We finally got a reprieve from the rain, as it pretty much has rained in San Diego almost every day for the last 2 weeks. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and was trying to figure out what to have for lunch. I remember going to Rockie's Frozen Yogurt a month or so ago in Mesa College Square (across of Kearney Mesa High School). and noticed a new Poke place next door called PokeMate and I made a mental note to look into it later. I checked out the Yelp reviews and they were pretty favorable. Even though I had Poke the weekend before, I was craving it again so thought today would be as good day as ever.
I went in a little after 12 noon after they opened. It was empty and I was probably their first customer. The person who helped me was probably the owner. A very nice man, and be both agreed that the Taylor Swift Game today was not of importance to us.
It is a fairly decent side shop, with aabout 5 or 6 tables for indoor dining and a fridge with bottled drinks to purchase. Everything was clean and pretty new.
The menu was easy to read and had a good variety of protein, sauces and toppings. The bowls range from small (2 protein), medium (3 protein), and large (4 protein). Bases are: white or brown rice, spring mix (salad), and half/half. In earlier pictures of the menu, Yellowtail was $1 extra and they also had Albacore Tuna, but now there is no extra charge for Yellowtail and Albacore is no longer on the menu.
The topping bar was pretty vast. There were some items that I haven't seen in other Poke 1.5 style places, like corn and quail egg.
I chose the salmon, tuna and spicy tuna, with the spicy poke.
It was a pretty big bowl. The toppings were nice and pretty fresh. The protein were of decent quality but on the small side. Not fishy, mushy or overly chewy. The salmon was good. The spicy tuna was of the chopped variety and a pretty small scoop. It wasn't that spicy. The tuna was the fish that was coated with the spicy poke sauce, which wasn't that spicy either.
Overall, a decent bowl and it did it's job. Would I recommend PokeMate? Sure. It's about as good as Poke One and a Half and a good alternative, plus I'm always rooting for the independent Mom and Pop shops. The main thing that's going against it is that there's not much to differentiate it from the Poke 1.5's in San Diego. It needs to be unique. Maybe offer Poke in Nacho or Burrito form (although those are not new ideas, it gives customers options). It's fairly new but I bet it probably makes a good lunch run during the weekdays. This is a pretty close option for me for Poke and I'll most likely return, especially since it's next door to Rockie's Frozen Yogurt. Speaking of.....
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Rockie's Frozen Yogurt has been on my rotation for years now. Whenever I go to K's Sandwich, I usually make a stop at Rockie's for dessert. I usually went to Yogurtlanf for froyo, especially when they had one in Hazard Center in Mission Valley (as it was closer), but I've always had a soft spot for Rockie's. They're pretty much a Mom and Pop shop and probabkly has been there for ages. They probably make a killing on the weekdays since they're right next to the high school. During summertime, the line would snake outside the door. Most of the worker's there are young, probably high school age, and always nice and polite. Once in a while, I would see an older man or woman working and assume it's probably the owners and they were equally nice.
Rockie's is a fairly small shop but it's big enough for what it needs to be. There are a few tables but at times there may be an overflow of inventory and boxes in the main area.
They have a pretty extrensive menu, anywhere from their froyo, smoothies, milkshakes and malts and coffe-based drinks. They also offer Acai Bowls, sundaes and froyo pies. They have somewhat of a rotating set of flavors, although a few flavors like Carmello Mau, Cookies and Cream, and Reese seem to be a staple here (I know since they are usually the flavors I get). The sizes range from small to family size (which resembles a bucket). They can include two flavors in a cup, usually side-by-side but if the two flavors happen to be in the same dispenser, you can have it swirled. The quality of the froyo has always been consistent. Always nice and creamy. It's not as sweet as say Yogurtland, but it alwalys hits the spot, especially in the summer. Or if you're a freak like me and get froyo when it's still relatively cold. One tip if you're getting a cup of froyo: don't get a lid. Without a lid, they pile on the froyo pretty high that it almost double the amount that you get.
The array of topping offered is pretty vast, from crushed candies (like Heath Bar) and cookies (Oreos) to nuts and granola. The topping amount is measure by scoop (mini, regular and large).
Lately I've been favoring the Horchata, which they brought back last year. I've been going to Rockie a lot, so much I order like a regular. One time I ordered in one quick sentence "Horchata, mini-scoop of Heath Bar, no lid". The guy nodded in respect and said "You must come here alot"
This time I got Reese's and Cookies and Cream with mini-scoop of Heath Bits. Please marvel at the Jenga of frozen, creamy goodness.
Rockie's has been an institution and part of my rotation no matter what the weather. It's conventiently located next to some good food spots like K's Sandwich and now PokeMate, so you get the one-two punch of a satisfying meal and dessert!
PokeMate
San Diego, CA 92111
Mon - Sat: 11am.- 9pm
Sun: 3pm - 8pm
Rockie's Frozen Yogurt
7612 Linda Vista Rd Ste 114
San Diego, CA 92111
Mon - Fri: 10am - 10pm
Sat/Sun: 12pm - 10pm
Summer hours may vary
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