Poke Loa Is Expanding to Old Metairie

Incredible news for poke lovers — the insanely popular Hawaiian fish dish that has swept the nation, as well as the corner of Magazine Street and Louisiana, will arrive in Old Metairie when Poke Loa opens a second location there this fall.

Helen Freund reports that the “fast-casual raw fish hub” announced that the second location will be very similar to the first (which opened in February), but with the addition of a mochi bar. The Garden District spot is a build-your-own affair, similar to the assembly-line style burrito joints that became popular in the late 90s and early aughts.

Though poke entered mainstream culture with a bang, with a verifiable poke trend sweeping the nation, it was slow to invade New Orleans. Poke Loa is the only place built around poke at this point, it is popping up on some menus in New Orleans. For example, Chais Delachaise on Maple Street offers a ahi tuna poke bowl on its regular menu, with wakame, hajiki, sesame, rice, carrot, cucumber, ponzu, rice, and cashews.

According to Freund, the Metairie Road location will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

MORE READING

• What’s the Deal with Poke? [EATER]
• Poke Loa [Website]
• Poke Loa To Open Old Metairie Location [GAMBIT]
• Can Poke Be the Next Fast-Casual Trend? [EATER]