167 Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Charleston

If I could give zero stars, I would. I should preface this review and say that I am from NYC and a big big big omakase girl. My partner and I typically plan for one omakase experience a week or at the minimum, every other week. We have been to the shions and nozs and nakazawas and itos, but we’ve also been to the lower range omakases that have sprouted all over the city (this is your kais and takumis) so we’ve been to omakase seatings that cost anywhere between $75 to $650 per person. I can honestly say the food I had at this 167 sushi bar was inedible. I do not joke when I say I left half of my tray untouched; I genuinely could not stomach it. It was disgusting. Old fish that tasted either like air or like a fishy piece of plastic. There was zero authenticity; zero creativity; zero care. I can’t tell you how disappointed we were after our hotel recommended this place (but then again, note, there aren’t too many sushi places or omakase bars at that in charleston). But I was under the impression that because the city has access to fresh seafood and fish, that the sushi would be fantastic. It was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. The bar itself is like cutely decorated, and they have good beer on tap, and the crispy rice tuna was absolutely scrumptious but do not (unless you absolutely have to!) eat sushi or sashimi here. It’ll just make you feel sick, truly. And the miso soup is so salty, you’ll be reaching for your water as soon as you sip it. It’s literally salt water (and somehow oil…? there were oil droplets that sat on top of my soup - very confusing). And the best part (lol) was that this “omakase” experience cost $75 a head, and oh, it’s not even omakase because they literally give you everything pre-made on a tray - when the chef is not Japanese or Japanese trained, how could we have expected anything else? Honestly, this place just made me want to go back home even earlier…. Where food is actually good (at...

Definitely overpriced! As other reviewers have noted this place is not a good value as it is overpriced for the quantity but I would also add for the quality. I ordered a take out order of chirashi, rolls and miso soup. The quantity is so sparse and even less then what is depicted online with their menu. They want to charge you a tip for your take out order which I gave. But when I arrived for my order the host was not interested in responding to the smallest of polite chat and gave me my order with no utensils! So a tip for online order is a waste. They even charge you for the side of ginger and wasabi!! Absurd, and cheap beyond even developing world standards where they watch every penny. Who charges for what are the equivalent of condiments?! I make lots of Asian dishes (including different sushi dishes)and shop at big Asian supermarkets and know well that a big bottle of ginger is not expensive. They are nickel and dimming their customers. My miso soup was creamy, bizarre and unpalatable.My chirashi had no salmon roe or other fish roe as depicted in their pics. They gave a paltry amount of sashimi pieces in it. The rice in the chirashi hardly resembled Asian rice and had no Asian flavors, I cant comprehend how this dish is at all chirashi?! The rolls were fine but not generous at all and nothing much better than the rolls you can get at the supermarket across the street for lunch and they gave a weird sweet sauce for dipping. I have enjoyed sushi at some of the best sushi restaurants in NYC, Japan, Honolulu, etc and at many Asian homes, and this sushi ranges from bizarre to just ok and does not...

Edit - returned again years later 2025 -

This place is still slammed open to close. That must mean its good by any measure. Heres the thing - you have to love asian food to pay the price here. Its small, loud, AC blasted (summer in charleston), mostly bar seating only (super cramped), and so small you will probably wait outside by the sidewalk. If you can get past those qualities - this is definitely some of the best executed asian food in charleston.

Heres my caveat - i was just in Seattle and had just as good sushi, half the price. That is unfair, as west coast has a massive logistical and market demand advantage for sushi.

That aside, it has charm, great service, decadent, rich food both hot and cold. But i do have to say for the price paid and total experience - it IS overpriced. DARN good, packed 24/7, so everyone isnt wrong, but two people can easily drop 200-250+ (and thats modest especially if ordering the top Nigiri ) on sushi and booze in here and thats not something to scoff at. For hardcore sushi and asian food lovers primarily.

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2021

Very impressed! Small, intimate, get there early/make reservation but well worth it! Definitely better than most of the sushi places in Charleston. Perhaps not the largest/most exotic selection of fish but what is there is quality and most importantly how it is prepare is exquisite. Not cheap, but no good sushi place is, value is better than some other more well renowned sushi...