Okinawa Teriyaki

Okinawa is new to me somehow despite working within a few blocks for 4 years now, but a treat on occasion. The teriyaki is respectable and they serve up these dishes with a machine like efficiency and friendly but brisk service. They do the basics right, which is what you hope for in a teriyaki joint. I want some char on the chicken and the sauce not overly sweet and starved, and theirs hits the spot. These are downtown teriyaki prices and tip expectations, so it’s $22 per person total for lunch which is crazy but hey I’m happy to support local when I can afford it. Chicken and gyoza combo best bang for my buck so far.

Some of the best food I’ve had in Seattle so far everything was delicious, me and my family tried three plates and each one was amazing!!! Great prices and friendly staff as-well!

Delicious! The food all tasted fresh. I ate in the restaurant during lunch rush hour and I ordered easily despite a line and food came out quickly. Well plated and good value. I admittedly came because Kenji reviewed it on IG, and it didn't disappoint. Picture is spicy chicken and gyoza combo plate plus 1 eggroll

Wonderful sushi, takoyaki, and other items. The service was great. The atmosphere was pretty loud but comfortable. Halfway through eating I requested a menu again as the food was that good!

Delicious food. My teenager did a subconscious happy dance while eating the chicken teriyaki. We will definitely be back! Portion size is good too. The restaurant is a clean and easy to find spot for good food. Large drink selection. People working there were really friendly.

Tasty and fast service! Arrived weekday during lunch rush hour but I received my meal within 10 minutes of ordering. Portions are sufficient for lunch and the chicken is cooked fresh (not just reheated). Close to the waterfront also!

Incredible! The owners are super sweet and friendly, they welcome you with big smiles and the food in hella good! I asked for spicy and they delivered! The yakiudon is 10/10! Quick service, great hospitality, and great location! Definitely recommend ☺️☺️☺️

Amazing lunch location! The line can get long between noon and 1:00, but it moves fast. Most people are getting takeout and going back to their offices, so you should be able to find enough seating available inside. I go here about once every other week, and every meal has been fantastic. Best teriyaki I've had!

I have been wanting to try this place for awhile. Had always heard great things about it as a Japanese American I'm fairly picky about Teriyaki. Born and raised in Seattle I know some of the teriyaki places that Seattle is known for. I don't like overly sweet thick sauce that's actually not the way most Japanese Teriyaki is done. Okinawa was exactly the kind of teriyaki place I look for. Nicely grilled char on the protein without thick sweet sauce over it. The rice is a little bit mushy which means there was either too much water or not time enough to let it set a little. But I enjoyed everything else. I got it with the gyoza, which was good then nice vinegar soy sauce that comes with the gyoza is nice. They give a good amount of salad which is nice and the dressing is pleasant. A bit of tang and not overly sweet. I ate half of the chicken and rice one day and saved the other half for the next day. Nothing fancy but plenty of tables and counter space to sit. They get a good lunch crowd so better to go a little before noon or maybe around 12:30-1. Staff is friendly and the food came out quicky.

This is a nice way to take a quick break from the waterfront chaos, as it's right across the street. The service is fast and friendly. All the tables are have high top seating. The chicken teriyaki was amazing, as was the hot and spicy tofu. While the spicy pork had great flavor and was cooked well, I got several pieces of gristly, fatty, chewy pieces. Overall, we would definitely come back, but I will try something outside of the pork.

Very solid meal. Don't eat white rice so can't comment on that but don't think you can really mess that up - my boyfriend ate it. The chicken was very soft and tender and I enjoyed the sauce. Wanted more of the meat for sure!

Made hot and fresh. This is very good! Not overly teriyaki, just right. Vegis are al dente, perfectly cooked with a slight crunch, the noodles are my favorite. There is plenty of seating, especislly along the windows facing outside, bar stool style, so I can people watch..I love iI t3ntt. 975-9854

Service was really kind. They make it a point to remember what you ordered and bring it to you if you sit and wait for a To-go. Both the chicken katsu and beef teriyaki were delicious! It also does great when reheated. The salad wasn't my favorite just because the salad dressing was bland in my opinion. I would definitely go back ! It's good sized portions. I would say it is a little pricey but it's downtown so it was expected. The restaurant itself has high chair seating and tall windows with a great view of the pier. Great option if you aren't looking to eat seafood.

Decent old school teriyaki place that reminded me of many a college meal. I got pork teriyaki with extra meat and a side order of egg rolls. Was maybe a bit less than I expected, but I can't really complain about that. It tasted good.

This place will always hold a special place in my heart as it served as my maiden experience with the great hyper-local specialty that is Seattle style Teriyaki, and as they say, you never forget your first time. Teriyaki is to Seattle as Pizza and/or Halal is to my home city of NYC or Burritos are to San Francisco or Breakfast Tacos to San Antonio and so on, and while I was vaguely aware of that beforehand, I became hyper-aware of this fact, as I presume many others have as of late, by the deep-dive focused content related to this by the great local food figure J. Kenji López-Alt. I devoured the bulk of his teriyaki YouTube series on the beautiful Amtrak ride down from Vancouver to Seattle (highly recommended) and bookmarked accordingly, including this place. While this was not among his top picks, which seemed to be all located in various more far flung areas of the metro, it was solidly positively ranked, and most crucially the most centrally located to the touristy heart of Downtown Seattle that a first time tourist in town like myself would undoubtably be spending a lot of time in. As such, it worked it way perfectly into our touristy day about town, serving as a quick and conveinent introduction to the beloved local delacacy I would recommend to any other neophyte Seattle tourist. The Teriyaki as official everyman dish of Seattle rhetoric was well supported upon arrival when taking a quick survey of the prime lunch time crowd, which included, as if right out of the proverbial central casting, postal workers Seattle PD officers, seeming tech bros in North Face fleeces, and a few other seeming locales of less obvious archetypes. The place was about a nondescript at possible decor wise, perfectly befitting the salt of the earth workaday vibe, as did the swift is somewhat perfunctory and not excessively warm service. Since there were two of us, we modified and expanded the baseline order that Lopez-Alt used to judge places. Rather than his go-to mean of a chicken teriyaki/gyoza combo meal, we opted for a single beef and chicken teriyaki combo, along with an order of 6 gyoza to split between the two of us. Lopez seemed to suggest that beef should not be factored in when judging the fundamental quality of a teriyaki joint, somewhat akin, I suppose, to a policy judging NY pizzerias by only their plain slices. While I respect the man and his convictions, I chose to disregard this and began using the beef/chicken combo, along with a side of gyoza as I trust him that this is a key component to the experience as my baseline. Upon first look and even more-so on first delicious bite, it was immediately evident to us how special this rightfully beloved local specialty is. Anything you've had called teriyaki wherever you are from elsewhere in the country, is not real, but merely a pale imitation like Pizza in most parts. The chicken was wonderful moist and on the inside with a nice crispness and noticeable grill char and deliciously smokey accompanying flavor. Ditto the tender beef with an interesting unexpected texture not unlike BBQ pulled pork. The teriyaki sauce was the perfect balance of sweet and savory siy flavor, deeply imbued into each bite from the obvious longtime in marination. It was glazed with a relatively light sauce, so light that I was unable to tell if it was a byproduct of a second round of light saucing after cooking or merely its own juices released from the grilling process. Either way it was a perfect amount of extra saucy goodness to be perfectly absorbed by the oblong glob of perfectly prepared white rice served alongside the fresh iceberg side salad. The flash fried gyoza were the perfect accompaniment, crispy scraggly exterior and moist pork insides with a great crunch to them. This set a great precedent and made me an immediate fan for life of Seattle Teriyaki, and quite eager to do some deep diving on future visits to truly GOAT tier spots, but in the absence of a chance to do that, you could do a lot worse than getting an intro to the genre here, if you are stuck in the basic tourist zone.

Touristy, but not tourist-trappy, if that makes sense? It was close to the waterfront which would make it have tourist trap potential. I've yet to find a good teriyaki place that meets my standards like a Seattle style teriyaki. IYKYK. This place was different, and I was so happy to find it. Literally one of the few teriyaki places that didn't just have like chicken, steak, Combo or just veggies. They had tofu and shrimp on the menu, which is next to impossible for me to find (unless I'm just looking in the wrong places haha). Order at counter, staff nice. Not sure what else I can tell ya. Prices are decent too. My shrimp tempura was so good too!

I needed something to take back to my hotel in case I'd get hungry and this was almost the only thing on my way to the train station. Place is busy. Service is insanely fast! You will order and get it very quickly! I got the chicken and gyoza combo. Very large portion!! Flavors were underwhelming. It was cooked good but it was more just greasy chicken than anything. Came with white rice and a salad with some white watery dressing. I don't know the prices in Seattle but I paid $15 or so.

We don't know if this is the best chicken teriyaki in Seattle, but we think this is the best chicken teriyaki we've ever had. The service was fast, and the chicken tasted amazing. The sides were flavorful, and the sauce brought everything together.

This pulled pork in a place that should put other pulled pork to shame, the level of nearly perfect pulled pork rolling around in my brain are all asking for more pulled pork. How is it possible that you manage to make it so smoky and juicy at the same time? It's like you've stopped an unstoppable force with an immovable object they're food is breaking physics. Somehow it doesn't make sense, but it doesn't change the math of how delicious it is. The staff were very friendly and food was being shoved in my mouth within 3 minutes of walking in with quiet ambiance on a rainy day.

As someone who mostly eats vegetarian, finding good tofu teriyaki has been challenging in Seattle. Okinawa Teriyaki served some excellent tofu and the service was great too! This dish was just slightly spicy - I think most folks can handle this level of heat. Awesome flavor. Definitely check it out if you're down near the waterfront. Worth the trip if you're craving some good tofu options! Will be coming back

I live nearby and stop by every once in a while, owned by a small family, good portion size, decent Terayaki, fair price. Support small business stop by for lunch!

This is my go-to spot for good ramen. The chicken ramen is chef's kiss. I've stayed loyal to this place because of it.

Great, fast service! Just be advised veggie ramen may be made with beef broth - I am not a vegetarian, but last time I ordered veggie ramen there were pieces of either beef or pork in it.

I've been visiting this spot weekly for over four years since I live just a block away, and it's the consistency in experience and flavor that keeps me coming back. The chicken quality has always been reliable, and though they've reduced the amount of sauce, it's so delicious that I just order extra. The family that runs the place is incredibly kind and welcoming--they genuinely seem to care about their restaurant. Good vibes and food. If you're in the mood for teriyaki, hit them up it'll fill the craving.

One of the best places to get teriyaki. Teriyaki is always so delicious, consistently good. It's one place for sure that you get great quality food for a great price in the downtown area. I tried broccoli chicken for the first time today and I think it's my new favorite on the menu.

We came here with a group (7 people). Ordering was super easy and fast. Just order at the counter and they deliver the food right to the table! Open seating. Fast service. Food was great and yummy for everyone!

We went a little bit before closing time, we shared hot and spicy chicken and vegetable yakiudon, really good portions, clean place, very friendly customer service!

I've walked by this place numerous times and it's too early in the day. Today I was able to go and I ordered a combination chicken and pork. So tasty. Nothing fancy but who cares - the food was tasty and hit the spot. It was fresh and you even get a little salad to go with it (so that you feel even more healthy). Service was wonderful. You're greeted when you enter and everyone was friendly. It's not a fancy place but the it's clean, has plenty of seating and the location is great. I may go back tomorrow

Great food! Beef teriyaki plate with rice and salad. Very flavorful and filling. Busy place at lunch time.

While visiting Seattle I was in the mood for teriyaki. Yelp reviews lead me to Okinawa Teriyaki and I have to say it didn't disappoint. The place is clean and quick. The ladies working were very friendly and helpful. They cooked everything fresh as I waited. The teriyaki had to perfect amount of sweetness. The portion size was huge for the price! I took it to go and it still tasted delicious. I agree with the reviews - give Okinawa Teriyaki a try!

Very busy during lunch. However, they lost my order altogether, so a 10 minute wait turned into a half hour wait for teriyaki. I suggest another place that's a little less busy and won't forget your order

This place was bustling when we got here! The ordering is a very fast process, staff is very fast and friendly. During the rush, it's not the quietest place. Also, there was some construction going on so pounding and what not but not too much to deal with. Food was good.

Best teriyaki in town. Price is $$ but this is actually the best lunch teriyaki to eat. They have free hot tea, I have tasted white chicken hot and spicy. Pretty good best in downtown

If you are seeking authentic food from Okinawa, this might not meet your expectations. The service is fast and efficient. The ambiance is good for a teriyaki place, however it does get crowded at lunch. There can be a bit of inconsistency in how the food tastes. If you have lived or eaten in Okinawa like me, don't expect the same taste or food. This is Americanized teriyaki. I liked the little Okinawa-style chopsticks, and the staff was very nice.

Definitely one of my favorite teriyaki spots and a spot I will hit up pretty frequently. They are very quick and efficient and usually have my food ready in about 10 minutes or less. Working downtown, this is a great and efficient lunch! I usually get the hot and spicy chicken. The chicken is juicy, and they give you the option of stir fried veggies or salad and I'll usually do the stir fried veggies with the hot and spicy chicken. They stir fry everything in the hot and spicy sauce and it's so good! Definitely recommend checking out if you are in the area and a local small business that serves up consistent and good food!

Delicious food, fast service at lunch time with a client. Lots of takeout orders and a full seating area mean the food may take a minute to prepare, but all things considered, quite timely, was able to order at 10 after noon, and finish the large portion of delicious food we'll within the remaining 40 minutes before heading back to work. Everything I saw was nicely prepared, smelled delicious, and I saw a lot of happy diners, some with smiles while drinking water to douse the flames on the spicy option they chose. I ordered the Ramen, and found the vegetables and noodles prepared well, the broth flavorful, and a good portion of protein. Sides of teriyaki, soy, Sriracha, or other items are available. Hot tea and ice water is complimentary. Drinks are a bit high priced, and the food is decent portions and quality to earabt the price. Some more expensive options (combos or entrees with salad and rice sides, etc.) in the $20 range were quite large portions. If not for the Inflation caused by printing/borrowing money, I would have thought this to be about 1/3 too high of cost, but is in line for the times and the devalued US dollar, and well adjusted to the good quantity of food. I will eat here again!

I have ate teriyaki in Seattle my whole life and this little gem topped off all the local places. Their spicy chicken teriyaki is so flavorful and perfectly charred like nothing I ever tried before. Truly chefs kiss! It gets a little packed during lunch hours but it's obvious why and worth it once you dig in. Prices are super reasonable and the staff is very friendly and clean! New favorite teriyaki spot :)

the employees were very fast and friendly. the restaurant isn't anything crazy but it's clean and there are plenty of places to sit. the spicy pork teriyaki was AMAZING! would definitely go back

I was tired of eating mediocre teriyaki until my boyfriend told me about Okinawa Teriyaki! Service was fast and the man helping me out at the front was so kind and sweet. The flavor is so good and portions are well-sized. You can choose from a bowl or a full size. For lunch, I prefer the bowl since it was just the right amount and not too heavy. I definitely recommend checking this place out for some comforting small-joint teriyaki!

I don't want to give them 4 stars. If this is strictly a food review I would give them a solid 3. Reason for 3... I ordered the beef and chicken combo. I expected the proteins to be split 50/50 but it was more 70/30 and getting short changed on the beef. Obviously for their margins that's better for them but it's bad for the customer. Also, the chicken was in the dry side. The name of the place has the word teriyaki so I was expecting a decent teriyaki flavor. For good teriyaki I expect a good balance of sweet and savory and also like a bit of a thicker sauce so the flavor really sticks. This hardly has any sweetness and was more like a sweet water downed soy sauce. So why 4 stars? Price was more than fair. The people who run the place are so sweet and friendly. I would just feel terrible giving them a bad review. I know my comments make it seem like the food isn't good. That's not the case. The food is fine. It's not great but it's not bad either. It does the job. Would I come back? Yes, absolutely

Solid teriyaki. Service was fast and the staff was awesome - even during the lunch rush. Tons of food for the price as well. I had the chicken teriyaki. It was seasoned and grilled to perfection. Not going to lie - I crushed my plate - but you could easily stretch this into two meals!

Pretty cheap place to get teriyaki from! The chicken teriyaki plate was only $12 for lunch and is an amazing deal. Remember to get the teriyaki sauce as it isn't given automatically as part of the order. The food was great and I would definitely go again.

It doesn't look like much when you walk by, but this place was pretty exceptional. The service was good, the man at the register was very nice. They have dine-in and takeout. I got takeout and my order came out fast. My order was freshly made and it tasted pretty good. I got the Chicken Teriyaki and the only flaw was that it didn't have much of a teriyaki flavor. The rice was prefect. They also have the capacity to seat bigger groups. I would recommend this place for anyone.

Great teriyaki! I got the spicy chicken and chicken katsu. The katsu was super crispy and piping hot and the spicy chicken was perfectly sauced! Highly recommend

I work pretty close to this place so I have gotten it a few times for lunch now. It's always consistent and I feel the portions are decent for the price. It's also nice because you can get bowls which are cheaper and smaller if you aren't too hungry. I've tried the chicken, beef, gyoza, tempura, yakisoba, and sweet and sour chicken. The chicken and beef are pretty typical teriyaki and nothing note-worthy but nothing to complain about either. The gyoza/tempura bowls are pretty small as you only get a few pieces, so I would suggest not ordering that. The yakisoba is pretty good though and you get a lot. The sweet and sour chicken tastes good, but don't be expecting Chinese style with all of the batter/flour. It's definitely fried but without the thick batter. I probably personally wouldn't get it again because it's not my style. One more thing to note: lines can get pretty long during lunch time and usually end up around close to the door. Overall, this place is definitely a great place to go to for lunch. I am a regular customer here and will continue to return. The food is decent and consistent.

What an awesome find! This is the go-to-spot for teriyaki and is so affordable! I tried their spicy chicken bowl today - for under $8, it's a steal and a very generous portion for the price. It was also some delicious 'yaki - the rice is almost fluffy and sticky at the same time. HEAVEN and perfectly seasoned/spicy. I was very impressed and will be back! They run a very smooth, well-oiled machine; the way they handle their line is down to a science, making the wait extremely short and very bearable. THANK YOU!

This place is tight and so are the folks working there. Only legit Seattle yaki in Downtown. Respect!

Such an underrated teriyaki restaurant! I see all those tourists lined up at the Pike Place market not realizing that literally a five minute walk south and they can eat here with the locals and for less. Their chicken teriyaki is grilled and not dry which is what they're known for but I really like the chicken Ramen (pictured). It's a light broth with that great chicken and vegetables served piping hot. Check it out!

Quick service is the standout here. I know when I'm crunched for time I can get in and out relatively quick. Bonus - not waiting in a line that's out the door while it's raining. The food is OK. Pretty standard as teryaki goes and it's reasonable. Set at the bar facing the water for a nice view.

This little shop sits unobtrusively in downtown Seattle near the wharf. The inside is spacious and clean with face shield between customer and cashier. All staff wear masks and tables are blocked off to stop seating due to the Covid posture. It was my first time and the cashier didn't really understand my order at first and looked at me blankly. I repeated my orders for chicken katsu and chicken teriyaki and waited on the side. The staff are not the friendliest. The prices are pretty decent at $8.99 a dish. It was not too busy however the wait was about 7-10 minutes. Why the long wait? Because everything is made to order. I saw the cook grilling the raw chicken on the grill and throwing chicken into the hot oil. The dishes are plentiful with ample amounts of chicken, rice and lettuce. The teriyaki dish is delicious with flavorful, fresh, smoky aromas. The katsu is crispy, airy with the chicken retaining a juicy freshness. The rice was piping hot and a perfect foil for the chicken. The iceberg lettuce was a little weak but I guess they need to add green somewhere. Overall, I enjoyed the dish and will definitely be back for the taste and value.

I was on the hunt for a good teriyaki place close to work to go for lunch. I remembered a co-worker recommended this place and it looked promising so I decided to give it a try. My sister and I got there around 11:40 AM and it wasn't too crowded. We both got the chicken teriyaki and katsu combo which included rice and salad. After we ordered, that was when I noticed the abundance of people that started coming in to order to-go, this place gets real busy at 12. Luckily we got there when we did! We only had to wait about 10-15 min till our order was ready. We went back to work to devour our lunch. Omg, it totally hit the spot! The chicken teriyaki and katsu brought back nostalgic memories to our college days. Everything was good, the chicken wasn't dry and the katsu was nice and crispy! I will definitely have to go back and try other items on their menu. I have found my teriyaki spot :D! YAY!

Awful terry pork. Worse gyoza. The teriyaki pork was overcooked roasted pork butt with a watery sugary sauce lightly flavored with soy sauce. The "gyoza" seemed like it was boiled. Definitely not pan fried/steamed. Service was tepid, the place looks like a dump. Don't eat here.

I was looking for a new Teriyaki place near work and decided to give Okinawa a try. I called in the order ahead and they were able to accommodate my special request for a chicken and tofu combo (not on menu). There was about 7 people waiting when I arrived 10 minutes later but my order was ready to go ($11). I'm eating my lunch as I write this review. Portion size is decent and the flavor is good. I will be returning again. The only drawback is I have to hoof up the steep hill back to my office!

One star for rude customer service. Very long waits. Mediocre teriyaki. There are better places you will get better food and treated much more like a human being as well as not have to wait over 20 minutes in line and 30 minutes for food. Step your game up. Would recommend any of the other teriyaki places around downtown, trust me they are everywhere.

Hands down the best teriyaki in Seattle! Everything was great. My daughter had the shrimp teppanyaki and was even eating the veggies on her own without us mandating it. The sauces whether the salad dressing or teriyaki were addictive and flavorful. Easy location after hanging out at the waterfront.

Located near Seattle Great Wheel by Pier 55, Okinawa Teriyaki is a gem for teriyaki lovers! It's not a big restaurant, but service is fast and the food is delicious. My husband and I ordered one chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, and chicken yakisoba to share. That was before we knew how big their portion was. The meat was delicious! Chicken was nicely grilled and brushed with teriyaki sauce. The meat was very tender and juicy. Their rice had a little sticky texture. Salad was iceberg lettuce, some carrots with light dressing. I was not a big fan of the beef teriyaki. Thought it was a bit chewy for me, but my husband enjoyed it. Yakisoba was great with a good mix of chicken and veggies (cabbage and mushroom). Cabbage was tender crisp which was great. The restaurant also provides a big pot of hot tea for all dine-in customers. I'd recommend going there early before peak lunch time. However don't feel intimidated by the long line, it moves very fast and most people order for take-out.

I had the spicy tofu & veggie yakiudon & my friend got yakiudon with chicken & not spicy. We both were happy. Comforting in it tasted just how I expected from a Japanese counter cafe. Spicy didn't overpower the rest of the flavors, it was balanced well.