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O-Ku, Charleston, SC
O-Ku, Charleston, SC
O-Ku, Charleston, SC
O-Ku, Charleston, SC
O-Ku, Charleston, SC
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O-Ku

$30 and under
Japanese

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 55 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Lively
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.

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

  • Location
    463 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
  • 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

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Menu

O-Ku's menu was last updated 2025-03-19.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,804 people are saying

O-Ku reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Charleston

    Best Overall

  • Charleston

    Best Food

  • Charleston

    Best Ambiance

  • Charleston

    Best Value

  • Charleston

    Healthy

  • Charleston

    Hot spot

  • Charleston

    Lively

  • Charleston

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
O-Ku delivers a "phenomenal dining experience" with "amazing food" and "exceptional service." Patrons rave about the "energetic yet soothing ambiance" and highly commend servers like Ella and Sam for their attentiveness. The sushi is often described as "some of the best" with standout dishes including the "Black Magic roll" and "Lobster Toban yaki." Perfect for special occasions, O-Ku's thoughtful touches make celebrations unforgettable.
2,805 Reviews

  1. Donald

    Hawaii1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience, food was phenomenal, waiter was outstanding full of energy and on point her name was ELLA
    O-KuResponded today
    Hi Donald! We are so glad you had an outstanding experience with us. We are so lucky to have Ella as part of our team and she always brings the best energy to the workplace. We hope to see you again soon! -Sam Morgan, O-Ku CHS

    Is this helpful?

  2. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful as always !! Great experience from changing the reservation and also changing the time they were very accommodating couldn’t be nicer sat down pretty much immediately. Staff was extremely attentive. We can’t wait to go back.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Brittany VIP

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    O-Ku was incredible as always! We went there to start our wedding weekend with my family and they went above and beyond and gifted us a wedding gift and card!! Amazing service, lovely atmosphere, top notch sushi that pleased my family from LA ;)

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  4. KateP

    Charleston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    They made the birthday we were celebrating SO special! Absolutely recommend !!
    O-KuResponded 5 days ago
    Hi Kate! We are so glad we got to celebrate your friend Nina! Thank you for dining with us and we hope to see you again soon! -Sam Morgan, O-Ku CHS

    Is this helpful?

  5. aida

    Orlando9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Servive was outstanding! Food was amazing. Love the vibe! Music was great.

    Is this helpful?

  6. OpenTable Diner

    E. Tennessee5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    O-ku is consistently excellent. We frequent Atlanta location and have visited Nashville, others. Charleston might be my fave!! Special thanks to Sam who was super friendly and helpful and chill and cool. We may go back tonight!!

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  7. Cathryn VIP

    Chicago3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our first time at O Ku and we really enjoyed ourselves. The food was great and the service was excellent. We’ll definitely come back again
    O-KuResponded 7 days ago
    Hello Cathryn! We are so glad you dined with us and had an amazing experience. We look forward to serving you again soon! -Sam Morgan, O-ku CHS

    Is this helpful?

  8. Mayhew

    Charleston3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent. Sushi was very good, especially the yellowtail nigiri. Service was friendly and professional. Front of house works as a team to make guests welcome.

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  9. Maria VIP

    Charlotte31 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was great, service amazing and the cocktails were spot on.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Jane VIP

    New York City131 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 13, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Hmm. We need to visit again. Beautiful interior, lovely reception and professional service. Not sure we ordered the “right” things. Spring rolls were interesting—especially the sauce, but mostly greens. Very little else. That is my general comment—fish is good but there is not much of it. Loved the salmon lemon roll. The “Black Magic” roll was flavorful but has waaaay too much rice in it. And very little lobster. Dragon roll also very good but very little eel. The dance music is ok but the bass is up too high so you’re mostly hearing that versus the music. I’d like to try again and perhaps have a bit more guidance with the menu.
    O-KuResponded on March 16, 2025
    Hello Jane! We are grateful for your feedback about your experience with us. We do our best to align the prices with the value that our food brings but also would love to help guide you through the menu in terms of our favorites and recommendations. Please let us know next time you're dining with us and we will be sure to include a thorough walk through of the menu for you! -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 2804 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
7:00 PM
Booked 55 times today
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
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct

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