Best sushi in Raleigh: omakase counters to BOGO rolls

Raleigh's sushi bench is medium-deep. Waraji, near Crabtree Valley Mall, swept both Best Sushi and Best Japanese Restaurant in INDY Week's 2025 Wake County vote. O-Ku at The Dillon is the hospitality-group showpiece, and Omakase by Kai, open since February 2025 at Seaboard Station, is the only restaurant in the city built around omakase by name. Under those sit a tier of neighborhood sushi bars that have been in place for 10 to 27 years.

No Raleigh sushi restaurant appears in the MICHELIN Guide American South 2025; the guide's only sushi picks in the Carolinas are in Charlotte. What the city does have is a wide spread of prices, from $8 rolls and standing buy-one-get-one deals to published omakase at $58, $69, $160 and $170.

For Wake Forest readers, the nearest entry is Hayashi in Wakefield, on the far north edge of the city. The rest cluster near Crabtree, in Glenwood South and downtown. Read each entry's bullets for closed days and reservation rules before you drive.

How we chose

Every entry is inside Raleigh city limits, with one caveat: Hayashi's Wakefield address sits on the Wake Forest line and we could not confirm it on the county map, so it is included as the nearest option for our readers, doubt stated. Each business had a dated signal that it was open as of September 2026. Facts come from each restaurant's own site, and awards are cited only when named and dated. We left out chains, hibachi steakhouses that also sell sushi, all-you-can-eat rooms, restaurants in Cary and Apex, Tomi Sushi, which appears to have closed, and two places we could not verify for 2026.

Entries are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Hours and prices were last checked in September 2026. Call ahead for anything an entry says is unconfirmed.

City Market Sushi

A sushi-first room in City Market, in the Moore Square district downtown, where the homepage tagline reads "since 2016." City Market Sushi does not use the word omakase, but its menu has chef's-choice plates priced by the piece: six nigiri for $33, eight for $44, nine pieces of sashimi for $36 or 15 for $58. Rolls include the soy-paper Ultimate Rainbow at $21, Unagi Dragon at $21, Bang Bang Shrimp at $19 and Truffle Hamachi at $19, with soft-shell crab, spicy yellowtail and truffle oil. Sake and Japanese beer make up the drink list.

Why we chose them

• It is closed Sunday and Monday, per its own site.
• There are no reservations; the site runs a waitlist and seats a party only when everyone is present.
• A plain tuna roll is $11 and spicy tuna $12 on the current menu.

Address: Raleigh — 315 Blake St., at City Market

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Hayashi Japanese Restaurant

Closest to Wake Forest of any entry here, in Wakefield at the far north edge of Raleigh; the restaurant's own About page puts it "across from Wake Forest." That is also the caveat. The address sits on the Wake Forest line, we could not confirm on the county map that it is inside Raleigh city limits, and the newest independent signal we found is a Tripadvisor review from June 2025, so call before you drive. The self-described family-run kitchen advertises a private tatami room and sushi bar seats facing the chefs.

Why we chose them

• Tripadvisor prints the street as Falls of Neuse Rd., Suite 105; the restaurant's own site says New Falls of Neuse Rd. with no suite.
• There is no Sunday lunch; the site says reservations are recommended and takes them online.
• The restaurant's own site is live with current hours as of September 2026, and This Is Raleigh listed it May 5, 2026.
• A 12-piece chirashi bowl is $30 and the Hayashi Boat of 18 nigiri, 15 sashimi and two rolls is $114.

Address: Raleigh — 13200 New Falls of Neuse Rd., in Wakefield

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O-Ku

Downtown's hospitality-group showpiece, on the ground floor of The Dillon in the Warehouse District. O-Ku opened in November 2018 as the Raleigh outpost of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group of Charleston, S.C., which has sister rooms in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Executive chef Richard Fong runs a nigiri list with maguro at $10, hamachi at $8 and o-toro at market price, rolls from $15 to $21, and a robata grill with hanger steak at $18 and five-spice duck breast at $20.

Why we chose them

• Runner-up for Best Sushi and Best Japanese Restaurant in INDY Week's Best of the Triangle 2025, Wake County.
• The chef's tasting is $170 per person, Monday through Thursday, and must be booked 48 hours ahead.
• Happy hour runs Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. with signature rolls at $9 to $14.
• The Indigo Road page says the fish comes from "the finest fish markets in Tokyo and Hawaii".
• It is dinner only, with a business-casual dress code listed on OpenTable.

Address: Raleigh — 411 W. Hargett St., in The Dillon

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Omakase by Kai

A purpose-built omakase counter on the ground floor of the Hyatt House at Seaboard Station, just north of downtown. It opened in February 2025 with a wrap-around sake bar and three omakase tiers on its own menu: Nigiri Omakase at $69 (nine pieces of nigiri, a special roll and dessert), Omakase Classic at $86, which adds salad and miso soup, and Omakase Premium at $149, which brings in sashimi and a nori taco. The owner is a chef surnamed Chung; the sources disagree on the first name, so we use neither.

Why we chose them

• WRAL's Foodie News reported it as newly open on February 14, 2025, with omakase-style dining as the concept.
• It is closed Sunday, per its own site.
• The site says parking is validated for one hour in lots B and C across the street.
• OpenTable lists the menu as Japanese and Korean dishes, with sushi bar seating available.
• A smart-casual dress code is listed on OpenTable.

Address: Raleigh — 15 Seaboard Ave., at Seaboard Station

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Sono

The one on Fayetteville Street itself. Sono runs a sushi bar and a ramen and izakaya menu, with what its site calls an "extensive sake selection." The Sono Nigiri, a chef's-choice plate, is $57; the Rainbow Roll is $18, Poke Roll $19, Tonkotsu Ramen $17 and Miso Salmon $30. Full omakase is not on the menu: the FAQ says chef-driven selections "may be available on select nights" and to ask the server, with no price published. This Is Raleigh notes the menu leans to rolls over nigiri. The opening year is not published.

Why we chose them

• Half-off small plates run 5 to 7 p.m. nightly in the bar lounge, per the site.
• Reservations are on Resy and recommended on weekends and event nights; walk-ins are accepted.
• Street parking only, with no validation; the FAQ points to the Wilmington Street garages and SpotHero.
• Monday is BOGO hot sake and Wednesday is half-off sake, per the site's specials.

Address: Raleigh — 319 Fayetteville St., Ste. 101

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Sushi Blues Cafe

Glenwood South's old-timer. Sushi Blues Cafe has run on Glenwood Avenue since 1999, with blues memorabilia on the walls and a standing deal that defines it: buy one roll, get one free on all rolls for dine-in, printed on its own menu. Rolls are cheap to begin with, California and spicy tuna at $8, Spider and Rainbow at $14, the Lobster Roll at $19. There is no omakase, only a $13 chef's-choice sushi appetizer and a $16 six-slice sashimi appetizer. The patio takes pets, per the site.

Why we chose them

• Under the BOGO rule, the higher-priced roll on the order is charged and the lesser one dropped.
• Its press page lists INDY Week Best of the Triangle 2019 (Eat & Drink) and an OpenTable Diners' Choice 2024.
• The 2026 open signal is the business's own site plus a May 2026 blog listing; the latest Tripadvisor review is from August 2024.
• Half-price wine bottles run Wednesday and Sunday, with $3 mimosas on Saturday and Sunday.
• An online reservation form takes parties of one to eight or more.

Address: Raleigh — 301 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 110

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Sushi Mon

Small, chef-run and easy to miss: Sushi Mon sits in the first-floor lobby of the Glenwood Place office building on Glenwood Avenue near Crabtree Valley Mall, where it moved in summer 2022 from its original Hillsborough Street spot. NC Triangle Dining counted roughly 10 tables plus the sushi bar. The Nigiri Omakase is $58 on the current Toast menu, special rolls run $17 to $20, and the dishes NC Triangle Dining singled out were the eel bun, seared unagi in a steamed bao, and a rock-salt seared salmon on a Himalayan salt slab.

Why we chose them

• Runner-up for Best Sushi and Best Japanese Restaurant in INDY Week's Best of the Triangle 2025, Wake County.
• Tripadvisor prints the address as 3700 Glenwood Ave. #150; the restaurant's own site says 3800, Suite 100.
• Takeout ordering is switched off on Friday and Saturday evenings, per the Toast page.
• Parking is in the structure behind the office building and is hard to see from Glenwood, per NC Triangle Dining.
• NC Triangle Dining identifies the chef-owner only as "Chef Chris"; a full name could not be confirmed.

Address: Raleigh — 3800 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 100, at Glenwood Place

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Sushi Nine

Campus-side and cheap. Sushi Nine sits on Western Boulevard near NC State in west Raleigh and runs buy-one-get-one-free sushi rolls all day, every day, per its own menu: California $12, Rainbow $16, Firecracker $18, the free roll of equal or lesser value. The rest of the menu is Asian fusion, with pork belly ramen at $16. Its Our Story page says a 2015 fire destroyed the original restaurant and the owners rebuilt. One caution: the site's copyright reads 2013 and the latest independent signal we found is a May 2026 blog listing, so call first.

Why we chose them

• No reservations; seating is first come, first served, per its own site.
• The latest Tripadvisor review is from December 2022; This Is Raleigh listed it on May 5, 2026.
• Owner names could not be confirmed; a December 26, 2023 press release linked on the site returns a 404.
• Last seating is 9:30 p.m. and last order 9:45 p.m., per the site.

Address: Raleigh — 3812 Western Blvd.

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Sushi O Bistro & Sushi Bar

Sixteen years on Glenwood Avenue in Glenwood South, and a husband-and-wife operation from the start: the About page says founder John opened his first restaurant in 2002 after an NC State business degree and partnered with his wife Amy on Sushi O in 2010. Last names are not published. There is no omakase; chef-selected sets take its place, from a Sushi Regular of seven nigiri and a California roll at $26 to a 15-piece Sashimi Deluxe at $44. Rolls run $9 to $17, and This Is Raleigh says it "specializes in rolls over nigiri."

Why we chose them

• It is closed Tuesday, per its own site.
• The specials page rotates weekly and showed September 21 to 27, 2026, at research time.
• Reservations run through OpenTable, and the site lists outdoor seating and private parties.
• Wednesday hot sake is half-off and Saturday sake bombs are $4, per the specials page.
• The latest Tripadvisor review is from July 2024; This Is Raleigh listed it on May 5, 2026.

Address: Raleigh — 222 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 117

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uglyfish.

Newest room on the list. uglyfish. opened on Atlantic Avenue north of the Beltline in early 2026, between Highwoods and North Hills, and WRAL described it that February as modern sushi and seasonal plates "in a New York-style atmosphere." The space is minimal and centered on the sushi counter, per its OpenTable description, and the single-page site publishes no menu or prices. OpenTable names toro, makimono rolls, pork katsu and Brussels sprouts among the popular dishes. Neither a chef nor an owner is named anywhere in print, and no omakase price is published.

Why we chose them

• WRAL's Foodie News reported it as newly open on February 13, 2026.
• It is closed Monday and Tuesday, per its own site.
• OpenTable lists a "chef's selection" among the offerings but no price for it.
• OpenTable brackets it at $30 and under while Tripadvisor marks it $$$$.
• Reservations go through OpenTable, and there is a public lot.

Address: Raleigh — 4701 Atlantic Ave., Ste. 129

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Waraji Japanese Restaurant

Twenty-nine years in the Duraleigh Corners shopping center near Crabtree Valley Mall: Chef Masatoshi "Masa" Tsujimura opened Waraji in 1997, and owner-operator Reuben Rodillas took over in summer 2021. The sushi page names eight sushi chefs, and the omakase is $160 per person for six courses: two small plates, eight pieces of sashimi, six pieces of nigiri, a seasonal roll and dessert. Specialty rolls run $21 to $28, and a single piece of Japanese uni nigiri is $20. A separate izakaya lounge has its own menu.

Why we chose them

• It won both Best Sushi and Best Japanese Restaurant in INDY Week's Best of the Triangle 2025 vote for Wake County.
• Its own About page claims the largest selection of sake in the Carolinas.
• The site describes an extensive gluten-free menu alongside the regular one.
• Toro and A5 wagyu nigiri are priced at market rate, per the sushi page.
• Reservations are recommended, per Visit Raleigh, and OpenTable takes them.

Address: Raleigh — 5910 Duraleigh Rd., Ste. 147, at Duraleigh Corners

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Prices, hours and opening status last checked September 21, 2026. Call ahead where an entry says to.