Poke bowls have been all the rage this past year and The Strip has satisfied the need for one of our very own.  

While Tuscaloosa first opened with Pokerrito 68 on 15th Street, the demand for poke on campus has increased.  

Mahalo Poke has claimed residence in what was previously Pieology on University Boulevard. The concept of sushi in a bowl, along with other ingredients, has taken students by storm this past year and the demand for poke bowls have been heard.  

The fresh sushi joint offers a variety on its menu including tuna, salmon, shrimp and crab to start off your own bowl. Alcohol is coming soon as well. 

“I’m so glad they finally put one of these on the strip,” Abi Shepherd, a sophomore majoring in dance and marketing, said. “I’m a big poke fan so I was really excited when I found out they were putting one here.” 

Shepherd isn’t the only one loving the new restaurant. Students are lining up to get a taste of the new trend. 

Poke dates back to the arrival of the first Hawaiians and was used as a snack containing fish and seaweed. The centuries-old dish did not come to the name “poke” until the 1960s when it started spreading across cultures.  

While this is traditionally a basic dish, other ingredients were added into the poke bowl as other cultures inhabited the Hawaiian Islands, and it became much more than a fish salad.

Mahalo Poke offers its customers an easy-to-read menu and various ways to create their ideal bowl.

Mahalo Poke is open 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Sundays.