Reader: Why Should Anyone Take Yelp’s Restaurant Rankings Seriously?

Denver’s in the middle of a ramen boom, with trendy joints like Uncle and Glo Noodle House alongside hole-in-the-wall finds such as Sera’s Ramen Enclave and newcomer Japon on Colfax. But even with all these options, only two Colorado eateries made the 2025 edition of Yelp’s Top 100 Ramen Shops in the U.S., and neither are in Denver proper.

To create the list, Yelp says it “identified businesses in the ramen category on Yelp, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews.” The Colorado restaurants that made the cut?  Nana Sushi Thai, a family-owned spot located at 32156 Castle Court in Evergreen, which ranked #34, and Nami Ramen & Poke at 11804 Oswego Street in Englewood, at #51.

In their comments on the Westword Facebook post reporting the Yelp list, diners dispute the rankings. Says Alix:

Nami Ramen is the worst ramen I have ever had, and I don’t know how they get such rave reviews.

Offers Daniel:

Absolutely bizarre choices. In the meantime, go check out Katsu Ramen in Aurora. Some of the best ramen in the entire state of Colorado.

Notes Eric:

Since Uncle didn’t make the list, the list is suspect.

Adds Chelsie:

Uncle was sooooo good the last time I went. Everyone in our party scarfed hard.

Replies Hazel:

Uncle is the best I’ve ever had, I don’t care what the haters say.

Suggests Paul:

Yelp has no credibility. Even if it had some authority, taste buds differ. 

Comments Kristi:

Yep sucks big time. Disappointed that Westword thinks it’s important enough to report on. Why should anyone take Yelp’s restaurant rankings seriously? Just because a place has a bunch of high ratings on a layman’s reviewer website (which exists purely for profit off of selling ads), doesn’t make it great. In my experience, the “best” restaurant never means “the most popular and highest rated on Yelp and Google reviews.”

Adds Rosetta:

I’m always a skeptic on these claims…who decides? Was every ramen shop included in the list? It all comes down to personal taste.

And Emily concludes:

Reading the comments for all of the other places to try… 

What do you think of Yelp’s choices? Yelp in general? What ramen spots would you suggest Denver diners try? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.