A couple and a dog walk into a bar...but this was no joke. My wife and I wanted a nice, classy night out last night and chose O-Ku as we have been several times and like it. It's expensive but an upscale place - or so we thought. We were at the bar, waiting on our food when a couple walks in with a dog. Yes, a dog...and not a service dog, which we'd have no problem with. They sat at the bar right next to us and held the dog in their laps. The dog's paw or tail hit me once or twice, then the dog was licking the bar counter. Totally gross. We were flabbergasted but said nothing and just tried to ignore it. We thought maybe they were about to leave, but no. Our food came and we ate, with the dog. We were next to the dog for about an hour. We were planning on having after dinner drinks and dessert, but left - the dog still there. No management or staff said anything. For the record, both my wife and I like dogs and had them before we were married. There's a time and a place for dogs, but sitting at bars in classy and expensive downtown restaurants isn't one of them. Again, service dogs are a completely different matter...and they wouldn't be bellied up to the bar.

Came here for a end of the work week date night. We are big fans of sushi and this place does not disappoint. From ambience to service this place has it all. Our server had great recommendations from sushi rolls to sake. We recommend the roll with Squid ink rice as it’s something you will need to experience. Also the salmon and lemon roll had an amazing amount of flavor. I highly recommend going here they even have omakase if you want to ball out like jay z.

This is my new favorite upscale sushi restaurant. The food is fabulous!! My drink of choice is the " Sweet and Spice" and the rock shrimp are better than bang bang shrimp from Bonefish... The Dillon roll is also my favorite for sushi. Try this place! There are several gluten-free options.

What can I say? This is definitely a top place for sushi in Raleigh. Going on a date or celebrate a special moment, or just love sushi.. this is your spot. First off, parking is simple, if you have no room in front there is a parking lot next door. Restaurant is beautiful, very high end, dress up! Service was wonderful, very attentive & staff knows their menu. Food wise, the most important... sushi was amazing, worth the price (its pricey) but worth it. Definitely a great experience to share with friends. Yes, I will be coming back and recommending.

First , second , and , third ... great food and the kindest staff . You get great food, elegant ambiance, great decor and great service. My boyfriend took me for my birthday and he couldn't have picked a better place ! The food and drinks were amazing and everyone was so welcoming . I even got a birthday card that was signed by most of the staff there with kind and genuine messages 💕 That took the cake for me ! We also were GIVEN sata andagi and Prosecco for a bday toast! We had the O-Ku rock shrimp, dumplings , curry noodles with salmon , and the salmon , lemon and orzo . For dessert complimentary sata andagi and we got the chocolate miso torte. All photo worthy and the taste was pure perfection ! Our bevs were the Clouds of white ( x2 for me, so yummy), Shogun, and Sugar and spice . Such a wonderful night and great upscale Asian cuisine experience . I regret not trying any sushi but we will be back for sure .

Overall experience quite good. We enjoyed our food and the ambience. Server was fine, but I was hoping for a little more expertise and confidence from waitstaff in an upscale sushi place. More menu training might be helpful. Breakdown of what we ordered: -Seaweed salad: tasty and refreshing. -BBQ pork buns: heavenly. -Curry noodle: rich, complex broth. Enjoyed. -Angry salmon: other rolls were purchased at the table, but this was the favorite. Good heat and flavor. I can recommend it for a general upscale sushi/Asian night out. But if you are more of a sushi novice and wanting to explore more nigiri and sashimi dishes, you might be trying your luck here.

My husband took me here for our 3rd year wedding anniversary! Absolutely heaven!! We received great service, delicious sushi, and sealed it with red wine and cake! Talk about a night to remember. Our server took care of us with a glass of complimentary champagne and a special treat. I love love loved this place!

Wow wow wow, so good!!! Our server was incredible, the food all came out super fast but they never rushed us in our meal. Everything was so fresh. Definitely make sure to get the donut holes for dessert!

Holy macaroni - this place is amazing. From the second we walked in, until we walked out! Service was phenomenal, the food was *chefs kiss*. They offered us lemon, lime, or cucumber for our water and I was so baffled I took each we got 4 sushi rolls - the Tsunami roll (fried on the outside), Cali Crunch, Emperor (had wagyu on top ), and the Kurama. Complete with a Sapporo! We will be back!

What an amazing Birthday I have just had in this establishment! Thank you all so much for the great food! The birthday cake, and the personally signed birthday card from the staff! The service is out of this world, Nicole our sever was so sweet! She really made my birthday memorable!

We had dinner Saturday night at O-Ku, the establishment and decor is really nice and hip. The music is loud but fun. The hostesses were nice but not overly friendly and not inviting. Our waiter was mediocre- again not very friendly but he was attentive. His recommendations of dishes were always the most expensive items on the menu. We started with the BBQ Buns and dumplings. The buns on the pork were really odd (not like Korean soft buns). They seems to be extra toasted and SUPER greasy, the pulled pork was okay little dry and lacked flavor- it was not tender and juicy pulled pork. I think a dipping sauce for this appetizer would have saved this dish. The dumplings were good and the chili dipping sauce was good too. We ate a few rolls as well Tuna crunchy role- which was fine, Kurama roll - which was good but it had an odd like Smokey taste (not sure what from). We had another roll too that I can’t recall name that was fine. None of the rolls were amazing, I’ve had better in more authentic restaurants. The desserts were the most disappointing thing- we got the molten cake and the strawberries and cream dessert. The molten cake was and tasted as if someone took it out of a box and microwaved it- Trader Joe’s has better ones that they make (not joking). The Strawberries and Cream - was terrible, I couldn’t even eat it. It looked like it was filled with a fake cream w strawberry jelly in it sandwiched between mini COLD (like frozen) pancakes (the description on menu did not say this at all)- no where on this dessert dish were their fresh strawberries. Overall the decor and vibe is great but the food doesn’t match the price- staff is not the friendliest or inviting and the desserts are not freshly made at all. I do not recommend this establishment. I gave it two stars for the decor and vibe and for the staff behind the bar making the sushi- they were fun to watch and seemed to be the friendliest out of the entire restaurant. Loved how nice they were to each other and the way they danced when good songs came on. Kudos to them!

Hard to imagine a way for this meal to have been better. From the salmon to the shrimp to the sushi to the sake, everything was exceptional. Our server Adam was also *top-notch*, which rounded out a beautiful evening in their covered outdoor seating area.

Such a fantastic sushi experience! The rolls were delicious, and the blue fin app was amazing, too. Reasonable prices, great service, and delicious food!

The waitress was phenomenal but I gotta say I was FARRRRR from impressed with the food. The outdoor area was impressive. Walking by this establishment, you would think you have to be in the know. Sent back the chicken bowl that was explained as new. It tasted like mush. Sent back and got the salmon. Thought perhaps a discount or served at same price. The worse part of the dishes were the large mushrooms. They were just inedible. YUKE !!!! The bang shrimp and seaweed was the best part of my experience. I will likely not be back. I'd prefer to spend my $145.00 another way.

Hands down one of my go to spots for sushi in downtown. Great atmosphere, great food and great service. Love to bring everyone that visits to this spot. For more recommendations follow @raleighunlocked on Instagram.

Just Amazing! We love try my husband and I new Great restaurants. This place was amazing, the service, food and drinks super great, all sushi, sashimi, nigiri was espectacular. Violet and Ariel, they were just amazing and knowledgeable. definitely coming back. We start with a great Miso and BLUE FIN TUNA CRUDO, love itttt. In the sashimi we order Maguro and ikura awesome. Our favorite part was the sushi wow fresh and great flavors Kurama and HA-HA MACHI. If I can give 10 we will. Love it. Dessert ube cheesecake 🤤

Amazing sushi and service! The rolls were very unique, with high quality ingredients. I especially liked the Kurama and Black Magic. Highly recommend ordering the pork buns for the table - crowd pleaser for sure!

I need more of this place in my life and so does Raleigh. This place was great and the kids even had a great time. This is upscale Asian faire, with tapas-like sushi and other small bites, plus the traditional specialty rolls that most folks go for. Drinks were excellent, not overly boozy, just genuinely delicious. Our server was something of note. Spectacular recommendations and attentiveness made for a memorable night. Looking forward to coming back.

I can hear for my birthday, and it was one of the best food I've experienced. The ambiance was fantastic and the staff was amazing. I got the, spiced chili edamame, West St Wings, O-KU rock Shrimp, the Emperor and I believe the Cali Crunch. Everything was super tasteful. I will definitely come back here again. The only thing I will say that needs to improve, is the food coming out at different times.

I love this Sushi place. It is one of the best ones. I ordered the Akiri. It was delicious. The one roll with Tuna and jalapeño was very delicious. I just don't remember the name of it. The ambiance is beautiful. The service was great. I will definitely be back.

My husband and I came here to celebrate my birthday. Everything was FANTASTIC! We had a few small plates including the dumplings and Otoro spoons. If you enjoy fatty tuna, I highly, highly recommend the spoons. My husband got the hanger steak and I tried the Angry Salmon roll. Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection. Our server, Matt was also amazing! He made the night that much better. We'll be back!

I’ve been to O-Ku in Nashville many times and had very high expectations for the Raleigh location. The Raleigh O-Ku definitely delivered! Their menu is very different yet so delicious! I recommend the Raleighwood roll and black magic. All the fish tastes extremely fresh. The rock shrimp was crispy and tender and the perfect mix of sweet and heat. The miso was a great start to the meal. To finish we had the donut holes, sorbet trio, and mochi all of which were very delicious. Absolutely worth every penny. The service was just as amazing as the food. The staff is extremely kind and they create a fun atmosphere. To top it all off they even let us bring our dog to the outdoor seating and gave him water! This will be my regular sushi spot.

Last night was my first time at O-Ku and I was pleasantly surprised!! We had a reservation for outside and when we arrived the hostess was able to find an indoor table for us which was very much appreciated. The sushi was so flavorful and well plated!! Our server was incredibly kind and personable. I ordered the seaweed salad and a “Tree Hugger” roll-the server suggested I customize the roll to have avocado on top rather than fish (I have dietary preferences) and I really liked it. My sister had a Lemon Salmon roll and dumplings which were wonderful according to you. I would come here again!!

Matt was a great host. Truly made my first experience one to remember. Tried octopus for the first and highly impressed. Sushi was great as well as the Rock Shrimp. Highly recommend. Desert was amazing!

The lychee cosmo was amazing. My husband had his first tartare experience and fell in love. The sauce in the pork buns were to die for. The salmon was very flavorful and I had mochi icecream to top off the night. Everything was delicious, our waitress was great and I loved the decor! Would definitely come back again.

We have been to 3 Oku locations so far and Raleigh’s location has been the disappointment. We weren’t greeted then they couldn’t find our reservation and although I showed them my open table reservation they keep wanting to check it on my phone over and over. Once they saw my frustration they said they will find a table. We ordered the spicy aioli shrimp for appetizer it was ok nothing special they were tad over cooked. We ordered 2 specialty rolls but the rice on both was over cooked kept getting stuck in our teeth and poor presentation.