If you’re a New Jersey native or just passing through the Jersey Shore, trust me when I say that there is no better place to get your summer fix than at Playa Bowls. Starting as a small stand on 8th and Ocean in Belmar Beach, Playa Bowls started small but partners, Robert, Abby, and Desi knew they had a product so different from anything beach-goers typically saw along the sandy streets.
Playa Bowls is serving up the finest and most-delicious of açaí, blended coconut, pitaya and green smoothie bowls you can find on the east coast. The best part? They’re organic AND customizable.
So what’s exactly in each type of bowl? Let me tell you:
Photo courtesy of theodysseyonline.com
Each açaí bowl is perfectly blended together with Sambozan Açaí, bananas, homemade granola, and your choice of coconut milk, almond milk, or apple juice. The toppings range from Nutella to peanut butter to pineapple and everything in between. Offerings include their Nutella Bowl (need I say more?), the 8th Ave. Bowl, the PuraVida Bowl, the Tropical Bowl, and the Power Bowl for those who want some protein in their creation. No matter what you choose, I can guarantee you will not regret it.
Photo courtesy of @wholefoodofhappiness on Instagram
Upon hearing the word “coconut,” my mouth starts to water. But the idea of a blended coconut bowl topped with all of the delicious toppings I see in my dreams sends me straight to paradise. Each “Coco Bowl” is made with organic, raw coconut meat, coconut milk, and bananas. The toppings include Nutella, mango, granola, honey, pineapple, and even raw cacao just to name a few. Coco Bowl offerings include: the Coco Craze, Coco Berry, Nutelloco, and Coco Power.
Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
What is a pitaya bowl, you ask? Well, I didn’t know at first either, but now I never want to forget. Turns out “pitaya” is just another name for dragon fruit. Each pitaya bowl is made with dragon fruit, bananas, and granola as well as your choice of coconut milk, almond milk, or apple juice. These bowls are just as indulgent as the others and come with many of the same toppings, including any you wish to add on yourself. Some new faces topping these creations are kiwi and goji berries. Pitaya bowl selections
Some new faces topping these creations are kiwi and goji berries. Pitaya bowl selections include: The Pink Flamingo, the Electric Mermaid, the Dragonberry, the Pink Flower, and the Gojo Bowl.
Photo courtesy of @playabowls on Instagram
Playa Bowls also offers green smoothie bowls made from green veggies such as kale, topped with many of the same toppings you can find in their other types of bowls as well as any you wish to add on. And not to mention, you can also order from array of different smoothie drinks on the menu if you’re in the mood for some grab ‘n go deliciousness.
Now, Playa Bowls is home to four storefronts and one food truck along the Jersey Shore. You can dig into their indulgent, refreshing, and health-conscious bowls at one of their locations at Pier Village, Bayhead, Manasquan, or two Belmar locations. And great news for Rutgers students, Playa Bowls is opening another location in place of the old Hub City Subs ‘n Grill. So go visit them after your next beach trip, or soon enough, after class.