Poke' Jon's — Restaurant in Blue Ridge

My wife and I came to blue ridge for our honeymoon and stumbled across this establishment. As a poke enthusiast, I was excited to try somewhere new. Big mistake. One thing I will say is that the service was very good. The guy at the desk was very cheerful and made the experience a good one. Let’s get to the food. I tried a few samples of the Tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, and smoked Haddock. The raw options tasted incredibly fishy (it was clear that the meat was old) so I decided to be safe and choose the smoked haddock. It didn’t matter. My wife and I got the worst food poisoning in our entire life. For me it was much worse. I was up for several hours with wretching pain and throwing up severely. I’m sure it was because of this food because it was the only meal we had that day. Even 2 days later I can barely eat despite having a big appetite most times and I still have occasional stomach cramps. Definitely wouldn’t recommend and honestly think the FDA should make a visit soon.

Edit: Owner, you are the most delusional and rude person ever. I’ll go through and dismantle every single one of your garbage and emotional arguments.

I came back the day after because I was bedridden the entire following day because of the poisoned food you gave me. I had to cancel several reservations that Thursday. The only thing here that’s unethical and immoral is the fact that rather than using this to improve your restaurant, you throw the blame on the customer for trying to destroy a small business.

Food poisoning doesn’t kick in immediately after consumption. It usually kicks in several hours after. How am I gonna get up right after the meal and demand for my money back. Listen to yourself dude it’s pathetic.

Why wouldn’t I get my money back? You poisoned me. I’m not going to pay for a meal that ruined my trip and put me through immense agony. You really think I would use the kindness of your employees against you?? I don’t know what fairytale you’re living in, but I promise you aren’t the main character buddy.

The five star reviews don’t matter. Just because the masses tell you something doesn’t mean it’s right. You go out of your way to slander me and my intentions without taking the time to look at yourself. It is shameful.

Check...

I don't know who is giving this place five star reviews. Five stars compared to what? Dysentery? I understand we are 350 miles away from the ocean, so as a pro, the tuna ahi actually had no taste, which is a good thing. It's likely fresh enough or high quality enough to pass. That's the good news. The rest is downhill. I got the Tuna Boy bowl and the Ramen bowl. The food was largely inedible. The Ramen was bitter and off tasting and had small bits of very unsavory mystery meat that was not the chicken I asked for. The Tuna bowl, which is largely comprised of salad, was room temp. I ordered for pickup and it was room temp. It's fresh fish...it should not be anything other than cold until it goes into my mouth. Also, when you walk into an establishment that serves "fresh seafood" it should not smell and be stuffy, dark, disorganized, and dirty inside.

Jon, if you're real, and you're out there, I do not want to take business away from your restaurant. I would recommend creating a bright and clean atmosphere; cleaning up the counter spaces and leaning towards minimalist neat rather than drop ceiling darkness and everything piled everywhere. Source the strange smell and remove it. Review the recipes and focus on freshness. Thank you!

Edit to Jon: appreciate the...

I will start off with saying that the service and staff were very nice and friendly. They told us about their speakeasy/bar (Sake Jon's) located in the back outside. The food, was okay and not your traditional poke bowl. I didn't like that you couldn't see what you were being served because it was covered. Most places allow you to see what's being served so you can better decide what toppings you'd like. I also found it odd that they use jasmine rice instead of sushi rice, which tends to stick together better. My pokeritto fell apart after the first bite and was super messy.

The best part of this place is Sake Jon's, which is the speakeasy located in the back serving great cocktails! 5 stars for this unique and super cool bar. There's a living painting, which was a new concept for me. The bartender was amazing and told us about the origins of the place and how he ended up in Blue Ridge. Overall, a must visit...