With new poke stores popping up right and left, we at Spoon can barely keep up, not to mention busy college students like you. To spare you from trying out all the new options around campus, we’ve tested out the poke places near UC Berkeley so you can decide where to get your poke fix.
Most convenient: Pokeganda
Located on Dwight and Telegraph, Pokeganda is the closest option for people in the Units and other Southsiders. Satisfy your craving for poke by grabbing this to go, or take a seat in the spacious area if you choose to dine in.
Their Chipotle-styled service allows you to customize your own bowl: Select your choice of base, poke, toppings, and sauce. If you don’t want a full meal, they also have a smaller kid-sized option.
Craving something sweet to finish off your meal? Uji Time and Vampire Penguin share restaurant space with Pokeganda, so it’s extremely convenient to grab a dessert afterwards. Otherwise, Pokeganda’s central location is close to boba, CREAM, and other options to grab on your way home.
Best quality: Hashtag Poki
With especially fresh poke and generous portions, Hashtag Poki is quickly becoming one of our favorite poke places. Their DIY-styled restaurant experience is similar to Pokeganda, so you can pick and choose the fish and toppings you want. You can also double up on poke for a small extra price. There’s limited seating in the store, so plan to grab it to go.
Hashtag Poki is a little out of the way for Berkeley students, but the extra distance is worth the high-quality meal. You can take the 6 down Telegraph with your Student Class Pass and maybe do some grocery shopping at Whole Foods before heading back.
Most variety: Simply Bowl
If you’re craving poke but have that one friend who doesn’t eat raw fish, do not despair and go to Simply Bowl instead. Along with poke, they also serve other options for those who aren’t big fans of poke.
Try out their teriyaki bowls or curry tonkatsu, both served in hefty portions. Unlike the previous two stores, Simply Bowl has set menu items for you to choose from, but their menu includes a wide variety of options and you can usually ask for a different poke or other adjustments.
Each poke store has its own plus, so you can decide where to get your poke based on your preferences. If none of these match your palate, try making your own poke. Overall, it’s safe to say that more poke options around campus never hurt.