From the best acai bowls Los Angeles has to offer to scrumptious acai bowl hot spots in Orange County, we’ve got you covered on your Southern California healthy snack search. Plenty of people in Southern California are interested in healthy lifestyles, so naturally, there are a handful of acai bowl spots to check out.
This Brazilian specialty has been around since the late 1980s when Brazilian Jujitsu legend Carlos Gracie popularized the nutritional benefits of a handcrafted acai bowl. In Southern California, everything from your standardized Pitaya bowl to a more detailed six-layered acai bowl that’s the definition of customized is up for grabs. Be sure to check out these spots for some of the best acai bowls Los Angeles and Orange County have on the menu.
The best acai bowls you’ll find in Orange County
Blue Bowl Superfoods
For Teague Savitch, co-founder of Blue Bowl Superfoods, the idea that led to acai bowls started overseas, as he and his fellow officers in the US military were always searching for a quick, healthy meal alternative that also gave an energy boost. After returning to the States, he set off to build this create-your-own acai bowl model right here in California.
With a handful of locations scattered across Orange County, Blue Bowl Superfoods is now a hot spot for some of the best acai bowls Los Angeles offers. Why? You can customize your bowl with six different layering options, from the base to layers of granola, fruit, nut butter, sweeteners/powders and other toppings. Start with their “Blue Bowl Chia Pudding” if you aren’t sure where to begin.
Banzai Bowl
Joe Bard and his wife, Tiana, first started making these acai fruit bowls for their friends and family back in 2008. Soon after, an idea was born for Banzai Bowls. Named after the Banzai Pipeline back in the North Shore of Oahu, where Tiana is originally from, the two thought they had a special idea worth pursuing. So, to “live life in the bowl,” they opened their first store in the city of Costa Mesa.
They have opened all their locations with a personal touch, so come here for a bowl without rushing the crafting process. They “are not fast-food,” and every bowl is made to order. With their dedication to only serving “the best ingredients in town,” Banzai Bowl is a top contender for the best acai bowls you can find in Orange County.
Acai Republic
Adriano Nasal, the founder of Acai Republic, has successfully made a recognizable name for his company via its nine locations across town. By ensuring that the acai at Acai Republic is strictly organic and sourced directly from the Amazon forest, the quality of their bowls is what Nasal calls an “authentic Brazilian Acai Bowl.” Inspired by local cafes back in Brazil, you can get a taste of Brazil without ever leaving the country.
Nasal originally came to America as a Jujitsu instructor in 2006 but made his way into the acai business firmly believing that good food is one of the most powerful tools to a great performance. “After a few years in the US, I still struggled with finding a fruitful and flavorful acai, so I decided to open my own place and offer the authentic Brazilian Açaí Bowls,” he explains. They offer up to six flavors of acai smoothies and bowls like The Cali – acai topped with mango, strawberry, peach, passion fruit, pineapple, bananas and coconut.
Earth Bowl Superfoods
Earth Bowl Superfoods says that the “sky’s the limit” when it comes to their menu. For over five years now, Earth Bowl has been serving the locals of Orange County their own version of acai bowls. Because Earth Bowl Superfoods is one of the only places with a rewards program, regulars also receive different perks each visit.
Although it may not be the most prominent place to get an acai bowl in Orange County, they do have forty ingredients for you to stack on to find the perfect harmony of flavors to your ideal bowl. Unique ingredients like bee pollen, goji berries, activated charcoal and vanilla almond chia make their bowls stand out among the competition. There are about four locations across OC, so be on the lookout if you’re ever in the coastal area.
The best acai bowls Los Angeles brings to the table
Amazebowls
This acai bowl and smoothie spot has collaborated with multiple small businesses to help give back to the community and encourage healthy eating habits throughout the pandemic. As the team at Amazebowls partnered up with people like Elias Produce, a well-known name within the Los Angeles restaurant community, the LA bowl spot got the word out about their fresh fruit bowls.
All of their products are housemade, and they ensure a fully vegan bowl with 100% fruit, zero refined sugar, dairy or juice. The owners also pay it forward by including two disposable masks with every box purchased, ensuring that their community is taking the right steps within new city guidelines. Catering services are available if you’re ever in need of an “amazebowl” for your office or party.
Backyard Bowls
Initially the first of their kind in Santa Barbara, Backyard Bowls started in 2008 when owners Pete and Dan combined their passions for quality food, living an active, healthy lifestyle and being mindful of the environmental impacts of our food choices. While upholding their belief in “better life through better food,” Backyard Bowls specializes in acai bowls, hot porridges, smoothies and more.
They use all organic produce and aim to minimize their carbon footprint by reducing their operation’s impact however they can. Using resources like wind energy, they are recognized as a Certified Green Business (meaning they are a 100% clean energy company). What’s not to love about that?
Ubatuba Acai
For almost 10 years now, Ubatuba Acai has been trying to recreate the comforts of being back at Grandma’s kitchen table in Brazil. Named after Ubatuba, a small beach town in Sao Paulo, this hotspot is so popular that they have expanded into a franchise. Ubatuba also wants to underscore acai’s importance in protecting and preserving the Brazilian Amazon with each bowl.
With six different bases and up to 30 toppings, Ubatuba Acai bowls really highlight the beneficial health factors of acai. For example, their base, which contains bananas and strawberries, helps with muscle cramps and provides a handful of vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3 and E.
Bowlology
Bowlology is “the science and art of handcrafting healthy and delicious meals served in a bowl.” This family-owned shop has locations across Southern California as well as places like Las Vegas, Nevada. The shop has a wide variety of premade bowls and a few different subsections – Bohemian Bowls, Super Bowls and Island Bowls.
They are also one of the only shops that serve Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls. They ensure they are prepared fresh with AAA sashimi-grade tuna or salmon, or you can build your own bowl. One of the Bohemian Bowls popular among locals is Bohemian Bowl #1, a Pitaya sorbet mixed with Majik Sorbet and chia seed pudding on a bed of kiwi, watermelon, bananas, granola and honey.
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