We had the most incredible time celebrating my birthday at O-ku! The team completely personalized my entire experience and made me feel so special on my birthday. Going that extra step certainly did not go unnoticed and something I value in a dining experience. First of all-- the matcha mocktail was a wonderful opener to our evening. We ordered the truffle edamame (our favorite), the chef's choice nigiri which was incredibly fresh, the salmon & lemon roll (a must order), and the spider roll. My partner said the mochi was the best he's ever had. We highly recommend this dining experience not only for the exceptional service but for the quality in every dish. read more

O-Ku on King St Charleston has been on my list for a while. What a beautiful large airy space. So many staff who attend to every need making the whole experience memorable. After looking at the menu we opted for the 6 course Omakase Menu ($150 per person) It was a phenomenal choice. Each dish better than the previous. Outstanding technique & presentation with the freshest of product. Omakase takes about 2 hrs which was perfect for us. The restaurant fills up pretty quickly and unless you want to sit at the bar (if available) book your reservation early. We parked in the visitors parking garage off of Ann St. it's very close by. Definitely check this gorgeous restaurant out. read more

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Had dinner here for the first time, for my birthday. It has a casual & laid back vibe, and our server was attentive & helpful with the menu. The food was good and we plan to return to try more rolls. read more

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This place is fire! the restaurant is gorgeous! The waiter was friendly and on it. We tried the wagyu beef potstickers were delicious albeit expensive! The salmon and spicy tuna rolls were fresh. I highly recommend! read more

I've been to this restaurant downtown on a few occasions. On this occasion, specifically, I was celebrating my birthday, and the sushi chef created a unique experience for me and my guest. All of the sushi was made right in front of us. The waiter made sure drinks stayed full and plates didn't sit empty. Chill vibes and moody aesthetic. read more

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I don't even know if I have the words to describe how incredibly life-changing this meal was, but I'm going to try my best. When searching for sushi restaurants on our trip to Charleston , my friend and I had never heard of a potato roll before. We were sold right away! Of course we imagined it would be good, but we did not think it would leave us speechless and on the verge of tears. GET THE POTATO ROLL!! The eel of Fortune and salmon lemon roll were equally as phenomenal and fresh. We wanted to try every roll on the menu! They had awesome spicy mayo which is critical in my judgment for a sushi restaurant. The service rocked, and the decor was absolutely adorable. Try this place if you want to be blown away! read more

O-Ku - Potato Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I took my teen son here for his first time, right before going to his homecoming dance down the street. He had an amazing time and as a foodie he enjoyed everything that he had. To start off, he picked out the Tiger and the Coconut from the zero proof drink menu. He said it was so good, he was struggling to drink it slowly and was forcing himself to take small sips. He added that the lemon garnish on top really added the perfect balance to the drink. To eat, we had the crispy rice, spring rolls, angry salmon, and the o-ku rock shrimp. All were very good and plentiful between the two of us. Everything came out very timely and service was excellent. Thank you! read more

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No changes to the review, but wanted to note my mistake of writing O-Ku was in Charlotte instead of the correct location of Charleston. Charleston was a stop on our way to Charlotte from Miami and my brain crossed the wires. Still a fantastic restaurant worthy of a planned visit or unexpected detour! Read my original full review for the highlights! read more

Everything I've tried at this restaurant is absolutely delicious. Sat at the bar, and the surface is great. The bartender was really nice and informative. Went during happy hour, so we got a few different roles, and they're happy hour cocktails. I love the vibe of the restaurant, the lighting is moody and a great place for a date night. I can't wait to come back! read more

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Food: Excellent. Standouts were: spicy edamame, brussel sprouts, dumplings, fuego fiasco roll, the donuts for dessert!!! Service: Friendly, and a bit slow (disclaimer: we had a group of 8). Ambiance: Cute, moody, dimly lit, romantic. read more

Michael was the best! So nice, fun, and attentive. The food was amazing and the ambiance was perfect. He truly embodies hospitality and made our experience so enjoyable. We loved it, can't wait to come back! read more

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I have nothing but good things to say about the O-Ku Charleston location! We started off with Espresso Martinis, Truffle Edamame, Annie's Dumplings-just incredible. The Kaarage Chicken and Snow crab roll were delicious as well. Would recommend to anyone looking to get their Japanese-restaurant fix in Charleston. read more

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This was a great experience from start to finish. Alexis made our first visit even more memorable. The food was outstanding. Appetizers, sushi and dessert, one item was better than the next. This is a must do! read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Awesome sushi place. The decor is very slick and modern. The service is excellent. I really liked the scallop crudo and the angry salmon roll read more

O-Ku - House Salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We wanted a nice dinner for the first night in town and O-Ku delivered an excellent meal in a beautiful space! I loved the giant mirrors, art on the walls, table scape, and the music was the right volume. Sam, our server, went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of and we really appreciated the recommendations he offered for the rest of our visit. Our table enjoyed 3 small plates to start: dumplings, Tokyo wings, and O-Ku rock shrimp. The value for food was satisfactory. The dumplings especially hit the spot. I absolutely loved the Kaarage Chicken and sushi rice. I'm stoked to have leftovers, too. The three makimono: Potato, Baby Dynamite & Tuna Tataki, and fried rice were all pretty good choices too. We didn't experience any lag with getting our cocktails like some other reviewer mentioned. This dessert menu was pretty new and if it wasn't for all the items sounding so creative I wouldn't have felt it necessary to spend $13 on one given that I was already full :P Buuuut we eye-hustled the two that the next table over got. The matcha mousse looked really cool! I couldn't resist trying the chocolate espresso bar with its black sesame sponge cake. The flavor was perfectly paired with my cute single serving French press coffee. The dessert was also way bigger than I expected so the price was immediately justifiable. I'd definitely recommend this spot to other folks! read more

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Popular spot in the center of the restaurant area. Reasonably priced and shears has a crowd. Food is good though the menu is z little limited if you're not having sushi. Inside is clean and our waiter was very helpful, read more

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Overall food quality was top notch. It was a last minute decision to bring a group together for dinner and they were accommodating, although they needed to separate the group of 13 into 2 tables. Had a variety of apps, sushi, and a couple of rolls. The sashimi appetizers, basically in some combo of ponzu sauce and some other flavor were all nicely done. Probably my favorite - the salmon. Sushi was very good. Maybe my only slight ding was that it was a bit on the pricey side. Service was excellent. read more

Upscale restaurant. Super cool Asian chic vibes.. excellent service.. creative menu.. read more

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We've been enjoying O-Ku for a decade, mostly for drinks. This time, however, we patiently waited for a seat at the bar to open up, grabbed two stools, and had a very nice experience. Our bartender was the floor manager; we were thrilled. She was polite, proactive (without being pushy), and without error. I even ordered a "curve ball" negroni because I thought it would pair well. Delicious. We tried the Kaarage (sesame) Chicken, dumplings, wings, and tuna roll. All dishes came out lightning fast! After we noticed that ticket times were less than 5 minutes (even on a Saturday), we spread out our food orders/waves and enjoyed our drinks. Any sushi place that can ALSO knock out some tasty hot dishes (Kaarage) is always a plus and will help appeal to a/your group when trying to settle on a place. O-Ku checks a LOT of boxes. Elegant, upscale, established, friendly, high food quality, a "happenin'" bar, and a classy atmosphere. read more

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Perfect ambiance & great food! We had the dumplings, boa buns, eel of fortune roll, and fuego fiasco roll. All were delicious! The sugar and spice cocktail was also yummy. read more

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Michael was an amazing server--friendly, attentive, and super knowledgeable about the menu. He made great recommendations and checked in just the right amount. His service really elevated our experience. Will definitely be back! read more

We have one of these in dc and this OG spot didn't disappoint. We sat at the bar and had a great dinner. The staff was super friendly too. Yummy sushi and the such! read more

Came home for the weekend for a quick visit and decided to get some sushi. As much as I love the Charleston area, they're still not that many Asian places enough to have your pick and choose. That said we were not disappointed in picking out this restaurant to feed or craving for sushi. The space is located near the museum, and it is very nicely decorated inside. The staff was very friendly and they have a full bar. We didn't order too much but what we did order we enjoyed it thoroughly. The gayosas was crispy and the sushi rolls that we got was delicious. The menu has good options, and the prices are very doable for the area. Parking downtown can be a pain in the butt but there is a garage nearby the restaurant that you can park at. Go check this place out if you're in the mood for some sushi or Japanese food. read more

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Honestly pretty fire came here with my respectful companion she had been craving sushi so I got her right. Made sure to get here during happy hour we each got two things of sake she really likes it I don't but I feel like I have to like it especially when I am eating sushi I wasn't even trying to impress my respectful companion because she was already impressed that I can do a wheelie on my bike I more just want to impress myself. To follow up with that, your image of yourself is very important have a good high self esteem you are nice and cool!! Sushi here was baller the potato one was "weird" when I thought about it but "yummy" when I ate it. I had this last night and now I sit on my couch drinking chocolate milk (lactose free) (mostly) and their is this weird dog we are housesitting next to me and to be honest I just heard a toot noise come from my roommates room but he is asleep so I'm confused by that. All that to say, I am really craving more of this sushi right now I'm not sure if they are open but that would be nice just like 3 pieces. read more

O-Ku - She is such a sake girl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I felt a challenge when arriving to Charleston; I was told Charleston had no great sushi and I wanted to see that for myself. O-Ku was another restaurant that added to the evidence that no, Charleston has a solid sushi scene if one knows where to look. O-Ku is an open restaurant mixing minimalism with bold, bright statement pieces. They have a sushi bar in the far back and an alcohol bar in the front. Happy hour is a popular time here and the time when the prices are more affordable. This is not an inexpensive restaurant. The food, tho, is very good. The salmon and lemon roll was light and bright. The nigiri - salmon and tuna in my case - were delicious if not entirely traditionally prepared. The pavlova was amazing. It is so rare to see a pavlova on any menu! The service was adequate. The bartender seemed a bit under the weather and they were very busy. She kept moving even though it looked as though she just could use a nap. I am glad I came here and was able to experience this restaurant. read more

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If you're in Charleston and looking for a high-end sushi spot, this is your place. We got a variety of plates and everything from start to finish was spectacular. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and left me wanting more. From the wagyu to the lobster to the spring rolls, nothing was short of excellent. Our waitress was very attentive as well and gave us a great experience. 10/10. Thank you O-ku!! read more

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We went for a celebration dinner recently and while it was okay, won't likely plan to return. Easy parking at the visitors center garage. We were seated close to our reservation time and the decor/vibe is very pretty. Our server was pretty good, some of the bar service took a little longer than ideal but not her fault. All of the food was just fine, especially relative to similar items are other spots in town. For the price point, just not worth it and generally the food was mediocre. We had a couple different rolls that were fresh tasting but nothing g special. The dumplings were good but not super flavorful except the dipping sauce. The boa buns were nice as were the Brussels. The karrage chicken was a good fry but not enough sauce. The fried rice was not good at all. The chocolate espresso bar dessert was fairly bland but if you're looking for something not overly sweet, it was balanced in that way. read more

Wowowow! What a fantastic place! Dumplings she carpaccio appetizers really set the right tone. My sushi blew my mind, as did my girlfriend's curry udon... it was spicy but in that sneaky way Thai food is (this was a Thai style curry). Drinks were reasonably priced too. Service was outstanding too. Hip vibe with a Gen-Z playlist and beautiful decor. Everything was expensive, but fairly priced for what it was and I didn't walk out angry at the bill. Overall a perfect experience. J.Ja read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I might be a little biased, but O-Ku is hands down my favorite sushi spot in Charleston. The fish is always super fresh, the rolls are creative without being over-the-top, and everything is just consistently solid. Kimball is the best-- shoutout party panda! The service is always great. Younger service staff but still super on top of it. The ambiance is sleek but still comfortable, perfect for a night out without feeling too buttoned up. If you're looking for top-tier sushi in CHS, this is the spot. read more

I love every restaurant in this group but o-ku has to be my favorite. Sushi is my favorite food so of course that helps but there are so many other factors as well. I love the sleek open design. I love the affordable happy hour menu. And I love the cocktail program here! King Street honestly doesn't have the best options for food in Charleston, but out of the decent options this is at the top of the list. Obviously, not a lot of people come to a Charleston to eat sushi but if you're going to this is the place. read more

Nicely decorated and very clean establishment. Our server, Alyssa, was very friendly and attentive. The portions and quality for the non-sushi items were great, but if you're having sushi, it can get expensive quick. Delicious nonetheless. read more

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My second time at Oku was much better than my first experience! They definitely made up for it! I got the passion fruit martini with tequila! I do think it was a little dark in the restaurant but the server was so kind and accommodating! The food was also much better! Still a bit pricey but great a second time around! Here's to trying things twice! read more

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Food was amazing with great music. Food came out fast and delicious. Waitress was funny and nice good service !

Don't miss the happy hour. Some rolls are discounted and it's an incredible value. All their fish is tender and delicious. They make excellent cocktails and mock tails as well. Staff are friendly and the service is good too. The only negative is that they "share" high chairs with their neighboring restaurants so sometimes it's an ordeal for someone to go get one. I am not sure why they can't just invest in a couple of their own, so maybe call ahead or note that on your reservation if you know you'll be needing a high chair. read more

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We came to Charleston for our ten year anniversary and wanted to try something special to celebrate. O-Ku was recommended by a coworker since we love sushi. We made a reservation in advance and had no reason to believe there would be any issues. When we arrived, it was right before they started getting super busy so we were immediately seated at a table. The waitress was accommodating and gave us a few recommendations based on our preferences. We weren't elated by the appetizer's size or flavor, but the bao buns were a sufficient introduction to the menu. We ordered several sushi rolls for our meal. Without going into too much detail, we were underwhelmed. The flavor was lacking in two of our three rolls. Our waitress noted that we were not going to finish one of the rolls as neither one of us like it and quickly replaced it. (Surprisingly, our favorite roll was wrapped in a thin, fried potato.) The manager visit our table before the next role came out and let us know that he wanted our experience to be positive. Their attention to detail and eagerness to help us find food items that we would enjoy was a treat. Outstanding service all the way around. We gave this place 3 stars for the less than impressive sushi, especially for the price. It just didn't live up to the hype. read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Amazing food. Dark moody atmosphere. Good music. The art is very special. Service is top notch. Our bartender was so amazing. It was my birthday and she sent out a special appetizer and also comped a drink or 2. She was so sweet and bubbly. She made me a special dessert shot and it was SO GOOD!! read more

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Really pleasant experience all around. Warm lighting, attentive service, a creative menu, and cool chill out music combine to create an atmosphere more akin to a seductive scene from a movie than King Street in Charleston. They even handed us complementary flutes of champagne at the end of our meal. A+ read more

O-Ku - Karaage chicken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This was hands down our favorite meal in Charleston! It's gorgeous inside, the low, golden lighting combined with the huge mirrors hung from the walls create a modern, cool atmosphere with a very cozy feel. The servers were all so friendly, helpful, and attentive. We had a full conversation with both our servers while we sat at the bar for dinner. The drinks were fantastic and unique. I've never had a cocktail with sake before and I really loved the Saketini, which had cucumber, sake, and vodka. I also ordered the Basil Berry Lemonade and it was fantastic. My fiancée had the Shot Callin, High Ballin, featuring Japanese whisky, ginger, and honey. He said the ginger packed a punch and one was plenty. He ordered the Shogun next and loved it. The food was delicious! We had the bai buns for an appetizer and one was filling but light enough that it didn't ruin your appetizer. The bun was light and fluffy and the meat was tender and well seasoned. The sushi was so fresh and the ingredient combinations were unique. I was skeptical about the Salmon and Lemon Roll, but it was our favorite of the three we ordered! The Firecracker Roll and Rainbow Roll are classics and they were heavenly. If you're in Charleston and you're a sushi lover, you MUST make a stop at O-Ku! read more

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Food was fabulous, service was outstanding, and the overall atmosphere is refined and relaxed. Highly recommend this if you're a sushi lover. Will definitely be back. read more

O-Ku - Tuna Tataki Roll and Playboy Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Everything was sooo good! The waiter was so educated on the food and drink menu. The ambiance is perfect for a date night. read more