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    Ru San's

    3.9 (1k reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
    Closed 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    RU SAN'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Ru San's

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    Reviews With Photos

    KatiBelle C.

    Ru San's is our favorite place. It's where we go for any of our little celebrations, birthdays, anniversary's, pre surgery, and just anything that we feel deserves celebrating. We always have a great time the staff is so gracious and knowledgeable. We have never ordered anything that we haven't throughly enjoyed. The sushi chef's are truly amazing, we order 5-6 different rolls and the presentation is so beautiful. The restaurant has a nice covered patio, and inside is large with booths and large tables for larger gatherings. Can't say enough about how much we love this place. Go you won't regret it.

    Fried Rice (?)
    Rose E.

    Decades ago, this was my fave Japanese restaurant...but we rarely go here now. We recently met my son and his girlfriend for a double date on a Saturday night, and this was my impression... First of all, the place has been renovated...with a screened in porch outside, and some updated booths inside. However, despite some nice renovations, there were some other changes that I didn't like. They no longer crank up the music...instead the overhead was very muted. This sort of ruined the fun vibe of the place. Also, YEARS ago, every guest was greeted when you entered and left the restaurant with this Japanese-style yelping. It was actually kinda funny...but it was somewhat the hallmark of this restaurant. But no longer. No loud music...no funny greetings. Kinda sad? Then the foods. We ordered everything from Shrimp Tempura appetizer, to Fried Rice, Sushi Rolls, to a Chicken Katsu dish. THE only dish I was impressed with was their Katsu dish. Everything else looked and seemed kinda blah. That included my once-favorite "Rising Sun" Sushi Roll...just a pale comparison to how it was done before. I did enjoy the Lychee Sake though. Service was a bit minimal as well. Think the waitress visited us just once...near the end of our meal? Overall, I was quite disappointed. This place is just not the same as it used to be in its "heyday".

    Sloan M.

    The food was delicious, I have been looking for a bento box with yummy options and I found it. The service from Juan was amazing and the inside was clean. I would definitely come back.

    Miso soup, Wakame Seaweed Salad, Edamame
    Zoe G.

    Yummy sushi! One of my favs in charlotte. They have heated outdoor seating along with indoor seating! Pricier than I like to spend on sushi, but the rolls were delicious. I forgot the names of the rolls that we ordered Seaweed salad was yummy! Miso soup was standard, edamame's was standard Parking lot for easy parking

    NaTavia' M.

    who doesn't love being pleasantly surprised ! My first visiting Ru San's I was a little skeptical . Weekday late lunch time , parking lot wasn't too crowded . The artwork inside was beautiful. It gave the vibe some urban flair instead of cookie cutter decor . Most importantly everything was delicious ! Mango saketini .. YUM ! Beef fried rice could've used a little more flavor but that's nothing low sodium soy sauce can't fix . I can't remember the name of the roll unfortunately but it was fried with raw tuna and tastyyyy ! Probably my new favorite honestly. We also ordered cold sake and shrimp tempura, true and true classics you can't go wrong . We will definitely return to try more items ,

    Rosa O.

    Everything came out fresh, on time, and exactly as ordered. It was so good I forgot to take any pictures before diving in! The sushi was flavorful and well-prepared, and the whole experience was super smooth. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because of two small things: the soy sauce bottles were mismatched. while the green and red caps were there to show which was low sodium vs regular, both bottles turned out to be regular soy sauce. I always go for low sodium when I can, so that was a little disappointing. Also, the dessert selection felt like an afterthought. Would love to see a better variety or something more exciting to end the meal on. Still, great sushi spot overall. definitely worth a visit if you're in Charlotte!

    Ali B.

    Best sushi I've had in Charlotte, and I have been to many restaurants! Sushi is my favorite food and this blew me away. Pricing was reasonable as well. My husband and I just had a new baby, so for my birthday we ordered an absolute feast of sushi and my husband picked it up to bring it home. The seaweed salad was fantastic, the rolls were incredibly fresh and traveled well. The rainbow roll was unique compared to what we have had at other restaurants. Will absolutely be back!

    Grinch Roll and Green Turtle Roll
    Ally F.

    Aesthetic: Modern, authentic sushi restaurant with an extensive menu of classic and original rolls. My Favorites: The Grinch Roll Experience: I came on a quiet Tuesday night and was able to sit outside, and the weather was cool and perfect. The waitress was very sweet and attentive. I tried the Grinch Roll and The Green Turtle Roll, and the Grinch really stood out! I love fancy tuna rolls so it was perfect. The Green Turtle was a little too heavy on the honey mayo, it threw me off a bit, but I still finished and enjoyed it. I will definitely be back to try more.

    Overall I had great experience. I got seated immediately. They have lot of tables, so there was no wait time on a Tuesday evening. I ordered miso soup, cucumber salad, salmon sashimi and gladiator rolls. Enjoyed all. Staff were friendly and quick. The price was reasonable.

    Sushi Ornaments (top) & Yellowtail Sangria Roll (bottom)

    TLDR: Great value sushi I'm a HUGE fan of Yamazaru, so when I found out that the owner of Ru San also opened Yamazaru, I had to give Ru San a try. One of my go-to orders at Yamazaru is the Chirashi bowl and a couple rolls, so I stuck with the same items here. I placed my order on a Wednesday afternoon through GrubHub, and the food arrived well-packaged and nicely presented. The Chirashi bowl came loaded with a wide variety of fish: salmon, tuna, yellowtail, scallop, mackerel, crab stick, tamago, white tuna, octopus, red clam, and shrimp. It also included a generous portion of rice, seaweed salad, and octopus salad. For $28, it's an incredible amount of food and a solid value. That said, the quality was hit-or-miss--the tuna was a bit fishy, and the rice tasted more like Chinese takeout rice than proper sushi rice. The Sushi Ornaments Roll and Yellowtail Sangria Roll were both very good, especially at around $13 each. The Sushi Ornaments roll is basically rice balls topped with slices of fish, crunch, and sauces. It leaned on the mushier side, but I still enjoyed it. The Yellowtail Sangria Roll was exactly what I was hoping for--the yellowtail was fresh, the jalapeño had a nice bite, and the flavors balanced really well. Overall, I give Ru San a 3/5. If you're looking for quality, Yamazaru is still the winner in my book, but for portion size and value, Ru San holds its own.

    We ordered sushi rolls which were bomb! The spicy tuna, exotic and Philly rolls were excellent! All rolls were made with care and the quality fish. From the moment we walked in the service was amazing. Kudos to our sweet and attentive server Ash. She stayed on top of her game and was in tune with all our needs. The restaurants vibe was cool with good music and the staff appeared to get along well. I'd give this restaurant a 10 out of 10.

    Tasha B.

    Stopped in during lunch time. They have a pretty decent lunch time menu and a variety of specialty sushi rolls to try if you wanted something different. I enjoyed my lunch special and didn't leave feeling like I needed/wanted more. I would come back for another visit

    Basaree G.

    Came here with a friend from out of town before a comedy show. We enjoyed ourselves but our dinner was kind of soured because my friend was seated underneath a drippy AC unit in the ceiling. It dripped in her food so she couldn't finish and she had about half a roll left. We mentioned it to the waiter who took forever to flag down and he was really nice about it, but he did nothing in the way of taking that roll off of her tab. My food was good and I've attached a photo of my rolls but yeah this place loses a couple of stars for me.

    Grinch Roll

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    3 years ago

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    I don't quite get the hype. The rolls were fresh and well-prepared but a little bland for my taste.

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    1 year ago

    Good sushi & hibachi!! Very friendly and fast service!!!! Have lots of drink specials too!

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    1 year ago

    The food was delicious. The service was great. And the prices are decent. Can't wait to go back!

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Always a good time when we go here. The food is great, service is a little fast and ambiance is fast pace and always busy during peak hours.

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    3 years ago

    Favorite sushi spot in Charlotte! I love the tuna bomb sushi roll and the sweet potato caterpillar maki roll.

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    7 years ago

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    Page 3 of 26

    Ask the Community - Ru San's

    Have the lunch buffets returned ? This is why I always came here for lunch and I haven't been back since they stopped.

    No, it has not.

    When will the sushi buffet return ? This is the reason I always came to this place....

    I'm sorry. As far as I know, the owner isn't bringing the buffet back.

    When will lunch special make a return?

    We have a lunch special menu at the moment, everyday except Sunday 11:30am - 2:30pm, dine in only.

    Are they still doing lunch buffets?

    They are not :(

    Is the buffet open now for lunch?

    It isn't due to the pandemic.

    Does Rusans have the sushi buffet on sundays?

    Sorry, we don’t do sushi buffet, we only do regular menu, thank you.

    How much is the sashimi for 2 about 42 pieces, the menu doesn't say?

    $55 thank you.

    Do you offer gluten free soy sauce?

    No, we don’t have it Thank you!!

    Do they have a traditional Japanese Kani Salad on the menu? Their menu/website is very hard to navigate!

    It says they have a cucumber with Kanikama Salad

    How many pool tables do they have and if so what size? Thanx in advance and hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

    None that I'm aware of.

    Do they offer the sushi lunch buffet on Saturdays?

    Yes! It is wonderful and stocked really well, just get there before they close for the afternoon because it gets packed really quick

    Can you order off the menu at lunch or is it just buffet?

    Yes. You can order off menu

    Is this place a buffet?

    They offer an awesome lunch buffet AND menu items!

    View All 19 Questions

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    Sushi Hana

    Sushi Hana

    4.2
    (259 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Anytime you stumble across all-you-can-eat sushi , it already feels like a win, but this place…read moremanages to bring much more to the table. The restaurant is stylish, modern, and surprisingly chic , with a great location that makes it easy to add to an evening out. As first-time guests, we especially appreciated our server, who patiently walked us through the process and made sure there were no surprises. The explanation about the charge for uneaten all-you-can-eat sushi that guests want to take home was particularly helpful. Knowing the rules upfront makes all the difference and sets the right expectations from the start. The food was excellent. We worked our way through several rolls , sampled dumplings , and didn't find a miss among them. My Lycheetini was delicious, and after tasting a couple of sakes , I ended up buying a bottle to take home. Zero regrets there. Parking requires a little planning, with a paid lot nearby unless you're fortunate enough to snag a street spot right in front. Overall, I'd happily return and enjoy the entire experience all over again.

    First all you can eat sushi! The ambiance of this place is nice, casual but slightly upscale as…read morewell. For 30 dollars per person, I feel like you get a lot of variety to pick from. I would skip their fried rolls since you can barely taste the actual sushi. Their classic rolls and specificities are good though! Favorite was the black pepper tuna which was so nuanced in terms of flavors. Overall some of the rolls were a miss while others were pretty good. Service was good too!

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    Sitting area
    Sitting area
    Nigiri
    Nigiri
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    Muraya

    Muraya

    3.9
    (181 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    Really enjoyed this restaurant. The atmosphere was great, and the staff was very friendly and…read morewelcoming. The food came out surprisingly fast, which was a nice bonus. The octopus honestly wasn't fully my type flavor-wise because of the seasoning, but it was cooked extremely well -- probably the most tender octopus I've ever had. The cocktails were also very good and definitely strong in a good way. Overall, a really good experience, and I'd come back again.

    After a couple hours scrolling on the internet, my friend and I agreed to try this spot. I…read morepersonally have been craving latin food since coming from Honduras. Great location in south end near the light rail. We had a reservation for 6:30 and were seated promptly. The restaurant is gorgeous! I was in amazement walking to my seat. The host was about to sit us at a table, but we requested a booth and were accommodated. Our server was very nice and thoroughly explained the menu. We started off with the empanadas and I ordered my first virgin "pinny yolada" :). The empanadas were mind blowing! They were nice and hot, flavorful, and absolutely a delight! We were so impressed, we decided to order the double fried wings afterwards. The wings were good and had an interested flavor with the tamarind. After the wonderful appetizers, it was time for the entrees. I ordered the short rib yuca gnocchi and my friend the arroz con pollo. On paper the gnocchi sounded sublime, but in actuality it was lacking a lot. The entire dish lacked so much flavor, even with hot sauce, additional salt, and lime it tasted bland. I was very disappointed. The empanadas and service were a saving grace, I ordered two orders of empanadas to go for my family. However they were so expensive. I paid $14 for 3. Even though I loved the empanadas, I probably would not be back.

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    Atmosphere
    Calentado Criollo
    Calentado Criollo
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    O-Ku

    O-Ku

    4.3
    (717 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    We recently came here on a Thursday to celebrate my birthday. Wanting to beat the dinner crowd, I…read moremade a reservation for 5:30 p.m. At 5:00 p.m., I received a text letting me know our table was already ready--a very thoughtful touch. We arrived at 5:17 p.m., were greeted immediately, and seated right away. When I opened my menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see "Happy Birthday" printed across the top. Another thoughtful detail that made the evening feel special. Since we arrived early, the atmosphere was quiet, intimate, and honestly very romantic. We could actually hear each other talk without raising our voices. The lighting was perfectly dim--creating a cozy ambiance without making it difficult to see the menu. The service was equally enjoyable. Our waiter and waitress were attentive, friendly, and never overbearing, allowing us to enjoy our meal at a relaxed pace. As for the food, it was every bit as good as I remembered. The quality hasn't changed at all--fresh, beautifully prepared sushi with consistently excellent flavors. That's exactly why I keep coming back to O-Ku. You can always count on them for outstanding food, attentive service, and an overall dining experience that never disappoints.

    O-Ku Charlotte was a beautiful spot for a birthday celebration. We had a group of 7 and overall had…read morea really fun experience. The sushi was fresh and flavorful, and both the cocktails and no tails were great. The atmosphere and ambiance made the night feel special. The only downside was that the waitstaff mixed up our order a couple of times, but they were kind and did their best to fix it. Even with that, we still enjoyed the experience and would come back again.

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    O-Ku
    Red Dragon and Volcano Roll
    Red Dragon and Volcano Roll
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    Yama Loso

    Yama Loso

    4.7
    (141 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    I had the best time here kinda late at night last Saturday. We got there at about 10:24pm and were…read morereally just happy they were open. The host greeted us and was super nice, she did mention the kitchen closes at 10:50 but that we were more than welcome to come inside just that we should order soon. I really appreciated that!! Our server was nice and attentive and I made sure to order quickly. I was starving anyway so this was all perfect, honestly lol. I tried the sora roll which is: spicy yellowtail and cucumber, topped with yellowtail and avocado, crispy shallots, masago, spring onions, and yuzu miso reduction. THIS WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! I probably could've eaten two. I will 100% be back very soon to have this again lol. I also tried their brussel sprouts and really loved those too! They were cooked and flavored perfectly. I also really love the ambiance of this place. It was perfectly dime lit and it just looks soooooooo nice inside. The decor, the bar, everything was super nice. This is a great date night spot for sure!!!!

    It's in a hip neighborhood with quite a few new construction apartments, one rt across the street…read morecalled Ellos. And, the light rail is a walkable distance. The only access problem was the parking as the parking lane is very narrow. I don't know if there's additional parking for Yama but I drive a truck so I had to back out of the parking entrance. Just drove around the corner onto a Main Street, not South Blvd, n viola there was street parking on the side, no signs for time limits. All good. It was for a late lunch with visiting friends. Atmosphere for this meetup made us stay later than we should have bc I think we stayed til around 4:30pm? Lunch service finished maybe around 2:30-2:45? Felt badly for the person at the reception but he said it was no problem. I hv bn to Yama in Waverly a couple of times n now Yama Loso. Both serve a modern twist to Asian dishes. I love traditional Japanese meals but I also enjoy twists in recipes once in a while. Spicy edamame for starters. Looked great but I can't eat spice at the moment so I can't rate it tho my friends did eat it all up. Ate the sushi rice bowl but w/o the spicy aioli sauce n asked for something else which was on the sweet side. Comforting meal, not overwhelming, just right. Edamame, cucumbers, yellow pickled daikon, tuna, salmon, avocado. A simple lunch was all I needed. Then, the hamachi neck part came grilled, not on the menu but if they hv it they'll serve it tender n juicy. Only reason I left a star out was bc of the parking. Other than that, I'd probably go there again if I'm on that side of Charlotte but for me Waverly is closest.

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    Yama Loso
    Yama Loso
    Tempura bento box. My favorite
    Tempura bento box. My favorite
    Tori Kaarage

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    Tori Kaarage
    Yume Ramen Sushi & Bar

    Yume Ramen Sushi & Bar

    3.9
    (460 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Great service! Our waiter was very attentive. The restaurant is decorated nicely. The AC appeared…read moreon when we first arrived, but we asked the waiter to turn it off/down and they did it immediately. The overall consensus was that the food was alright. The one amazing dish was the chicken skins. The sushi was okay. The house salad dressing was too vinegary and less ginger than I was expecting. I think there are better Japanese restaurants to try for next time but I would give this restaurant another chance.

    Absolutely disgusting experience at Yime Sushi & Ramen in Charlotte. The owner acts like he owns…read morethe entire city and has one of the rudest attitudes I've ever encountered from a business owner. Customer service was terrible from the second we walked in extremely disrespectful, arrogant, and unprofessional. What made it even worse was the condition of the restaurant itself. There were bugs and even roaches inside the restaurant, which completely ruined my appetite and honestly made me question the cleanliness of the kitchen. No restaurant serving raw fish should ever have issues like that. The environment felt dirty, uncomfortable, and poorly managed. I genuinely do not understand the hype around this place. Between the awful attitude from the owner and the unsanitary conditions, I would never recommend anyone eat here. Charlotte has WAY too many amazing sushi and ramen spots to waste your money at a place that treats customers badly and can't even keep the restaurant clean. Save yourself the disappointment and go somewhere else.

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    Bar
    Bar
    Teriyaki salmon collar
    Teriyaki salmon collar
    Katsu Don

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    Katsu Don

    Ru San's - sushi - Updated July 2026

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