Carmel Poke Co - Carmel-by-the-Sea

Didn’t have variety of add ons. No octopus or shrimp or tuna. Everything was overly priced. My bowl was $18 and they only have one size. Food didn’t taste fresh and for some reason the seeds were cut out of the cucumber slices ? kinda weird.

The food is always amazing, and fresh, and the veggies are organic! I also really appreciate that I have been allowed to be a customer here during the plandemic... most businesses refuse me service because of my disability.

They just updated the menu and are experimenting with pricing, the end result is great for the customer!! The poke is fresh and hands down the most tasty of all the poke restaurants nearby. It's in a peaceful spot at the back of the Crossroads with views of the mountains.

To begin with, the menu didn't list any prices for small, medium, or large portions. I understand that this might be part of their concept, but it would be much better to know the costs upfront rather than discovering them only after sifting through the ingredient options at the end. I didn’t think I was asking for extras, but my receipt revealed that I had ordered extra spicy tuna—neither of which was explained properly. I assumed it included one scoop of Hawaiian style and one scoop of spicy tuna, but apparently, it meant at least two scoops of each. For a place that prides itself on fresh ingredients and a fast food model, I was surprised by how difficult it was to gauge the freshness of the proteins before making my decision. The fish was left out in the open during slow periods, and even when chilled, that can be risky. To make matters worse, there was no cover over the ingredients—the first row closest to the employee assembling the dish was completely exposed, so I felt uncertain about my choices. On the plus side, I asked the employee for recommendations, and she provided some great suggestions and advised me on which sauces to have on the side. However, I couldn't hide my shock when she announced the total—it was disappointing. Once I settled down to eat, I dove into the brown rice first, only to find it hard. I then tried the white rice, since I had ordered a combo of both, but that was hard as well. Hard rice indicates it had likely been sitting out and lost its moisture. I went back to request extra sauce to help moisten it a bit. The fish itself was just okay—not great, nothing exceptional. Given the price and the positive reviews, I had higher expectations. In the end, I only managed to eat half of my meal, feeling shortchanged by the entire experience. I ended up going next door for a burger and shake instead. I’m giving this place two stars, primarily because the young woman serving me was extremely nice and took her time to answer my questions without rushing the process.

I just experienced food poisoning from this restaurant. The fish didn't seem quite right while I was eating it, but I couldn't tell if it was just the sauce or the fish itself that was the problem. It's disappointing because I thought I had found a nice little place to grab some poke on my way home from work. I won't be returning.