O-Ku - DC

Name: O-Ku - DC
Address: 1274 5th Street, Washington, DC, United States, 20002
Telephone: (202) 888-8790
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.7

4.7

1178 Reviews

$30 and under

Sushi

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O-Ku DC is a modern Japanese restaurant in the Union Market neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC. O-Ku DC features a menu of innovative dishes using traditional Japanese techniques and the finest fish and ingredients from around the world.

The 120-seat restaurant also houses a lounge specializing in Japanese whiskey as well as a 40-seat rooftop bar, both featuring a sleek industrial design to complement the surrounding neighborhood.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Aug 16, 2022

10:30 PM

Booked 61 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(202) 888-8790

Other options

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Sushi, Japanese, Seafood
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Phone number
(202) 888-8790
Website
http://www.o-kusushidc.com/
Dress code
Business Casual
Private party contact
Sam Edgerly: (202) 888-8790

Location
1274 5th Street, Washington, DC 20002
Neighborhood
Washington
Parking details
Street and lot parking in union market. Pay attention to parking signs in the area for more information on street parking.
Public transit
NOMA-Gallaudet metro on the red line is a couple blocks away
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Popular dishes

Poke$16.00
premium sashimi, seaweed, garlic soy, mango, sesame
Tuna Crudo$16.00
togarashi spice, shredded daikon, orange supreme, garlic soy
Yellowtail Serrano Carpaccio$15.00
truffle soy, cilantro, serrano
Salmon Usuzukuri$16.00
pickled wasabi stem, truffle ponzu, black volcanic salt
Scallop Kun$18.00
cucumber, yuzu juice, lime supreme, crispy fried chiles, black volcanic salt
Dumpling Dim Sum$12.00
crispy pork gyoza dumplings, black vinegar garlic soy
Wings$14.00
organic french boned, Korean style, maytag yuzu bleu cheese
Rock Shrimp$15.00
spicy aioli, cilantro, sesame
Garden House Salad$10.00
Chef's seasonal preparation, local vegetables
Cucumber Salad$5.00
garlic, chili oil, szechuan peppercorn
Seaweed Salad$8.00
traditional style
Miso Soup$6.00
red & white miso
Edamame$5.00
tossed with sea salt

O-Ku Dc Makimono Sushi Rolls

Spicy Crunchy Tuna$14.00
scallion, shiso, cucumber, spicy aioli, eel sauce, crunchy onion
Spicy Crunchy Salmon$14.00
scallion, shiso, cucumber, crunchy tempura, spicy aioli
Unagi San$16.00
avocado wrapped, broiled eel, cucumber, serrano peppers, crunchy onion, eel sauce, spicy tobiko
The Herbivore$12.00
carrots, beets, avocado, pickled ginger, cucumber, Asian salsa
Tuna Tataki$16.00
Aburi torched Tuna, avocado, tempura shrimp, sweet soy and spicy aioli
The Harvest Roll$14.00
Fried Sweet Potato, avocado, cucumber, goat cheese mousse, sweet soy, crispy fried ginger
Snow King$18.00
kani crab, Rakkyo, cucumber, avocado, seared king salmon, miso truffle aioli, micro cilantro
Salmon Skin Roll$16.00
crispy fried Salmon skin, cucumber, arugula, avocado, japanese mayo, sliced cherry tomatoes, ikura
Yuzu Fuego$18.00
yellowtail sashimi, serrano peppers, spicy tuna, shiso, cucumber, yuzu glaze
O-Ku Spider Roll$14.00
Crunchy soft shell crab, kani crab, avocado, yuzu tobiko, sesame seeds
Firecracker Roll$14.00
spicy salmon, cucumber, serrano peppers, spicy aioli, sweet soy glaze, crispy fried roll
Scally Wag Roll$16.00
fresh scallops, pickled beets, cucumber, scallion vinaigrette, yuzu kosho sauce, crispy fried roll
Crunchy Prawn Roll$14.00
tempura shrimp, avocado, coated with crunchy rice pearls, sweet soy, spicy aioli
Crab Crunch$13.00
kani crab, cucumber, avocado, yuzu tobiko, sweet soy glaze, crunch onions

Premium Makimono Sushi Rolls

Western Wagyu Roll$75.00
tempura fried Lobster tail, avocado, negiyaki, aburi A-5 Wagyu Beef, fresh grated wasabi, black garlic tare, fried garlic chips
The Emperor Roll$90.00
Hamachi Kama, pickled wasabi relish, cucumber, truffle soy, uni, sturgeon caviar, gold flakes

Tableside Toban Yaki

tableside grill/sizzle for your pleasure

Lobster Kinoko$38.00
8oz lobster tail, assorted wild mushrooms, yuzu miso butter
A-5 Wagyu Beef
highest quality Japanese black cattle; 2oz Minimum
- per oz$25.00

Omakase

Chef's Creative Multi Course Tasting Menu$150.00
inquire about availability

From the Robata Grill

Binchotan Charcoal: Petrified White Oak from Japan

Niku-Dango$8.00
Asian-style meatballs, scallion, garlic, soy
Wild Mushroom$11.00
local selection, mirin soy, sea salt
Citrus Kai$16.00
shrimp, scallop, yuzu-miso butter
Yakitori$12.00
teriyaki glaze
Hanger Steak$18.00
Wagyu hanger steak, grated wasabi
Pan Asian Sausage$7.00
lao style, garlic, lemongrass, galangal

Entrées

Cauliflower Karaage$15.00
sticky Korean style, crushed peanuts, scallions
Chicken Teriyaki$18.00
traditional teriyaki glaze, stir fry veggies, steamed rice
Bulgogi$18.00
spicy fire roasted shaved pork, white rice, Asian slaw
Curry Noodle$16.00
Coconut curry sauce, chili, fresh herbs, winter udon

O-Ku Signature Nigiri

The Big Eye$7.00
lean tuna, miso mustard, chives, togarashi dust
Drop It like It's Hotate$9.00
torched scallop, orange sepreme, crunchy garlic, chili oil, micro greens
Sake Dreams$8.00
salmon, truffle creme, citrus zest, ikura
Kobe Style$9.00
torched wagyu beef, kbbq glaze, shoyu mushrooms, crispy shallots, chives
Creme de La Creme$19.00
Bluefin otoro (fatty tuna belly), sea urchin, fresh wasabi, uni, sturgeon caviar, gold flake
Baller Status$18.00
miyazaki A5 wagyu, black garlic tare

Nigiri Sushi 1 Pc & Sashimi 2 Pc

Anago$6.00
salt water eel
Unagi$4.00
fresh water eel
Shima Aji$9.00
striped jack
Ikura$4.00
salmon roe
UNI
sea urchin
- MP
Hotate$7.00
scallop
Saba$4.00
mackerel
Fluke$9.00
flounder
Hamachi$5.00
yellowtail
Kanpachi$9.00
amberjack
Sake$5.00
salmon
Chutoro
medium fatty tuna
- MP
Bluefin Otoro
Fatty tuna
- MP
Madai$9.00
snapper
Zuke Maguro$7.00
Ginger soy marinated tuna
Yuzu Tobiko$3.00
citrus smelt roe
Maguro$6.00
lean red tuna
EBI$4.00
shrimp

What 1,178 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.6Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

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OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
6 reviews
vip
4.0
6 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
overall4food4service4ambience5
I enjoyed a beautiful rooftop dinner with friends at O-ku. The rooftop has a very relaxed and cool ambiance, especially at night. Our service was polite, available, & knowledgeable about the menu. She recommended several delicious dishes for us. I had a great time and would return.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 9, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love O-Ku! My favorite Sushi place in DC. Happy hour is so worth it
E
Easy
Washington DC
22 reviews
vip
5.0
22 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Rooftop atmosphere was cool. Peter was a great server. Very enjoyable birthday celebration spot.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
3 reviews
vip
2.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 2, 2022
overall2food3service1ambience3
Terrible service by our waitress.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Outstanding food and service as usual and great happy hour menu
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
1 review
vip
2.0
1 review
Dined on August 1, 2022
overall2food3service2ambience2
Do not get the omakase! Progression doesn't make sense (they reused the same type of fish in different courses), subpar food and had to wait over 3 hours to finish our meal.
DA
DyAY
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
the yellowtail in truffle ponzu small dish was amazing. otoro was also great
TA
TommyA
Washington DC
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 29, 2022
overall5food5service2ambience4
Hands down, best food in DC. Every menu item is delicious at a fair price
OT
OpenTable Diner
Seattle
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on July 28, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful experience. Our server was great. The Happy Hour is wonderful!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on July 28, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great service
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 28, 2022
overall1food5service1ambience5
I made reservations to surprise my fiend for her birthday. The host ruined the surprise by telling her I was there after I specified not to. I also tried to change the reservation name and they said it’s not allowed even though I called and confirmed it was possible. Our server kept getting our orders wrong even though she wrote them down in the beginning. She kept asking did you get this and that. We got our main courses before our small plate appetizers which was so confusing. We kept telling the server what we missed and she brought the wrong item twice. On top of that the sushi was very pricey. The rolls are mostly rice and not enough fish ingredients. Over all it was not the best experience. We probably won’t be back there ever.
B
Bart
Washington DC
19 reviews
4.0
19 reviews
Dined on July 27, 2022
overall4food4service2ambience2
Drinks service was terrible and slow, always came out after food was gone. Dessert took forever. Just bad timing all around.
m
marym
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 27, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
They were very accommodating to my request to sit upstairs... loved the food as usual
KS
KiraS
Washington DC
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 27, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience5
I love O-Ku! I would've given the food five stars, but a string of hair was in my favorite roll (Crab Crunch). However, our waitress and the manager were apologetic and handled the situation.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 25, 2022
overall5food5service2ambience5
Food was delicious!! Our waitress was really nice, but not super familiar with the menu and what things were.
DA
DesA
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on July 23, 2022
overall1food1service2ambience3
I became sick soon after eating and before I left the restaurant. I was given half a refund for my meal and the staff wasn’t very warm to hearing about my experience
R
Rafa
Chicago
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 23, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Best sushi i've had in dc... please come if you have the time
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Omasake was delightful
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
My boyfriend and I had a wonderful experience at O-Ku! We are in town to celebrate my birthday, and the staff gave me a free dessert and hand-signed card for my birthday :) it was very thoughtful and felt like a genuine interaction. The shrimp shumai was the best I’ve had and we loved the yellowtail carpaccio! Definitely will dine here again when we are back in town.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was the best sushi me and my boyfriend have had in DC … maybe even ever! The meal was absolutely DELICIOUS. The drinks were just as good. Our waiter, Peter, was so friendly and gave us great recommendations. They were so kind and made us feel extra special on a special occasion! We could not rave more about this place! EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO HERE!
JR
JennaR
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had amazing service at Oku for my partner’s birthday dinner! They have the best happy hour sushi deal and they surprised us with free pieces of nigiri, champagne, and a lovely birthday card from the staff. Highly recommend! Thank you Oku!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 20, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience5
O-ku is excellent, one of the BEST.
W
Willa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food, great service, great music, and very well-designed decor. They even offered us our choice of lemon, lime, and cucumber slices to put in our water! Plus, a great range of prices for friend groups with different budgets in mind. Highly recommend!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Charlotte
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 17, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
“Among the best sushi i have ever had in my life, and I’ve had sushi all over the world”
MJ
MichaelJ
Washington DC
19 reviews
vip
4.0
19 reviews
Dined on July 16, 2022
overall4food4service3ambience4
Prices have gone up and quality has gone down :-(
E
Emily
New Mexico
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 15, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience5
We would gladly come back for cocktails and happy hour! The food was good but did not compare to the quality of the drinks.
CT
CalvinT
Washington DC
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on July 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The GM-ALEX IS FABULOUS AND MY SERVER SHE IS JUST AMAZING HER NAME WAS “TATI” she is THE BESTTT.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 12, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Since the beginning the hostess that took my phone call twice to push back my reservation was so friendly. And the food was amazing! So far the best Japanese place I ever taste in the area. Coming from someone that have tasted Japanese/ Nikkei food in many countries, great well developed flavors and high quality of food. My date was so impressed that it definitely made my night! We will come back soon..
E
elenaEats
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 10, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything we ordered was delicious. The ambiance was great and we had a great time. Would definitely head back to try more of the menu and maybe sit on the patio.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Pittsburgh
24 reviews
vip
5.0
24 reviews
Dined on July 9, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
1st time, great service and quality.
CD
CherylD
Washington DC
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on July 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Beautiful decor, friendly staff, delicious food.
KS
KS20002
Dallas
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on July 1, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything was amazing! They made us feel extra special since we were celebrating an anniversary. We will be back!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 1, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Peter was a phenomenal waiter. We had an amazing meal and amazing service.
CJ
ChristopherJ
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fresh. Quality. Unique. Flavors. Sashimi 🍣 Options for non-fish eaters Mocktails Complete night!
L
Laura
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, and place. Service was super nice! We will definitely go back
s
stefanie
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything about O-Ku is amazing - the food, the service, the ambiance. One of my favorite restaurants in DC! Also I've always had STELLAR birthday dinner experiences here. Even if the food wasn't as good as it is, I'd still go back for the great service.
T
Tweets
New Orleans
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on June 28, 2022
overall2food1service1ambience4
It took me forever to get a reservation at this restaurant and I was excited to finally eat here. It seems like the restaurant doesn't put all their tables on OpenTable so the restaurant was only 1/2 full. Meaning I could have eaten here long ago. The restaurant has a great patio and good cocktails. Everything else was really disappointing. After ordering our drinks and one appetizer, and telling the waitress we'd wait to order more food, she tried to take away our menus. How can I order more food without a menu? The sushi we ordered contained grains of rice that were clearly under cooked. And the sushi rolls themselves were rolled in a sloppy fashion. The single occupancy bathrooms are in the middle of the dining area on both floors and whenever a person opens a bathroom door, diners are subjected to a full view of the bathroom. I would have been livid if we were sat at one of these tables. The meal for 2 came to $200. A price I anticipated from the start. But the experience was far from a $200 experience in both service and food quality.
m
madisonm28
Charleston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 28, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious sushi. Great happy hour deals on about half of the normal rolls to make them half off. $4 off a couple of the cocktails and house wine too.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our experience at O-Ku was great. We enjoyed the overall vibe and the food and drinks were amazing. We will definitely be coming back !
JW
JujuliliW
Washington DC
8 reviews
vip
3.0
8 reviews
Dined on June 26, 2022
overall3food4service4ambience2
The food was good The service ok But it was freezing cold in the restaurant

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
Physical distancing
- Distancing maintained in common areas

Protective equipment
- Waitstaff wear masks

FAQs

O-Ku - DC does offer delivery in partnership with Chow Now. O-Ku - DC also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 888-8790.

O-Ku - DC is rated 4.7 stars by 1178 OpenTable diners.

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