Crazy Poke — Restaurant in Miami

As I walked into Crazy Poke Wynwood, excited to satisfy my craving for a poke bowl, I was immediately greeted by a short, young Asian girl with slick black hair who barked, "ARE YOU HERE FOR PICK-UP?"

Now, I took a deep breath, collecting myself to avoid fulfilling the stereotypical role society might expect of me as an “aggressive” black person. In front of everyone, I kindly responded, "No, I am not." Another breath, and I asked if she had assumed I was an Uber Eats delivery person. She denied it, but her flustered demeanor said otherwise.

"First of all," I continued, "why wasn't I greeted like everyone else with a 'Hello, how may I help you?'" She defensively insisted that wasn't her intention. But come on, it was pretty clear. When pressed further, "What else could you have possibly meant? she stood silent, clearly lacking a response.

Her manager was just a few feet away, and I could have escalated the situation. But, being above such drama, I refrained. However, since she assumed I was an Uber Eats delivery guy, I couldn't help but assume she might be scooping rice into bowls for the rest of her life due to her clear lack of professional skills.

I explained to her, in a brief lesson on customer service on the spot, that assuming every dark-skinned individual is a delivery driver is both rude let alone HUMILIATING. She never apologized and had the nerve to roll her eyes. Keeping my composure, I noticed she whispered something to a male colleague, both of them apparently not caring one bit about the situation.

I almost left without my order but decided against it. After all, I'm above such trivialities. Coming from a background of working with high-profile individuals worldwide, I paid and walked out, trusting that karma would handle the rest.

Later, as I wrote this review, I saw that other customers had also complained about this same girl. Astonishingly, she still works there. Moreover, the establishment's numerous shady reviews only reinforce my experience.

To add insult to injury, this was probably the second worst poke bowl I've had worldwide. The ingredients were fresh, but the "fusion" twist left me unimpressed. Maybe it was the "fusion" twist that threw me off, but either way, this place now ranks second on my list of culinary disasters. I will never set foot in Crazy Poke Wynwood again and will be sure to warn everyone I know to avoid this place like the plague.

On a lighter note, I do want to point out that I am actually of Asian descent as she is, but my color is a little darker from spending 4 months every summer since 2015 island hopping through the Mediterranean—practically turning myself into a bronzed statue...

This is one of the best meals I have enjoyed in Miami and especially in Wynwood. Many of the spots in Wynwood are touristy and expensive, Crazy Poke gives you a really good value for your dollar though.

Poke has taken this new meaning as it has expanded and is much more than what Hawaiians are used to. I'd almost say its a fusion between sushi and traditional poke now.

What makes Crazy Poke good?

Great fish quality to start. My salmon was great and so was the Maine Lobster (seasonal special) that I had on top. WOW. Everyone should put Maine Lobster on their menu, because that is perfect on a poke bowl especially with their Spice Mayo which was also excellent.

Sauce is important for poke bowls. How much is put on and the sauce itself will make everything work together. The sushi rice on the bottom of the bowl was also good.

Finally the toppings here are really great and creative. They have plantain chips as a topping option and that is so Miami, but also delicious. The chips were fresh and not hard at all!

Nori flakes were awesome and one of the things I truly loved was the Wasabi Pea option. These were excellent. Anyone who buys these regularly knows that they don't stay fresh long so I was happy that my Wasabi Peas tasted great.

Everything here was quality. The two scoop option for $12.95 is fair for Wynwood and Miami. I added Maine Lobster and Avocado (upcharge) which landed me at $16, but I would happily pay it again.

This place is great. You...

Absolutely love this place! It’s probably my favorite poke bar in Miami so far. All the poke ingredients, from fish to vegetables, are always very fresh and tasty. The portions are big. I always build my own poke bowl – a medium one, with two protein scoops. I usually pick fresh tuna and fresh salmon, or sometimes spicy tuna instead of the regular one. The fish always tastes fantastic. The selection of vegetables is pretty extensive, though I wish they had tomatoes. Additionally, I highly recommend adding a crab salad (even if it costs a little extra), as it is extremely flavorful and nice! The selection of sauces is also great; I always go with the spicy mayo, which gives the poke a slightly spicy and very tasty flavor. The price of this poke bowl comes to $17.60, which is reasonable considering the generous portion size. I personally never finish it, always leaving some rice behind. The only negative aspect for me is the selection of drinks, which is poor. They definitely need a vending machine with a larger selection of sodas and iced teas. Otherwise, I have no other issues with this poke bar. The place is nicely designed and always impeccably clean. The staff are sweet and friendly. If I ask for extra vegetables, they never refuse and never charge extra for that. By the way, I have ordered food from this poke bar for home delivery late at night a couple of times, and both times the food arrived very fresh and tasty. I highly recommend this poke place...