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Superb Belltown fast-casual restaurant Fob Poke Bar, one of the better places to capitalize on the poke craze of 2016 and 2017, has expanded to Capitol Hill, taking over the former home of Wanderfish Poke. “Fob” stands for “fresh off the boat.”
The new Fob, at 1620 Broadway, offers the same efficient, affordable Chipotle-style customization as the original, which is virtually identical to that of every other poke place out there: Customers build their own bowls from choices like rice or greens, scoops of “proteins,” sauces, sides, and toppings.
Unlike some poke restaurants, Fob doesn’t claim to use the most sustainable fish nor the most traditional flavors, but it does offer a particularly long list of options that simply come together nicely, including 14 meats, from the standard tuna and salmon to grilled chicken, octopus, and even Spam. There’s also a signature rice — infused with matcha green tea and coconut — and a signature sauce — a mix of Hawaiian shoyu, house shoyu, and sesame oil — and, finally, sides and toppings like edamame, tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet), and pickled radish.
Through today, as part of its grand opening celebration, Fob is offering a buy-one-get-one deal on its bowls.
It’s always interesting to see a restaurant replace another one so similar. Wanderfish Poke, which did tout its sustainability, at one point planned to expand, before shifting focus as Wanderfish and Co. and eventually shuttering its sole location. With its strong following, maybe Fob can succeed where Wanderfish didn’t.
