Hailing from Brazil, acai bowls are a trendy health food that surged in popularity in 2015. Acai berries are known to be rich in antioxidants and heart health, improve memory, and help protect against cancer.
Acai bowls consist of frozen acai berries blended into a creamy smoothie base and then topped with other fresh fruit, granola and peanut butter.
Other variations of acai bowls have come onto the scene with different fruit bases. Listed below are the best places to try an acai bowl or smoothie bowl in the Gainesville area.
Located in the Reitz Center at UF, Shake Smart is a student favorite, especially for acai bowls. Shake Smart focuses on healthy foods that are convenient on the go and to help with nutritional goals—specifically protein.
The acai bowls are topped with traditional toppings or try one of their other bowls such as the Buzz Bowl , which includes pitaya, pineapple, granola, bee pollen, and coconut flakes.
- Location: 118 Reitz Union Drive
- Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-6 p.m. Sun.-Sat.
Right outside of Gainesville, in Tioga Town Center, Big Island Bowls offers healthy, delicious acai bowls.
With nine custom bowls on the menu, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the options. One of the most unique offerings is the Pacific Powerhouse bowl, which is a super greens smoothie base that is topped with bananas, mango, peanut butter, cacao and honey.
- Location: 133 SW 130th Way, Suite A
- Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun.
Opening in 2022, GainezVille Hub is tucked away in downtown Gainesville. The shop serves protein shakes, smoothies, protein waffles, but many rave about its acai bowl.
Reviewers say that the acai is thick and creamy as it should be, instead of icy and bland. The acai bowl comes with a choice of five toppings and a various selection of fruits.
- Location: 21 SW 2nd St.
- Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Vale is a health food restaurant that started in South Florida and made its way to Gainesville in 2017.
While the quick service restaurant serves lots of nutritious meals, it is most known for a quality acai bowl that reviewers say is loaded to the brim with toppings. Vale offers a traditional acai bowl base or a dragon fruit base for the bowl, and you can pick up to three toppings from a large list that includes everything from fresh fruit and seeds to chocolate chips.
- Location: 3841 SW Archer Road, Suite B
- Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Sat.