Take out is unreliable. It's been three times we try to order take out each a different day/time and they tell me to call in an hour or that they're currently not doing takeout cause it's too busy or bc it's happy hour. read more

Ambience was great and so was the service! nigiri was ok and so was the sushi. The truffle edamame was to die for! read more

O-Ku - Amazing non- alcoholic drink! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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The food and service were outstanding. The ambience of the restaurant was inviting and relaxing to enjoy dinner with friends. Everything was beyond my expectations. The server was attentive and pleasant. read more

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Definitely one of the top sushi places in Charleston area. Come for happy hour which is a great deal!

Can I leave a 10-star review?! SOO good! I went for their happy hour (5-7pm, parking RIGHT THERE next to the restaurant too), enjoyed 1/2 off rolls and a $10 saketini (so good, btw!!). The hype? It's legit. Best sushi I've had in Chucktown (and I'm a picky sushi person). Recommend- Salmon lemon roll and firecracker roll read more

The food was underwhelming and overpriced. People only come here for the vibe not the food clearly. Everyone who is saying this place is good must be getting paid the food is mediocre at best. read more

I have been here twice now, and I have to say I am not too impressed. The bartenders have not been friendly and are certainly not hospitable. I asked if I could have my drink a little on the spicier side and although in the past they have been willing to accommodate by adding jalapeños, this bartender said "No we can't". If I am paying $14 for a drink, I would expect that very small accommodations can be made to have the drink served how I would like it. You can not argue that the food is not good. It is good, and the fish is very fresh. I always enjoy my rolls when I come in. I simply wish the hospitality was better because if I am paying that much money for sushi, I want an experience. Disappointing and hoping this will improve. read more

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Best sushi I've ever had. Had the Tuna Tataki, firecracker, and Fuego Fiasco rolls. All were amazing. Also had the Tiger & coconut matcha mocktail and it was delicious. Amazing ambiance and super cool staff. Charleston has some amazing restaurants! read more

I practically died and went to happen with the potato roll, you have to try if you stop by O-Ku. My friend and I also split the rainbow roll as well, but were not that big a fan of. In terms of starters, we got the dumpling dim sum, and both were super flavorful. On top of that, the ambience inside the restaurant was cool and modern, and the wait time was not super long as well! read more

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A happy bridge for those who value quality fish in flavorful rolls and the tempura-only, sauce drenching crowd. This is contemporary, fusion sushi. Rolls feature things like potato crisps but an open mind and experienced palate will enjoy O-ku's departure from tradition. My favorite roll was the Salmon and Lemon with crab salad filling. It was a simple, but deliciously delicate flavor bomb. Service was superb. As an industry vet, I valued the considerate course spacing despite (our) sporadic course ordering and their full house of guests. The uninspired wine/glass list and tasting urged us to stick with Sapporo. But we look forward to trying their cocktails next time. read more

I mean, where, do I even begin?! Hands down my new favorite sushi spot in Charleston. I've been wanting to come here for so long yet could never quite work our schedule things! Finally found the perfect night and scored a reservation in advance! Everything was delicious... tasted so fresh... even the cocktails. It's also perfect because while I love to try everything and especially love sushi, my husband isn't much of a fish/seafood eater, but there was plenty on the menu for him as well! We split the wagyu tataki (delicious) as well as the dim sum which contained pork dumplings for him and shrimp shumai for me. I had the kanpachi and otoro sashimi and the lemon salmon roll and then my husband had the chicken teriyaki bowl. I loved all of mine! And the rice in his bowl was somehow the most flavorful I've tried. Next time I come back I want to do the Omakase tasting! Also it was busy, clearly it's a popular spot for a reason, but the staff truly stepped up. The host came and took our drink and appetizers order and was working every other position in the restaurant and the manager was so sweet as well. She apologized for the delay but honestly, we had nothing to complain about because everyone was so friendly and helpful. I noticed the manager constantly going around to all the tables and even the people seated at the bar and that is truly great customer service. One more thing - I noticed some reviews mentioned it's "pricier" but I found it to be comparable to all the other sushi spots in Charleston. I was actually surprised that it wasn't expensive given the quality of all the ingredients! Thank you for a great date night, O-Ku! Can't wait to come back!! read more

Exceeded my expectations. I've been living in Charleston for 3 years and never tried this place until last night because many other sushi places were recommended by my friends over this one. I'm only kicking myself for not having tried it sooner! I'll be going back very soon. read more

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I tend to believe its not easily seen, yet its always something I've told. Looks can be deceiving and a pretty facade doesn't make for a pretty dish nor drink nor dining experience. Upon my initial stop through which amounted to little more than a few glasses of the juicy, heavily fruit forward Cabernet, the laughs were a dime a dozen, the mood was easy and enjoyable. This ease of presence from bartender to patrons influenced my decision to return the very next week. Once at the bar, ready to enjoy my last dinner in Charleston, that easy and light feeling felt strained and heavy. So noticeable & omni present was the feeling that the thought of packing up and venturing to one of the many other restaurants on upper King pressed me, but I grinned and forced my stiff upper lip. Three female bartenders did well to serve my drinks, but bombed on the over priced, under performing Scallop Roll recommendation that carried the highest price, upping that check total. (Side note) To not have one male bartender was unfortunate as they never come to work with attitude, you get the same person day in and day out. Panko breadcrumbs sat upon my Spicey Tuna Roll like sawdust upon a craftsmans work bench. Could have easily been blown off with a light wind, provided no flavor, rather served as an offensive detractor. Fortunately the spice and the tuna were both equally offensive in texture and inability to provide anything resembling sushi, oddly I felt better the entire roll was a disaster. The crab nestled within the Spyder Roll was a smidge above the low bar of food quality set thus far before me. Structurally unsound, each lift attempt from chopstick to lips could never come complete, breaking in two pieces, every time. This left proper taste questions about this particular rolls taste as it never reached me in tact. Truth be told, this dining experience barely deserves two stars as it just felt synthetic, it felt fake and the food was very disappointing. I was forcing one pleasant response after the next knowing full well I was not being truthful but didn't care to upset the applecart. So the question remains -- why the additional star? It was due, in total, to my only genuine interaction of the evening. It occured just upon my departure when a very well dressed fellow approached me with a warm extended hand of friendship and a kind smile. Clearly the owner, he thanked me for my patronage with the power of sincerity in his eyes, affording me the substance that I had hoped for from the beginning. read more

O-Ku - Spicey Tuna Roll, Spider Roll, Scallop Roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We tried the Poké (diced salmon, tuna, Hamachi, Asian pear, mango, seaweed salad, dandash). It was really refreshing and the kind of thing that is perfect for snacking on in the summer. The King Salmon Usuzukuri (wasabi relish, black salt, chives, ponzu) was absolutely fantastic. I am sometimes hesitant to eat salmon because it can have such a strong flavor, but this was fantastic! The Wagyu Tartare (wagyu, shallots, chives, seasame soy aioli, lotus chips) was fantastic. If you like beef tartare in general, you're definitely going to like this, and if you are not usually a fan, this might just change your mind. Pro tip: ask for more lotus chips, because they definitely don't give you enough. Since I'm always down to be a little adventurous, we also decided to try the Otoro Spoons (uni, caviar, wasabi stem, garlic ponzu). Uni is definitely a delicacy and an acquired taste. It tastes like the ocean, in that it's very briny, and has the same texture as tongue (another delicacy), in that it's very creamy, but somehow also a little spongy. I might be ruining my reputation as a foodie to admit this, but these were not my favorite. They're plated gorgeously and I really wanted to like it, but sadly, uni is still not something I enjoy eating. The Lobster Temaki (butter-poached lobster hand rolls with asparagus, chives, cilantro aioli, black volcanic salt) sounded so good we couldn't resist, and they definitely exceeded our expectations. The lobster was perfectly cooked and pairs perfectly with the aioli, while the fresh veggies give a nice crunch and differentiation in the texture. We basically did a nigiri flight of all 8 on the O-Ku nigiri menu. Lobster (poached lobster, truffled ginger butter, caviar, chives, red salt), Otoro (fatty blue fin tuna, chives, black salt and pickled wasabi stem), Tuna (miso mustard, chives, togarashi), Snapper (shisho, pink Himalayan salt, lemon juice), Salmon (togarashi aiolo, lemon zest, ikura), Hamachi (Japanese Yellowtail, serrano, cilantro dust, truffle ponzu glaze), Snow Crab (lightly torched with truffle wasabi ponzu), Wagyu (white truffle and caviar). My favorites were the Otoro, Salmon, Hamachi, and Lobster, but they were all delicious. O-Ku also does this really cool style of sushi rolls called "hakozushi," which is "box-style sushi." Basically, they shape sushi rice into like a little boat and then fill it with what normally goes inside of a sushi roll and then serve it to you, sans seaweed. For those who don't love seaweed, or just want to try something different, I highly recommend the hakozushi. They have 2 options, the first is the Green Eggs & Hamachi Hako (spicy tuna, asparagus, wasabi tobiko), which is light and bright and perfect if you like really fatty tuna. The second, which is my favorite, is the Black Magic (lobster, squid ink rice, masago aioli, scallion). The roll is super rich, but the squid ink rice is served just a little bit warm, and the entire thing feels very comforting and hearty. Some people are scared of squid ink rice because it's black, but it really doesn't do anything to the flavor except make it slightly saltier than normal. If you're in doubt, definitely try this roll. I took one bite and my eyes closed and all I could say was "dude." I was in heaven. read more

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I revisited O-Ku last night after a few years' hiatus. I was impressed with the quality and flavors of everything we ordered from cocktails to apps to sushi. Service was great from hostesses and our server, but the food runner was rude. He brought us food (meant for another table) that we didn't order and wanted to argue with me about it. When he brought the food we did order, he handed everything directly to us and would not place plates on the table. I felt the music was a bit too loud for the time and age group dining; it was very difficult to hear conversation at the table. I'm not sure I'd revisit O-Ku unless I happened to already be on King Street. read more

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Was in town for a bachelorette trip, and had been looking forward to our reservation here. It was early on a Friday night, was not too busy yet. Our server took very long to keep coming back. They were unable to accommodate my friends shellfish allergy because they use the same fryer and prep area for their other foods (per our server). This narrowed my friends options down significantly. When it came time to split the check (after waiting a long time), we asked to split the check three ways. This seemed to be no problem, but one check was $25 more than the other two. We didn't have time to wait for our server to remedy this. Great ambiance and the food was decent, but we were disappointed in our experience. read more

Had dinner here on one of our last nights in Charleston. Centric location and nice little ambiance with great music. Service was great, too. Food was just okay, nothing to write home about. The rock shrimp salad was probably my favorite dish. Coconut curry was good, but felt like it was missing something. read more

Ok I'll say this, if you're looking for a quick chop-shop sushi roll... this is not the place. Upscale environment, friendly service, and some very fine rolls. I would definitely recommend the spring rolls, they come with a sauce that our homie described as "chalky.... But in a good way". I personally went with the Tuna Takami roll (seared tuna) because we had a sushi party at my house last night and I ate more raw fish than Mrs. Obama probably allots for a month. It was quite nice. Probably an hour and 20 minutes from a$$ in the chair to bill paid and walking out the door. Definitely go back if I'm in the neighborhood and feeling fishy. read more

I try my best to see the positive in everything, food quality was OK, all three orders of dumplings came to the table cold, our food was delivered before our cocktails, every time we ordered a new cocktail, they never cleared the old glasses, dirty plates remained far too long, sushi was just OK... Service was poor, they delivered my son coffee with no cup then delivered a cup, then had to ask for creamers, and sugar. Overall for the billing, the price point, and where you are... You can do much better in Charleston. It's a shame to have seen this star fizzle out. read more

Love O-Ku whenever im in charlotte or Charleston that always my favorite spot to stop at ! They a-5 Japanese wagyu is the best sushi ! But everything on the menu from drinks to food and service was excellent! read more

Fabulous sushi joint that is so much more! Jay, our server, was awesome! Delicious yellowtail sushi. Also try the surf and turf roll. My overall fav is the coconut curry - wonderfully spicy! read more

O-Ku - Delicious sake! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

First impression: delightful. The ambiance in this restaurant makes for a calm and enjoyable evening out. My entire party enjoyed themselves. I ordered the poke bowl for a starter and it was delicious. Tuna was marinated well with the fruit and all of the flavors together made it super yummy. I forgot a picture. I apologize. I had two rolls: Tuna Tataki and Surf and Turf roll. While they were both very good, the Surf and Turf was amazing. For beverages I ordered the sweet n spicy martini. Spicy but very good! I loved it. I also ordered the Jasmanian Devil. Still a little kick (not as much as the martini) and it was an easy drink. The general manager stopped by our table to make sure we enjoyed everything. It was a lovely evening and I can't wait to go back! read more

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Every time I ask someone about Sushi I'm Charleston they bring up O-Ku. Here are my notes: - PRICES: This is an expensive sushi place. They have a happy hour where all rolls are 1/2. In my opinion, it's only worth it to go during that happy hour. Don't quote me but I believe it's Mon/Wed/Fri 5-7pm. Check the website though. At 1/2 it becomes the price range of most Sushi places. - FRESH FISH: This is some of the freshest Sushi I've ever had. The fish almost melts in your mouth from how tender it is. I had a great experience here. But again, go during happy hour. I wouldn't pay full price. It's good but not life changing. read more

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

This is unfortunate to write when on your anniversary trip non the less anytime as we own a food business . The place was clean and had great presence , host was happy and polite ! Waitress started good with drinks and app questions and sushi rolls . From there it went down hill . Our apps came out the dumplings were room temp and flavorless , the Tokyo wings were so little I would not have let them leave my kitchen to serve its an insult to any chef or owner ! I've never seen them so little there was no meat . Our server never came to table to check after intial stop over after apps arrived. The dinner rolls were good but unfortunately small portion ! We waited for the dishes to get cleaned off table for 15 min before asking a staff that passed by to get someone to remove it so we could sit with our dinner only . Then when the rolls came and we asked the server to provide a sauce for rolls it never came ! One of us didn't have chop sticks ! After sometime waiting on our server , we asked our tables next to us server can u get us these items . She did . These things as a good managed and serviced establishment would not have transpired ! I can say I would not return for neither a special occasion or just a pop in ' ! read more

Downtown Charleston has a ton of great restaurants and so many choices, but right in the middle of all of them is this great sushi gem! A little bit pricey, but the sushi was amazing. Wide variety of options for sushi that aren't common at every other sushi restaurant, so you get to try combinations you don't really have the opportunity to get other places. Drink menu also has a lot of delicious and fun cocktails, and great happy hour deals for drinks and appetizers! read more

I just moved down from Rhode Island and have been craving Sushi like no other. I got word of this place "O-Ku" from a local legend and decided to check the place out. The atmosphere was dark yet inviting with lively people lighting up the restaurant. We ordered a multitude of rolls including the "Playboy" which were to die for. As perfect and delectable the food was, it didn't compare to our server Kyleigh who guided our party through the entire experience. Her knowledge of the menu and warm welcoming demeanor made us feel right at home. If you're looking for a quality place to dine, this is the place for sure. PS. The place is pretty popular for good reason, so it's probably a good idea to call in advance. If you get a chance, definitely ask for Kyleigh. read more

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

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You need to try this sushi restaurant O-Ku lol get it!? Anyway delicious spot, great ambiance, and very fresh sushi! I really loved the food here only thing slightly annoying was the facts that most things I wanted they were out of including the dessert items. But whatever I was able to order and did was delicious! We ordered the spicy tuna crunch and firecracker for rolls 10/10 Specialty nigiri Lobster Fatty Tuna 10/10 Lobster tekasami appetizer hand rolls 5/10 needed flavor honestly Duck Buns - 10/10 Dessert chocolate bliss bar ordered burbon caramel ice cream on the side as well 10/10 read more

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Only 4 stars because service was extremely slow and server did not tell me that the otoro was only one slice for sashimi. the sashimi was some of the best I have had in a long time. read more

O-Ku - Sashimi - Snapper, Hamachi, Otoro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We love the every day happy hour (you can make a meal out of it) and the cocktails are great!

I've eaten here more times than I can count and it's always a great experience. I usually sit at the bar, last time Bridget and Heather served me and their service was fantastic. The cocktails were interesting and had lots of unique flavors. Happy hour a few times a week has half off rolls and certain bottles of sake. And if you have never done omakase the chef will blow your mind with the ever changing tasting menu read more

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

So I'll start by saying I've been to O-Ku several times but I'm not sure why I haven't written a review before now. Let me start by saying I'm a big fan. They have a unique selection of appetizers and sushi rolls. Most of my visits have easily been four-star experiences for food, service, and atmosphere. On my most recent visit, I'll still rate them four stars but have to say they were on the cusp of a three-star rating and I rounded up. We started with the dumpling dim sum; it comes with four pork dumplings and four shrimp dumplings, it was fantastic! After our appetizer, we had the Salmon & Lemon roll, the Surf & Turf roll, and the Spicy Tuna Crunch roll. They were all very tasty. Although I can't pick anything out in particular, while very tasty, something was off to make me think they weren't as good as previous visits. But, that could be related to what we chose tis time versus previous visits... I'm not sure, but it won't make me stop coming here. read more

Upscale and modern/rustic Japanese restaurant. We loved the environment. I can't emphasize enough- the service was awesome. My girlfriend has a shellfish allergy and the server taking care of us couldn't have been more accommodating. She had plenty of recommendations for things we could substitute, etc with the food we were ordering. The food itself was fantastic. The playboy and new Pacman rolls were great. The pork dumplings as a starter are also a good choice. On this Sunday night, we had half off bottles of wine prices $80 dollars or below. Not sure if that was an every Sunday thing, but I'd for sure look into it if that's your thing. Prices were average to a bit higher for a sushi place. Portions were also average for other similar restaurants. read more

O-Ku - Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll Playboy roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The best sushi in the city of Charleston. The fatty tuna (otoro) melted in your mouth . Wonderful atmosphere with a educated waiting staff. I took a seat at the bar and and ordered some sake which they have a wonderful selection of Japan's finest! They were also very willing to accommodate people with gluten issues. This is not your ordinary sushi spot. BRAVO! read more

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Walking around on King street on a Monday night in the summer stumbled upon this gem! Ambiance was the perfect romantic date night for us. The spring roll appetizer was so tasty and was to our table before our drinks were! I ordered the red curry udon noodles and the broth was very good, hubby had two kind of rolls and really enjoyed the surf and turf roll. Best Sushi he has had in awhile he mentioned. Our waitress was a lovely College Student, so attentive and took really good care of our requests. You won't be disappointed if you choose this place for Dinner. read more

O-Ku makes fundamental mistakes that mar its potential. With poor front of the house service and inconsistent quality in preparation, I couldn't recommend this restaurant without some important changes. First, I'm a big fan of Japanese food. After living in Japan for four years, the cuisine has stuck inside my brain and I judge almost all meat and seafood that I eat in other cuisines based upon the excellence I've grown familiar with in Japan. However, my parents who live in Charleston aren't convinced yet of Japanese food and O-Ku had the chance of me converting them when they said, "Let's do something different for Christmas Eve dinner. Let's go for Japanese." I was excited, in town for the holiday, to find O-Ku, just like the O-Ku we have here in Washington DC. I made reservations and poured over the menu, pre-selecting a variety of what looked most interesting for everyone. The service was the first thing to aggravate my parents. While they're not fussy people, they are in their 70s. So, when you make a reservation and don't get seated until 25 minutes later than the reservation, despite many tables being open and uncleared/un-bussed, they were wanting to walk over and help clear the tables themselves. The hostess was overwhelmed, despite the fact that it wasn't chaotic or overly busy. In fact, there were no more people in the restaurant seated + waiting than there were available seats. It was simply a matter of communicating to the staff which tables needed to be cleared so that people waiting could sit down. Then, once we were seated, the waitress was no better than the hostess. For example, it took her at least 5 visits to the table to get our drink and dinner order. First she forgot a pen, then she forgot to bring two of us our drinks after noticing only one of us received one, and then asked us if we wanted a refill, and when she returned without the refill, she asked us identically, "do you want a refill?" When we finally got our order in, it took at least an hour if not longer to get our first dish. We had said to bring them out whenever ready, but I assumed they were waiting to bring all the dishes out at once when nothing appeared for an hour. I was wrong. My mother and I received all of our dishes, but my father didn't get his until after we finished ours. We ordered: Mother: Dumpling Dim Sum - These were not a big hit. Unremarkable, flaccid, soggy. Sautéed Vegetables - Utterly terrible. The worst sautéed vegetables any of us have ever had in our lives. My mother has been accused of overusing salt her whole life. She dumps it on popcorn at movie theaters so much that people gasp. Yet, these vegetables were not only too salty for my father and I, but too salty for her to eat more than a couple bites. Inedible. This had to be a mistake. No one can eat them with this much salt. Tamago - I bet it would've been good...had we gotten what we ordered. Instead of Tamago, we received Amaebi. Since my mother is a vegetarian, she quickly slid this dish to me since she didn't get her omelette. I typically like head on shrimp, but this one was stuffed with a huge wad of bubblegum sized amount of wasabi. It was enough wasabi for the entire table to use, all stuffed into the body of the shrimp. It was as though someone wanted to sabotage the bite. Tempura Vegetable Roll - okay. Me: Sashimi (assorted) - I really enjoyed the sashimi. I had big meaty pieces of tuna with a spiced pepper exterior. It was wonderful. The best bites of the night. Clean, full-bodied, filling, and pleasing. Sauteed Vegetables - see above. Awful, awful, awful. Father: Kurobuta Pulled Pork Donburi - The pulled pork was tender, but the gochujang bbq lacked punch and the kimchi was astringent, rather than funky or spicy. Overall, the dish needed zing; the flavor needs to be turned up. It is milquetoast compared to the description of its ingredients on the menu. Overall, the restaurant convinced my parents they're not missing out by avoiding Japanese food, which hurts my heart! You all failed me, when I had a chance to convince them. read more

O-ku.... a place for the bougie who like sushi lol. Naw - but I actually had a pretty good dinner here. It was more than I would ever like to pay for that quality of sushi though. I feel like there are a handful of other spots in town you can get the same quality rolls but for a much more reasonable price range. But here, you basically pay for eating downtown. Just to give you an idea, I had to order the California Roll as my secondary roll just as my "filler" meal haha. But I did order the Tuna Wrap Roll which was tasty. The flavors were fresh and what I needed in that moment. I also tried a Lobster Temaki that a friend ordered for the table. And Lord bless her for it, cuz I wasn't about to pay $18 for some small hand rolls. It too, was tasty. But I can use $18 for a few strategic late-night Wendy's runs. Anyways, I was torn for the rating here... I almost gave a 3 for the steep prices alone, but the atmosphere was nice and clean and the sushi was decent. The water here is awesome btw!!! read more

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DELICIOUS!!!!! I am obsessed with O-Ku hands down get the truffle edamame and the tuna tartar. The shogun cocktail was fabulous! Services was great, they asked if we had allergies and took care of us while we waited for our table. Low lighting made for a perfect ambiance. Otoro nigiri was to die for. We got the playboy roll. read more

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Not trying to go on a mask rant but I was turned away while wearing a gaiter face covering. I am not an anti masker but any means but when the doors are locked, you have to have your temperature checked and then be told "you have to have an actual mask to enter" when I was going to go what 10 feet just to remove it!? Not to mention when I walked by 30 minutes prior to the place opening the staff were congregated around one table and not one wearing a mask! CDC states on their website a gaiter is an appropriate face covering. I also wonder if Covid 19 doesn't spread at dinner tables once I enter the facility? I typically come here a few times a year while in town but obviously they don't want my money in order to make whatever type of statement it is they are trying to make. read more

What can I say other than probably the best sushi the wife and I have ever had. Ambience, service, atmosphere they nailed it, highly recommend! read more

Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. Selection was good and would recommend. We were in town for a long weekend and didn't have reservations but they were able to accommodate us. read more