like you get in Japan. Delicious.

    (4)

  • Maria N.

    Really 4.5 stars. Cafeteria-style dining at it's best. They make fresh, handmade udon right in front of you, and pair it with 4-5 types of broth (with some toppings included). As I was standing in line, I noticed that they warm up your bowls with hot water before pouring in the broth and adding noodles. It's those little details that tell me this place is legit. I usually get the regular udon broth. I've tried the kitsune, but found the tofu far too sweet for my taste. The tempura bar is pretty expansive and can be a little pricey, especially if you're like me and practically get one of everything. However, most of the items are very good quality. I loved the flavor of the chicken karaage and the ebi tempura is always perfectly fried. Mega awesome bonus points for having Jones soda carry their fountain drinks. I would love if they could offer an extra-small bowl size. I usually can seriously put away food, but udon is very filling and I've never been able to finish an entire small bowl (probably because I grab too many sides).

    (4)

  • Cameron L.

    Okay the menu was kind of misleading. They had things like plus a soda, plus appetizers with your udon as if it was included in the price. I got the regular udon the first time for a fair price of $5. I loved the fresh udon noodles and it easily beats other udon places on the Ave like Ichiro. The second time i got the curry udon for $7 which was okay. The udon is good, the noodle is fresh, even my Japanese friend said she loved the udon here and for a Japanese person to say that it must be good or at least decent! Give it a try because its the only place to get decent udon on the Ave.

    (3)

  • Andy I.

    The staff here is amazing, and so is the food. The selection process isn't advanced, and they even have pictures of each dish on the wall-menu. I usually get the Kitsune Udon, even though it is one of the pricier dishes, but it tastes so good in my opinion. I have tried over half the menu through all the visits I have been there, and I plan on trying everything eventually. The side dishes are also yummy. I just LOVE their takoyaki, maybe because every time I had a chance to get them, they have literally just created a new batch so it is fresh and awesome. Their service is great, and they promote re-using their take-out bags; if you bring back one of their bags and are ordering to-go again, you get a free dessert!

    (5)

  • Casey P.

    I'd never had udon before, and was pleased with my first experience here. Subsequent times have generally been good, but not always great. When I came here in late 2014 the food was downright terrible (they put ginger or something all over my noodles, which was awful). You start at one end of the counter by choosing your dish. Then the cook will prepare your noodles and you can add toppings if you wish. The service is quick and accommodating for a vegetarian like me.

    (3)

  • Vivian T.

    You walk in and there's a board with all your options. You order and you get your bowl within minutes. Then, you can add any sides you want. I like to get some tempura and a spam musubi! Finally, you pay and find a table. Make sure you bus your own table before you leave! On a cold winter day, I like to just go in for a plain o'l soup udon. When it's hot out, I like to get a cold sauce udon.

    (4)

  • Kayan H.

    Had the tofu udon and tried a few bites of my husband's curry udon... the soup and the noodles were very delicious. The curry broth is a bit thick, so not really for drinking but gave a lot of flavor to the noodles. The tofu was a little weird, think I'll go for meat next time. My husband's curry was supposed to have some pork and there were a few shredded pieces floating around, so could have used more protein. The location was very packed, but super efficient.

    (4)

  • Ruby L.

    Had curry udon and takoyaki. Curry udon is a bit salty and takoyaki is deep fried? Udon is thick and fresh tho.

    (3)

  • RecentSeattlite W.

    Love their noodles! Everyone is super friendly too. Lunch time does get a little crazy and there is normally a line, but it's worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Andrew B.

    I've been really pleased with Udon. It's my favorite place to eat on the Ave. The space is clean and modern. I like to get a small udon and load up on the tempura. I'm happy with the vegetarian options.

    (5)

  • Kate B.

    I find myself craving the curry udon about once a week. I absolutely cannot have enough of it! This is a great place to grab a quick lunch because of the cafeteria-style line that you walk through. The prices for the udon are very cheap but I find the sides are a somewhat expensive for what you get. Usually when I come here I get the curry udon by itself to save some money. The noodles always tastes pipping hot and fresh.

    (4)

  • Leewan L.

    Their taste sort of changed. Not as amazing as before..... Especially for curry udon. But I will still come for their hot spring egg

    (4)

  • Jeff C.

    I ordered the Niku Udon. First time here and they greet you at the door. We didn't wait too long in line and found a place to sit. Udon was fresh and really good. Will definitely come back and try the other Udons

    (4)

  • Annette L.

    I didn't know what to expect from this place but loved the tofu soup. It's open seating so taking a large group before a show at the Neptune took some planning. Service is fast and everyone is friendly.

    (5)

  • Ninja S.

    This is exactly the kind of thing that the Ave needs more of; fast food that is all quickly served in an assembly line by people who are doing simple and hard to screw up tasks. Clearly someone figured out how to make use of the typical college kid worker. Brilliant. This place works by choosing how you want your noodles, those noodles being soup'd, sauce'd, adorned with grated raddish, paired with a dipping sauce, or a couple other serving methods. A bunch of other cool stuff is available in a self-service cafeteria a la carte way and rung up at the register. No waiting. No dicking round. You can walk in here and two minutes later be eating curry udon with takoyaki and ebi fry if you want. You should want.

    (4)

  • Cynthia W.

    Cafeteria style restaurant for Udon noodles. The noodles are very tasty with a good noodle texture which I love

    (5)

  • Melissa L.

    All the different options make it a little overwhelming, but their house made noodles are the perfect texture! The spicy special looked good, but it was just ok. I liked the niku and the on-tama, but my one gripe is the broth isn't hot enough to cook your egg thru. It just kind of melts into your soup and becomes part of the broth. I'm sure some people like it like that, but I like it when it cooks a little on its own in the soup. Your sides are ala carte, don't go overboard because its really filling. I should also mention I thought the medium size would be perfect for me, but it's huge! A small would have been the smarter option. My fiancé ordered a medium as well, and he finished it but felt grossly stuffed haha. My one wish for this place is if they had some non-fried ala carte options, but other than that it's a solid udon place! Also, please note this place kindly asks you to not take pictures of the food, don't be that db snapping photos and uploading them onto yelp/fb!

    (4)

  • Bonnie W.

    I will definitely come back! I am not a fan of noodle but the udon here is cheap, tasty and it has so much variety! The curry udon is a must try! I really love this place! I will come back when i happen to be in seattle again!!

    (5)

  • Kevin P.

    I had better Udon for cheaper price and with better service. First of all, the soup is bland compared to real Japanese Udon. All their tempura sucked, except for shrimp. Honestly, I could give it 1 star, but because this is not Japan and not many people know about Udon, Ill give it 3 stars...but honestly, if u wanna eat real Udon, go to Japan

    (3)

  • Amol B.

    Really good Udon. The noodles and soup are great. Tempura is great and adding the crust to noodles is something you gotta do. I would stay away from the spicy pork - I eat Indian spicy, but this stuff is crazy spicy for me add to that it comes in hot soup. I've been here a few times and gone back happy. I will go again.

    (4)

  • Masha J.

    Color me impressed. I didn't really know what to expect from here when I came with a friend for lunch. For the record: he usually eats twice as much as I do. But the portions here are so big that he couldn't finish his meal (neither could I, obviously). That doesn't mean that it's not delicious though! The broth that they use is so delicious... I wish I could sip on it all day long. The noodles are fresh and not overcooked -- I was really, really surprised! They make each dish right in front of you. Both my friend and I ordered Niku Udon (it seemed like a good place to start). The seaweed isn't too salty. The green onions were freshly chopped and still had a slight crisp-ness if you ate quickly enough (which I LOVE). I was most impressed with the beef, which was soft without being overdone and very flavorful. Their other foods are deep fried in various batters, which I've never particularly been a fan of. I did get two vegetable rolls and they were both crisp on the outside, soft of the inside. They were a little lacking in flavor though. It also says in the description of Niku Udon that it has grated fresh ginger... wasn't really getting any ginger flavors though. That made me a little sad because I absolutely LOVE ginger, but my meal was still delicious even without it. Like someone else mentioned, the environment here is very laid back. You bus your own table (just like everywhere else on the Ave) and there is a varied selection to choose from without being overwhelming. For $8 (and some change), you can get an awesome meal here that blows Chipotle and many, many other establishments on the Ave out of the water. I can see why it gets such rave reviews -- this place is definitely deserving of them. Oh! And before I forget -- staff is SO nice and friendly. Yay!

    (4)

  • Raymondo F.

    There's a seasonal specialty going on right now: tantan udon. You can get it hot/cold (get it cold!) with the works: ginger, green onion, panko crumbs, wakame. It is freakin' awesome!

    (4)

  • Francis C.

    Delicious noodles. Similar experience to Marukame on Oahu, HI. Great Tempura to go with the noodles. I'll definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Shirley Y.

    SO good. SO SO good! This is the only place in Washington I know that makes fresh udon from scratch. None of that prepackaged garbage that 99% of japanese restaturants serve. U:Don is that 1% that takes pride in cooking their noodly goodness to perfection. My go to order is a small hot tan tan noodle with onion, ginger and seaweed. It's served with their housemade chili sauce that is oh so good! I also like to pick up 1 shrimp tempura to dip in the delicious broth and a spam musubi (for later). A girls gotta think ahead right?

    (5)

  • Joanne D.

    I really like their kitsune udon here. The noodles soaked up all the flavor and didn't taste bland like udon I've tried elsewhere. Their broth was sweet and wasn't extremely salty. Can't wait to come back to eat MORE!

    (4)

  • Lana H.

    This is udon heaven! Just seeing fresh udon being made brought tears to my eyes. The art of making really good noodles is a thing of the past. So when I slurped the noodles and the texture and density was perfect I just focused on chewing and savoring each mouthful. I got the large Kitsune udon, shrimp tempura, karaage chicken and the vegetable tempura. The broth for the udon was perfectly done. Not to salty or bland. You know how I feel about the noodles. Shrimp and vegetable tempuras were flaky and not oily at all. The chicken was garlicky but not as crunchy as it should. Loved that it was cafeteria style and the girl helping us was so friendly, customer service goes a long way!

    (4)

  • Jennifer H.

    Whhhhyyyy don't we have a place like this in San Francisco! Udon doesn't get much better than made right in front of you! As a diehard tofu lover, I got the kitsune, while the bf got the curry. Both were fantastic, and as a New Year's special, they had mochi kinchaku that you could add on top. It was soooo delicious! Tried to return here for our last meal in Seattle (:D) , but alas it had just closed (D:).

    (5)

  • L K.

    Tried out on a rainy day. The place is very similar to Marukame Udon in Honolulu, HI where you go down the line, ordering your udon (sizes among S, M, and L), picking out your likes from trays of tempura (I saw fried chicken, string beans, veggies) and onigiri. Then you go find an empty table and eat. I ordered the niku udon which was delicious. I also got a takoyaki skewer ($1.99) which comes with three takoyaki balls. All dishes were reasonably priced and I appreciated them offering different sizes of bowls. I will definitely come back to try out other udon dishes as well.

    (4)

  • James F.

    Ive never met a bowl of udon that i didn't like. This place is great. Different varieties and a tempura buffet with KARAGE!!!!! I got a ton of food and expected to pay $15... it came out to $7. I would come here every day if the U-Dist. wasn't so ghetto.

    (4)

  • Zoey Z.

    Every time I eat here I see 2-3 people walk through the doors, look around bewilderingly, and leave sans noodles. Not sure if this is because they've mistaken it for the Pita Pit manned by stoners that used to be in the location or if they're intimidated by the employees shouting Japanese greetings. Or if they're perplexed by the low wall that is immediately in front of the door. Hint: turn to the right to join the cafeteria-style queue. Anyway the noodles have good texture and the soup broth is very clean tasting, unless you get the tan-tan noodle, in which case the soup tastes like "a slow burn" and "pain". Delicious pain though, it'll turn you into a masochist. Try the fried chicken and black pork sausage sides for your protein fix. The takoyaki is surprisingly good. Mm, octopus balls. Think you don't like squash? Wrong, you like the kabocha tempera. Don't forget to bus your own table or face the disapproving glances of people around you. Oh, the shame!

    (4)

  • Lisa P.

    Oodles of noodles! U:Don is a straightforward cafeteria style set up serving hand crafted udon that is made on site. I had their Niku Udon: soft chewy noodles, sauteed onions with thin slices of beef in a light sweet broth infused with grated ginger and seaweed, and topped off with scallions. They have more than one size, but the small was very filling. In addition, there are other à la carte options such as shrimp tempura and croquette that I've tried; both very crispy and worth the splurge if don't believe one bowl of noodles will be enough. However, if you want some texture of crunchiness in your soup, you could always grab a bowl of complimentary tempura flakes. This place is definitely worth a visit if you're craving a comforting meal with a hot broth and good quality ingredients. They have a lot of options to choose from on their menu, so I can't wait to come back and try their other types of udon!

    (4)

  • Kelly T.

    Get the curry udon with beef. It's delicious. To be honest, I think everything here is good since they make it from scratch. My BF and friend had different broths and they were all delicious. For the price, you cannot beat it. I'm super excited to go back next time I'm near UW

    (5)

  • Amanda L.

    Fun, made-to-order, personalized udon noodle place. It's located in a college area, which was nice to walk around while we waited for it to open. The noodles were made fresh and you get to watch the gentlemen tirelessly fold, pull, and flatten the sheet of noodles to be enjoyed. It was fun being able to make the bowl to one's liking but I honestly felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of selections and the buffet bar of add-ons. i'm a pretty simple person so I tend to go with recommendations of the chef or bowls that have some speciality in it but at this place, it's like subway feel, you pick and choose what you like as you move down the line. Once you're done adding everything onto your bowl, the price can quickly rack up for a bowl of noodles so approach with caution. The reason for the two star is because other than the noodles being made fresh to order, nothing else was. Everything else was pre made and sitting under heat lamps. I'm sure that they add-ons probably don't sit for too long and they attempt to maintain a level of quality.

    (2)

  • Z H.

    Excellent for what it is, which is a quick udon place. I recommend the niku udon, it was delicious. The on-tama udon was only pretty good. I like the speed and variety of options here. Great for the price.

    (5)

  • Mary D.

    Great lunch option in University District. Udon options as soup, with broth (less soupy), or cold/dipping udon. Get one with an egg! Love the tempura a la carte, too. Want one green bean and a sweet potato? Go for it. Huge hunk of broccoli? Yesss. Some dumpling options in a la carte so conceivably you could just do fill up on tempura and skip the udon, but I'm not brave enough to go that route yet. In a vast sea of teriyaki sameness, this place stands out as a healthy, clean alternative.

    (4)

  • Oliver S.

    U:Don is my new favorite noodle soup place in the University District. It's too bad they're located all the way on 45th. The small udon along with tempura side items are good enough to satisfy most appetites. The soup is incomplete without ordering some sides. I've enjoyed their udon both ways: with and without the broth. Both times, I've ended up with a satisfied, full belly. Meals here are awesome because you feel satiated without having that greasy feeling at the end like you just ate something heavy. That's a good feeling to have. Some sides I've tried include the eggplant tempura, chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and the kaki-age. The chicken karaage is made with dark meat and the kaki-age is a tempura ball of an assortment of vegetables. All three sides were delicious, especially when they were dipped in the tempura sauce. I always come back for their chicken karaage. You can't eat too many pieces of chicken karaage and for 50cents a piece, that's a bargain! So...this place is tricky! You come in thinking you're going to spend 6 dollars on a bowl of soup (like you're going out for pho), but the irresistible tempura sides make you end up spending more like 9 dollars! Worth it! The environment is clean and the line servers are nice. Props to the people who work at U:Don. They're super friendly, especially the guy assembling your soup. I enjoy this place a lot, and I could see myself becoming a regular here.

    (5)

  • Kahuku F.

    I really enjoyed my visit to U:don. The udon was fresh, the broth was tasty, but sadly the tempura appears to be left out a little too long. That doesn't mean it wasn't still good, but my green bean tempura was a little on the rubbery side by the time I picked it up. No problem, just put it in some sauce, and we are good to go.

    (4)

  • Rowena D.

    What's there not to like about U:Don? The food is delicious, cheap and the portion size is huge. And...don't forget that their noodles are made in house too! So far, my two favorite dishes are their Niku Udon and the On-Tama Udon. I also like the option of having your Udon with broth or not. Restaurants that focus on one type of dish are common in Japan and its nice to see this type of restaurant in Seattle. I hope more restaurants like this one sprout up.

    (5)

  • Cindy H.

    This place is so adorable. I like the curry udon. I enjoyed the view because you get to watch them make the noodles and everything is so coordinated. You pick a type of udon and then you add on your side dishes. And you put everything together on a tray. I think this is very efficient but it doesn't make the line move quicker and people eat faster. It's always packed and very hard to find seats. We always had to have someone standing in line and someone sitting at a table and saving it for us. I also tried their flan dessert, and let's just say nope. I didn't like it and it was nothing special. Also I thought it was homemade but it came already prepackaged so I thought that was odd since they make everything fresh. But of course I just can't stop coming here because their noodles are just too yummy.

    (4)

  • Tophuu L.

    Love the fresh udon noodles. I ordered the spicy one and it was too oily. Love the spice but could do without all the oil in it.

    (4)

  • C. K.

    Whoa is this subway? This place has a unique style of ordering, allowing you to mix and match different udon and toppings, really letting you have your udon the way you like it. The place is pretty convenient for any UW students, but not so much for others. Located at the middle of u-district, it is almost impossible to find cheap parking without walking 8 minutes. The inside is very clean, having antique Japanese udon bar feel as well as a modern style to the wall, table, and chair decorations. Udon, as far as I can taste, tastes pretty accurate with hand-made noodles and deep tasting soup. Udons are fairly cheap as well for the size. One downside is that the side dishes need improvements. For the price, it just taste mediocre. Nothing much to say for customer service. There are no servers, and you only really interact with the one who you order to and the cashier. However they were very friendly and welcoming. Definitely worth looking into if you are craving some nice warm udons

    (4)

  • Rachel H.

    U have got to get some U:don. From the minute you walk into the door and see the giant pasta machine churning out freshly made udon, watch it being placed directly into boiling water, being taken out and handed down the line immediately into a bowl to be ladled with steaming broth, you know you have stumbled on to something special. (You and the rest of the world, of coarse, so be prepared for some slight waits around the lunch rush.) We like the On-toma Udon (the hot, sauced version), the curry Udon and the serve-yourself tempura with unusual vegetables including eggplant, asparagus and kabocha squash. The staff was friendly, knowledgable, and fun. As tasty as the food is, the restaurant does feel like a cafeteria. But its a nice and stylish cafeteria with swedish modern design components, black and white photos on the walls, and blonde wood benches. The only major ding, and this is very much worth mentioning since the front of the house and the food here is really enjoyable, is that cleanliness in the bathrooms was an major afterthought. The back area was really unfortunate. It was kinda like camping folks. Even the hallway floor leading to the bathrooms is a mess, lined with stock that apparently will later be used in the dining room, including plastic cups, straws, and silverware. I could have lived without seeing that.

    (3)

  • C Y.

    I was finally able to go to U-don. It was one Saturday afternoon, and I think we were in line for about 30 minutes. I had the Bukkake (Sause Udon) this time, and would like try Kitsune or Curry Udon next time.

    (4)

  • Helen S.

    Ordered Niku udon to go... They forgot to the beef in and charged me the price of Niku udon :(

    (3)

  • Ninette C.

    After all the excitement, I finally got to try this place out today! I hadn't had kitsune udon since I had been in Japan (except a bad serving at Genkhi once) so I was excited they had that (medium) and I ordered that with vegetarian broth, one egg and one potato croquette. My boyfriend had the medium niku udon with one egg, one piece of tempura and a piece of onigiri. Shockingly, this came to $20! While that isn't expensive, its not quite as cheap as I hoped. It really adds up so be careful I liked my udon! The vegetarian broth is much sweeter than the normal broth which I found odd! My boyfriend thought the food was fine, but basic. I was kind of suspicious as to how different the portion sizes were. I saw someone with a huge egg-sized bowl which we guessed was large. If not, they didn't seem that different. I also like the simplistic decor of this place and all the calling out in Japanese. I still want to try...all the noodles! Thank you U:Don for providing us with a much better alternative than rat-infested Pita Pit!

    (4)

  • Nazanin R.

    My co-worker and I come here at least once a week for lunch. In fact, I ate there today for lunch. I've joked that they put crack in their noodles, they're that good. I've tasted all their noodle dishes, and I can't decide on a favorite. The texture of the noodles is wonderful. The tempura is delicious (seriously, best shrimp tempura I've ever had). Protip: If you like spicy noodles, get the Tan-Tan Udon. It's not on the main menu, you'll see a little note at the counter where you go to order with a description. There's ground pork and hellfire in it. And it's delicious.

    (5)

  • Vikki C.

    My friend and I came here for a late night dinner the other day. It was our first time there and the waiters/chefs were all very friendly. The food was decent: I had a small curry udon and my friend had a medium kitsune udon. For the price, they actually gave quite a bit of noodles, and the taste of the food wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special either. The udon seemed like something I could make myself at home. The unique thing about this place would have to be the tempura bar. There was quite a large selection but it seemed like the various items had been sitting out for a while and didn't look very appetizing..needless to say..I decided to not venture down that path. Overall this place was decent and is another option on the ave, but there are better options on the ave.

    (3)

  • Jennifer B.

    A lighter soup for the Ave. I was watching this place being built as I would pass by from time to time. They opened and I like the concept. The soup needs some work as well as the hot items that you put in it but I think it has hope and potential. They need to work on more flavor and fresher side items.

    (3)

  • Nate W.

    I have to give Udon the nod as a sure staple on The Ave. In me, they left a first time customer happy and open to coming back. A few things stand out about this place when you compare it to its U-District neighbors. First, its clean, really clean. Restaurants that cater to students often skimp on cleanliness. Since these places compete on price, students can get into the habit of being fixated on the final bill. Udon makes me feel like I am sitting in a noodle shop downtown. Second, the ingredients are fresh. How do I know? Well you probably noticed every mentioning it, but they make the noodles in house. Right in front of customers as a matter of fact. This just doesn't happen in this neck of the woods. It shows as well. Their noodles are wonderful. Third, the price is (as mentioned) competitive. Students and U-District guests will definitely be willing to fork over 7-8 dollars. You get so much more than the tasty food. *Personally I would shoot for Pho over Udon Soup, but check it out if noodle soup is your thing. You just might fall in love!

    (4)

  • Russell L.

    This udon joint is legit. At face value, the udon is really good. When you're used to packaged udon from Uwajimaya like I am, then this fresh udon is @#$%@# great! I tried the large curry udon + a spicy salmn onigiri and it was $10 and some change. I walked away quite full and satisfied. The beef curry was savory and flavorful and chock full of carmelized/melty onions. The noodles were perfect. I'm definitely going back.

    (5)

  • Danielle C.

    The interior of this restaurant is so cute. I especially like how the :D is incorporated in the name. I got the kitsune (tofu) udon with nothing but tempura flakes on it. I was left a bit underwhelmed. The soup was also kind of bland - at first, it looked like it was just hot water being put into the bowl. Weird. Pricing is reasonable I guess - starts at $5/bowl and gets more expensive the more fancy/bigger the bowl is. You can get tempura for like $1 each. I think this place is okay for college students (especially since the UW area has a lot of Asians), but I demand a lot more for my udon!

    (3)

  • Eric S.

    Great spot, can be busy though but people come in and out quickly. Cheap, the large is actually very big, I would suggest medium with few sides to do you well. Even a small and some sides would be satisfying. If this is your first time eating udon, then this place would be a great place to start. Very relaxed atmosphere, and enjoyable environment.

    (4)

  • Tim H.

    Curry Beef Udon, you are my hero. I just can't quit you and order anything else on the menu. The tempura is always solid, which still surprises me given that it sits out on a buffet, they must rotate it out pretty frequently. And it's cheap. Super cheap.

    (5)

  • Tu Uyen H.

    My 3-star rating will appear out of place here, but it is what it is. Ok, so perhaps I'm somewhat biased after eating at Marukame Udon in Waikiki that U:Don seems so... bland to me. The broth wasn't "bland" per se, but it is underwhelming for me. I came in with high hopes that I've found the Seattle version of Marukame (I know it's unfair of me to compare, but I did eat there first!) and was somewhat disappointed. The fried food was really greasy, the broth was forgetful (nothing special with the taste), and the atmosphere was just a tiny fraction of what I experienced at the other place. I brought my family here to impress them, but we all left unimpressed. Would I come back again? Yes, IF I'm in the area and has a massive craving for udon noodle soup, otherwise I probably will not make the effort. There are other places out there that serves udon that I can go to that's more convenient for me.

    (3)

  • Daniel L.

    UGHHHHHH SUCH GOOD UDON NOODLES. EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET THE SPICY TAN TAN RIGHT AWAY. RIGHT THIS INSTANT. + the egg. + tofu. I am kind of drooling already. I can't say that their side dishes are great, but I do like the spam masubi as well as the fried chicken pieces (they are a good deal!) THANK YOU UDON FRESH for making up for the lack of decent ramen places in Seattle. JK I love your udon noodles. :)

    (4)

  • Nathan L.

    What can I say? Mehhhh. This place is alright, but it's not bad either. It's one of those that you will be satisfied with going to, but not wowed by. If you are like me and like variety than this will be an awesome place. UNTILLLL you hit the register. Every little piece of food that you add onto your noodles, CHA-CHING. An asparagus is $1...EACH! But lets be honest, the variety is nice and the noodles aren't that bad. It's just not ideal if you ask me.

    (3)

  • Susan C.

    I ordered On-tama Udon and Asparagus Tempura. The tempura was cold and not crispy (probably sat outside too long). The udon noodles and soup were good. The soup wasn't as hot as I would have liked. The noodles were fresh as we saw a chef making the noodles at the restaurant. One friend ordered the curry udon and had probably less than half. She was very unhappy. I wouldn't have ordered it anyways since I'm not a fan of curry and udon as a combination. Another friend ordered the udon with tofu and he said the food wasn't that good either. Having eaten udon at Hawaii and in Japan, I can say those places definitely had much better. But considering this is Seattle and there aren't many other places that serve fresh udon, I'm not complaining too much. It seems pretty hard to mess it up.

    (2)

  • K B.

    U:DON The name was so cute it attracted me and my hungry minion to invade. Everything is self explanatory and written on the wall. Go in, make a line, and follow the pictures. I love the most basic soup udon and my boyfriend loves their curry udon (beef). The add ons are pricey so get a bowl of noodle so big you don't have to set eyes on those tasty sides. They keep their flans a bit too long so it is not as fresh and taste a bit soggy. Their price is so low compared to their portion sizes. When you leave, don't forget to clean up~ PS: TOSA Card 10% off Welcome!!!

    (5)

  • Tera T.

    The first time I ever heard about this place was when I was reading in a seattle food magazine and I saw a little review about this place and that's when I became very interested on trying this place out! When I went there for the first time I was very confused on how things were supposed to go. Since it was my first time at a udon/soba restaurant, I didn't know the difference between cold noodles or with soup.. embarrassing right? Luckily for me it was very easy to catch on with their pictures and such! I ordered their Goma Zaru dish which was one of their summer specials and should I say, it was great! The noodles and sesame dipping sauce complimented each other so well. I was very happy with what I chose. The atmosphere is so cool since you are able to somewhat watch the behind the scene action with the glass windows. I had a pretty great experience! It was very affordable and I feel like I will be coming here quite often!

    (4)

  • Yujin K.

    Decent food for decent prices. Don't waste your money on the tempura though! Or at least double check it before you put it on your plate because I've had my share of stale tempura at this place.

    (4)

  • Chih-Yu S.

    Affordable and good.

    (3)

  • Anton W.

    My mom and I ordered a small and a large curry udon noodle respectively for dinner, and our experience was quite disappointing. The noodle bowls literally had almost no beef in it. We basically had udon noodle, sliced green onions and curry soup in our bowls. I was still hungry after my meal. Note that I ordered a large bowl. The udon noodle was decent, but the stinginess of beef in the curry udon was not appreciated, and here goes two customers that will never return and refer to others for them.

    (2)

  • Samina O.

    This is one of my favorite places to eat in the world. The noodles are so fresh, and the soup is very clean and tasty.

    (5)

  • Jared G.

    I went here with my friend, not knowing what to expect. What I found was one of the better noodle places on The Ave. You can see them making the udon right in front of you and it is delicious to say the least. The tempura was just ok and it was a little bit pricey but overall, a very good experience. Coming back again for sure!

    (4)

  • Cemarie D.

    New spicy pork Udon is amazing!! This place serves up the best In-House Udon noodles. They are a friendly group... you can see by the picture of the owner. They greet you the minute you walk in and say goodbye when you leave. The spam musubi is actually incredible as well and I DO NOT eat Spam. So to say it's incredible is a leap of faith, but trust me you have to try it.

    (5)

  • Shimmy S.

    Just like Japan! None of that store packaged noodles...they make their own! Great go to place when pho just doesn't do the job.

    (5)

  • Sandeep P.

    U:Don is such a simple but well executed concept. Choose your noodle, your meat, your toppings and boom, you have a quick hearty meal on the cheap. Despite the rapidity of the food being served, it's still incredibly fresh and hearty. We were able to easily find a table on a Saturday night, but it was also before UW was back in session. I'd definitely come back here- really, the only reasons I'm dinging U:Don from a 5 star are that it's yet another Asian restaurant on the Ave, and the hesitation that it'll be hard to get a seat at this coming winter. And that's a good problem for any new restaurant to have.

    (4)

  • Chi D.

    Three times in a month, that's a pretty good rate for me! And I'm ordering to-go for dinner tonight! A bowl of udon noodles soup on a cold rainy winter night - bliss!! I like that the udon is made fresh and the soup is tasty, but not overwhelmed. I've only tried the Kitsune Udon but my friends liked their meat selections as well. I usually order the chili sauce to spice things up a bit. The selection of side dishes (tempura, etc) is amazing. I keep wanting to pick everything. My favorite are the fish fillets, the chicken, the broccoli, and the shrimp-filled lotus root. Can't wait to pick it up on the way home from work... Yum!!

    (4)

  • Peter S.

    No udon expert here but I love their nikku udon and other dishes. The place is clean and the people are unbelievably polite! Cap that off with a plate full of fixins and I'm in brothy heaven. If I'm sick of pho, I beeline it to U:Don!

    (5)

  • Taka S.

    Staff is nice as usual. Soup is good. Noodle is OK. Kakiage is good value. Reasonable price. I like their greeting, "Irasshaimase" and "Arigatougozaimashita". This restaurant is good for everyone. I feel happy when I see kids eat with smile at the next table. Thank you.

    (3)

  • Farb H.

    Fun! Freshly made noodles with lots of choices for additions and a la carte tempura. It was just the thing on a cold, rainy day (and those are plentiful around here). Perhaps a little pricey, but there was no shortage of patrons. If it sounds good, it is! Give it a try

    (4)

  • erica r.

    This place is delicious! You can get a quick, cheap, filling noodle meal here. They offer veggie broth so you can get a vegan soup udon, and they have many other non-veg choices. I also like that they have Jones fountain soda!

    (4)

  • Melissa C.

    Love the fact the udon is made right in front of our eyes! Very chewy noodles and the soup is quite flavorful too! Would have preferred the fried stuff and tempura at the buffet to be made to order since i can tell some have sit there for a while. The eggplant and mushroom tempura were really good; and they have grill and fried takoyaki too! Definitely would come back :)

    (4)

  • Thet N.

    This is actually one of my favorite places on the Ave. I would go there at least once a quarter, considering I don't really like to stick to one place, this means alot. First of all, I like the sign outside. It's easy to walk past the place though since it look small compared to nearby businesses. I like that they greet you as you walk in. I like that it's cafeteria style. This place reminds me alot of Marukami Udon in Waikiki. The owner is super friendly; he looks very kind. Noise level is moderate. You can still hear the person across from you but everyone's talking. I don't recall hearing music. It's fast service. You order and they pour the soup and put in the udon and then you proceed down to the register. By the way I would recommend getting the niku udon or the fried tofu one. Niku is more meaty duhhh because of the beef. Fried tofu one is more sweet. Anyway, as you walk toward the register, on the way, you would see all the tempura, takoyaki, fried chicken, spam misubi etc. I would recommend the shrimp tempura, takoyaki (octopus inside- very creamy so well made), and the potato one. I would advise you to NOT get the squid. It's tasteless!!! Fried vege one is not that great either . Mushroom is just ok. I feel like they're missing fried onion though! That's usually really good!!! Anyway, try that place. Besides Pho, this is one of the best soup places on the ave. Only thing is that, it might empty out your wallet if you add on the crunchy goodies. It's a dollar a pop! Be careful! Don't go crazy! You'll be plenty full!!!

    (5)

  • Leonard P.

    U-Don is another one of those places that falls in the nebulous zone between pretty good and very good. Whither the half-star, Yelp? Damn your 20% increments. There are some downsides to eating here -- seating is iffy, it's always packed, there's no good drinks selection, and the food is fine without being particularly memorable -- but why dwell on the negative? It's reliable as a used Volkswagen, and for that reason alone it's become one of my go-to lunch spots on the Ave. It has that udon broth smell to it, you know what I'm talking about? Don't front, you know you do, you wish you were smelling it right now. If you're in a time jam, stuff your pockets with their spam musubi: it's cheap, filling, and surprisingly tasty. Oh, the noodles are good too.

    (3)

  • Sarah N.

    Amazing udon, low prices, very laid back atmosphere. Unlike many of the restaurants on the Ave, U:Don feels very clean and put together. It's a really fun place to grab a bite. Great for lunch!

    (5)

  • Jackie L.

    my new favorite place to grab food for lunch! the noodles are so smooth and soft! but the down side of it is that some of the ways they served their udon are a bit bland. thats why i always get the curry udon. yet another downfall is that the curry udon is a bit pricey. so whenever i get curry udon i usually don't end up getting any side dishes. but overall still delicious! plus! the people who works there are awesome! Arigatou gozaimashita!

    (4)

  • Tommy K.

    If you like spicy food, try their new spicy tan tan udon. It's a non-soup dish with ground pork, sauce, spices, etc. in which you mix it with the noodles. I like getting it cold for the chewier noodles. My spicy food tolerance is low and I need to get more water several times, but I still like it. While I have been usually ordering the cold sauce udon during the hotter months, the soup and curry udon are good, too. On a side note, be careful with the just washed wet trays. Bowls or whatever on it tend to slide around.

    (4)

  • Jo C.

    Finally, a place with fresh noodles! Makes a big difference. Some things were good and some things were bad, but I would still go back now that I know what dishes to avoid. I think the soup chef must have a very tolerance for salty foods! You can always add more salt, but once it's too salty, you can't take it out! Do NOT Get: 1. Sauce Udon - the dashi shoyu is basically all soy-sauce. My noodles were so saturated with the shoyu, I couldn't finish it. I also drank about 3 cups of water from the shoyu overload. 2. Veggie Tempera- I got a few pieces to try. Sitting under a heat lamp doesn't keep it from getting tough. It was cold and hard to chew. Sad. Nothing worse than rubber veggies. Good: 1. Niku Udon - good dish, but still on the salty side. I used my bf's left over broth to wash the shoyu off my Sauce Noodles. Best: 1. Karaage! - as long as it's hot and fresh! YUM! 2. Potato Croquette! - so good, I didn't even need dipping sauce.

    (3)

  • Allie S.

    It's easy to see why it'd be tough to find a seat in this cute little cafeteria style set up, this place is SUPER busy, but the food is quick and if I were still at UW I have no doubt I could get in and out of here with a deliciously fresh lunch in an hour gap between classes. I had the kitsune udon, it was magnificent. It was the right flavor of sweet, flavorful and clean -- yeah, it TASTED clean, believe it. The sweetness was well offset by the ginger and green onions in the dish. Me, longing for the tempura I had in when I was in Japan, over-estimated the size of my stomach and ended up with korokke [potato croquette], takoyaki [my friend had never had it, so I bought it so she'd be willing to give it a try], AND a small selection of their tempura veggies. Everything was fresh and not soggy, even though it was not hot out of the fryer, an impressive feat. The only thing that picked up a little too much oil was the eggplant, but I think that my tolerance to oil has decreased greatly recently so that might just be my palate. My friend adored her niku udon -- it was her first time ever having udon, but she was really pleased with it, as well as the spicy salmon onigiri she bought. I love that the onigiri are sold the way they are in Japan -- with the nori separate so it doesn't get soggy and gross. I had a bite of the onigiri and it was flavorful even though it wasn't spicy by my standards. The staff were friendly, the restaurant was clean, the prices would have been reasonable if I hadn't felt the need to buy one of everything on the line -- there's no doubt I'll be back for another delicious bowl, I'm already wishing I could be there now eating a bowl of curry udon... sigh!.

    (5)

  • Daigoro T.

    Being a Japanese born and raised in Kobe, I know a "thing or two" about what the truly authentic udon is like. That translates to 3 out of 5 stars, even considering the friendliness of the staffers and the cleanliness of the restaurant. My wife and I both ordered a sauce (bukkake) udon. Unfortunately, they got two basics wrong with it. First, the noodle was not as firm as it was supposed to be. Honestly, frozen udon sold at Uwajimaya tastes better. Second, the soup (or "sauce") was way too rich - more like the soup you'd get in the Kanto area. To be fair, if you are from there, you may appreciate the taste of that soup a lot more than I did. The prices ($5 for a medium-size bukkake udon, for example) were pretty reasonable. That said, I'd rather pay a couple more dollars to enjoy a more authentic udon. I don't think I will go back there.

    (3)

  • Kris R.

    I had: Curry Udon, Takoyaki for the side. She had: On-tama Udon, Tempura Mushrooms?? for the side. Total cost: $24 We had done a quick search for Udon places in the U-District, and this one had positive reviews so we went in. Some background on the two of us first: My girlfriend is a Udon aficionado, previously a chef in Las Vegas (where they have some of the strictest food safety requirements in the country) and still has a current food handling card. She also enjoys trying new places and rarely wants to go back to the same place twice. I on the other hand previously spent 3 weeks vacationing in Japan after graduation, and will eat anything put in front of me. We walked in the door, briefly examined the sign near the front, watched the gentleman behind the glass manipulate the dough that is used for the noodles, and placed our order. From order to sitting down, the food was ready in the space of around 4 minutes, something of importance as our appetites were getting the better of our patience. As Nate W. mentioned in a previous assessment, U:Don Fresh is incredibly clean, and no typical University Ave restaurant nightmares for someone even remotely familiar with food safety regulations could be found here. The curry udon was remarkably similar to what I had in Japan. If there had been a vending machine at the front from which to place my order and the people making my food Japanese, I would not have been able to tell the difference. It was very similar. The takoyaki was very good too, not quite the same but I can't figure out what the difference is. The On-tama udon was also very good as was the mushrooms, which is typically not something I enjoy. Although we were both hungry and all food tastes better when one is hungry, this was an incredibly good meal for $24 between two people. This place is great and reminds me of why I love the University Ave restaurants, and we will most definitely be back. The only thing that we didn't enjoy about this whole experience was trying to find somewhere to park the car for free, but that's part and parcel for dining around there. 5 stars.

    (5)

  • Becky R.

    Fun, simple, affordable, yummy! This place just opened and makes their own noodles fresh every day all day. And....you can watch!!! Choose something off the menu (with beef, or an egg, or...) and pick your size, they make it for you right there. Next, grab a few sides like tempura mushrooms, a seaweed wrapped salmon triangle, and a soda. Pay at the end and go gobble up your crazy fat U:DON noodles with some chopsticks and make a sloppy mess. I bet the lines in there will be insane when school is in session. Ha. Good luck with that. But the price is right and you get free entertainment - watch the noodles get made!

    (5)

  • Keith M.

    This has got to be the best place to get udon in Seattle. There are plenty of kinds of Udon with different kinds of options you can get here. I think the location and the fast food vibe of it makes it a little under the radar, but seriously why go to a fancier restaurant to get udon, when you can get different kinds of it here, and probably tastier. My favorite is the ontama udon, which comes with onsen tamago (slow cooked egg). Depends on the temperature of the day, if its a hot day I'll get mine cold with with the delicious sauce, and if it's a cold day I would stick with the soup, which is not bad also. Pretty cool right :) I would add my bowl with ginger, daikon, and of course to top it all the *complimentary* tempura crunchy bits! Another thing that added the fun coming here is the side order of tempuras that you can pick and choose from, to compliment your udon bowl. They have pretty large selections of it. So you can come and enjoy your noodle with different things on each of your visits.

    (5)

  • Kimmie L.

    Udon!! Yum yum yum. I got ontama udon (egg), served with warmed sauce versus soup. Delicious! Sauce is obviously thick and salty for flavor versus soup. I had a salmon oniri, not worth it. Friend got a large udon with assorted tempura and it was good! I hate that it's so far :( I would highly recommend this place for udon!

    (4)

  • Angel L.

    The food is super good here, very filling. I was really hungry so I got a medium but ended up not finishing it, lol. The service is great and the workers are all so kind with nice smiles. Will definitely return.

    (5)

  • Lien D.

    This is my go to restaurant when I am craving soup on the ave. I have tried a lot of their soups but my favorite would have to be the curry udon. It is very filling. The service has always been great. The staff is friendly and it is a fairly clean restaurant.

    (4)

  • Allen P.

    I eat here like, 3 or 4 times a month. It's awesome! Generous portions, and the tempura buffet is awesome if that's your jam. The people taking your order are always super friendly, and I've loved every menu item I've tried. The only gripe is that you have to bus your own dishes, but that's really no big deal. I love U:DON.

    (5)

  • Jennifer L.

    Amazing udon. I live in LA and even little Tokyo doesn't do it this well. Love the cafeteria line up concept and the fresh clean taste of the tempura choices. Such a great price point for a college town. It's a must go.

    (5)

  • Tamiko T.

    I love this place because the convenience and taste of the place reminds me of noodle places in Japan. The cleanliness of the place is not reminiscent of Japan - think standard cafeteria decor. BUT the made-from-scratch noodles are GREAT and the priced-by-piece tempura and karage is great because you can get exactly the piece you want. Tips: 1. Do order a small or medium at most because you'll want to get extras at the Tempura bar. Trust me. 2. It's great for a quick bite in u-district because it will take 30 min max no matter how slow you eat.

    (4)

  • Raymon O.

    Every time I come here I always get the onsen tamago udon. The egg is soft and gooey, and pairs extremely well with the soup. I feel the cold udon is slightly better than the hot (stronger soup, chewier noodles), but in the winter the hot is good too. You can get any udon cold as well as hot except for the kitsune (I think) and the curry udon.

    (4)

  • Rich X.

    The restaurant had really nice people and the cook was very happy to answer any question. But overall the food was average, it was cold udon heated up in hot water put in a bowl, and then they pour whatever soup or sauce you want on top. The texture of the noodles was as good as frozen udon and the curry soup was still kind of powdery. This ran up a bill of 10$ but it was a big bowl of udon. So it was average food but it was nice still. Gotta try it once atleast and well, its upto you if you want to go back. Ill probably be back again :D

    (3)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : No
    Caters : No

U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station

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