SoCal Poke Chain Opens First East Coast Shop in Rockville

Honeyfish Poke, the latest entry in the growing field of the build-your-own-protein-bowl eateries, has opened its first location outside of California at a shopping complex in neighboring Rockville, Md.

As first reported by Rockville Nights, the fast-casual restaurant officially got underway at 1615 Rockville Pike this past weekend. The format is the same as every other place that’s co-opted the assembly line process that made Chipotle a household name: select a base (rice, greens), pile on a featured protein (tuna, salmon, octopus), add toppings (edamame, cilantro, sesame seeds), then drizzle on a signature sauce (ponzu, wasabi, spicy mayo). The two premium additions at Honeyfish include avocado and meat from blue crabs.

The pricing appears to be on par with other recent additions to the area (Poke Papa, Abunai Poke). According to Washingtonian, Honeyfish co-owner Duke Park plans to open his first restaurant in D.C. — at 1401 K Street NW — in the coming weeks. Other local stores could follow.