Top Sushi Restaurants in Charlotte
Roll into these restaurants serving up some of the best sushi, sashimi and nigiri in the Queen City.
by Arielle Patterson
Good sushi can be hard to find no matter what city you’re in, but Charlotte has a wealth of options for you to get your fill. Here are a few of our favorites located around the Queen City, guaranteed to satisfy your sushi craving.
Akahana
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, Belmont
Akahana has been a Charlotte go-to for sushi since it opened in 2009. The restaurant offers one of the best sushi deals in the Queen City, buy one, get one free sushi rolls, as well as a comfortable ambiance with dim lighting. In addition to sushi, the menu features a variety of Asian cuisine including Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese dishes.
The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
Neighborhood: SouthPark
Located near SouthPark Mall, this popular restaurant offers sushi, burgers or a combination of the two. Check out the “burgushi” section of the menu and try The All-American Bacon Double Cheeseburgooshi, a sushi roll that wraps the components of a bacon cheeseburger in soy paper and potato strings.
Deejai Thai
Neighborhood: Myers Park, NoDa
Not only does Deejai Thai have some of the best Thai food in Charlotte, as well as an adorable patio and a casual vibe, it also features traditional and specialty sushi rolls. Keep it simple with a Rainbow Roll, or if you’re looking for a more filling option, try the Lobster Roll with lobster tempura and avocado.
Hestia Restaurant
Neighborhood: Ballantyne
Enjoy sushi in a chic setting at a restaurant boasting a rooftop patio. Hestia has several maki house rolls to try, including the Carolina roll with ebi shrimp and sweet potato or the Wagyu roll with torched wagyu beef, as well as sashimi and nigiri. Can’t decide? Let the chef choose for you by reserving an omakase experience.
Koishi
Neighborhood: Cotswold
Koishi offers affordable specialty rolls as well as incredible lunch specials, such as the “Sushi A” which includes an egg roll, salad or soup, and two maki rolls. The sushi menu also features a variety of hand rolls, maki rolls, vegetarian rolls and nigiri, along with sushi platters that include a sample of them all.
K.O. Sushi
Neighborhood: Uptown
Looking for fresh and fast sushi? K.O. Sushi prepares made-to-order rolls for takeout and delivery only. This is a perfect option for a lunch break or a picnic in Romare Bearden Park right down the street. From vegetarian rolls to sashimi, visitors and locals alike will have plenty of options to choose from.
Mr. Tokyo
Area: Matthews, Monroe, Pineville, North Charlotte
If you often leave a sushi restaurant feeling like you’re still hungry, Mr. Tokyo is the best place in Charlotte to guarantee you’ll leave full. The restaurant offers an unlimited sushi and hibachi deal for lunch and dinner, dine-in only. The atmosphere is casual, the sushi is fresh and the service is fast.
New Zealand Café
Area: Matthews
There’s usually a wait at New Zealand Café, but it’s worth it. The menu is a fusion of eclectic New Zealand fare and Asian cuisine, offering everything from New Zealand crispy scallops and shrimp, hibachi meals, bento boxes and sushi. Go the traditional route with a maki roll or splurge on a specialty roll like the H.O.T. Roll, featuring spicy tuna, cream cheese, crab and jalapeño.
Nikko Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Neighborhood: South End
Nikko has been dishing out authentic Japanese-style food since opening in 1999. The sushi offerings are so extensive that they have their own menu. Take your pick of hand-rolled sushi, fresh sashimi or go for a sushi platter to get either rolls or sashimi with a soup or salad. Expect an upbeat vibe, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when a DJ is playing hip-hop hits.
O-Ku
Neighborhood: South End
For an upscale vibe with your sushi, O-Ku, located in South End’s Atherton Mill, is a great choice. If you really want to go all out, try the omakase, an artistic and creative multi-course, reservation-only tasting with wine or sake pairings. If you’d prefer a more budget-friendly option, O-Ku offers half-priced sushi during happy hour on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m.
Ru San’s
Neighborhood: Dilworth
Enjoy fresh sushi at reasonable prices at Ru San’s. In addition to dishes like tonkatsu, noodles and teriyaki meals, the menu also offers an expansive list of specialty rolls with creative names like the Selfie Roll, featuring crab salad, shrimp tempura, avocado, tobiko, bluefin tuna, Japanese mayo, eel sauce and sprouts.
Saku
Neighborhood: Uptown
Sushi and other Japanese specialties are served in an Instagram-worthy setting at Saku. The restaurant’s sushi menu was curated by co-owner and chef Richard Tang who spent time studying the food scene in Japan. Specialty rolls include options like the Earth & Sea roll with seared filet mignon and tempura lobster, along with the vegan Garden of Eden roll and several classic hand rolls.
Sushi 101
Neighborhood: Montford, South Charlotte
This spot, with two locations in Charlotte, is best known for affordable rolls and lunch specials. Start with fresh basil spring rolls and edamame before diving into a hot bowl of yaki-style noodles, your favorite specialty rolls, makimono rolls or a la carte nigiri.
Sushiya Japan
Area: South Charlotte
Located in the Arboretum Shopping Center, Sushiya Japan specializes in hand-cut sushi and classic Japanese dishes. With almost 60 rolls on the extensive menu, you can find plenty of the classics alongside inventive options like the Bojangle’s Roll with deep fried chicken, topped with avocado, masago, scallions, spicy mayo and a sweet glaze.
Yamazaru Sushi & Sake
Neighborhood: South End
Owned by the same team behind Ru San’s, Yamazaru is located in South End, just steps away from popular nightlife options. Yamazaru is a stylish, intimate locale for a date night or catching up with friends. The menu offers classic and specialty rolls, such as the Yamazaru roll with crab salad, tuna and spicy eel, as well as sushi rice bowls, ramen, cocktails, flavored sake and more.
Yume Ramen and Sushi
Neighborhood: South End
Good luck choosing your favorite dish at this ramen and sushi bar. Order from Yume’s extensive menu of signature rolls, such as the Chubby Toro roll with seared tuna or the Truffle Lobster roll with lobster, barbecue eel and truffle teriyaki uni sauce. Yume also offers an omakase experience from the restaurant’s chefs, which must be reserved at least two days in advanced.
Zukku
Neighborhood: Optimist Park
At Zukku, you can let your creativity blossom by customizing your own sushi roll, burrito or bowl. Only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients are available to make your customizable cuisine. Not feeling creative? Choose from the selection of curated specialty dishes, like the Queen’s Lobster Roll with spicy tuna, asparagus, crab mix and avocado topped with a tempura-fried whole lobster tail.
