Always on the hunt for healthy, quick meals that are also Celiac-friendly, we were thrilled to discover Pono Ono Poke - where 99% of the menu is gluten free. But even if you aren't GF, don't worry - you won't notice. Fresh ingredients, quick and healthy, this is a hit on all levels. We loved the relaxed atmosphere, just brimming with plants. It's a step away from the nearby campus. What's not to love? So give this place some love - it'll become one of your favorite spots. read more

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Food tasted fresh! Ordered 2 orders to go and boy was it tasty!!! So tasty I was unable to get a picture of my delicious meal. Ahi tuna was best part of meal. Loads of delicious flavors. Cheers!~ read more

Love this place, I've been eating here for a few years. Food service and ambiance is always good. It's also fully gluten free which is amazing. read more

Pono Ono Poke - Sweet and Spicy Salmon Bowl - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This place is delicious! The inside is so fun and feels like I stepped into a tropical island. They have a good number of toppings and I love how you can pick your sauce separately, instead of the protein being pre marinated. Portion size is also satisfying, and I had a bit of rice leftover. I liked their seaweed too, instead of the typical bright green strings, it was the one you'd find in soup. I did want to ask for a tad bit more sauce, maybe because I got a lot of toppings I needed more. I'd go here regularly for my poke bowls, i dont think you can beat the price and portion. read more

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Clean cute casual place. Food is good but not suoer impressive. Pricy for that setting. But very cozy and I like it.

The inside is super cute. It feels like you just walked into a tropical rainforest. But the food was eh at best. The miso soup was so salty it was undrinkable and the rice was quite dry. read more

First off vibes were amaze. So many plants everywhere! Got the build your own which is only $12.50 for a pretty big size with unlimited toppings! Such a good deal and super high quality ingredients. Will be back! read more

Pono Ono Poke - Build your own poke - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

So I received a lunch order from this spot by accident, delivered by accident. I called the number on the receipt and the customer stated another order was in its way...I was welcome to it. I checked it out and the presentation was very nice: sushi rice with Furikake seasoning beautiful fresh salmon, cucumbers, pickled ginger and sweet potato. There was also creamy wasabi and a chili mayo sauce. There was so much I couldn't finish it all. Salmon the salmon was perfect, cucumbers seasoned well and crunchy, along with the picked ginger and sauces everything melded perfect. Actually the sweet potato was an afterthought as I devoured the meal. I was so pleased I called to tell them How I came by the meal, how delicious it was and that they had won a new customer. The manager thanked me as he was preparing for a complaint. At the end of the week I stop in, it is a small spot, bright and clean, well lit with lots of plants for a bit of a tropical feel (Hawaiian poke). I had ordered for pick-up and was trying the Sweet Heat Korean bowl. *Sigh* The kimchi and pickled cucumber were both pretty much shoved under the chicken so they were both hot and limp (took a bite but hot cucumbers is a bit too of a turn off so didn't eat) Kimchi tasted great just wish it wasn't hot. The chicken was tasty but a bit overcooked. Honestly, if this meal was my first, I don't know that I would come back, a bit disappointing. I am gonna assume hot bowls are not their thing. The service was quick, efficient, not necessarily friendly but the two young ladies at the counter appeared to be really busy so I get it. Giving them a 4 only because of the Korean chicken. If I had written this review based on that first encounter, absolutely would be a 5. I think they do the traditional poke bowls best because again that fresh salmon bowl was crazy delicious and I would without a doubt order it! I wish I had taken a pic of the either bowl but both times I was famished read more

This is my favorite poke place in Evanston. It's fresh and delicious and customizable. The decor feels lush and tropical with all of the plants. Service is friendly. read more

I like this Hawaiian food place. Good food, elegant decor, nice atmosphere and quick service. I had Mochiko chicken rice bowl (large), thanks to the photos on here. It's amazing. The chicken was like orange chicken but less crispy and less sauce, which I prefer. It was tasty. There's a bed of veggies underneath the chicken. Yum! I'd try other options in the future! read more

Pono Ono Poke - Mochiko chicken - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Cannot recommend this place enough! Wayyy better than Aloha Poke in Evanston, and the workers are always super friendly. I have never had a bad experience here! read more

Pono Ono is a popular poke spot. The interior and decoration are nice, with lots of greenery. Service is polite. I thought the food was OK. The fish quality was fine but nothing amazing. I didn't find the Umami Tuna ($11.70) very flavorful or memorable, but maybe some of their other poke bowls with different sauces are better. It's fine for a casual meal, but for a quick meal I prefer Picnic across the street (same owners but different genre of food). read more

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Got size regular with 2 extra ounces of fish tuna sampler. This was absolutely delicious and very simple and exactly what I wanted. Would definitely order again. Good portion for the price. read more

Pono Ono Poke - Tuna Tuna Poke Sampler with 2 extra ounces of fish - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Best Poke in Evanston and i think I've almost all of them, highly recommend , always consistent

This restaurant has a lot of good food. I would highly recommend this pretty restaurant! The reason why I said pretty is because of the amazing plants! It felt like you were in the jungle. - Evie:11 yrs old read more

[Pono Ono Poke] Poke spot in Evanston The food was good. It's self service kind of. I couldn't even tell you what half of these were besides the first one which is The Works and Vegetarian one. Food was super quick. Seafood was super fresh and there was other things I wanted to try like their shrimp bowl. Short review, enjoy. 7/10 https://www.ponoonopoke.com 1630 Chicago Ave Evanston, IL60201 read more

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staff is always so kind and welcoming! my go to order is the works and the fish is fresh each time!

Good quality food but the staff can be hostile and make you seem like an inconvenience. Would come back.

The students in my office recommended that I try out Pono Ono. Boy, they were right. I can't believe I haven't been here sooner! I ordered a customized tuna bowl. Did half rice and half salad with chili mayo, seaweed salad, cucumber, avocado and tobiko. My daughter ordered salmon with honey gochujang, same toppings as mine and edamame. We both loved our bowls. Everything was fresh and has great flavors. My daughter especially liked the honey gochujang sauce. I found prices really reasonable. Service was excellent! I may have to come here weekly! read more

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Probably the best place for poke in evanston, fresh fish and lots of toppings. Cute shop with outdoor seating. Chipotle style service and you get a discount of you wear a Hawaiian shirt! read more

Pono Ono Poke - Tuna Poke Sampler - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Ate at an amazing poke restaurant in Rockford, IL (of all places) recently. Sadly, this place does not compare. I would try this place again but when I got home with my take-out order both of my "add-on" ingredients were missing, which was disappointing. The food was okay but nothing special but the servers were very friendly. read more

Best Poke I've had in the Midwest hands down. The lively music and greenery gave the place an awesome aesthetic. The staff here rocks and were super friendly. Phill is the man! Highly recommend read more

Pono Ono Poke - Spicy Tuna Bowl - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The food here is great and I think it's a good size for the price. There's enough seating everywhere and you get a discount if you wear a Hawaiian shirt/have a Hawaiian ID. There are a lot of plants everywhere. The staff here were friendly too. But when you pass by, it does look like it might be closed because it's so dark. read more

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Most Hawaiian theme place in evanston. Inside has the most foliage I have seen in an indoor restaurant. Quite beautiful, really. Even the employees are wearing Hawaiian shirts. Got the fire tuna poke bowl. Was good, nothing really new or special to me. Just too much mayo for my liking. Overall, it's not bad. read more

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Pono Ono Poke is one of my go-to's in the Evanston area! The food is delicious and fresh, and the Maui tuna is my personal favorite. The staff are so friendly as well and make ordering easy. I really like the plant decor as well; great vibes and a fun place to eat at with friends! read more

Pono Ono Poke - Maui Tuna - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

AMAZING poke! Been here a couple of times and every time has been great! Staff is friendly and helpful when asking for recommendations. Their sauces are so tasty and my bowls always taste so fresh! Good variety of fresh toppings. Their bowls are also reasonably priced. I really like how they have self serve water. The decor around the shop is also so cute! Best poke spot in the Evanston area! read more

Pono Ono Poke - Salmon Poke - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Today my husband son and I tried Pono Ono Poke, it was great! Really fresh fish, clean great vibes inside and the best part was their portion size. It was a little expensive, but when you consider the amount of Poke and sides they give you, it's worth it! Make sure you go in hungry! read more

The service was terrible. I stood there for 10 minutes while two staff members were chatting in the kitchen. The vegetables were not fresh. I've shopped at this store several times, and these two staff members have always had a bad attitude. However, the food was fresh on previous visits. This time, even the food was not fresh. Very disappointed. read more

Pono Ono Poke - Vegetable is not fresh - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Welcoming and friendly employees, a really cool atmosphere, and very fresh ingredients. I'll be back!

One of my favorite restaurants in Evanston! I love their food so much. The korean chicken bowl never gets old. They pack your bowl to the brim and are so nice. I come here at least once a week and I'm never let down. read more

Pono Ono is one of the most consistent spots for a good lunch/dinner in Evanston! Great atmosphere, fish always tastes fresh, friendly service. Last Dined: October 30, 2022 read more

Pono Ono Poke - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I have ordered from Pono Ono many many times and enjoyed the food but since it had been awhile and I was in store, I couldn't remember the ingredients for certain items. I asked about mushrooms, onions, scallions, chives, and garlic since the ingredients were not visibly posted. The server assured me there were no mushrooms in the seaweed salad nor onions. Unfortunately there were and when I felt sick. I looked online, I could see the mushrooms were Shiitakes. I wrote to the owner on Instagram to please make sure ingredients were visible and clear and mentioned I had become sick. He wrote back with an ingredient listing that differed from the one attached to their website but still, mushrooms! The clincher is, he said, "Don't be rude!" This is s business owner? This is his reply: The ingredients are listed on the menu. There are no shiitakes in the seaweed salad, it is woodear mushrooms- which is printed on the menu. So are scallions. Don't be rude. read more

10/10 poke place Also their mochiko chicken is the best, I know it's not fish but it's so good damn read more

Ordered delivery a bunch of times and always loved it but finally went in to eat and it's even better! Chill vibes, a hundred plants, and super nice workers. Love Pono Ono! read more

Delicious fresh ingredients, GREAT pricing, quick and kind customer service. Definitely pick here over other poke spots in my opinion

Delicious, fresh, amazing! My friend and I meandered in on Sunday night. Found the place via Yelp. We wanted something light and to satiate our hunger without falling into a food coma. The place was empty which worried us for a moment. Either it's closed or it's not good. But Yelp has never failed me, so we pressed on and went inside. It was just the two of us, but two people came to the counter to help us. I thought that was a nice touch. Having only tried the other poke place in town, I wasn't sure quite how to order. And there is a lot of variety on the menu, including hot items. I was informed the spicy tuna bowl was one of their popular dishes. We sat down with our bowls (these are huge portions!) and started tasting then shoveling the food into our mouths. The fish was fresh, sauces were a perfect compliment. The veggie to fish to rice ratio was perfect! I had mine with brown rice and it was the best brown rice I have ever had. Usually it's undercooked and hard, but they prepared it well and it complimented the bowl perfectly. The space is big, open, and very clean. Tastefully decorated space gave me a warm fuzzy feel and I felt like I was on a warm island somewhere, instead of the harsh midwestern cold. Even that pic of Obama on the wall was a great addition. Also loved the fact that they have you separate out garbage, compost, recycling. Every little thing is very intentional and really adds to the whole experience. I have found my new favorite poke place! I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu. I love sushi and I think they are one of the best. Check it out! read more

Pono Ono Poke - A bowl of deliciousness - Spicy Tuna Bowl - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This place is so cute! I came in between lunch and dinner and there was only one other person there. I asked what their most popular bowl is and decided to get that, the Spicy Tuna Bowl. The lady was very nice and answered my questions. The bowl itself was a decent portion, very saucy, very yummy. It had a perfect level of spice in my opinion. read more

Pono Ono Poke - Spicy Tuna Bowl - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

We came across this cute little restaurant when driving around. It has the cutest indoor decoration! Too bad this is not a good time for eating indoor. The food is great, very fresh. I had the poke sampler, which tastes really good and the flavors brings me back to Hawaii. My only complaint is that it is a little too salty with rice, so maybe getting salad as base would be better. The second time I went, I got a make your own. I think I like the poke sampler better, definitely a lot more fish haha. It is perfect for a summer lunch. And don't forget to get a punch card! read more

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Delicious! I absolutely needed a poke bowl to satisfy my cravings and this place met my expectations. Their interior is too cute (very Instagram story worthy) and their food is delicious. The bowls are pricier than I'm used to, as a regular size is $10.90 and that's only 1 scoop of protein. The toppings selection was decent, and it seems like they're very open to suggestions if they're missing something you'd like. I still thought it was the perfect amount of food for a quick lunch, though. You can either order one of their pre-formulated bowls off the menu, or create your own to your liking. I opted to create my own: Base: Half white rice & Half salad Protein: Salmon Sauce: Miso citrus Toppings: edamame, sweet onion, roasted garlic, pineapple, avocado, ginger (on the side) It was scrumptious! If you're local, they have a punch card program that I recommend starting. My only complaint is that street parking can be a little tough in this area, so plan accordingly if you plan on driving. Definitely worth the visit! read more

Pono Ono Poke - Poke Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Fresh and tasty! Food quality and quantity was perfect. Super cute spot and great service. Would come back again. Quick service and great spot in DT Evanston. read more

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