Farewell Neighborhood Ramen, Hello ESO Ramen Workshop

The beloved ramen shop that has brought killer house-made broth, noodles, and even “pastramen” to Philly’s culinary lineup is closing its doors on June 30.

Hey Philly spoke with Neighborhood Ramen general manager Lindsay Mariko Steigerwald and chef Jesse Pryor, who co-own the ramen joint at 617 S. 3rd St., to find out what the shop’s last month will look like, and to learn about the next iteration of the duo’s ramen pursuits.

Philly ➡️ Japan

After five years in Philly, the co-owners have decided to pursue a longtime dream of taking their ramen venture to Japan, specifically Tokyo. Steigerwald — who goes by her middle name, Mariko, when in Japan — explained that this move aligns with their vision for fine-tuning their craft.

“Neighborhood Ramen has always been more about the food and the ramen culture rather than making big profit margins,” she said. “And that means having access to more, and better, ingredients.”

They hope to have their storefront in Japan open for service by 2026, so mark your calendars and book those tickets in advance if you know you’ll miss seeing the smiley faces at the bottom of their bowls.

The Final Month’s Specials

While the doors remain open on 3rd Street, the last month of service is chock-full of customer favorites and extra-special specials.

The summer menu is out, featuring both traditional ramen and brothless options, the latter of which pairs well with the hot weather. There’s also a mushroom-focused vegan ramen.

In addition to the updated menu, the specials will rotate periodically throughout the month. You can expect to see options like corn and crab mazesoba, a brothless ramen that chef Pryor said is inspired by his hometown in southern Delaware.

“Where I grew up, everyone just eats corn and crab,” Pryor said. “And we made it into a bowl that we thought was very Neighborhood Ramen, but also very approachable and exciting.”

Hiyashi chuka, a thinner chilled noodle ramen that is one of Steigerwald’s favorites, will also make an appearance. The grand finale will be the well-loved Taiwan mazesoba, a brothless ramen that has been one of Neighborhood Ramen’s most popular dishes.

The shop will also start selling more merch later this month, including a limited number of “frequent-slurper” jackets, along with hats and bags. They will also be selling all of the Neighborhood Ramen branded bowls from their kitchen at a final goodbye party at the shop on July 3.

Meet the Owners’ New Philly Venture, ESO Ramen Workshop

But this isn’t goodbye forever just yet! While Neighborhood Ramen’s co-owners are waiting on permits and visas for their shop in Japan, they will be opening ESO Ramen Workshop at 526 S. 4th St. to the public.

Currently, the pair makes Neighborhood Ramen’s noodles from scratch at this location just a block away, using a giant ramen noodle machine they acquired in a Kansas City auction.

But they’ll soon use the space to house two different ramen concepts, which they’re aiming to open by this September or October. It will remain open until they leave for Japan sometime in the next couple years.

At the front of the shop, they’ll serve a single ramen option at their six-person, walk-in-only counter.

On select days in the back of the shop, they’ll also offer tsukemen, a style of ramen where the noodles come separately and are then dipped into the broth. The tsukemen concept will require a reservation, and you’ll also get an explanation of the dish and how to eat it.

“Most restaurants when they expand, they go bigger,” Steigerwald said. “We want to expand but get more niche.”

In the meantime, slurp at the original location while you can!