jus' poke often has a long line, although there are certain times of the day that i've never had to wait. to avoid any lines, i prefer to order online ahead of time. service is very basic. the interior is set up mostly as a takeout place, but there's a countertop and outdoor seating. i love to pick up and eat outside, but it can get super windy sometimes! there's a small parking lot next to the restaurant, but when it's packed, there's street parking as well.
jus' poke has a limited menu that they consistently do really well; keep in mind that all of the poke is ahi tuna. the tuna is always super soft and tastes fresh! it's cut into pretty big pieces though, and i prefer smaller pieces. all of the bowls come with one side and a choice between white or brown rice. i like that the rice here is usually very moist, although i've had some dry and hard bites on a few occasions.
- original poke (4/5): very light and highlighted the fish! it reminded of the shoyu and hawaiian but less salty because it wasn't marinated. it included crunchy red seaweed, sweet onions, and red onions, which added a bit of flavor
- shoyu poke (4/5): i really liked the light, salty flavor with the sesame oil. it was very mild compared to flavors like the spicy poke, which made them pair well together and balance each other out. i'm used to a bit stronger of a savory flavor with shoyu marinade, but it was still good. it included the same toppings as the original poke - red seaweed, sweet onions, and red onions
- hawaiian chili peppah poke (4/5): i thought this was very, very similar to the shoyu, probably because it was also marinated in shoyu. the only differences between the two were the addition of bird's eye chili peppers and the lack of sesame oil, but i'm not sure if i really tasted the difference that much. it was tasty and very light, although not very spicy even with the peppers
- spicy poke (5/5): this one definitely had a small kick, and it was probably my favorite flavor. i really enjoyed how spicy and creamy it was - especially how strong the flavor was compared to the others. it also included chili peppers, red seaweed, sweet onions, and red onions
- california roll poke (3/5): i wasn't really a fan of the flavor because it was very cucumber forward. my boyfriend really enjoyed this though! it felt a lot heavier than the others because of the amount of mayo and toppings on it. they were generous with the crab and avocado, which was good, and it also included some tobiko. it tasted pretty much like a california roll, and i appreciated the uniqueness!
- sweet heat poke (4.5/5): i wish the flavor was more intense, but it was exactly as described - slightly sweet and slightly spicy. it was less spicy than the spicy poke. this was one of my favorite flavors because of the slight sweetness, which added more depth
- edamame (3/5): i like plain edamame, so i didn't mind this... but it was pretty bland and could've used at least salt or something. most of the times i've been, it's been cooked well but just not flavorful at all
- spicy edamame (4/5): like the regular edamame, it's been cooked well for the most part, but i've had some pieces that weren't cooked thoroughly enough before. i wasn't a fan of the large pieces of raw garlic, but the flavor was good. the edamame definitely had a kick! their portion was generous
- seaweed salad (5/5): i don't usually get seaweed salad, but this was probably one of the best seaweed salads i've ever had. it had just the perfect amount of saltiness, and there was a great sesame oil flavor. the seaweed was cooked well, but it leaked a lot of water that soaked into the rest of the bowl
i understand the hype that jus' poke gets, and i do think that it's one of the best poke shops i've been to in socal. the quality of the fish can't be beat, although i do think that the flavors could be stronger. i wish they also offered more variety in flavors, but their current menu is solid. i've been here many times and plan on coming back! read more