Shokitini

Shokitini has the best sushi I've ever had! And it's certainly one of our favorite restaurants in Athens. The sushi is fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The restaurant is also gorgeous, with a dark ambience and a cool upstairs area. Our favorites are the red dragon roll, ahi hawaiian, and spicy tuna roll! UPDATE: went again, and they let me modify my sushi roll with no difficulty at all. The miso soup was perfectly brothy and warm. The chocolate truffle dessert is not great. It is cheap at only $6, but the icecream tastes like its been sitting in the freezer and is not very flavorful.

Came in hungry and left impressed across the board. This place absolutely delivers on creative rolls, flavor balance, and vibe. We started with miso soup, which was clean, savory, and exactly what you want as a warm-up — simple, comforting, and well done. Now the rolls… 🔥 🥇 Sumo Roll (winner of the night) Deep-fried roll loaded with salmon, crab stick, cucumber, and avocado, topped with masago and eel sauce. Crispy on the outside, rich and satisfying inside — this one hits every texture note and absolutely earns the #1 spot. 🥈 Surf & Turf Roll A bold combo of deep-fried shrimp and grilled sirloin steak, paired with avocado and cucumber, then finished with sauce. This roll is hearty, savory, and packed with flavor — a close second and a must-order if you like big, indulgent rolls. Right on their heels (all excellent): • Dawg Roll – Deep-fried shrimp with lettuce, avocado, cucumber, masago, and eel sauce. Crunchy, classic, and crowd-pleasing. • Game Day Roll – Deep-fried shrimp with avocado and cucumber, topped with teriyaki chicken and crunch flakes — great texture and a fun twist. • Mardi Gras Roll – Deep-fried shrimp with avocado and cucumber, topped with seared crawfish and masago. Cajun flair without overpowering the sushi base. And then… the drink. 🍓🍹 The strawberry daiquiri deserves its own spotlight. Hands down one of the best I’ve ever had — it’s like strawberry cake with booze through a straw. Smooth, rich, not overly icy, and dangerously drinkable. Bottom line: Creative rolls done right, strong execution across the menu, and a cocktail program that can steal the show. Whether you’re watching a game, grabbing dinner, or settling in for drinks and sushi, this spot is absolutely worth your time.

Always such a great time. We got the private karaoke room which is a blast. Sushi and hibachi both are always so good! Our server Caroline was amazing.

Passing through from Orlando, wanted to try something local. Shokitini turned out to be gem! Great sushi and sashimi! My wife ordered the surf and turf with filet and lobster tail. Perfectly cooked with a slight smoky flavor. I had the pineapple chicken. The appetizers were hot, tasty and prompt. The staff was efficient, friendly and courteous, checking frequently to see if all was to our liking. The price tag for a meal for 4 was quite reasonable, considering the excellent quality of the food A very enjoyable experience. We will stop in again on our return trip.

Absolutely perfect for takeout too! You can really tell how much care and effort goes into preparing each order. Everything was fresh, beautifully packed, and made with high-quality ingredients. Thank you for always delivering top-notch food — the quality is consistently amazing. Shokitini truly never disappoints!

Updated review!! Best sushi in Athens!! My husband and I have been coming her for 7 years now. Everything is always top notch. Our absolutely favorite place for date night. Sit at the bar if you can!

We arrived before the rest of our party so we ended up sitting at the bar for a few minutes while we waited for everyone to arrive so we could be seated. The table was a little small for 8 people. Service was fast and friendly. I ordered the shrimp and scallop hibachi which was excellent. Those that ordered sushi rolls were happy with those as well. This was probably the best place we visited during our short stay in town, and we will be back next time we're in Athens

This place is incredible. Super cute. Delicious portions. Definitely recommending their Red and Black sushi roll. At the end of the meal, we were given fried Oreos. Wonderful experience. Highly recommend.

A very busy place. If you are a party of five or more you can make a reservation. Hot food is nice and hot and the cold is cold. Everything seems fresh as we sat at the Sushi Bar and saw all the fish they were preparing. They project a sports game8'10' onto the wall which is nice. Metered parking is available on the street or paid lots are plentiful. The beat sushi we have had in Athens.

Sushi chefs were amazing and server. Food was great. Only negative was the country music being played. A good play mix would have a plethora of music genres being played. Better yet, music that matches the feel of the restaurant. Please have set playlists.

Absolutely delicious! Visited on a Sunday evening and were seated right away, though it did fill up during our meal. Our waiter was fantastic and helped us decide on a sushi roll in the midst of a plethora of amazing sounding options. So glad we took his recommendation as it was probably the best sushi roll I've ever had. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, which is really the difference maker for sushi. The service was probably the fastest I've had at a sushi/hibachi restaurant as well. After sushi, I had the hibachi sirloin and chicken, which was delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and the quality of the chicken was great. The restaurant is not overly big, but it has a really nice relaxing vibe inside that makes for an enjoyable meal. Everything about our experience was top notch and I already can't wait to go back and try more sushi rolls. Absolutely recommend this restaurant if you're in Athens.

Shanae was our server and listened She heard what we were looking for and made some great suggestions to go along with them she even brought out water bowls for the doggos She asked us questions and made great Suggestions Everything we ate Was from Her suggestions The spider roll The bulldog roll a kimchi dish Everything was delicious and she was so well Versed in the flavors We will Defo go back again as long as she is working there

Shokitini is a great sushi spot in Athens! I got the Philly roll and spicy tuna roll. The spicy tuna was not the best I've ever had but it was still great. I got a to go order and the waiter who took my order at the bar was super nice and helpful while I waited for my order. I've been here a few times and the vibes are still like a college scene which makes sense for this spot being in Athens. They have many tv's and large jumbo trons always broadcasting the latest sports games. Definitely a spot to bring your boyfriend lol!

Best sushi in Athens. I always get the chefs special where they put something random together and it's always amazing and plated very impressively. Prices are also very good you feel like you're getting your moneys worth for a nicer dinner. Sometimes they even give you freebie appetizers if you sit at the sushi bar. Overall love this place it's a regular for me.

We rented a karaoke room here for a birthday, and it was such a blast! The private room was perfect--fun atmosphere, great sound, and plenty of space to sing our hearts out. The staff was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. We also ordered sushi and drinks, and everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Such a great spot in Athens for celebrating with friends!

Our server could not have been nicer and more attentive for our party of 9. The sautéed edamame he recommended were delicious and the baked sushi rolls were interesting. Drinks could have been stronger. Would definitely go back and try more stuff next time.

Food and ambience was amazing. Our server Claudia was very attentive and friendly. Will come again.

Amazing food great service and the ambiance here is amazing. I couldn't recommend this place more it's the best sushi spot in Athens.

good sushi and awesome service! Lexi was our waitress and she was super attentive and had a great attitude!

Very fresh sashimi. Great selection. Friendly sushi chefs. What a great surprise find in Athens! Go Gators .

The sushi is always so fresh here. Vibes are definitely romantic date-night, though I have gone with friends for a night out. Darker ambiance, very nice

I hadn't been here in a while before coming back last night; I brought a visiting friend to get some sushi. I was shocked and disappointed with the food that showed up in front of me. Calling it sushi is a stretch, one roll was indistinguishable from a mount of mayo. I also got a roll with teriyaki chicken and it was like they took wet cat food and put it on top of a roll. The edamame was completely undercooked and was arguably cold. I will quite literally never come back here. The only reason it isn't one star is because the service was fine.

Our experience was great. We came early on a Sunday and were seated at the bar. The cocktails were good as well. This is the first time we tried sushi in Athens and we liked it.

It's ok, the food is fresh but the rolls are tiny. Also very expensive for what you get. Some of the servers are very snotty some are good. I got some food Togo a few months ago and I asked them to check to make sure they put sauce on the side and they didn't even give me the sauce that went with it, usually I don't care but I was going to use it I just didn't want as much as they usually put. It looks pretty but it's just to much, drowns the flavor of everything. There app sizes are not shareable for the fried mushrooms, also edamame is over priced. Their salad dressing is sooo good though. Some of the servers definitely have an attitude. The desserts are awesome. If I go back I will take pictures to post.

We were very pleased with the attentive personable wait staff at Shokitini. We requested to sit outside and were seated immediately out on the covered porch. Since it was on a hot summer afternoon, staff recognized this and turned on the over head fans and also brought over a personal fan to make sure to keep us cool! It was very thoughtful and we were very appreciative. Sushi rolls were delicious too!! Will come back next time we are in town.

Very good hibachi chicken. And my friend enjoyed his sushi dish. The service was excellent. Nice sized restaurant with karaoke rooms upstairs. Would like to go back!

Got food to go. Shrimp tempura roll add crunch best roll i've had around here. Love how thin it was cut. Not sure if edamame came with my roll but I got some with my order :)

Great sushi spot!! The service was quick although not super attentive or helpful, and the food was amazing. Reasonably priced (a little on the expensive side) menu items, all of which are very tasty. The rolls with cream cheese are a little heavy, and the quantity of cream cheese is a little too much, overpowering taste. Otherwise, food is very fresh.

The vibes of this place are so nice and boujee! I ordered the spicy kimchi roll which was pretty tasty. I would definitely order it again. It had kimchi, cucumber, pickled radish, yamagobo and oshinko asparagus! There's a decent amount of options for vegetarians which is really nice. The sushi is a bit pricey for the amount you get. I got 6 pieces of sushi for about $9. There is indoor seating, but both the bar and restaurant itself were packed.

Good basic sushi. Simple but tasty. It's a nice date spot. It small and gets pretty crowded on the weekends, good to go early.

I visited Shokitini with girlfriend for G-Day and the service was absolutely exceptional. Our waitress Isabel catered to our every need and ensured we had a great dining experience. Would recommend to anyone looking for a great dining experience with exceptional service (ask for Isabel)!

Having lived in Japan and exposed to the culture significantly over the past 40 years, I have a pretty good appreciation for Japanese cuisine. And IMHO, this establishment 'hits the mark'. The four artists behind the sushi bar (where I sat) created dozens of dishes in the time I was there, and each looked as appealing as the next. To boot, the portion sizes were among the largest I've ever seen. And while the sushi looked very appetizing, I chose to go with the Chef's Choice of Sashimi, which didn't disappoint. No doubt fresh, the slices were thick enough that almost each could literally stand vertically on its own. The wasabi packed a punch, which is just the way I like it. Though a little bit can go a long way. The complimentary appetizer of fried mushrooms was an unexpected surprise as was the generous bowl of Tokyo style (white) miso and the small sweet treat after dinner. All in all, vibrant atmosphere, warm, friendly service and a very good value all things considered to where I can say that I'll be back...for sure! (And in fact was, with photos of other dishes I enjoyed attached).

Can't beat the service. Perhaps it's the Southern hospitality or folks genuinely care. Either way, the staff goes above and beyond to make the guests comfortable. The food is excellent. Coming from CA, I didn't know what to expect. The quality is amazing. The ambiance is awesome! Great for date night or a chill dinner. Highly recommend!

I can't wait to go back! I literally moved and forgot where this place was but when I went I had like 5 soju bomb and they were fantastic! Then had some amazing food! The service was a little dry coming from a server but vary nice people! That can improve with good management. And the room is vary pretty and has a dark look to it. Can't wait to go back when I turn 21!

Excellent seafood/sushi combinations. Every selection I have gotten is exquisite! (Makes me rethink picking up any sushi at the grocery store...). Good service, fast and professional.

We love this place and the owner the sushi is always fresh and they make us feel so welcome I would be lying if I didn't say Zachery is our favorite server thank you for being in Athens we will see you soon !!!!!

10/10 restaurant it's my favorite sushi restaurant in Athens!!! You can never go wrong with ordering a chef special from the amazing sushi chefs!!

Not a bad place at all! I haven't eaten there a ton, but when I have it hasn't been as good as chucks, buts a good and more affordable choice. The rolls were good, they have a lot to choose from & they have a decent drink selection. It can sometime get really busy but they offer bar seating which is nice. The cake & ice cream dessert I had was good too and the veggie tempura was the highlight of the night! Can't go wrong with edamame either

I had a great dinner with my sister here. The service was great. I am glad I brought a jacket as it was really cold inside! I ordered: -edamame (sautéed in soy sauce--YUM) -Georgia Roll (this roll was delicious!) -double punch roll (this one was just alright. The tempura flakes were really overpowering making it a very dry roll) Overall, I definitely recommend giving this place a try. The prices were really affordable for a sushi spot.

Ate here tonight, We had sushi and hibachi. Both were awesome. Had martinis.. highly recommend salted caramel. Will be back. Can't recommend enough

The sushi was tasty! We ordered the chef special and were very pleased! The spicy mushroom soup is a nice starter. The inside of the restaurant is pleasant. Our server was kind, forgot some things and not very quick to check on us but overall, I enjoyed the experience and would recommend their sushi for sure.

Best sushi restaurant in Athens. The service is great and they have a karaoke room area super fun to spend time with your friends. They have different rolls that you will love.

Yes. A million times yes. Their sushi is the best in Athens. Great apps. My dad loves their shrimp tempura and the softshell crab is the perfect mix of crispy and oily. The UGA and spicy tuna rolls were worth it. Go early when they open for a quiet, chill atmosphere and attentive service.

Good food. Service was fine. We order sushi so it was little interaction. It was very busy so it was a little loud.

First time eating in this restaurant out of a friend's recommendation. My husband and I are new to the Athens area and we are in the look for new favorite restaurants, I will say this one is on my top favorites. We ordered 3 different rolls surf and turf (Amazing) shrimp tempura (so good) and one spicy roll) also a teriyaki chicken and shrimp, mushrooms soup (amazing but really spicy) and shrimp dumpling appetizer (I could eat 3 portions of this). The place was crowded and we had to wait for 25 min, of course it was Friday night, but once we were at the table the service was really good and fast. Pleasant atmosphere perfect for a date night. We will be coming back soon.

Amazing sushi! The Classic roll is incredibly rich. Next time I would not order a salad and California roll to go with it! Only giving a 4 because the service wasn't great. Staff seemed behind, almost as if they're down a person. Still, food is amazing!

We've been hear several times, most recent last night & last week! We REALLY like our experience here & the food is fabulous. Our waitress Dory was amazing too! She's just friendly enough, but SUPER professional & knowledgeable & we also had a very good experience with the sushi chef Rex. He was also, just all around incredible. My favorite things here are the Sumo roll, and the GA peach martini. This is a perfect date night, and we really just like everything here. They are doing a phenomenal job. Highly recommend Shokitini & their team!

Worst place I've tried Ubering from. I tried calling in an order over an hour before they closed. They told me they were closed but on there Apple Maps and google they are open they just didn't feel like doing the work. I hope for all yall to decline this place it's trash.

Drinks were really good. We did the karaoke room which was fun, but not that fun. It felt kinda dirty in there. Also, the sushi was good but didn't taste very fresh. We'll see if I'll be back

Great place to get sushi and some cocktails and rent a karaoke room. I got some tuna rolls and the tuna melted in my mouth. Service was great. It's full service in the karaoke rooms also.

Love the sushi and the environment at this restaurant! the service was great and the water checked on us regularly

This place has the best sushi in town. So high quality and so many options to choose from. If you're a sushi or hibachi lover, you need to try this!

Great service and food! We got five rolls which was plenty for the two of us. The rolls came out looking great and it looked like thought and care was put into the design of both the rolls separately and together. The Red and Black roll was the favorite with a very fresh and fish forward flavor. Food came out quick and our waiter was prompt.

Wow, I had no idea private, Asian-style karaoke rooms were available in Athens. You can find them at Shokitini, a trendy-looking Japanese fusion and sushi restaurant located downtown. Thanks to fellow Atlanta Yelpers Mike Y. and Viv W. for introducing a bunch of us to this place. We were part of an enormous group (40? 50? I don't even want to count) that karaoke'd the night away in the business's two biggest rooms until closing time. The karaoke rooms are hidden upstairs. You have to walk through a few short, winding hallways to get to them. Once I stepped inside the karaoke rooms, I felt like I was back at any old Korean karaoke joint in Atlanta (e.g. Karaoke Melody, Sound of Music). For the most part, everything looked and felt the same, from the setup to the furniture to the karaoke system itself -- yes, they use the same "standard" Korean karaoke system complete with Korean and other Asian language songs and Korean music videos. Don't worry. There's enough English on the remotes and in the songbooks to get by. If anything, the staff can teach you how to operate the easy-to-use equipment. The sound quality was good, the song selection was decent, and everyone had a good time. Several of the karaoke bars in Atlanta have better song selection, but for Athens, Shokitini works just fine. The fun part is the karaoke system's scoring system. I think most people score at least 90 (out of 100) no matter how poorly they sing. We imbibed on plenty of soju and I tried a small sampling of restaurant's food menu. This included the edamame (boiled soy beans, sprinkled with salt), agedashi tofu (deep fried tofu marinated in sweet soy sauce), gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings), and some sushi rolls. Everything was appetizing and tasted quite alright. If anything, I recommend the agedashi tofu. That shareable appetizer was authentic and addictively delicious. There were two American servers who handled our group. They did a remarkable job considering the size of our party and its numerous orders/requests. The downstairs dining area is nice. It does give off an Americanized sushi bar/lounge-type vibe. There are multiple bars and HDTVs, the highlight being the projected widescreen display behind the sushi bar. There's also an enclosed patio outside next to the sidewalk. When we arrived at roughly 9:30pm on a Sunday night, the restaurant seemed moderately busy. Several metered parking spaces are located directly in front of the restaurant on W. Clayton St. I was told parking is free after 10pm and all-day on Sunday.

Just moved to Athens, and I am so excited there is a fantastic place to get sushi in town! We tried the spicy mushroom soup (it was spicy but very tasty), mushroom puffs (get this!), and 3 rolls: chefs special (very fresh, large, and delicious), UGA roll (fried, lots of cream cheese, not my favorite...), and the Red Ninja Roll (also fresh and amazing). The ambience is relaxing and inviting. I hope to sit at the sushi bar next time so I can watch the magic happen! I will definitely be a frequent visitor!

Great sushi, servers needs to be more attentive as all they do is deliver food and refill.

Delicious. Custom roll was great. Naruto style (cucumber wrap) available for 2 dollars more. Really friendly and helpful sushi chefs. Hamachi kama (tuna neck/cheek) rocked my socks. Great Mexican sushi chef too.