NEW: Japanese bar + restaurant bringing sushi + omakase to downtown [PHOTOS]

IMG 2906 scaled — Ozu held its grand opening on November 5. (Hville Blast)

Sushi lovers, get ready! Downtown Huntsville’s newest restaurant and bar officially debuted on November 5, and we got an inside look on what to expect.

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What to expect at Ozu, NOW OPEN

Ozu sushi bar and restaurant in downtown Huntsville — Ozu in downtown Huntsville (Ozu)

Ozu is a Japanese bar and restaurant dedicated to sushi, cocktails and omakase.

ICYDK: Omakase is a Japanese dining style that translates to “I leave it up to you” or “chef’s choice,” meaning the chef curates a stylistic, seasonal sequential meal experience.

Inspired by traditional Japanese listening bars, Ozu will also feature vinyl DJs on Saturdays.

Where: 104 Jefferson St S, downtown Huntsville (former Phat Sammy’s location, next to 106 Jefferson)
Grand opening: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Hours: Mon-Fri, 4PM-12AM | Sat-Sun, 4PM-2AM
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This location was formerly home to Phat Sammy’s for six years, a popular underground tiki bar/restaurant. Locals have been eager to see what tenant would move in next since Phat Sammy’s closure in February 6, 2026.

Owners’ goal to bring “go-to” sushi spot to Huntsville

Ozu’s owners, Megan + Sydney, on opening night (Hville Blast)

Huntsville natives and avid world travelers Megan and Sydney are behind this new addition.

“After traveling all over the U.S. and the world, we noticed ourselves searching for the ‘best’ sushi spot in whatever city we found ourselves in.

We felt like Huntsville was missing a truly memorable date-night Japanese bar, and downtown felt like the perfect spot to bring that to Huntsville.”
Megan + Sydney, owners of Ozu

The duo shared a fun fact that after naming the restaurant, they discovered that Ozu, Japan sits at 33.50 latitude and Huntsville sits at 34.73—making the climates nearly identical. Talk about “meant to be!”