I'll rate this place well because the service really took care of us. As some one who's work in the food industry as well, I know this time of the year is taxing on the staff, kitchen, and inventory. A few of the things we wanted were sold out. Granted it was my birthday and our groups first time going, the pressure was high ha ha. They gave me a sweet hand written note and a few other things for my special day. The manager was fantastic. The ambiance was cute and calm for a Sunday. We weren't too hungry this time but I'll come back for the Omakase next time out of curiosity. My fiancé and I lived in Japan so our expectations are too high. If you're looking for authentic...it's not here. But they were candid from the beginning about their Japanese-American take. The fish was fresh, the ingredients as well. The drinks were well-made albeit I might be an alcoholic because I couldn't taste the liquor at all in my 30 dollar cocktail. I would recommend this as maybe a lunch spot. I also wouldn't recommend arriving super hungry if you have a big appetite. They are true to their tapas style presentation. In other words, appetizer sized entrees. As a girly girl though I love me some drinks and apps. Over all, I enjoyed my time with my wonderful company and accommodating service. Try the yellowtail carpaccio and the mushrooms. I'll go 10 times over for those alone. read more

O-Ku was more than just OK--it was great! I had a wonderful dinner here with a friend on a busy Friday night. The restaurant was packed, but we were able to walk in without a reservation at 7 pm and waited about an hour for a table. I recommend making a reservation in advance. The cocktails were good, and I thought the option to add cucumber, lemon, and/ or lime to the water was great. The ambiance was both romantic and modern. It's also quite spacious inside. I thought the option to add cucumber, lemon, and/ or lime to the water was great. I'm looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu, including the omakase. Karaage Chicken - Perfectly fried and cooked chicken thighs that came in a generous portion. The lemon aioli added a nice acidity to balance the richness of the fried chicken. (5/5) Surf & Turf Roll - Delicious and flavorful. No notes. (5/5) Yuzu Fuego Roll - A good roll, though not as memorable at the Surf & Turf. Similar rolls can be found at other Japanese and sushi restaurants. (4/5) Salmon Usuzukuri - Simply seasoned yet complex in flavor, perfectly balanced with truffle and yuzu. (5/5) Charred Broccolini - Amazing. Perfectly charred with a delicious nutty sesame and yuzu olive oil sauce. The crunchy garlic chili oil added great texture and a touch of heat. (5/5) Duck Negiyaki - Tasty and perfectly grilled duck, but the portion is small for the price. (4/5) Sata Andagi - Fried dough with matcha in the batter. The creme anglaise was standard. Nothing to write home about. I'd pass on this one. (3/5) read more

See all

Ok, the table side lobster is a whole experience... even better than I remember!!! And those steak skewers are SO flavorful (just very small portion especially for price). The ribs are super tender but a bit tangy for my palate. The seaweed salad has something spicy in it (for me haha), wasn't a fan. Quincy was our server - great service! Can't wait to go back for that lobster! Not sure why they didn't have the patio open yet - it was gorgeous out Wednesday! read more

See all

Ok-u was a great experience for our first time there! The food was great and the robata grill was even better. Service here made our night, shoutout to chef Elmer and out waiter Zack :) Thanks guys.We'll be back! read more

My husband and I flew in from Los Angeles and decided to give O-Ku a try. It definitely was more than we expected. The food was absolutely delicious we had the wagu sushi, chicken & sticky ribs. Service was incredible we were celebrating being newly married and Quincy took incredible care of us. He was super attentive and gave us some great food suggestions. The restaurant was very romantic as well. We will absolutely be back!! read more

See all

Gorgeous spot, vibe/music on point. This restaurant may be one of my favorite in the city. The food was phenomenal, flavors were so vivid and full of complex blends. The drink is had had a wasabi ginger simple syrup which in my head didn't make sense but turned out to be delicious. The stand out dish was a citrus kai, the scallop and shrimp were cooled to perfection. The service was impeccable the waiter was knowledgeable, friendly and funny. The ambiance was great for a romantic evening or a cool evening to catch up with a small group. Amazing drinks, easy to spend alot of money tried 9 things on the menu and wanted to order more. Would HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

O-Ku - Dudes night out lol - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

Went here for a Saturday night dinner and am never disappointed! The food is always outstanding and the service and atmosphere is top notch. Super grateful to the host who was able to fit us in last minute! Also, lots of great vegetarian options! read more

Oku is an incredible sushi spot located in the Union Market area. When I walked in, I noticed ample seating, including a bar area, with additional upstairs and downstairs sections. My server was amazing she knew the menu too well and suggested some amazing picks. I chose to sit at the bar and ordered three rolls. The surf n' turf roll was especially amazing definitely a highlight! It's a great spot for a date night, and the prices were quite reasonable. I'll definitely be returning soon! read more

Everything on the menu is fabulous, love the dumplings, yellow tail and firecracker rolls. Service is pretty good, waitress literally over explains the menu love it. Cozy and intimidate vibe in there too. read more

See all

O-Ku's Firecracker Roll was spicy and crispy, with a satisfying texture and balanced flavor. Fish tasted fresh and ambience was 10/10

Unfortunately the camera doesn't eat first when it comes to me because sometimes the food is just too good!! As soon as I sit down at Oku, I immediately order the edamame and yellowtail carpaccio. This is the perfect way to start your food journey at Oku. As much as I want to get sushi, I can't help but to draw my taste buds to the steak skewers and broccolini. I'm sure my friends are tired of me raving about how good it is. (fun tip: I usually have to take my food to go and put my skewers in the same box as my steak and the sauce is phenomenal on the steak!!) For cocktails, I can't but help to recommend the sugar and spice. I'm a sucker for a passion fruit cocktail and this is on spot on! It's not too sweet and just the right amount of boozy. I usually come here alone because it's so easy to chat with the bartenders and staff, I usually don't feel alone. This a perfect date night spot or solo spot! read more

See all

Very cool spot, from the door leading inside to the intimate lounge style waiting area, the atmosphere is just a whole vibe. The high top tables towards the back just after the bar were really nice, I would definitely recommend, it gives great privacy and a feeling of seclusion from the rest of the restaurant while still being in the mix of things. Now to the food , I orders the: - Harvest Roll The ingredients caught my eye, l was pleasantly surprised in a good way. Great roll if you are beginning your sushi journey, vegetarian, or a connoisseur looking to change things up. - O-KU Spider Roll - Firecracker Roll All of the rolls were fantastic, The service was amazing as well and had no complaints, our server Quincy was very knowledgeable and knew when to swing by to checkin w/o interrupting and had great energy. read more

See all

This is quite literally the best sushi I've had (my husband agrees). Words will not convey how fresh and flavorful everything we tried was. We ordered 20 things from the menu, so I'd say we had a good representation of what they are capable of. I only took two photos because we devoured every single thing put in front of us. Our favorites: from the small plates--edamame with truffle salt; miso soup (I feel like I judge a restaurant by their ability to turn something ordinary and simple into something divine. This soup is FANTASTIC and I'm going to dream about it for the rest of my life); salmon usuzukuri (save the sauce and thank me later). Our favorite sushi roll was the tuna tataki, but all were wonderful and full of complex flavors that just married together. My husband ordered about 4 separate orders of their unagi nigiri. Their nigiri/sashimi is SO fresh and you have the option to cover with sweet soy glaze and torch it; the torching adds an interesting char flavor without overdoing it and creates a complex tasting experience. Their tuna and salmon are insanely fresh and some of the best quality I have ever had. Their signature nigiri offers interesting takes on the more simplified versions. Try the big eye and sake dreams. Cocktails were done extremely well, kept relatively simple, but also incorporated Japanese flavors and spirits. Our server was phenomenal, so passionate about her job and the menu and offered good insight and advice. I can't wait for indoor seating to open back up, so this place can start raking in more money (y'all, we NEED to protect this place at all costs.) (I thought pricing was fair and our bill was not even that high for how much we ordered. Enjoyed the nearly three hour experience soooo much). Top five favorite restaurants that I've been to, in my opinion. Can't wait to make this place a staple! read more

O-Ku - their dessert tea cocktail with whiskey and coconut cream - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

Food was good, a little overpriced but nothing too crazy. The vibes were very boujee which was nice. Gave it 3 stars for two main reasons. 1, I think to charge as much as they do for food and then charge a wellness fee onto the customer is wild. With portions that small and prices that high as an owner you can take that on yourself. 2, the waitress was nice but she acted like I was crazy when I kept saying roll instead of nigiri while pointing and talking about the nigiri. I know that's on me, but to correct me 4 different times and have facial expressions as if I'm saying something crazy even though I'm pointing at it on the menu and asking questions where you have the context was kind of annoying. read more

Delicious sushi experience. From the service to the ambiance to the food, it was all 5 stars. The sushi melts in your mouth every bite taken. We were so impressed and cannot wait to return. read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

Love this place! We went tonight 12/31, Wish I could give it 5 stars... Pros: Great food with reasonable pricing. Happy hour pricing was even better. Ambiance was perfect. Music selection was amazing. We sat at the sushi bar and Soto (sushi chef) was incredible. Personable and great portion with the fish. Angel our server was also great. Positive and energetic! Con: Hostess. (Tall guy with braids) was not friendly at all. We asked if we can move to a different table since the one we were seated at was by a wall. He shut down and ignored our request. He even walked away and we needed to go back to the front to talk to him. All he kept responding was I" don't know what you're asking for" even though we were trying to explain... read more

See all

Would go back again! Drinks were great, steak was cooked well. Mushrooms were tasty and service was great. I enjoyed the scenery and the Oku sushi is my recommendation for sushi lovers! read more

Loved the decor and ambiance. Very nice place for happy hour, date night, or even celebrating a special occasion. Service was a group effort and very fast and efficient. I was only there for happy hour, and honestly the sushi was a tad underwhelming. Potstickers were good. The shrimp was a little better than average. The happy hour sushi and one specialty roll were very average in my opinion. Did not match the luxurious setting. Have had much better sushi at less fancy and cheaper restaurants. Will definitely go back to explore more rolls because I want to be a regular here, it's extremely nice and inviting. 7/10 for now. read more

O-Ku - Front door decor - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

O-Ku is a cool spot if you're in the neighborhood. They have a lot of options outside of sushi if you're interested in that. I like that they have a variety of things to add to your water other than lemon or lime. I always go with cucumber. For appetizers we had the broccolini and citrus Kai which is a shrimp and scallop skewer. One of my favorite things on the menu. For sushi we had the unagi san roll, spicy tuna roll, the spider roll and the crunchy prawn roll. All the roles were good. I would like it if they just left the soy sauce on the table so you didn't have to flag someone down to get more. They also have a lavender lemonade mocktail that was delicious. read more

O-Ku - Broccolini and citrus kai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

This was my first time visiting O-ku! Let me just say I need JC as my server EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! He made our experience top-notch!! I will return just to see him and enjoy the food. It was everything!! I indulge and splurged on myself because I deserved to. I'm glad we just happened to go here by chance. It's definitely on my list to return. Everything we ordered was SO GOOD!! I can't wait to go back. You can't go wrong with anything that you order. TRY IT ALL!! 10/10 NO LIE!!! CHECK THEM OUT!!! read more

See all

I came on an evening when it wasn't crowded. The service was on point. The drinks were solid. I ordered the spicy salmon roll. I was definitely disappointed on the presentation of my roll. I had this same roll before and it definitely looked and tasted better. read more

See all

The service was abysmal. I have never had worse service. The server walked away from us when we were in the middle of ordering, and didn't provide any soy saice until we had eaten everything. It was wildly bad. The food was decent, but nowhere near good enough to justify the awful service coupled with unreasonably high price point. read more

O-Ku is the perfect spot for date night or ladies night! I've been here twice and both times the sushi and drinks were delicious. Our bartender was very attentive and helpful in suggesting what appetizers to try and his favorite sushi. So far O-Ku is definitely at the top of my list for best places in DC for sushi. My friend and I tried a variety of their happy hour sushi and drinks and we left leaving very satisfied. Happy Hour is M-Thu, 5-7p half off select sushi and $3 off the first three cocktails on the original cocktail menu. read more

The food was amazing and our server Andrew was amazing. I had the scallop and Shashimi combo and it was lovely. The ambience was inviting and intimate and the drink I dropped my chopsticks was amazing. I would recommend this Gem in Navy yard to anyone looking for a great sushi place in D.C read more

O-Ku - Scallop and Shashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

One of my favorite spots in DC for sushi! The ambiance is unbeatable, especially on a hot day. There are no windows and it feels like your being transported somewhere entirely new. Cocktails are innovative and delectable. The food is made to order and comes out as it's ready. The sushi selection is fresh and the flavors are unique. I will be back again! read more

O-Ku - Yuzu Cocktail - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

Every time I go to O-Ku I am impressed! The service is wonderful from the moment you sit down and they offer you fresh citrus with your water. The happy hour is quite unbeatable and I especially like that you can enjoy it from anywhere in the restaurant. I love the special nigiri and rolls. My personal favorite is the Surf & Turf. Would love to come for omakase one day. It's quite a treat! read more

O-Ku - Sushi rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

My favorite restaurant in DC, without a doubt. My partner and I go there once a month. The ambiance and service are exceptional, and each time we visit, someone remembers us. But the best part is the food! The Salmon Usuzukuri is a must-- we order three plates every time. The Wagyu, spicy tuna, and tuna tower with seasoned chips are also incredible . It never gets old. While it's a bit on the pricey side, that's why we work hard. It's worth every penny. I have zero complaints! read more

The mood inside was everything. Walking up to O-Ku it feels you are headed just into a speakeasy. Top suggestion here is make a reservation. Location was prime and there are a couple dining rooms plus an upstairs dinning room and bar. Food was awesome here. It was mostly tapas. I ordered the rock shrimp, the broocolini, cicitrus kai, spicy salmon and the crunchy prawn. Everything was so good. The only thing I would pass on next go around was the rock shrimp. My favorite was the spicy salmon roll and the citrus Kai was the most shocking in a great way. They char it a little and lather it up in a citrus butter. Easily would order again and wish it came with a rice. Our waitress was pretty nice even when we spent more time talking than looking at the menu. Union market is full of great restaurants so no surprises that this joins the list. read more

I went here for happy hour. I was able to find parking on the street but I'd recommend parking in the lot in front of Union Market to make things a bit easier. It seems like they get pretty busy with the after work/dinner crowd but we lucked out to be able to walk-in and get a table for six. They did tell us we could only be there until a reservation came in and despite being timely, I didn't feel rushed to order and get up. My drink (shogun) was more memorable than my food (rock shrimp and tuna tataki). If I go back, I may stick to all cold sushi or ignore food all together and just get drinks. read more

We had an amazing time! Came here after our engagement and everyone was so kind and made the experience very memorable. The food was amazing and the espresso martini is incredible. We will be back! read more

See all

I hate to leave a bad review but the sushi was honestly so bad we were laughing while eating it. The rice was somehow pure cold mush AND undercooked, with occasional rock hard grains in each roll. This place relies only on ambiance and it really shows. read more

I've been to O-Ku a few times now and each time have had a wonderful experience! From the beautiful wood door to the gentle ambiance, I love that O-Ku manages to balance upscale with casual. I can come in here with my sneakers and not feel underdressed, or I can come in decked out and not feel out of place either. Regardless of whether I've been with groups or by myself, I've always been impressed by the service. I've been seated at the high tops with a large group downstairs for a birthday party, upstairs in a booth for an intimate dinner as well have eaten at the bar downstairs solo before meeting up with some friends and each time the team here has been kind, warm, attentive and professional. That really does go a long way for me and is much appreciated! I've ordered such a range that it's typically a bit of a blur (especially with groups since we often share) but everything I've ever tasted has been delicious! The last time I was here recently we started with a few small plates that everyone seemed to love: dumplings, hamachi and the Tokyo chicken. The hamachi was amazing, but fair warning very small serving. However, pairing that with the Tokyo chicken (substantial size) was a great balance to share with the group. My friends were all obsessed with their rolls (one declaring it was the best thing she's eaten in a long time) and the majority of the table become equally obsessed with the donuts. Overall, this is just a very special (and IMO underrated) restaurant when it comes to being buzzed about. But I'm glad to see that the love here on Yelp is real and reflective of how awesome O-Ku is! read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

we came to o-ku in the pouring rain, our clothes dripping but stomachs empty and so ready to eat! the staff were so friendly as soon as we walked in and the ambiance was perfect for a lovely evening. after drying off, it was time to order and thank god it was happy hour. we got the snow king, tuna tataki, spicy crunchy salmon, hamachi nigiri and rock shrimp. rock shrimp were crispy and the sauce kept making me want to go back for more! the snow king and tuna tataki were my favorite rolls - the torching on the rolls added the perfect flavor to complement the fish. we kept ordering more and more because it was just so delicious. fish quality was amazing!! no complaints here for drinks i got the sugar and spice while my friends got the shogun and peso for your thoughts. all these including the food were on the happy hour menu and it is such an amazing deal. our waitress found out we were celebrating and she brought out these lychee passionfruit shots that were so good. counting the days until i can return to o-ku ig @ stephiesmunchiez read more

See all

Intimately lit inside with a beautiful rooftop dining option makes this space versatile whether you're out with the friends, on a date, celebrating a birthday with your family, or sitting at the bar catching a vibe. Highly Recommend: Yellowtail carpaccio, Kobe style nigiri, Firecracker roll...and anything from the grill! Least fave rolls: spicy crunchy tuna, crab crunch, and harvest roll - otherwise literally any other sushi slaps I go every time I'm in the area (every other month) and I've only been met with mediocre service on 2 occasions. Typically, the staff is very knowledgeable, eager to answer questions, and remedy any issues. On 1 occasion my nigiri meat (Kobe style) had to have been subbed with a wagyu dupe because I chewed for a solid minute and had to "catch & release", but I'll blame economy because things have been good since then. Cannot wait to go back for the Omakase. read more

See all

We had amazing time at O-Ku. We were celebrating our anniversary and were greeted with flowers at our table. The food was amazing and the ambiance was also great. Our server Zoe went above and beyond. She was personable and friendly throughout our entire meal. We'll definitely be coming back for more anniversaries for years to come! read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

Great patio and cocktails, but prices and service are so-so...you can find many other sushi restaurants in the district with better atmosphere and food options for a lower price. read more

We came to O-Ku to celebrate my friend's birthday and it was top notch from start to finish. Service was excellent, food was outstanding, and overall pricing was more than fair. The food was so fresh and delicious. The waitress had fantastic recommendations and knew the menu well. Every single dish was amazing and we loved all of them. For DC, the pricing was really fair especially compared to other sushi spots. The cocktails were good as well and we did not have anything bad to say. We can't wait to go back to O-Ku, highly recommend for sushi lovers! read more

See all

Very nice and chic inside of the restaurant. It was quite dark in the restaurant but it added to its ambiance. I like how there were 2 different sections, the front bar area and the restaurant at the back, where you see a lot of cooking taking place. Our server was great at providing recommendations. He was very patient as well as we were trying to decide what to order. The karaage was an amazing appetizer, which was great with the sauce. The fish in the sushi, nigiri and sashimi were very fresh, but all in all very pricey. We also ordered 2 ounces of wagyu (minimum of 2 ounces) which was quite delicious and melted in your mouth. I also ordered a specialty cocktail, which was very strong but also delicious. I would say unfortunately due to the pricing (not including the wagyu) I cannot wholeheartedly give this place a perfect score. I cannot speak for all, but maybe I'm just not one who understands fine dining. read more

O-Ku - Wagyu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington Dc, District of Columbia

See all

I loved the vegetarian options! I got the curry udon and the happy hour priced harvest roll! They were both unique and delicious. The curry udon was very filling and the mushrooms were the highlight of the dish. The harvest roll was also delicious and a great combo of flavors. The presentation of all the dishes were beautiful and the restaurant was upscale but cozy. The service was also good. Our server took the time to explain happy hour to us and returned to allow us to order more dishes throughout the evening. read more

See all

Overall this was a very nice sushi restaurant. As many reviews have said, it's a good date night spot. The interior is dim, tall ceilings, and upscale vibe. Our waitress was nice and she came around offering cucumber slices, lemon slices or lime slices to add to our water-- very fancy. We came for happy hour which offered substantial discounts off select sushi rolls and appetizers marked with "HH" I got the Scallop Kun appetizer 4.5/5 very tasty. Citrus flavors and chili oil on top for a kick. The raw scallops were buttery soft. A few of mine tasted just a tad fishy though. Surf and Turf roll - my favorite roll of the evening. Loved the wagyu topping and the wasabi crema on top paired perfectly with it. Snow King - an excellent happy hour selection. Had torched salmon on top. Also the cilantro leaves on top give it a a fusion flavor. Otoro sashimi - was a little disappointed in this since it's supposed to be the most premium tuna cut. The fatty lines in between were too chewy. Having been to Japan, I would say that while the sushi at Oku is good, it doesn't compare to places in Japan. I've also had fresher fish at the local fish market in Sydney Australia. While the flavors at Oku are not the most authentic, they are tasty. Great service and selection, just a bit pricey. read more

See all