Raku never disappoints. The food is bursting with flavor. Last night was no different. My curry vegetables with tofu was to die for, especially the broth which my companions raved about. Also, the sushi was similarly amazing. Even the miso soup was stellar. My one criticism, not food related, was that tea wasn't served hot. read more

While visiting my sister in Washington DC, she announced that she had made dinner reservations at her current favorite restaurant. That's one of my favorite things to hear, because she always picks great restaurants. Raku was another in a long list of delicious places where we have dined. Service was friendly and prompt, and the restaurant was very accommodating of the infant we had with us. From the apps to the sushi main courses, everything was flavorful and delicious. The sushi was extremely fresh tasting. If you read my reviews, you can see that I eat A LOT of sushi all over the world, so you can trust my judgement on that. Thank you Raku for a great dinner! read more

See all

We had a reservation and were seated quickly despite it being super busy with full tables and the bar. We ordered miso soup, multiple rolls, the Korean BBQ ssam, and the Jo nigiri, as well as two of their flavored lemonades. My favorite roll was the volcano, and we loved the ssam. The butterfly pea lemonade was a nice change and not too sweet. My partner is gluten sensitive and forgot to tell the waitress until after we ordered, and she was very accommodating and pointed out which items he wouldn't be able to eat and let the kitchen know to keep sauce off his Philly roll. Overall great service and we will be back! read more

Came here for happy hour. Its food and drink special at the bar. We didn't have any trouble getting a seat. We ordered the ribs; my boyfriend really liked them. He said they were very flavorful and fell right off the bone. We ordered the ginger soup; it's absolutely delicious! We also ordered 2 grilled salmon harasu rolls. This is usually one of my favorite rolls but it was very fishy and was mostly salmon skin. I just didn't care for it today. I also ordered 2 rolls of the avocado cucumber rolls and they were very good. This is the first time I've ever dined in. They have very fast and attentive service. I will definitely order from here again but will likely stay away from the salmon roll for a little bit. read more

Raku - Avocado cucumber roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Unfortunately, Raku didn't impress. I ordered the veggie bento box and it was bland, cold, and overall unsatisfying on a windy fall day. The waitress was quick and didn't talk much, which is a plus for my introverted self. Also, they have single-stall bathrooms if you're into that sort of thing. However, the place didn't stand out for me. Hint: If you're not vegan, get the ramen. read more

Raku - Veggie Bento Box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good Sushi and service, one of my favorite places for Japanese and their specials are really good.

I've been looking for a sushi place in DC and I'm calling Raku it. I didn't get any specific rolls, but with the quality I got in my bento box, I'm excited to see the rolls. For the price tag, I would totally consider this bento box worth it. Starting from the top left to right: sushimi (which was high quality), seaweed salad and the typical ginger dressing salad, meat (which I was surprised how tasty it was at a sushi restaurant!), spinach and mashed potatoes. On the lower level from the right: a ton of tempura (I will say a little greasy but its tempura so I can't say anything), and then typical nigiri with some California rolls. I came here for lunch and definitely left full and happy. Excited to come back and try it out at another time (rolls and bento box)! read more

Raku - Deluxe Bento Box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Happy hour trial. Got the beer on tap , shrimp tempura roll and mussels marniere with sake. All were fresh and tasty. Will definitely back for dinner. Service is attentive. The atmosphere is appealing too. read more

See all

I had high hopes for Raku and wasn't disappointed! I came here for dinner with the bf and walked out with a very full tummy.. already thinking about my next visit! :D Here's what we ordered: + Korean Hanger Steak Ssam ($9.5): The steak is SO flavorful and juicy! Kimchee puree and spicy miso on the side go well with the steak and it comes with lettuce and rice too. Perfect appetizer A+ A+ A+++ + Salmon Sashimi and Green Apple ($9): Very interesting pairing dressed with spicy yuzu truffle vinaigrette, kumquat puree and serrano pepper. I think this combo would work much better without the pepper; nevertheless, the sweetness of the puree and the green apple make this quite memorable. The crunchiness of the apple also contrasts perfectly with the buttery texture of the salmon. + Seoul Train Roll (8 pcs): These are sososooo good! Comes with tuna, kimchi and kaiware sprouts. The kimchi wins major points because its flavor and crunchiness add the perfect zing. Basically the rolls are "like kimbap except way better" (according to the bf haha). + Deluxe Jo Nigiri Sushi Assortment (13 pcs): The special included bluefin toro, toro aburi, salmon toro, amberjack, barracuda, madai snapper, mackerel, sweet shrimp, sea bream, baby squid, eel, salmon roe and sea urchin. I think they change up this assortment with daily chef selections so this might look different on your menu. Overall it was good, though it definitely wasn't the best nigiri I've had. Not bad for $38 though! All-around good experience! Service was fast and our server was extremely professional. The outdoor patio is great for people (and dog) watching if you catch good weather. :) read more

See all

Best sushi joint in the city hands down. I prefer lunch, but over all we come here at least twice a month. The crunchy avocado roll amazing for veggie eaters and the sushi is always fresh. Ambience is great and very clean which is hard to find in DC. read more

The sushi was good! Atmosphere not bad, service not bad! We asked for ginger beer we got regular beer which was fine, we drank it. Then we ordered the ginger beer which was delivered. Even though it was their mistake, we got charged for both. Oh well! read more

Raku - Trying it for first time! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great service. Very friendly staff and was impressed on how quickly we received our food even though the restaurant was packed!

So I came here with 7 minutes left till HH ended. The food was bussing! Their HH menu was solid! I got 2 Very Berry cocktails, the golden dragon and deluxe spicy tuna roll. Both were great! I was still a little hungry so I ask the bartender which did she like better between the pork ribs or the hanger steak. She recommended the hanger steak. I ordered both and they were solid. I would definitely come back. read more

I really enjoyed this sushi place. They have some really unique rolls that are unlike any other ones that I've tasted. Their Red Dragon roll has kimchi and is delicious. Their vegetable futomaki was the best vegetarian roll I've ever had! I also enjoyed some of the sauces that came on our plate. Lastly, I was impressed with how fast we got our food and our check. It was quite a treat for a lunch spot but very approachable. read more

Raku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Inauthentic and dull food. Not much to report. Suitable for folks who want "Asian" food but don't care what that means. read more

I love Raku, and I was happy to learn they opened another location here! Everything is good on their menu at reasonable prices. My favorite is the pineapple dumplings - highly recommended! This time I tried the fresh gazpacho and soft shell crab roll. Both were great! Certainly a good spot for lunch or dinner if you are in the area. read more

Raku - sushi! soft shell crab roll in the front - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I enjoyed a very nice birthday lunch outside on their patio. This place is such a cute sushi spot! The chamomile spritzer was delightful, and we ordered edamame and the deluxe chirashi with brown rice. It was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to go back to try more menu items! read more

See all

The sushi is always dependable here with plenty of food options including coconut red curry soup and crunchy vegetarian bento box. Their receptionist Jack is SUPER friendly and very professional. The staff are on-point and remain keen keeping your sake glasses full. While we were there, the fire alarm went off evacuating the whole line of restraints. We returned and paid the check, and staff gave us a 30% discount. We will certainly come back! read more

This was amazing! Margaret found this wonderful place for us to try. Its a little out of our normal area for eating but it was worth it! I had the coconut milk red curry noodle soup. It was a bit spicy but very flavorful! Margaret took this picture for me! She is so techy! read more

Raku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

LOVED the sushi!! Bomb! The crunchy spicy tuna roll (left) Volcano roll (middle left) Green man roll (middle right) Philly roll (right 5/5 read more

Raku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Solid happy hour. Cocktails no more than ten a piece and plenty of options on the menu ranging from 3-10 dollars. Highlight of the drink menu includes very good prices on two ounce pours of excellent liquors including blantons for only 11!! The regular menu consists of sushi options with typical dc prices as well as Asian entrees both seafood and land-based mammals and plants. My sister and I stuck to the hh menu focusing on sushi menu. The nigiri options were delicious and the fish portions are perfect. No nasty leftover fish or paper thin pieces. In fact, usually I hate mackerel because it can taste really foul so I don't risk it but I risked it here because it was very good fish. I also appreciated the fact that they serve more scarce options like uni, toro, and spotted shrimp (we did not partake but I'm sure it would have been good.) deluxe rolls are not drowned in sauce. Calamari was perfectly cooked - tender rings came out piping hot with a perfectly delicate light breading. At 5 dollars it was a steal. My biggest grievance (thus the loss of one star) was the rice. It was a tad over cooked resulting in a slightly mushy texture without the nice slight chew of perfectly cooked sushi rice. My sister and I were able to grab a seat at the bar without reservations which is nice. Also free garage parking for 90 min with validation! read more

Great place to get away, consistently impressive service, food, I love the atmosphere.

One of my favorite restaurants in DC, everything I've had here is top tier. I highly recommend the Thai curry soup, the salmon yuzu app, and ofc the sushi! read more

Raku - (from bottom to top) Wasabi Dynamite Roll, Black Snake Roll, two others from the specials menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If you want pretty good quality sushi without splurging on a $$$$ restaurant then this place is a great option. We got the sushi assortment for dinner and the volcano roll for take out. The sushi was very presentable and tasted great! I prefer the taste of the rolls over the nigiri offered. read more

Raku - Raku Sushi Assortment - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This review is for a takeout order. Fast service and packaged really well. Flavors: AMAZING! Loved absolutely everything we got. Salmon and green apple sashimi, Yellowtail sashimi appetizer, Double salmon roll, Chilean sea bass tempura roll, White tiger roll, and Black snake. So good and followed all order notes. Must visit in person next time! read more

If you be want something for everyone, this is the place. Sushi, noodle bowls, seafood stew and chicken entrees. Reasonable prices and good service. A good choice when the line Two amys Italian is too long! read more

it's fine.. i'd rather get sushi here than at giant or whole foods. it's literally the same price if not cheaper. but i usually play it safe with more cooked stuff since it's on my lower tier of sushi spots. but it's been good for what it is. i don't expect much and usually happy with what i get. i usually do to go as well. read more

Based off of online pickup order for 9/27 Very easy online ordering process and was surprised that there were quite a few items sold out already when ordering at 5:30p. I have lived in DC for a year and due to covid haven't explored much in terms of food, especially sushi as it is more of a treat for me because the $$. Little did I know I lived less than a mile from Raku. We went a bit overboard for three but ordered 7 roles and then a selection of the appetizers. We have leftovers tomorrow and full/satisfied bellies tonight! The appetizers and their sauces were all great. We tried the veggie spring rolls, Szechwan Crispy Chicken and the chicken and pork dumpling. For rolls we ordered the rainbow, volcano, wasabi dynamite, black snake, red dragon deluxe and reg spicy tuna. I'd love to try the hot dishes and nigiri. I'll be back!! read more

Love the agedashi tofu! The food is elegant and delicious. Service is good. They have a nice happy hour, but they will not let you take your leftovers with you. Seriously. The server and the management forbade us from taking our four pieces of sushi home. We ordered five small dishes and two glasses of wine, and we enjoyed them until we were full. When I asked for a small to go box, they refused. They say it's to discourage people ordering from the happy hour menu with a discount as take out. I did not order extra rolls to go. This is a management problem not a customer problem. A nice meal was ruined by their unreasonable leftovers policing. I won't be returning. read more

Raku has been a presence in the DC foodie scene for quite a long time so it must be doing something right. I just cannot figure out how it has lasted so long and actually expanded its presence here over the years. The food is good, nothing better. It was not like I found anything wrong with my dumplings or the Thai beef salad or my Tokyo noodle soup. In fact, I enjoyed it. But did I love it? No. If I was forced to say what negatively affects my opinion of Raku, I would say it is the service. Slow, uninterested, inconsistent. Those are the problems I had this time - and times before. The dining room was NOT crowded on this Thursday night so why did it take so darn long to get someone to take our order????? There were plenty of wait staff standing around, talking to each other. And the long wait times between deliveries of food has less to do with the kitchen doing its "thing" than simply unmotivated wait staff. I will probably go back to Raku at some point in the future but it won't be soon. read more

Stopped here yesterday and would come back! SERVICE was great... we went in needing a quick sit-down for a couple of drinks. Everywhere else was packed. We were lucky enough to grab two seats at the bar where we were alone, while the restaurant floor was full-- we had the full attention of the bartender. He was attuned to very small and considerate details and checked in at apt times without being intrusive. 5/5 FOOD/ATMOSPHERE was intriguing and I'd like to try a few other things on the menu. We grabbed two beers, an IPA and a Kirin (there isn't much on tap) and wound up getting edamame, salmon sashimi, and these shrimp garden rolls. The cocktail list looked very intriguing. The edamame was standard, I definitely enjoyed the sashimi. I've had similar dishes that also had truffle where it worked, but it seemed out of place here. I love spicy-- super spicy-- but the heat of the yuzu sauce, serranos, and obtuse truffle proved to overpower what was really beautiful sashimi. The shrimp rolls came with a killer peanut sauce and were tasty-- though the rice paper from the cut rolls was so sticky, even in trying to be delicate, one of the rolls was ripped apart (another, due to clumsiness, haha) 3.5/5 ATMOSPHERE/SEATING was cozy and trendy... noisy, but with mod lighting and decor that suggests a nice date spot, if you don't mind less-than-quiet. While we were there, the small floorspace for tables was entirely full-- the small bar was empty when we arrived, thus quiet, but I think preparing to be filled with an arriving crowd. The bar was almost too dimly lit for it still being light out, and I couldn't find hooks to hang a bag. The women's single stall restroom had a broken lock, with a handwritten sign suggesting to knock-- with the noise level of the place and the big heavy door, with the commode itself some feet from the door, I didn't trust someone to be able to hear either a knock or reply-- so I just used the men's, identical except for the signage. One would think they could get a better system til they fixed the lock, but nice bathrooms! 3.5/5 read more

Raku - (Dimly lit bar) shrimp garden/spring rolls (can't remember name). Great sauce! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Came Tuesday night for a friend's birthday and our waitress was full of attitude. I expected well after visiting the Bethesda location this past March and my friend wanted to try DC. Sadly this location has a smaller menu. When ordering, I showed the waitress (short lady with glasses and very short hair) a photo of my sushi rolls from the Bethesda location and she said no and skipped to the next person. Everyone around us noticed her attitude and she also rushed others. She almost forgot to come back to me and our group had to tell her to take my order. They also lost my friend's reservation. I came to have a good time but she definitely put a damper on our experience. read more

Raku - at least they had Tuna Tartare. My drink was bland and watery - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Occasional service fails but overall consistently good quality and experience, plus a sizable menu so you don't get bored. It's become our family's go-to spot. read more

I got takeout from Raku for the first time. We ordered the grilled salmon rolls and the avocado and cucumber rolls. We also ordered edamame and their pumpkin ginger soup. The sushi was really good and tasted fresh. The pumpkin ginger soup was very delicious and definitely want to order it again. I can't wait to go back and try some of their other rolls and dine-in, as the restaurant seems really nice inside. read more

The food was delicious. Sushi presentation desired more, but the taste was all there. Curry soup had a lot of flavor! The service could be better as the servers were somewhat short with us during the seating and while serving read more

Raku - Curry Noodle Soup with tofu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Good sushi and large menu selection of other Japanese food. Batter fried vegetables, soups A nice patio read more

Always come here for the consistent sushi with fast and friendly service , we also love the convenience for takeout when dining out doesn't suit the occasion. read more

What an amazing restaurant. I've been coming here for several years now and the consistency still the same. Extremely yummy and great service! Even my pet was having a blast today for lunch! Thank you raku :) read more

See all

Came here on a rainy day the other week. Understandably the outdoor seating was empty, but the interior space was bustling. We ordered an assortment of plates. The fried dumplings had a pleasing, crisp texture. The hanger streak Ssam was tender and sweet. The flavorful shumai were delicious. The aburi (seared sushi) was a bit disappointing. Each piece was rather busy with various vegetal elements detracting from central elements of rice and fish. The pear desert was good. A lovely pealed, poached pear rises from a lake of dark caramel sauce, balanced against a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The sauce has notes of slightly burnt caramel, punctuated with sugar. The pear itself is also on the sweeter side. read more

See all

I came to DC for the monument, but stopped by Raku for dinner and was not disappointed! Though their prices are a little high as most food is in DC, the food was exceptional quality. The calamari was top tier and the double salmon roll was also pretty good! The service was fast and efficient and if I go back to DC, I would consider going back. read more