The most overrated food in Los Angeles? Probably kale followed by avocado. Or perhaps a mixture of the two in a green smoothie that the health-conscious yoga doing, Lululemon wearing Angelino sips on, on the way to her 5 o’clock pilates session. It’s a mouthful, but so are the culinary delights in LA. But moving beyond these delicacies and the slight pretension of the modern Los Angelino, the acai bowl has infiltrated its presence into the Los Angelino’s life in all its purple, granola, and overpriced glory. As much as Sunlife can be a convenient, albeit expensive treat for Pepperdine students, life and acai bowls do exist beyond the boundaries of Malibu.
Here are our picks for the best Acai bowls in Los Angeles:
1. Juice Crafters
Juice Crafters has multiple locations in the Los Angeles area, and while their menu boasts many variations of their namesake—juice— their acai bowls are some of the tastiest and aesthetically pleasing in the Los Angeles area. Not only are the acai bowls pleasing to look at, but Juice Crafters does not skimp on their toppings. A bountiful acai bowl loaded with coconut, granola, bananas and strawberries awaits you at any Juice Crafters locations. The acai bowls are best enjoyed with their freshly pressed vanilla almond milk. But be warned, the acai bowls, smoothies and juices at Juice Crafters come at a price—a literal price—where you’ll want to have your wallet heavy and cash or card handy to enjoy these $10 treats.
2. Ubatuba
Ubatuba is equally delightful to say as it is to enjoy their acai bowls. Ubatuba has locations in Koreatown, Thousand Oaks and Northridge among other places. Ubatuba’s menu includes the classic Almada Bowl with banana, strawberries, blueberries, granola, and honey or variations with other toppings that include pineapple, mango, chocolate chips, and almonds, among other options. For the non-acai inclined, Ubatuba is also home to an assortment of beef, chicken, veggie, and even Nutella empanadas, true to the acai berry’s Brazilian roots. In addition to their savory empanadas, Ubatuba also has “pao de queijo,” a Brazilian cheese bread.
3. Backyard Bowls
Originally from Santa Barbara, acai bowl purveyors Backyard Bowls recently opened a location in Los Angeles. Priding itself on being a “revolutionary eatery,” according to its website, Backyard Bowls is nothing short of revolutionary by proving that over-hyped health foods occasionally live up to the hype (and sometimes the outrageous prices too). At Backyard Bowls some of the items on the menu include the classic Berry Bowl, the Island Bowl, the Green Bowl for kale enthusiasts, as well as the Dragon Bowl. In addition to their acai bowls that can be served in a colorful bowl if you decide to dine in, Backyard Bowls also has a selection of “porridge bowls” like the Ancient PB&J (which sounds suspiciously like a sandwich that has met its expiration date), as well as more savory grain bowls like the Avocado Quinoa Salad (because it is, after all, California).
4. The Harvest Bar
The Harvest Bar will reel you in because of its quaint looking interior. But its delicious acai bowls will make you want to stay. With a single location in Los Angeles, The Harvest Bar has an assortment of smoothies, acai bowls, and hot cereal bowls to choose from. Their menu boasts the “Classic” acai bowl topped with strawberries, banana and granola, and the “Super Protein” with acai, peanut butter, banana, hemp protein, dates, and help milk, topped with almonds, pumpkin seeds, berries, bee pollen, hemp seeds, cacao nibs and goji berries, among other options. The Harvest Bar also has various coffee and tea beverages to accompany your glorified frozen bowl of fruit, like a Matcha Chai Tea Almond Milk Latte and the new craze of the culinary world, Butter Coffee.