Uroko Cafe

Eh… in comparison to the many poke places out there — overpriced, small portions/​bowl, fish doesn’t taste that fresh, and lacks flavor (!!)
$ 8 for 2 scoops of protein, but other places have 3 scoops for the same price. Also the bowl is tinyyy, I mean yes it does vertically stack up but horizontally nope. So difficult to eat from…
I got the medium spicy sauce and also spicy mayo — there’s not much flavor whatsoever (biggest con) and I had to add sriracha. Also the salmon did not taste that fresh and even the guac tasted meh (*shocks). On a plus note, I do like the garlic chips! + free drink with Unilocal check in. And surprisingly they have a selection of sake, hellooo Kikusui :333
probably not going to give this place a 3^rd try =/​but hello North Shore that just opened across the street: D

Good food but just as good as any other poke place in my opinion. However, a few things about this place irked me. First of all, I don’t know how busy their location gets at peak hours but the space is HUGE. To me, it seems way too big to ever have every seat filled. To me, it would be really awkward to end up being one of the only customers in that gigantic store.
But even though their store is huge, their bowls are TINY. The amount of food you get is pretty decent but, especially for the Small size, the actual serving bowl makes it soooo difficult to eat from. As someone who loves her toppings and add ons, my bowl was overflowing and I couldn’t take a bite without vegetables and fish falling out onto my tray. Very annoying and cumbersome. I had to ask for an extra bowl so I could mix all my ingredients neatly. So if you’re gonna get a small, maybe get an extra side bowl so you can actually eat your food.

Went here a few weeks ago, and it was really yummy! I got the small, and that filled me up for sure! But if you’re a little more hungry than I was, I’d definitely go for the medium. All the meat is so fresh, and there’s so many different toppings to choose from!
It’s also safe for gluten free individuals and celiac (as I am) but just don’t get any of the sauces, all have teriyaki or soy sauce.
But yeah! great place, great service, great food

One of my favorite lunch spots! So glad this place is here. Fresh fish in the most yummiest set up. Love love love the bowl set up and all the fixings that goes in it. The special lemon sauce is to die for…
The restaurant is super chill, self seating, can accommodate a large group and I love the tables next to the window facing Bristol.
They have coffee drinks as well for your afternoon pick me up. You leave full but not feeling like you are dragging ass which is important when heading back to the office. Love Uroko!

A new and popular poke establishment that is basically a sushified chipotle assembly line! With a wide variety of proteins to select from and the sides and sauces to customize with, you can definitely create your ideal poke bowl at this location!
Although the lines are long, they move along fast due to their chipotle-​style assembly lines. Even if there is a line of 20, chances are that line will be demolished in less than 10 minutes! There is a lot of seating and it is easy to pack your meal to-​go if needed with their to-​go counter near the exit of the establishment. The parking lot is a decent size and is easy to find a spot unless you go during lunch rush where it may be a little hectic. Regardless, the search for the spot and the wait in the line is definitely worth it to eat at Uroko Café!
With all these positives, why would this establishment still be 4 stars? The quality of the fish is the lowest it can be. It’s even questionable whether the fish served here are even better quality than AYCE sushi places. Although I like my poke in big chunks, Uroko Café do cut down their fishes into small little cubes and the prices for these bowls are on the higher end of any poke establishment ($ 8 for a small, $ 10 for a regular, and $ 12 for a large).
If you like Uroko café, another place you can try that is a few minutes away is Poke Dot on MacArthur Blvd (same quality of fish and very similar in the way they produce their poke bowls). If you’re picky with the quality of the fish similar to myself, then you should definitely try out North Shore Poke Co that is across the street!

My new go-​to favorite poke spot hands down! Wanted to try this place since it’s near my work place and I wasn’t disappointed.
The overall place is spacious. The assembly line is fairly efficient. I was a little ehhh about paying $ 10 for a medium (3 scoops) when other places it’s usually cheaper but the prices listed are with tax and the scoops of fish are HUGE. My jaw almost dropped by the amount of fish they give. They’re also not skimpy on the add ons so big thumbs up.
When i got to eat my bowl, it was very filled and a bit hard to mix everything but still, it was delicious.

I’ve been so obsessed with poke lately. Usually I go to another spot, but a coworker took me here the other day.
The inside is large with lots of seating. Tables and chairs are a hodgepodge, looks like they drove around the streets of Costa Mesa picking up furniture haha.
They have tons of options for protein and toppings. Lots of vegetarian options too like tofu and edemame. Scoops are big, without having to pay extra if you want avocado or crab like other places. The sauces are tasty and I had fun getting lots of toppings. I got a side of the garlic chips because I didn’t want to commit, glad I did, they were tasty but kind of overpowering.
Price was great especially for a pig like me that wants to get 5 scoops. I always do half lettuce half brown rice.
I will definitely be back and maybe bring the man next time. This could be our new favorite spot.

First time trying out this place today.
I came during happy hour and got the small poke bowl with chips for $ 5. Free soda with Unilocal check-​in.
I picked the Spicy tuna & yellow tail as my protein.
The yellow tail was pretty good but I couldn’t taste the spicy tuna.
Will be back to try again if I am in the neighborhood.

First time eating Poke and I’m not disappointed. Very delicious and healthy. The combination of all of the ingredients are quite balanced and fresh. Spicy Tuna and Salmon is the way to go! The portion here is pretty good with the more sides and toppings that you add to the Poke bowl. I didn’t find the spicy soy sauce to be all that spicy but it was good.
Gotta get the check-​in deal for the drink. Overall, a delicious meal with a lot of fun textures and fresh ingredients.

I got the large poke bowl ($ 12) which comes with 5 scoops of fish… and I ain’t talking small scoopers… I was so happy with the large size even though it cost two meals… since I saved leftovers and ended up eating it for two happy meals!
I got four scoops of salmon and one of yellowtail since fish other than salmon are usually fishy for me but I enjoyed the yellowtail too. I got the house sauce (medium spicy) and mixed it with a bit of their mayo sauce. The sauce was good and mixing seems to be the norm since the sauceman asked me what I wanted to mix the house sauce with. It tasted perfectly fine and yums. With all the toppings added on, it was a hearty meal and every bite was full of fish… exactly how a poke bowl should be. I felt like I got every bit of my money’s worth and was happy to have found this place!
Will be back, Uroko!

Large Poke Salad is $ 12 with choice of 5 proteins. Better than the place I ate at in Riverside. Uroko sauce can be either no spice, medium, or spicy. There is no limit to the sides or toppings, but toppings may have additional cost. Satisfied that they have cilantro and garlic crunch topping. Have a look-​see on da wall.
Since my last visit this place amped up. They now serve Intelligentsia coffee. AND in their beverage fridge (next to their soda fountain), they also sell Asahi beer, as well as light, premium or reserve Saporro.
Now options of where to hangout for poke is growing here in the OC. This place is really making their mark! I have a prior review for other thoughts I’ve already written. Just wanted to add what I observed of them to bring on their ‘competitive edge’.
As always GRUBBIT !!! or gulp it with their recent additions. Pokie faaaace :-8

This place gives you more meat than what you are paying for! They pack your bowl in with so much, I honestly think I could’ve ordered a small (and I can eat a lot) instead of the medium that I got.
Prices are below:
-$ 8 small (2 proteins)
-$ 10 medium (3 proteins)
-$ 12 large (5 proteins)
You choose a base (white rice, brown rice, salad, chips, etc), then sides (crabmeat, cucumber, onions and avocado), proteins (too many to list), sauce, then toppings .
Staff is really nice and can go through the line really quick. The inside of the unit is really big. Too big I think. There’s a lot of dead space in the back corner. But it didn’t bother me. I love this place!

This is my go to poke place just because every time I’ve been here so far, they’ve been really generous with their portions. My bowl is always overflowing.
I don’t really like build your own poke bowls because I like my protein more flavorful. However, when Northshore Poke is too far away and making it at home seems too time consuming, I always opt for this place.
What I like the most about this place is that they don’t charge extra for brown rice and avocado. In fact, the only price differences vary by the option of seaweed and size of the bowls. I also like that they have salads and chips option.
I always get salmon and sometimes octopus or scallops.
The only reason why I didn’t give this place 5 stars because I wish it was more flavorful and it doesn’t wow me too much.

Congratulations Uroko! You got my non-​raw sushi eating wife to order a bowl of poke. I don’t have to get Poke during lunch hours at work anymore.
Uroko is a typical assembly line Poke place. You know what to do. Pick your base, pick your protein, pick toppings, and pick your sauce. They have your typical tuna, salmon, yellowtail and scallops. For the people that like cooked foods, they have Shrimp, Octopus, Edamame, Tofu, or Tempura Shrimp that you can put into a poke bowl. The garlic chips were nice. It gave a nice crunch to the poke bowl.
Everything I had was fresh, although the piece of salmon I had was tough to chew because of the sinew. Their original sauce was perfect. I did not have to add any soy sauce to it. Service was great! They were patient with my wife and gave her suggestions on what cooked items that she could put in her bowl. She liked her Poke bowl, although I would never choose what she did.
5 stars because I was able to get a Poke bowl with my wife at dinner time! I like their selection and it almost doesn’t seem like I am wasting money on a cooked Poke bowl.

Free soda if you check-​in!
I have been hearing a lot about this place since it’s opened and finally got a chance to try it out. I beat the lunch rush by about 15 minutes (thank goodness!) and opt for a half-​half medium bowl.
What was in my bowl:
— Half salad, half brown rice
— All toppings (avocado toppings were FREE!)
— 3 scoops of fish for medium (I got tuna, salmon, and yellowtail)
— Spicy mayo sauce & medium level spice
— Topped with everything BUT wasabi (not too much of a wasabi fan)
The best part was probably the garlic chips that made this place stand out. They give a pretty decent portion for the sizes that they offer (small, medium and large). They also serve beer here!
It’s about the same as other poke places, but they do offer more size options, toppings (like the garlic chips and sesame seed), and it’s in a nice area where it’s perfect for lunch.

I wanted to try poke since I heard it’s the new fad so my friend brought me to Uroko Café. It’s a stand-​alone restaurant in a small plaza with few other businesses; still, the parking lot is only medium-​sized, so we were lucky to have found a spot.
I expected it to be more crowded at 7PM on a Saturday, but the restaurant was only about a quarter full and stayed that way through my whole meal. Granted, the restaurant is fairly large and spacious with ample seating.
Go up to the counter to start assembling your bowl! They offer three different sizes (small, medium, and large) for various amounts of money, and the larger the size, the more protein options you get. As for the sides/​toppings, you are allowed to get all of them if you want, and they only charge extra if you want additional helpings of the more premium ingredients.
Since I had a big lunch, I opted for salad as my base, but in retrospect, I really should have gotten rice (it would have paired better with the ingredients). But since I got a large bowl, I didn’t want that much rice. I also ordered miso soup, for which you are given a small styrofoam bowl with some scallions; you then self-​serve miso soup at a dispenser near the soda fountain (pretty nifty!). Currently, there is also a Unilocal check-​in offer of a free soda.
Service by all the employees was friendly and helpful; when I ordered, two of them worked together to handle the assembly and payment for my bowl.
I thought the prices were reasonable, ingredients fresh, and meal tasty overall. Though since it was my first time having poke, I don’t have much for comparison.

In terms of value and freshness, Uroko Café is the customized Poke bowl to beat in Orange County. Maybe anywhere.
The assembly line Poke Bowl concept in OC is about as overexposed as a Kardashian these days, both literally and figuratively, but that doesn’t mean that that the original and reigning champion cannot be knocked off of the throne. Sorry PokiNometry, the Poke Belt left Anaheim and now resides in the hipster heavy area of northern Costa Mesa.
We all know the drill: customize your bowl with your choices of base, protein, sauce, toppings, blah, blah, blah… Okay — there are no surprises in the ordering method and the lines can be outright absurd at peak times. And yes, the interior is somewhere between beat up to «kitchy» and I believe the air conditioning may be non-​existent… Then there is the fact that the pricing schedule is north of the competition…
None of this matters.
The portions, flavor and quality of the seafood at Uroko Café is unquestionably best in class. The average piece of raw fish is double the size of their rivaling Poke slingers and all of it tastes like it was just pulled out off of the Washington state coast 20 minutes ago. The large size nets you 5 options of protein which is bordering a Chirashi in weight. Hell — even my Salad base was crispier and crunchier than Poke Dot or Low Key Poke Joint. Oh and the Uroko Original Sauce? Bigger and better flavor than all of those «same old» spots.
I could go on with some more choice superlatives but why bother? Bookmark Uroko Café and clear it quickly.

Chipotle assembly line, but for poke.
Medium bowl — $ 10
Brown rice as my base
Piled mine with everything:
–avocado
–cucumber
–imitation crab
–onions
Medium = 3 types of fish
–albacore
–salmon
–tuna
Which they then mix the fish up with whatever sauce you choose — in my case, the worker recommended the ever popular spicy mayo. Okay.
Topped with:
–furikake
–green onions
–masago
Well, the appeal of the restaurant is the endless, customizable ingredients you can add to your bowl. I thought my bowl tasted very okay. The spicy mayo sauce wasn’t a very good pairing with my fish because it kind of overpowered everything. I can see why people like it here. You get a lot for your money, but at the end of the day, you’re just eating a very overdressed poke bowl, which detracts from what poke is supposed to be.

Uroko café, color me impressed!!! I didn’t really care to try this place because I’ve had so many good poke spots as is that I’m not excited about trying new ones anymore, but decided to give this place a chance. Glad I did because it was delish!
Fish was fresh, and the toppings were great. They charge for seaweed here ($ 1.50) unlike other places who give it for free, but they put it in a container and it’s a really good size serving.
Tip: Ask for the salad dressing! They purée onions and apples making a really tasty vinigrette.

Comparable to Pokinometry and wayyy closer to home! If you’re in Costa Mesa/​Irvine/​Tustin area Uroko café is your new poke joint! The base, protein, sauce, and topping choices are extensive! The prices are fair. Smaller (2 proteins) are $ 8 but the portion is pretty hefty. Even their beverage menu is large! You can choose from Intelligensia coffee to Kirin beers! The space/​sitting area is huge! Parking is a plus since they have their own parking lot! Uroko café is also opened until 10pm for late birdies like me on the weekends! Hehehe… I’ll definitely be back for more! Yum!
**PLUS: get a free soda when you check in!