Pokelava

This is my regular local Japanese restaurant in Ithaca - I drive 20 miles roundtrip for the poke bowls at least once a week. The bowls are amazing - made with care using the freshest and best quality ingredients, always consistent quality and generous portions. Friendliest staff, too. It's like a best-kept secret! High;y recommended.

They're always friendly, kind, and quick here. Despite coming only once a month or so, they remember my usual order. Food only gets 4/5 because I wish they had more vegetarian options, not because anything has ever been wrong with it.

My favorite restaurant on this side of Ithaca! Pokelava always has fresh fish, generous portions and staff that are friendly. I stop in several times a month and have never once had a bad experience! Most definitely recommend.

The Asian lady gave me SO MUCH FOOD omg I love it here

Service is amazing - they’re so sweet, & on top of that their food is so fresh & delicious. Poke bowl & bulgogi beef bento were both so so yummy. Loved the environment too.

I really love this place. They’re always so friendly and so generous with the scoops!

Fresh ingredients, excellent service, easy parking and tasty most importantly. What can you ask more? Favorite go-to place in Ithaca

This place is like god to me. Fast service, generous portion sizes for the price, outlets, and great-tasting poke. I usually get a brown rice base, but this time I got a zoodles (zucchini noodles) base which turned out to be a surprisingly delicious no-carb option! 10/10 recommend

Leaving Target we noticed a discarded menu for this place we had no idea even opened up in town! After Applefest we had a Curry/Ramen craving so we had to give it a shot. For less than $50 we both got unlimited refill on the best juice we've had in a restaurant along with the best Karaage in town and received the biggest portioned Curry and Ramen entree we've seen in Ithaca so we knew we were starting off strong!! Everything was perfect.. as in, zero possibility for improvement because it was THE BEST Good to see another amazing food spot in Ithaca with great customer service and an awesome sit down environment <3 Frazzlelog Score: 3.0 / 3.0

Good spot for poke! Built my own bowl and it was yummy

Great selection of food from poke bowls and sushi to Japanese rice bowls, ramen, and curry. Portions are very generous. Plenty of seating, casual vibes, and the staff is friendly and quick to keep everything clean.

Can't beat the food and the friendly staff here. You get a LOT of food for the price which is rare. We have been here a few times and tried different dishes and everything is amazing!

We were visiting the area and decided to eat healthy and get a poke bowl to bring back to the hotel. Boy, we were so impressed with all the fresh and plentiful ingredients that you can customize the bowl. My husband has dietary restrictions and he was able to customize his poke bowl that is both delicious and without guilt. The staff is also friendly and accommodating. Highly recommended!

First time ever trying Ramen! Clean and modern atmosphere- service was amazing!! Highly recommend!

Very underrated place. Very clean, staff are extremely nice and friendly. They give you a lot for the poke bowl and it is also one of the better ramen places in Ithaca.

If you have not been here and you enjoy a good Poké Bowl or sushi you need to visit this place. It is clean and the girls are so friendly. The food looks and tastes so fresh refreshing. The price is on the higher side but the quality is absolutely on the high side.

Love this place! Ate there for the first time today! The best sweet potato fries I've ever had. The service was so good. I can't wait to go back l. Thai Chi Bubble tea could never. I also got Miso it was so yummy!

This is hands down the best poke spot around! The staff are always so friendly and welcoming — they greet you with a smile every time. The ingredients are super fresh, the portions are generous, and the flavors are amazing. You can really taste the quality in every bite. Plus, the place itself is beautiful, with plenty of cozy spots to sit, relax, and enjoy your bowl. This place never disappoints!

Just what we needed. Great food, huge portions. Lots of fresh ingredients for the poke bowl, the large was absolutely massive, great value for money on quality and quantity. Delightful service, efficient and so polite and attentive. Very clean eating area and quiet. And did I mention the serving sizes!?

the poke was so fresh, and the amount was so generous 🥹 the owner and the other staff are so nice:)))

Pretty good flavor, price is not bad and a lot of noodle is given, would recommend! Modern interior and very clean

So delicious so clean so good! Waitress even came over to say hi to our baby on our table.

Just got finished eating lunch here and everything was absolutely delicious! The service was fast and friendly, with the sweetest cashier. The katsu curry was delicious, with crispy chicken and a sweet/spicy roux. You have to get the kaarage! It's SO juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside - some of the best fried chicken I've ever had! And the atmosphere was so peaceful and inviting. Super clean and modern inside; This might be our new place ♥️

Family friendly place to eat. Very clean and comfortable place to eat. Lot of choices of sushi roll, ramen, poke bowl, vegan and kids meal. Poke bowl is fresh and ramen taste pretty good. Prices are reasonable with good portions! Will return again to try other things.

Ever since my sister showed me and my younger brother this place, I’ve been going at least once every 1-2 weeks. I always get 2 poke bowls with spicy tuna and spicy salmon to go for us to eat. It’s very delicious! The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is nice. I love the decor too, especially the painted cat on the wall near the kitchen. I would highly recommend others to try this place out if you haven’t!

Love the Poke bowls here (i think the best in town). They make it fresh for you as you pick out your fresh ingredients. Plenty of tables inside if you stay and everything is packed well for to-go orders. Friendly staff and quality is top!

It had been ages since I last had poké. I decided to give this place a try after my Trader Joe’s shopping. The food was so delicious, the place is nice, bright, and clean. The staff were so warm and friendly. This is a wonderful place to dine in or take food to go. I split an order of gyoza and I ordered a poké bowl with salmon and ahi tuna over white rice with loads of fresh and tasty toppings!

I can’t recommend the downtown pokelava location enough. The fish is fresh and delicious and the portions make it great value. The downtown location has plenty of comfortable seating and I have always found it to be clean. I recently moved away, but any time I have the chance to come back, Pokelava is always my first stop. The downtown location also has a more extensive menu than the college town location, which is definitely worth checking out. I recommend building your own poke bowl, a miso soup, and the chicken bao buns.

Amazing food and service! If you like authentic poke bowls this is definitely the place to go! Staff there was super amazing and poliet!!

love this place so much! very clean and nice spot. poke was delicious and amazing portion sizes. i like how many options there are and the staff are helpful and kind!! best poke in ithaca in my opinion!

Really cute and specious place. Large selection of different ingredients. Everything is very fresh. Large portions- my friend and I couldn’t finish ours and had to take leftovers home!

no26

Really cute and specious place. Large selection of different ingredients. Everything is very fresh. Large portions- my friend and I couldn’t finish ours and had to take leftovers home!

Ryan Owens

Leaving Target we noticed a discarded menu for this place we had no idea even opened up in town! After Applefest we had a Curry/Ramen craving so we had to give it a shot. For less than $50 we both got unlimited refill on the best juice we've had in a restaurant along with the best Karaage in town and received the biggest portioned Curry and Ramen entree we've seen in Ithaca so we knew we were starting off strong!! Everything was perfect.. as in, zero possibility for improvement because it was THE BEST Good to see another amazing food spot in Ithaca with great customer service and an awesome sit down environment <3 Frazzlelog Score: 3.0 / 3.0

Ali

Good spot for poke! Built my own bowl and it was yummy

Mike Lang

If you have not been here and you enjoy a good Poké Bowl or sushi you need to visit this place. It is clean and the girls are so friendly. The food looks and tastes so fresh refreshing. The price is on the higher side but the quality is absolutely on the high side.

Suhailah Abdur-Rahim

Love this place! Ate there for the first time today! The best sweet potato fries I've ever had. The service was so good. I can't wait to go back l. Thai Chi Bubble tea could never. I also got Miso it was so yummy!

Samantha Hatch

This is hands down the best poke spot around! The staff are always so friendly and welcoming — they greet you with a smile every time. The ingredients are super fresh, the portions are generous, and the flavors are amazing. You can really taste the quality in every bite. Plus, the place itself is beautiful, with plenty of cozy spots to sit, relax, and enjoy your bowl. This place never disappoints!

S Gf

Just what we needed. Great food, huge portions. Lots of fresh ingredients for the poke bowl, the large was absolutely massive, great value for money on quality and quantity. Delightful service, efficient and so polite and attentive. Very clean eating area and quiet. And did I mention the serving sizes!?

Ana Lopez Ulloa

So delicious so clean so good! Waitress even came over to say hi to our baby on our table.

KMG “KMGFelin” Felin

Ever since my sister showed me and my younger brother this place, I’ve been going at least once every 1-2 weeks. I always get 2 poke bowls with spicy tuna and spicy salmon to go for us to eat. It’s very delicious! The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is nice. I love the decor too, especially the painted cat on the wall near the kitchen. I would highly recommend others to try this place out if you haven’t!

Emily Harmon

I can’t recommend the downtown pokelava location enough. The fish is fresh and delicious and the portions make it great value. The downtown location has plenty of comfortable seating and I have always found it to be clean. I recently moved away, but any time I have the chance to come back, Pokelava is always my first stop. The downtown location also has a more extensive menu than the college town location, which is definitely worth checking out. I recommend building your own poke bowl, a miso soup, and the chicken bao buns.

Mary Naughton

It had been ages since I last had poké. I decided to give this place a try after my Trader Joe’s shopping. The food was so delicious, the place is nice, bright, and clean. The staff were so warm and friendly. This is a wonderful place to dine in or take food to go. I split an order of gyoza and I ordered a poké bowl with salmon and ahi tuna over white rice with loads of fresh and tasty toppings!

Ying Chen

Pretty good flavor, price is not bad and a lot of noodle is given, would recommend! Modern interior and very clean

Nathan Spring

Amazing food and service! If you like authentic poke bowls this is definitely the place to go! Staff there was super amazing and poliet!!

Angelique Marie

Just got finished eating lunch here and everything was absolutely delicious! The service was fast and friendly, with the sweetest cashier. The katsu curry was delicious, with crispy chicken and a sweet/spicy roux. You have to get the kaarage! It's SO juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside - some of the best fried chicken I've ever had! And the atmosphere was so peaceful and inviting. Super clean and modern inside; This might be our new place ♥️

Jing Zhao

Family friendly place to eat. Very clean and comfortable place to eat. Lot of choices of sushi roll, ramen, poke bowl, vegan and kids meal. Poke bowl is fresh and ramen taste pretty good. Prices are reasonable with good portions! Will return again to try other things.

Benjamin

Love the Poke bowls here (i think the best in town). They make it fresh for you as you pick out your fresh ingredients. Plenty of tables inside if you stay and everything is packed well for to-go orders. Friendly staff and quality is top!

Sommaya H

Fantastic Pokelava location. The staff is always friendly and helpful, the helpings are generous and the store is always clean and perfect for studying. I prefer driving here rather than going to the Collegetown Pokelava.

Kailee Leung

love this place so much! very clean and nice spot. poke was delicious and amazing portion sizes. i like how many options there are and the staff are helpful and kind!! best poke in ithaca in my opinion!

My kids and I love Pokelava!!!! My girls go to martial art lessons nearby and we always go the this restaurant for lunch after their lesson… the kids meal is a huge plus for my kids!!

+3

Another awesome location. Used to go to college town all the time and now can stop by this place after work. Good food, nice and cozy environment. I have not been disappointed. Mango Kani roll is to die for.

Fantastic Pokelava location. The staff is always friendly and helpful, the helpings are generous and the store is always clean and perfect for studying. I prefer driving here rather than going to the Collegetown Pokelava.

Our first time dining at a Poke restaurant. The staff was outstanding, super friendly and helpful. The food was excellent, portions were very large, we ordered too much but now have enough for tomorrow's lunch. Very happy we ate here and highly recommend them!

Frank B

Our first time dining at a Poke restaurant. The staff was outstanding, super friendly and helpful. The food was excellent, portions were very large, we ordered too much but now have enough for tomorrow's lunch. Very happy we ate here and highly recommend them!

Great selection of food to cook. Friendly staff. Lower wait time than the first visit do to going a little early. Only complaint is, instead of getting to pick either the hot pot or BBQ, if anyone in your party wants the other (3 of you get bbq 1 wants hot pot) they make you all pay for both. Other than that the food etc was great

Ramen is good, poke bowl servings are very generous, tempura is good although has a bit too much batter for my liking. Fish could be fresher, but service is great.

This is a great place to eat. Really nice people. Authentic Asian drinks. They answered my questions quickly. It's a brightly lit clean place with 2 all gender bathrooms.

Bret Almoney

This is a great place to eat. Really nice people. Authentic Asian drinks. They answered my questions quickly. It's a brightly lit clean place with 2 all gender bathrooms.

The food service preparation was horribly slow. There were only 4 people in the restaurant, and only two people ahead of us. They said the curry would take 3 minutes and it took 21 minutes. Hardly fast casual. Poke bowl produced in front of you but unremarkable flavor.

Went here last year and got a poke bowl that was good so wanted to come again. This time not so good. My order was wrong even after waiting awhile and the lady was rude about it. Won't be coming back.