Post-Hawaii update: I still think Pokelava's poke bowl slaps. The fish isn't quite as fresh as what you'll find on the islands (because, well, geography), but it still satisfies the craving. And honestly? I love the toppings. Pokelava leans into the chaotic joy of "build-your-own," and sometimes I want that maximalist experience -- crispy onions, spicy mayo, seaweed salad, and every crunchy thing they'll let me pile on. It's like a flavor party where everyone's invited. But Hawaii poke taught me something: restraint. Simplicity. Respect for the fish. There, the bowls are quieter -- no sauce tsunami, no mountain of mix-ins -- just fresh ahi, a dash of shoyu, maybe a sprinkle of green onion. The kind of bowl that looks you in the eyes and says, "I don't need a crunchy topping to be beautiful." Still, Pokelava isn't trying to be Hawaii. It's playing its own game -- fast, convenient, and comfortingly consistent. After tasting the gold standard, I've come to appreciate Pokelava not for what it lacks, but for what it unapologetically is: a solid, build-your-own poke spot that lets you be a little unhinged with your toppings and still get a good meal out of it. Would I fly across the Pacific for it? No. Will I still walk across the street for it? Absolutely. And if they keep giving me quarters for laundry? Lifelong loyalty, sealed. read more

Decent, reasonably priced poke spot with lots of topping options. Staff was a little unfriendly and definitely was trying to rush although there was no line or crowd or anything which was strange. I got a build your own bowl with zoodles and rice as my base. There are lots of protein options, all cut too small imo, but they were fairly generous with portions. I had the seared tuna and salmon. For mix ins I added cucumber, edamame, mango cabbage, and onion. I liked how they mixed everything together instead of just piling it on top. They also mix in the sauce which is great. I had the sesame ginger. For toppings you can choose three, and I opted for seaweed salad, kani salad, and corn. I also got nori strips and wasabi/ginger. Kani salad wasn't the best but other than that everything was fresh and tasty. Idk if I'd rush back but it was good! I would get it again. Bowl with two proteins was $13.50 before tax. read more

Pokelava - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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This is my favorite thing to get for dinner from Collegetown on nights when I'm too busy to cook. Sure, the atmosphere is chaotic during the dinner rush, but the bowl always slaps. The ingredients certainly aren't as high quality as the poke ingredients I'm used to in the Boston area. What I will say, however, is that their interpretation of spicy salmon and spicy tuna is delicious & unlike anything I've seen at any other poke restaurant: it comes in a paste-like scoop of mashed raw fish mixed with a delicious sriracha mayo sauce. My go-to order is as follows: Large poke bowl with white rice Proteins: Salmon + spicy salmon + spicy tuna Edamame and mango Mix-ins: Cilantro and hijiki seaweed Sauce: Poke classic Toppings: Seaweed salad, masago, and pineapple Crunch: Seaweed stripes and wonton crisps. read more

Second time ordering from this place and second time ordering three scoops of protein and getting one instead. DO NOT order from here, you must be watching them make your poke in order to have a decent meal. read more

service was fast and they give a large portion! can eat your poke in the next store over called bibibowl. its a large space with lots of seating! read more

Pokelava - custom regular-sized BYO Poke Bowl - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I was traveling through Ithaca and stopped in after work. I got 2 rolls, gyoza and the Spring rolls. Fabulous quality and flavor, and this is coming from a bit of a sushi snob! The service was warm and welcoming. I will eat here again when I'm in the area. read more

A solid poke place for being in upstate NY. A good go-to fast casual in Collegetown. They have ~5 bar height seats indoors, but are only doing takeout because of covid. Portions are big, toppings are unlimited, lots of proteins options. I usually go for the salmon and tuna. Fish isn't too fresh but doesn't detract from the food. $11 for 2 proteins, $14 for 3 proteins. read more

Pokelava - Pokebowl - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Good poke for value. Great selection of options from add ons to sauces to crunchy toppings. I always like to do the masago add-on. Service is fast. read more

They just opened a new store at 722 S. Meadow St Suite 900, Ithaca, NY. It's worth a try if you like Poke. Make sure you tell the cashier who is paying for the food, they changed my husband's food on my bill without asking me. So say something up front if you are dining with more than yourself. read more

I'm here all the time, honestly... and the only reason it's getting 4 stars instead of 5 is more because of the somewhat lacking attention by staff (it doesn't happen often, but you can sometimes tell that folks aren't paying attention or need more training... especially with the latter, the portions can be somewhat inconsistent depending on who's working) and the lack of seating inside (it's quite small). Plus, it feels a wee bit expensive when the vast majority of the bowl is usually something like rice. A size regular is a good amount of food, though I go back and forth between a regular and large bowl. There's a nice variety of proteins to pick from (you can pick 2 with a size regular or 3 for a size large). The raw salmon and tuna taste delicious, though sometimes I'll mix either shrimp or scallops into the mix. You pick your mix-ins (I'm always a fan of extra cucumber, diced mango, green onion, and plenty of hijiki), as well as sauce flavors (there are spicier options, but I often go 50/50 with a mix of shoyu, poke classic, fresh ponzu, or sweet yuzu). So good. There are a variety of toppings as well, though I often stick with pineapple and masago... then crunchies like toasted rice puffs and sesame seeds. The above options are just what I stick to, but Pokelava has far more options and it all depends on your tastes. Grab a can of Hawaiian Sun for that extra "Hawaiian kick" to your poke experience (I've always stocked up on Hawaiian Sun when visiting any of the islands - Oahu, Maui, or Kauai). Poke and a can of Hawaiian Sun (especially lilikoi with, oh, anything) definitely brings me back to previous vacations. TL;DR Though a bit inconsistent, I'm definitely addicted to Pokelava as a lunch option - and I'll continue to go back. Would love to see more poke options in Ithaca though, as this is really the only option. read more

Pokelava - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Loved my bowl I ordered for the TSM fundraiser! So many options, so fresh, so delicious!

I think this place is all right. I came here for the first time and felt a little overwhelmed with so many options. As many other reviewers have mentioned, the portion sizes for each item were very inconsistent. For example, I ordered the regular size with 2 proteins: tofu and avocado. The lady gave a small amount of tofu, but a little more avocado - it's just an observation. Food: There are so many options from proteins to fruits, but as a vegetarian, you're pretty limited in the protein selection. However, the different toppings you could get is really great, so I liked that part. Service: Pretty typical. The lady asked if I was a first time and was helpful in letting me choose what I wanted. Price: Meh, I don't think it's worth it. It's definitely on the expensive side. This is probably due to fresh ingredients, but even then, I'm not really sure if it's worth $12 for one bowl. Ambiance: It's pretty small and minimalistic. There's not much space to sit - expect to take it out and eat somewhere else. read more

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Stumbled on this place sitting in the college town area of Cornell. It's a solid poke place with good combinations and appropriate bite size/quality ingredients. If you don't know what to get, their pre made combos were quite good (I usually don't go with pre made but this place didn't disappoint with their Blue Hawaiian combo of shrimp and scallop). Poke places should have the following: 1. Freshness of ingredients; the fish here was clean tasting, especially the fish was fresh. 2. Bite size;I've been to places where the ingredients were just too big so that each bite only had 1 ingredient. A bite really should capture most of the flavors and be mini bites of the poke itself. This place cut them appropriate 3. Selection of ingredients; the aesthetics and taste of a poke bowl comes from a good variety of ingredients/choice selection and robust nutrition. This place had such a nice variety- I was impressed with the offering of scallop and shrimp, an unusual and rare option in the protein area but thought they did a beautiful job with their selection paired with a wasabi sauce. the crispy noodles, seaweed salad and kana salad options at the top were bonus points. 4. Rice. You gotta have sushi rice made correctly. I've had places where the rice was not correct and no matter how good steps 1-3 were, you need the right texture to pair with your food 5. Portion size. this place was huge. I payed 10-12$ and my portion fed 2 people. Due to COVID area, it's take out only. Staff isn't the warmest and I agree at times they seem a little distracted/not trained but the ingredients make up for any loopholes. read more

Pokelava - two bowls of food on a table - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Decent, fresh ingredients at a reasonable price. I've never dined in, but their to go bowls are pretty packed have been filling. The salmon and spicy tuna taste fresh and don't have the old fishy taste. Toppings are good and the sauces are generous. There are several poke options available in the area, but I would definitely return if I had any poke cravings. read more

Decent Poke bowls in Ithaca in College town. Not a lot of seating and your typical Chipotle-style build your own bowl sorta setup (with some presets available too). Prices are OK, about $14 for a large (with 3 proteins) and $11 for a small. For me, the large had me full but not overly full (left me enough room for a dessert at a bakery nearby). I had the salmon, tuna and the scallops. Only the salmon and tuna were raw, while the scallops were boiled. All of the ingredients tasted very fresh. They let you add as many ingredients as you want, sans avocado (BOO) without up charge. Only about 5 seats in here and I wish people wouldn't just sit around on their phone after they were done eating, especially given the little amount of seats available. All in all - it's one of Ithaca's only poke options and it does not disappoint! I definitely recommend it! read more

Service was A+. People really knew the menu options well and were efficient and pleasant. The bowl itself fell short. I'm not sure if I had any base sauce flavor at all, i.e. she forgot to add it after asking me or if it just tasted like nothing. Because my bowl tasted like there wasn't a base flavor like soy sauce, etc. at all. When I got home I actually just added my own soy sauce from my fridge to be able to improve enjoyment. Additonally, I was shocked my the rice. It wasn't plump, sticky, soft rice. It was none of those things and I was truly disappointed. The bowl wasn't terrible, but sadly it wasn't good. Options related to customizations were good. read more

Amazing portion size, I was so full after eating my bowl. It looks unassuming but tastes great and I will absolutely be going here again - best poke place in Ithaca! read more

The poke bowls here are so good! The fish is super fresh and they give so many toppings for not extra! The portion sizes are well worth the money. This is a perfect place to get lunch or dinner when you're craving some poke! read more

Pokelava - a bowl of rice, carrots, broccoli, and other vegetables - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

A build your own poke bowl place. Really nice size servings of protein and good topping selection. I like the ponzu sauce and add extra soy sauce read more

Pokelava - Build Your Own Poke Bowl - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I think the poke here is good and you have a lot of options for customizing. I have tried the salmon poke bowls multiple times and the fish always tastes fresh. I will say on each of my visits, depending on the worker at the time, the quantity definitely wavers. The service is a bit standoffish depending on the day. The price is a bit expensive for the amount of food you get in a bowl, but it really hits the spot when you're craving some poke. The store is small with no seating, so it's definitely more of a grab and go type of establishment. Overall, I recommend going here if you want some good quality poke even if it is a bit more on the pricey side. read more

Pokelava - Salmon, tofu - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

great poke bar in ithaca's collegetown. the poke bowls here are honestly among the better ones I've tried, and that's saying a lot. the go-to order is the salmon and tuna bowl with kani & seaweed salads and spicy mayo, it just always works. the price is pretty reasonable too, especially compared to the other restaurants in collegetown. there's plenty of pick-up orders and the staff is always nice, so nothing to complain about there. there isn't much in the way of indoor seating but this place is more takeout-focused, so keep that in mind. the experience here is great, but my only gripe is that the bowls have been getting smaller and more expensive so it's not what it used to be, but still among my favorite restaurants in the area. read more

Pokelava - Build Your Own Poke Bowl - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I LOVE poke lava! Ingredients taste fresh and the spicy tuna is great. It's really customizable and they have a great array of sauces and side choices. They also are pretty generous with the number of components you can add to the bowl and the amount they give you. My favorite things to add are the kani salad, seaweed salad, and crispy noodles. Highly recommend for a quick meal. note: I visited in February. read more

Pokelava - poke - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I got a regular (2 protein) bowl. Tried a combination of flavors and textures and it turned out very tasty. Here's the combo (thumbs up if you like it): Salmon, Tuna Spicy aioli, Yuzu sauce Hijiki seaweed, green onions, avocado (+$1) Seaweed salad, Kani salad, Masago Crispy onions, Crispy garlic, Crispy noodles, Spicy furikake seasoning. I don't like the subway format of ordering food. Too much work imo. I'd much rather order it in an ordering form and have the final bowl. read more

Really nice takeout option for a very satisfying meal. I had the tuna and salmon for my protein options, and many of the mix in options. Ingredients seemed fresh and, individually, were flavorful (especially mandarins and mango). The sauces were lost a bit - perhaps there was too little or they were bland. If this place were near my home or work, I would like be a regular. read more

Very good in general, but cheats out on white rice. My girlfriend goes there every week and she says it's fine, no complaints from her.

3.5 stars. The food is very tasty and the protein selection is impressive. The price is a little too high. The service is fast enough, but not particularly friendly. Also, don't order a burrito unless you want to back up the entire line. I did and I felt just awful. read more

My Cornell student insisted I try a bowl from Pokelava, (which I had not yet tried even though we live in Ithaca). I told him to go ahead and order one for me if they could make it without any fish. (I'm allergic.) My son asked the line worker (Jimmy) what he would recommend. Jimmy completely took charge, asked good questions, and made the most scrumptious creation I have had in a long, long time. It's fantastic! And tastes so healthy! I will be back, Jimmy!! read more

A winner in Collegetown. (I know, I also can't believe I'm recommending raw food in this area.) The suggested bowl combos are all appealing and a good place to start if you walk in and can't decide what to get. They're generous with proteins and toppings, and toss in pretty much anything you want with no upcharge (except, notably, avocado, which does cost you $1 for a scoop). I devoured my spicy Fireball bowl and am looking forward to trying the vegetarian Sweet Yuzu next time. As always, I'd expect better fish in a coastal city, but Pokeland is "Ithaca good," and I'll be back. read more

Pokelava - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Decent food, high prices, inconsistent portions. The food was generally okay (I had the zucchini noodles with protein) and the sauces complimented everything nicely. That being said, the food looked like it had been sitting out for a while and parts of the bowl without sauce were on the bland side. That all being said, compared to the food you get, the prices are high (noticeably higher than other nearby options) and even though my friend ordered nearly the same combination that I did, the amount of food their received was noticeably less. With the prices they are charging I would expect more consistency and more food overall. Overall I had a pretty average experience at Pokelava, given the neighboring options I'm in no rush to go back. read more

This is probably my favorite spot in the small village of middle of nowhere. Best POKE bowl ever! read more

Pokelava - FIVE STARS better than poke bowls in DC metro area!!!! - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I feel mix feelings about this place. I love the taste of poke here but I've also been met with a fair share of stomachaches from this place. Furthermore, on two occasions, the person who was handling my food put back pieces of tofu that fell outside onto the tray back into my bowl like nothing happened. I didn't even get a chance to speak on it. Also, there was a different person who doesn't seem to be working here anymore where I had to repeat my order 2-3 times for every option. It was honestly a horrible experience when he was serving me and my friends said the same. Overall, the food is good assuming you're not met with any of the mentioned experiences. This place has left me paranoid about stomachaches. read more

Super nice feel to the restauraunt and the workers are nice. They really give as much as possible to fill the bowl and are not stingy at all A+ read more

Amazing poke bowls! My favorite is the Blue Hawaii, close second comes the fire ball (good spice level) Portion sizes are generous. I highly recommend. read more

Excellent restaurant! Very fast and clean! Also very delicious! Strongly recommend the Fire Ball with any kinds of base! read more

Pokelava - Menu - Poke Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I love poke and I love how convenient this location is (I've walked to the one in the commons about a dozen times over the summer, I crave poke that hard). However, after experiencing the variety of poke and how it can be spiced up, I'm not really blown away? Nothing bad to report either though! They are usually pretty quick, but at peak times there has definitely been almost a standstill in the line. This is largely because many customers are choosing in line and slowing down the process, not the employees. The employees themselves are very friendly and helpful if you're not sure what a topping or sauce is. If you want something that is taste of Ithaca, this is not it. If you want something reliably tasty and feel like you're treating yourself without breaking the bank? This is an awesome choice for sure ^_^ read more

Really fresh ingredients and super fast, a little on the pricey side but I wouldn't want to pay less and get lower quality fish. Definitely a must try. read more

Honestly this place has deteriorated a lot over time. I first started coming here when the Commons location had just opened and it was soooo good. The fish was fresh and really good quality and so were the topping and the workers were so nice and helpful. I went recently to the new location and was disappointed by the quality of the fish and the slow service. Can't complain because it's the best poke place in the area but I'm still pretty disappointed :/ read more

Quick way to grab a dinner that's very filling and customizable. Offers a decent selection of proteins, toppings, and sauces. I recommend poke if you're a fan of sushi and sashimi. Good price considering the serving you're getting. read more

Ordered online and didn't get my mango edamame and seaweed salad. Don't order online.

Really great poke. They are super generous with the protein, and the zoodles (zucchini noodles) are a great base! I usually get ahi tuna and smoked salmon with chili sauce and jalapeño sauce. They also always have one or two fruit options, with unlimited toppings for ~$11 a regular bowl. read more