Chicago Chain Aloha Poke Arrives Next Week at Union Station

Area commuters can get their first taste of Chicago import Aloha Poke Co. next week when the burgeoning chain opens its debut D.C. store inside Union Station. A second location is headed to Northwest later this year.

The fast-casual restaurant (positioned in the downstairs food court at 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE) is projected to open by Tuesday, June 5. The grab-and-go stand is projected to operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Local licensee Scott Miller tells Eater another will open in Dupont Circle this winter. That lease is close to being signed for a spot near the Metro, Miller says.

Expect a tropical design that celebrates poke’s Hawaiian roots, complete with swaying hula girl statues, neon accents, and banana leaf palms in each store. In two years, co-founder Zach Friedlander has grown the raw fish restaurant from one spot to a dozen restaurants, stretching from Illinois to California.

“Aloha Poke Co. is excited to provide a fresh and healthy alternative to the typical fast food offering found inside Union Station’s food court,” Miller tells Eater. The expanding chain sells custom bowls customers can fill with ahi tuna, salmon, tofu, fruits, vegetables, and assorted sauces.

See the full menu below:

Poke shops continue to crop up all over D.C., with the next arrival being California import Poke Bar in Fairfax, Virginia. Recent arrivals include Honeyfish Poke downtown, Poke Papa in Chinatown, and Lei’d in Tysons Corner.

On May 27, Union Station got its newest addition with the opening of a Blue Bottle Coffee.

• More Pizza, Coffee, and Cupcakes Are Coming to Union Station [EDC]
• Chicago’s Aloha Poke Heads to Union Station in 2018 [EDC]