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O-Ku, Charleston, SC
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O-Ku

$30 and under
Japanese
A photo of O-Ku restaurant

O-Ku

4.8
$30 and under
Japanese
Downtown Charleston

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 53 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

  • Area
    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, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

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What 2,725 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 Service

  • Charleston

    Best Ambience

  • Charleston

    Best Value

  • Charleston

    Innovative

  • Charleston

    Healthy

  • Charleston

    Hot spot

  • Charleston

    Lively

  • Charleston

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
O-Ku in Charleston offers a "wonderful dining experience" with "amazing food" and "great service." Patrons praise its creative sushi, fresh ingredients, and vibrant ambiance. The attentive staff consistently enhances the dining experience, making it ideal for special occasions. While some find the noise level high, the overall consensus highlights O-Ku as a must-visit for sushi enthusiasts.

2,725 Reviews
  1. Erin

    Charleston

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    O-Ku never disappoints- service and food have always been on-point for the last decade we’ve been visiting, but this time they exceeded our expectations. The staff went above and beyond to make our son’s birthday extra special, with personalized menus, stickers, chopsticks, and birthday treat. Super memorable and thoughtful!! The same excellent O-Ku that has been a Charleston staple for years has continued to get even better. Love the extra touches, some new menu items and cocktails, and the ambiance—great music and a festive vibe for the holidays. Love love love!

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  2. Stacey

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Enjoyed celebrating a graduation. All 4 ordered at least 2 items. Very attentive staff. Downside is we've all eaten better for less, including visiting Japan and authentic cuisine. Very good, but there's better. Spent $200 for 4.
    O-KuResponded 2 days ago
    Hello Stacey! We appreciate your feedback and are glad that you felt our staff was very attentive! We love to celebrate with our guests when we can and hope to serve you again soon! -O-Ku CHS

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  3. Jennifer

    Charleston

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is both a traditional and imaginative take on a Japanese meal. I would definitely dine there again.
    O-KuResponded 2 days ago
    Hello Jennifer! We appreciate your feedback and are so glad to know you enjoyed the experience with us. We look to forward to seeing you again soon! -O-Ku CHS

    Is this helpful?

  4. Andrew

    Atlanta Metro

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely delicious! We will definitely return!
    O-KuResponded 5 days ago
    Hello Andrew! We appreciate your feedback so much and look forward to the next time we have the opportunity to serve you! -O-Ku CHS

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  5. Joe

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a great Japanese restaurant with wonderful food.
    O-KuResponded 5 days ago
    Hello Joe! We appreciate your feedback and are so glad you enjoyed the food! -O-Ku CHS

    Is this helpful?

  6. James

    Tampa

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    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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  7. Tara

    Washington DC

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved the food! The dumplings were amazing and the sushi too!
    O-KuResponded 5 days ago
    Hello Tara! We are so glad to know you enjoyed your experience with us. The dumplings know how to add to the experience and we are big fans of the sushi too! We hope to serve you again soon! -O-Ku CHS

    Is this helpful?

  8. Amanda

    Chicago

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 27 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had such a wonderful date night at O-ku. Came to celebrate my birthday in Charleston with my boyfriend and you guys made it an absolutely wonderful experience . Our waitress was amazing and had great recommendations for dishes and sake to try . This is one of our favorite spots to come to every time we are in town . You guys did not disappoint! We will definitely be back again ! 

    Is this helpful?

  9. Brian

    Greater Boston

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 25 November 2024

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

    Is this helpful?

  10. Jean

    Omaha

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 25 November 2024

    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.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

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

O-Ku is rated 4.8 stars by 2725 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.

A photo of O-Ku restaurant

O-Ku

4.8
$30 and under
Japanese
Downtown Charleston

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 53 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
  • Area
    Downtown Charleston
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 17:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–23:00
  • 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, Takeaway, 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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