The sushi omakase selection in Austin boomed and we have these 10 great options to enjoy. This post breaks down all the details to help you choose your next one to try.
These meals are for guests who enjoy an upscale and intimate tasting experience curated by sushi chefs. I enjoy them because I know it will be a high-quality product combined with a chef’s creativity. It’s for those who are a bit adventurous because you don’t know what will be on the menu (have you ever tried milt – fish sperm?!) and chefs typically don’t provide substitutions.
This list doesn’t include all the omakase options in Austin – additional sushi restaurants offer a tasting option – but focuses on those that only provide one.
Listed alphabetically below, each place includes all the details you need. The pricing does not include taxes and fees. My criteria in judging these restaurants included quality, tradition, creativity, service, and atmosphere/vibes.
Craft Omakase
Craft Omakase opened in 2023. They gained even more recognition when they became one of seven restaurants in Austin to earn a Michelin star in November 2024. The co-owners and co-partners held head sushi chef and front-of-house positions at Uchiko for 8-12 years before venturing on their own.
Chef Charlie and Chef Nguyen know their craft, focusing on seasonality, tradition, and balance. They present bite after bite of remarkable fish. From their service to their presentation, they do everything perfectly but in an unpretentious and welcoming atmosphere.
- My rating: 5/5
- Price: $175 + $35 service charge (20%)
- Deposit: Full charge at booking
- Courses: 22
- Seats: 14
- Pre-Arrival Treats: 20 minutes prior for a complimentary cocktail
- Reservation: Rolling 3-weeks open every Sunday at 12pm
- Parking: Free parking lot
- Address: 4400 North Lamar Boulevard #102, Austin, TX 78756
- Website: https://craftomakase.com/
Endo
Chef Endo Yasuhiro of the renowned Sushi Nakazawa in Washington D.C. and New York City studied under Jiro Ono, who you might know from the documentary Dreams of Jiro. He opened Endo in March 2024.
You’ll find many typical fish choices on the menu like snapper, tuna, and mackerel. I dined about a month after they opened, and while I didn’t walk away impressed, I liked the nigiri-focused format and the focus on the fish as the star.
Endo has a big focus on its beverage program with a bar stocked with rare Japanese whiskies, top-rated sake, and local and Japanese beer.
- My rating: 2/5
- Price: $180
- Deposit: $50
- Courses: 20
- Seats: 10
- Pre-Arrival Treats: Order beverages in the lounge area before dinner
- Reservation: Frequently available
- Parking: Small free lot
- Address: 609 W 29th St, Austin, TX 78705
- Website: https://sushiendo.com/
Otoko
Before omakase restaurants exploded in Austin around 2020, there was Otoko, which opened in 2016. As Austin’s first introduction to an exclusive, sushi tasting experience, Otoko was a bucket list experience, especially and still because of its price tag. It’s the most expensive omakase on this list. Chef Yoshi Okai has been the Executive Chef since the restaurant opened and has a fun personality.
For a long time, Otoko only offered the classic omakase which is more of a kaiseki experience with the inclusion of hot and cold Japanese dishes. They’ve added a sushi omakase option that focuses on sashimi and nigiri. The classic omakase includes nigiri at the beginning and composed dishes in the second half.
Otoko is owned and operated by New Waterloo, an Austin-based hospitality group known for its aesthetically pleasing restaurants and hotels. They opened the restaurant as part of the South Congress Hotel complex. When it comes to restaurant design, Otoko has the most memorable.
- My rating: 4/5
- Price: $200 – classic or $250 – sushi (price includes 20% service charge)
- Deposit: Full charge at booking
- Courses: 20
- Seats: 12
- Pre-Arrival Treats: Enjoy a drink in their bar Watertrade
- Reservation: Released the first of the month at 12 pm for the following two months
- Parking: Street parking, valet
- Address: 1603 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
- Website: https://otokoaustin.com/
Sushi Bar
Sushi Bar opened in 2020 as a pop-up restaurant and became a popular spot to enjoy an omakase. They specialize in nigiri with toppings, adding several ingredients on top of the nigiri to enhance the bite. It takes away from the fish a bit but they create tasty bites. They call it a “whimsical take on nigiri.” The original owners of Sushi Bar sold the company in 2021 and went on to open Sushi By Scratch. The head chef who stayed on exited in 2023.
All of this to say, I dined before the company was sold and haven’t been back since, so my experience, which I enjoyed, might be a bit outdated, though I hear it is still similar.
- My rating: 3/5
- Price: $159 + $34.98 service charge (22%)
- Deposit: $50
- Courses: 17
- Seats: 10
- Pre-Arrival Treats: Complimentary cocktail 20 minutes before seating time
- Reservation: Released the first of the month for the following month
- Parking: Street parking
- Address: 2600 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas 78702
- Website: https://sushibarhospitality.com/locations/atx/
Sushi by Scratch Restaurants
After selling Sushi Bar, chefs/owners Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee opened Sushi by Scratch Restaurants in Cedar Creek, about an hour outside of Austin, because of contractual restrictions. After three years, they returned to Austin proper with a downtown location in December 2024.
Chefs of Sushi by Scratch went on to run Sushi Bar and Toshokan, so these three are similar in style. They focus on toppings. The nigiri is a base vessel with additional ingredients on top to create a unique bite.
Now in 10 cities in the U.S., this omakase earned Michelin stars with their Montecito location. The chef/owners also run Pasta Bar in Los Angeles, where they earned a Michelin rating, and in Austin.
- My rating: 3/5
- Price: $195 + $39 service charge (20%)
- Deposit: $25
- Courses: 16
- Seats: 10
- Pre-Arrival Treats: 30 minutes prior for complimentary bites
- Reservation: Released the first of the month at 1 pm for the following month
- Parking: Street parking
- Address: 603 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701
- Website: https://www.sushibyscratchrestaurants.com/austin
Tare
Dining at Tare was refreshing. This omakase is for those interested in a traditional omakase with Texas flair. Chef and Owner Michael Carranza focuses on combining quality Japanese fish with unique Texas flavors. You’ll see ingredients like salsa verde, dill, lime, and queso fresco on their nigiri.
Tare was a pop-up for about three years before they opened their current location in January 2024. In this omakase list, Tare stands out for highlighting the fish in an unexpected yet perfectly complementing twist.
They also had the best dessert, another point in my book!
- My rating: 4/5
- Price: $135
- Deposit: Full charge at booking
- Courses: 15
- Seats: 12
- Pre-Arrival Treats: None
- Reservation: Released the first of the month for the following month
- Parking: Free parking lot
- Address: 12414 Alderbrook Drive, Austin, TX 78758
- Website: https://www.tareaustin.com/
Tonari by Uroko
Chef/Owner Také has been a part of Austin’s culinary industry for a long time. I remember when he opened the food trailer Sushi-A-Go-Go! You may have also dined at his concepts Komé and Sa-Tén. With Uroko, Chef/Owner Masa joins Také in offering delicious hand rolls. The space next to Uroko fits perfectly for an omakase, so Tonari by Uroko offers a unique omakase take – a 45-minute omakase! All their concepts show how beloved they are in Austin. Their quick omakase is a good and more affordable introduction to what a chef’s tasting is like, though the experience can seem a bit rushed.
- My rating: 3/5
- Price: $84
- Deposit: Full charge at booking
- Courses: 12
- Seats: 8
- Pre-Arrival Treats: None
- Reservation: Released the first of the month for the following month
- Parking: Free parking lot
- Address: 1023 Springdale Rd., Bldg 1 Ste C, Austin TX 78721
- Website: https://www.urokoaustin.com/
Toshokan
Known as the speakeasy omakase, Toshokan is located in the most unexpected place – behind a door disguised as a bookshelf in the lively indoor mini-golf venue Holey Moley. …Ready for it? On the other side of the door, you’ll be enchanted to find an intimate space that feels like your wildest dreams. Chef Saine Wong might call it wonderland. He takes pride in his worldly travels and training in multiple cuisines to bring out epiphany flavors in these bites. You’ll recognize owner C.K. Chin if you’re an Austinite foodie. He’s the man known for Swift’s Attic and Wu Chow.
When it comes to the omakase, Chef is a mastermind who creates the alchemy of flavors with his nigiri and toppings. And if you haven’t figured it out from this write-up, Chef is a big Swiftie, shown by the map of all the concerts he’s been to or the guitar he might play if you ask him nicely. While he comes from the Sushi by Scratch lineage, Chef makes sparks fly with his take.
- My rating: 3/5
- Price: $160
- Deposit: None
- Courses: 14
- Seats: 6
- Pre-Arrival Treats: None
- Reservation: Open two months prior at 10 am. Follow on Instagram and join the email list for alerts.
- Parking: Small free lot or metered street parking
- Address: 807 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702 (inside Holey Moley Golf Club)
- Website: https://www.toshokanatx.com/
Tsuke Edomae
This is the hardest reservation to secure on this list, and I got lucky because a friend of a friend is a VIP and was able to book a group to celebrate a birthday. (You become a VIP by dining there at least three times.) But before its current renown, Chef Michael Che had a food truck called Tsuke Honten that hosted an omakase at Austin brewery Hopsquad Brewing Co in 2020. I was a fan after that experience and excited to see Chef grow his talent and restaurant.
Tsuke Edomae opened in their current Mueller location in 2021 and it took three years and a chance opportunity to be there! The tasting is kaiseki-style, so only seven of the 20 courses are raw nigiri. You’ll also get different types of dishes, like a handroll, cooked seafood, and tempura. The atmosphere is also similar to some Japanese omakase restaurants – quiet and reserved – though as always, your dining companions can influence this.
- My rating: 2/5
- Price: $135 + $27 (20% service fee)
- Deposit: Full charge at booking
- Courses: 20
- Seats: 8
- Pre-Arrival Treats: None
- Reservation: Open at specific date/time for following three months
- Parking: Street
- Address: 4600 Mueller Blvd, Suite 1035, Austin, TX 78723
- Website: https://www.tsukeedo.com/
Uchi
Led by Chef Tyson Cole, Uchi is the OG omakase in Austin – it opened in 2003 – and still exists in its original, charming house. Since Uchi is much more than an omakase restaurant, its offering is in a restaurant setting, though the set-up is a chef’s choice tasting. In this sense, this is the most casual spot on the list and likely the easiest to get a reservation. Their sister restaurant Uchiko has a similar omakase offering. You’ll get some delicious sushi.
See my in-depth post about Uchi here.
See my in-depth post about Uchiko here.
- My rating: 3/5
- Price: Market price
- Deposit: None
- Courses: 10
- Seats: N/A
- Pre-Arrival Treats: N/A
- Reservation: Recommended
- Parking: Small parking lot, valet
- Address: 801 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78704
- Website: https://uchi.uchirestaurants.com/location/austin/
TL;DR
Don’t care about ALL the details? You’ve come to the wrong blog. But I’ve made this quick reference list for you plus my ranking of the 10 are below.
- Edomae-style/Fish focused: Craft Omakase, Edo, Tonari by Uroko, Otoko
- Kaiseki style (not heavy nigiri): Otoko, Tsuke Edomae
- Toppings style: Sushi Bar, Sushi By Scratch, Toshokan
- Most adventurous, flavor-wise: Tare
- More affordable options: Tonari by Uroko, Uchi/Uchiko
- Hardest to get reservations: Craft Omakase, Tsuke Edomae, Toshokan
My current ranking of favorites:
- Craft Omakase
- Otoko
- Tare
- Tonari by Uroko
- Toshokan
- Sushi By Scratch
- Endo
- Tsuke Edomae
- Uchi/Uchiko
- Sushi Bar
This was a hard list to make, which might be why I don’t usually do rankings! The list changed countless times as I wrote this. The overarching question was “which would I want to go back to” knowing what I know now and taking into consideration the taste and vibes. (Side note: I dined at 3 of the spots more than once, 7 of the 10 this year with 5 for the first time.)
It gets a bit interchangeable after the first three spots for various reasons. Each place has pros and cons, and it depends on what you’re looking for in the meal. Sometimes you want the toppings, sometimes you’re feeling purist. Maybe you endure the “bromakase” vibes for a bite that you’ll dream about later. Sometimes your dining companions can make or break the experience. (Yes, I’ve got stories!)
The takeaway is sushi is delicious, and you should make it your mission to try all these spots for yourself.
P.S. Looking for more Austin dining options? Check out these posts:
- Olamaie is the Place for Upscale Southern in Austin
- Masa Omakase at Nixta Taqueria is a Tasting Menu Must-Try
- Why Birdie’s is Austin’s Best Restaurant for Casual Vibes and High-End Dining
P.P.S. Best sushi omakase I’ve ever had? It’s hard to beat this experience in Japan. Any of the foodie experiences I had in Japan really! See them here:
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