Lark St. Poke Bar in Albany
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Albany, Albany County, New York, US
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Site: http://www.larkstpokebar.com/
- Monday:11AM–9PM
- Tuesday:11AM–9PM
- Wednesday:11AM–9PM
- Thursday:11AM–9PM
- Friday:11AM–9PM
- Saturday:11AM–9PM
- Sunday:Closed
First time visiting, never ordered poke bowl before. Staff was friendly and kind. Restaurant was clean and atmosphere was inviting. Food was very tasty. Had a volcano bowl and a medium bowl with tuna and spicy shrimp & crab. Tasted great. The only issue which was not huge but still…the rice could have been better. Tad sticky (over cooked?). Since I’ve never had a poke bowl…maybe it’s supposed to be sticky!? Either way will be visiting again before we leave the city. Thanks!
I visited this place yesterday in person the first time. I got a lot of DoorDash from them in the past year though. This is one of my favorite places for Poke bowl. The food is fresh and delicious. I got a bowl of spicy tuna and crab meat with veggies and brown rice. The eel sauce is my favorite sauce, its very yummy. I was happy with the meal.
I am definitely sad that the prices went up. They increased for both the medium and the large. They got rid of small bowls, and instead made them the medium sized bowls. So really a medium is the older small. Wish they kept everything the same as they did when they first opened. Been coming here for 3 years now. Taste and quality hasnt changed, but prices did which definitely has caused me to come here a lot less often
Paid $14 for a bowl mainly consisting of rice and a literal pinch of the cooked salmon (that I waited more than 25 minutes for) While it tasted decent, there was so little protein It looked like they had forgotten to put it in. For the price id rather make my owl bowl. Disappointed :(
I was excited to see that Albany had a poke restaurant, I moved out of state years ago and really enjoy poke bowls. The food was actually pretty good, although expensive. The reason for the low rating is based on a conversation I overheard from a manager to an employee. When she was explaining what she was looking for in hiring new employees she said I hate people who call out sick, that is an immediate termination from me and then explained how it was just too much work to find coverage and its unfair to other employees. As a traveling healthcare worker I find that very unsettling. That manager would rather have a sick employee come to work with food than call off? Ive worked food service before and no matter how short staffed you are, that is not risking others health. Especially now that covid-19 is such a part of our world. Think about who you are talking around, managers. Us patrons can hear you, and I will not be recommending that my local friends eat at this establishment. Purely based on overhearing that conversation. I hope your employees can feel safe about keeping their job even if they have to call out sick. That is not a fair position for them.
My fiancé and I have loved ordering from Lark St. Poke ever since we moved to the area in March 2020, but lately the quality has been more than disappointing. I get the ahi tuna and it used to always taste fresh (with the occasional rotten piece or two, I guess as to be expected). However, recently one of my bowls had completely rotten fish. Every single piece was dark purple in color and the bowl stunk so bad as soon as I took the lid off. I picked all the fish out but it still made the rest of the bowl taste rotten and I had to throw it away. I took another chance at ordering a few weeks later and unfortunately about half of the fish in my bowl was rotten, as well as I pulled a long hair out of the rice....Not to mention the extra sauces that we pay for have been forgotten so many times, we now just make sure we check ourselves before we leave the store. We order almost weekly but were going to take a break for a while until theres better quality control. Really disappointing because this was one of our favorite spots to order from. Still 3 stars because the staff are usually really friendly and the flavors/options are good.
Taste aside, the bowls are severely overpriced for what they are; veggitables and pinch of chicken. A small bowl will run you 12 dollars and is not worth it compared to what that type of money can get you else where. Besides the pricing, the poke bowl itself was delicious and the restaurant was very clean.
My favorite poke spot!! the employees are super nice, food is delicious and theyve never got my order wrong. fish always tastes fresh and the inside of the restaurant is super clean. this spot does a great job at staying safe during the pandemic as well. support small & local businesses, this one really deserves it!
I just dont know how people give this place any star. Did you see their price? What you get of paying $15 noting just a little bit of a portion.I will never come back just because the food so bad and you cant feel it at all.However, the place very clean and cozy thats all I like but I came for the food and its so bad.
Staying locally for work, and tired of the same old take out/delivery - I tried poke bar for the first time. It was absolutely delicious. As I was building my bowl online, I could only imagine how great it was going to be... and it was..! My only complaint is that I was clearly staying at a hotel...and the restaurant failed to provide me any kind of utensils. Ready to dig in and eat, I decided to bring a little authenticity to the mix and eat with the plastic coffee stirrer bent in half - as if to use chop sticks. Definitely recommend, just make sure you’re prepared to eat with your hands if In a hotel with no dinette set.
I had the bowl, my wife the tacos, and my son the special tempura bowl. The food tasted great, great ambiance, but there is one glaring problem... Rice. It was terrible. Brown rice was overcooked and gluey, and the white rice was equally bad. Im guessing they cook it over the stove. If they invested in an industrial rice cooker and took human error out of cooking something so fundamental, it would be an awesome place. Would I go back again? Yes, but I wouldnt get the rice... Maybe salad greens next time.
I’m obsessed. It’s so healthy and delicious, I get poke allll the time. I love being able to customize my own bowl and get whatever I want. Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options! One of my favorite spots right now and it always come out so pretty! I have so many pictures in my camera roll of my bowls, it’s definitely an Instagram worthy meal.
So I am giving it 5 stars because it was flawless. Though I have not tried the other Poke places in town, so I cant guarantee that Lark St Poke is the best. But it was really good. Fish was fresh, ingredient portions were generous, sauces were super yummy. My daughter loved the chicken dumplings as well.
Lark St Poke Bar is a great deal for the quality of the product that you receive. I get the three scoop bowl for like $13-15 and it comes with your choice of any number of bases from white to brown rice, zoodles, wontons, etc. Then you can top it with three generous scoops of proteins (my faves are the spicy tuna, salmon and crab salad) and finish it off with any of the sauces and unlimited fresh toppings. They are generous with the portions and the flavor is unmatched in the capital region. I probably stop through here at least 3-5 times a month and they never fail to satisfy my poke needs. This place is doing it the right way, fast, fresh and delicious.
Ordered food through doordash and they told me I would have to come in person to receive a stamp for their rewards card even though I have receipts on my phone. What is the point of ordering online if I have to come in the store to receive a stamp? Manager gave excuses to why she didn’t want to give me my free medium bowl which was unfair and NOWHERE on the card did it say that. Very unsatisfied with their way of handling the situation.
Of the 3 main Poke restaurants in the area (Okipoki, Kuma Ani Express in the concourse, and Lark St. Poke bar) this is by far the best one. I work downtown and so I usually just hit Okipoki because I hate walking up State St. if I don’t have to, but some friends convinced me to give this place a try on a long lunch one day and I’m glad they did. Fresh and extensive menu, really awesome atmosphere, super efficient staff, and generally just way more options than any of the Poke places I’ve been to in Albany or Troy. Take the walk, you won’t regret it.
Fave. Fave. Fave. I love this spot - I go like once a week. Theyre connected to LAX next door so they have deals with them sometimes. My favorite is the vegan delight bowl, but you can also build your own. Theres an option to order online and pick it up which is helpful. There is seating, but pretty cozy like all of Lark Street. Its also called Let Me Poké You (for any confusion). Went last night and will definitely be going back in a couple of days!
Total reviews rating 4.6
139 Reviews for Lark St. Poke Bar 2023:
Review №1
2022-02-18If you dont want raw then get the chicken avocado salad. Its beautiful, great tasting, and healthy. The sauces are soooo good!!! Dont be afraid to try it.
Review №2
2022-03-21I usually order in person, but the several times I’ve ordered delivery from this place I have been disappointed nearly every single time. Bowls are left nearly 35-40% empty which is astounding since you’re paying $17 for a bowl half filled with rice. Whenever I go in person they stack all the ingredients to the top where it touches the lid when you close it at the end. Delivery however, is so infuriating to me because it’s not the dasher shifting the food around, I live two and a half blocks away; it’s the workers thinking “the customer isn’t here to see me skimping out on food” or the owners thinking “lets save money on ingredients to people who pay extra to get it delivered since it’s not our fault once it leaves the store.”Lark St. Poke Bar really needs to step it up, a change in ingredients or seasonal items. Been really disappointed with my last few delivery orders.
Review №3
2021-03-17Ive been wanting to try this place for a while and Im so glad that I did! I will say that the portions are a little small for the price (I spent $20 on a bowl, drink, and a tip which is a bit for lunch), but the unlimited delicious toppings makes up for that in my book. Those garlic and onion crunchies are to die for and the sauces are pretty great too.
Review №4
2022-07-01We’ve been coming here since they opened a love it! However, most recently the quality and the portions changed. It was not nearly as hearty as it normally is! Hope it was just a fluke. I’ll try again and change my review if so!
Review №5
2019-01-14One of my favourite places. I get a lot of take out from them and this was my first time coming in person. Very clean and well run. All the fixings looked fresh and the counters were very clean and well-kept. The staff were pleasant. The food is amazing and I highly recommend you get either a 2 protein or 3 protein bowl and mix and match. I had spicy tuna and tofu and it was great! Their tofu is perfectly seasoned and the spicy tuna is just how I like it, vinegary and without mayo muddying up the flavor profile of the tuna. Great to have with some Thai iced tea. 10/10 would recommend to everyone and will be back.
Review №6
2022-04-12I placed an online order which they refused to deliver food and didnt want to refund my money. They act like they are desperate for money. I will never order from them again. You guys lost a loyal customer.
Review №7
2019-05-03First time trying a poke bowl. A good friend of mine suggested this place for lunch. I ordered the house special “lark street bowl”. Flavors tasted like sushi. Looking forward to coming back here to try other specials.
Review №8
2021-11-10Quick service with a delicious outcome! Large Poke Bowl and 518 Burrito. Plenty of options for everyone. Well be back.
Review №9
2018-11-30My walk from downtown for lunch pickup was fine, and it was the best takeout lunch Ive had in a long time! I designed my own poke bowl ($12) and it was amazing. This will be a regular happy place.
Review №10
2019-10-16The quality of the food was amazing. Ive had poke from places in New York city, and this place definitely was up there in quality. Staff was also extremely nice, and the interior was very nice.