Sushi first started gaining popularity in the United States in the 1960s, when a restaurant called Kawafuku opened in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. The restaurant's sushi bar was frequented by Japanese businessmen, who'd bring their American coworkers for a meal. Eventually, sushi restaurants started cropping up in other Californian cities, like Osho, which opened in 1970, next to the 20th Century Fox studio in Hollywood, attracting big-name producers, directors, and actors. Soon, the cuisine came to New York and Chicago; by the late 1980s, it was a full-on dining craze. According to industry marketing research company IBISWorld, as of 2024, there were nearly 17,000 sushi restaurants in the country.
Whether you're looking for an affordable bento box for lunch or a fine-dining experience for date night, Stacker has you covered—this list of the highest-rated sushi restaurants in the Durham area on Yelp will help guide you to the right roll. Data is as of July 7, 2025. Businesses under the category "sushi" were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Durham, were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least 10 locations nationally (based on our analysis of Yelp data) were not included.
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Kanki Japanese House of Steaks & Sushi - Durham
1 / 23- Rating: 2.7/5 (310 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3504 Mount Moriah Road Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
Chopstix Chinese Restaurant
2 / 23- Rating: 2.8/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2000 Avondale Drive Ste B Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
Tokyo Express
3 / 23- Rating: 2.9/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3225 Guess Road Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
Tasu Asian Bistro - Raleigh
4 / 23- Rating: 3.1/5 (588 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8919 Brier Creek Pkwy Ste 109 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
Rockin Rolls Sushi Express
5 / 23- Rating: 3.2/5 (335 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3405 Hillsborough Road Ste East Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Conveyor Belt Sushi, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
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Sushi Love
6 / 23- Rating: 3.3/5 (364 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2812 Erwin Road Ste 204 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
Kurama Japanese Seafood & Steak House Sushi Bar
7 / 23- Rating: 3.3/5 (152 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3644 Chapel Hill Blvd. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
China Buffet
8 / 23- Rating: 3.3/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3720 Mayfair St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese, Sushi Bars, Buffets
- Read more on Yelp
Shiki Sushi
9 / 23- Rating: 3.3/5 (872 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 207 West NC Hwy 54 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
Oishii
10 / 23- Rating: 3.4/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1129 Weaver Dairy Road Ste M Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
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Umami
11 / 23- Rating: 3.4/5 (107 reviews)
- Address: 8411 Brier Creek Pkwy Ste 105 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Cocktail Bars, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
CO
12 / 23- Rating: 3.5/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8030 Renaissance Pkwy Ste 905 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Sushi Bars, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp
Champa Thai & Sushi
13 / 23- Rating: 3.5/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8521 Brier Creek Pkwy 119 Ste 119 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Thai
- Read more on Yelp
Koi Sushi & Hibachi
14 / 23- Rating: 3.6/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 607 Broad St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
Koumi Japanese Restaurant
15 / 23- Rating: 3.6/5 (222 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3550 North Roxboro St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars, Thai
- Read more on Yelp
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Sake Bomb
16 / 23- Rating: 3.7/5 (342 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4215 University Drive Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Sushi Bars, Soup
- Read more on Yelp
Sushi at the Park
17 / 23- Rating: 3.8/5 (335 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1163 Parkside Main St. Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Thai, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
Peony Asian Bistro
18 / 23- Rating: 3.9/5 (274 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3515 Witherspoon Blvd. Ste 108 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese, Sushi Bars, Thai
- Read more on Yelp
Akashi
19 / 23- Rating: 4.0/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2223 East Nc Highway 54 Ste RS Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
Mr Tokyo Japanese Restaurant
20 / 23- Rating: 4.0/5 (309 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1722 Fordham Blvd. Ste 105A Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
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Spring Rolls Durham
21 / 23- Rating: 4.1/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 701 West Main St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
M Sushi
22 / 23- Rating: 4.5/5 (705 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 311 Holland St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Seafood, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
Sushioki
23 / 23- Rating: 4.6/5 (402 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4900 NC-55 Ste 510 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 287 metros.
