Poke and plate lunch have built their own lane across the metro, from a boba counter in Blaine to a plate lunch room holding its own on the Minneapolis side. None of this is the old canon, and it does not need to be. Here is where the bowls and the build sheets actually deliver.
№ 01
Pau Hana
Savage $$
14435 State Hwy 13, Savage, MN 55378 · +19524471322
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Moco loco built with ahi tuna anchors the menu at this Savage room, backed by wings and pizza that read more bar snack than luau. The space stays bright and casual, built for a date night that does not want white tablecloths. Portions land as generous rather than dainty, and the Hawaiian influence stays plain in the plate, not the props.
What to orderMoco Loco with Ahi Tuna, chicken wings, pizza
№ 02
Song Tea & Poke
Blaine $$
10400 Baltimore St NE, Ste 160, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17633474899
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Peach and mango green teas, both built to order on a sugar scale, are the draw at this Blaine counter, with a customizable poke bowl running alongside as the food half of the menu. Order forms speed the build-your-own line. It is a tea bar first with poke that holds its own, not the reverse.
What to orderpeach green tea, mango green tea, poke bowl
№ 03
Ono Hawaiian Plates Central
2015 E 24th St, Minneapolis, MN 55406 · +18082984288
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Chicken katsu and curry lead a short menu at this Minneapolis plate lunch counter, with macaroni salad doing the classic starch-heavy work alongside. Twelve dollars gets a bowl sized to split. The menu stays tight rather than sprawling, and what it does, from the katsu to the curry, it does with real confidence.
What to orderchicken katsu, curry, macaroni salad
№ 04
POKE HOUSE & TEA BAR
Plymouth
10160 6th Ave N, Plymouth, MN 55441 · +17633007309
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The spicy bowl at this Plymouth counter comes sized generously enough to answer for itself, and the two protein bowl runs fresh on the seafood even when the mix reads more standard than exceptional. Online ordering makes the customization easy. The boba side, built around an iced coffee milk tea with tapioca, is the sleeper order here.
What to orderspicy bowl, two protein bowl, iced coffee milk tea with tapioca boba
№ 05
JJ’S Poke
$$
509 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 · +16123547842
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A steak rice bowl carries real flavor at this downtown Minneapolis counter, where custom poke bowls move fast enough to fit between errands near the university. Pricing stays low for the portion. Allergy requests deserve a clear double check at order time, but the build-your-own format and the speed are the draw.
What to orderpoke, steak rice bowl, customizable poke bowl
№ 06
Pa Tea & Poke
$$
20 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 · +16125843167
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Kalua pork and a build-your-own poke bowl anchor the menu at this Minneapolis counter, with a rotating chalkboard of daily specials worth checking before ordering. Strawberry cheese tea with popping boba covers the drink side. Service reads friendly and quick even against a menu with real range, and the poke itself is the room's strongest case.
What to orderpoke bowl, strawberry cheese tea with popping boba, kalua pork
Frequently asked
What is the best poke bowl in Minneapolis right now?
Based on the Insider Score, JJ's Poke and Pa Tea & Poke both stand out in Minneapolis proper for build-your-own poke bowls with fresh fish and fast counter service. Ono Hawaiian Plates Central is the stronger call if plate lunch classics like chicken katsu and curry matter more than poke itself. No restaurant on this list paid to be included.
Are there good poke or Hawaiian food spots near me in the suburbs?
Yes. Pau Hana in Savage, Song Tea & Poke in Blaine, and POKE HOUSE & TEA BAR in Plymouth all cover the suburban ring with their own strengths, from Pau Hana's Hawaiian plate menu to the two boba counters' customizable bowls and drink programs. Each is listed under its actual municipality, not folded into Minneapolis.
What is the difference between a Hawaiian plate lunch spot and a poke counter?
A plate lunch room like Ono Hawaiian Plates Central or Pau Hana serves cooked dishes such as chicken katsu, curry, and moco loco alongside rice and macaroni salad. A poke counter like JJ's Poke, Pa Tea & Poke, or POKE HOUSE & TEA BAR centers on raw marinated fish built to order over rice, usually with a customizable form or online ordering system.
How is the Insider Score determined for these listings?
The Insider Score reflects the pattern across the public review record for each restaurant, weighing consistency, standout dishes, and how a room actually operates for diners. It is not a paid placement. No restaurant on this guide, or any Top of Minneapolis guide, pays for its ranking or inclusion.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
