It seems that this place is quite popular, but I have a few complaints as to why it's just ok. The music is far too loud and it causes everyone to talk extremely loudly to talk over each other. I suppose if you're there by yourself it's not a problem. Seating is limited for how busy they get for lunch. It's also hard to hear the servers when trying to get your order not that their demeanor was friendly to begin with. My next issue is that they trap you with the fact that avocado is extra immediately, as you enter the serving line. It's really tempting but when the regular costs $9.50 and the large costs $11.50 for LUNCH it is expensive to add an extra dollar even if it is for delicious avocado. They again have another trap of extra when it comes to yellowtail my favorite fish is also $1 extra. I do commend their tasty luau tuna as it does add a nice flavor to the bowl.
Now on to their sauces, I tried all of them before deciding to mix the house spicy with the sweet citrus. I am not a huge fan of the creamy sauce it is too thick and covers the taste of the fish. The garlic sauce was oddly sweet and I found it unsettling since it didn't have citrus flavor and the house sauce just tastes like sesame oil and soy sauce. I wasn't too pleased with any of the sauces to be honest but I had to choose. The sweet citrus was like a sugary yuzu sauce and house spicy tastes like they just added chili oil. I suppose you pick to your liking but I wasn't pleased.
Then you choose your toppings which is unclear what costs extra and what doesn't but it stacks up to 0.75 extra per premium topping which includes the seaweed salad and crab meat salad (the staple of pokebowls). The scoop for edamame is tiny and barely the size of my thumb, every topping was stingily placed in the tiny black plate.
If I had gotten everything I wanted I probably would have paid $16 for my light snack. They should call it pokeplate rather than pokebowl. I will admit that the fish was fresh and their cucumbers had a nice crunch which was satisfying but otherwise I left nearly as hungry as my wallet had become after paying. I can see why others like this place due to the convenient location and seemingly plentiful options but I know better tasting and cheaper places for more food, if you ever go to tempe Pokedon is new and amazing.