Pokeworks — Restaurant in Tempe

New favorite spot alert!!! Loved the food, so many options, and the staff was so helpful/sweet!

Walked in to no line and got straight down to business. I have a roommate who’s never had any raw fish dishes before, so poké was brand new to him! Loddy took a moment to give my roommate the run down: explaining the base options, the proteins, the toppings, and the sauces; asking what flavor profile my roommate had; and then giving some suggestions based on their back and forth! Loddy was fast and professional with time/line management as well - once more people started coming in behind us, he called out Isabella from the back to attend the new arrivals and promptly got me and my partner taken care!

The bowls themselves were very good! The fish tasted fresh and the portioning was amazing. I have allergies to gluten, corn, and soy, so finding places for me to go out and eat isn’t easy. Their allergen information regarding possible issues was clear, and they even had a little sign for the sauces letting customers know that only one of the sauce options was soy free! That was the first time I’d seen something small like that and was so thrilled I didn’t have to “be that person” and ask for a list of all their ingredients during the dinner rush (I know it’s allergies, but I still get social anxiety over asking/the inconvenience). The Ube boba drink we got was so delicious too. I’m very excited to come back and try more of what Pokéworks...

Definitely Ono! Pokeworks offers a great variety of poke options, so there’s something for everyone. I opted for 2 scoops of fresh ahi, served on white steamed rice. While many poke spots use sushi rice, the white rice still worked well here. The texture was nice, and it didn’t take away from the overall flavor. The ahi pieces were a bit on the small side, but they were still very fresh and tasty.

The sauces and toppings were pretty standard, but they complemented the poke nicely. Some of the toppings, like pineapple, orange slices, and corn, were a bit unconventional for a traditional poke bowl, but they added an interesting twist if you're looking for something different.

I also tried the mac salad, which was pretty bland and didn’t give off that homestyle Hawaiian vibe I was expecting. The garlic spam musubi was pre-made and sitting under a heat lamp, which made it look a bit unappealing—it was easy to pass on that one.

Service-wise, Isabelle was very welcoming with a warm Aloha vibe, which made the experience feel friendly. On the other hand, Nick’s response to my questions made him seem a bit clueless, which was a bit of a letdown.

Great spot overall—reasonable prices and tasty poke. My only gripe is the music; I’d choose something different to match the vibe, but I get it. Still, I’d definitely return for the fresh ingredients and...

Had a really bad day today so my wife proceeded to take me to pokeworks as a treat to cheer me up because I love poke. The kind young lady took care of our order with no issues, but when it came time to pay she had to ask the manager for help verifying the bill because it was a $50 bill(understandable). She proceeded to ask NICK and NICKS response was "Absolutely not" because he was on his phone & couldn't be bothered. YOU COULDN'T TEACHER HER HOW TO VERIFY IT, COME YOURSELF OR GIVE HER A SIMPLE "give me a moment", NO YOUR RESPONSE WAS "Absolutely not"! If I didn't have enough money on my card to afford the meal we would have been out of food and wasted time making my day even worse than it already was. We come here fairly often to get poke and this experience left a bad taste in my mouth and I'm not sure if we'll be back or recommend it to our friends and family from here on out. Thank you to the young lady who helped us and thanks for making my day worse NICK!

Update: They were pretty quick to reach out and help me out after this poor experience, ended up getting a free pokey entree. No one's perfect, so I appreciate the good customer service. Thanks for the speedy...