Pokéworks Touches Down With Tropical Food in Harvard Square Amid a Snowstorm

Hawaiian seafood bowls have arrived in Cambridge’s Harvard Square. Pokéworks debuted its second local restaurant this week, opening at 1440 Massachusetts Ave. in the space previously occupied by the juice bar Liquiteria.

The casual, counter-service chain made its first foray into Massachusetts in November 2016, opening at 261 Elm St. in Somerville’s Davis Square in the midst of a regional poke awakening. Around the same time, restaurant after restaurant popped up in the area with poke on the menu in various forms. Now, the likes of Manoa Poke Shop, Poke City, Love Art Sushi, New Sushi, Inc., and Legal Fish Bowl all serve versions of the Hawaiian raw fish dish, along with several other restaurants, many of which also serve the increasingly ubiquitous sushi burrito.

Despite the increasingly crowded field, Pokéworks expressed its desire to expand locally, with a rep telling Eater last July: “Given the popularity of our current Pokéworks location in Somerville, we’re excited to be looking at options for a second location in the Boston area.”

The chain landed the Harvard location shortly thereafter.

Pokéworks [Official Photo]

Pokéworks was founded in 2015 and operates restaurants in more than a dozen states, including California, New York, Washington state, and Virginia, along with a location in Vancouver, Canada. More expansion is on the way to Florida, Connecticut, and beyond.

The menu at Pokéworks allows for customization, with guests choosing between tuna, salmon, shrimp, tofu, scallops, and chicken for protein atop either rice or salad, or wrapped in seaweed in the form of a sushi burrito. There are dozens of toppings and sauces available as well.

Pokéworks Harvard is open daily from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Pokéworks Plans to Add a New Location in Harvard Square [EBOS]
• Pokéworks Coverage on Eater [EBOS]