Okea Grill & Sushi

Tiny little place, but what great food! I came here on a whim and I’m very glad I did. Sushi tasted so fresh and clean, staff was very friendly, mochi was delicious, and we even got another desert for free! I can’t wait to come back and try more.

Just ordered delivery from Okea for the first time. I am giving it two stars because the girl who answered the phone was great, the food arrived on time, the portion sizes were good and the prices were very reasonable.
BUT the food was really bad. I ordered the chicken teriyaki special and it did not taste like teriyaki at all. It wasn’t the right color (very pale) or texture for teriyaki and it definitely hadn’t been grilled (not that grilling is mandatory, but it’s always a nice touch). I had two bites and had to throw it away.
We also ordered a veggie roll and a shrimp tempura roll. The seaweed smelled a bit funky and there was too much rice. At least I was able to eat most of it, but I have had sushi from Market Basket that I have enjoyed more. I would not personally eat raw fish from this place, so I’m glad I didn’t try that the first time.
The appetizer, shrimp and vegetable tempura, was not awful. Nothing to get excited about and there was way too much breading on the shrimp. It was like 65% breading and 35% shrimp. The vegetables were all either overcooked (broccoli and cucumber) or undercooked (green beans and sweet potatoes).
It was really disappointing after reading so many great reviews!

Not the worst sushi I’ve had, but not the worst. Service was okay, but just okay. All in all, a whelming, if not overwhelming sushi experience.

Okea is one of the best sushi places on the North Shore– excellent, but not a home run (if you’re looking for high end sushi, go to Junji in Marblehead).
They used to be down across from the Sullivan Building on Salem State Campus, but they moved further down Jefferson Ave to the little building right over the train bridge.
The location is really awkward to get in and out of, and parking is awful. You’re better off ordering take out, multiple businesses have been in and out of that location due to the weirdness of it.
You get your typical sushi fare here, some crazy maki, rainbow maki, spider maki, tuna, yellow tail, etc, and quality is usually top notch/​fresh. They have some specialty maki that they’ve named after local towns on the North Shore such as the Swampscott and Salem maki.
I have a food allergy (avocados) and the first time I asked for a roll without it they took forever and the avocado was still in there. They happily made a new maki at no charge. I haven’t had a problem since, but I double check so I’m not sure if it’s me of them.
No alcohol, which may bum some people out, and sodas are given to you in the can and you pour them into your glass yourself. Very basic/​quiet interior, no sushi bar seating, but the sushi is so yummy that it doesn’t matter. Excellent for when you just don’t feel like cooking dinner and want something healthy.
SSU students– they take clipper cash!

Nice small restaurant on Jefferson st now. Try the Udon nooles with Beef stew, so much flavor truly delicious, its my favorite thing there.

Ordered the noodle bowls that came with with fatty dark gristle meat «chicken». Some pieces of chicken were just pure fat. Luckily I was eating in a dimly lit room so I didn’t get to take in the full gristly chicken in all its jiggly sweaty glory until I had already eaten a bunch. The agedashi tofu was undercooked and sad. Won’t be back.

You haven’t had awesome sushi in Salem until you come to this place! My wife and I are here on a Friday night, one hour before they closed, and I had the freshest sushi and sashimi I could ask for. The taste was amazing, the cuts and combination is what I would expect of a sushi bar in NYC or Boston. They don’t serve alcohol, but don’t let that be an issue, the food is too good to even think about the drinks. I highly recommend the sushi boat/​seaweed salad combo, miso soup and kimchi.

Super friendly chef and a very understanding boss, even though our order was very large and needed a lot of attention. They gave us very fresh sushi and accommodated all our catering needs. The environment in the restaurant is also very cute, definitely the place for Sushi lovers.

I encourage everyone who enjoys sushi in the area to visit Okea Grill and Sushi. I catered sushi from this restaurant for a group of 14 and they did not disappoint! The sushi was fresh and well-​made. The sushi chef was also a really nice man who talked to us while making our last batch of sushi. We also got teriyaki chicken which was also very good. I wouldn’t be surprised if this has the best, most authentic sushi in the area by far. Thank you Okea Grill for your service and sushi!

came in for dinner and ordered a bunch of speciality rolls– a lot of it was fried and didnt enjoy it much– rolls were heavy etc… I’ve gotten take out a few times and SUCCESS!
The Maki combo is an awesome deal– 3 rolls and soup and salad for $ 11– also got the eel roll and spider roll– awesome

We tried to get take out. I say tried because after an hour, we called back and they said they had «lost» our order. We reordered and after another hour had passed, we called back again only to be told they had «lost» our address. I suggest ordering take out from someone else if you actually want food.

I love ordering sushi from Okea! I’ve been regularly going since before they moved to their new location. I love that they deliver to Marblehead. Hardly any Salem restaurants delivers to Marblehead (Dominos doesn’t count). Their prices are competitive. A California Roll is $ 4.50 and their specialty rolls top out at $ 10.50 unless you’re ordering the special of the day that could in up to $ 12.50. The restaurant is small and seating geared towards couples and one or two groups of four, but I have yet to wait do a table. Their parking is wicked small, fitting about 7 – 9 cars at a time. I’ve never had a problem getting a spot though. The Jackie Roll is spot on; however, my husband loves the Volcano Roll. We’ve only ever gotten sushi here with the occasional appetizer. I do eventually want to try other foods but I can never turn down the sushi! Their sushi tastes fresh, obviously not as fresh as a fine dining restaurant on the coast or in the Caribbean, but it tastes wonderful to me!

Okea is our go to for sushi! Can’t beat their maki combo special. I do miss their Lomein though. They used to make it at their old spot. We get it delivery sometimes 1−2x a week! Love the 10% coupons too

This place is super cute inside! Fresh and delicious sushi, great quality. Not skimpy, excellent value. The service was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back!

I have to agree with the other reviewer who said when this place is good it’s good, when it’s bad it’s bad. I have never felt the fish was super fresh, but the prices are very reasonable so it is understandable, however my last experience was unacceptable. The tuna was a pink-​brown color, very hazy (no sheen like you see with fresh fish) and tiny spider veins all over. I was completely turned off and astounded they would have even served this. I wouldn’t eat it and unfortunately the experience was so gross I will not go back. I have always been in support of local, small businesses, but when it comes to raw fish I simply can’t sacrifice quality.

So hungry after class. Needed sushi and found this little place. They don’t serve my usual lychee martini on the side but omg the sushi is incredible. And the woman making the sushi who also answered and took down my take out order is very personable. I waited a little longer than expected but they gave me crab rangoon on the house which was a nice additive

This place is hit or miss. When it is good, it is good. When it is bad, it is very bad.
We usually get chicken terryaki bento boxes to go for a quick weeknight meal. They give a good selection of veggies with the chicken, plus white rice and an appetizer. The price is definitely right for the portions.
Since moving to the new location, the food has been consistently good, except when we got it about a month ago. The chicken had hardly any terryaki sauce and had an odd after-​taste, almost like it had been reheated or something. This had happened before at the old location too, once in a blue moon. I wish someone could just tell us when the good cook is working! :)
We will most likely take a break from here for awhile. I just wish the quality would be consistent. If you catch them on a good day, it is definitely worth it.

Since they recently relocated to a new spot that’s walking distance from my house, I thought it was time to check out this North Shore award winning sushi restaurant. Okea Grill has racked up «Best Sushi» award 3 times in North Shore Magazine and has won the «Best Sushi in Salem» award by the Salem Gazette 5 years in a row. When I pulled into their tiny parking lot and saw the little shack they call home… I was skeptical to say the least. Inside there are only 6 small wooden tables and no sushi bar in which to sit. Very basic décor. Certainly not a place with even a hint of ambience.
The waiter seemed a little skittish and very young. Nice enough kid but he lacked any personality whatsoever. The first order of hot tea came out luke warm, however later on the second cup was freshly brewed and hot. We ordered Gyoza fried dumplings filled with pork and veggies as apps along with miso soup and salad. Basic but good. Then came the Love Boat, an assortment of tuna and salmon sashimi, shrimp, tuna, salmon and eel nigiri sushi. All very fresh and tasty. We also ordered sweet fried yam and hamachi sushi and an eel and avocado maki roll. The yam sushi was deliciously crispy! I’ve had better hamachi elsewhere but considering we were in Salem and not in downtown Boston, it was ok.
Even though I wanted to… we didn’t do desert because we were running late for a movie. I’m giving Okea Grill 4 out of 5 stars because of the food but I think they need to bring in an interior design team to spruce up the rather drab interior and add some cool lighting. Right now I would recommend it as more as a take-​out type deal.

Awesome Awesome Awesome
Sushi is fresh. Tea is hot. And the Fried Banana is a must!
Jackie Roll Special is PHENOMENAL!
Small, cozy and non-​alcoholic beverages only.