~ Fresh Poke ~ Love their poke by the pound with wonton chips!! I got the Ginger & Sesame Salmon 4/5 (but had a LOT of ginger bits) Wasabi Ahi 3/5 (sweet but not much wasabi flavor) With Newport Beach being 13 mins away it's a great snack to pick up!! There was a long line, but the wait was only 10-15mins. The decorations inside were really cute!! They have a big parking lot. read more

Unfortunately, my first experience at Exit 8 Bodega was extremely disappointing. The line was actually much shorter than what I normally see out the door, yet it still took about 30 minutes to get a poke bowl and a sandwich. The biggest issue was how unorganized and inefficient the operation felt. The staff seemed lackadaisical, and during the short time I was there, I personally witnessed multiple order mistakes. I was overcharged for an extra item I never ordered. Two customers ahead of us both had to come back because the staff forgot extra meat they had paid for. Our spam musubi was also left out of the order even though we paid for it, and on top of that, we were given the wrong type of poke. Unfortunately, I also ended up throwing up later that day after eating the food. I obviously can't say for certain that the food was the cause, but given the overall experience, it certainly didn't help my impression of the place. Overall, the customer service was poor, the operation was extremely inefficient, and the food itself was nothing memorable. With this many mistakes happening during a relatively slow period, I can't imagine what it's like when the line is actually out the door. Definitely not worth the wait or hassle for me. read more

Little spot in a strip mall. Pretty hard to find until you're right in front of the store. No seating and just a line. To be honest I think it was pretty mid. I think the portions are way too stingy, considering a fourth pound is like a container not even close to fully filled. I rather have a pricier spot that does fill your container all the way; however, this place is more expensive with smaller portions than others. It's to the point that they samples, but you could see the lady in the back looking uncomfortable giving them out. Vibes were just off. As for the fish itself, I think it was alright and wasn't anything stand out from other spots. it looked good and tasted fresh, sauce gave it another layer of texture, but the taste itself was pretty boring despite the look. Beef tallow wonton chips were solid too. Not super different from normal wonton chips and again extremely overpriced. I think prices not considered, I still wouldn't go back, atleast for poke. You can find better taste else where and go out with an overall better experience read more

Exit 8 Bodega - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ahhh, where do I even start? First off, the parking situation in this plaza is atrocious. If you're planning to come, I'd definitely recommend going before or after the lunch rush. When I arrived, there was already a line out the door. The shop itself is packed with all the Hawaiian vibes you can imagine, but it's a pretty tight space, so it felt extra crowded. The staff was super friendly, though! Unfortunately, most of the pies in the fridge were already gone, but I managed to snag a chocolate hopia pie ($8). I also got a side of tall (octopus) poke ($9) and two poke bowls ($16 each) one with rice and one with chips. I have to be honest, I was really disappointed with the portions. What they advertised on social media looked significantly more generous than what I received in person. Even my husband was shocked when he saw the bowls. (Photo below for comparison.) Maybe they're still figuring things out, as all new places do, and I'd definitely be willing to come back and see if things have improved. But at the prices I paid, the portions just weren't worth it for me this time around. Side note: I'm sure everyone knows where this plaza is. Stop honking and be patient. Everyone is trying to find parking so be nice. read more

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I kept seeing this place on insta so since it was in the same shopping center as Sidecar, I had to stop. There was already a little line at 10:45am. So I figured I'd wait. They have a wide variety of poki flavors and you can try them. It does slow the line down but what can you do. I ended up getting 2 of the 1/4 lb poki of spicy ahi and garlic spicy salmon. It was $9/1/4. But as you can see, it barely covers the container. I took it home and measured it, yes it's 1/4lb but that includes the container. Wow! As others have said, got to Bear Flags instead!! I tried so I'm good. read more

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Went to check out this Hawaii-Inspired bodega from the folks from one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE places to grub in OC, Ai Pono Cafe! Place had a great variety of everything I would want; Poke by the pound, sandos, Musubis, Tako, etc. plus a really unique dessert menu and shaved ice! Hype is definitely high right now with a bit of a wait to get into the place itself but totally worth it for the freshness and delicious flavors/variety of the Poke! Got myself a nice selection of Poke and loved every single one of their savory/spicy/umami recipes! Looking forward to trying more items on the next round! read more

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amazing flavor of poke, fresh fish There is a line so there will be a bit of wait, no ac inside but a big fan so it is a little humid but not too bad There are sampling of poke when you reach the counter and the staffs are very nice and partient! There are little snacks and dessert you can grab when you make your way around the line I got the furikake and kilauea salmon for two protein bowls, it comes with crab salad The flavors on the poke are marinated perfectly and not too spicy There are plenty parking but no seating area read more

Exit 8 Bodega - two choice protein - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Busy parking lot. Great tasting items, sampled several of the pokes they had which were all great. Additionally they have chicken musubi which I loved since I do not eat pork. Must try spot if In the area. read more

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Already a huge fan of Ai Pono, so was ecstatic to see that the owner opened up a different concept. Saw the spot pop up on IG and wanted to try asap, so drove straight down today to check out the spot. They literally just opened so be patient! Arrived around 1030 since I saw the hours were 0800, the sign on the door said 0900-1800! So heads up! Love the decor and the vibe of the place. Lots of Hawaiian merch and snacks. Plenty of poke options. Got the 3 poke combo with wonton chips. Ordered the Kilauea, Hawaiian, & Spicy Mayo all in tuna. Also ordered a 1/4 of the Thai Tuna Poke. All were so fresh and bursting in flavor. The Thai Tuna poke and Kilauea are probably my favorite. The Thai tuna has a total punch of flavor when it comes to the lime. I can taste the zest and then the bits of chili with sweet onion is just addicting to eat. The Kilauea had a bit if kanikama(crab salad) and masago in it. The spicy mayo and Hawaiian were also both excellent, but I would say the Thai and Kilauea stood out on uniqueness. Poke isn't overpowered with sauce or marinade. You can still taste the fish. So fresh! Wonton chips are fried in house. Still have yet to try the Ube tres leches but will update later once I try a bite. The food really reminded me of Hawaii and appreciate that we have a taste of Hawaii so close to home now. Since it's still soft opening they didn't have the hot sandwiches available just yet but excited to come back later on to try that and the shave ice! Location: Also, the sign isn't updated on the strip mall. They are right where the invitation store sign is at, next to the photo lab store. Plenty of parking! read more

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An awesome new Masubi and Poke spot from AiPono. The esthetics are freakin cool here. It looks like a small bodega on the island. There's lots to see and purchase here. I got the 3 pole combo and a 2 pole combo to make sure I try most of the pole recipes. My favorite was the Thai poke and the house poke they have. I got one on white rice and another on wonton chips. Fresh made wonton chips. 4/5 stars. Each was 20 and 16 bucks for the bowls. I got the short rib 3 pc 4/5 stars super thick and meaty portions. Pork belly Masubi was just ok to me. The pork wasn't crispy in the outside and felt a little rubbery. Flavor was good but texture was off. 3/5 stars I was forth. Line today completely in accident but I got lucky. Hit tk try the soft serv and it was delicious. 4/5 stars The cucumbers were very tasty, but not super crispy. It seems like they were marinating in there for a little extra time possibly from the night before, but these were from the grabbing go fridge selection so that could make sense if it was made super fresh in the morning I bet would be super crispy. Otherwise the flavor was spot on just the texture was slightly off on this one as well. 3/5 Oh, and all those great spot to visit love the aesthetics makes you feel like you're somewhere else so many colors so many signs that I need to go back and really pay attention and take some better photos of each because I would like to appreciate the effort they put into the design read more

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Poke was pretty good, but the line was a bit long. Be prepared to wait a little, but it's definitely a good poke spot to try in the OC area. The ahi was so buttery. I loved all the decor, it felt like I was back in home in Hawaii! read more

Exit 8 Bodega - poke! - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I came to this place because someone on TikTok raved about how yummy and how the poke tasted very native to the poke in Hawaii. Upon arrival to the plaza it's in, it was kinda hidden. The plaza itself has terrible parking, but I remembered they use to have a huge sign on top, but I guess they don't anymore? Anyways, there was a huge line out the door, I thought to myself 'man it must be POPPIN' good for them.' I'm super hyped because there's a ton of different flavored selection of poke. And they let you sample it too. In my experience, poke places are very generous but when I looked at what I got, I was shook how little of the portion of poke I got... like the Tupperware wasn't even full. I got two different flavors and wonton chips. Yes it was yummy, but it was expensive. Kinda disappointing. read more

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Exit 8 Bodega seems like it could be good but left much to be desired. The good: 1. Wonton chips fried in beef tallow should be the norm. 2. "poke bombs" essentially inari/yubu stuffed with their poke tasted great The not so good: 1. For a place where most of the food is already prepared ahead of time the line moved at a crawl, food was good but not worth the time. 2. The price, the price of poke was 1.5 to 2x the price of most by the pound poke and was nearly the same quality. 3. The musubis which took up half of the counter for display were just okay for the regular spam musubi, not as seasoned as you would see in Hawaii but not bad. The garlic butter Mahi Musubi sounded good but was so dry that we could barely finish it and just tasted like rice and Mahi no garlic or butter to be found. Overall not worth the effort when there are so many places in Southern California that are as good without the stipulations or the wait. They also have an AI generated award plaque for an award they gave themselves I think. Which is just confusing, like why? read more

I wanted to love Exit 8 because the concept sounds great on paper, but the execution fell flat. We waited in a long line, only to get to the register and find out that over half the menu wasn't even available. They told us items like the sandos and shaved ice, were still in "testing phases"which is fine, but if half the kitchen isn't ready, those items shouldn't be listed in the first place or customers shoukd be informed way before joining the line. When we finally ordered, the line felt super rushed, but the service itself was surprisingly slow. The setup makes it almost impossible to actually look over or sample the poke options before choosing. To make matters worse, half of our order ended up being wrong when we got it. we were missing items and received completely wrong poke selections. As for the food itself: it's very overpriced for what you get. The portions were small, and the flavors were just okay. A little underwhelming. Most of the poke tasted virtually identical. It is heavy on the "inspired" by hawai and really didnt taste anything like poke in Hawaii. It feels like way too much effort went into making the space look cool, and not nearly enough into basic staff training, service, and food quality. Hopefully, they can iron out these operational issues bc they deserve to succeed, but right now, it's definitely not worth the price or the wait. read more

Exit 8 Bodega - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Got the poke bowl with California tuna, Thai tuna, spicy garlic salmon, and half rice half salad. The quality is definitely comparable to what I normally get at Foodland in Hawaii--everything was so fresh. I think my fave was the spicy garlic salmon, then Thai tuna which was basically lemongrass flavored. The California style tuna was good too but I prefer Foodlands version better..would still order again! My husband got the prime rib dip sando and really enjoyed it as well. Meat quality was great, sandwich was dripping with flavor. Excited to try their desserts next time.. really hoping the haupia pie is comparable to Ted's in Oahu! The line was just out the door when I got there but it moved reasonably quick since most people were there for the ready made poke. Took me about 20 min to go through the line and get my food. Vibes were great, music was loud and everyone there was excited for this new bodega to open up! Service was also great and helpful answering my questions. read more

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WORTH THE HYPE! Chef doesn't miss. From the second you walk in, the hand painted signs, carefully chosen Hawaiian snacks, curated playlist, this place is a vibe. I came on day 2 of the soft opening. Full menu wasn't being served yet. I got 1/4 lb ahi wasabi garlic, 1/4 lb spicy mayo ahi, 1/4 lb furikake salmon, bag of wonton chips, and two spam musubis, $42. Perfect for two people. By far best poke in town (sorry, Ry's). Big cuts, fresh flavors, not drenched in sauces. HOT TIP do not pass up on the house wonton chips! They honestly were the biggest surprise, not too salty and has that umami taste. Line was out the door but took about 20 min until I had food in my hands. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

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Didn't finish my first review.The lines inside and outside were long but was worth it. Our family enjoyed all the food we bought.While standing in line a customer in front on me mentioned that's Gene( Eugene) the owner also Ai Pono across the street can't wait to try. We are originally from Kauai now live in Costa Mesa. Thank you for delicious local hawaii foods Chef Eugene. read more

Saw this place on tiktok and thought it looked good. Got the actual food and wow... this was $9!!!!! I thought the container would be full for that price. Seasoning is okay fish quality is pretty good. Also the menu was not.... It felt like a mess. I understand it is supposed to be a mix of cultures as Hawaii consists of diversity however, the item "Filipino Bahn Fucking Mi" is not correct. First off, banh mi is spelled WRONG and we corrected them but they did not really care or understand the cultural context. When we asked the staff why it was filipino, she simply described pork and vegetable on a baguette so banh mi..... also staff was not welcoming AT ALL. No energy and they looked like we were wasting their time!!! Would not go back... it feels like the place is catered to a very white demographic honestly. read more

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What an incredible spot! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was very welcoming--equal parts stylish, felt like Hawaii, and vibrant. The food was ono. Every poke option was thoughtfully crafted, insanely fresh, and packed with bold, unforgettable flavors. You can tell they pay attention to the little details, from the presentation right down to the exceptional service. The staff made us feel right at home, offering great recommendations and keeping the vibe high. Exit & Bodega completely blew me away and I love how they add authentic crab salad to every poke bowl. It's currently their soft opening still, so keep in mind the menu items may be adjusted. They start serving poke at 10:30am. There is a convenient parking lot (free). If you're coming in for a casual bite, this place delivers on every front. I'm already counting down the days until I come back! 10/10 recommend. read more

Exit 8 Bodega - 2 choice poke bowl (Kilauea and Spicy Ahi) with crab salad and sides of poke - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food is good, definitely pretty fresh, but it was like 9 bucks for a quarter pound, so I wouldn't say it's worth 9 bucks honestly, plus the atmosphere was not the best, and I felt they were very stingy on the portions, the customer service was relatively slow, with no line, and only 2 people at checkout before us, we were in and out about 45 mins, long wait time just to get checked out since they weight eveything, hopefully the price comes down, if not I'll go else where, I'm sure driving to Vegas and getting poke express is cheaper then driving here and ordering. *sarcastic* read more

Exit 8 Bodega - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

came around lunch time on a friday and it was about a 45 minute wait. they recently opened so i think their system is a bit inefficient and they were sold out of a lot of things we wanted to try. i preferred the furikake salmon over the hawaiian ahi and i liked the crab salad. we also tried a sample of the mixed dole whip, the pineapple was my favorite of the two. i think it's worth checking out hopefully if the wait gets shorter read more

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Really enjoyed the poke & authentic Hawaii vibes, especially for Costa Mesa. The line was a bit long since it just opened, but still super tasty nonetheless. We had 2x poke bowls, OG spam Musubi's, and seaweed salad. Will be back again I am sure, but great experience overall read more

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After a week in Hawai'i, I was missing some legit Hawaiian Poke. Chefs new place is ono. Everything in the store reminds me of Hawai'i. I arrived closer to closing time so there was no hot food and the poke was starting to get low so I didn't get a chance to try everything yet. The poke is legit though. Fish is fresh and flavors are on point. The store is small so if you're coming in a group plan accordingly. Staff is still getting bearings so if you're going now expect a few hiccups but don't ding them for that now. And literally do what the big ass sign in the store says, Get your ish and go! Don't loiter, do your IG or TT reviews in your car read more

The line seemed long but it goes by fast . I really liked the salmon garlic and the Cali mayo tuna. Really want to come back to try their sandwiches too read more

I was excited to try Exit 8, but it was a huge disappointment. First, they got my order wrong. Mistakes happen, but that was just the beginning. I ordered the $16 one-choice poke bowl, and the portion of fish was honestly embarrassing. You can literally count the handful of poke cubes in the bowl. It was mostly greens and rice with a few chunks of tuna scattered on top. To make things even more frustrating, they advertise shaved ice on the menu, but when I tried to order it, I was told they don't even have the machine yet. If you can't actually serve an item, it shouldn't be on the menu. I've attached a photo so people can judge for themselves. Between the incorrect order, tiny portions, and advertising menu items they can't make, this place feels like it opened before it was ready. Save yourself the time, money, and disappointment. There are much better poke spots nearby like Bear Flag, Salty Horse, and Uroko that actually deliver on quality and value. I won't be back. read more

Exit 8 Bodega - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Super cute market with a good variety of poke and other Hawaiian food! We arrived 10 minutes before opening and waited around 30 minutes before being able to order. The poke was all super fresh and flavorful-- definitely order the wonton chips to eat with them! read more

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Was excited for this, it was super hyped up on insta but unfortunately overhyped. The poke was alright but wow it was very expensive. We got the yellowtail jalapeño which I thought flavor wise is pretty good. 1/2lb was $24 which is crazy. read more

Fresh and delicious. Everything you love about Hawaiian poke and more. It is worth the hype. The lines are super long right now but hopefully it will calm down because I'd like to be a regular. I came at 1pm and they had already sold out of most of the menu. Poke was mostly available and the snacks and desserts were all stocked. I tried spicy mayo, Hawaiian, and spicy garlic. All were great. Spam musubi was good. The Korean chicken musubi could have been a little crunchier but still tasted good. Highly recommend! read more

Exit 8 Bodega - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I've been to Oahu, and for the price they charge here, this poke is still not really worth the hype that Instagram gives it. The poke tastes good but the portion is small, the line moves so slow, and it's just not worth driving laps around the plaza just to find a parking spot for. read more

Epic place! Just like Ai Pono, you can't go wrong. I had the pleasure of being here for a private tasting and man, it's the best poke I've ever tasted. Everything in the place is done proper, no corners cut, all the signage is hand painted, all the eye candy on the walls is authentic, it's as good as it gets. And you get good service. *chefs kiss* read more

Found this place after it went viral on TikTok. The line was long and moved a little slower than I expected for a poke spot. I ordered the Hawaiian ahi and the sesame ginger salmon. Portions were solid for fresh poke. The ahi had good flavor but was slimier than I expected, and the salmon came out a bit salty. I also got the spam musubi the rice on the bottom was dry and a little hard, and the spam itself wasn't anything special. It got tiring to eat, so I didn't finish it. The bigger issue was the staff. A person was chewing gum while serving, playing with it in their mouths at one point I watched one take the gum out of her mouth. A girl also wore gloves, but I saw them handle food and then use the same gloves to adjust their shorts. That said, the lady who took my order and the cashier were both very nice. read more

Service wasn't anything special, we waited for maybe 1.5 hour to line up and get food during soft open as they work out their processes. Interior decoration and vibe is super cute and warm. Got a $16, 1 choice poke bowl. Genuinely genuinely disappointed by this portion size because where is the fish. I think I was also mislead because they have a refrigerated section that had pre-packages bowls with a lot more fish if my memory is right, so felt misleading. I got a thai style with half/half chips and rice. Flavor itself was good (atleast for thai style) which had a little bit of a kick and a nice acidic brightness. Tuna was good velvety firm mouthfeel that I would expect from proper poke. Rice was pretty good when I'd catch a bit of the juices from what the tuna was marinated in. No furikake or anything though. Their wonton chips aren't very sturdy or lowkey got soggy(?) fast ish. So trying to scoop the poke with the chips just meant they broke. I really did not look inside my bag until I got home so it was a punch to the gut to see how it was packaged. read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The vibes inside are so fun and friendly, all the decor is amazing. The food is great and fresh, and the ube tres leches is sooo bomb. Service was good and fast considering the long line. Definitely will be back!!! read more

Exit 8 Bodega - Ube tres leches cake $8 - Poke Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Congratulations on the award from the official Dine Awards website. The food was great and I loved the recent video. The owner and his wife are amazing. Great prices and the poke comes straight from Hawaii. The ambiance is great worth the line. I will be back soon. read more

After reading the Hey Los Angeles article about Exit 8 Bodega, we decided to drive out to Costa Mesa and check it out for ourselves, and it was absolutely worth the trip! The food was amazing, everything tasted fresh and full of flavor, and you can tell they really care about the quality of what they serve. The atmosphere was fun and welcoming, and the whole experience exceeded our expectations. Definitely one of those hidden gems you're happy to discover. We'll absolutely be coming back! read more

Super disappointing experience. We came here at 6:00 a.m., only to find out they don't actually open until 9:00 a.m. After killing some time and coming back, we were then told that the poke isn't sold until later in the morning. What made the experience worse was the customer service. I politely mentioned that we'd been waiting since 6:00 a.m., hoping for a little understanding, but the employees at the register just stared at me and responded, "Okay... the poke line will be in the front on the right at 10:30 a.m." I wasn't expecting them to change the policy, but a simple, "I'm sorry about the confusion. We hope you'll come back later," would have gone a long way. Instead, the interaction felt cold and dismissive. Better communication about the hours and poke availability online--and a little empathy from the staff--would make a big difference. [NOTE: They advertise these incorrect hours on their official Instagram page, Yelp, & Google Maps] Don't know if I would ever come back to try the food, but will update review if it ever happens. read more

I visited on Sunday, 8/9/2026 around 11:00 AM and received food around 11:40 AM. Side-note: I've been to three poke spots within the last few weeks, and I don't know why the lines take so long when you don't even need to cook the poke?! Haha. Granted one was a grand opening, and this spot is fairly new so the hype was up. This was a cute, small space, so the line was outside but not too long. There were probably 5 people in line outside. The line inside wrapped to the back and u-turned to the register by the door. i.e. Don't panic. You're not ordering right away before seeing the menu. They weren't selling a lot of other snacks and items compared to other spots. They had cute t-shirts and other merch. You were able to sample the poke, which was nice. And they cut their poke pieces into big chunks compared to other spots that cut into small cubes, which was also great. I think the overall customer experience could have been better streamlined if you knew the following: 1) They serve poke bowls with rice and crab salad. Seaweed salad is extra. For some reason this is not on the big menu, but it is printed on a small sign right where you're about to order your poke. So, the person taking my order thought I was ordering poke by the 1/4 pound instead of a bowl. I think the same thing happened to the girl behind me. I think her intention was to order a 2-choice bowl, but he thought she was ordering à la carte. She asked if she can order half and half, and he said no. So, she ended up with two 1/4 lbs of poke instead of a 2-choice poke bowl. 2) You grab desserts in the fridge while in line, not at the register. So, I had to go back through the line to check if any desserts were available (there weren't). 3) You order sandwiches at the register, not with the staff taking your poke order. 4) I asked three people if they knew what was in the Filipino Bahn Fucking Mi sandwich, and no one could tell me specifics. The responses I got were "pork" and "I don't know. We've never served that before." Like?!? LOL. The staff was nice don't get me wrong; they just didn't seem as informed of the menu? So, management if you're reading this, I think your staff needs to be trained on explaining to customers in more detail about what's on your menu. I didn't end up ordering the sandwich because I don't know what type of Filipino pork it could be. Is it adobo? Is it pork bbq? Is it tocino? Is it longganisa? Literally could be anything. 5) The fried wontons are fried in beef tallow, and it is not subtle, so it won't taste like regular fried wontons. If you like beef tallow then you will probably like this. Overall, it was a cute little spot with okay poke. I wouldn't drive out here just for this, but if I happen to come back, maybe I'll try the Filipino bahn fucking mi to end my curiosity. read more

Mahalo Gene for the Hawaiian hospitality and 'ono grinds! We loved all the fresh poke and musubi and we will be back! read more

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Went to Exit 8 Bodega on Sat Aug 1 to try it out. Waited more than an hour in line and wasn't worth the hype on social media. The people behind me also complained that it was taking too long. Got the poke bowl (2 selections) for $20. The rice portion was massive compared to the two scoops of poke which was very little. Maybe they were trying to stretch out what they had left to serve customers as its first come, first serve?The crab salad in the poke bowl wasn't good either. Too much mayo and the taste of the mayo threw me off. The poke was good. I got to ahi kilauea and ahi sesame ginger soy. If I were to go back, I'd only order poke and just cook my own rice. Also, I recommend going early as they sell out by the afternoon. read more

The poke itself was tasty, but the rice was kinda dry, and unfortunately I found a short hair in it. Not too happy about that. But honestly, the bigger issue for me was the portion size. You'd think, hey, we're the new kid on the block and not to mention, Bear Flag, a better option where you actually get more bang for your buck and good-quality poke, is literally opening down the street. They really skimp on the portions here. At the very least, include some seaweed salad or something to help fill the bowl because for the price, it just felt a little underwhelming. read more