Poke Bay 4215 University Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98105

"A hidden gem! THE FOOD was fantastic! They were out of some of the side dishes, so I ended up ordering just a poke bowl. But to me, it's a good sign when food is sold out at the end of the night because it means that they don't prepare too much and hold it over to the next day. I ordered the Rainbow Bowl and it came with tons of different toppings, which I personally love more than some poke places that give you just 4-5 toppings. The fish was fresh, the rice was well seasoned, the veggies/fruit were fresh and perfectly ripe, and the ponzu sauce was well balanced. A regular was a good sized meal, but honestly, just pay the extra couple bucks and get the large because it's so good you'll wish you had more! THE SERVICE was good, the woman behind the counter was friendly and quick. She apologized for being out of some of the side dishes, but was very keen on ensuring my order was prepared with the customizations that I had selected. THE ATMOSPHERE was unassuming. Upon initial entry, the place is very small with barely enough room for 3-4 people to stand and place their order. It also looks simple, perhaps a little old, but clean. But it's this unassuming atmosphere that lets you know that it's a hidden gem."

"The food here is really good. I like the toppings variety. It’s nice that you can customize your own bowl or choose one of the signature bowls if you don’t know what to get."

"The food here was really good, I got sushi rice with chicken, crab salad, and edemame, it all tasted fresh and the bowl was pretty full. I would definitely come back again."

"Pretty bad… $14 for a regular bowl yet the scoops are tiny and the fish is bad quality. Even safeway sushi would be less gummy and chemical tasting than this was. I didn’t like the house shoyu either, the rice was clumping, and the toppings weren’t fresh (lots of browning) or very appetizing. It doesn’t compare at all to the other nearby poke places. There’s also no AC, so on hot days you’d need to find somewhere else to sit. The owners seemed very nice but unfortunately I can’t recommend this place."

"I'm from Hawaii, so I'm always on the lookout for the next new poke spot. Poke Bay just opened on the Ave (right in front of Boba Gem and across from Jai Thai) and they were having a 20% off sale for their grand opening, so I popped in to give them a try! TL;DR: It's not authentic Hawaiian-style poke. However, it's a decent American-style poke bowl (where the poke isn't pre-mixed beforehand and the toppings greatly outweigh the amount of fish). I'd come back solely for the unusual fact that they have crawfish and shrimp tempura in their standard protein options. The interior is bright, clean, and minimalist -- just a bar to order and some seating. One individual bathroom. Note that there is VERY LIMITED seating: 1 table for four people, 1 table for two people, and 5 counter seats. When I came in, they were playing a mix of alternative and Disney music at medium volume. In terms of food, it was pretty standard Seattle poke-bowl fare and pricing. Choose a "signature bowl" with pre-set ingredients (Regular $13.99 and Large $16.99) or build your own bowl (Regular $13.99 for 2 proteins, Large $16.99 for 3 proteins, +$3 for an extra scoop of protein). They had drinks to purchase but I didn't see a free water dispenser. For folks unfamiliar with poke bowls, here's how to build your own bowl: 1. Walk to the far right edge of the counter, and tell them what size you want. 2. Choose a base (rices and salad), 2-3 scoops of protein (variety of cubed fishes, shrimp tempura, crawfish, or tofu). 3. Add an unlimited number of sides (vegetables, crab salad, edamame, ginger, etc). 4. Choose your sauce (I'm unclear if there's an extra charge for multiple sauces or not). 5. Add an unlimited number of toppings (crispy onion, jalapeños, tempura flakes, etc). Enjoy!"