Mr. Poke

 

Located at 507 Nelson Street in Kernersville, Mr. Poke offers poke bowls and other Hawaiian fare. It is open from 11-8:30 Monday-Thursday, 11-9 on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. Online ordering is available, and the restaurant offers a loyalty program.

If the construction-inspired traffic delays aren’t a dead giveaway, Kernersville is growing. While a poke bowl place popping up here might have raised an eyebrow a few years ago, Mr. Poke’s arrival is in keeping with that recent growth. Just as there are growing pains, Mr. Poke, open for only a few weeks, has room for improvement.

Positives first: the folks here are very nice and welcoming. Starting at $11.99, the bowls are also a decent value, especially if you stop by at lunch time when a drink is included. There are a half-dozen presets, and you can build your own, offering choice and versatility.

Take a closer look at the menu, however, and things get a bit weird. You won’t find pickled radish, pickled ginger, or purple cabbage among the available toppings, but you will find jalapenos, banana peppers, and tomatoes. These are curious departures, to say the least.

The bowl that I tried was, unfortunately, underwhelming. I went with spicy tuna as my protein, and there was nothing wrong with the fish, thankfully. It tasted fresh, and they got the flavors right. However, pineapple chunks seemed like they were straight out of a can, and the bowl as a whole was rather dry. Being able to include more than one sauce would have remedied this, but the menu did not present that as an option.

For newcomers to poke, Mr. Poke can be a decent entry point. However, if you’ve had poke before, you’ve had it better elsewhere. Here’s hoping that Mr. Poke steps up its game over time.