I genuinely love this place. My ex forced me to go get a massage at Burke Williams because my life has been pretty tough lately, and I needed a bite before I headed back home. As soon as they saw me in crutches, they were super helpful in finding me a place at the bar for happy hour. I got the Tokubestu and spicy miso, oh my gosh, I have never had such good sushi or miso soup in my life. It was so good. I had a gorgeous view, some people came with their cute little doggies, and they were so helpful in helping me find the restroom and even walked me to the door. I'm so glad I found this gem in the midst of a hard time. They really helped me to treat myself with a great price. read more

Sushi Roku - Miso happy - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Dropped in here for an early dinner around 5:30 PM because my oldest daughter was craving sushi. It was completely dead when we sat down, but the place was absolute chaos and totally packed by the time we paid the bill at 7:00 PM. If you hate crowds, book an early slot. Food was fine. It was solid good. Nothing too special. Service was great. No problems there. Will I be back? Probably not anytime soon because it isn't anything special but if you are right by here, it's a solid fine spot to diner if you want sushi. It's an interesting Ambiance. It's a small. It's right by the ocean. Lot's of people constantly walking by and driving by so it isn't a "relaxing spot". read more

The Definition of "Do It for the 'Gram" (With a Side of Traffic Noise) Let me start by saying the staff here are absolute angels. Super friendly, great service, no complaints there. But as for the meal itself? It was a roller coaster of "Oh wow!" and "Wait, what?" We sat by an open window, which sounded lovely in theory. In reality, it meant enjoying my dinner to the soothing, high-decibel sounds of city busses, revving motorcycles, and heavy trucks blasting down Ocean Avenue. It's hard to have an intimate family conversation when you're competing with public transit. Now, let's talk about the food: The "Jumbo" Shrimp: We ordered the Bacon Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp. Our server, bless her heart, gently warned us that they weren't actually jumbo. She wasn't kidding. It was basically three regular-sized, not-so-fresh shrimp wrapped in a very thick, very fatty blanket of bacon. Skip it. The Sushi Rolls: The White Lotus Roll was the undisputed star of the table--absolutely brilliant and fresh. The Yakumi Roll and the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice were also solid and super fresh. However, someone needs to stage an intervention for the Tokubetsu Roll. Black truffle pesto and yuzu vinaigrette are both great, but putting them together on one roll is like forcing an opera singer and a heavy metal guitarist to duet. They just don't match. The Dessert: We ordered the New York cheesecake that comes buried under a mountain of pink cotton candy. The server sprayed it with alcohol and lit it on fire right at the table. The cotton candy melted away like a magic trick to reveal the cake. My oldest daughter loved the spectacle, and literally every single table in the restaurant stopped eating to stare at us. It's an incredible stunt for social media, but flavor-wise? Cotton Candy flavored sugar crystals and cheesecake isn't exactly a match made in heaven. Will we make a special trip back here? Probably not. There are way too many incredible sushi spots on the Westside to settle for a mixed bag. But hey, if you're already in the area, want some decent fish, and desire a table side pyrotechnics show, it's worth a stop! read more

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Good sushi, nice views, service was just ok. We kept having to ask our waiter for things and everything took a long time. The price of the food didn't match the service but the outside patio was beautiful to watch the sunset and we ordered one of each of the specialty rolls and they all had unique flavors. My favorite was the white lotus. They do have a fun happy hour where things are discounted and the HH menu is quite extensive! read more

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5 stars all around for Sushi Roku Santa Monica! The food is always consistently fresh and delicious, and the overall vibe of the restaurant is so fun and energetic. It's right across from the pier, which makes the location even better, and they have plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating. They usually don't have much of a wait, but I still recommend making reservations just in case. What really made this experience stand out though was our waiter, Anthony. He went completely above and beyond. He was incredibly attentive and somehow always seemed to know what we needed before we even had to ask. We had a small issue with one of the rolls and politely mentioned that we didn't love it. Anthony was so kind and understanding about it. He immediately took the roll back, didn't charge us for it, and even brought out a complimentary dessert, which was extremely thoughtful and i lol very appreciated. That level of service really elevated the whole experience, and we will definitely be coming back because of it. read more

Sushi Roku - Churros - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Loved our dinner at Sushi Roku Santa Monica! The food was delicious, the service was impeccable, and the ambiance was excellent too. We dined outside and had a beautiful view toward the ocean and good people watching. read more

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Amazing experience at the bar here! Sushi was nuts, Mike and Megan were an absolute delight as bartenders, and a beautiful view of the ocean. Highly recommend (everything) but especially the crispy rice with tuna. Was so good we came back two days in a row. read more

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Sushi Roku never disappoints! It's our go to for Sushi.. The food is absolutely delicious and the presentation is incredible. The staff is attentive, thoughtful and goes the extra distance to make the experience memorable! It is a gorgeous restaurant with extraordinary ambience, and great attention to detail! read more

Ordered this on door dash so I have nothing to say about service/ambiance. For the food, I ordered these items: * Sushi Box with Baked Crab HandRoll 6/10 It came with 5 nigiri that I did not really enjoy, they didn't taste too fresh. The hand roll was okay, I like the wrapping. * American Waygu Potstickers 7/10 The Gyoza Sauce did not pair well with these but standing alone, they were pretty alright. I would not think they are waygu though they just taste like ground beef. * Popcorn Shrimp Jalepeño Roll 1/10 I did not like this, just tasted like a mouthful of gluttony. Popcorn shrimp is good on its own & does not belong in a sushi roll * Japanese Fried Chicken 8/10 Favorite thing i ordered. It is not anything crazy but it tasted really good & came with a yummy creamy-cilantro sauce. read more

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This open air restaurant by the ocean front is a great choice for sushi. The rolls are decent and the appetizers are flavorful. We also ordered the deluxe sushi plate and the fish was fresh. Overall size of fish and rice is a bit small. In guess it makes you enjoy each morsel that much more. The server was great. read more

Food was so good! And staff were very friendly! I can't stop thinking about the toro carpaccio with caviar... read more

Sushi Roku - Toro carpaccio (with oscietra caviar) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great place for sushi. Delicious, nice vibe, ocean view and our server Mina was amazing. Sushi is frash and decent price for santa monica. read more

Sushi Roku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Good sake, good vibes , good sushi. Pricier than most. Location is good, if you get patio seating then u experience the hustle of ocean ave and cool breeze of the pacific (I was seated indoors though ) read more

Sushi Roku - Chef's special (market price ~$80 without tax). Tasted good. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Delicious as Usual! Definitely pricey. I dine here all the time. My bill is average $300-$400 MAX with 4 people and this time I was with 2 little girls and our bill was $600. Not sure what happened. read more

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very yum came on a Saturday night and there was no wait. staff friendly and quick service. yummy food- would recommend trying for dinela! read more

We had a wonderful experience here. Our pre Oscar dinner here was top notch and I can't say enough good things about this place. Great staff, ambience, food and drinks. Location is right across the ocean. Absolutely recommend coming here. Thank you so much. read more

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Roku was delicious! The rolls, hand rolls, and miso cod were all fresh and flavorful. The service was excellent, our waitress was so kind, and the entire staff was warm and attentive. We sat outside, and when it got a little chilly, they turned on the heat lamps right away, making it super cozy. The cocktails were great too, especially the watermelon margarita. I'll definitely be back! Oh, and they validate parking, which is always a plus. read more

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Extremely disappointed by this place I'm kind of in shock. This place is beautiful inside and out a really nice spot to take your partner or family aesthetic wise. Now here where they lost me I ordered 2 orders of tuna and two orders of yellowtail somehow they missed one order of yellowtail, which is fine because we had appetizers but not fine because it's probably the thinnest slice of meat I've ever seen on a piece of sushi.. ratio was way off... Then we got our roll the white lotus completely lacked any flavor wouldn't order again We ordered garlic edamame, shishito peppers, 3 orders of sushi, one roll, and one drink. Cost was way too high for what was given Our server was constantly lost we had to ask over servers and staff to find him so we could pay and leave we weren't happy here. Come here for drinks and maybe appetizers don't come here thinking you're going to get your moneys worth when it comes to the fish read more

Sushi Roku - Skinny pieces of bluefin tuna and yellowtail sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Loved this sushi restaurant great food/ drinks ! Super friendly ambience & dog friendly! Will def be back ! read more

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Went there for happy hour with my dog, checked in with the host. The host asked me if I'd like to sit inside or outside I said outside, he sat me and said he would grab me a happy hour menu. The waiter came I told him I was waiting for the happy hour menu and he said we do not serve Happy hour outside, You need to go inside and sit at the bar. I told him I was there a few weeks ago and sat outside and he said they recently changed their rules. I was the only person seated outside and the restaurant was fairly empty inside. Anyways, I got up and left. I went down the street to marmalade they have happy hour every day and serve it outside and it's excellent. read more

Service was extremely poor and the food was mediocre at best. The server only took drink orders from one person, then walked away. The grilled chicken was covered in an overly sweet teriyaki sauce and the mash potatoes was oily and odd tasting. Ended up sending it back. read more

We celebrated our anniversary at Sushi Roku and it couldn't have been more perfect. Grant (good hair) and Anthony (amazing smile) made us feel truly special -- their kindness, smiles, and energy turned our evening into a beautiful memory. The food was delicious, the atmosphere heartfelt, and every detail felt personal. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We'll never forget it -- and we'll be recommending Sushi Roku to everyone we love. read more

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Everything was absolutely spot on. Refreshing cocktails, the fish was fresh and had that great melt in your mouth experience. Hamachi Serrano was out of this world. We sat outside during sunset and received fantastic service from Ian. Thanks for taking care of us! read more

Sushi Roku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We finally tried this restaurant out. The fact that they allowed dogs was a plus. They even had snacks for our baby. The Manager Andrew Ha and Melanie P took really good care of us. Everyone was very pleasant. The restaurant is pleasantly located at the corner of Ocean Avenue with the view of the ocean. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We had a great meal. I felt like some fried chicken and my husband had baked cod. We also had a full Hanabi - Yellowtail, a super yummy roasted multi coloured cauliflower, and spicy cucumber sunomono. read more

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Solid service, incredible location and the sushi was different which we appreciated. It's nice to be introduced to new flavor combinations and approaches to common dishes. My absolute favorite was their take on crispy tuna. Seriously could have ordered 5 orders and eaten them by myself! read more

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The appetizers were phenomenal and the tempura roll was great, the other two were pretty good. The service could be better with more check ins and it did take a while to bring us more ginger when we asked, and when we asked for it to be brought after our rolls arrived they never came back. Overall the food was great maybe a bit understaffed. read more

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Honestly, I pictured something different... more upscale, maybe an ocean view, based upon the reviews. While the service was attentive, the restaurant pleasant enough, and the sushi itself rather delicious... it did have more of a tourist trap vibe to it than I expected. If I were in Santa Monica again, I'd stop by, it really was delicious. But I'm not sure I'd go for a special occasion again. It's great, it's just more of a tourist spot by the beach than anything else. read more

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We recently hosted a private event in the Robata room. The food was delicious and Anthony and Marina were very attentive to all our needs. Their manager Grant was very accommodating and I would definitely host here again. read more

What an experience! This week Sushi Roku was celebrating their 25th anniversary by offering 50% off food all week. Growing up in Santa Monica, I often drove by the restaurant but never actually dined inside. I usually avoid the Ocean Avenue restaurants due to them being quite touristy. However I kept seeing the ads for their anniversary so it was the perfect place to go for dinner with my family. We were able to make a reservation for the first night of their anniversary special and found parking across the street. Upon entry we were sat immediately after checking in with the hostess. The service from start to finish was outstanding. There was not a single minute we had a glass or plate empty before a server or food runner came by. Their menu ranges with a lot of variety to choose from. They have carpaccios, sushi, rolls, robata skewers, meat, ramen, fish, etc. We decided to get three different types of carpaccios, two different rolls, three different kinds of skewers, a ramen, two sushi plates, two kinds of hanabi, and two main entrees. For being a busy night, the food and staff were still on top of it. There was never a long wait for food and everything came out hot and fresh. The quality of the food was exceptional and the taste was exquisite! All the flavors and sauces complemented the dishes so perfectly. The fact that everything was half off due to their anniversary sale made it even better! We all loved it so much that we ended up coming two additional days this week (three total). Each day we ordered some similar items, but some different. I feel like we almost went through the entire menu. We even got to meet Andrew the GM our first night who was so welcoming and attentive. Each return visit he welcomed us in with a smile and constantly checked up on us. This was truly a 5 star experience and I can't wait to return. read more

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Food was just OK and overpriced for what it is. Also, they started doing a new payment process where you can play by QR code which is great but they don't disclose. There's a four dollar fee just to pay that way. They need to be more transparent because paying four dollars for your bill and self servicing cost that make it easier on the restaurant should not fall on the customers responsibility and cost. I would never normally give three stars, but because of this surprise app fee, I'm making it two. read more

Smack dab in the middle of touristy Santa Monica, with lovely views of the beach, traffic and tourists, is Sushi Roku, a reliable chain for sushi. We fought our way thru LA traffic to come for their anniversary celebration where prices were 50% off -- well worth it! Everything we ate was fresh. My favs were the crudos - interesting to see how they pair fish with other ingredients and sauces. The uni nigiri was tasty and decent portions of sea urchin. Would skip the wagyu skewer, and crispy rice was a little oddly chewy. Waiter was helpful if busy at times (understandable given the promo). Parking is 90min free in the city parking garages. Would recommend if you're in the area read more

Sushi Roku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Excellent food and even better service. Our server was so helpful and excited to help us with food items. He was very professional and including the tasty food, we will return because of him. read more

I came here for dinner because of their 25th anniversary deal - 50% off their food items during dinner. There wasn't a wait since I went and sat at the bar, but it was definitely busy. I waited about 10 minutes until the waiter came to me and gave me the menu (which is fine, I understood that it was crowded). He told me he was going to get me a glass of water as I viewed the menu, he returns about 5 minutes later and takes my order... no water still. I ordered the white lotus ($13 because of the 50% off) and the hamachi Serrano ($12 because of the 50% off). Food came out quickly, portions were small and I honestly don't think it would've justified the 100% price tag but it was fine since it was 50% off. No soy sauce, ginger, wasabi, etc. was provided. I couldn't get the waiter's attention so I just ate my food. Finished my food and still no water. I look around for my waiter and he still doesn't come by, I waited around for about 20 minutes until I had to flag someone else for the bill. I wanted to get out of there because it was just so noisy and I'm like THIRSTY still. I finally pay for my bill and it was around $27 and after I paid, I noticed that my tip was incorrect from my credit card bill. I clicked on 18% but I paid almost $10 as a tip? (Which I think is extremely generous for the horrible service I received, I think the 18% from the $27 would've still been too generous). Feel extremely scammed from this meal, my experience, and my bill here! Not sure what kind of business they're running and I'm just so shocked still. Just wouldn't return nor would I ever recommend this place. read more

Sushi Roku - 8 Piece White Lotus Roll Dinner - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I've been coming to Sushi Roku's for many years, all locations are amazing. Sushi Roku SM had a 25th anniversary where they had food for 50% off for a few days as a thank you back to the community. My friend and I ordered everything on the menu. The Filet, Tuna Hanabi, Chu Toro and Lamb Chop skewer were some of the stand outs for the evening. Fun fact, last night i found out that the Shermanator used to be a server there? how awesome is that? He's not there anymore though. read more

This is a chain, remember this. I ordered (for myself; my Wife does not like nor eat Sushi) a 22-piece mixed Sashimi plate to go. I went back into the car and just could not wait.... I opened this huge box of raw fish and they looked dull. Bad sign. Some were very good, but some were absolutely disgusting. I know all of us Jews say, "Never Again" about the Holocaust, but I think it's applicable here, too. Just say "no.". read more

Sushi Roku is the best sushi spot ever with ocean views in Santa Monica. They have the most beautiful golden hour views with fresh sushi. Their happy hour is impressive and I love the Brussel sprout chips and crispy rice. The people are so nice, and the white lotus roll is the most memorable roll I've had in LA. Don't forget the dessert! read more

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Reviewing strictly for the service at this restaurant -- everyone was super kind from first interaction to my last. Will was my primary server and was attentive the entire time. Additionally, had an interaction outside with a houseless lady (a good one, left abruptly to grab her something) and the girls working the front as well as one of the servers (wish I got her name; she wear glasses, brunette) asked if I was okay. I LOVE SERVICE LIKE THAT!! Happy hour is expensive but still really good food. I'll be back! read more

MIKE IS THE BEST! Happy hour 4-6 is my favorite! Highly recommend The ocean view is amazing read more

Sushi Roku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Thank you to all the wait staff and chefs for a beautiful anniversary dinner. My husband and I were treated like both royalty and family! A dinner out like this for us is definitely a special occasion and Sushi Roku delivered. The food was also astonishing. Fresh, beautiful and delicious. The nicest experience. Thank you. read more

This place was fine. We ended up here because our hotel concierge said not to bother with Sugarfish bc the line would be too long (and they don't take reservations). This place does take reservations, and it didn't seem super crowded when we went. It was super expensive and not very memorable. It was right near the beach so of course it was filled with tourists. The ambiance was pleasant, but very casual. Would have liked to get here when it was 50% off like everyone else in these reviews- then maybe I wouldn't feel quite so meh about it. read more