Sushi Roku

Enjoy coming here with friends and just having a good time

Posted 11/10/09

Sushi Roku is an old stand by. If I am in beverly hills or santa monica and craving some yellowtail or Tuna Carpaccio, Sushi Roku is there for me.

Pros: Good across the board

Cons: With multiple locations, I guess its a chain

Posted 11/10/09

I lived in LA for nearly 9 years and ate at plenty of sushi restaurants, both high and low end. This may be on the pricier side, but it's well worth the cost. The Hanabi appetizer (soft tuna on crispy rice) is amazing and the plethora of flavorful and creative rolls make for a taste bud's dream.

There is a cool, usually Hollywood-ish crowd at this location, but it's not snooty like some of the other Hollywood places. The service is very friendly and you get your food on the quicker side, regardless of how big the crowd is on a given night.

There are also plenty of great drinks and Japanese beers and sake, and the ambiance and settings make for an awesome experience.

This is a great place to go on a date, hang out with friends before a night of partying, or even bring your family.

I have been here more times than I can remember and have NEVER been disappointed. It's always the opposite - I'm constantly impressed with the high level of quality here in all respects.

Pros: Variety, taste, service, crowd, ambiance

Cons: Reservations usually necessary for prime times

Posted 12/11/08

I love sushi. My bf mentioned we were interested in the "Hanabi" Spicy Tuna appetizer, which I guess meant that the manager should just go ahead and order it for us. We ordered our original appetizer and I really liked that one. Just can't remember it cause it was good. Of course, my bf liked the one the manager ordered for us. It was a bit too heavy for me. We ordered the Kobe Beef and Lamb appetizers, which were excellent. Food was good, just a little overpriced.

Pros: Good food and eye-catching ambience.

Cons: Price.

Posted 09/29/08

My husband and I had dinner here recently. The service was friendly and fast and the sushi was fresh and delicious. Try the scallop appetizer. I love the setting and atmosphere.

Pros: great sushi and atmosphere

Cons: I can't afford to go as often as I would like

Posted 07/27/08

My boyfriend and I are big sushi fans and went to Sushi Roku after hearing all of the good reviews. Granted, we walked in without a reservation, but were told it would only be a 20 minute wait for a table. We waited at the bar until about 30 minutes had passed. We asked the hostess about our table and she said it would be another 40 minute wait. After sensing our irritation, she offered to let us sit at the bar for our meal. We agreed because it was getting busy and all we wanted to do was eat. The bar was cramped and there was no leg room, the bartender even took our orders. We ordered their Chef's special sushi compilation and other dishes. The dishes were all overpriced for the small amount of food on the plate. Although the food was good, after spending over $80 on dinner, we were both still hungry when we left. The bartender was very nice to us, but someone needs to tell the hostesses to better accommodate customers or at least be honest with them. There are many other trendy sushi places in L.A. that have good customer service and better food that is priced reasonably.

Pros: Sushi was good (but not worth the trip)

Cons: Service, busy and cramped, no parking (have to valet), overpriced

Posted 05/21/08

This is the best sushi I've had in this area. The rolls are really unique and delicious! The bar is also very hip, fun, and sheeck (sp?).

Pros: YUMMY!

Cons: EXPENSIVE sushi, traffic/parking, people are seated too close together.

Posted 04/10/08

this is a good spot for a nicer work lunch. they do good sushi rolls but i wouldn't go there for the fish itself. service was always ok. your basic drink list. nice decor. convenient valet. cooked stuff is ok too. basically, it's reliable if you're in the area, but not destination dining.

Pros: good rolls, pretty decor

Cons: not my pick for sushi itself

Posted 11/27/07

I went to Roku last night for a casual dinner with one of my friends. I went in without reservations but was seated promptly. The hostress was nice and greeted us warmly. I had the Premium Toro, which was fanastic, and their Filet appetizer was very good as well. Overall the sushi was very good, fresh and well presented. Their sake list was a bit limited but I'm not much of sake fan anyway.

I enjoyed the staff, food, presentation and service and I would very much recommended this place to anyone.

Pros: Great food, service and presentation.

Cons: Limited wine/sake list. Certain items seemed over priced.

Posted 11/07/07

Stopped by one weekday night for a quick bite. Started with the seabass and miso spring rolls. They were amazing. The fish was flavorful and cooked perfectly. The spicy herb lime dip was great! So far so good! I should also mention the staff here were very nice. Enjoy a Cheers style "Heyyyyy" when you enter. Next we had veggie tempura - nice, but nothing to rave about. Then came the sushi: It was barely edible. It must have sat for a while because the temperature wasn't quite right. Also, whoever made it did a sloppy job as much of it was falling apart. The flavor was fishy and overpowering. We couldn't finish it. My suggestion is definitely come here for the friendly employees and tasty appetizers, but avoid the sushi and rolls at all costs.

Pros: Friendly atmosphere. Good non-sushi dishes.

Cons: The sushi, lack of parking

Posted 11/05/07

Went there for lunch and got amazing service. The sake was served in Bamboo and had bamboo sake glasses. The decor was beautiful. The food was even better. If you are into yellow tail, I'd go with their "Signature Dish".

Posted 09/26/07

I go out to eat all the time, and I love sushi. With all the new sushi bars and restaurants that open every day (it seems) I honestly have never had it better than Sushi Roku. I've been a semi-regular for years and it seems to be getting better and better. Other places I go are always missing something. Roku has the best food, great sake, cool atmosphere, and lately, the best-friendly service in the city.

I just read the last review and it's spot on. The manager has obvious control of the staff, and loves to chat it up. I introduced myself a couple of months ago because he seemed like a new face. Since then I am greeted by him within minutes of getting there. I'm not a high roller or anything like that, but I get served like one.

Best overall experience of anywhere in LA *****

Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere

Cons: No self parking

Posted 08/05/07

I havent been here in a while and I was shopping and super hungry so I decided to pop in. The manager i think his name was Paul, he was so great to us. I used to always eat this special they had in the past but it wasnt on the menu this time. he was so nice, he overheard us talking to the waiter and like 5 minutes after we placed our order he brought it out to us. In this town, to have someone take that extra step is borderline shocking. Our meal was great and our server was really on it. I'm definitely coming back! Thanks Paul!

Pros: Service, Sushi Men make you feel like a star, Miso Popcorn Shrimp

Cons: Parking

Posted 08/02/07

I went here over the weekend with a couple of friends and we had a great time. I hadn't been awhile and I saw that they updated their menu with some new vegetarian dishes--I had a cold dish with tofu and each tofu had a different sauce on it--really good. I recommend the patio, very relaxing and a great place to chill.

Pros: Food, Service

Cons: Busy Location

Posted 06/10/07

I used to dine here often when I lived in LA. I went back last Sunday for the first time in four years, and boy has this place gone down hill. The service was horrible. The waiter could not get our order straight. On three occasions, the servers, and even a manager brought us the wrong food. Then something really unpleasant happened that Im not allowed to mention. The staff tried to make light of it. After waiting 45 minutes we finally got our food which was just average. At the end of the meal, the waiter offered to buy us desert. We declined just wanting to leave, but said he could comp our saki instead (we had half a bottle left and it was not a great recommendation to begin with). Not listening to us again, the waiter then brought us two more glasses of saki, which of course we didnt drink. We got the bill, and the food they had mistakingly brought us earlier in the night was on our check! I pointed this out to the manager who apologized, brought our bill back and told us that she comped some extra food items like she was doing us a big favor. When I looked at the bill, she took off $11. Talk about how NOT to treat a customer and manage a restaurant. Avoid!

Pros: Scene?, Valet Parking people very nice

Cons: Service, Food, Management

Posted 03/14/07

I went to Sushi Roku with three friends for dinner one night, and it was NOT a good experience. The waitstaff was rude, and it took forever to order and then receive our orders. Most of the sushi was fine and there was a large selection, but some rolls were not that great - I've gotten better rolls from Whole Foods. Our last dish never came, and after trying countless times to flag down our waiter, he said he would go "check on it" and we received it fifteen minutes later. The dish had clearly not even been prepared yet, and our waiter didn't even apologize for the wait or for the mistake - in fact, he acted like WE were being demanding! Also, the sushi is totally overpriced. I will NOT be going back.

Pros: ambience, location

Cons: service, food, price

Posted 02/27/07

If you like being part of the "see and be seen" crowd, Sushi Roku is for you. This place is all about where you are seated and who might be sitting next to you. The sushi is always fresh but, honestly, it's no better or worse than a dozen other sushi restaurants in the area. The prices though, off the charts. I have been here a few times and always resent the check just a little bit when it arrives. The service is generally fine but I could do without the attitude of about 60% of the customers. One dish that is worth every penny (and, ironically, is not sushi): the filet mignon wrapped asparagus appetizer. I could eat these all day.

Pros: Food

Cons: Crowd, price

Posted 01/18/07

Although i felt it was a bit over priced, i thought the atmoshpere was fabulous and the dishes were interesting and different. I had some great yellowtail, highly recommended.

Pros: Interesting Dishes, valet, ambiance

Cons: pricey

Posted 11/20/06

It's not cheap fare, but that's OK: it's worth a splurge. Reservations necessary. If you want to impress out of towners or are into this sort of thing, you'll probably see at least a B-list celeb.

Pros: Great sushi, stylish atmosphere

Cons: Busy

Posted 11/17/06

the food was good, however, a bit on the pricey side. and they have tasty desserts. parking is a problem, unless you give into valet. the service was reasonable.

Pros: above average sushi

Cons: parking, bit overpriced

Posted 11/03/06

Can't beat it...it is a nice location with great prices...We had sushi here and found each piece more delectable than the last

Posted 11/03/06

This place had good food and a awesome atmosphere. The staff was great and wonderul. I would totally some back.

Pros: service, food

Posted 10/18/06

Sushi Roku is probaly the most consistenly excellent dining experiences I've had in Los Angeles. I've been going there for many years, but only on occasion because it is pricier than most sushi joints. The tuna tataki is amazing. It's very crowded from thursday on, but I never mind because they have a cool little bar to hang out at before being seated. Lots of good lookers. If you're bringing a date, make sure you get a seat at the sushi bar because you lose some of the intimacy by sitting at the tables, at least that was my experience. Plan on valet parking on the weekends.

Pros: Delicious sushi and a cool bar while you wait for your table.

Cons: A little pricey, but worth it.

Posted 09/19/06

Let me start this off by saying I signed up for CitySearch just to get the word out on Roku. I went to Sushi Roku this Sunday night with some friends and we all opted for their pricey omakase, expecting to get our money's worth. Our bill was $110 each at the end of the night (w/tip, tax, drink, etc.) and we were not pleased. The sashimi was decent, but there simply wasn't enough mind blowing food to justify the price tag. For the final sushi course, our center piece roll was a fairly standard Shrimp Tempura roll. I wanted to throw my leftover edamame shells at the chef, how insulting. To top it off, my friends and I planned on catching a 10:40 showing of "Crank" at the Grove, and we missed it, for sushi that was mediocre at best. Has anyone seen "Crank"? I hear its pretty crazy. Probably not as crazy as how overpriced Sushi Roku is though.

I'd recommend hitting up Katsu-Ya in Studio City, that place is much cheaper and 50x more delicious. You'll want to call in a bomb squad, because there will be multiple taste explosions in your mouth.

Pros: Close to my house

Cons: Overpriced, Missed "Crank"

Posted 09/17/06

Some of the best raw fish you'll ever eat. Try anything spicy and be sure to have a sake shot with the chefs. It's actually less of a "hollywood crowd" and more comfortable than you might think from how people talk. And the desserts are anything but traditional Japanese little gummy things. They are super rich and worth saving room for.

Posted 09/15/06

I have dined at Roku for years, and it is still one of my favorites. You can not beat the quality of fish, always fresh. The atmosphere is chic. Their service beats all other LA sushi restaurants by far. I recommend sitting at the sushi bar where the chefs make dishes not listed on the menu

Posted 09/05/06

I wouldn't come here if you wanted a 'special night.' I see this place as an average, sushi restaurant if you 'felt like sushi' for dinner one random night. Not saying it's not a nice place, it's just not extravagent. The whole experience is pretty much all right. The hostesses are always nice and welcoming, the sushi chefs like to ignore you unless you buy them a drink or speak Korean (haha), the servers are indifferent and snobby, even for LA standards, until you drop a $60 bill for one person (Yeah, I like to spend at restaurants). Then their entire demeanor changes, but by that time you're already walking out the door. I know how it is, I'm in the restaurant business myself. But I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.. let's just say, it's convenient.

Pros: cheap valet, good prices, hostesses

Cons: inconsistent table, > service

Posted 05/19/06

I don't know where some of the neagtive reviews come from but the sushi here is some of the best around. It's expensive but worth it. As far as the rest of the menu goes, it's mostly fusion. Very few authentic Japanese dishes overall but rather Japanese influence and art in other cuisines. Try the specials always! Bar staff and drinks are excellent here!

Pros: finest sushi, good service

Posted 01/12/06

Sushi was a little pricey but Kobe Carpaccio & the Crispy Albacore was great and worth the price! A little loud but hey it's Hollywood and its suppose to be hip and trendy. Not a place for a quite romantic date but they do have a great patio if you have the opportunity.

Posted 10/23/05

This place is not for serious sushi connoisseurs. It's very noisy, crowded place that most average joe six packs (who can leave their taste buds home) consider "hip" and "happening place". My sister and I went there a few month ago, saw a lot of people trying to be hip based on not-so-good sushi & other dishes. This is difinitely the place (and the high rating) capitalized on how they look, not how they cook. Sort of clubby, but serves sorta-sushi in stead of music & DJ. Go figure.

Pros: noisy, clubby, hip

Cons: noisy, clubby, superficial

Posted 09/28/05

I went to this restaurant on a tuesday night, and was surprised at how busy they were on an off-night! We walked in and were greeted with polite hostesses, and hung out at the bar while waiting for our table. This blonde bartender made the perfect dirty martini for my girlfriend, and a perfectly mixed absolut/frangelico for me. Not too strong but not weak either. If you dare yourself to try their sushi specials instead of getting the regular sushi's, you wont be disappointed. The unique creations are a bit pricey but satisfying. Their spicy shrimp entree with handmade potato chips are very addictive! The food, bar and ambience are well worth the visit.

Pros: well-mixed drinks, unique selections, great ambience

Cons: slightly expensive, valet parking

Posted 08/23/05

we took our friends here in June thinking that it would be a nice meal in a nice atmosphere. the decor is great, very trendy. the food is very average. we sat at the bar, the chef wasn't very attentive. they WON'T do omakase, and the quality of the fish is so so. dinner for 4 ran over $300 and we left pretty disappointed. WAY too much hype when a place can't even deliver a decent meal.

Posted 08/09/05

I have sushi at least once a week. I will never go to Sushi Roku again. Once during each of my two visits I had to spit out some nasty fish. I never thought you could go wrong with tuna sushi until I went to Sushi Roku.

Posted 04/18/05

...but don't go here for the sushi/sashimi. It's not that good. And the kitchen prepared stuff is only average. Sit at the sushibar but don't expect it to be as a sushibar shall be (the contact with the chef and the other guests) and ridicously noisy. It's great for watching people though. If that's what you want. And the waitresses at the sushi bar is super nice. I got to go there just for them. FANTASTIC.

Pros: Sushi bar waitresses, Celebs

Cons: Not that good, Hysterical chefs

Posted 03/06/05

Good sushi but cramped seating in the diniing area and poor, unattentive service from the waiter. We had a party of 6 people but the food came out at different times and he never checked on us. Also, it took 20 minutes to get his attention for the check and another 20 minutes for him to correct the tab since he made a mistake and even gave us someone else's check and credit card....oh boy did he need some help.

Pros: Lively atmosphere

Posted 01/10/05

definitely make reservations or plan to wait. sushi and rolls were excellent. very fresh. gets crowded and the waiting/bar area isn't designed to accommodate a lot of people so it's a tight squeeze.

Pros: food

Posted 12/25/04

Be prepared to pay 10% extra on any order over $100.00. Which they don't even tell you till after you have been charged. The sushi was one of the worst experiences I have had in Los Angeles, In addition they didn't even get my order right after repeating it 3x this turned into an over priced, over rated, disappointment.

Posted 12/11/04

The interior of the Hollywood location is great with tons of black. Like Katana, the menu is huge, but it does feature many different items. My friends had the bento box (enormous!!!) and the udon, which they liked alot. I opted for the toro spring roll (interesting and light) and a few rolls, which were pretty standard. Surprisingly, I liked the eggplant with miso sauce the most. The prices aren't bad and again, you have a ton of choices. Our waiter was fine, although not impressive. I went there for lunch, which was really quiet. All the people standing outside at night hint that it's likely much busier for dinner.

Pros: decor, huge selection, freshness and tasty

Posted 09/20/04

Make sure you don't look like a slob, or else you'll stick out like s sore thumb. Sushi was pretty decent and affordable, ranging from 6-15 per order. I especially like the tempura roll and the eel. They also offer steak and lobster dishes for the sushi-phobes. Service from the server wasn't up to par, but that was maybe because there were 15 of us. All in all a good experience!

Pros: Good,Affordable Sushi, Nice Scene, Affordable Valet

Posted 07/14/04

Nice looking spot and good service but rather than providing the freshest fish possible, this spot seems too focused on concocting over-sauced "specials."

Pros: Impressive decor, "Exotic" specials

Cons: , Mediocre fish, "Exotic" specials

Posted 03/25/04

Everything we ordered tasted very good. The service quality, however, was so low. It's a shame. I would go back there again, but I hope I'll get a different waitress. The one I had didn't know much about today's specials, missed a few items, kept us waiting forever.

Pros: Delicious Food

Cons: , Poor Service Quality

Posted 03/06/04

It amazes me that this establishment continues to receive undeserving high praise from food critics. I can only conclude that the chi-chi decor is a distraction for the overpriced swill they try to fob off as sushi. Fortunately, the preceding reviews prove that the glitzy veneer doesnt so easily fool sushi lovers. The stale fish had an unpleasant aftertaste and the rice was gummy. The portions were stingy, even by sushi bar standards, and many menu selections were unavailable. We sat at a table in a high traffic area and we still had to flag down our brusque waiter no less than 4 times. For this rare privilege, we were gouged $200, and I still left the restaurant hungry. Sushi "Roku" has a euphemism in my book, and its unprintable here.

Cons: Poor quality, Overpriced, Non existent service

Posted 01/25/04

High Marks for interior decoration and creating a pleasant place to dine, but the sushi intself does not hold a canlde to Matsuhisa or Nozawa. And that's the most important aspect. Also, our service was mediocre on two occasions.

Pros: atmosphere, location

Cons: sub-par sushi, service

Posted 01/12/04

I've been eating at local Sushi Bars for 15 years. When you consider quality of fish, service, and atmosphere, Roku beats out all other LA restaurants by far. The fish is identical to Matsuhisa, yet less expensive. Roku does get very busy during prime time so there can be a wait. The secret is to sit at the Sushi Bar and let the chef pick your menu.

Pros: Quality of Fish, Local feel, staff

Posted 11/09/03

Do not bother with this place or believe the hype! Sushi Roku serves average sushi served on a pretty platter. Your plates, chopsticks and tablecloth will be ripped from your table as you take your last bite and your bill will be immediately presented if you do not wish to have dessert. It was not possible to feel more rushed. The waiter was most obnoxious and sarcastic and neglected to tell us that half of our sushi order was "unavailable" until after we tried to flag him down 5 times. DO NOT WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS CASH ON THIS JOKE! My husband and I paid $150 to be abused and neglected all in one evening. A true gem for sure!

Pros: , easy to depart fast

Cons: Sarcastic waiters, obtrusive service, sub par food

Posted 09/29/03

I had a good time with friends when we ate at West 3rd Street location. Oyster sushi was definitely yummy. My halibut was perfect. The only disappointment was waiting for one hour to be seated eventhough we made reservations days before.

Pros: Good food, nice ambience

Cons: crowded

Posted 09/01/03