Superfood Success: Vitality Bowls Review

Thanks to the convenience of smoothies, I would turn all of my meals into them if I could. But when smoothie bowls started popping up on my Pinterest, I was confused. Wasn’t the whole purpose of a smoothie the ability to take it on the go? Putting the convenient drink in a bowl seemed to defeat the purpose.

However, the cafe Vitality Bowls proved to be more than just a place to get a cute Instagram picture. The health cafe is located in Town Center and while it’s a bit out of the way from my house to become my go-to post-run snack, I can see myself returning to Vitality Bowls to recharge with their power bowls after a strenuous day of shopping.

Upon walking in and getting in line, the owners greeted me and explained the basics of the bowls. All of their “power bowls” contain acai berries blended in pomegranate juice as a base for each smoothie and specific health foods meant to target health issues like fatigue and stomach problems.

One of the problems I faced was trying to figure out what to order. The large menu hanging over the register was about as cluttered as my junk drawer. I didn’t understand half the ingredients like goji berries, which is surprising as I consider myself rather fluent in health food lingo.

Looking at the menu, I couldn’t help but be distracted by the prices. Most bowls were over $12 which is pricey for a full lunch, let alone a single bowl. I settled on the Dragon Bowl and reluctantly forked over half of my babysitting money.

On the menu, the Dragon Bowl was hot pink and it’s “star” ingredient was bee pollen. I figured if the bowl wasn’t good, at least I could check eating pollen off of my bucket list. After ordering, the owners brought water over to our table, which is a luxury at order-and-go cafes. I usually like to be left alone at places like these, but you could tell the owners were really trying to make me feel welcome.

Ten minutes later, my picture-perfect bowl was set on the table and I was pleasantly surprised. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend another 10 minutes trying to get a photo for my VSCO. But once I finally got the perfect shot, I dug in. Fresh kiwi and strawberry slices were arranged on the Barney-colored smoothie base dusted with yellow powder, which I suspected to bee the pollen.

The bowl’s texture was much thicker than a normal smoothie. Each bite had crunchy bits of dried fruit and nuts and added some much-needed variety. The flavors were blended perfectly, and there were no overpowering tastes. Each bold bite was packed with strawberry and dragonfruit flavor, and the pollen and made me almost forget about the price tag.

The walls around where I was eating had posters hung that were dedicated to a “super food,” giving the run-down on its benefits and where it came from, and thanks to them I consider myself more fluent in health-talk after just one visit. The orange and purple color scheme wasn’t your typical minimalistic health cafe design and didn’t completely fit the “clean eating” vibe but I could look past it since my bowl was so fresh.

Thanks to the polite suggestions and accommodations from the staff and the fresh tasting bites, I’ll be returning to Vitality Bowls and would recommend it to friends, I just might have to take out a loan first. For something to tide me over, I’d still probably power up my blender for a traditional smoothie, but if I have the time (and money), I’ll get my friends together for a Saturday brunch.

Photos by Maddie Smiley