Wish I could give more than 5 stars, so good! Loved the specials, Nigiri, even the green tea tasted like green tea should. Wonderful service, can't say enough good things- read more

The fish is so fresh!!! Absolutely delicious! SUSHI MASTER CLINTON APPROVES. This place was recommended to me by a coworker and it did not disappoint. We ordered the mothers day special deluxe jo sushi for $38. It came with bluefin toro, toro (fatty tuna), salmon toro (salmon belly), spot prawn (sweet shrimp), eel, sea urchin, salmon roe, spanish mackerel, japan mackerel, red snapper, hokkaido scallop, amberjack, and another I forget, total of 13 pcs. We also tried the tofu special, topped with uni and ikura, the uni here is absolutely amazing. it is really fresh, and has a strong uni taste. YUMMY! The takoyaki was also another delicious appetizer. Safe to say I will be back soon. Street parking available. Dog-friendly patio, we brought our dog and she got a lot of love from everyone who was walking by. read more

See all

Searched yelp to find Raku. Raku is new to my neighborhood. But what attracted me was their menu, they offered a ginger pumpkin soup. That got my attention! What a treat. I did the three appetizer meal since I couldn't decide on so many choices. This is a sushi place. But for the non sushi eater, there are plenty of options. The soup, dumplings and the grilled border springs farm lamb meat balls, provided a filling and delicious meal. The restaurant is unique as well, with modern Asian design, art, and mood lighting. All adds to a pleasing dinning experience. read more

See all

BATHROOM ALERT. THEY HAVE AWESOME LOOKING BATHROOMS. 10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR! Seriously, coolest bathrooms ever. Very clean, very modern, and yet still follow the Asian culture. I think I should just start to review bathrooms for restaurants and see how it compares to the rest of Yelp's reviews on food. Maybe there's a correlation? On to the food now: I know a lot of people are saying this place is expensive but looking to the menu, it wasn't anything unusual. I got the Sunday special box, can't recall the odd name but it said, "a little of everything" and boy was it. The sashimi was very high quality to me - the salmon was actually much better than the tuna, which was a rare finding. This is not to say the tuna was bad. Also, the green tea pot had a bit of a rice texture to it, must have been made with the fried or boiled rice method which I know nothing about. It was awesome. The portions for the specials were huge as my colleagues got the ramen which they could barely finish. All in all, I would love to come back if I'm ever in the area, if not for the food than at least for the bathrooms. In this case 5/5 bathroom = 5/5 food and all read more

Raku - The lunch special today :) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a good place for Sushi. But, that is about it, though the Ramen was decent but not excellent as I had hoped it to be. Nothing wrong with the dish but the soup was average to me. The sushi, on the other hand, was quite good. We tried a whole bunch of different sushi and sashimi and were not disappointed. The decor has a fancy feel and the place was quite busy for a late Saturday afternoon. Service was okay, though the sushi did take a while to get to our table. Would definitely recommend this place for the Sushi. read more

My favorite place since high school, I've been going here for 7 years! I recommend Tokyo dashi broth w shrimp tempura

Love Raku, find myself here often, grabbing a drink and some noms at the bar. Today I opted to sit outside. Service was minimal but I like my space. Was a bit strange that the table next to me received their food before, but I could care less. What irked me and has me questioning coming back is the payment process. I'm used to the credit card machine being brought to me to process. Usually the bartender leaves it with you. Today, my waitress stood over my shoulder directing me. I didn't even have my wallet out. First she brought the receipt with an extra item, waiting for my card, not wanting to give me the time to review. If you can't have some patience with your customers you are trying to rip off, maybe find a different industry. Very disappointed. The food quality here is always superb, has been for years, but what has happened to the service. read more

Everything about Raku is fantastic. First, service is extremely fast. I was immediately seated upon arrival. My waiter took my order within a few minutes, and in about 10 minutes or so, I had my food! As for the food, it's really good. My teriyaki steak was tender and flavorful. At the same time, my bento box came with a sizeable portion of food. I was surprised at how much food I was getting for just $15. On a side note, the atmosphere of this place is gorgeous. Raku has got to be one of the best looking restaurants for their price range. read more

3.5 stars - I just visited raku last night with my husband and some friends, I was excited to try this new restaurant because it's close to where I live and because I love sushi. To start the ambiance of the restaurant was wonderful, we were seated at a very comfortable booth and the place was vibin' - I definitely enjoyed the decor. To drink I ordered the plum wine, I really loved it. My friend and husband tried it and although they liked it they said it was very sweet, but that was ok with me because I love sweet things! We ordered edamame to share and that was a very good and light appy (appetizer) I ordered the sushi and roll combo for $18, it brought 5 nigiri pieces, 3 California roll pieces, and 3 little salmon roll pieces and 3 little cucumber roll pieces. I didn't love the rolls, the nigiri was good but the California roll especially wasn't amazing at all. I think the biggest reason that my husband and I didn't love raku is that we for the money we spent (you're definitely paying for the ambiance) we could've gotten much more and better sushi at half the price somewhere else. The sushi was bad but it wasn't worth the premium. Side note: I had originally posted this review to the Raku in Bethesda mistakenly, but I deleted the other review and posted it here. read more

See all

!!!!! HANDS DOWN THE BEST SUSHI IN THE DC METEO AREA !!!! Tachibana has been our go to for years. No mas. We had (ALL amazing): Salmon with green apple and jalapeño. Shumai Toro nigiri Salmon belly Yellowtail belly Bluefin Toro - bro???? Like butter Tuna tartar - app Croissant pudding dessert. Get a reservation. We ate at 6pm on a rainy Saturday and the place was already hopping. The owner is Marcus - very cool guy. Not uncommon to see him to carry a tray of plates to a table. If ur feeling sushi - run here. read more

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

See all

Spicy dumplings are to die for. Absolutely every time I go which is at least once a week, food is delicious and comes out fast. Service is fast and everyone is so warm and welcoming. I go so much everyone knows my family and what we like to order for drinks and apps already haha read more

This was a great Japanese restaurant in a nice location in Cathedral Heights. The wait staff is extremely friendly and the inside is welcoming and chic. I had their tonkatsu ramen and thought the flavors were spot on, very rich and satisfying. I've never had ramen with tomato in it though, so that was different but also very nice. Their soft boiled egg was excellent. The boyfriend also tried one of the sample boxes and everything was to his liking. I had some tempura and it was A+. The prices here are fairly reasonable as well which is always a plus! read more

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

See all

A few visits to this Sushi restaurant and can't complain. Food always tastes delicious, service is on the point and ambiance is great as well. Have mostly had excellent dining experiences at this location. The Bento Box entrees are great during lunchtime, Sushi tastes very good and like the drinks as well. Will definitely keep visiting this place! read more

This sushi is sublime, but I write separately to warn fellow Yelpers about the deluxe sushi sampler. The pieces of sushi in the sampler are, of course, high quality and delicious, but there are only thirteen of them (i.e. less than two rolls). I highly recommend getting another roll or two on the side (to split with table-mates preferably). Also, $40 for the deluxe sampler is a bit steep...but the fish is so damn good. DC prices too, so I can't complain too vigorously. read more

Another great meal here. Came for lunch and had the katsu and some nigiri. Excellent fish quality. Love it here.

The most fantastic delicious sushi I've ever had. Everything has always been fresh and the cuts of fish are superb. My favorite is the deluxe spicy tuna roll. I don't know what people are on about with supposed bad service. The people who work here are always nice and my order is always on time with absolutely no problems. Love Raku!!!!! read more

Amazing sushi and super quick! We ordered for pickup and everything was just perfect! I highly recommend their crunchy selection.

Went here for lunch today and I was very disappointed. There are so many good reviews so I expected it to be good but it was mediocre. The food was bland and cold when it finally got to our table. It was clear our waitress did not want to be at work today. We were rushed and given dirty looks for no reason. Raku is just an overpriced sushi restaurant, nothing special about it. read more

Great, fresh, flavorful food- simply amazing. The restaurant is simple and clean, the staff is great and quick. I had the Sashimi Assortment and the platter was like butter, fresh and amazing. read more

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

Love the atmosphere, decor and staff. Everyone was very friendly, our server was awesome & attentive. We ordered the sushi assortment and spicy tuna delux roll. Deluxe spicy roll was DELISH. My sister just moved here, so definitely coming back for more. read more

Raku - Sushi assortment & spicy tuna deluxe roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Amazing food and service, we had a great date night experience and highly recommend raku

A pretty solid place for good food -- sushi, curry broths, all in a fairly fancy atmosphere. This is a good place to take a date, and it may cost you a bit too since it's not cheap. I enjoyed my Deluxe Bento Box (Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp Nigiri & Sashimi | California Roll | Beef Tenderloin | Shrimp & Veggie Tempura | Seaweed Salad) -- quite filling, and that beef tenderloin! YUMMY YUMMY! If you like to have a little bit of everything, the bento box is a good way to go. Some of my meal-mates had ordered some rolls but had noted that afterwards it wasn't enough food. Maybe it was enough food (it was a lot!) but maybe it wasn't enough variety. One can only eat so much rice wrapped in seaweed, yea?? read more

Raku - Deluxe Bento Box - Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp Nigiri & Sashimi | California Roll | Beef Tenderloin | Shrimp & Veggie Tempura | Seaweed Salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place has the freshest sushi and I took my family of my wife and two boys age 11 and 14. The younger son don't like sushi so I got him steak with mashed potatoes with string peas. It was perfect! We three all had sushi and it was so fresh! The services are excellent and friendly! I highly recommended this place! We had Flying Smoke 'in Dragon and Golden Dragon which blew off our Bobby socks! read more

Raku - Flying Smoke in Dragon sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Came here for dinner, the ambiance was nice, they had a pretty flowery ceiling. The service was great and our server was helpful with the recommendations. We ordered 3 different sushi's which she suggested and the sushi was so good! Very flavorful, tasty and fresh! Best part was the prices were very reasonable as well. Will be coming back! read more

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

The food is so good! I knew I wanted the Dashi Broth soup and was reassured it was good when the two couples on either side of me got the exact same one. My boyfriend got the seaweed salad which was huge and a sushi couple rolls. Nothing disappointed us not even the beer. read more

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

I've gotten various bento boxes over the past year and been really happy with all of them. Great flavors and ingredient quality, packaged really thoughtfully, and always friendly staff. Looking forward to coming in-person soon! read more

This is a review on the Raku Bethesda location. I am not one to write reviews, be them good or bad. I am so disappointed in this restaurant and I feel compelled to share. This has nothing to do with the food. This food is delicious, which is why I come to it frequently. When people visit from out of town, this is where I take them. They are located in a section of 'neighborhood' businesses; however, I just experienced their absolute lack of desire in being neighborly. I am sick with the flu and the only thing that sounded good to me was their Udon noodle soup. I called and requested curbside service. No, they don't do that any more. I get it, the pandemic is over, so this is no longer standard practice. I called back as this is all that sounded good to me. I offered to pre-pay, I offered to drive right up to the front of the restaurant and maybe someone could run my 'bowl of soup' out to me. No. Not enough wait staff. As I became upset, I was asked to hold on seemingly so approval could be obtained. When the person returned on the phone, I was told the BOWL OF SOUP would take one hour. One hour?? I had already expressed my being ill and the complete lack of caring could not have been more palpable. Mind you, I had just driven to pick up dog food, which I had pre-paid and the staff was kind enough to bring out to my car. Brookville Market is a neighborhood store. Brookville Pharmacy is neighborly. Pets are Home is neighborly, as are many other shops and restaurant's. Raku is not! Go for the food. I know I will return. I also know this is a 'business' with no care/concern/empathy for the people they serve. read more

Amazing!!!!! Pan-seared chicken and beef tenderloin were delicious! Super huge portions also, definitely getting your moneys worth. read more

Raku - Pan-seared Chicken, brings ramen on the side - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

4 stars for the food, 7 stars for the service. Quite possibly the best service I've had in a LONG time. My BFF and I decided to head there after work for some dinner. We decided to split a bunch of plates. Started with the salmon sashimi, which was a bit too spicy, but delicious, then moved on to the steak appetizer, which was scrumptious. Then we had the piece de resistance, the fatty tuna nigiri, which was quite honestly the best I had ever had. Our server was incredibly attentive, even though the entire restaurant was completely full. Our glasses were never empty, and she brought us clean plates with each course. We had 2 different sushi rolls, the wasabi roll was delicious. The best part was when we ordered the curry, our server asked if we wanted separate bowls, and brought us each a bowl, perfectly decorated and everything. It really is about the small details. For dessert we shared the croissant pudding. Which again, is amazing and buttery. When it came time for the check, it was already neatly split into 2 bills, with my wine on my bill. (My dinner companion didn't drink.) I really can't say enough about how perfect the service was. read more

The vegetarian sushi is so good. So good. I ate dinner here two nights in a row this week... cannot get enough. Thank you for unique vegetarian sushi with texture and flavor! I would love to see more veggie options. read more

Raku - Tamago & Green Bean Tempura Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

We had happy hour here yesterday. The happy hr menu had 6$ glasses of wine and several app and sushi roll specials. We started with the Szechuan crispy chicken - it was fair and would not get it again. The portion was small and a couple of my pieces had cartilage in them, which wasn't pleasant. We also had the popcorn shrimp and peppers which was awesome. Small pieces of shrimp, shishito peppers and bananas peppers lightly breaded and deep fried with a spicy dipping mayo sauce. This was a special from the dinner menu and was excellent! They should add it to the main menu. We shared the spicy tuna tempura roll and volcano roll which were both fresh and very tasty. The volcano roll had a spicy mayo and eel sauce over it which made it particularly flavorful but did not overpower the fish. The bar tender was attentive and asked if we needed additional wine and filled our water glasses. Ambiance was nice - dark and not too loud even as the restaurant started to fill for dinner. read more

See all

I've been coming to Raku for many years and what I love about this place is the customer service and fresh and flavorful sushi. I especially like their rotating daily menu which gives you the opportunity try something different. For appetizer we ordered tuna tar tar which was fresh and soy sauce based sauce was delightful. However, I would not order it in future as it had weird texture. the tuna had been smashed up and I'm used to chopped up tar tar so it was weird. I also ordered the grilled scallop and eel roll which had a Smoky flavor, was a tad bit spicy and crispy. I would strongly recommend if you're visiting. We also ordered coconut red curry which was amazing. The coconut based broth contained a spectacular combination of spicy spices and marinated beef and vegetables. If you're in mood for soup this is the way to go. If you're in mood for sushi this is place you should check out! They Consistently provide outstanding customer service and fresh flavorful food! read more

See all

We've had a variety of apps and entrees and everything is so tasty, service is warm and responsive

Went here for sushi lunch and was happy with what we got. The spicy tuna deluxe rolls were tasty and satisfying. There are a lot of sushi options to choose from, as well as a number of ramen/noodle dishes. The staff was attentive and friendly. The restaurant felt a little bit empty but maybe it fills up during peak hours. I'd like to return and try more items on the menu. read more

See all

Raku serves some of the best sushi I have ever had. The rolls, sashimi, and nigiri are incredibly fresh. They have really great cocktails and affordable bottles of Sake. The price for the sushi is fairly expensive, but more than worth it! read more

If you've been to Rakuya (previously Raku) in Dupont Circle, this is a sister property. The menu is pretty much as the same as Rakuya. The sushi, atmosphere, and service is good. read more

Super nice staff! They answer right when you call and give good portion sizes of yummy food. Definitely like their lunch menu better where you can get a really great bento box with a variety of options. read more

Great Japanese restaurant with tasty Bento box and sushi. I tried the salmon bento box which was very good. I'd like to try their curry noodle soup next time. Their lunch specials are both affordable and substantial portions. The restaurant is also. If enough for large groups. I came her with my colleagues for lunch and would definitely recommend this place! read more

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

I love Raku. The food is great and the service is very good. Unfortunately, due to COVID, their sushi menu is now very limited. I am waiting for things to return to normal so I can enjoy their food again. read more

I usually come to Raku for lunch. The restaurant is pretty big so I have never had to wait. The staff is usually friendly. The price is a bit expensive for lunch menu but it's expected. I have found my new favorite and it's their ramen. The ramen bowl is full of flavors, hearty and very filling. Their sushi options are good as well. read more