East Coast Poke

Price/​Quantity is insulting. You guys should do better– 5 pieces of tiny tiny fish for $ 12 is so lame.

Not bad, not the greatest either. Then again, I’ve been spoiled by Hawaii. Got a bowl of their tuna and salmon at Smorgasburg and I honestly can say you’ll need an extra helping to feel satisfied.

**Note all their positive reviews are from Smorgasburg outpost or by fake accounts**
Using their NYT Hungry City mention as a guide, I called or social media’d ahead on 3 separate occasions with no response, and each time they decided not to show up to the Coffee Foundry on those days. Foolishly, I came back a fourth time to learn that $ 12 (cash only) gets me a half-​empty coffee cup (with an ill-​fitting lid) of a bit of fish & some rice in a paper bag with no utensils? A worse product as a higher markup than the other more permanent spots with more extensive hours (and at least they are open for business when they run out of product, with a limited menu), with the added issue of it taking the barista out of the picture on my visit to the confusion of regular Coffee Foundry customers, who found a counter with no one at it.

THE BEST POKE! The owner Alfred is so nice and his passion for Poke definitely shows through the high quality and presentation of the food. Super welcoming and the food was absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to come again and I hope they become a permanent store!

Omgosh. This plaace isss amaaazzinnnn and the food transports you to a happy place in Hawaii. The fish is so fresh and every part of the spicy ahi tuna bowl is FLAWLESS. The servers are really friendly too. Definitely worth trying. (COME ON! you gotta try it at least ONCE)

Please open a restaurant! Incredible Poke.

This place is a joke went there to try a poke bowl instead got about six tiny crumbs of tuna in a carton full of rice so dry I don’t think a pigeon would even eat it. With the 12 bucks, I would’ve been better off getting sashimi platter and seaweed salad at a sushi spot.

Pathetic. Priced at an ABSURDLY high $ 12, I was ready to show my gf and sister the glory that is Hawaiian poke. Unbeknownst to me, East Coast Poke serves you about a whole 6 – 7 small chunks of tuna poke while jamming the remainder of the space in the container with your cheap deli-​style seaweed salad and rice. …Rice. Comeon man. That’s not even a THING in Hawaii. And there’s no justification for charging such a ridiculous amount for a baby’s fist-​size worth of fish. This was just criminal and wildly overrated simply because East Coasters have not had poke before. Do me a favor and go elsewhere for your first taste of poke: I’m positive there’s SOME shop in Manhattan or Brooklyn or Queens that has it. This place is so not worth it.

Tried both their traditional and spicy mayo ahi poke; very high quality ahi tuna.

Everything else I’ve tried at Smorgasburg has been overpriced/​not worth the cash, but not East Coast Poke! Every component of the spicy ahi tuna bowl is flawless, especially the seaweed salad which I’m picky about. Such fresh and perfectly balanced flavors. Don’t skip the sesame seeds on top. I wish I lived closer, I could eat this every day!

This was so good! I saw a girl eating it, and I was so intrigued I had to get one myself. I got the spicy ahi, which comes on a bed of seaweed strings on top of pineapple rice. So many fresh flavors, spicy, salty, sweet — perfect! This might be one of the only healthier (less fattening) options at Smorgasburg, so for whoever’s watching what they eat — this is a great option. As well, there aren’t very many cold bites there, except for desserts, so it is great for a hot summery day. This is my first encounter with poke, and it was amazing, I can’t wait to go back next weekend for another one!

Fresh fish! I wouldn’t say it’s exactly like the poke in Hawaii but it comes pretty darn close! The pineapple rice that came with the poke was pretty interesting.

Timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I had recently read about poke being served somewhere and was thinking to myself how good and fresh the poke was from a long-​ago Hawaii trip. And then, it’s an 80-​something degree day at Smorgasborg at Pier 5 in Brooklyn after a ‘healthy’ (aka sweaty) walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, the meat-​heavy and deep fried options looked great, but something cooler was what I was hunting.
I passed a woman with a bowl of what looked like pieces of tuna and immediately inquired where it was from. She pointed a general direction. While that point gesture was pretty unhelpful, I was not to be deterred. And then, there it was — East Coast Poke. I barely gave the employee a chance to even tell me the options but I did understand: $ 12 for a bowl, the bowl had rice, seaweed salad, and a choice or mix of tuna or spicy tuna. He did mention the freshness of the tuna and seemed exciting to be serving such fresh tuna! I also had a choice for garnishing of pink sea salt and sesame seeds (I went a bit overboard with the seeds but they always add the flavor and crunch I appreciate).
No sales pitch was needed as this was exactly what I wanted. Money paid and the full cup of poke was passed over to me. I grabbed some extra forks and skipped to my friends to share bites!
Even as sushi eaters they were a bit skeptical but were soon won over. As for me, the portion was large enough that I was a) ok with sharing bites, 2) felt there was the right quantity to cost ratio for value and 3) was appropriately sated upon finishing. The tuna was very fresh and I loved the mixed option. I was very surprised at the quality of the seaweed salad too as that can sometimes go either way. Quality, flavor, and taste and top notch.
I don’t know much more about this business, (local start up going to food festivals?) but I do know it’s DARN GOOD!