Poke Restaurant

(212) 249-0569

305 E 85th St
New York, NY 10028 40.7772 -73.9519

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Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Midtown

Years in business

Established in 2005

Price:

$

Last updated 1.24.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Group Dining

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

What People Are Saying About Poke Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

This Japanese restaurant goes beyond the California-tuna-salmon sushi trinity with inventive specialty rolls that feature fish both inside and outside.

ambiance
77.77999877929688% positive
  1. 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).
  2. The ambiance is mediocre but that's not why you come here.
  3. The initial success of the restaurant had everything to do with the warm and inviting atmosphere and very well prepared sushi.
  4. Theyre new location is great and looks 100 times better than the old one.
  5. They don't take reservations, but seated us right away at the sushi bar which was fun.
  6. Good sushi, pleasant atmosphere
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. And to top it off, our regular sized bottle of wine was "soooo big" that it counts as two, so "we're sorry, but you are only allowed that one.
  2. 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!
  3. They don't take reservations, but seated us right away at the sushi bar which was fun.
food quality
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. Poke is great sushi, and it's BYOB, which is a rare find in NYC.
  2. Very small, but sushi is fresh fresh fresh.
  3. The food here is great, and the sushi especially good.
  4. The salmon preparations were outstanding, as was the eel roll that we had.
  5. They don't take reservations, but seated us right away at the sushi bar which was fun.
  6. Before the move the biggest con in my opinion was the size, it was just to small for the number of people who wanted to enjoy the wonderful sushi.
  7. Good sushi, pleasant atmosphere
  8. Have been to this BYOB sushi haven many times and consistently love the sushi.
  9. Their food was just awful, awful, awful!
  10. Bottom line is: I will go to Poke again because it was really fresh fish.
  11. Here is back to basic, fresh sushi.
  12. 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).
  13. If you want authentic sushi in that area, go to Gajumaru or Inase.
  14. The upside is that the fish is fresh and you can BYOB.
  15. The initial success of the restaurant had everything to do with the warm and inviting atmosphere and very well prepared sushi.
  16. For great sushi and amazing service try: Cube 63, Sushi Hana, Geisha, Totya, Koi, OR Wasabi Lobby!
  17. The yellow fin was fantastic, fresh, rich and buttery.
  18. They don't take reservations, sushi was fresh and really mouth watering.
  19. Their special sushi rolls were really amazing.
  20. ordered the sashimi and sushi combo and enjoyed everything.
  21. Overall, I thought the decent food was not worth an otherwise unpleasant experience.
  22. The food was good, but uneven.
  23. 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!
  24. great food - bad ventilation
  25. have heard a lot of good things about Poke sushi being fresh, authentic and amazing.
  26. If you want great sushi in a relaxed and casual environment, this is the place.
  27. 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
  28. Poke has the freshest, most authentic, innovative sushi I have had in a long time.
  29. Lauren (the waitress) is awesome and so is DJ the sushi chef.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. If you want great sushi in a relaxed and casual environment, this is the place.
  2. This is by far my favorite restaurant in the city!
service
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. For great sushi and amazing service try: Cube 63, Sushi Hana, Geisha, Totya, Koi, OR Wasabi Lobby!
  2. I've heard so many people rave about this place.
  3. 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!
  4. Before the move the biggest con in my opinion was the size, it was just to small for the number of people who wanted to enjoy the wonderful sushi.
  5. The service was fine, we didn't have to wait for a table and ended up seated in a nice spot by the windows.
  6. Lauren (the waitress) is awesome and so is DJ the sushi chef.
  7. Service is friendly, but somewhat slow.
  8. Service was attentive and polite.
  9. 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
value
72.22000122070312% positive
  1. Overall, I thought the decent food was not worth an otherwise unpleasant experience.
  2. Uneven but a decent value
  3. 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).
wait time
72.22000122070312% positive
  1. Service is friendly, but somewhat slow.
  2. Poke has the freshest, most authentic, innovative sushi I have had in a long time.
  3. 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).
4 Star Rating: Recommended

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
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

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.

1 Star Rating: Poor

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
1 Star Rating: Poor

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
2 Star Rating: Below Average

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

The Details on Poke Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • best wonderful sushi
  • great food
  • polite service
  • fantastic yellow fin
  • amazing poke
  • inviting atmosphere
  • authentic poke sushi
  • fresh fish
  • favorite sushi restaurant
  • otherwise unpleasant experience
  • inviting prepared sushi
  • soooo big regular sized bottle
  • outstanding salmon preparations
  • inadequate explanation
  • really amazing special sushi rolls
  • impressive rolls didnt
  • not very good yellowtail
  • decent value
  • mediocre ambiance
  • great theyre new location
  • huge commodity
  • bad ventilation
  • not like sushi
  • nice spot
  • awesome lauren
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