Poke Express and boba tea time — Restaurant in Spokane

My wife and I took our daughters and their friends to Poke Express on South Hill. The restaurant was nearly empty, with just one customer ahead of us. Two employees were working—one making drinks and another preparing Poke Bowls.

After ordering our drinks, we waited patiently while the children played in the lobby. When my wife approached the Poke Bowl counter to place her order, the employee finished serving the customer ahead of her, then left without acknowledging her presence. After waiting about a minute, my wife asked the drink-making employee if his colleague was returning. That employee called for the Poke Bowl maker to come back.

When he returned, my wife asked, "You didn't see me here?" He responded, "I thought you were with the other group," gesturing toward the children waiting for their boba drinks.

While waiting, the children stood on chairs near the counter to watch the drinks being made. The second employee reasonably asked them to get down for safety reasons, which they did. When our drinks finally arrived, one was incorrect and my daughter didn't want it. We requested it be remade, and my wife apologized. I told her quietly, "It wasn't our mistake. You don't need to apologize."

At this point, the employee (who we later learned was the manager) became extremely agitated. He began yelling at us about our "attitudes" in front of the children, escalating the situation to the point where the children felt frightened.

Later, the manager claimed that other customers had complained about us being rude to his staff. We questioned this statement since we had observed only one other customer during our time there, and after serving that person, the manager had remained in the back...

My family and I have tried this place five times since it's opened and I feel compelled to provide this review in the hope that management style will change after reading it. First, the food is delicious and the price for the amount and type of food available is reasonable. Unfortunately, each time we have interacted with the manager has been a disappointment. The young staff who work at Poke Express in South Hill are always kind, patient, and helpful. We have witnessed the manage berate and degrade them, and he has consistently been terse and sometimes rude to us and other customers. The store is often dirty, and I think what encouraged me to write this review is that when I asked that we get a table that was covered in food waste wiped so we could sit and dine, the manager was unwilling to clean to the table. My hope is that the manager alters his approach, ensuring a clean dining environment, treating his customers and staff with respect, and continuing to provide a great food to our community. As my spouse said yesterday, "I feel bad for that young lady working in there -- she was so nice, patient, and helpful, and then he aggressively stepped in her way." For now, we will frequent another...

Very hairy. Every time I have come here I have had a hair in my boba AND poke. Maybe because they think I need the extra protein, or if they are in the midst of a bad case alopecia. Idk. But I do know they have very poor customer service. When we called in to report the blonde hair, the woman on the phone literally argued with my friend about the hair. Saying that no one who works their is blonde and that they only have workers with black brown and red hair. Maybe they think strawberry blonde is red but the customer service is not it. They finally admitted their mistake when we also mentioned they made her drink wrong. Look I get it i used to be a barista, its hard work. But all i want is hairless poke and boba. Pls. Also why does the green tea taste like soap. Why? I get green tea is bitter but chill, its literally the fragrant soap from bath and body works. I hate bath and body works. Anyways don’t go here till they fix their customer...