Poké Sushi

Poké Sushi is a Japanese-inspired sushi restaurant at 682 South Avenue in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood. Chef Adam Hamilton launched the concept as a weekly pop-up at various Rochester locations starting in 2017, running for roughly two years before settling into a permanent brick-and-mortar space. The restaurant opened at its current South Avenue location in early 2021, taking over a storefront next to the former Harry G's sandwich shop. Hamilton, who had previously worked in the South Wedge, chose the neighborhood deliberately when moving the operation from Corn Hill.

The menu bridges traditional and contemporary Japanese cooking, anchored by sushi, sashimi, and build-your-own poké bowls. Specific options include:

• Nigiri and sashimi – smoked salmon nigiri, tuna sashimi, scallop nigiri
• Cooked rolls – the Mack Attack (pickled mackerel) and Gabe's Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese, mango)
• Appetizers – spicy crab onigiri, crispy vegetable harumaki, chicken gyoza
• Entrées and desserts – tempura shrimp plates and Japanese soufflé cheesecake

The craft bar program rounds out the menu with rotating cocktails, boba tea cocktails, and a selection of domestic and Asian beers. Weekend lunch service runs Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with dinner offered Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.

Poké Sushi is known for its progression from pop-up to permanent restaurant, a path that built a following well before the South Avenue doors opened. The interior features Japanese-inspired decor with a modern, dimly lit atmosphere. The restaurant also runs a recurring five-rolls-for-thirty-dollars special that gives diners a way to sample several signature rolls in one sitting.

The restaurant sits on South Avenue in the South Wedge, a walkable residential neighborhood just south of downtown Rochester. The South Wedge corridor along South Avenue is home to an evolving mix of independent shops and eateries — neighbors include Happy Earth Tea, which occupies a corner space at South and Gregory. Street parking is available along South Avenue, and the area draws a mix of families, young professionals, and longtime residents. The South Wedge's compact, community-oriented character makes it a natural fit for a chef-driven concept that started at the neighborhood scale.