Pono Ono Poke

A charming poke spot with lush greenery and a welcoming vibe. The ingredients felt fresh, but the fish portions were on the smaller side, and the flavors were a bit mild for my taste.

Best Poke Place ever! Kind of hidden but follow the good music and vibes to find all this: + The food is always fresh & it tastes as good as it looks 😍 + Great choice of fish + Great choice of self-made sauces + Great choice of toppings + Best Chicken you can get in the Northern Chicago suburbs + Fantastic atmosphere & concept (you feel like you are in Hawaii there 🌺) + They have recycling and biodegradable to-go boxes. I hope there will be reusable water cups in the future as well! I love to sit outside in the summer with the music. All the people that work there are very nice. Would totally recommend this place to everyone!!

Love this place. Good, fresh, full portions, and accommodates my shellfish allergy easily. Great atmosphere and always kind staff.

Fantastic custom poke, with many options. Staff was knowledgeable about ingredients, dietary restrictions, and flavor profiles. I was easily able to find a dairy-free option for myself by talking with the server, and several other dietary restrictions are already listed on the menus. I also cannot emphasize enough how cool all the plants are.

Chic spot to get poke bowls with an extraordinary atmosphere. Workers are down-to-earth and create a welcoming environment in the establishment. Poke bowls lacked the heavy sauces that are often drizzled on top, making for a different but refreshing experience. All ingredients used were high quality and prices were fairly reasonable for the area.

DELICIOUS!!! Honestly some of the best poke I’ve ever had (I eat a ton). Very high quality fish / ingredients, amazing atmosphere, and super friendly staff! Been here 2x during my Chicago trip and wish I could take it back with my to TX. Highly recommend!

Was VERY disappointed with this place as a poke lover (and Asian).. $18 for a bowl with 80% rice and maybe 7 pieces of salmon. There was so much ginger and onion, like they were trying to cover up the lack of fish (see photo). EVEN MORE OF AN ISSUE: ABSOLUTELY NO FLAVOR. The salmon had no fatty richness and the “sauces” I got ( or lack of) was astounding, I had to add my own sauce when I got home because it was so damn dry. Besides the overpriced bowl of rice, the service was bad too :/ Like others mentioned, rude workers that look like they don’t want to be there. Won’t be coming back here again.

8/16/19 - This was our first visit. Pono Ono is a great poke restaurant. We felt like we were back in Hawaii. I ordered the Citrus Salmon Signature Bowl (medium size) and it was fantastic. My wife had the Traditional Tuna Poke Sampler. Both were very fresh with a great crisp taste. That said, my wife preferred my Citrus Salmon better. We highly recommend Pono Ono. The staff was friendly and offered up suggestions when asked about the menu choices. We will definitely return the next time we're in town.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

[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

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.

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

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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!

Can't speak to the fish but the veggie poke is ono grinds. I am sitting outdoors on the lanai. In town for a professional meeting, originally from Hawai'i.

Solid build-your-own poke bowls. Lots of good, free toppings and sauces so you can customize to your heart's desire. Service is quick and professional. All the greenery inside is a plus, especially in the middle of a Chicago winter.

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

My favorite spot in Evanston! I live in Chicago now but every time I'm in Evanston I stop by Pono Ono. Best Poke I've had yet!

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.

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.

I ordered the loaded miso soup... they add the best nutritional natural seaweed blend fresh diagonally sliced scallions, sesame seeds to a large bowl of broth. I choose to eliminate the tofu and edamame as it's too much soy for my system. I also deluded the broth as a little too much sodium. Delightful atmosphere. The people that take care of the plants are doing an amazing job. The feeling of a jungle cocoon was wonderful on a chilly day in March. My second time to this local gem... I will return and bring friends. Little upgrade ideas ... use ceramic beautifully glazed bowls to serve the soup in-house with Japanese spoons. Thanks for the great experience

They were pretty heavy with the rice here. The decor was nice and it's a pleasant place to sit. For just the food, I'd probably choose another poke place in Evanston.

Dana always gives the best customer service! So attentive and helpful. I always feel so welcomed when he is there.

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!

So mid. I haven't found good poke in Illinois coming from Los Angeles and this place also solidifies that. It's not that it's bad, it's not; it's just not good. The vibes are great with the plants and the people and the atmosphere being very clean chic but the food is just bland, it's overpriced, the portion sizes are small for what they charge, and the servers skimp out on the toppings. I didn't find the fish to be bad in any way but the flavors just didn't hit. Just okay!

I was super excited by Pono Ono's 'Island Style' option in a town full of proliferating build-your-own 'poke' bowl places (really a WORLD full of proliferating build-your-own-'poke'-bowl places) since it cleaved pretty cleanly to the more traditional: limu, kukui nut, sweet onion, green onion, full stop. I admit that I ordered it with the rather less traditional salmon, since, well, I like it. (And I secretly like the less traditional BYOPB places once in awhile too, but shhhh.) Anyway, it, well... it was a little oversauced, and the rice was weird (kinda crunchy?), and I didn't detect any kukui nut at all, but other than that it was tasty. The fish itself, the most important part, was good, and plentiful. They also pile on any requested sides, and don't charge extra for masago or avocado or really anything else. You can make a whole meal out of the additions if you want.

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!

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!

The only place in Chicagoland that comes close to legit poke. Traditional Poke sampler is pretty legit. Rare to see kukui nut outside of Hawaiʻi.

WOW Pono Ono blew me away! The fish was fresh, the price was reasonable, and the service was quick. I literally went twice this week because it was THAT good. This is what I got: Build Your Own Poke 1 (Pictured) Size: Regular ($11.50) Base: Sushi Rice Protein: Ahi Tuna Sauce: Spicy Toppings: Cucumber, Avocado, Edamame, Seaweed Salad, Mango, Jalapeño Build Your Own Poke 2 Size: Regular ($11.50) Base: Sushi Rice Protein: Ahi Tuna Sauce: Honey Gochujang Toppings: Cucumber, Avocado, Edamame, Sweet Onion, Seaweed Salad, Pickled Ginger, Mango, Tobiko, Jalapeño I enjoyed the Honey Gochujang sauce more than I did the Spicy sauce, but both are good options for people that like spice. In my opinion, the best part was that all the toppings were included for "Build Your Own Poke." I expected the seaweed salad or avocado to cost extra, but they didn't. So, definitely load up on the toppings! They add flavor and texture to the poke and help fill you up.

We ordered the $10 medium spicy tuna and $13 large island style tuna build your own bowl Spicy Tuna: Avocado, Tobiko, Cucumber, Sweet Onion, Chili Mayo Build your own Island Style Tuna: - Island style sauce: Sesame Oil, Limu Seaweed, Kukui Nut, Chili Flake, Hawaiian Pink Salt, Scallion, Sweet Onion - Cucumbers, avocado, snap peas, sweet onion, seaweed salad, hijiki, tobiko Likes - larger portion size than most places like Aloha Poke - unlimited toppings for build your own bowls. I was surprised avocado was free - unique toppings that most other places don't offer like hijiki and non-processed seaweed salad - rewards punch card Dislikes - rice could be softer - sweet onion was raw; it would be better pickled

Best poke in Evanston. I am a relatively new poke eater, and cannot stomach fish that isn't fresh. Luckily for me (and all of Evanston), Pono Ono has the freshest ingredients! A bit pricier than alternatives, but you're certainly paying for the quality. They make the bowls as you walk through the line and you can easily customize as you see fit. Don't sleep on the chicken bowls!!! And make sure to grab a punch card because you'll be back, guaranteed!

I'm born & raised in Hawaii so I'd like to think I have a different expectation for Poke. I'm apprehensive to try poke spots in Chicago because they're typically as far from a poke bowl as you can get. I saw Pono ono on Yelp and decided to give it a try based on photos and the ingredients and it did not disappoint. The tuna quality was really good and all of the ingredients were really tasty. They didn't offer any off the wall things that didn't really belong in a poke bowl. I'll definitely be back for more poke bowls. I also think the value for your money is good. My bowl was $11 whereas I feel other places price gouge you for way less food. Staff member was also very nice. Thanks for a great lunch! :)

Even if you're not a huge fan of poke, this place has great alternative options! I always get their Mochiko Chicken, which always hits the spot. Definitely a convenient spot too. The price comes out to around $12, which is really not bad for the Evanston area. The place is very casual and decorated with tons of plants inside, so cute!

I LOVE Pono. Hands down the best poke in Chicago and one of the places with the best/freshest sushi. My only complaint was that it was literally in my building so I'd go almost every day The chicken bowl was one of my favorites but honestly everything on their menu is amazing

As someone born and raised in Hawaii, the poke here is pretty ono (delicious). I'm used to just eating poke with rice and I appreciate that this spot gives a good portion of poke without a lot of side garnishes. The cuts of ahi (tuna) were good and didn't have those hard stringy bits. I got the spicy ahi which had a great flavor and was accompanied by some tobiko, onions and avocado. It also tastes like they might use sushi rice (some added sweetness) which helps build the overall flavor of the bowl. The decor of this restaurant is beautiful, with many hanging plants, which are in fact real! It's like being in a jungle. They have this interesting looking tea machine (TeaBOT) which I have not yet tried. I'm looking forward to coming back here again to try out their other poke styles! I'll make sure to bring my Pono Ono Poke punch card. p.s. They give a discount if you wear a Hawaiian shirt or if you have a Hawaii ID!

Decor + food + service = allll great !! Regular size was a good portion! Ordered to-go for my family so that they could try the deliciousness

Not only is the poke fresh and amazing, but they also saved my daughter's stuffed animal in a seat of honor behind the counter when she left him on the floor! Thank you for a great meal, friendly staff, and for rescuing Foxy!

The bowl combinations are creative, all tangy and refreshing. At $15 for a large bowl, it's not unreasonably priced, though I think $12 would be most competitive. It would be nice to have a larger selection of beverages. Service is polite and accommodating, but I would not plan on going after 8pm (last hour of everyone's shift). The decor is nice and the music is somehow always songs I used to listen to about 2 years ago, this sort of indie-pop/alternative melange. They offer a discount for customers in possession of a Hawaiian state ID, which I assume is an attempt at nodding to the indigenous creators of poke without running afoul of non-discrimination laws. I appreciate this, but wonder if they could improve on it by offering a discount for tribal IDs, to include Natives who now reside outside the island.

This place is not for everyone. It gives off a very hipster, minimalistic feel to it that some may be turned away from. I actually liked the place a lot. It was quiet, bright and clean and offered pretty good food. Not many options, but the ones that they had were good. ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 8/10 Minimalistic in terms of design, the interior was nice to me. It can seat maybe around 20. I liked the design a lot. It was very modern and clean. I appreciated the uniform of the workers to unify the aura of the place. SERVICE : 8/10 The cashier was very patient and kind to us. He as helpful with the menu options and I thought he was a good face for the restaurant. FOOD: 8/10 Sweet and Spicy Salmon Bowl - Nice bowl made with fresh salmon with a deep red color. The bowl had good fragrant red and green peppers and was sprinkled with very sweet pineapple. I though the dish was fresh and light and surprisingly was more filling that I thought it would be. In my opinion, I think was a tad on the expensive side at $13.50 for the bowl, but this is a hipster-esque place so that was expected. Shoyu Tuna Bowl - The tuna in this bowl was flavorful and the scoop of avocado helped to blend the dish together. I enjoyed this bowl but I found that the salmon bowl was better. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 7/10 I'd definitely be up to try the blue crab bowl, the supposed bowl of the month, though I am not sure if I would want to immediately return here soon. I enjoyed what I had but this isn't a must return spot. TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: Worth eating if you like a salad-like dish with raw fish. Otherwise this might not be your cup of tea. OVERALL: 8/10