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O-Ku, Charleston, SC
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O-Ku

$30 and under
Japanese

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2 people
19:00
Booked 69 times today
  • 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.

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Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: James Beard semifinalist Steve Palmer 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 southern USA.

Additional information

  • Location
    463 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
  • 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

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,794 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
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Charleston

    Best Overall

  • Charleston

    Best Food

  • Charleston

    Best Ambience

  • Charleston

    Best Value

  • Charleston

    Healthy

  • Charleston

    Hot spot

  • Charleston

    Lively

  • Charleston

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
O-Ku in Charleston offers an "amazing" dining experience with "outstanding" sushi, creative dishes, and a lively ambiance. Guests praise the exceptional service, particularly from servers like Sam and Rachel, who provide personalized recommendations. The restaurant's attention to detail for special occasions is notable, making it a "must-visit" for sushi lovers.

2,794 Reviews

  1. Angela

    Charleston6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and ambience were excellent. Best sushi I've had in Charleston, no doubt (we've lived here three years and are just making it here, I wish we found it sooner!). Service was great, but we did have a reservation and it took us a while to be seated despite that. We'll definitely be back!

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  2. Melissa

    Seattle1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were so impressed with our dinner at O-Ku celebrating our daughters birthday. They sent an email asking about her hobbies and we were greeted with a decorated table, birthday card and gift very thoughtfully reflecting her hobbies we emailed about. I have never seen a restaurant go over the top for a birthday and wanted to recognize them for their thoughtfulness! The food and service was excellent as well, will be coming back@

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  3. Elena

    Unspecified1 review

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall good experience and great food. I brought my husband here for his birthday because he loves sushi. I don’t eat sushi. I had the wings and they were really good. They were small but full of flavor and it was like 10 wings. My husband had some kind of sushi and he said it was very good. We had their expresso chocolate cake as dessert that was delicious. Our waitress was excellent.

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  4. Michael VIP

    Richmond28 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    We always enjoy coming here when we visit Charleston. The food was wonderful and our server was very sweet BUT a little guidance with the wagu steak....Carly did not tell my hubby he would have to cook himself and it would be 200 just for his dinner. The other bad part was it splattered all over his shirt.. a warning something?? 105 shirt from UNTUCK IT ruined. The sushi we had was divine. Carly did bring little wipes after for his shirt but damage was done. Very disappointed!! The wage was wonderful !!

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  5. Katelin

    Charleston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the best time celebrating my birthday at OKu this weekend! The food was fresh, our server was amazing and they even decorated the table with a gift for me! So personalized, so intentional! The best spot for celebrating!

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  6. Mike

    Charleston4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great sushi!, great time! Waitress was very attentive to wife’s gluten allergy. She took very good care of our table and made some welcome suggestions. Drinks are priced well too! Macallan 12 FTW.

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  7. Katherine

    Charleston9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another fantastic dinner. Our server, Christina, was lovely and the food was as delicious as always!

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  8. robert

    Philadelphia40 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good and service was amazing. I only wish my stomach would have allowed me to eat more but I reached my limit. 🤣

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Charlotte2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was one of the BEST restaurant experiences I’ve ever had! It was my birthday and they had a little gift for me as well as birthday shots for my group! The food was incredible and service was even better. I cannot stop talking about what a great night we had!

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    Cincinnati3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Friendly knowledgeable server. Delicious food. Nice atmosphere

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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 2794 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 booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 69 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

Featured in

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