The space is very small and a bit chilly inside on cold days. The service is fast and friendly. There were a couple mistakes on our orders, but not a big deal. We just took it anyways. The quality of fish is fresh and above average. The add-ins are all really fresh. They pack it in, so the bowls are quite filling! The main thing is the poke sauce tastes kind of like just soy sauce. Not much flavor in the sauce. However, the portions and freshness make up for it. Would return. read more

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My order was spicy tuna, salmon, sushi salad and rice, edamame, red onion, fried garlic, avocado, cucumber, green onion, spicy aioli and sweet chili sauce! 10/10 this was incredibly delicious to say the least. The service was super fast and the seating area was nice and sweet. read more

Poke It Up - Build your own Burrito! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Made our own poke bowls and they were so so good!! The interior and nice and the employees are super kind! Would recommend!!

I thought I'd get hungry so I went with large but regular probably would've been enough. Great price for what you get. The mango is underripe or is a harder, less sweet variety. Tuna texture is ok, I've had better but it costs more. I'd stay away from the aioli sauces, they're too heavy for poke which I think should feel "healthy." I wish they didn't use flimsy single use plastic bowls and forks though. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Yes, this is by far. The best poke I've ever had. All of the ingredients are super fresh. I especially like the marinated tofu that I didn't even know what it was the first time I had it. Not the fanciest place, but that's OK. Every time I go up that way I'm going to need to stop here. read more

I had a quick lunch from here on a weekday. Mostly people were taking out food from here. I just sat down and had lunch. I went for a hawaiian green chicken. It was a good one. I was trying to get something like shrimp tempura, unfortunately they didn't have such fried items. Quantity was really good. I also had a royal milk tea, which was also a good tea to try. read more

Poke It Up - Royal milk tea - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Very yummy, super fresh, generous portions and reasonably priced. Interior was a bit cluttered and no background music meant the background was an employee talking non stop on their cell phone which was annoying. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Consistently the best poke I've had around Madison. They include avocado and seaweed salad in the price which most places charge extra for. Generous portions, always fresh. Bonus of friendly staff. My go to poke spot downtown. read more

I ordered a large build-your-own poke bowl. I cannot complain about the quantity of food: it was massive. Of course, the bulk of the mass was rice, probably about 70+% of the bowl was rice despite requesting rice and salad combo as my base. The large bowl comes with three scoops of protein. I chose spicy tuna, salmon, and shrimp. The fish quality was fine, not incredibly fresh but not sketchy either. I liked the volcano sauce, it was basically a spicy mayo but a little sweeter. I rounded out my bowl with avocado, fish roe, jalapenos, green onion, seaweed salad, and cucumber, all of which were good quality. Summary: you could do worse, especially as far as quantity, but you're going to end up with a lot of rice, and the fish quality is average. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This was a tiny corner shop that's easy to miss, but I'm glad we didn't! This is a poke shop, so it's a healthy option if that's what you're looking for. The Crunchy Style Salmon Bowl is what I got. It's sweet and savory with eel sauce. I loved this and would order this again! My brother got the Salmon Obsession Bowl of which he gave me a bite to try. It was slightly spicy, but still really yummy. My mom got the Tropical Island Bowl to try. This one had ahi tuna, and it was overall a really sweet bowl. I didn't love this as much when I ate a bite, but to each their own because my mom loved it! With our bowls averaging $13, it's kind of pricy, but maybe it's a fair price for a shop downtown. The portions are pretty fair too, but it definitely feels like a light healthy option after eating. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Last weekend, I traveled to Madison from Illinois to grab food to-go from Poke It Up. A friend had just gotten out of the hospital after surgery, and while attending school in Madison discovered (and suggested to me) that Poke It Up was the best poke around. Well, color me skeptical! I mean, there are plenty of good poke places in Illinois, and even the chain poke places make decent poke. It's really hard to screw up poke. Fresh fish and rice with your choice of toppings. How can anyone mess this up? Well, up to Madison I traveled to grab poke for me and my friend, wondering what the big deal about this place could be. Wellllll, Poke It Up showed me that there's a difference between good poke and GREAT poke! Poke It Up easily has the freshest poke I've ever eaten. The fish is so fresh and the rice is nice & mushy, so it combines well with your chosen proteins. The service is friendly and very quick. Your bowls are completely customizable and a large poke bowl is really enough for two people. You get a decent amount of poke for your money. My only complaint (and it's minor) is no shaved carrots as a topping. But you can choose from almost everything else imaginable. Now, my only complaint is that they're too far away for me to eat at every weekend!! But I'll be back! read more

We stopped for the poke bowl with my friends at this tiny lunch spot. All 3 of us were happy with the quality of the fish, the freshness of the vegetables, the size of the portions and the reasonable price of the food. I recommend! read more

Poke It Up - Regular Poke Bowl with spicy tuna and white tuna and variety of vegetables. Very tasty! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Definitely the best poke in the downtown area in terms of quality and price. Super fast build your own bowls. The place is usually pretty clean too. read more

Poke It Up - Large Poke Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Hands down my fav poke in the WORLD, and coming from Singapore that's... surprising. The bowl definitely beats all other poke spots in Madison and Verona~ The fact that they have yellowtail as a sashimi choice already is a winner. I always do a salmon+yellowtail combo. These people are GENEROUS with their servings, and quality is there! You know what you are paying for. Enough fish to last you every bite till you finish your bowl. Includes 7 toppings (even a creamy ice cream scoop of avocado! most other spots charge more) and just so so so yummy. Sushi rice is always nice and sticky, has some vinegar flavor to it which is a win for me. Loses a star bc their dine-in ambiance feels awkward and almost as if you are intruding in their family space. But for takeout or delivery, this is THE spot, or at least MINE! read more

This place is great. I travel extensively for work and eat here everyday when I'm in Madison. One of the best Poke places I've been too. Generous portions, fresh and very reasonably priced! read more

Delivery order, and overall the quality wasn't bad. The quantity is a lot so you definitely get a good bang for your buck. The fish was relatively fresh but the rice was just subpar, more regular rice vs. proper sushi rice. read more

I'm a big fan of poke and a big fan of this place. There are a few poke places downtown, but this one is the best. The service is freakishly fast, but doesn't lose it's quality like that one sandwich place we all know. The portions are large and worth the price tag. I usually get a small with salmon and some delicious add ins. With the large portion, even for a small, I find myself saving for later. Poke It Up is a concrete miracle. read more

Poke It Up - Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This is my go to Poke Place in downtown Madison!! I always make my own bowl my go to is - sushi rice, shrimp and salmon, seaweed salad, avocado, edamame, tofu, carrot, corn, and crispy garlic with spicy aioli and poke sauce. It's heavenly every time. Poke It Up bowls have large portions that are filled to the brim with good ratios of protein to rice to sauce to veggies. The workers are all very nice and accommodating to special requests. Definitely go here if you're looking for good poke! read more

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They pack it in!! Holy moly the value at this place is . I'd just like to start off by saying the lady that is usually working the register and making the bowls is the sweetest. She does not skimp on packing that poke in! I swear every time I go I get more poke than the last time. The ordering system is super convenient: just fill out what you want on this ordering slip, hand it to the cashier and the craft this heaping bowl of poke! It's insane value here. I get the regular size and it lasts me multiple meals. I've gotten the sushi burrito and that's pretty great as well. I will say biting through seaweed really is not the same as biting through a tortilla-- it's way chewier. But if your into the novelty and aesthetic, it's still yummy and a unique experience so go ahead and try it. I think you might get a little more poke in a bowl than you do a burrito though. In non COVID times they had a wide selection of furikake to choose from too. Also bonus! You don't have to pay extra for adding avocado. TLDR: no lie a bowl here can last you maybe 3 meals and it's yummy every time. read more

Food was really fresh and they gave a lot in my bowl! The place was super clean and the employees were really nice as well. read more

Poke It Up - Regular Poke Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Stopped by this place last night for dinner. It sounded really interesting, it's sushi, it's a burrito, what's not to like??? We got two different burritos just made to order. Both were pretty good, but I'd say not as good as just regular sushi, and maybe not as good as a poke bowl version of the same ingredients would be. But all that said, it was pretty good, and GIGANTIC portions for not much money. We got 2 sushi burritos and the total cost was $25. This was however probably enough for 4 people, as the burritos are huge and could feed 2 each. If I go back I'd definitely try one of the specials instead of making my own burrito, since they probably put a bit more thought into the composition than I did. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi burrito - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Generous portions and delicious tasting, Poke It Up is quite the addition to university area. Take your pick of small, medium or large bowls of 1, 2 or 3 protein toppings and an additional up to 7 toppings, along with your choice of soy sauce and mayo sauce. All the toppings were absolutely delicious! Plenty of sushi rice or choice of brown rice and/or with salad fills the bottom of the bowl. Toppings are all neatly arranged on top of the rice and fits snuggly in a clear plastic container. Finding parking around downtown is always tricky but there are plenty of street parking and garage parking nearby. read more

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Very good service. Great location. I would pick freshfin a block away everyday. It was way cleaner and more room inside. Similar pricing.

My favorite poke place EVER. Everything is delicious, great staff, probably my favorite restaurant in Madison.

I had a poké craving and this satisfied it perfectly! With so many options downtown I didn't know where to go, but per a friends recommendation I went here and was very glad I did. I created my own bowl and did the small size, but it was still SO filling and definitely enough food. For only $10.50, I thought this was a great deal. I added lots of toppings and chose brown rice as the base and spicy tuna as the fish. They did NOT skimp on the toppings and my bowl was fully loaded. I will definitely be returning here to satisfy my future poké needs. read more

Poke It Up - Small Poke Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

AMAZING, FRESH FOOD! This is the first time I had Poke and WOW! I love sushi however this Poke Bowl is a whole different level! We used the online ordering system and picked up for take out. My boyfriend has had Poke everywhere he goes and agrees Poke It Up is one of the best places around. We both made our own Regular Poke Bowls where you customize everything about it but they do have options to choose from as well if you're not sure what to get. Will be back for sure!!! read more

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Best staff-- super friendly and they work quick. Food is also delicious, and portions are amazing! Def try it out.

This was the first place I went to when I wanted to try poke, and it didn't disappoint! The inside is very welcoming and cozy. The ingredients are pre-prepped, so service is decently fast; however, the freshness of the food isn't compromised. You can order by checking off what you want on a piece of paper, so you don't have to build a bowl verbally- if that's something that makes you nervous. I always leave a good tip because they pack it in! read more

Great place for customizable, well-priced poke! A family-owned kind of place. Atmosphere is pretty underwhelming, but the service has always been friendly and quick. Great place for takeout! In the summer, my sister and I would order bowls and enjoy outdoors (ie. at Concerts on the Square) I think this has my favorite ordering system of all the poke places in Madison. You just check off boxes on written menus to order your poke. This gives you more time to decide exactly what you want (especially if you're indecisive like me) without feeling the pressure of being rushed or that you're holding up the cashier. Very customizable bowls with a variety of ingredients. I typically have gotten the build your own bowl with salmon, variety of vegetables/toppings, and the spicy aioli with poke sauce. The ingredients are fresh and the sauces have the right balance of flavors. Portion sizes are great as well! Only downside for me relative to other poke places in Madison, is that there's no parking, so unless you live downtown, you have to find street parking or pay to park in a ramp. Overall, have had great experiences with their poke bowls. Haven't had a chance to try to the poke burritos yet, so can't wait to go back and try that! read more

This is still my go-to. I love that it seems like a family run place and I want them to do well. I also love the unlimited options of toppings and their more than generous portion sizes, which I don't see elsewhere. The quality of fish is good and I am okay with the other ingredients being really simple just for the abundance and value. I tried my first sushi burrito here which was delicious, but for ease of eating and value, I think I will stick to the bowl. Avocado is included in the price as well as some other gems like seaweed salad! Love love love them and can't speak highly enough! read more

This is my 2nd Poke joint after Miko and if you've read my review then you know I'm not a fan of their "stinginess". So with a glimmering hope we jumped on the Yelp Notice that advised me on this new Poke place in Madison! Ambiance: Or the lack thereof. It's very humble and seats barely half a dozen-ish so it's more suited towards the "to go" requirements. Service : As you Prep your order right at the counter, service is limited to the patrons simply getting your order to you. You fetch your cutlery, napkins, water etc. yourself. The lady though was sweet to have given us some additional sauces to enjoy with our poke goodness! Food : We ordered each a Bowl (Regular) and Burrito. The bowl came with Spicy Tuna and Crab and the Burrito was ordered with Shrimp, Ahi Tuna and Salmon. The seafood felt fresh and guess what, not stingy on portions!! (Yayy).. The veggies accompanying it were fresh, crunchy (not some wilted crap) and paired well with the seafood. They have a good selection of sauces and having tried the Yuzu, Eel and Ginger Aioli, you can't go wrong here. I especially like their Nori version of a tortilla and when paired with Seaweed, it just feels like a nice bite of the ocean! I would though recommend balancing between Salad and Rice (There's an option for it) as merely sticking to Sushi Rice tends to be a lot. Value : For about $11 Burrito with 3 seafood toppings and other essentials, this is one tasty, healthy lunch! read more

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You have ruined me! This is the best Poke I have had!!! So fresh, excellent recipes & generous portions. The ambiance doesn't match the level of the food, but I'm there for the Poke not the wall art... It's just more of a family restaurant vibe than the polished look of a corporate offshoot. read more

No frills, filling, and delicious poke. You really get the bang for your buck here! It seems more like a carry out than a sit in place, and I got mine to go. I like that the order style involves you filling out a card that you submit. I had a regular rice and greens bowl with salmon and spicy tuna, and up to 7 toppings. They pack your bowl full and there won't be much wiggle room! Although it didn't appear super appetizing, I was impressed by how fresh the fish was and how flavorful the bowl was overall. I probably should've gone with a small but I was hungry at the time. There was so much avocado in the bowl and every bite was a little different because stirring to make a uniform bowl wasn't super possible. I also appreciated that the salad mix wasn't just a sad iceberg salad. If you're looking for a meal on the go, service is fast, and a small is probably more than enough food. This is a great option and I will definitely try and come back to test some more combinations! read more

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Best poke place in Madison in my opinion. Seafood tastes super fresh. I always get a sushi rice/salad bowl with Salmon and eel sauce, and pick the toppings depending on the day. It always tastes amazing. The people who work there are so kind. More than once, I've been short by a bit of cash and they've waved off the difference. On one occasion, I ordered for delivery and they forgot to put my soda in. Next time I came in, they gave me two drinks for free. Can't stress enough how incredible the service is. read more

I loved my poke bowl from here and also loved the way to order. You get a slip of paper listing all the toppings, sizes, etc and choose what you want. It avoids the whole staring at the register squinting with your mouth half open (or is that just me...) The regular size is extremely generous, I probably should have gotten the small. Ended up eating the rest for another meal. The spicy tuna was super fresh and I loved the fresh avocado on top. Of course I added two spicy sauces that added to all the savory flavors! The bowl was packed so much, definitely worth the money! I'll be back! read more

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This is another new Poke place on the Madison scene. The atmosphere isn't great, but the food is good and the portions are sizeable. You come in and fill out a card, which is super convenient, although it's pretty thick cardstock and adds to the carbon footprint along with this, disposable plastic bowls for sitting down in the restaurant and styrofoam cups -- both of which I wasn't a fan of. The TV was loud and one female employee was yelling about something to another employee for the duration of my sit down lunch, but otherwise, I'd eat here again. read more

This place might be hard to find at the moment as there are no signs. It is in old space that Erbert and Gerbert used to occupy. I only knew to stop by because I was traveling on foot. I was glad that I did! This was my first time trying Poke in Madison and I was pretty impressed given how far we are from the ocean. The prices are VERY reasonable. My favorite thing about the place was how many options you are given. You can pick up to 7 vegetable items and unlimited sauce. If you aren't feeling like a bowl you can get a burrito which I'm excited to try on my next visit. This place would get a 5 star review, but the ambience is lacking at the moment. There are no decorations and the signage from Erbert and Gerbert can still be seen on the inside and outside. Adding some bubble tea or more drink options would bring this place over the top. The place is bare, but by no means run down or dirty. Its actually super clean. Other perks are free wi-fi and they deliever with eatstreet and grubhub. The spoke with the owners and they are super nice. I hope they are here to stay. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I'll say for what you get here size wise, it's leaps and bounds above Miko Poke. The portion size is huge. I took a picture to show that. I got a large with salmon, tuna, and shrimp. Husband got a large with just spicy tuna. He really enjoyed the spice level, I wasn't adventurous today to try it. My salmon and tuna were slightly frozen, but it didn't take anything away from the bowl. My order was slightly wrong, but still good. The door is kept open, which means there's no a.c., which makes eating in a little uncomfortable. Overall though, I recommend it. read more

Poke It Up - Size of the large bowl with a coke can to scale - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great place for quick service and yummy fish! The staff person was really friendly. The fish was fresh (for being landlocked etc). My buddy really enjoyed his sushi burrito, and I loved my custom order poke with salmon and tuna. You get to choose up to 7 add ons, and the veggies/seaweed are great! read more

Poke It Up - Regular Poke Bowl Custom order - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Before I wrote this review I visited Poke It Up twice. Not because the first time wasn't good, it was because I wanted to my experience would just as great the second time around with a different food item. When you order you have two options: customizable bowl or burrito and signature bowl or burrito. You can pick any combo to be a bowl or burrito. The first time, I got a regular bowl (2scoops of fish) and added in all my fixings. All of the ingredients were fresh, flavorful and complimented each other wonderfully. I was so excited about my experience from customer service, cleanliness of the space and location that I wanted to try it again. But this time as a burrito. To clarify, the burrito is made out of a seaweed wrap. Game. Changer. I was still able to make my own customizable burrito. You have to option to have up to 7 additional items added into your bowl/burrito. And they do not skimp. You'll see in my picture how stuffed it was. And I was stuffed, and quite happy after eating it. If you are over on University Ave and looking for some good poke, stop right on in! You will thoroughly enjoy it. read more

Poke It Up - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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