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: 4.8

4.8

1115 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

May 25, 2022

May 2022

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

7:00 PM

Booked 40 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(202) 888-8790

Delivery

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 1,115 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

Noise • Moderate

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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Law school graduation
DL
DaveL
Washington DC
6 reviews
vip
3.0
6 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall3food3service4ambience3
Food is ok. Nothing special.
K
jameK
Washington DC
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall4food5service4ambience4
Good food, uneven service, took a long time to get food. Once it arrived it was good.
DC
DeborahC
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Had the best time! Our server Steven was absolutely AMAZING!!!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on May 17, 2022
overall4food5service5ambience5
Really nice place for a date . Dim lighting and unique and quite atmosphere. I really enjoyed the evening Incantation and firecracker roll is bomb . My date enjoyed the Scallop Kun
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Ambience was phenomenal and the sushi was some of the best I’ve had. The service was great; we felt taken care of. Overall, an outstanding experience, I will definitely be back with friends or by myself even.
KG
KathyG
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 12, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delightful experience! Highly recommend the sake flights. All of the food was delicious and fresh. Our waiter was absolutely fabulous! We asked him to bring us a selection of rolls of his choosing and each one was phenomenal.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 7, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
AMAZING!!!
AL
AlexL
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 4, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic experience, we had the omakase tasting menu and loved every bite. Jon also enjoyed the sake pairing which was equally wonderful. We all left incredibly happy! Hats off to Andrew and the team for walking us through the experience, and for being consistently available, knowledgeable, and friendly (the roof cleared out quickly around when we had hit course 6 or 7 but we never felt rushed). This was an excellent experience I've already been recommending to friends!
HH
HoosierHospitality
Washington DC
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on May 3, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Great experience last night! Server was kind and attentive. Patio is nice, but the inside is much cooler and we wish we sat in there! Food was delicious, zero complaints. Highly recommend O Ku.
MG
MacGruber
Washington DC
2 reviews
vip
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 2, 2022
overall4food4service2ambience5
Table for two without alcoholic drinks took ~3 hours total. It took 30 minutes minimum between courses which felt exceptionally slow.
LC
LilyC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was absolutely incredible. It was my sisters birthday and the team wrote out a birthday letter for her. It was such a nice touch.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 1, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Loved the ambiance, service and the food! It was our first time there and we will return!
JG
JamieG
Tampa
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The best sushi in DC. Tatiana was our server and she was absolutely amazing. Incredible food and great atmosphere.
AM
AlysonM
Washington DC
11 reviews
3.0
11 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2022
overall3food4service3ambience4
It was cool our server had too many tables so it wasn’t spot on service but the food was good. Definitely pricey.
JJ
JackJ
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
It smells good when you walk into this place. And the food does not disappoint. Competitive with Nobu DC with flavors but not quite as expensive and not as finely treated fish. But it doesn’t distract from how good it is. Definitely would recommend and definitely going back to try more.
JS
JoshS
New England
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic meal with wonderful service. Our server Tatiana was friendly and knowledgeable and made us feel at home. Every one of her menu suggestions was absolutely perfect for what we were looking for. The sushi items were all outstanding, each better than the last, and the grilled items were somehow even better than we imagined. Discovered the restaurant by chance, and after tonight we’ll definitely come back the next time we’re in DC. We’re honestly disappointed that we won’t have time on this trip to sneak in another meal here.
c
chroniclesofrittik
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love the freshness of the fish, the interior, the cocktails, the staff .... I really just love all of it! Taking friends and family to O-ku is a guaranteed amazing dining experience.
SM
SamM
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on April 27, 2022
overall3food3service2ambience5
Server not as attentive as we were expecting for the type of restaurant vibe you’re paying for.
S
Stephanie
Washington DC
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on April 27, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
So so good! From the atmosphere to the sushi to the staff, 10/10.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 27, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great sushi and drink happy hour
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cancun
1 review
vip
4.0
1 review
Dined on April 26, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience4
We went to celebrate a birthday and had a great time! The staff was extremely nice and even all signed a card for the birthday boy! The food was amazing. Only negative was one of our appetizers never came, even after we asked about its status.
AS
AshleyS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely amazing food. Great service that goes above and beyond. I will eat here again and recommend it to others! Such a great atmosphere too.
DG
DaniG
Washington DC
26 reviews
vip
5.0
26 reviews
Dined on April 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Yellowtail Serrano is a life changer!! Oku is the best sushi in DC hands down. Keep doing what u doin!!!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on April 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
A friend from Europe whom I haven’t seen in 31 years is visiting!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was absolutely amazing. Honestly, the best in the city for this style of cuisine. I will definitely come back over and over again.
M
Maby
Washington DC
40 reviews
vip
5.0
40 reviews
Dined on April 26, 2022
overall5food4service3ambience4
Excellent food..the service could be better, they are a bit unresponsive... more attentive and responsible, but other than that...good!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on April 25, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always at home at O-ku! Great everything!
s
slny93
New York Area
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on April 24, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
O-Ku was a great experience to have on our D.C. trip. The service was great, the ambience was inviting, and the food was good. Their drink menu is top-notch with options for everyone.
E
Emily
Washington DC
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on April 22, 2022
overall1food2service4ambience3
We held these plans for about 2 months. The sushi wasn't great. I felt like there wasn't a lot of fish, especially given the price. Everything was excessively expensive and just not that good. Halfway through the meal we decided to leave and go to shakeshack.
RC
RC707
Baltimore
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was incredible and the service was great! We had the hangar steak, unagi San, spicy tuna, and crunchy crab. We’ve had some excellent sushi at various restaurants over the years and O-Ku is among a very short list of our favorites.
S
Shanell
Philadelphia
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on April 21, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
It’s a vibe and just spectacular!
B
Brianna
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on April 20, 2022
overall3food3service3ambience5
Our server wasn’t that personable. The food was okay. I loved the spice tuna roll, but my Yakitori chicken came out pretty cold, so I had to send it back. Overall I’ll give my first experience a 6/10.
G
cynnieG
Washington DC
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on April 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our Server, Tati was fabulous with what she suggested and great personality- just the right amount of charisma without overwhelming us. The music was great, love the decor and the harvest roll and lollipop chicken were my favorites! I had them make me a litchi margarita and my fiancé had a Sourtini- both were d’lish…we try and go to O’ku at-least once a month
a
anonymous
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
As always - food was fantastic and service great - the team is always cool, upbeat, fun, and relatable. The outdoor seating atmosphere and comfort level is "hit and miss" depending on the weather and wish the weather proofing was a little better, but it didn't take away from our overall experience . Oku remains one of my favorite dinings in DC. Everything on the robata grill is worth having! The wild mushrooms, lao saussage and shrimp the top favorites; all of Oku signature nigiri is a decadent delight - Creme de la Creme lives up to its name.
SB
SBT46
Washington DC
2 reviews
vip
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on April 15, 2022
overall1food1service1ambience1
Seafood wasn’t fresh, everything else was extremely mediocre and overpriced
AS
AcaciaS
Minneapolis
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 15, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a great waiter and the food was tasty!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 15, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Perfect night
NG
NicoleG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 12, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Best sushi I've ever had. Service was top class. Beautiful setting. Highly recommend!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 9, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Serves was pleasant and the Roof was the perfect temp

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 4.8 stars by 1115 OpenTable diners.

O-Ku - DC 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.