We pulled into LemonShark after a long flight and a bit of a drive on a grey, Illinois morning. We were greeted by a bright, pleasant dining room and a crisp, clean ordering counter where one can watch the assembly of a self-designed Poke bowl. All-in-all, the ambiance was exactly what we've come to expect in Poke.

I was debating whether I was actually hungry enough for a full meal, but Raz was starving, so we let the friendly staff lead us through their menu options and recommendations. Raz likes his Poke spicy, and since we're from the chile capitol of the world, that's a tall order from a midwestern chain. We're fans of LemonShark Wheaton because they managed to please Raz on the spiciness of their sauces. Also, the Forbidden Rice is a dark, mysterious, nutty, and possibly spicy grain base that we don't have at home so that's the other reason for the fourth star. Definitely a solid option, and a place we would go back to if we found ourselves in the area again.