Pa'akai Poke — Restaurant in Hawaii

Poke was okay. Got the spicy ahi and Hawaiian. Small portions and mild flavors. Would've liked more sauce. Killer side options though. What stuck out more to me was how the staff handled a local homeless man inside the store.

My friend and I were backpacking around the island and thus brought in large, dirty bags. We set our bags down and waited to order. A homeless man walked in, grabbed a can of soda, and waited behind us. While I was ordering, a staff member came from behind the counter and sternly told the man to remove his bags from the store. I stopped ordering and told her they were mine and my friends and I could take them outside for her. She replied that I didn't need to do so.

I asked why I didn't have to remove the bags, but if they belonged to the homeless then he would. She shoooed the man out the door with his free soda and explained to me that she hadn't been descriminating, but he was a well-known local who has caused problems there in the past. She explained "the cops have 86-ed him from the property" previously (obviously ineffectively).

Sorry Pa'akai, that is the textbook definition of descrimination. I don't care how familiar you are with the local homeless and your history with them. Pa'akai staff insisted that I don't understand and a man behind the counter spoke up and said, "he's not usually that nice", as if that should qualify him for humiliating treatment. Regardless, on this occasion he WAS perfectly nice and you failed to handle the situation with grace.

I have worked as a night security guard in Hawaii. I am very familiar with these types of encounters and know from first-hand experience that this was wrong, rude, disheartening, and ultimately ineffective in creating a safe, clean place of business. Homelessness is a reality in Hawaii and we as a community need to come together to help solve these problems with compassion before the state, the police, codes and ordinances will ever work to keep Hawaii safe, clean, and welcoming.

Please, do better Pa'akai! Everyone deserves second chances, I will be back for...

Here's what you need to know: the Ppke is SO GOOD and SO FRESH. WOW! We tried Ahi (tuna), salmon, and octopus and everything was just amazing. The seasoning and the freshness is perfection! We'll priced too.

The tuna we had was Hawaiian was shoyu, the salmon was Ponzu, and the octopus comes in just one flavor. The ocean salad (seaweed salad) was delish too but I'm not sure if it's made in house because it has a very commoditized flavor profile.

The rice is just perfectly cooked and so nice and warm. They give you a choice of four seasonings for rice - I asked for a lot of Furikake and it was perfect. They also offer kalua pork but it's not made in house.

I will absolutely come back. Line can get big...

My husband and I stumbled upon this Poke & Deli when we were debating what to have for lunch. Oh my word are we glad we stopped and tried it out... This is by far the best poke I have ever had on the Island. It was so fresh, the portions were generous and everything was so fresh! The fish was buttery and so tasty. We've eaten lots of Poke and have been vacationing on the Big Island for years and this Poke just topped the charts for us! The customer service was amazing! The ladies working that day we're so so sweet & polite. Service was fast. They have picnic tables outside if you want to sit and enjoy your Poke! 🍣🍚

My husband had the mini poke bowl and I had the...