On University Boulevard, between PopHeads and Kababeque Indian Grill, is Jimmy’s Pita & Poke. Jimmy’s is one of the few places in Tucson that caters poke as one of their main menu items.

With the restaurant’s hours set from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, I went in an hour after they opened one day. At Jimmy’s, they can do a poke bowl or a hot rice bowl. The size of the poke bowls come in snack, regular or large, and the hot rice bowls come in regular or large. Selecting the size is really based on how much fish or meat one wants.

The poke is just raw fish or tofu with whatever toppings one is in the mood for. The hot rice bowl has one big difference, as it is either cooked meat or shrimp with grilled mushroom, peppers or onions. One can also include a glaze if they desire, but it is still their choice for the toppings.

I chose the regular hot rice bowl this time. My base was white rice with honey hot garlic glazed shrimp. My toppings were seaweed salad, cucumbers, edamame, avocado and fried onions. I also included ponzu sauce.

The wait time was a little long, but Jimmy’s is a popular place, and the workers organize the orders between in-store and pick-up quite nicely, so it did not feel like I was forgotten.

I took my food to go and ate inside before a Zoom meeting. The hot rice bowl was so comforting once I started to eat it. The ponzu sauce mixed with the honey hot garlic glazed shrimp gave it a salty, garlic flavor that I enjoyed, especially with the rest of my toppings.

Be sure to check out Jimmy’s Pita & Poke bowl if you want to try something new!

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