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O-Ku, Charleston, SC
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O-Ku

$30 and under
Japanese

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 31 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
  • Innovative
O-Ku, a Japanese restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, is a triumph of execution and concept. The restaurant's menu is a modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine, and it features fresh, seasonal ingredients that are prepared with care. The dishes are beautifully presented, and the flavors are both complex and delicate. Focused on incorporating authentically Japanese flavors into the fare, O-Ku's menu is comprised of signature contemporary Japanese entrées and traditional sushi of the season reflecting the uniquely designed space. Guests can enjoy chef specialties including kurobuta pulled pork don-buri, braised short rib with shiso pesto, coconut curry, and hakozushi a box-style sushi. A wide variety of nigiri, sashimi and crudos are also available. The beverage program at O-Ku is a sophisticated blend of specialty cocktails, premium sake, bubbles, red and white wines and unique beer selections.

Order delivery or takeout

Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: James Beard semifinalists Steve Palmer and Kimball Brienza of the Indigo Road group opened the first O-Ku in Charleston in 2010. The modern Japanese restaurant deals sushi in every form—sashimi, nigiri, rolls, hand rolls, and cones—in a sleek black space filled with twisted tree branches. Esquire called it one of the hottest openings of 2010, Travel + Leisure ranked it one of the best sushi restaurants in the country in 2013, and today it counts eight locations across the South.

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Downtown Charleston
  • Cross street
    King Street & Radcliffe Street
  • Parking details
    O-Ku is located on Upper King Street which offers ample on-street parking.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

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What 2,718 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Charleston

    Best Overall

  • Charleston

    Best Food

  • Charleston

    Best Ambiance

  • Charleston

    Healthy

  • Charleston

    Lively

  • Charleston

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
O-Ku is a standout sushi destination in Charleston, celebrated for its "amazing service" and "outstanding food." Diners love the creative sushi options and vibrant atmosphere, making it perfect for special occasions. With attentive staff and a menu praised for both variety and quality, O-Ku promises a memorable dining experience.

2,718 Reviews
  1. James

    Tampa

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    This feels like a couple of Americans trying to reinvent what a sushi restaurant should be. Cool looking place, but seriously lacking in good sushi choices. Special rolls not very good. Blue fin tuna was good. Extremely high priced.

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  2. Brian

    Greater Boston

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great experience, service and meal - thank you!

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  3. Jean

    Omaha

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and lovely ambience! Service was great and the food was delivered pretty quickly.

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  4. Tammy

    Charleston

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always a delicious meal at O-Ku. And the server was very attentive and helpful.

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  5. Scott

    Charleston

    25 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ella was outstanding! Absolutely on point with recommendations, timing and overall excellent customer service. Every item we ordered was delicious!
    O-KuResponded 2 days ago
    Hello Scott! We are so glad you enjoyed your experience with Ella and are stoked to know you enjoyed all your food! -O-Ku CHS

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  6. Myron

    Richmond

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was a casual anniversary dinner. The service was fantastic, our food choice was spot-on and the price was fair. Thanks for the complimentary champagne. It was a pleasant surprise. We will return for a visit when we are next in Charleston.
    O-KuResponded 2 days ago
    Hello Myron! Thank you for your kind words about your experience. We are always happy to celebrate with our guests and champagne is one way to do it! Looking forward to serving you again when you're back in Charleston! -O-Ku CHS

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  7. Tony

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Oku=slay Food is amazing, second time visiting from Asheville and both times they make me wonder why we don’t have a Japanese restaurant like this back at home. Our server was perfect, she didn’t feel the need to smother us by coming up every 5 minutes and asking us how everything was which was a plus. She was able to give us some really good recommendations on vegetarian options (which more than most have to offer) it was a really welcoming experience. The food was really well done. plating was beautiful, food times were fast, and the deserts we tried were amazing. Little improvement is that if they played as much edm, they could have been playing more charli xcx. Iykyk
    O-KuResponded on November 22, 2024
    Hello Tony! Appreciative = we are! We are stoked to know that you enjoyed your experience with us on back to back visits. You highlighted all the elements of our guest experience that we work hard to embody. Thank you for your kind words and we hope to see you soon, (With one or two Charli XCX songs thrown in). -O-Ku CHS

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  8. Brandon

    Denver

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The A5 wagyu tobayaki was served with truffle butter (tallow is always best) and no salt was provided. Also both pieces of the otorro nigiri we ordered were extremely tough to the point my wife had to spit out one piece because she could chew it

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  9. Madeleine

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sam was our server and he was great. It was our first time at O-Ku and he gave us the best recommendations. Everything we ate & drank was delicious!
    O-KuResponded on November 13, 2024
    Hello Madeleine! We are so glad you enjoyed the experience with us and we look forward to serving you all again soon! -O-Ku CHS

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  10. Fran

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went for our anniversary and the staff decorated the table. Alyssa/Ella were our servers, they both made sure our evening was special. Food was excellent as always. Thanks O-ku for a great evening.
    O-KuResponded on November 13, 2024
    Hello Fran! We love to celebrate here at O-Ku and making your night special was truly our pleasure. We hope to be able to serve you again soon!- O-Ku CHS

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FAQs

O-Ku offers delivery in partnership with Chow Now. O-Ku also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (843) 737-0112.

O-Ku is rated 4.8 stars by 2718 OpenTable diners.

O-Ku does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 31 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for O-Ku

463 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

Additional information

  • Cross street
    King Street & Radcliffe Street
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown Charleston
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Sushi, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    O-Ku is located on Upper King Street which offers ample on-street parking.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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