Battle of the Bowls
The art of a smoothie bowl, something one might be very passionate about. Every smoothie bowl shop claims to have the best, most fresh, and refreshing smoothie bowls. The acai base plays a crucial role in the satisfaction of the whole experience. We tried three local cafes and shops in the Bucks County area to come one step closer to the number one smoothie bowl in the area.
Acai is a popular superfood found in South American rainforests. The berries are packed with antioxidants that can help build the immune system and protect cells against damage-free radicals. They are rich in fiber, calcium, and heart-healthy fats. Acai is most commonly mixed in smoothies or blended thick to create a smoothie bowl base. Different businesses alter the taste and texture to make it their own.
Playa bowls is one of the most popular places to grab a smoothie bowl. Founded by Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor originally in Belmar, New Jersey, the Playa franchise has over 104 current locations. Their handcrafted acai recipe has double the pulp, with more health benefits, and never blended with banana or apple juice. Frequent customer Gianna Ragomo states, “Playa’s flavor and consistency of the base is always A1.”, however, “12 dollars every other week was getting a bit much so now I get a bowl about once a month. If I could, I would eat it every day”. The average Playa Bowl is around 13 dollars. For some the taste is too sweet, resembling more of a sorbet than a healthy smoothie. The bowls are well-packed with toppings and will leave you full. With these factors, Playa Bowls is ranked third on our list.
The next business is a smaller business founded by a college student who gained over 70 pounds during college. In 2008, Bryn Davis set out to make healthy food more available. With this, he created Bryn+Danes, a healthy fast food restaurant. The menu started with popcorn and smoothies, then expanded to salads, bowls, quesadillas, and more. Their acai bowls are customizable and a reasonable price of $9.99. We ordered the original base with coconut, peanut butter, granola, and strawberries. The size was filling, but the texture of the base was not ideal and the bowl lacked a substantial size. The base was not thick enough and turned to a soup in less than ten minutes of receiving the bowl. However, it was a fair price for the product, leaving it second on our rank.
Finally, number one goes to a smaller business found in Avalon, New Jersey by Danielle Leonhardt. Juice Pod is a newer business that started in 2016. Her mission, “to handcraft raw juices, superfood smoothies, and the highest quality, locally sourced organic food options to give optimal nutrition”. Since her original opening, the business expanded with her sister and can be found at four locations. Acai bowls start at $10.50 and are a substantial size. Jordyn O’Brien states her favorite bowl, “I always order a kale base with granola, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, coconut, and honey. It’s the best place I’ve been too!” The bowls are large, customizable, the base is thick and not too sweet, and toppings are plentiful making Juice Pod the number one bowl on our list.
Give these places a try and let us know your rankings. Or if you know a better bowl comment below!