Poke Papa

I pass this place on my way to work and it took me a while to go there for lunch. Well, I should have done that earlier! So fresh... Wonderful! And very reasonably priced. Also nice staff, a pleasant space to sit down and the music is not too loud - easy to have a conversation. I tend to go late, around 2pm, for lunch and at that time it is nice and quiet. This surely is in the top 3 lunch places in this area of the town! Took some pictures to give you an idea on the freshness of it all.

Out of many poke places I've visited recently, this one has been a clear standout as the best. The garlic ahi in particular was phenomenal. Was bummed that a) it was closed on the weekend when we wanted to stop in again, and b) many of the self serve crunchy toppings were empty in the middle of prime lunchtime, but the food quality was good enough to stick with 5 stars even with these nits.

Don't normally like cold food, but this was a pleasant surprise. The flavors of the different ingredients complement each other so well that it's such a satisfying experience. Normal DC prices, not exactly cheap. Also music tends to be loud by default (I normally have to ask them to lower the volume). But bright place and friendly staff.

First let me indicate this was the most delicious poké bowl of three places I've visited in DC. You start out by selecting a size you would like from snack, regular or large which really is the number of proteins you'd like. You can pay for extra scoops but I found the small size with two scoops was plenty for one person. The spicy tuna was very flavorful but not overpowering. There are a wide selection of bases, proteins, toppings and even sprinkles. The white rice for the base I ordered was not burnt or over cooked which I've found to be an issue at a lot of places since it stays in a rice cooker heating throughout the day. Oddly the mango topping stood out as not under or over ripened but each topping was given very generously. From sweet to spicy proteins there are a lot of choices. I did get numerous sauces on the side to mix in and try with different bites which I found to really enjoy. The wasabi aoili was good being spicy but creamy and mild enough to enjoy each bite. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The dining area and unisex restroom was very clean. One thing I did notice was that they only sell bottled drinks but The Stubborn Soda Leno Berry Açaí was amazing. Overall the prices seem comparably to a food truck, which is shocking in DC, but this place is far tastier. Thank you Poké Papa and Yelp for a nice treat!