Where to Get the Best Poke in Atlanta
We all love us some sushi, but what about poke?
For the uninformed, poke (POH-keh) is a Hawaiian dish consisting of diced raw fish served in a bowl with a variety of sauces, vegetables, and other toppings.
Not only is it absolutely overflowing with flavor, but it’s nutritious and filling, so you won’t be craving a snack an hour after your meal.
Next time you’re in the mood for this Hawaiian treat, here are some of the best poke spots in Atlanta.
Poke City
What if you took the endless possibilities of a DIY place like Chipotle but replaced the carnitas and guac with salmon and wasabi? That’s where Poke City comes into the mix.
Here’s how it works: pick a base (brown or white rice, a spring mix, or a combo), then up to four different proteins (all kinds of options like shrimp, spicy tuna, tofu, etc.), veggies (carrots, edamame, kale, cucumber, etc.), sauce (their original ginger shoyu, spicy mayo, sweet chili, etc.), and plenty of toppings (masago, pineapple, avocado, tempura flakes, etc.) Simply put, no two poke bowls are the same, but each one is a winner.
Poke Burri
While you may be familiar with Poke Burri from their sushi burrito and sushi pizza, they built their name (literally) with their poke. They have seven bowls you can choose from, like the spicy Dynamite Bowl, but you can also build your own as either a bowl or a roll. There are numerous locations all over the country with four in the Atlanta area, including the original in East Atlanta Village.
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Bowl Lab
For this restaurant, it’s all about the bowl. They use that format and the freshest ingredients possible (especially those proteins!) as a launching point to sling some of the tastiest flavor combinations you can imagine. You can of course create your own, but we highly recommend choosing from one of the eight signature combos.
BORUBORU
This spot right near Emory has a lot to love, from their spicy tuna to the Muscle Man sushi burrito (salmon, spicy tuna, or BORUBORU chicken, avocado, cucumber, pickled jalapeno, pickled onion, scallion, and spicy mayo or poke dressing).
They also have two poke bowls. One of those is Shoyu Style, with your choice of salmon or tuna, cucumber, avocado, pickled onion, crispy fried onion, pickled jalapeno, scallion, edamame beans, and your choice of poke dressing or sesame oil. The other is BORUBORU Style, with salmon or tuna, masago, toasted almonds, nori, avocado, pickled onion, scallion, pickled jalapeno, crispy fried onion, cucumber, edamame beans, and creamy-style dressing.
Kale Me Crazy
While most turn to Kale Me Crazy for smoothies, juices, and toasts, they actually have a fantastic poke bowl. It consists of wild-caught tuna dressed in their house marinade and served with avocado, cucumber, carrots, edamame, radish, toasted sesame seeds, spicy vegan mayonnaise, and furikake (rice seasoning) on a bed of rice. Believe it or not, there’s no kale in this.
Beetlecat
From the mad-about-seafood mind of Ford Fry, Beetlecat is a love letter to seaside dining with an emphasis of fresh oysters. There’s no shortage of other options from under the sea and beyond, but you have to try their Steelhead Trout Poke with sesame ginger, cabbage, and pickled mushrooms for an explosion of umami goodness.
