Sushi Kashiba keeps a rule almost every other room of its rank has dropped: the omakase counter is first-come, walk-in. There is no app that guarantees a stool in front of Shiro Kashiba, the man who brought edomae sushi to Seattle and trained a generation of its chefs. You sign up in person for a same-day seat and you arrive early. The 14-seat bar at 86 Pine Street, beside Pike Place Market, is the most-wanted sushi seat in the Pacific Northwest, and the strategy is about timing rather than refreshing a screen.
How the Counter Booking Works
The sushi bar runs in seatings at roughly 5pm, 7pm and 9pm, each about an hour and three-quarters. The 5pm seating is walk-in only, no reservations offered, so it rewards arriving before the doors open and signing up first. The 7pm and 9pm seatings hold a few reservable seats, released through the restaurant's site and OpenTable, with the rest kept first-come. The counter serves omakase only, no a la carte. If you want Shiro at the bar, get there for the 5pm sign-up on a weeknight when the queue is shortest. The kitchen is closed Tuesdays.
The Dining Room as a Backup
If the counter queue beats you, the dining room is the fallback and it does take reservations. Tables can be booked ahead and order from prix fixe menus that run roughly $120 to $150, plus an a la carte sheet, so you eat the same kitchen's fish without the counter scramble. It is the sensible plan for a group or a fixed arrival time. For where Kashiba ranks among the city's tough seats, see our hardest reservations in Seattle guide, and our guide to impossible restaurant reservations covers the broader walk-in tactics.
What to Order and What It Costs
Plan for around $200 per person at the counter omakase, with a premium-fish upgrade about $30 more, before drinks. The chef curates the run, often 20-plus pieces, and announces nothing in advance; your only job is to say when you are about 90 percent full. The Peak, a shorter chef's selection around $85, still delivers prized pieces like uni and tuna belly and is the gentler counter option. See the full Sushi Kashiba review and scores for the dining-room menus.
Not For
Not for a guaranteed arrival time or a large group at the bar. The 14-seat counter is walk-in first-come with no a la carte, so a party that needs a confirmed 7:30pm for six should book the dining room instead and skip the queue.
If You Cannot Get In
Seattle holds other counters and rooms worth the trip. Canlis is the city's grand-occasion table on its own booking window, Archipelago sells its Pacific Northwest tasting as ticketed seats covered in our how to book Archipelago guide, and Sushi Kappo Tamura is the reservable omakase alternative. The full Seattle dining guide maps the rest by occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get a seat at the Sushi Kashiba counter?
The omakase counter is first-come, walk-in. You sign up in person for a same-day seat during business hours, so arriving early is the strategy. The bar runs seatings around 5pm, 7pm and 9pm; the 5pm is walk-in only, while the 7pm and 9pm hold a few reservable seats released through the restaurant's site and OpenTable. For Shiro at the bar, show up before the 5pm open on a weeknight.
Can you make a reservation at Sushi Kashiba?
Partly. The dining room takes reservations and is the reliable way to book a fixed time, ordering from prix fixe menus around $120 to $150 and an a la carte sheet. The 14-seat sushi counter is mostly walk-in: only a few seats at the 7pm and 9pm seatings are reservable, and the 5pm seating is walk-in only. Book the dining room if you need a guaranteed arrival time or a table for a group.
How much is omakase at Sushi Kashiba?
Plan for around $200 per person at the counter omakase, with a premium-fish upgrade roughly $30 more, before drinks, tax and tip. The chef curates 20-plus pieces and you simply say when you are about 90 percent full. A shorter chef's selection called The Peak runs around $85 and still includes prized pieces like uni and tuna belly, making it the gentler counter option for a first visit.
What days is Sushi Kashiba open?
Sushi Kashiba is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 9:30pm. It is closed on Tuesdays. Because the counter is walk-in first-come, a weeknight such as Monday or Wednesday gives the shortest queue for the 5pm sign-up, while Friday and Saturday draw the longest waits at the bar.
Is Sushi Kashiba worth it?
Yes. Shiro Kashiba is the chef who brought edomae sushi to Seattle and is a James Beard-nominated pioneer, and his Pike Place counter is the defining omakase seat in the Pacific Northwest. The walk-in rule means patience rather than a screen-refresh, which not every visitor wants to give. For a sushi-led night it rewards the early arrival; the dining room is the easier, still-excellent backup.