Island Fin Poke - Delta Shores — Restaurant in Sacramento

This poke spot is located in Delta Shores, and from the vibe, it feels pretty new—though I could be wrong. Walking in, it looks like your typical poke place: a counter, some menus, and someone ready to take your order. They advertise Dole Whip, milk tea with boba, and a few other drink options which caught my eye.

When we entered, a staff member greeted us from behind the counter, came around, and handed us paper menus while explaining how things worked. We were already looking at the same menus on the digital screen, so it felt a little odd, but I appreciated the effort. That’s kind of where the awkwardness started, though.

We chose to build our own poke bowls, which I usually enjoy because I like customizing everything. I went with white rice, tuna, and spicy tuna. The spicy tuna was premixed with what seemed like spicy mayo—more creamy than I expected. I’m used to spicy tuna being mixed with sesame oil, sriracha, maybe some soy. So this version threw me off a little.

When it came to marinades, there were about five options. I asked the employee which one she recommended and she responded, “Oh, I don’t eat any of the marinades here.” That answer was kind of surprising and didn’t help me decide, so I went with the OG sauce. She mixed our bowls and added the toppings, and at the end, there were some finishing sauces to drizzle on top—which I added, but more on that in a bit. Also avocado was extra. So for a base price of almost 18 a bowl it was kind of steep for fast food.

At the register, we ordered drinks and paid. Then we were told, “We’re a full-service restaurant—I’ll bring your food and drinks to your table.” That caught us off guard. As we turned around to find a seat, she was already behind us with the food. It was confusing because the bowls were clearly ready, and we could’ve easily taken them ourselves.

She then brought over two half-full cups of water, even though I had asked for a fountain drink. I went up to ask, and she said the water was free. But I specifically said “fountain drink” when ordering, and I didn’t get a receipt to check because I clicked “no receipt” after tipping. It all just added to the awkward vibe, so I let it go and started eating.

The fish was super fresh and the toppings were solid. But my bowl was very dry. There just wasn’t enough sauce, and it made the bowl tough to get through. That was disappointing because I know how good poke can be when balanced right.

To add to the confusion, the staff refilled our water cups once a few bites in, but then we never saw them again. If it’s full service, do I wait for more water? Or go get it myself from the soda machine tucked around the corner? The setup was just... unclear. The restaurant seems like it hasn’t quite decided if it wants to be full-service or casual counter-style, and that made the whole experience feel a bit off.

Toward the end, they brought us a sample of Dole Whip, which was tasty. But overall, we left feeling confused and a little disappointed. With a few adjustments—like clearer service expectations, more generous sauces, and a streamlined ordering process—this place could really shine.

As it stands, I don’t think we’ll be back. We paid over 45.00 for 2 poke bowls for lunch. There’s potential here, but the awkward service and dry bowl just didn’t...

Island Fin Poke has a food truck. Yup, serving up their food goodness in a mobil format. A few weeks ago, I caught a weekday lunch.

The two gals working the truck were fantastic. When I asked questions about ingredients, for the items they were unsure, they offered to quickly call the shop to ask. Despite my questions, they worked quickly providing customer service that didn't feel rushed.

The salmon poke bowl tasted great. Fresh tasting ingredients. Quality tasting salmon. Yum. Beautiful presentation. But hey in this economy, the poke protein serving size is on the smallish side as is with all other similar restaurants. I’m not complaining, I understand supply pricing is bonkers now. At least Island Fin is consistent with their serving sizes, which are weighed. I also bought a Hawaiian Sun fruit drink. Luv that stuff, it's not a common product at mainstream grocery stores. So it's a treat to find. Hawaiian Sun comes ins a variety of flavors, made without HFCS. Plus the truck sells soft serve Dole Whip. $6. That good stuff is made without lactose and HFCS. The menu also includes spam masubi $4 each...

Island fin poke sets themselves apart from other Poke restaurants simply because of the amount of items they offer to customize your bowl with. They have salsas and multiple pickled vegetable options, more topping options, and unique sauce choices I haven’t seen at other poke restaurants. Not to mention the daily deals and saving they offer certain days of the week. I have certain dietary restrictions and anxieties with food and Alan noticed right away after receiving my bowl I wasn’t quite happy with something. He very kindly came over and offered to remake my bowl for me without an ingredient that I no longer wanted. He was very patient and attentive offering extra sauce and even brought a small dish of their watermelon dole whip to try because it was hot out. The staff is some of the most attentive, kind, and caring I’ve had interact with me in the service industry. I will definitely come back after the experience...