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I love Poke and I loved Zenfish! I was visiting from CA for work and I picked ZenFish for one of our lunches. I ordered the Courageous signature bowl and so glad I did, I tend to over think poke. My proteins were house tuna and spicy tuna. Nice balance of flavors and the right amount of spice. Convenient location, small building and quick service. Brand seems to be big on environmental footprint and we should all appreciate that more... I enjoyed this place so much that I text another coworker/ good friend to tell him about this joint, before even leaving the restaurant.
I am a long time sushi lover but new to Poke Bowl cuisine...and find it to be fantastic. ZenFish was also fantastic. It was quick service, healthy food that was DELICIOUS! This is like subway, where you pick all your ingredients, except it's for a bowl of deconstructed sushi rolls. They have some suggested poke bowls on menu but I chose to build my own. I picked hose tuna (comes premixed with onions and their house sauce) and salmon as my proteins. Salmon was bland and I would drop next time. I mixed in cucumber and mangos and the siracha aioli. Then topped with some kind of crunchy thing (sorry can't remember) which made for perfect texture! This inspired me to find poke bowl more often and I may even make some at home!
Some of the best poke I've had in a long time! The menu has some creative options on there and all the items were super fresh. Service is fast and friendly. This feels like a true local spot so I would highly recommend stopping here first before other poke (and honestly even sushi) options in the area! There is some seating inside as well as outside, too.
Starting off this is the best Poke bowl place I've been too. Best price options and they always give a good amount of meat. Their spicy tuna and scallops are absolutely amazing. The only reason they get four stars is they never have good service and the bowls aren't big enough for the full price. I rather spend money at a sushi roll place for sure. They also charge for things they shouldn't (the smaller side toppings). But they do have good flavor and good options, worth the trip if you want poke bowls!
Came here for lunch with a friend. Easy to find and free street parking was not difficult either. I was a little surprised when we entered and there was absolutely no seating inside, fortunately it was a nice day and there were several tables under a covered walkway. I'm currently doing keto so I was happy to see the menu with nutritional information online so I could decide what I was going to get beforehand. I got the large because I wanted to try lots of proteins. I started with mixed greens and added: spicy tuna, ahi tuna, salmon, krab, and crawfish. I got lots of veggie toppings and half of an avocado for $1. The honey wasabi aioli was DELICOUS! Every thing was really fresh and I was pleased with the way everything tasted. Why only 3 stars then? I must say the scoops are TINY. Like scoops you would use to make chocolate chip cookies. I've had enough poke other places where they gave you MUCH more protein. (And didn't charge $1 for 1/2 an avocado...) So it was a disappointment...when I am in the mood for poke, I want ALL the raw fish. The krab and crawfish were not what I was expecting as they came as more of a "salad", as in chopped and mixed in mayo. And lastly, we were charged $2.59 for a can of La Croix...on good days I can almost buy a six pack for that amount. I'm glad I tried but as long as other poke exists in Durham, I'll probably be going there.
I think part of the experience of Poke is based on the food artisan/employee (unsure what their title is) who is working when you are ordering. I went twice in my few days in the area and one person really stocked my poke and the other was mediocre. Having only been twice, I'm unclear which is the norm. Both were good, but I love when there is a lot of toppings added.
If you're in the mood for a filling, healthy, flavorful meal that doesn't make you feel heavy and greasy afterwards, ZenFish is the place you're looking for. They offer a variety of poke bowls or the option to build your own. The prices are okay, and the quantity is perfect for me. The restaurant is located on Ninth Street. There's a lot of street parking available, especially if you go a little further down Ninth Street. There are some seats available inside, but ZenFish is easy to take as a to-go order as well.
Delicious food--the sweet onions in the tuna poke remind me so much of poke I had in Hawaii. Great price--the $14 large bowl had 4 heaping scoops of protein and a bunch of toppings. I actually ended up eating it over two meals. Lots of variety--Never tried crawfish before, but it was good! Tuna is still their tastiest choice, I think. Sustainable--They use commercially compostable containers and also participate in GreenToGo (you can return your sturdy plastic take out containers to be washed and reused).
I had a very pleasing lunch here! I intended to go to another shop nearby, but that turned out to be closed on this particular day. I've only had Poke once before (somewhere else) and maybe back then I chose wrongly -- typically you can customize it to any extent. This time I just said that thing on the chalkboard looks good! It was the "Courageous" bowl, which was pretty spicy and I also added some Kimchi for fun, but also some cucumbers, which was welcoming relief from the very nice spiciness. It was a bit more expensive than I'd hope, but very good. My only regret is they only sell drinks in cans and bottles instead of having refillable drinks.
I am a BIG Zenfish gal. I don't make it over to Durham as often as I'd like (sad face) but Zenfish is usually somewhere I try to stop when I do go. Hell, I even make the drive solely for a poke bowl sometimes. So good! When you go to Zenfish, you're always greeted by friendly smiling faces waiting to serve you and willing to answer any questions you may have whether it's about their menu, the toppings, proteins, side items, you name it. The size of the bowls are perfect to fill you up for a meal, I usually order a large so I can have some left over for later. You can choose to order one of their signature bowls (grateful, kindness, courageous, compassion) or build your own. How cute are those names?? They even serve up mini bowls for the kiddos. You can tell that the owners of Zenfish really care about their business and live by their motto "do good, eat well." All of their to-go containers/plasticware are compostable and they source as much of their food as they can from local and family-owned farms. In recent months, they've begun selling cookies for which 100% of the proceeds get donated to a charity chosen by the employees/customers that rotates every month- they call it "cookies for a cause"! This is one of my favorite local and family-owned businesses in the Triangle. Don't forget to activate the cash back feature on Yelp to receive 3% back on all your purchases at Zenfish! :)
First the Chow whatever app they use for online ordering doesn't work. Facebook single sign on does but then at checkout it wants you to login again. Circular mess. I ordered at the makeshift covid-19 table. Waited a little but now bad. I assume the order was made properly but kind of hope not. IF there was any sauce on the bowl it wasn't nearly enough. For an extra dollar you get 1/4 of an over ripe avocado. The protein portions were the smallest I've ever received at a Poke bar. Not a good value for $15. Almost $18 with tax and tip. I'll be trying other places before I re
I was very impressed with the fresh, quality ingredients served at Zenfish and the high degree of customization for your poke. I like that Zenfish offers an array of different poke options (rice bowl, salad, noodles, or burrito). I love the protein options as well. I had the ahi tuna, salmon, and crawfish. There is a great variety of toppings as well. The house made sauces were incredible. I tried the honey wasabi aioli and truffle ponzu and both were delicious. read more
4 years ago
9 years ago
ZenFish has the highest quality ingredients around. The atmosphere is incredibly warm with great people who are committed to delivering excellent service. This is hands down the best poke in North Carolina. This place is a must go, I can't seem to stay away! read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
I used to really love ZenFish and was a huge fan of it, but I have to say that the recent 4~5 visits disappointed me so much - they give everything much less (it used to be super full scoops and now only barely a scoop, and it used to be $1 for a quarter of avocado but now only 1/6 of that, but the price is still the same. When I asked for a bit more green peas for topping since I only eat 2 of the toppings, the lady gave me pathetically 4 more peas cautiously. The food still tastes really good anyway. I really hope this is some random incident but seems like the management and standards are not being held up anymore and I sincerely wish someone from ZenFish can look into this, because I still want to come often and hope it can be better in the long run. read more
Business owner information
Janet L.
Hi Krystal,…
9 years ago
Business owner information
Janet L.
Allison,…
9 years ago
6 years ago
9 years ago
First visit to Zen Fish, for lunch. Restaurant is charming, I like the community table. My selection was the large bowl with choice of (3) Salad, Rice or Quinoa, I selected Quinoa for my protein fix, next was Shrimp, Crab, Scallops, Crawfish & Sweet Potato, next I picked my sauce, then several other toppings, to numerous to mention. Overall I enjoyed the fresh Seafood. This concept is very original. Please give them a try, you will not be disappointed. The staff was very friendly, helpful as they were describing the different options. I will definitely return! read more
9 years ago
I am really excited to find a poke restaurant here in the triangle. I ordered a regular-sized salad bowl with three proteins-choosing salmon, tuna, spicy crawfish and various toppings. When I asked the female server for sweet potatoes as a topping, I was told that was considered a "protein," which confused me since those are generally a low source of protein. The ingredients were fresh and tasty, but perhaps someone can clarify the sweet potato being classified as a "protein" vs. "topping" and have them just charge extra if needed, rather than classify it incorrectly. read more
9 years ago
I visited Zen Fish on a steady Saturday afternoon. I selected one of their pre-arranged bowls, "kindness". The house tuna within the bowl was very salty. However, the rest of the ingredients in the bowl (cucumber, masago, onion crunch, chives, etc.) complimented well with the second protein; salmon. Overall Zen Fish had knowledgeable staff with superb customer service and a great interior. read more
9 years ago
Love the concept. Was my first time. They did a great job walking me through all my options and providing recommendations based upon my taste. Delicious! read more
9 years ago
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10 years ago
Ive been waiting for Zenfish to open forever and its finally here! I missed eating some real poké for the longest time ever since coming to Durham from ny. This is a lifesaver! The fish tastes fresh and all the sauces and topping are delicious. They also have a good amount of healthy options like quinoa and zucchini noodles. Staff is super friendly and helpful as well. read more
9 years ago
7 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
They get my thumbs up (gig em). Wasn't expecting the basmati type rice but they made it mix good. Tuna is good, not sure of the cut, but good. Locally sourced ingredients and beer made it a winner. Stop by if your in the area. read more
Business owner information
Janet L.
Hi Zeke,…
8 years ago
A friend posted a pic from ZenFish on IG and it looked delish, so I had to check them out. They're located on Ninth Street just around the corner from The Pie Hole. There's street parking but I think evenings can get a little busy around here. I'd never had a poke bowl before, but it's essentially like Chipotle or Subway for a sushi bowl. I opted for just salad since I'm watching my white rice intake. For protein I ordered salmon, spicy tuna and house tuna. Then I added seaweed salad (yum!), green onion, sweet onion, cucumber, ginger, and a tidge of jalapeño. Finally I drizzled house sauce and spicy house sriracha aioli on top. You guys. It was DELICIOUS. The fish was super fresh as were all the ingredients. The sauces they've concocted are absolute perfection. The sheer number of options felt overwhelming at first, but the lady behind the counter was patient and offered plenty of suggestions. I'm taking off a star because my stomach felt a little weird right after we left. No worries, the food at this place was totally worth it. I'll definitely be back! read more
9 years ago
Fantastic. Both the service and the food were excellent. The workers allowed us to try samples of the fish and sauces and walked us through the menu gracefully. The food was very fresh, delicious, and fulfilling. We will definitely return! read more
10 years ago
I was excited to try ZenFish during their soft opening today. My girlfriend and I are from Los Angeles, and we've been missing poke bowls since we've been out here. It did not disappoint! Fish is fresh, they have a great variety of toppings, and their sauces are delicious!! Not to mention the owner, chef, and staff are very friendly. So glad a legit poke bar has come to Durham!!! read more
9 years ago
Loved this place. A lot smaller than I expected and I probably beat the rush because I got there at 11am. They were so nice recommending options for me since it was my first time. I had a small bowl where I was so surprised to be able to choose three different scoops of protein. I had spicy tuna, crawfish and octopus with house dressing over zucchini noodles. I also added mango, cucumber, avocado, sprouts, fried shallots, roe and seaweed, topped with sriracha dressing. It was so delicious and fresh. I think I'd like to try it with quinoa next time, or the burrito. There are so many endless combos. I wish this place wasn't 30 minutes away. If there was one in Cary, I'd be there all the time. It's like a little piece of Hawaii or California, in Durham. read more
9 years ago
10 years ago
Been waiting for this place for months! So worth it, definitely found my new raw fish fix. Went today to the grand opening and was met by the super friendly staff. Very warm people and wonderful food. Will be back! read more
8 years ago
I LOVE poke so naturally, I was super excited to try out ZenFish, especially after reading all the awesome reviews. I was starting to get tired of the West Union poke bowls from Ginger&Soy, so I was looking forward to having a new place to get my poke fix. Sadly I was pretty underwhelmed by the food when I came. I built my own bowl with salad as my base. My proteins were the house tuna and the crawfish and I topped it off with a bunch of toppings and the house sauce. I have to say the wide selection of proteins, toppings, and sauces is amazing and makes for a fun experience building the bowl. Furthermore, the bowls come out looking phenomenal with all the colorful, decorative toppings. So if you're just looking to take a cool, aesthetically pleasing picture of your food, this is a great place. However, the food was honestly very mediocre. I think one of my biggest problems with my bowl was that there was waaay too much sauce for the amount of fish and salad in the bowl. It was just very off balance and too salty. It might've been because of the specific sauces and toppings I chose and it probably wouldn't have been as bad if I had gotten rice as a base but I still feel like it shouldn't be this difficult to make your own bowl. Anyways, I'm definitely gonna try coming back to see if this was just a one-time bad-luck thing, but overall my experience here was very average. read more
9 years ago
Tiny and tasty!!! This is a little treasure box of deliciousness! I had their Compassion Bowl... perfectly chilled shrimp, white rice and the perfect fixin's. go for the frozen mango desert! You get two per order so it is just the thing to share! Going back soon! read more
8 years ago
10 years ago
9 years ago
Wife and I stopped here a few weeks ago to give the Poke Bowl a whirl. Mind you, I'm NOT much of a sushi guy, so I was a tad concerned that this would be an odd experience for me. Thankfully, I was wrong. The options for custom designing your bowl seem(ed) limitless and the flavor combinations were brilliant. My ONLY complaint was that there was entirely too much rice in my bowl; easily remedied next time by opening my mouth (not to fit more rice into but to use words to request less rice). All-in-all, a GREAT/tasty experience that I will definitely do again. People gripe about the price but, to me, it's WELL worth it since they source local and über fresh. read more
8 years ago
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8 years ago
When a new spot in Durham opens up and they get a lot of love from the Yelp community I am all about seeing what the word on the street is. I wrangled up my foodie friend in crime and we headed down to 9th street. ZenFish is like the Chipotle of Poke (nothing wrong with that) but with a TON more options. The ladies working the counter were super sweet and gave some great recommendations on mixing proteins and what sauces work well mixed in versus drizzled on top. After about 4 minutes, I had my masterpiece and looked to find a seat. This place is TINY and I would not recommend them for group dining or even more than two people dining together. They do offer some outdoor dining but it was raining when we dined. My companion stated she thought the food was pretty good but somewhat pricey. You get 5 scoops of protein for a large bowl which you can mix and match but the scoops are small. If I had to guess, you end up with about 4 oz. of fish in the end. I stuck to the house tuna, which I recommend but my friend got some of the salmon and stated some of her fish bites were a little fishier than others. We both really enjoyed the array of fresh toppings and take note they offer kombucha on tap. All and all we enjoyed ourselves and they are A-Ok in my book but I do not think we are in any hurry to return. read more
Business owner information
Janet L.
Hi Lisa,…
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