Poki Bowl

Best flippin idea EVER!!! I am embarrassed to say that I just discovered this place.
Its only minus one star due to their lack of seating. Otherwise, I’d like to say that I probably will never go to a regular sushi restaurant again.
This is EVERYTHING I love! Spicy tuna, crab, yellow tail, shrimp, ahi tuna and salmon w/​all the awesome toppings and sauces! Nommmmm!
Picture, chipotle for a poke bowl or if you’re familiar w/​sushirrito, its just like it.
Fish is fresh, and you get to pick your toppings through a cafeteria window. Prices are ideal for the quantity of food you get.
Super fan!

I got the large bowl with half tuna half salmon, sprinkled with spicy mayo, green onions, avocado, and sesame seeds. I have to say that this was a tasty combo, especially with the sauces they mixed with the fish (I don’t remember what). The only thing was I thought it got a little too oily towards to end, but the taste was all there! The fish was relatively fresh and they definitely weren’t too greedy about giving me those scoops of fish!
Yay for the new chipotle of poke bowls!

+ customizable
+ fresh
+ healthy
+ fast
I agree w/​Alex that the crab was mostly made up of imitation crab but other than that, I really had no complaints. The price seemed fair because of the variety of proteins you can choose depending on the size that you get. I ordered a large so I was able to choose up to 4 scoops.
I so wanted brown rice but went w/​the mixed greens instead (would have been better if it was spinach though). I chose a scoop of spicy tuna, 2 scoops of tuna, and a scoop of shrimp. Each scoop literally contained about 3 cubes. It’s no ice cream scoop which was why I opted for a large to begin w/​.
I shouldn’t have asked for spicy because it was just a heaping amount of oil w/​o any kind of spice or heat that actually flung in my eye as I was eating made it exceptionally painful. The spicy mayo wasn’t spicy either but since I am allowed to eat mayonnaise, I went for it. I know next time to opt out of it, too. It did not enhance the flavor whatsoever.
The onions and avocado were fresh. I think I forgot to add the seaweed mixture to my salad bowl but nonetheless, it was one tasty salad bowl. Perhaps a bit pricey for the portion size but for a girl that is watching her portions, I very much appreciated the restricted amount because the hardest part is boxing my food up.
Service was friendly for the most part except the girl that took care of the sauces (hot, mild, whatever) did not seem like she wanted to be there. She had a look that made me want to say something to her and her manager but I refrained and remained calm throughout my entire sauce experience.
Next time, I just want 10 scoops of tuna and maybe 3 scoops of avocado w/​hella onions on top. I cannot do octopuses. the tentacles scare me. Oh, and I wish the shrimp were not all chopped up.
I’ll come back for sure.

Came here because I was outvoted by my friends. We got there a little before closing (8:40pm). The line was still pretty long, but it moves fast. I’m not a big fan of poke/​raw fish, so I got a rice/​salad bowl with spicy tuna and 2 scoops of the shrimp. The flavors were good, but I ended feeling really nauseous about 30 minutes later and throwing up. My friends felt fine, but I was the only one to get shrimp.

A — Ok
The bowl is solid — like a deconstructed sushi roll.
Really do not see the draw and was frankly unimpressed.
* Now a days EVERYONE has had similar tastes just by going to the sushi place down the street.
* Not a destination spot. Nice alternative if in the area.
* Conveyer Belt Approach (BTW Stop with the Chipotle references)
Although the menu steps are well laid out its FRKN confusing for the First Timer! Felt More rushed than when I order a bowl of phở before I sit down at my favorite phở spot (Standard).
FEEDBACK:
— Train staff to provide a friendly welcome (it’s Crammed AF and least they can do).
— Train staff to ask if its your First Time visiting
— If it’s a First Timer then take a moment to explain vs. provide a feeling as if I’m just watching a taco at Taco Bell being made (I’m guessing).
— My Experience: White Rice, 2 Salmon, 1 Ahi, 1 Spicy Tuna, Yes Yes, Everything, Spicy (not in this exact order), I’ll take a Coke and here is 15 bucks — FK, No where to eat. Quality of experience grade — F.
* Never been to Hawaii so not sure how authentic tasting.
* Around 2004 started eating Poke when I started to see it on menus at sushi spots and swanky cool spots in different cities.
Notes:
— Seating super limited. FEEDBACK — Enforce 5 or 10 minute seat limits.
It’s annoying AF to have to eat this bowl in car or outside of car (like I did) because you do not have basic accommodations.
(How can I line up a pic of what I’m about to eat and post on Unilocal!!!)
— Lamest excuse on why they do not serve the ice cream sandwiches. Was really looking forward to try but it worked out fine as I ventured to Milohas!
— Didn’t see a sign for a restroom :-/​
— Plant location opening soon.

I’m from Hawaii so I think I know poke pretty good and I have to say, since moving to Cali this is probably one of the best poke places Ive been to (quality and quantity wise). And this place is straight forward:
Pick the size — regular (3 scoops) or large (4 scoops)
Rice — sushi or brown/​Salad
Seafood — spicy tuna, tuna, shrimp, salmon, crab; veggie — cucumber, onion, pickled ginger
Not spicy, mild, medium or spicy
And last additional toppings — masago, crab, avocado, wasabi (I know I’m missing a few)
All in all, you get your bang for your buck. I was full and I got everything I wanted. Super delicious. I highly recommend this place if you’re looking for poke. Only thing that if I had to call it a negative was lack of seating but what do you expect, this place was packed! Can’t wait to visit again.

MmMmm… not that bad at all.
If you want something quick and yummy to pick up, this is it. I feel as if «the chipotle» method has become the fast food trend, where you get to pick and choose your eating options.
You get to choose your base, 3 types of meat, sauce, and toppings. I had brown rice, two scoops of salmon and a scoop of yellowtail, with a mild spicy sauce, and every topping on top. I ordered a regular bowl and thought I would be wanting more but it was actually a perfect amount.
The place is small and definitely not a sit down place to eat. They have a few outdoor seating but it’s probably best to take it home with you.
Ps. The scoop of wasabi isn’t as strong as you think. You can totally mix it in if you like wasabi :)

Hands down, the best poki place I’ve been to! I just started liking fish under a year ago, so that’s telling you something! This place is usually packed especially during dinner time. However, if you come at random hours like 3pm on a weekday, there’s no line.
I love how it’s «chiptole style» and you have multiple choices from the base to the toppings to the sauces! I always go with the sushi rice with all salmon! Unlike other poke places, for a flat rate you get access to everything from imitation crab meat, various veggies and masago! (Extra of something (i.e fish) will cost though. Another plus is that the fish are tossed in front of your eyes with your preference of spiciness and sauce choices! This way, your bowl is built to your taste buds and won’t be over marinated and salty like poki places that are pre marinated and sitting in the deli fridge for hours prior. It’s so yummy that I literally inhaled my bowl and I’m usually a super slow eater!
Super nice staff too, I was picking up a late lunch after going to Kaiser and picked up my BF a bowl too. They were nice enough to separate the rice and fish in different containers so that I can easily reheat the rice without having to scoop everything off first.
Poki Bowl is a bit far from where I live but I think it’s definetely worth the drive as I have tried neighboring poki places that were expensive and disappointing.

It’s like chipotle for poke, I wonder what’ll be next in the chipotle style restaurant movement…
But first you choose a size: regular or large, and then between brown rice, white rice or salad. For a regular bowl you get three scoops of fish and then you can choose toppings like imitation crab, ginger, avocado and more! You also choose how spicy you want your soy sauce to be.
I got spicy tuna, salmon and tuna, with medium soy sauce, some mayo and miso sauce, ginger, avocado, furikake and way more. It was really yummy!
My Hawaiian friend said it was pretty good so it has the Hawaiian seal of approval. I would probably come back but I’d like to try other South Bay poke places first :)

I tried poki for my first time ever and I was not disappointed! Poki Bowl is delicious! Fresh tasting fish, good portions, customized flavors and fair price.
The set up is like chipotle where you walk down the assembly line choosing your base (salad, brown rice, white rice), your choices of poki (spicy tuna, salmon, yellow tail, tuna, octopus and shrimp) and then your toppings. Toppings like crab meet, masago, and avocado. You can also choose your spice level (I liked medium using the spicy mayo). A small bowl was $ 10.37 including tax.
The bowl was so great and I am definitely coming back for more! Sometimes there’s a line but the workers are fast and it goes by quickly. A MUST TRY!

Alright, my first time ever eating Poke Bowl in general was at this place! My go-​to that I usually order (in order) is a regular bowl with sushi rice, 2 scoops of tuna, 1 scoop of salmon, cucumbers, spicy mayo, spicy sauce, crab meat, avocado (depends on how I feel that day), green onions, masago eggs, seaweed mix, sesame seeds, and more spicy mayo on top with a side of spicy mayo to dip. All of that will cost you around $ 9.75.
I was introduced to this place by my girlfriend who is a frequent Unilocaler. At first, I had no idea what this was other than they serve you rice and raw fish on top but after having my first taste, I was forever hooked going to this place. My girlfriend and I went on the opening day and there were so many people that the line extended out the door. They give you a good amount of rice, fish, and other toppings to go with it. The taste was a refreshing one because it reminded me of being in Hawaii. Their customer service is very nice and are very helpful in trying to help you decide what to get if you’re a new customer! Also, they give you samples to see if you like the raw fish before you choose!
Overall, I would come back here again which I have been to support this new place that opened up just a couple of months ago! I give a BIG thumbs up and I wholeheartedly RECOMMEND this place to those who have tried and those who haven’t tried because you will not be disappointed!
P. S. They sell a variety of ice cream macarons if you’re craving dessert after your Poke Bowl!

There was a reasonable sized lineup here during lunch on the weekend. This is not just because it’s popular but their system is a little slow as everything is made to order and fully customizable. They offer white, brown, salad, or mixed as your «carb» to be placed into a bowl then you select the «poke» which at the time they offered spicy tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and tuna. Then you choose the spice level and what toppings you want. What’s neat was that a scoop of avocado is included in the price. They offer two sizes: regular and large. The difference is only one dollar more so it’s not a major difference. The rice is more or less the same and you just get more scoops of poke instead.
The wasabi they offered is imitation and the color is too fake. It was bright blue/​green. I didn’t end up using much of it as I’m not a fan of imitation wasabi/​powdered wasabi. I got my order to go and ate at home and it was pretty decent. Fish was fresh and lightly marinated but there was no spice to it even though I asked for medium. My friend also ordered spicy but it was not spicy at all. They should probably double check on that but aside from that it was pretty good. I’d come here again.

Again, whoo hoo for the poke craze!
Poki Bowl was the first poke place I heard about, and unfortunately that meant the lines were crazzzzzzzy when I first went there. Hubs and I made the trek over in October and we saw what the hype was about.
The biggest thing here is that the fish is FRESH. No fishy taste, scent, anything. The sauce is a bit spicy though, even the mild sauce was spicy to me (but to warn you: I’m pathetic when it comes to spice). Avocado is a bit pricey ($ 1.50 for a scoop) but other than that, its wonderful.
Line can be long, but it goes pretty quickly. Almost NO indoor seating here (like 2 tables tops) so be prepared to take it to go or to eat at the few tables outside the store.

Kinda glad I waited for the heat to die down on this place. It’s hard to satisfy a poke craving around this area besides the those selected weekends Almaden Costco decides to put them out. The closest I could find was the ahi tuna at Hawaiian Drive-​Thru, which doesn’t deserve another lick of recognition in this review. So onward…
I really dig the selection of seafood here. You get your mix of up to 3; spicy tuna, yellow tail and octopus (of course) is usually what I get. Even if you can’t decide on 3, they let you double, maybe even triple on a single kind of fish to your liking. and that’s only Step 2 of the build-​a-​bowl process. Going down the line you pick your toppings, sauces, condiments — can’t go wrong with the miso dressing and spicy mayo if you want that extra kick.
All in all It doesn’t take much to pack a lot of flavor into your creations, so anyone trying to cut down on rice by going the green salad route won’t feel like they’re missing out on a tasty meal. Great addition to the Almaden Valley!

Hands down the best lunch in the area! Poke is a favorite lunch of mine, and Poki Bowl does an awesome job using the Subway-​style built-​to-​order system to make poke accessible to all, with great customization options and an extremely wallet-​friendly price.
Got a large bowl with spicy tun, salmon, and yellow tail, on a bed of half sushi rice and half salad. Asked for medium spice, with onions and cucumber, added masago, spicy mayo, and furikake seasoning on top. Fish is fresh, portion is fair, poke flavors came together well, and the mix of rice and lettuce kept this filling without being too heavy– it could have easily been two meals. Did I mention it was under $ 12? A fucking steal.
Service was full of aloha spirit, and was happy to walk me through the ordering process and menu options for my first visit. Come here early or the line may back up. Park in the adjacent nursery lot to get in and out fast!

Comparable to Pokinometry, but I think it beats it by a lot. Hahaha. Super amazing service. They have patience for my annoyingly slow self! They’re fun people who seem to be the type of people I’d hangout with! They remind me of my family and friends, what’s good!
Their fish tastes fresh too, oh oh mmm! I love this place, but i’m down to try their competitions too around the South Bay. Gotta support South Bay eateries, man!

Pretty yummy.
I got a regular bowl with two scoops of salmon and one scoop of tuna. It was really filling and I had leftovers.
Just a warning that they are generous with the raw white onions and masago. My friend and I ended up picking out half a cup of cut onion altogether.
Workers messed up on my order twice as I went down the line but they were nice about it and made a new bowl.
All seating is outdoor and limited! There’s just enough seating for ~15 people

«I’m at poki bowl!» I tell my friend from Hawaii over the phone. She scoffs and tells me it’s pronounced po KEH.
Oops!
WAIT TIME
Anyways, I heard the rumors of a long wait and I’m here to tell you, the rumors are true! So be prepared to wait at least 20 mins during peak times. I came from dinner (around 6) and it was a 30 minute wait.
ORDERING
Pretty simple! Sort of «subway/​chipotle style» where they scoop the fish and etc up in front of you. I got the regular bowl with salad as my base and one scoop of Tuna, spicy tuna, and octopus. I skipped the mayo sauce and got it medium spicy.
TASTE
I thought it was good! The fish was tasted fresh and I actually enjoyed the tuna more than the spicy tuna. I wish the tuna was a bit spicier. What I liked is this meal can be a low carb/​healthy if you skip the rice and mayo. I thought the mayo was not needed, the spicy sauce was flavorful enough, although medium spicy was not spicy at all. Also the regular was very filling for one person. They have macaroon icecream which looked bomb, but I didn’t grab one :(

Overall I’m going a 3 but it’s close to a 4 star. Great quality but incredibly inconsistent service — especially the fish portioning. Why did some customers get extra scoops at no charge? I saw some get six scoops in their small bowls with no extra charge! My one scoop of tuna was minuscule. I want to like this place more, but the line needs to move quicker and the portioning needs to be spot on consistent all the time.
Here’s my log while waiting in line on Saturday:
This takes a long time. 12:57 arrival. 10 people out the door ahead of me. No clue how many more inside. Really hot waiting out in the sun :(
1:08 inside with 25 people ahead in line. Watching the gal in charge of the fish scoops and noticing no consistency at all. One guy does ask for a total of 8 scoops and gets little plastic lids on his tray to indicate the additional charges (no clue how much though!). 1:23 I get to start my order. First guy gives me thirds so I can try both rices and the salad. Then two scoops of salmon and one each of yellowtail and tuna. 1:29 I’m paid and out the door.

I love these Chipotle-​esque fast casual concept places and Poki Bowl didn’t disappoint. Very popular, no seating and horrible parking lot, so grab your food and run far away.
I got a large with white rice (not enough vinegar to call it sushi rice, even though they do) and 1 scoop yellowtail, 3 scoops tuna. Fish quality tasted pretty good, nice thick cubes.
Bowl was very salty (yes, poki is very salty in general) but when you get a bite with all the toppings, everything balances out nicely. Spicy mayo helps especially, and is not spicy at all. I wish they had an acid option like lemon juice or vinegar to brighten up the bowl a little. Crab and avocado are essential to help balance IMO, and also cost extra. I would skip the masago, extra saltiness is not needed.
I also got a strawberry & nutella macaron ice cream sandwich because the allure was too hard to resist! Very sweet and nice strawberry flavor, absolutely no nutella tasted. Next time I’ll try green tea.
Good place, wish it was closer to me. Would love to come here for lunch during the week!