by Jenn Heller
Sushi lovers gather around, there’s new beachside dining restaurant in Jacksonville Beach. O-Ku Jacksonville Beach opened in mid-February 2022 just in time for THE PLAYERS Championship. O-Ku is located in Jacksonville Beach directly across from the pier at 502 1st St N, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250. I’m a bit of a sushi snob and quite particular about my sushi experience and O-Ku did NOT disappoint. It hit all the thumbs up buttons on my menu.
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ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere in O-Ku is very upscale. It’s not your everyday, run-of-the-mill, sushi stop. It touches on elegance with a coastal vibe and splash of candle-lit ambiance at every table. The simple yet elegant table settings in all white enhanced the coastal vibe. What better setting could you be looking for if not the beach directly across the street?
THE STAFF
I will say I noticed all the staff was very engaged, worked in a complete “team” setting where everyone was helping each other out and were very cohesive. It seemed like for a newly opened restaurant they were incredibly well trained, prepared, and knowledgeable of their menu which is huge for me! Our waitress, Emily, was amazing. She explained items on the menu that we had questions about and we quickly knew we could trust her recommendations when the Dumpling Dim Sum knocked our socks off! Our roll choices of Blazing Saddles, Rising Sun, and Jaguar (because this is Jacksonville, right?) were the bee's knees too. Every yummy-looking plate that passed our table en route to another happy diner we would ask Emily what it was and she knew them all.
At the end of our meal the General Manager, Chris Amato, stopped by to see how we enjoyed our meal. He listened intently and was truly interested in whether we were happy with our dinner experience. We couldn’t have been happier! We chatted with Chris for some time on the history of the restaurant, and other locations and dug in a little deeper about our new favorite sushi spot. This is when we found out there is also rooftop seating at O-Ku Jacksonville Beach so up the elevator we went to see the soon-to-be-completed rooftop bar. Being an ocean girl, I loved this part the most and am excited for the opening of the rooftop and another date night!
RESERVATIONS
The restaurant accepts reservations, which you will definitely want to make. Reservations are accepted for table seating and sushi bar. There is limited window front seating if you happen to be passing by and don’t have a reservation. It’s a great little spot to sit and people watch too! You can make your reservation here.
THE BOTTOM LINE
O-Ku was not just O-Kay, but amazing. We couldn’t have had a better experience. From the food, the service, the atmosphere and the incredibly friendly, knowledgeable wait staff and management. We will for certain be back and will be making reservations well in advance to make sure we get to enjoy the vibe that has carefully been planned in this new Jacksonville Beach gem.
Plan ahead and view the O-Ku Jacksonville Beach menu here, but be warned, your mouth will water!
About The Author
Jenn Heller is the Operations Manager for The Volen Group, a top real estate team in Ponte Vedra Beach. Jenn has over 20 years of real estate experience in Ponte Vedra Beach and is a resident of Atlantic Beach.
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