Say aloha to America’s 50 favorite poke shops

Native Polynesians have been enjoying different variations of poke for centuries, and for more than six decades, the dish has been a staple in local Hawaiian cuisine. Poke, which is the Hawaiian verb for "to cut crosswise into pieces," is traditionally composed of cubed raw yellowfin tuna mixed with soy sauce, sesame oil and onions.

Today, the dish has surged in popularity, with poke restaurants popping up all over the mainland. And the resulting menus have expanded to include an assortment of fusion ingredients and proteins. 

To break it down to the best in the nation, Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top 50 poke shops around the country, using Yelp data and our own special sauce* to produce a data-driven breakdown of where poke reigns supreme across the U.S.

Topping the list is Utah's Hawaiian Poke Bowl, located at 175 W 900th S, Suite 1, in St. George. With an impressive five stars out of 318 reviews on Yelp, this spot has made a serious impression with its traditional-style poke bowl offerings like ahi tuna, shrimp, tako (octopus), imitation crab, sea salad and tofu.

Each bowl can be served over rice or cabbage and paired with a side, such as Kalua pork. The shop, whose owner originally hails from Waimanalo on the island of Oahu, also sells its poke and Kalua pork by the pound and provides catering services throughout the St. George area. 

In second place is North Las Vegas' Poke Express with a solid five stars out of 541 reviews. Located at 655 W. Craig Road, Suite 118, this poke takeout joint features an array of options by the pound, like spicy or shoyu (soy sauce) ahi tuna, ahi with wasabi and spicy mayo, imitation crab salad, chuka idako (seasoned baby tako) and more. And if you'd like to grab a bite to eat on the spot, Poke Express offers bowls served with rice to go. 

The third-place spot goes to Ono Poke in Houston, Texas, which boasts 4.5 stars out of 662 reviews. Located at 607 Richmond Ave. in the Museum District, the fast-casual eatery features a customizable meal component. Similar to other poke spots, its menu is based around a build-your-own concept. First, choose the base, like rice, greens or a mix of both; add your choice of poke, mix in a sauce and then round it out with your choice from an assortment of toppings on hand. Can't make up your mind? Ono Poke has eight signature selections to choose from, like spicy salmon and sweet chili ahi. 

When it comes to poke's popularity across the country, Yelp data show that businesses tagged with the "poke" category are largely clustered in California and Hawaii, with Washington, Maryland, New Jersey and New York also seeing notable numbers of poke-focused restaurants. 

As for relative popularity across the nation, measured by average ratings for a given category, Yelp data indicate that the Dakotas, Wyoming, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia may not be home to the biggest poke fans, comparatively speaking.

When it comes to how prevalent poke businesses are, state by state, Hawaii shows the strongest ratio of poke outlets compared to all other categories, with California, Nevada, Washington and Washington, D.C., the runners-up. So, Hawaii should be your top stop if you want a diversity of poke options to choose from.

Want to know where to score the most satisfying poke the country has to offer? Here's the rundown of the 50 American poke shops to knock off your bucket list:

1. Hawaiian Poke Bowl (St. George, Utah) 
2. Poke Express (North Las Vegas, Nevada) 
3. Ono Poke (Houston, Texas)
4. Poke' Cafe' (Dunedin, Florida) 
5. Poke Bar (Sandy Springs, Georgia) 
6. Sons of Thunder (New York City, New York) 
7. Ono Seafood (Honolulu, Hawaii) 
8. Sushi Coup (Rochester Hills, Michigan) 
9. Laid Back Poke Shack (Holladay, Utah)
10. Ahipoki Bowl (Scottsdale, Arizona) 
11. Pokéworks (New York City, New York) 
12. Da Poke Shack (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) 
13. Poke Wave (Mission Viejo, California) 
14. Poke Burri (Atlanta, Georgia) 
15. FreshFin Poke (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 
16. 45th Stop N Shop & Poke Bar (Seattle, Washington) 
17. Poke Bros. (Columbus, Ohio) 
18. Chula Seafood (Scottsdale, Arizona) 
19. Jus' Poke (Redondo Beach, California) 
20. The Poke House (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 
21. Pokébap (Dublin, Ohio) 
22. Sun Dried Specialties (Kealakekua, Hawaii) 
23. Ono Poke (Birmingham, Alabama) 
24. PokeCity (Denver, Colorado) 
25. goPoké (Seattle, Washington) 
26. PokiNometry (Anaheim, California) 
27. Pokehana (La Quinta, California) 
28. Calipoke (Costa Mesa, California) 
29. Hai Poké (Columbus, Ohio) 
30. The Poke Point (Carrolton, Texas) 
31. Koloa Fish Market (Koloa, Hawaii) 
32. Pokii Eatery (Houston, Texas) 
33. Go Fish Poke Bar (San Jose, California) 
34. Red Poke (New York City, New York) 
35. ZenFish (Durham, North Carolina) 
36. Hoki Poki (Richardson, Texas) 
37. Poki One N Half (San Diego, California) 
38. Poke Salad Bar (Pasadena, California) 
39. PokéWave (Flushing, New York) 
40. PokeBao (Coral Gables, Florida)
41. SeaSide Poke (Houston, Texas) 
42. FOB Poke Bar (Seattle, Washington)
43. Hokee Poke (Elk Grove, California) 
44. Simple NYC (New York City, New York) 
45. tap & grind (Orlando, Florida)
46. Below 40 Poke House (Carrollton, Texas) 
47. LemonShark Poke Orlando (Orlando, Florida)
48. PokeHana (Louisville, Kentucky) 
49. Poke Mix (Wichita, Kansas) 
50. PokeOno (Ardmore, Pennsylvania) 

* To determine "best" businesses, Hoodline took into account the business's Yelp rating and the significance of that rating proportional to the number of reviews, as well as regional variations, to ensure that states with a stronger pattern of reviews don't have an unfair advantage over states that tend to review businesses less frequently.