Poke Restaurant

04/14/10

Upper East Side Gem

by NycFoodie

Have been to this BYOB sushi haven many times and consistently love the sushi. They do not take reservations and there is usually a wait.. but most definitely worth it. The ambiance is mediocre but that's not why you come here. The Truffle Roll is UNREAL. But honestly, I have never tried a roll I haven't liked there (X'mas, Manhattan, ninja, crazy dragon, pearl etc) I have also had the shumai and grilled mussels to start, which were both excellent.

• Pros: Truffle Roll, BYOB
• Cons: Saturday Night -come on a less crazy weeknight

08/19/08

POKE - Best Sushi

by UESGURU

- Don?t let these negative reviews fool you. POKE is by Far the best Sushi on the UES and all of Manhattan. Go to Yelp or MenuPages if you want to read real reviews of this Restaurant.

07/24/08

Best Sushi, Worst Service on UES - Fallen to 1 Star

by jgiamichael

I have known Poke since BJ and his then pregnant wife opened it on 2nd avenue, years ago. The initial success of the restaurant had everything to do with the warm and inviting atmosphere and very well prepared sushi. Unfortunately, In its new location (much larger, more crowded and terribly noisy) the only characteristic that remains is good sushi (which by the way is a huge commodity in NYC and not the basis for the long term success of a restaurant). To say that the staff is inattentive and rude doesn't give justice to truly disenchanted waiters that ignore because they just don't care. This is almost an act of aggression shared by the entire staff, the 15 year old hostess who can't handle a low flow of customers, the multitude of wait staff that may have a single table yet fail to show themselves for exceedingly long periods of time, or the "manager" that is able to dismiss a politely mentioned concern as readily as an angry quip (I've tried both to check the reaction). An aggressive corkage policy that was implemented in an attempt to turn tables only serves to create negative tensions between customers and staff. It's only through the self-flagellation of multiple visits that I can now turn people away in order to preserve their dining experience. Owners of Poke, do yourselves and the rest of the local dining crowd a favor and dismiss the staff (keeping the sushi chefs) and start fresh, find BJ and make certain he has some hand in managing not only the food but the ambiance. I want this to be a successful and inviting locale but there are miles of improvements to go. Sincerely disappointed and hoping for the return of the original Poke.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: Terrible Service

05/20/08

Go some place else!

by fridaynights

Terrible Experience. 7 of us girls called a month in advance to make a reservation for dinner at Poke. We were told on the phone that it was first come first serve and that we could come in and put our name down the night of our dinner party and we would have no problem getting a table. Well last night on a MONDAY we went to poke and put our name on the list, they said there was a wait and to come back in 20 minutes So we went across the street to Ryan?s Daughter?s Pub and continued to wait till our table was ready. At 7:15 we called and they said come over we are ready for your party at 7:16 we walked across the street and they said sorry we just gave your table away to 4 people. When we asked for the manager the hostess who was probably about 15 years old and so unprofessional said that we would have to wait another hour or two for a table to free up so they could push 3 tables together, to fit 7 people. Another hour or two is RIDICLOUS! Not to mention there was a huge table in the middle of the restaurant with 3 people sitting at it when we asked the manager if we could sit there he said NO they were friends of the owners.. We have been going to Poke for years and always enjoyed the sushi and service- But this place is now on a power trip charging $20 to open up your wine and making you wait around for a table is extremely rude! For great sushi and amazing service try: Cube 63, Sushi Hana, Geisha, Totya, Koi, OR Wasabi Lobby!!

• Pros: Wasabi Lobby was so close and we had a WONDERFUL TIME THERE
• Cons: service, manager, $20 to open your wine

04/13/08

Are you seriously going to charge me to open my wine??

by Shoegal7766

I have never taken the time to fill one of these out. HOWEVER, after my recent experience I strongly felt the need to relay. After reading great reviews about Poke, my boyfriend and I decided to check it out last night. BEWARE BEFORE YOU GO-- they charge $20 to open your bottles (restaurant is BYOB). After speaking to 3 different people, including the manager (supposedly), the restaurant explained a policy they implemented last year-- in order to increase the table turnover they "allow" one bottle per 3 people to be opened for free. HOWEVER, to open anything over one bottle, they charge a $20 fee. Keep in mind they are already saving money for being a cash only restaurant AND are not paying for a liquor licence. When we questioned the staff, instead of giving us a straight answer, they literally walked away mid sentence and sent someone else over...only for the next person to have less than a satisfactory answer. Making matters worse, we sat down at 9:45-- their kitchen closes at 10:30-- with 45 minutes remaining before they stopped serving AND several empty seats, they still wanted to enforce their policy. The sushi was OK-- however, in a city not lacking japanese restaurants- esp on the upper east side, service is what differentiates one from the next-- and with the way we were treated ON TOP of the staffs inadequate explanation of their policies, we will not be returning to Poke.

• Pros: BYOB
• Cons: BYOB