Everyone is obsessed with smoothie bowls nowadays, but anyone who’s gone on the hunt for açaí bowl knows it can be such a struggle finding the perfect blend. There’s nothing worse than waiting patiently for your açaí bowl only to be served with a watery, bland bowl topped with unripe fruit (#firstworldproblems).
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The key to getting the perfect bowl is going to a smoothie specific shop, because they will be using good quality ingredients and ripe fruits, which results in sweeter smoothies and is better on your stomach. So to help aid your LA travels, I’ve created a list of my top favorite places to get açaí bowls.
1. Paradise Bowls
Photo by Shannon Peters
Paradise Bowls in Manhattan Beach is by far my favorite place to get açaí bowls in LA. They’ve got a small little shop in Downtown Manhattan Beach with a small staff and you can see all your food being made.
Plus, not only is the food delicious, but it’s right on the beach so you can eat with your toes in the sand. It doesn’t get much better than that. Yet another plus, the portion sizes are huge, so you get way more food for the same price as other shops, which is ideal for the college student on a budget.
2. Açaí Nation
Photo courtesy of @urbaneatersla on Instagram
While you may not get a beach view at Açaí Nation, the Pacific Palisades location is great because the bowls are super flavorful, and they make due with their city location with a cute outside setup with bright purple chairs and astroturf. It’s also a short walk or drive away from Temescal Canyon, so you can get your hike on in the early morning, then reenergize with a refreshing smoothie bowl.
3. Backyard Bowls
Photo by Shannon Peters
Backyard Bowls has more options than the typical smoothie bowl shops in LA. You can get anything from açaí bowls to oatmeal bowls. Located on the edge of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, it’s a short distance from Runyon Canyon, so it’s also a great option for a post workout refuel.
This is also an ideal place for vegans, because they offer agave syrup to drizzle over your bowl instead of honey. And whatever you do, you MUST try their hempseed granola, because it changes lives.
4. Liquid Juice Bar
Photo courtesy of @liquidjuicebar on Instagram
Now this place is more on the pricey side, but it’s in a pretty cool part of town so it may be that type of place that you stumble into after doing some shopping on Melrose. Like Backyard Bowls, Liquid Juice Bar has a wide variety of smoothie and juice options, so if for some strange reason someone you’re with doesn’t like açaí, you’ve got them covered.
5. Ubatuba Açaí
Photo courtesy of @hangrydiary on Instagram
The best part about Ubatuba Açaí, located in Korea Town, is that they understand the food porn struggle. While many açaí places will just throw their toppings on, Ubatuba takes pride in their presentation. This place is also larger than other smoothie shops and since it’s less well known than typical places, you won’t be fighting for seats.
6. Juice Crafters
Photo courtesy of @miss_neverfull on Instagram
Juice Crafters is well known for their line of specialty juices and juice cleanse program, but they also make great açaí bowls. Unfortunately, Juice Crafters is more on the expensive side, which is why it’s a little lower down on my list. The bowls, however, are incredibly fresh and delicious and worth the extra dollars if you’re in the area and are really craving a smoothie bowl. For a change in pace from the other LA açaí shops, try the Green Açaí.
7. Nekter Juice Bar
Photo courtesy of @jessiicatang on Instagram
Nekter is another lesser known açaí shop in LA, because most of their stores are outside of the LA area. There is one great location located in Santa Monica super close to the beach, so you can take your bowl to go for a beach day. They also have wide variety of bowls and smoothies, including beautiful bright pink Pitaya bowls for a decent price.