Beautiful view, especially from upstairs balcony. Sushi was delicious. Maybe not abrogations but view and atmosphere compensate. Service was excellent. I had uni and hamachi with jalapeño. Pork belly salad just okay. Sashimi salad very good. OKU fries a must (tempura batter) read more

See all

This meal was one of my favorite meals ever! I am already a huge fan of Asian fusion and sushi, and this place completely nailed it. Some of my favorite dishes were the garlic shrimp and noodles, the Korean cauliflower, and pretty much everything else we ordered was a 10 out of 10. Our waiter was a dude with tatted arms, forgot his name but he was super helpful and cool. Ambience was chill, nice but not too pretentious, would definitely come back again! read more

See all

We Had reservations here at 5:30pm. Wife and I went with friends, group of 6 total. Our bill was over $600 and we were told we had to leave because they had a new reservation at 8pm! We are locals. I've never experienced such a thing. I would not recommend this place. Never going to this restaurant again. The food was average. Place is over priced. But it's not even about that! Even if the restaurant needed us to leave due to this other reservation, they could have been more discreet about the situation. For instance, "would you like dessert? Or can I bring your bill?" DON'T tell us we need to finish our drink and leave. Have some common sense. read more

Oku - Oyster and white lychee drink - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Everything about this spot is amazing. Clean, staff are nice and respectful. Food and drinks are outstanding. read more

Oku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The locals will say it's overrated bc of its popularity but that's not true. I'm from San Diego and visit SB often. I know good sushi. Their sushi is as fresh as it gets. The service is great. The servers are super cool and willing to answer any questions, as well as very knowledgeable. Amanda was our server and bless her heart! She was very patient with my allergies and dislikes. She made this experience that much better and recommended what she thought I'd like. Definitely coming and back requesting her. Thank you for the A++ customer service! read more

This place served as our final dinner destination on our Santa Barbara visit and it was just...ok. The fish tasted fresh but the dishes were uninspired. Nothing made us think "WOW!" And considering the prices you pay, it would be fair to expect more. Our waitress was the highlight as she was super nice and attentive. 3 stars is fair for this restaurant but no way is it worth the prices. Las Vegas, in the middle of the desert, has far superior sushi places for half the price. read more

The Crazy Rich Asian roll is absolutely worth market price !!! Soooo delish! Melts in your mouth. Wild Mushroom Garlic Noodles are bomb and the plum wine spritz is refreshing. read more

Oku - Crazy Rich Asian - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Yum, yum, yum with an ocean view! I can't wait to come back. Casual place great for lunch or dinner. read more

Told the waitress i have an avocado allergy yet was still served with sushi rolls that had avocado in it. Every other sushi restaurant I've been to takes allergies seriously, and I would expect this from a higher end one in Santa Barbara. Gracefully, they did end up comping the sushi rolls that did have avocado in it. Furthermore, I was deeply apologized to about the mishap which is why i gave another star, (that and the lychee martinis and the Crazy Rich Asian Roll are really good)..... However, allergies should not be taken lightly: they should not be missed when it comes to the food industry. If I were accidentally served a cherry, which I am severely allergic to, then I could have gone into anaphylactic shock. In addition, the wait time for food to come out also took quite awhile.... I honestly think you're just paying for the ambience and view. The sushi and service at Arigato Sushi is better in my opinion -- Every time I've been there, they never made the mistake of forgetting to tell the sushi chef of my avocado allergy lol. Also the sashimi as Arigato sushi is more fresh. read more

We first dined at Oku in 2023 when we were visiting Santa Barbara for a few days. We liked our first meal so much that we returned again for dinner a few days later. I was particularly enamored with the delicious and unique Lychee Martini and the wonderful appetizers. So, when we traveled to Santa Barbara again this year, our first dinner had to be at Oku. We like to sit upstairs on the cozy roof and look out at the ocean. One of our very favorite menu items is the Korean Gocujang Cauliflower as it is so flavorful and addicting. We've ordered many of the menu items and each one has been an interesting and tasty combination of flavors. The service is always impeccable and friendly. We highly recommend Oku for their food, service, presentation, and ambience. read more

I'd been craving good California rolls and my brother told me about this new place. Unfortunately the main sushi spot in town is Arigato Sushi and I feel that lately it hasn't been good at all (I ask you, how can you make a California roll salty?? But I digress...) So me needing and craving a new good place tried here. I got the imitation crab California rolls and MAN, they were AWESOME. I satisfied my sushi craving and then some, let me tell ya. I also tried the Crazy Rich Asian roll which had lobster in it instead of crab, truffle, and thinly sliced wagyu beef on top and those were also bomb (expensive but worth a try!) Their yaki soba was also great! The only thing I don't recommend is the gyoza. I found those gross tasting; especially the soy truffle sauce which I thought I'd love bc I love truffle but ended up hating lol. My brother enjoyed the cauliflower dish a lot too. Honestly this place has great food and awesome atmosphere right on the beach and staff was nice and attentive too. I'm a fan! read more

Love the sushi here. Great spot next to the beach. Cute spot. Food: Sea urchin - delicious Oh toro - delicious Spider roll - very good read more

$45 one roll. Delish. Great service. Ambiance is okay. I ordered two Crazy Rich Asian -- did not disappoint. read more

Oku - Crazy Rich Asian Roll INTERIOR. No fake or imitation krab - THANK YOU! Finally found one. Yay! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Came for a dinner and we were lucky to have arrived a bit earlier, because the line never seemed to go away during the dinner service. They have indoor and outdoor patio services and they offer Asian fusion cuisine with a dominant fusion with American and Japanese. Our server Amanda was very professional and despite running several tables at the same time, followed up with us adequately and handled the busy night very well. Kudos to her professionalism and good work that night. Ambiance-wise, I liked the outdoor seating more than the indoor as the indoor area was very loud. Despite the cold, there were several heat lamps outside so it wasn't too bad until it reached later in the night. Food-wise, we ordered a mix of items from their menu. Sushi bar Nigiri - Hon Maguro, Kanpachi, Hotate, Ebi, Tamago, Ankimo, Unagi. Hot items - Saigon wings, XO grilled shrimp, Miso Yuzu fresh wild salmon, and handcrafted gyoza: shrimp and crab w/ ponzu. To me, I thought the food was pretty average. While visually appealing, the food's quality did not amaze me that much. To start, the gyoza wrapper barely had a textural crunch to it. It was just a soggy wrapper wrapped around a piece of shrimp with crab meat filling. While a nice piece of shrimp and crab meat, the soggy wrapper made the appetizer a bit unappealing. The Saigon wings were nicely sauced and moist, but the exterior crunch was also not as crunchy as one would have wanted. A bit too soggy from the sauce or not deep fried enough. For the XO grilled shrimp, this was quite nice. The noodles used were ramen noodles made in the style of garlic noodles. The seasoning of the noodles and flavors were nicely developed and the shrimps provided were pretty adequate. Not the XO sauce I was expecting, but at least the flavors were interesting to have. For the Miso Yuzu fresh wild salmon, it wasn't bad. The yuzu gravy sauce was critical for the item. The salmon itself was on the plainer side and without the yuzu gravy sauce, it was pretty boring to eat and not as delectable. The salmon was moist and a decent size was provided. For the accompanying mashed potatoes and vegetable sides, they were nicely done and can hold themselves up in the entrée. For the sushi bar items, I think I can avoid most of them in the future, because the quality of the raw items was more average than I would have expected. The kanpachi and hon maguro were brushed with their special sauce on top and hotate had Himalayan sea salt on top which kind of accentuates the food, but due to the lack of freshness/quality, there wasn't as much to accentuate. The Ebi was plain as is, unagi was made as expected, and the ankimo had green onions on top which didn't really cover the strong fishy taste. I didn't mind the ankimo and it was interesting to have, but the wife couldn't handle it. Not a negative on the restaurant part, but the ankimo also wasn't as fresh hence the strong fishy taste. The tamago was a miss for me, because it tasted really bland. There wasn't a strong sweet taste to it and all it had to offer was a thick slab of egg on top of rice. Desserts-wise, we had their yuzu cheesecake and their Lemon Meyer Tartlet. The cheesecake wasn't bad, but it wasn't absolutely amazing. I totally thought the yuzu was going to be incorporated into the cheesecake, but it was a glaze on the plate instead. As such, it wasn't as spectacular, because it was just an average cheesecake slice. Visually, it was a bit more on the unappealing, because the edges had the appearance of a yellow cake and not a smooth cheesecake. For the Meyer Lemon Tartlet, the lemon sabayon mousse had a nice texture, but overbearing tartness to it that the wife couldn't stomach to finish it all of. To me, it was nice, but I do agree that too much isn't preferred. For the lemon curd bottom, it was surprisingly lacking in lemon flavors. Despite palette rinsing, the lemon curd lacked in lemony flavors compared to the mousse. All in all, average food all around. Nothing absolutely spectacular based on what we ordered except for the XO shrimp and salmon. The rest I could forgo and probably won't suggest a try unless you really want to. Worth a try for a date night out, but for serious eats or foodie adventure, I wouldn't suggest this site as it has a stronger emphasis on drinks and alcohol than food it appears. read more

See all

Best freshest sushi in the Santa Barbara area. I have been to all the other ones. Best rooftop view of beachside. read more

Oku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Waited 20 minutes over our reservation and ultimately were not seated. They seem to place little value on customer service

This was our first time here and the food was delicious, wait wasn't too long even on a busy night, and service was great. The star of the show though was the wasabi! It's made in house and it was the best I've ever had. read more

Oku - Wasabi made in house - best I've ever had! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Came here for my anniversary and a big disappointment. My harsh critique is based on the price point vs. quality of all things fish on their menu. Service was excellent and everyone that worked here was exceptional. The rooftop view was great and almost seating in and out had a view of the ocean. Anything we had from the kitchen (hot food) was a 4-5 star rating. But the fish was subpar. The only good fish was the toro. For a few drinks and $250 in food for 2 it wasn't even worth $60 in my opinion. It was as exciting as all you can eat sushi bars. I love sushi and for $250 I'd expect to be eating some unforgettable sushi. The sauces were bland and redundant. The toppings were for show and didn't add anything to the flavor. The sushi rice was awful. It was hard and cold. And it wasn't sweet either. I'd say if you have no plans to eat sushi and you stick to the hot kitchen plates, you will enjoy the ambience and view and drinks for the price point. Fish lovers stay away. read more

My best friend and I took a trip to Santa Barbara and on our second night, we had a big craving for sushi! We saw that Oku was near where we were staying, and the reviews seemed good, so we tried it. In short: -Ambiance was super pretty and all staff was really nice! -If you aren't hungry this is a cute spot for an appetizer and drinks -Sushi was NOT good :( like actually bad. It tasted like grocery store sushi, and was really expensive. -It was so bad that we actually paid and left right away to go to another restaurant to get our sushi fix (we went to Santa Barbara Craft Ramen and their sushi was absolutely delicious) read more

Our server was so sweet, we sat on the upstairs patio and the ambiance was so nice and pretty. View of the ocean and the food was delicious!

I LOVED this place. My cocktail (Hidden Dragon) was amazing! My entrée (Flank steak) was amazing! The atmosphere inside is very relaxed and comfortable. My kids ordered the rainbow roll and a few other rolls - honestly, they weren't as exciting, and tasted a little dry compared to my entree, but I'm still giving five stars because this was one of the best meals I've had in my life. read more

Oku - Flank steak entrée - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

This place is a must for anyone. There are a lot of choices to suit everyone in your party. All though the prices are on the higher side the food quality is apparent. Service was great although it was loud in the restaurant. Will be returning back whenever I'm in Santa Barbara. They have a lot of vegan options as well. read more

Everything was great! However, I got charged 4 dollars for this much Red Bull. That's a joke. read more

Oku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We arrived at 5 pm and they allowed us to sit upstairs for the end of happy hour until dinner started at 5:30. The happy hour menu (2:30-5:30) is solid. The firecracker shrimp and salmon nigiri were the top choices on the happy hour menu. If you can sit on the patio, you get a gorgeous sunset and there are heating lamps. While perusing yelp to decide what else to order, I stumbled across their dinner menu and found two items I had to have. Luckily our server was kind enough to let me order it exactly at 5:30 and packaged it to go since we had to leave the table for dinner reservations (note, they don't do takeout). Let me tell you about these two items: YOU MUST GET THE KOREAN CAULIFLOWER AND SCALLOPS!!!! I will be driving at least once a month from LA just to get them. The cauliflower was so flavorful and I snarfed them down. They were very filling and complimented the scallops I ate next. Now my brain was sad it was just two scallops when I opened the box; my tastebuds had no complaints. There was a beat, mango and avocado purée with the scallops. They were so juicy, cooked to perfection and the sauces that accompanied it made it just a tad sweet. I can say without a doubt these are the best scallops I've ever had. read more

We went on a Saturday night. Very busy restaurant. Made a reservation by phone for the upper patio for the view. They sat us in the back of a covered tent type thing that was by the sidewalk. When I told her I made the reservation for the upper patio they said that it wasn't written down. They did move us to the other open patio which is by the sidewalk which is much better than the original place they put us in the back. The fish was fresh that we had and good. The prices are high. We ordered an expensive bottle of sake and the waiter didn't even pour it into our glasses. he just put the bottle down on the table. . I thought for the price point that the service should've been better. There's a ton of great sushi restaurants to go to and I don't think I would go back here. read more

Really fun little spot right by the ocean. The service was great and the wagyu gyoza was delicious! My sushi was a little fishy, perhaps I got a bad batch, but the fire cracker shrimp was delicious. I would totally come back and try something else! read more

See all

Everything was delicious and wonderful, I would recommend the seared yellowtail roll and the yo Adrian roll, great simple rolls with wonderful flavor. The espresso martini was great and tasted like a Starbucks coffee combined with a good quality vodka. Our server Jaime provided wonderful insight and advice on the rolls we ordered. The weather outside was rainy and cloudy, but the inside was warmed up to match that weather. Great service, wonderful food, worth it 100%. read more

Jaime and the hostesses on the night of Dec 27th were amazing. Everything came out perfect. Get the Saigon wings, garlic noodles, and the gyoza. Amazing service amazing foods and amazing drinks. Super fresh, amazing quality fish, great staff. Been here so many times and never had a bad meal or even close to that. 5 fricken stars erryyyydayyyy!!! read more

Oku - 805 cada - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Food was very good. The view is not amazing but the staff was great and food was good. Dog friendly patio it seems like.

Service was impecible. Sushi was some of the BEST we've had in a very long time. While I don't want a ton of rice with my nigiri I do like a nice balance, this was by far the smallest portion of rice (think half a pinky). Generous portion of fish which was creamy, delicious, flavorful and not 'fishy' taste at all. Sat on the outside patio for dinner on a perfect night to enjoy a truly memoriable experience on our 30th anniversary. Thanks for making it great!! read more

Walked in without reservations on Wednesday night of spring break and was seated right away upstairs with beach view. Wait staff was very friendly and attentive. We ordered several nigiri and the fish was really good. Spicy shrimp fried rice and black cod was delicious. read more

Oku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Had a reservation here this last weekend as a solo diner. It's a nice location, just off of State St. The street out front can get a bit busy, but it's still a pretty nice ambience. The staff was very attentive and friendly. The food and drink were very tasty and good portions. However, I do have one caveat that prevents a perfect rating, and that's that I felt a bit rushed. The day before my reservation, they called and asked if I would be fine with only having my table for two hours. That's perfectly fine as I'm not likely to stay that long when alone. When I showed up, they asked the same question but said an hour and a half. I agreed. Then, I took my seat and began my meal, it really felt like my server was trying to keep my reservation even shorter. I ended up staying maybe an hour at the most. Honestly, this isn't a deal breaker or anything, but it did hurt my enjoyment of my meal. read more

This is by far the best sushi in Santa Barbara! Beautiful inside and the sushi chef is amazing serving epic fresh fish.

Fresh fish right by the pier. Amazing sushi and sashimi. Very well designed menu. The fish is definitely the go to. If you don't want fish you'll find something for yourself as well but the fish is definitely the highlight of Oku. The restaurant in general has a nice atmosphere. Probably top 3 restaurants downtown Santa Barbara. read more

Oku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We really enjoyed Oku. We are nearing the tail end of 4 weeks of travel, so we're ending it with a bang. We ordered the Lychee Martini, two rolls: Salmon Skin and Rainbow Rolls, Yellowtail Carpaccio, Miso Black Cod, and Shrimp Fried Rice. The fried rice we ordered after everything else just to top off our hunger but we were definitely good after that. Not much to say except everything was fantastic, had the taste and texture we were expecting, and the fish was fresh and flavorful. We got the soy yuzu sauce for the carpaccio and were happy with our choice. The fried rice reminded me of what you get in Singapore. Our waiter took the time to ask us about our travels. Service and Ambience: weight: 3, 5/5 Food: weight: 1, 5/5 The bill at Japanese restaurants can get out of hand but I am experienced at ordering food that will satisfy the tongue, the stomach, and the pocketbook. :-) Our bill came to $115 for two. Value: weight: 1, 4/5 read more

If you are craving fresh good creative sushi you should stop here. Situated in front of the ocean with great views this place delivered with super tasty rolls and great service. We spent our last night here and couldn't be happier. We enjoyed the spicy flying newton, way of the dragon and the seared yellowtail box roll. Everything came out like expected and we would have tried many more but we ran out of appetite. The place is very inviting and has good music too. Definitely a place to come with friends or with significant other for lunch or dinner. read more

See all

Yummy food, great environment, amazing ocean view and the service was impeccable! You must have the cauliflower and Brussel sprout appetizers. read more

Amazing service and food. The quality of fish was second to none. The Otoro and Hamachi pieces were amazing and the price was not too high compared to other places I've tried. Oku is a popular spot next to the beach so I recommended making a reservation especially on the weekends. Will be back if I return to the area! read more

Came here last minute for my birthday dinner and the food was excellent. We ordered edamame, hot ramen, and two rolls (Way of The Dragon & David's Addiction) - all delicious. We especially loved the sauce that came tossed with the edamame - if I could buy a bottle of it I would. The service was good overall. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. The location is great too; right next to beach by Stern's Warf. I'd love to come back read more

Good food and great service. Our waitress made a lot suggestions for us based on our tastes and it was all delicious. We sat outside on the balcony overlooking the ocean and it was a great experience. read more