SUSHI ROKU AUSTIN
Restaurant · Downtown ·
Sushi, wagyu, creative cocktails, and upscale ambiance
Sushi, wagyu, creative cocktails, and upscale ambiance
"Sushi Roku has a few locations across Southern California and Las Vegas, and most recently added downtown Austin to that list. The menu features mostly new-school nigiri and izakaya items, including lots of dishes with wagyu, truffles, and other premium ingredients. And there’s a dimly lit dining room with lots of dark wood accents that feels like the type of place where you should show up dressed entirely in black. That fancy Downtown dining room comes at a price—try to hide your shocked face after seeing $12 Kirin Lights and $8 Shiners. " - nicolai mccrary
"Opened in downtown Austin in February 2024 as Innovative Dining Group’s first-ever Texas spot, the expanded Japanese restaurant Sushi Roku sits about a five-minute walk from the new BOA Steakhouse. The restaurant is part of the group founded by Lee Maen and Philip Cummins, who opened the original Sushi Roku in 1997 and now operate locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas, and Palo Alto." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Opening its first Texas location in downtown Austin on Friday, February 16, the restaurant will be located at 405 Colorado Street, Suite 100. The menu leans new-school with classic sushi, nigiri, and sashimi alongside izakaya items like the hanabi—crispy rice topped with spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail, or avocado—and a baked crab hand roll, plus wagyu steaks, Japanese fried chicken, and skewers. Under executive chef Sang Kim, the Austin-specific Waterloo Ichi roll pairs tuna, yellowtail, and snow crab with mango, avocado, cucumbers, kaiware sprouts, greens, chile oil, and sriracha sauce. Drinks include sakes, Japanese beers, whiskys, wines, and cocktails (with nonalcoholic options); general manager Jasmine Lee Garcia developed cocktails such as the Austin-only Shoman Glory (blanco tequila, cucumbers, kiwis, and yuzu), the Fusion (vodka, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloup, and watermelon), and the Ueshima old fashioned (espresso-washed rye whiskey, honey, ginger, cucumbers, serrano peppers, mint, and bitters). The space, designed by Finn Wijatno Architects, features an indoor dine-in room, a sushi-slash-cocktail bar, and a semi-private dining area. Hours are 5–10 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 5–11 p.m. Friday–Saturday, and 5–9 p.m. Sunday, with lunch to be added in the spring. Chef Kim previously owned Leander’s Kai Sushi and worked at Uchiko, Yanagi, and Mikado in Austin, and Garcia moved to Austin from Los Angeles where she managed the group’s Katana." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The Roku City Diner at the Roku City SXSW pop-up will be found on the rooftop of the Riley Building at 315 Lavaca Street in downtown Austin from Saturday, March 11 to Sunday, March 12. The American restaurant will offer a diner menu with references to movies and television shows with lots of purple-colored ingredients. The food menu was developed by Roku and is being prepared by an Austin catering company Crave. Roku City Diner’s weekend hours will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations were available on OpenTable, but it’s been booked out. There’s a waitlist available via email at rokucitydiner@roku.com." - Nadia Chaudhury
"I see that Sushi Roku focuses on “non-traditional” rolls, as well as sashimi and nigiri, with appetizers like skewers, crudos, and baked cod and entrees such as a teriyaki-glazed salmon served with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes; drinks include sake, Japanese beers and whiskys, wines, and cocktails. The brand is opening its first-ever Texas location downtown at 405 Colorado Street sometime in 2023, and it already traces back to its first Santa Monica location in 2001 with five locations in greater Los Angeles plus spots in Las Vegas and Scottsdale." - Nadia Chaudhury
