This place gets 5 stars for several reasons: size (for the bowl size, it was filling), taste (the sauces enhanced and didn't overpower the food), freshness, and service. I'm visiting the area and chose this place bc of it's photos, protein choices, toppings, and pricing that aligns with poke places in LA. I ordered online from my hotel just under 3 miles away, and I forgot to choose sauces. Poke sauces are one characteristic of eating poke that makes each place and bowl unique. I got there, and the chef came out and asked if it was intentional that I left out the sauces. Service is what gave this place the fifth star. They were warm, friendly, and excited for me hoping I enjoyed my food. Because I forgot to add sauce, they gave me some to try on the side. The spicy mayo was nice bc it added creaminess and a little heat to the dish. Both the sweet shoyu and orangy garlic enhanced the flavors and freshness of the proteins and veggie toppings while being a great accompaniment to my salad and rice base. Toppings really help the over-all experience. No soy sauce needed at all. Finally, the five proteins that go into a large bowl were the bigger winner. Poke is hard to commit to sometimes for the price, but once you find a spot like this, it deserves to be "the place". If I lived here or when I visit again, I will absolutely come here again and wish them the best. Good luck not eating the large bowl at once bc the flavors are so good. Best wishes for continued success for this place. I enjoyed the bowl a bunch. read more

Poke Theory SB - Build your own bowl (large with 5 scoops of proteins, 10 toppings, 3 sauces, and half rice/half salad base). - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

Very fresh poke bowl! Made with great quality ingredients with lots of options for customization. I knocked down a star because I felt that the cucumbers were cut a bit too large and were not bite sized. The service was super quick! read more

Poke Theory SB - DIY poke bowl reg size - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

I think this place is closed I was there 12:30 on Friday 7/31 but it was closed. Called again the following Saturday and the phone was disconnected. read more

I want to preface that I have had poke here that easily earned a 5 star review. However, after returning a few times, that grade rapidly decreased. I am not even sure why :/ Usually I get a medium sized build your own bowl with a variety of tuna selections, a lot of veg toppings, spicy sauce, and all the crunchy toppings to finish the bowl. Nothing so crazy, and usually it's pretty good. But the last couple times I have gone, the bowl was not to standard and I couldn't finish it. The most recent time I went, they drowned my bowl in sauce. And you may be thinking "sauce is good its more flavor!". Drowned. Borderline soup. It was too much and made everything mushy and just not good :( I want to keep going here in hopes that it returns to the state it was in when I first began going. There aren't really any good poke spots in Goleta with bowls, so this is all I got! Hoping for a better change! read more

Poke Theory SB - Too much sauce in my bowl :( couldn't finish it - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

I will start off by saying that I really liked this food. The fish tasted amazing and I loved all the toppings. However, the rice was a bit overcooked and considering it was $20 for a regular size, it was disappointing. I think if the price was lower, I would have rated it a 5/5. It's good, just not worth $20. read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Regular Bowl - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

I went here on 6/19/26 at 12:30 PM and they weren't even open! Ridiculous!! They lost 6 customers today!

The Poké is so fresh and tastes absolutely amazing. I definitely recommend this place if you want the best poke in SB. It's a little on the pricey side but you get EXACTLY what you pay for. 10/10 5 Stars amazing Service is also very great, the Owner is so sweet and the atmosphere is calming to eat at! read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

This is my favorite poke place ever! I visit all the time and am always happy with the great portion sizes and the delicious fish options. I got to know the staff there and they're all absolute angels who are always happy to help. The location and ambiance is perfect and there are places to sit and wait for a bit as you get ready for the perfect bowl. Though it is pricy, it's worth it - they're super big and you can easily get lunch and dinner out of one bowl! Love this place a lot! read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

(Overall: 84% | B) - I found the service to be very nice in that the staff there are very friendly and helpful; the atmosphere is also clean and peaceful. The food is acceptable, with room for improvement. (Large Poke Bowl: 85% | B) - This bowl runs for about $20 and is quite filling as I can fit two reasonably sized meals in. I like the variety of toppings, as well as the fact that there is a good amount of items to add freshness now. The fish is decently fresh, but I found the spicy tuna to not be spicy. In fact, I added a lot of sauce to my bowl, yet somehow found it to be a bit bland overall which was shocking. (Passionfruit Tea: 77.5% | C) - Unfortunately, this tea does not taste good when mixed with lemonade. I the lemonade works better with the other drinks that add a better balance in flavor. Here, since the lemonade is light, it is unable to balance the tea's natural strongness. read more

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The (I'm assuming) owners were awesome. I love spicy and they let me taste a few. Although, I can handle spice and nothing was that spicy lol. They give a healthy dose of food, the quality was great. I was visiting from out of town and was skeptical on poke on a college campus but it was great. The place is a small cozy restaurant. You're not going anywhere fancy! If you're in a rush, go online for a quick pick up. Because the crafting is a process. They take their time to make it perfect. Will be back! read more

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Soo I would give this place higher rating but I did not like their spicy mayo. It's more just mayo... not spicy whatsoever and I am someone who can barely handle spicy things. They did put a lot of crab salad on mine if you are a fan of that, personally it's a little too much for me. Again I didn't really enjoy the bowl at all, I am probably not even going to finish it :/ the spicy mayo kinda grosses me out with the full taste of mayo. They do have a great customer service and very friendly. I can't give it anything more than a 3 because the taste just is not quite there for me. *update I couldn't finish the bowl it's that spicy mayo that just tastes awful and I'm not trying to exaggerate either read more

Poke Theory SB - Regular Bowl with Salmon and Crab salad - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

Best poke in IV. I do have a bone to pick with the way Poke Theory is run. Dining here feels more like a stressful cafeteria... I wish it matched the chiller vibe of Isla Vista. When you walk in, you have to write your order on a tiny paper using a pencil that has a plastic spoon attached to it. I then sit down and notice that directions for EVERYTHING are printed laminated and taped on the wall (like "write order here with sanitized pencils", and "throw away trash here"). But in all fairness, I'm still rewarding four stars because, again, the poke itself is good. Just thought I could provide some constructive feedback to make it a more enjoyable dining experience for customers. read more

Poke Theory SB - Inside - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

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I would say this place is one of the better poke places around here. Their seafood is pretty fresh and they also have a bunch of toppings. Their drinks are also super creative and so good. Also, the staff are super nice and the place is never too crowded so the wait isn't super long. I used to crave poke and sushi all the time and this place is how I satisfy those cravings now! read more

Great for fast takeout! This restaurant is located in the heart of IV. Parking on the street nearby can be tough but if you live close, it's a nice walk. Poke Theory is a somewhat small restaurant with simple yet modern decor. There was no outdoor seating. Indoor dining was closed due to Covid-19. I called in my order for 2 custom regular size bowls and was told it would be ready in 5-10 minutes. When I arrived, I was glad to see that good Covid-19 safety measures were in place. Pick up was easy and my food was nicely packaged up and ready to go. Portion size was good and the food was tasty. As a vegetarian, I chose both the tofu and soy shreds for my protein. Next time I visit, I'll opt for just tofu. For the other bowl, an opt out of scallops next time was noted. Pricing was standard for a poke bowl place. Customer service was outstanding. The female who assisted over the phone and in person was super sweet and helpful. I would visit again. read more

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First time trying poke again in years because I don't like raw fish, and it was delicious! You can get up to 10 sides which is really filling. There wasn't as much fish as I expected, but there was a huge scoop of imitation crab which was delicious. Would come back again and also try other poke places, which is really saying something! read more

Poke Theory SB - a bowl of food on a table - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

The food was really good and the portions were generous. Everything tasted fresh and seasoning well done. The service was great also, the staff was very helpful as we were here for the first time. They made us feel very comfortable. Will come back next time we are here read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

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Its the perfect place, great service, awesome food, really clean, nice people all the time.. its just Perfect

If it were like $2-3 less I would go here a lot more often I think. Also, I think you guys should open at 11am. Besides those complaints, really delicious. Far better than any other options in the UCSB area, and this place beats most other poke places I've been to in the Bay Area. read more

Unfortunately, my order got messed up (I'm vegan), and there was the masago (fish egg) added, but I called them, and they gave me a full refund! Great customer service in general. They're very friendly. As for the food I got to try, I was amazed by the appearance of the soy beef (I mean, look at it! Looks so real). As for the taste of the soy beef & shreds (chicken), I would suggest for them to dry them out and perhaps marinate them because the texture was really spongy, but it lacked any sense of flavor. Not mention, everything that was in my food was SUPER fresh... the veggies, radish, rice, beets, jalapeño, cucumber, literally EVERY thing. I just wish the vegan meats had more flavor. This was a regular $13.95 bowl, and the portion was great. It's perfect for sharing with another person! I also highly recommend the sweet shoyu sauce as well. read more

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I went to Poke Theory for the first time today. The woman who helped me was very friendly, she pointed out to me how to order and prepared my poke bowl. The fish and toppings were all very fresh and flavorful. My eyes were a little bigger than my stomach ordering the large bowl. The storefront was very clean. I'll definitely be back soon! read more

For IV, this place is pretty good!! The have larger bowls than PokeCeviche for the same price (although it is filled with a lot of rice) as well as a variety of noodle soup options, making this a pretty good place to eat! They also have a large size for poke bowls if you'd like. Their customer service was super nice and they gave a good portion of food too. The fish was tasty and they had a large variety of really tasty toppings and sauces, however, my only complaint was that the sauces weren't salty enough. My bowl was kind of bland so I needed a lot of soy sauce to add taste, but I really liked the flavor of their sauces!! The rose lychee was also a very unique addition to the menu! Although it tastes just like pure syrup, it was really pretty (and free with a check in)! I prefer PokeCeviche's lychee slushy because the ice dilutes the syrup a bit more. I also had a sip of the galaxy lemonade, but I didn't enjoy it because it just tasted like a sugary Minute Maid lemonade. I probably would not spend money on their drinks but I'd definitely come back for their bowls, and to try more of their sauces!! read more

Poke Theory SB - Regular Poke bowl, Rose lychee - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

Incredibly bland. The fish is cut so small (see picture) as well it is almost impossible to get any flavor when you eat it along with any toppings in the bowl or even alone. Not worth the high price point imo read more

Poke Theory SB - dime for scale - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

Fresh ingredients and really friendly service!! I got the poke bowl and I was really happy with the fish. Their sauces are also super tasty, and they let you sample the sauces. The only thing is that although the ingredients were all high quality, altogether it felt a little underseasoned. Maybe the sauces need a little more salt? They do give the option of adding salt and pepper at the end so I think I'll do that next time. I'll definitely be back though, and I'm so glad this place opened! read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

There's a lot to enjoy about this place! They made some mistakes with my order however, and I feel as though the quality could be better. Food: I like how they have pre-made bowls available but also the variety of choices to create your own. They forgot to put cucumbers and fried garlic in my bowl however, the crabmeat is a little dry, the rice is also quite clumpy and the fish portion was a bit small. In addition, I can't taste any sauce. I did come at the last hour though so could totally be end of the day mishap. The quality of the rest of the ingredients was still pretty good and I like how they have Nori. The matcha kiwi drink is also to die for! Service: Besides messing up my order, they're really nice and very timely with the orders so this made up for other cons. Overall, not the best experience but would still come again as the food was still delicious regardless! read more

I love this place so much. Easily the best poke in IV and even though it's pretty pricey I come all the time

I ordered the Poke Theory bowl through delivery. It was overpriced! The regular bowl was about $17. There wasn't many fish, but there were a lot of rice and toppings instead. The bowl tasted good with the green aioli and house sauce. read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Theory Bowl - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

I've been wanting poke for a while, and this place hit the spot! It was so flavorful, fresh, and delicious. I got the crunchy bowl ($19) and the textures were very nice. Staff were very friendly. Parking is difficult. Definitely would come back! read more

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Poke never disappoints always friendly every time Crabmeat Masago Poke Bowl Crunchys Cilantro Miso read more

Poke Theory SB - Super - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

The best poke place in IV! Cost: 12.95 for a medium bowl (3 scoops) Food: My friend and I each got a medium bowl. It was JAMMED with toppings and I felt like I definitely got my money's worth. First scoop of seaweed salad, crab salad and masago were free. There was a wide variety of toppings and the toppings were fresh. They had fresh seaweed as a topping choice which is dope. They also had a cool option for sauce where you could get it on the fish, the rice or both. This is a great choice for people who like heavy sauce (like me). This place often has freebies. When we went, they offered us a free soup or drink. Drink: We got a free cup of lychee rose and the galaxy lemonade. Both are pretty colors and very Insta worthy. The lychee rose tastes how it sounds. It's a nice balance between sweet and light. The galaxy lemonade was ok. It had a tangy kick but the "galaxy" part didn't provide much of a flavor to me. Atmosphere: Servers were super friendly! They had pieces of paper where you circled the choices and handed them the paper rather than telling them what you wanted. Unsure if that's how it always was or if it was due to precautions for COVID-19. Location: Next to Spudnuts Donuts in IV! Easy access for students on the go, in between classes and etc. Improvements: The sauces could be more flavorful and spicier. read more

Poke Theory SB - 2 Customizable Medium Bowls - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

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I love a good poke bowl, and have tried several places in SB. We ordered through Door Dash and were really impressed with our bowls. Good portion, super fresh tasting ingredients and nice and saucy the way I like ;-) Pretty pricy when you have it delivered ($50+ for 2 small sized bowls) but enough food to enjoy for 2 days. I do wish the actual container size was bigger so you can move things around better but other than that 5 stars read more

Poke Theory is a pretty solid spot to grab poke in Isla Vista and there's a good variety of protein options and toppings. Everything always tastes fresh and even the small bowl is very filling! I always get salmon and tuna, but the other options look great as well and I love that they're generous with the sides. It is a bit on the pricier side, but I'm happy with it as an option. read more

Delicious! Fish quality blows poke ceviche out of the water. So excited to finally have a delicious poke place in IV. The amount of protein that you get for the price is very impressive. The fish is in nice big chunks, and the sauces are all super fun and unique. I enjoyed the 'cilantro miso' sauce quite a bit. There are a myriad of toppings to choose from, and there are also some noodle dishes that I am eager to come back and try. My friend and I were the only ones in the restaurant, and the owner offered us some delicious off-menu tuna nigiri that her husband had made in the back. WOW! It was so delicious. That's the kind of service that I love. Definitely making this my weekly poke place. read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

The people here are so sweet and they're so enthusiastic about helping you out and letting you try anything to make sure you like it. I'm excited to try this bowl! EDIT (5/15): They have great safety/cleanliness measures in place while they're still open during COVID-19!! You write your order on a paper (they provide gloves) and have the cash register at the door so you don't have to go in and potentially contaminate the inside since it's fresh food. Then you wait outside, and they gave a free lychee rose drink!!! read more

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The workers are super nice and friendly the second you walk into the store. They are happy to help walk you through the steps of building your own bowl and they allow you to try samples of their sauces. The store has plenty of seating, so you can either eat there or to go. There is a nice selection of fish and proteins, and the portion sizes are good for its price. I definitely recommend trying to build your own poke bowl. However if you dont like raw fish that much, this place also carries udon and ramen, but I have yet to try their soups. (p.s. their lychee rose drink is really good, but on the sweet side if that is what you like) read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

Ordered 2 create your own poke bowls through the website - super easy to navigate and customize! Two regular bowls were $12.95 each, with avocado it was an extra dollar. They also came with free drinks so I got the Galaxy Lemonade and Lychee Rose. Both were super light and refreshing, perfect with the fish. The portion size was filling, the fish tasted fresh and the sauces were good. My only complaint is we ordered white rice only as the base and it was too much. Next time i'd get half rice, half salad. I'll definitely come back to try the noodles! read more

The service was very good and they were very patient and gracious with their servings! I don't usually eat a lot of poke but it's a great place for college students and I hope to be able to visit again :) read more

Poke Theory SB - regular bowl - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

Great service for my first time there and the lychee rose drink is too good!! As well as many and fresh selections :) read more

Poke Theory SB - Poke Near Me - Goleta, California

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Ok this is my dinning hall. I have it every week and the proteins are fresh. Like the sauce as well. Only cons: quite a long wait.

When you walk into the space, both Bella and Jun welcomes you with such sweet smiles. They are genuine in their love for sharing this amazing dish with the community! Oh my gosh, the flavors just leave a warm feeling inside me and my sweet kawaii friend we plan on returning! What's more amazing is that Bella and Jun made this atmosphere happen! We're so happy to have come here! Cheers! And bon appetite. read more

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Amazing place, amazing people! Delicious lychee rose water (Must Try), very fresh ingredients for your poke bowl!!