We had seen announcements for music events at Poke Loko in the northern part of Todos Santos for several months and just did not have the chance to go. Recently (December 28th), Richard Hastings invited us to come and see him perform there. When we arrived we were introduced to Bastien Boucard, the chef and one of the owners. When I asked how long Poke Loko had been open, he told us that it was the one year anniversary. They had built the restaurant from raw land. The layout is great with outdoor seating, a large bar and an upstairs dining area. The pizza oven is near the front so you can watch the raging fire. Bastien said that they had a food truck previously that they launched just before COVID and then had to close down. We also learned that it is an extended family that owns and runs the restaurant. We later met Claude Vogel, an owner and Bastien’s father, who is an exceptional photographer.
The restaurant was absolutely packed. They even had to turn a few people away, while also having people regularly show up to pick up pizzas that they had ordered. The menu includes a number of appetizers – three salads and a number of different french fries- three main dishes – fish and chips, shrimp and chips and sashimi – their specialty Poke Bowls and a great selection of pizzas.
Beth and Tracey shared the Caprese Salad – a stack of sliced tomatoes and burrata cheese. I ordered the sashimi, which is made with the catch of the day that was marlin that day. Beth ordered a vegetarian pizza, minus the egg plant and Chris and Tracey ordered two different Poke Bowls with shrimp – Mexican for Tracey and Thai for Chris. Tracey loves hot and spicy food and the spicy corn and Serrano sauce even had her going. As usual, Chris, the newly honored MBE (Member of the British Empire) cleaned his bowl with a smile on his face. I was wondering what the marlin sashimi would be like and it was absolutely delicious. We ended up taking some of the pizza home and Tracey took home half of her Mexican Poke Bowl.
Chris tried a couple of different beers – one a draft beer from Ensenada and a Victoria. They had my favorite Chardonnay – Indigo Eyes – and so I was very happy. But we also were there for the entertainment. Richard Hastings, a southern California native with Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Guitar Studio at USC is an absolutely amazing guitarist and great vocalist. He played several sets over the evening, featuring a lot of Latin tunes and latin spins on traditional rock hits. At the end of his second set, he was joined on stage by Sharon Katz, a South African guitarist and activist and then they set up for her to play more in the third set.
It was a wonderful evening of food and music in a very comfortable, cozy atmosphere. The owners are special people and we will definitely be back soon. If you haven’t been there, it is truly worth a visit and there is lots of live entertainment.
For more information on Poke Loko visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pokelokofoodtruck
For more information on Richard Hastings visit him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079060470147
To learn more about Claude Vogel and his photography and coffee table books on La Paz, Todos Santos, Baja California Sur and Los Cabos visit his website at https://mexsense.zenfolio.com/ Watch for an upcoming post on his photography.
