Layers Superfood Bar offers inventive, homemade, fresh açaí bowls, smoothies, chia pudding, and more in Southside Berkeley.
From the moment I stepped into a superfood bar in seventh grade after a particularly long, scorching day at school, I’ve been chasing the feeling of the first time I had an açaí bowl. My family was boggled by the exorbitant prices for plain “fruit and granola,” and I instantly knew, even while greedily scooping the pitaya base into my mouth, that açaí was going to be a rare treat. In college, it has been difficult to find an adequate superfood bar close enough to my apartment to avoid trekking downtown. However, with the arrival of Layers Superfood Bar on Southside Berkeley, I now have a convenient and delicious option whenever the craving hits for a smoothie or açaí bowl.
Currently in their soft opening phase with fun discounts on every item, Layers features a wide variety of “superfoods,” or nutrient-rich foods meant to boost health and immune support, including goji berries, hemp seeds, acerola, and sea moss, to name a few. Their main draw-in is their assorted açaí bowls, but they also have smoothies, matcha, and chia pudding. Many of their ingredients are homemade, including their honey sauces and granola. An assortment of vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free options are all available.
Although the portion sizes are quite small, I enjoyed the “Bowlieve Me, Baby” bowl, which featured a dragon fruit (pitaya) base with gluten-free granola, coconut whip, and bananas. After their soft opening with $8 specials, the prices are around $12 to $16, depending on size and toppings, which is comparable to other superfood bars in the area. A small $8 option will still be available but the portion is considerably smaller than a regular bowl. They ran out of strawberries the first time I was there, so the owner graciously added all of the other toppings available at no additional cost. She even gave me a sample of her homemade Ritz crumble and extra chia pudding, adding texture to the variety of flavors within the bowl. As a pitaya lover, I enjoyed the rich dragonfruit flavor and imagined that strawberries would have added a touch of sweetness on top of the natural sugars already featured.
My friends tried the “I’m So Blue Without U” and “Berry Much Love U” bowls, which featured a blue “majik” spirulina base and an unsweetened açaí base, respectively. Each bowl had a distinct flavor from both the bases and the toppings, which included strawberries, kiwi, banana, granola, Ritz crumble, and more. The blue majik bowl had a unique, almost tangy flavor, with various flavors battling each other, while the pitaya bowl was much sweeter and simpler.
I recently made a second trip to the restaurant in anticipation of the wider availability of fruit and toppings. This time, the owner made us her favorite bowl, the “Matchanoffee,”—a matcha, spirulina, and spinach combination with chia pudding, coconut milk, and cacao powder. This item was by far my favorite on the menu, though the saccharine flavor gives more of a dessert feeling than a “wellness” bowl. The flavors blended well together, and the cacao powder added a final hint of sweetness to balance out the intense spirulina-matcha combo.
I also tried the “Beny’s Blendy” smoothie, named after the owner’s cousin, who lives in Thailand. I often find smoothies and other juice drinks to be too sweet, but this one had the perfect amount of natural sugars. The owner explained that they do not add any extra sugars or agave, relying on the toppings and sweetness of the fruit. I personally would recommend these smoothies to anyone who likes a slightly bitter taste, but wouldn’t go out of my way to grab one if you prefer super sugary drinks.
Layers is a cute, convenient, local business dedicated to promoting health and wellness. Each item is carefully crafted by hand—service is a bit slower, but at a much higher quality. I’d highly recommend stopping by on a warm day or after a workout for a refreshing treat!