**Big Fin Poké - Melrose: A 10/10 Must-Try Spot!** **Location:** 531 Main St, Melrose, MA 02176 **Ambiance:** 9/10 **Affordability:** 7/10 **Food:** 10/10 If you love fresh, customizable poke, **Big Fin Poké** is a dream come true! This colorful, vibrant spot in the heart of Melrose is perfect for grabbing a quick bite or sitting down to savor a meal. We tried several menu highlights, and let me tell you--it was an unforgettable food adventure! ### **Our Favorites**: **TORCHED SALMON** Raw salmon kissed with flame, creamy Japanese mayo, Big Fin Shoyu sauce, and Togarashi, topped with green onion. My mom devoured this one--it's that good. The torching adds such a fun flair! **10/10** **SPICY AHI POKÉ NACHOS** Fresh, spicy ahi tuna served with crispy wonton chips, avocado, cucumber, jalapeños, and masago. A perfect balance of crunch and freshness. Only thing missing? A drizzle of spicy mayo--but still, **9/10**! **KAILANI CHICKEN** Crispy fried chicken tossed in Kailani sauce (sweet Thai chili meets wasabi), Big Fin Shoyu, red chili flakes, and topped with fresh veggies. Cooked perfectly--every bite was packed with flavor. **10/10** **TERIYAKI MUSUBI** This Hawaiian classic was a snacky delight! Spam glazed in their house-made teriyaki sauce, served on rice and wrapped in nori. A great grab-and-go option. **9/10** **SPICY TUNA POKIRITTO** A sushi burrito that was *everything*! Packed with spicy tuna and the perfect balance of fillings, it was so filling and flavorful. Obsessed! **10/10** **MISO SOUP** Warm, comforting, and a great addition to any meal. Wakame, tofu, and green onion in a delicate soybean broth. **10/10** **Don't Forget the Mochi!** End your meal with one of their mochi flavors--they're the perfect sweet treat! ### **Final Thoughts** Big Fin Poké delivers on all fronts: fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and an exciting menu full of must-try items. Whether you're there for their signature creations or to build your own bowl, you're in for a treat. **Must-try:** TORCHED SALMON & SPICY TUNA POKIRITTO read more

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Big Fin Poke is an awesome addition to Melrose! The staff are very friendly and attentive. We've been here twice and the fish and ingredients are always super fresh. They offer a wider variety of sauces and toppings than most poke places around, which makes it stand out. We tried the Chicken Karaage (great crisp and really well-fried), miso soup (solid), a spicy tuna sushi-rito, and a custom poke bowl. Portions are generous, and the value is really solid for what you get. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving poke or want something a little different than the usual. read more

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Exceptional poke restaurant that also serves cutting-edge Hawaiian and Asian/Japanese fare like chicken karaage in addition to a wide variety of poke bowls. Also an assortment of Japanese beverages and snacks available for purchase as well. Excellent service in a streamlined fast-casual setting, and a very spacious interior dining atmosphere with more than enough tables - I feel that the main room can also host events or performances. Childhood buddies with the proprietor, Yusan Wu and his cousin Lifan Wu runs front of the house. Most highly recommended, and in the awesome neighborhood of Melrose! read more

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Love this place. Fantastic place to sit and eat or take out. I have gone a few times and and food is always fantastic and servers are friendly. read more

Big Fin Poké - TORCHED SALMON - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

The space is amazing and there is ample seating. There are exotic plants all around and it is super clean and organized. There is a mini freezer that has frozen mochi and also a retail section for popular Asian treats like pocky and hi-chew candy. The service was fast, the staff was friendly. If raw fish is not your thing, they do have cooked options. We tried the gyudon beef bowl and the spicy tuna poke bowl and both were fantastic. A great post-workout meal. I'm a super fan of healthy, high-protein, low-carb meals and this checks all those boxes and also tastes great. And I love that you can choose how healthy you want to be. They have options for white or brown rice, salad, or 1/2 rice & 1/2 salad, for their bowls. There's no outdoor seating, but if it happens to be a beautiful day, there is a small public seating area near the Starbucks a few doors down. read more

Big Fin Poké - SPICY TUNA - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

This place is amazing!!! The seafood and ingredients are always fresh and the staff are friendly - there's lots of options to choose from and ways to customize. The restaurant itself is very clean and I love the ambiance. This is such a special new gem in Melrose! read more

Gave Big Fin Poké a try on a work from home day and it was delicious! I ordered online which was so easy and it was ready right on time. The food was so fresh and delicious, it was a huge win. I liked the variety of options to choose from including the half and half base option since I find you're either left hungry with only lettuce or stuffed with rice. Portion size was good, leaving me full but not stuffed. read more

Big Fin Poké - Tuna poke bowl with brown rice/lettuce combo and spicy aioli - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

This is a great addition to downtown Melrose! I was here for their opening day and this place was super busy! The lines were long but boy it was worth the wait. They have a diverse assortment of snacks, drinks and mochi icecream! Both my friend and I got a build your own regular bowl that comes with two proteins. We got to pick our toppings and sauces. The total came to about $16 and the serving portion was decent. The decor is also pretty, bathrooms are clean and the staff is very friendly! Definitely will be back again. read more

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I went in and staff was pleasant. Food is great. I got a salmon bowl build your own option and it was delicious (licking my lips thinking about it. ) The woman with blonde hair who made my bowl was very kind and gave good recommendations. The managers were very professional and polite offering to help when needed. Will be coming back! read more

Today I ordered lunch from Big Fin Poke. The staff is nice, the food was fresh and the restaurant is super cute. I totally recommend this restaurant, especially if you want to try something new. read more

Long-awaited grab-and-go or dine-in option in downtown Melrose! Delicious poke bowls with a fun, colorful ambience. read more

Big Fin Poké - Build your own poke bowl - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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Been here multiple times and it's always fresh and the staff is super friendly. The building is absolutely stunning wide variety on the menu. absolutely delicious! Highly recommend! read more

First impression walking into Big Fin is WOW. So cute, aesthetic and spacious. Such a great job with interior design. BUT the showstopper is of course the food, I tried the spicy tuna bowl and it was amazing! The portion sizes were generous and the service overall was great:) can't recommend enough! read more

Big Fin Poké - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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i was heading to singing beach from boston, started to get the munchies, and craved for a salad. I found big fin pokie and after realizing it's in a mall, I seriously hesitated. But my craving over powered my "ugh" moment for going into a mall. I parked near the food court entrance, big fin is in the way back on the left adjacent to Claire's (where you get yo sparkles on). I didn't think much of the set up, basically a chipotle styled service. I ordered the spicy tuna on a bed of salad instead of rice. When the person making my salad, I noticed the freshness from the glass. I got excited. I got my ordered and dug into it. The spicy tuna was super fresh, the melody of flavors used blended well together, and everything was balanced. I was shocked. Am I at a mall eating a pokie ball that is legit on point? Yes. The mixed greens, edamame, side of imitation crab salad on top of the salad, and cucumbers were very fresh. There was some guac/avocado that was a tinge brown but nothing that wasn't inconsumable. I definitely will be making a pit stop back to this place to and from the beaches. read more

Big Fin Poké - Spicy tuna salad - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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This place is great! Delicious and fresh fish. I got tuna and salmon with a variety of sauces. I believe I got the ponzu and spicy mayo. There are plenty of topics to accompany your bowl. The space inside is clean and way larger than it appeared from the street! Staff was also nice. So happy to have this new addition close to home. read more

Been twice. Flavors are great and they have a nice variety of options. Personally I wouldn't get the cooked salmon one again, because it had a little of that blow torch flavor. But the raw fish ones that I have gotten, and my wife has gotten have all been fantastic. I will say that last time the portion was smaller than the first time, which was weird read more

I love this place. Always fresh and big portions with a lot of options for toppings. It's so good! The ambience is nice inside but mostly do take out. read more

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I've been wanting to stop by this place for a while and finally got a chance today. First off, it's a lot bigger inside than you'd think! It was clean and inviting... I ordered off the menu, the spicy tuna poke over salad. It was very good, great balance of flavor that was neither overpowering nor bland. I thought it was a tiny bit pricy but the portion size (I got the regular) was generous. I'd definitely come back to try other bowls as this was a great first impression. read more

Big Fin Poké - Spicy Tuna Poke Salad Bowl - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Big Fin Poke is excellent. I love the spicy tuna or Kailani chicken. Portions are excellent and all items are incredibly fresh. The shoyu sauce, as with all of their sauces, are excellent. I also order the Teriyaki Musabi which is amazingly simple and tasty. Who thought a piece of spam on rice could be so tasty. I go here about once a week at this point and have never had anything that was not perfect. read more

Expensive and not the best. Missing the flavor Im used too when I order poke. Presentation was great they give you a nice bag and container. read more

We got an order to go. I had a rice poke bowl with salmon and shrimp with other assorted goodies in the build your own bowl. Lots of gluten free choices. Delish. read more

Such a great place!!!! We got the miso tofu bowl as the vegetarian option and it was so delicious. The staff was friendly and helpful. The inside is so beautiful, and very clean! They also have a ton of drink and unique snack options. We got the Hawaiian sun drink and it was so good! Definitely check this place out! read more

Super tasty, tons of options. Being limited in how many toppings you can add is a bit annoying though read more

I have been waiting for a Poke place to open that could match those I have enjoyed in California and it is finally here. The ingredients used are all fresh and great tasting. My only suggestion would be that ordering on-line did not allow me to have the poke bowl I really wanted so after my first experience I have gone in and ordered. The people there were able to make me exactly what I wanted. read more

Gotta say, I don't get the hype. I've been to Big Fin many times and it's just okay. I've had better quality poke at lower prices at other places, and with larger portions of fish too. Poke bowls are all about the fish (assuming that's what you choose as your protein option). If the fish isn't high-quality, then it ruins everything else. I've had the tuna, yellowtail, and salmon here and none of them tasted particularly fresh. Something about the taste and texture is off, like they sit in the containers all day without being kept at the proper temperature. Everything else - toppings, sauces, rice - is good. Similar to options at other poke places. I can't say anything about the other protein options like chicken and tofu, but those are probably better. The North Shore/north of Boston area has better options for raw fish. read more

It'd been too long since I came back, but it was even better than I remembered. I actually had some poke in Cali in between, and Big Fin was actually much better. The yellowtail, tuna, and seaweed salad is a delicious combo. I love their crunch options because wasabi peas, crispy onion and masago are excellent toppings. read more

Was looking for a poke place a little north of Boston and this came up. It's in a mall, but parking was easy enough and you don't have to walk through a lot of mall to get to the storefront. The fish and toppings were fresh and delicious. I liked that there are multiple types of seaweed and that you can get kimchee as a topping. Really no complaints. It's a good poke bowl, and on par with ones I've had in Seattle and Oahu. read more

Big Fin Poké - Half salmon / half tuna bowl with a few toppings - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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I got a build your own bowl with tuna and wasabi powder. They also have a bunch of favorites that you can choose from if you don't want to build your own. As well as side dishes like the ikka (fried squid!! Super yummy). They make the teriyaki musubi fresh and it's always good, this is the only good photo I have because I finished them so fast. recommend, great to come with your family and friends since they have quite a big seating area!! Looking forward to coming here again since the workers are nice and the place is very clean. read more

Big Fin Poké - TERIYAKI MUSUBI - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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Seeing more variety for food in the North Shore has me pumped! There is a Poké place in Beverly, but it's a little far. However, this is down the street for me. Not so excited that it is physically located in the mall, but it makes sense. Well, at the time before the whole Corona Virus pandemic started. Lame. I also enjoy that this is a small company from Maine opening up here. Similar to Hop & Grind, the restaurant is run by the owner's and from what I understand is similar to a restaurant in New Hampshire as well. The food, we must talk about the food darling. The food is fresh and lighter fare. I always feel a little unsatisfied with the bowls, which the Teriyaki Musubi helped put in a dent. But it's healthy and doesn't leave one feeling run down. There are so many cheeseburgers you can hammer down before you're saying "damn I need a salad or something." This is a great option. It is fast; prepped and the bowl is put together right in front of you. It's a healthier option with regards to fast food, and I hope people are willing to give this place a shot. read more

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I'm so sad after reading all the great reviews, my daughter and I love poke and tried this place out and it was average to actually below average. With smaller portions than most of the other poke restaurants, the sauces were nonexistent and it was literally just average. I would not go back and I would not recommend this to anyone, and I'm so sad to say that. read more

By far the best poke place in the area! The fish is so fresh, the portions are great, and there are so many options to choose from! I especially like that you can choose the Korean beef bowl and the poke nachos, both excellent choices. My personal favorite is building a bowl with salmon- they give such a good amount of salmon, and all the other toppings go very nicely. Very fast service as well! read more

I don't frequent the mall much these days so discovering this inside was a bonus for a lunch option. Everything is fresh and served quickly, you can go for standard menu choices or build your own bowl with a good amount of add on choices. Had the torched salmon poke bowl and it checked all boxes for a solid lunch choice. A step above what you would usually find at a food court. Next visit it's Tuna! read more

We have ordered from here multiple times in person and online. Without fail, they always get the orders correct with generous toppings. Price is a little high but portions are even greater. Love this place! read more

Big Fin Poké - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

I just want to say a handful of things about Big Fin Poke. I order from here occasionally, probably once every few months. But every single time I get their food, it is always so satisfying. You customize your own poke bowl as you desire, and whenever I desire poke, I order from here. The employees are always a pleasure to interact with, and they're always happy to make accommodations. I'll often go in person, but I just ordered through ubereats, and to be respectful of their service, i ordered extra sauce, but wanted extra white rice swapped for it instead, so they didnt lose money on product. And of course, they delivered on my request. It may seem expensive to some people, but for a great meal I will gladly play a little extra. Very delicious. 10000/10. read more

Big Fin Poké - Custom Poke Bowl: extra white rice, salmon, kimchi, cucumber, beef, pickles ginger, pineapple, cilantro, and green onions. Very delicious. - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Picked up lunch here today ... great atmosphere, fun and colorful. Outstanding nori roll. Chose my own adventure and absolutely loved it! The chicken was fantastic, the veggies were fresh and the add-ones delicious!! Can't wait to go back. A bit pricey, but got 2 meals out of the one order, so it worked out in the end!! read more

I have been there 3 times since it opened, everything is also fresh and delicious. The staff is friendly, the place is beautifully decorated, very colorful, I have gotten the fried calamari, starter poke bowl and Spam appetizer read more

This is honestly one of the best poke bowls I've had in my life! The fish yellowfin tuna and regular tuna and the toppings amazing! read more

Big Fin Poké - Tuna poke bowl over salad - yummy! - Poke Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Recently tried this place for the first time, definitely will come back again and again. I was hesitant because I am not a big fish guy but I got the beef and chicken and it was amazing. The service is not amazingly fast because it takes time to make such great food so it's understandable. Pricing isn't terrible either for the amount of quality food your are getting, definitely one of my new healthier spots in the North Shore to go to. read more

I've tried several different things on the menu and they've all been really great. Such a positive addition to Melrose!

At the North Shore mall today. Was looking for something healthy and tasty, which is sometimes tough to find at a mall food court. Big Fin stood out to me so I checked out their menu. They have a really great selection of fish protein and veggies. They have set bowls but you can also customize your own. The shop is clean and the staff is friendly and efficient. I got the spicy ahi tuna bowl with fresh greens, cucumber, kanikama crab, seaweed salad and extra avocado. My wife customized her bowl- brown rice, salmon and yellowtail with yuzu citrus sauce, crushed macadamia nuts, seaweed salad, sweet corn, cucumber, sweet onions, cilantro and jalapeño. SO MUCH GOOD HEALTHY VARIETY. Will go back again soon! read more

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