Poke—pronounced poh-kay—is a Hawaiian word that means “to cut crosswise into pieces.” It is also the name of an increasingly popular raw fish salad. In Austin alone, there are six poke restaurants, plus more than a dozen that offer the dish in some form or another. Here’s a round-up of some of Austin’s poke destinations.
1. Husband-and-wife team Jason McVearry and Trish Fortuna opened their first
Poké-Poké location in Venice Beach, California, in 2010. They first tried the dish six months earlier while visiting Hawaii. Six years later, they returned to their home state of Texas to open their first Austin location at 3100 S. Congress Ave., Austin. In Feburary, they opened another location in Allandale. 512-814-1032.
www.poke-poke.com
2. Austin’s first poke restaurant,
Ola Poke, opened in June 2016 at 6808 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. B-110, and offers a variety of Hawaiian- and Korean-inspired dishes, including loco moco (white rice topped with a hamburger patty and gravy), spam musubi, kimchi fries and bulgogi. 512-323-0153.
www.olapokeaustin.com
3.
Poké Bowl opened last month in West Campus at 2828 Guadalupe St., Austin, in the Guadalupe Retail Center. Salmon, mahimahi, tuna, shrimp, scallop and squid bowls are on offer, along with a selection of green vegetables, sushi and desserts. 512-748-0178.
www.pokebowlaustin.com
4. Food truck
Poke Me Long Time recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. The downtown outfit offers a fusion of Hawaiian poke and Japanese sashimi bowls at 1606 E. Sixth St., Austin. 512-762-2478.
www.facebook.com/pokemelongtime
5. Austin’s newest poke restaurant,
Pokeatery, is slated to open at 1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd. in the Mueller Regional Retail District in Austin in mid-October. The owners, husband-and-wife Derek and Joann Chung, have two other locations in northern California, where they have debuted their signature poke boxes as well as pokecado toast (a mash-up of poke and avocado toast). 512-693-9572.
www.pokeatery.com
6. Those in the mood for poke nachos can check out
Ah Sing Den. Named after a famous London opium den frequented by Charles Dickens, the restaurant offers wonton chip nachos with raw tuna on top at 1100 E. Sixth St., Austin. 512-567-4280.
www.ahsingden.com
7. In addition to poke,
The Big Kahuna food truck at 5000 Burnet Road, Austin, serves a full menu of Hawaiian fare, including beef bulgogi and loco moco. 512-680-0225.
www.bigkahunaaustin.com
8. Although its California-inspired menu only has one version,
Café No Sé at the South Congress Hotel at 1603 S. Congress Ave., Austin, features a creative take on poke. It combines yellowfin tuna, castelvetrano olives, pickled jalapenos, pistachio and grapefruit. 512-942-2061.
www.cafenoseaustin.com
9. Modern-day Mexican restaurant
La Condesa at 400 W. Second St., Ste. A, Austin, offers a few ceviche dishes, including a poke-inspired option that combines yellowfin tuna, salsa negra and yuzu kosho for a fusion of Mexican, Hawaiian and Japanese cuisines. 512-499-0300.
www.lacondesa.com
