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O-Ku, Charleston, SC
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O-Ku

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Visa Dining Collection

$30 and under
Japanese
463 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

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2 people
7:00 PM
animated flamesBooked 53 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Hot spot
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 on 5/7/2025.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,863 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

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Best Ambiance

  • Charleston

    Best Overall

  • Charleston

    Best Food

  • Charleston

    Best Service

  • Charleston

    Best Ambiance

  • Charleston

    Best Value

  • Charleston

    Good for groups

  • Charleston

    Healthy

  • Charleston

    Hot spot

  • Charleston

    Good for special occasions

  • Charleston

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
O-Ku offers an exceptional dining experience with "incredible food" and "amazing service." Known for its "freshest sushi" and personalized celebrations, it excels in creating memorable occasions. Guests praise the "fantastic atmosphere" and attentive staff, making it a top choice for special events and casual dining alike. Highly recommended!
2,863 Reviews

  1. Kayla

    Philadelphia County5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    absolutely amazing food and delicious drinks. GREAT service

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  2. Eric

    South Carolina1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding happy hour prices and selection. Service was excellent!

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  3. Ralph

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Try the popcorn shrimp . Best sushi in town. Sam is a great server

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  4. Dave

    South Carolina10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    great service, great good is all someone can ask for

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  5. Dani

    South Carolina1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely incredible service and delicious food. Highly recommend for a birthday dinner, or just a nice dinner and drinks night. Staff was so awesome and attentive I will be back!!

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  6. Melissa VIP

    Atlanta8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    O ku is always a great experience and the food quality is above the rest.

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  7. Emily

    South Carolina1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I recently spent my birthday at Ok-u. The restaurant had sent me a message ahead of time asking for any preferences I had and what birthday I was celebrating. When I arrived, I was absolutely blown away to find a customized sign and thoughtful gift sitting on the table. The service was exceptional and I have never had a restaurant do that for me - it was very special.

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  8. Kate VIP

    Nashville6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Where to begin? Such an incredible experience! I let them know it was my birthday ahead of time and they had a very sweet & thoughtful gift and sign waiting at my table. The food was incredible. I’m not stranger to O-Ku in atlanta, so I was very excited to see it in Charleston! The drinks were amazing. The service was attentive and excellent. You truly cannot go wrong with anything O-Ku! We will definitely be back, and I’ll be dreaming of the sushi until then!

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  9. Joseph

    South Carolina1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was my wife’s and mine anniversary and she really wanted some sushi so I booked reservations here. They reached out to me and asked me to tell a little about us and things we like to do so I did. When we arrived we were sat immediately at a beautifully decorated table and a gift for us for our anniversary. The food was incredible and our server was very attentive and helpful. I would highly recommend this place if your significant other enjoys sushi and you want to treat them to a special place. 5 out of 5 higher recommend

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  10. Lance

    South Carolina3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I took my wife out for her birthday and chose this spot since she loves sushi. Food was great and loved our drinks too. Tried Japanese whisky for the first time which was enjoyable! The restaurant had placed a very cute sign saying “happy birthday” for my wife, which she loved and took home. Overall, very enjoyable experience. Shoutout to our waitress Kat as well! Very kind and helped with whisky recommendations.

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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 4.9 stars by 2863 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.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. South Carolina
  4. Charleston
  5. Downtown Charleston

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
animated flamesBooked 53 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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