There is no sushi bar it was closed for covid and never reopened. You can't see the chefs and you can't see the sushi being made. It's as depressing as 2020. The décor is tired and a little run down. The staff is courteous and...accommodating. The sushi relatively good (three interesting rolls and one bland roll with a good sashimi plate. I won't go back.More
I was really expecting to find “the” place for good Japanese food/sushi joint, but this is not it. No great flavors, nothing was great- barely good. I will not be going back
Red curry coconut soup with egg noodles and shrimp was delicious. Sashimi was excellent. Atmosphere was lively and not too noisy. Very popular even on a Monday night.
For lunch, try Bento (lunch box). It was a good meal. If you like Katsu Don, try Curry Katsu. I didn't like Chicken Katsu Donburi. Other than the chicken donburi, all other meals were great and the service was great and fast although it was...a busy lunch time.More
I cannot fathom this is rated the number 2 restaurant in town. We found it marginal at best. We had two rolls and a bunch of different pieces of nigiri. The lobster roll was super weird with celery and was supposed to be reminiscent of...a tea lobster roll. Epic fail. Then the California roll had loads of fish eggs inside the roll which again is weird. And the whitefish was like mystery fish - horrible. Would not return for sure. They do pack them in here, so maybe people like it, but I’d say it’s sub-par sushi.More
We went for a fun dinner with family Once we finally got someone to seat us, yes we had a reservation, it was a fast & furious environment. The food was delivered fast and it was good. The atmosphere was not what I expected -...a fee levels down from all the restaurants in Bethesda.More
Perhaps one of the best sushi restaurants in North Bethesda. Sadly the consistent inefficient, unfriendly & unprofessional handling of patrons by some hostesses makes for a very poor overall experience. Long wait times with empty tables left open for a long time indicate nothing more...than biases and discriminatory practices of these hostesses. The manager seems unable or unwilling to resolve this dilemma . I wish them luck but there are other places one can have sushi with better attitudes & dining experience. Very disappointing ending to a long patronage.More
The duck breast was really good. The sushi was good. We ordered several sushi rolls, they were good but felt like it lacked something.
Simply best consistent sushi restaurant in the Bethesda area for relevantly affordable pricing. Super friendly staff & reliable rolls
Great atmosphere with excellent food and service. You can dine outside or inside in a beautiful downtown setting. The sashimi and sushi rolls are top quality. We ordered the Raku sashimi platter, the volcano roll, the lobster roll, and the deluxe spicy tuna roll. They...have an assortment of Japanese BeerMore
We've been to this Raku a few times before and always sat indoors, as I never much liked its outdoor seating on the narrow side walk in front. Now however this entire block of Woodmont Ave is closed to traffic so that all the restaurants...on this street can have more outdoor seating. Raku still has a few tables on the sidewalk but many more on the street - distancing is ok although it's best to be there when less busy as the tables are small so could feel a bit too close when they are all occupied. We usually have the bentos for the variety, this time too had the tempura and the deluxe sashimi bentos. Both ok although unremarkable, just as we remembered them, no surprises, which is not a bad thing. They have laminated menus easy for cleaning, and for payment handheld credit card readers brought to the table - you'll be asked to add the tip before the card is charged.More
If you are catching a move at the Bethesda Row Theater across the street or just strolling the shops and people in the heart of Bethesda, you can't go wrong stopping to eat or drink at Raku. Super freshness of sushi and lively touches of...creative cooking are on display across the menu - and cocktails are well prepared and plentiful.More
The sushi was fresh, the service was delivered promptly and with a smile. It was a pleasant atmosphere.
It was ok, not awesome. However service was very good & meal reasonably priced. You should allow reviews without 100 characters!
Went for birthday dinner with my husband and two brothers. Will start with the food. Great variety on the menu, and everyone enjoyed their choices. Many good vegetarian options as well. Service started a little slow, had a long wait before anyone approached. However, servers...were friendly and knowledgeable, attentive after the initial wait. We are all north of 60, so the noise level made it difficult to converse. Also the tables and booths are very close together. Would go back, but perhaps not on a busy Saturday evening.More
