My Juice Bar Journey-Your Juice Bar Guide.

On By saucebossshelbyIn Uncategorized

For the past few months, I have been on an ultimate journey to find and try all of the different juice bars/smoothie shops in Southern California. As of right now, I feel confident in saying I have conquered about 98% of all of Orange County’s juice bars- with a few Los Angeles stops here and there. I am pretty much in love with acai bowls, greek yogurt, smoothies, juices, etc. but was never a supporter of the traditional “Nekter”, which is what inspired this post. Everywhere I have been so far has been good, but, of course, certain places have won different awards in my eyes. So, here goes your juice bar guide, enjoy!

  • Vitality Bowls, Brea.* – TOP Bowl as of July, 2017.
    • Vitality Bowls offers a wide variety of acai bowls, smoothies, juices, and even panini sandwiches and soups. Every time I go, I get the Nutty Bowl with TONS of peanut butter on top. I’m talking probably ten times the normal amount of PB any person should ever eat- but it is SO good. What I love most about Vitality bowls is that they use the warm, melt-y type PB. They are the only juice bar that makes it this PERFECT way, which is why it makes it my favorite bowl. Vitality Bowls is open 7 days a week and has AWESOME, reliable wi-fi. My go-to place for bowls.
  • Bowl of Heaven, Foothill Ranch.*
    • Although it is not super close to my home, anytime I am in the vicinity, I love to stop by Bowl of Heaven. Eeyah, her husband, and the entire team are like a family, which makes visiting BOH a blast. Owners Eeyah and husband are some of the sweetest people I have ever met. Bowl of Heaven is different than other juice bars because almost all of their smoothies/bowls contain “MAQ 7” (a blend of 7 super fruits that is delicious!). The texture/taste of the acai is very unique, which I appreciate! They also offer this AMAZING Paleo granola that is life-changing.
  • Blue Bowl, Orange.
    • The first and only “BYO” bowl place I have been to. Blue Bowl is known for their customizable acai, pitaya, overnight oats, & chia pudding bowls. Can’t decide on one base? Mix and match. My go-to bowl is a mix of acai, chia pudding, and overnight oats. Once you decide on your base, it is bowl-wonderland as you choose all the toppings you can- without it spilling on the floor. Ish and Teague (founders/owners) are the most charming guys you will ever meet. They are customer-service PROS and will always make you the perfect bowl.
      • NOT open on Sundays.
  • Fruitthies, Costa Mesa.
    • A tiny juice bar that Yelp led me to one afternoon, which ended up having my FAVORITE smoothie! I don’t know what it was about the pineapple coconut smoothie, but it was spectacular. Most smoothies are pretty much on par for me, but Fruitthies has raised my bar for sure. Fun Fact- Magic Johnson has been here!
  • Protein Lab, Brea.
    • Despite what you probably think, I am actually a huge gym-freak. I LOVE working out, running, and lifting. The more protein the better. So when I discovered the Protein Lab (recently opened) down the road from my house, I had to check it out. I love the Protein Lab because they offer smoothies and bowls, but focus on making them protein-dense. The PBJ smoothie here was SO good. I also loved how they double-layer the granola for the bowls. Protein Lab has the most filling smoothies/bowls. Great for lunch! Iris, the owner, is super sweet and passionate about her business. I hope she starts opening more locations!
    • The Protein Lab is also VERY unique due to their “Kobe Bryant” theme… Just check out the Yelp page, and you will understand. 😉
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  • Green Element 365, Newport Beach.
    • A new, small juice bar on Balboa Island- the perfect stop after the beach! Sheila and Bita, two moms, opened Green Element 365 to offer healthy juices, smoothies, and bowls for everyone. They were inspired by the healthy, natural ways they seek to nurture their children by. I got to sample most of their fresh, cold-pressed juices and energy milks.. I am usually not much of a fan, but WOW. The energy milk, “Temptation,” was one of the best drinks- ever. Dates, walnuts, avocados, bananas, almond butter, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, honey, & cinnamon… Who knew this would be SO good!?
    • Other than Vitality Bowls, I have found my favorite acai bowl at GE 365. This is the first juice bar I have found to offer SUNFLOWER butter and I am now obsessed. The “acai sunflower bowl” is divine.
  • Bowlology, Laguna Beach.*
    • Bowls and smoothies at a great value! For just $2 more than the regular size, you can get a large bowl (32 oz) for $9.99. That thing is HUGE. Even I could not finish it all. Bowlology also offers that amazing Paleo granola found at Bowl of Heaven. I also loved how they have watermelon and kiwi as toppings!
    • I am addicted to the “Bear Bowl” now! Great texture.
  • Tru Nature Juice Bar, Long Beach.
    • The cutest little converted-house in Long Beach; now an amazing juice bar owned by a very sweet soul; Raj. I was amazed when he seemed to know EVERY single person that walked in by name. Raj is just one of those naturals when it comes to customer service and owning a business. Tru Nature has SO many options for bowls, juices, and smoothies. You cannot go wrong with Tru Nature; definitely one of the best, small-businesses to support!
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  • Revive Juice Bar, Long Beach.
    • Literally a bar in Long Beach! One of the first walk-up juice bars I have been to, but not to worry! They also own a huge cafe/coffee shop right next door that welcomes the juice bar-goers. Smoothies, bowls, and juices- with modifications welcomed! You can literally make your own juice or smoothie. The PB bowl was really tasty, and they layer the peanut butter throughout the bowl!
  • Sambazon Cafe, Newport Beach.*
    • If you like acai at all, you are probably familiar with the brand Sambazon- the first company to bring acai to the US in 2000. Today, they are selling products in grocery stories across the country and even various acai cafes. If you are lucky enough to live close to Newport Beach or Cardiff by the Sea, however, you can go to their very own cafe!
    • Definitely one of the trendiest cafes I have been to with awesome service! Order one of their pre-designed acai bowls, or create your own!
    • I loved the protein bowl, and the fact that they use peanut butter DRIZZLE! (YES!) Smoothies are awesome also!

 

 

 

 

  • Robeks, Fullerton. **
    • Most of you have probably never heard of Robeks… With little marketing, they seem to run solely on loyal customers; which is obviously working! I first stumbled upon a Robeks while desperately looking for a quick smoothie down in San Diego one day. I never would have imagined that there were TWO locations near my home : Fullerton and Costa Mesa !
    • That smoothie in San Diego was SO good that I had to return to the local locations for more. Every smoothie I have had has been oh-so to my liking. I love how, like Jamba Juice, they can substitute the sherbet for all greek or non-fat yogurt and the sugary fruit juices for fresh-pressed apple juice.
    • Oh my gosh, when I finally tried an acai bowl… it was just as great! Honestly, I kind of had low expectations and wasn’t really thinking it was going to be a memorable bowl. But something about the way that they made it for me – with the peanut butter, the granola, and the greek yogurt/acai blend…. it was DELECTABLE! I have been wanting another one everyday since I went.

 

 

 

  • The Juice Parlor, Los Angeles. 
    • Located in a small shopping center in North Hollywood, Juice Parlor is definitely a local hot spot. Owned and run by husband and wife, Dima and Sarina, this is a small business you should support if you are out in the area!
    • Juice Parlor’s Mission : “We want you to feel good. Nothing else in the world matters as much as how you feel on the inside – and that’s something that makes us stand out from the rest. We also feel very strongly about educating our customers about the health benefits of organic juices, smoothies and acai bowls, and to be aware of the healing properties of natural and organic ingredients.”
    • Unlike many other juice bars, they DO make their own no-sugar added acai blend! All of their products are natural and VEGAN(!) (other than the honey).
    • I loved how they use dates in some of their smoothies and mulberries on some of their bowls!
    • Make sure you ask for a lot of extra granola and almond/peanut butter (if you ask for it on top). I felt like they went very easy on both- but that may just be me, as I like a LOT of texture!

 

 

 

  • Growl Juice Pub, Orange.
    • When Growl opened five years ago, it was just what the Orange Circle needed. Today, it is still the only juice bar in Old Towne Orange!
    • Along with acai & pityaya bowls and smoothies, Growl is actually pressing/selling juices that are sold individually, or as a package/detox. I tried the “O.G.” juice (carrot, orange, ginger) and it was very fresh and natural tasting- unlike all those sugar-loaded juices on the market today.
    • As far as bowls go, Growl is DEFINITELY a value. For $6.50, you can get a 24 oz. bowl, or 32 oz. for $8.50. This is the cheapest 32 oz. bowl I have found out of all my stops. I liked the Circle Sunrise a lot, but I would try it with half almond milk and have almond butter blended in. This gives for a much thicker, more filling acai base.
    • I was super impressed to discover that they make EVERYTHING in house- even their almond milk and ALMOND BUTTER! There’s nothing like that fresh, home made almond butter taste. *Drool*
    • The smoothies are also great. If you are hungry, go for the Cacao Almond Crunch or Banana Nut Muffin. Both are very satisfying and dense, as opposed to a light, fruity smoothie.

 

 

 

  • KRISP Fresh Living, Irvine. 
    • KRISP was originally located in Newport Beach, but recently relocated right next to the new TRADE Food Hall in Irvine to have more space and become more “cafe-like.” Along with acai bowls, smoothies, and cold-pressed juices, they now serve pastries and homemade salads and sandwiches.
    • The Nuts & Berries smoothie was one of the best I have ever had. What made this smoothie so unique was that they blend oats, cashews, and almonds in. This doesn’t change the texture (as I feared), but provides an amazing consistency and subtle flavor that balances out the fruit perfectly.
    • Loved the Lime Cabana bowl as well. Look how huge that thing is! Super filling- perfect for me! I had never seen lime added to an acai mixture before. It was a very subtle flavor, but really nice.
    • Summing it up- the staff were SUPER friendly (Andrew makes beautiful bowls!) and I LOVED my bowl and smoothie. Cannnot wait to go back!
  • Acai Bowl Company, Mission Viejo. 
    • ABC is SOUTH Orange County’s first BYO acai bowl bar. Same concept as Blue Bowl, but of course there are some differences!
    • ABC offers acai, pitaya, chia pudding, and oats. I got all 4 in one bowl and it was fantastic! Lots of toppings, too- including one of my favorites… sunflower butter!
    • They recently started offering a couple smoothies as well.
    • My only “complaint” would be that they only offer 2 sizes. Hopefully in the future, ABC starts offering a 24 or 32 oz. bowl as well!
  • Juice It Up!.* 
    • Juice It Up was founded in 1995 and has MANY locations now- including corporate owned and franchised.
    • They have 100% fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, and bowls. Any smoothie can also be made into a bowl!
    • Recently, Juice it Up! launched a “Power Protein Bowl” – A creamy blend of organic Açaí and peanut butter packed with protein and antioxidents topped with granola, fresh bananas, crunchy peanuts and a drizzle of honey. 
  • Jan’s Health Bar, Corona Del Mar.*
    • If you have read my “Healthy Eatery Go-To Guide”, you are obviously familiar with Jan’s and what a fan I am! When I first visited, I was really surprised and kind of confused by the huge smoothie & “amaze” bowl menu. After trying them-   I am SUPER happy that there is finally a cafe that has a perfect balance of “food-food” (sandwiches, salads, etc.) and fruit/acai/yogurt bowls!
    • One thing I love about Jan’s is that they also have greek yogurt! A lot of acai bars don’t offer this, but I personally LOVE getting a blend of half acai-half greek yogurt.
    • 13 different smoothies as well- and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them! My personal favorite is the BANANA DATE – one of the best smoothies around! They also have a VEGAN Chocolate delight smoothie.
    • Definitely looking forward to trying the rest of bowls and smoothies that Jan’s has to offer! Oh, and ALWAYS phenomenal customer service! 🙂
  • Nature’s Juice, Fullerton.*
    • Located in the CVS strip mall right across from the “main CSUF eating center” (Chipotle, Yogurtland, Starbucks, Zero Express, etc.), right next to the new Afters – Nature’s Juice is hard to miss, which is unfortunate, because the bowls are outstanding.
    • Everything is made fresh- they even COLD PRESS in the back! Which is pretty rare to find these days! The Peanut Butter bowl was creamy and yummy, and the Colada smoothie was AWESOME.
    • The best part about Nature’s Juice, however, is probably the service. All of the team members were super friendly, working together, and knowledgable about what they do. The manager, Justin, chatted with me about acai and different juice bars for quite a while, which I really appreciated!
    • The prices here are also very decent for what you get. I’m pretty sure the bowls are 22 oz. for about $8 – which is extremely cheap compared to a lot of places. Im definitely a fan!
  • Cuppa Juice, Lake Forest.*
    • If you find yourself still hungry after eating a typical acai bowl (Nekter, etc.), then you need to try Cuppa Juice. Their bowls are 32 OZ. for ONLY $8. I seriously cannot even believe with this deal. To give you an idea of typical price, a Juice it Up! 16 oz. bowl is $8 and has like 2 or 3 toppings.
    • Cuppa Juice is a lot more than your typical juice bar – they actually have their own “chef” and co-owner, Debbie, who does all the recipes and creations; which is SO cool! A lot of their smoothies and bowls are combinations of ingredients that you won’t see anywhere else. It is always awesome to find somewhere that has a unique menu, since most juice bars have pretty much the same items.
  • Bowl of Heaven, Newport Beach*
    • A very convinient location right off of the 73 freeway next to Starbucks, Pita Jungle, and Champagne Bistro. The owners of the Foothill Ranch Bowl of Heaven location were a lot more inviting and excited to educate me on what they do and why they’re different.
    • There were many more menu items at this location, however. I LOVED the Pitaya Vanilla smoothie- and I typically don’t like pitaya.
    • I also ordered the Peanut Butter bowl – but was overall pretty disappointed. The texture of blend was not creamy at all- as if they forgot the peanut butter. There was also hardly any granola on top, and the side they gave me was about a tablespoon. Luckily, I had granola in my car, or I wouldn’t have been able to eat any of this since it  was 90% liquid.
    • I do appreciate that they have large sizes, however!
  • The Harvest Bar, Sherman Oaks
    • Sherman Oaks is extremely far for me, so when I found out I was scheduled for a dinner in the area, I started looking for a cool juice bar to check out beforehand. I came across the Harvest Bar and knew it was where I was going.
    • It may be located in a tiny strip mall, but the Harvest Bar is definitely hipster and trendy inside! They have two huge cold brew coffee drip-contraptions, where they make their own cold brew. They also make “savory bowls”- including vegan options. I thought this was very unique and pretty cool!
    • The menu also features tons of smoothies, bowls, and even “hot breakfast”. Bowls can also be built to your liking!
    • I LOVED the seasonal special smoothie they had – which was basically like a peanut butter banana smoothie… but with COLD BREW COFFEE instead of water blended in! I have never even thought of doing this- and YES it was delicious! The coffee taste was not 100% pronounced, but with each swallow, there was a slight reminder that it was in there!
    • I also tried the “Super Protein” bowl with blackberries (love that you get to pick your fruit!). The blend itself was good, but definitely needed more peanut butter. I did get little bites of the dates (which are blended in the base), which was kind of unique, and I do love dates. My only complaint was that this bowl does not come with granola. Luckily, I asked for some on the side.
    • They are opening a second location soon in Playa Vista- so this is definitely a company to keep an eye on! Wish it was closer!
  • Jamba Juice, La Habra*
    • Jamba Juice has kind of gotten a bad name from a lot of “health freaks” due to their use of sorbet and high calorie smoothies. However, what people fail to realize is that Jamba will gladly substitute any items for you. For example, if I order a smoothie, I make sure to request ONLY Greek Yogurt instead of sorbet and ONLY fresh-pressed orange juice instead of any sugary-juice. Tastes amazing, and is actually good for you.
    • I’ve recently started trying their bowls – and after three attempts, I think I have come to a conclusion. I’ve decided that I have become WAY too picky with acai – it has to be the PERFECT ratio of peanut butter, acai, and almond milk or yogurt to get that really creamy consistency that I seek out. Jamba Juice, however, has a “chunky strawberry” bowl that contains only Greek yogurt, peanut butter, soy milk, bananas, strawberries, and granola in the blend. When I tried this one after two attempts at the acai peanut butter bowl, I was EXTREMELY satisfied! Aha! I think it is safe to say I like Greek yogurt more than actual acai – at least at Jamba Juice. (Please note, I am unsure what acai JJ uses as of right now, but will find out!)
    • You can ask to get your bowl made into a cup, and they should happily oblige. I think it looks much better this way and seems to get you more bang for your buck. Overall? For $7, Jamba Juice is definitely a convenient and affordable stop for a bowl!
    • Acai PB Bowl
      Chunky Strawberry Bowl
      Acai PB Bowl
  • The Salad Box at Element Natural Food Market, West Covina.
    • When a manager at Nature’s Juice tells me that the only “good” acai bowls he has found (other than Nature’s Juice) is at a little place in West Covina… You KNOW I’m going to drive all the way out there to check it out! Was the two-hour round-trip commute worth a large acai bowl and smoothie? The answer is absolutely YES! (Thank goodness!)
    • Of course, you are familiar with small, independent, family restaurants – but have you ever thought about small, independent, family GROCERY STORES? Well that is exactly what Element is and I am obsessed with the concept. The owners (husband and wife) had always worked in the health/medicine world (along with being vegan) and finally decided to open the market to sell natural, health-conscious products. They decided to also open “The Salad Box” inside for shoppers to grab a quick meal – whether it be a fresh-made salad or a filling acai bowl or smoothie. And these aren’t just your typical, basic Whole Foods Markets acai bowls…. I’m talking an extensive menu of more than 10 different bowls (and plenty of smoothie options as well!).
    • I settled for the Power Bowl and Banana Spice smoothie – SUPER impressed with both. The Power Bowl actually had a great consistency and plenty of granola. The smoothie was definitely unique and unlike anything I had before because it had… MATCHA in it! I was 100% a fan of both items and will definitely make the commute again to try more items out – including the salads!
  • Paradise Bowls, Irvine.*
    • Although it is located in one of those typical, huge, Irvine shopping centers, Paradise Bowls happens to be the only acai option in the vicinity. The vibe is very laid-back, chill, and hipster – making it seem like you are actually by the beach (where their other locations are) as opposed to in Irvine! I figured this would be just another typical bowl – nothing special, but I was wrong.
    • Paradise Bowls makes some BOMB bowls – and YES they have 32 oz (and at a very reasonable price; about $11 I think). The bowl I got was literally HEAVY. I ordered the Coconut Breeze Bowl with peanut butter blended in and extra granola instead of coconut – and WOW! Such a nice change to have FRESH mango on top of my bowl instead of just typical strawberries, bananas, etc.
    • I also tried the “Breaker” smoothie – Although I typically stray away from pitaya, I felt like giving it another go with this smoothie. And now, I think I really like pitaya!
    • Everything was super fresh, and the service is great. I will definitely return to Paradise Bowls!
  • Chop’d, La Mirada.
    • If you’re a healthy-food-lover like me, this is definitely a spot to check out! It is basically BYO for all things healthy: salads, paninis, wraps, sandwiches, and even acai bowls. It is nothing special in terms of ingredients-sourcing, but they have a wide variety of toppings.
    • They charge by the ounce here, so I feel like those who don’t eat a lot will really benefit here. Not the best spot if you’re looking for an acai bowl as a meal replacement, like me, but perfect for a snack! It was yummy, and I appreciated the variety of toppings!
  • Sejuiced, Newport Beach.
    • OK,  wasn’t sure how much I was going to like Sejuiced. When I saw the photos and menu online, I realized that they only had 2 bowl offerings: neither with peanut butter… which is usually the breaking point for me with acai. If you know me, I do NOT like anything “green” when it comes to juice, smoothies, or bowls. However, the adorable girl working at the register somehow sold me on their famous “Green Day Bowl” and YES I was impressed!
    • The Green Day bowl does NOT taste like greens: more like a light, refreshing, fruity, blend. You definitely taste more of a banana/pineapple flavor as opposed to traditional acai- which was great! I even admit that the 24 oz here filled me up: I didn’t even need the 32 oz for once! I really give them props for this. That truly shows me that their blend is full of fruits that keep you full, as opposed to a lot of acai bowls that contain fillers and hardly any actual acai.
    • Sejuiced also offers the option of house-made chia pudding instead of granola in their bowls; which I will definitely try next time!
    • They also cold-press tons of colorful juices on-site!
    • 100% recommend checking out Sejuiced!
  • More coming soon!

 

* =Franchise/multiple locations.

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