Açaí bowls are a San Diego staple. And once you’ve learned how to pronounce the name of these grape-like, Amazonian berries correctly (aa-saa-ee), you think you’ve got them down. It’s a sweetened smoothie bowl with an açaí base that’s topped with fruit, granola, honey, and, if you can swing the extra charge, peanut butter. Pair it with an iced coffee and a slow beach day, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a morning.
I also believed that was the extent of açaí bowls. Though some places are more generous with the PB than others, they mostly tasted the same to me. But upon conducting a further investigation, I’m happy to report that many of us were dead wrong.
San Diego’s açaí bowls span the spectrum of savory to sweet, simple to complex, and walkable to so-big-you’ll-need-two-hands. There are many unique options worth trying—starting with these 13.
Courtesy of Tripadvisor
Northside Shack
Açaí Sorbet
Northside Shack serves up a true classic as part of its build-your-own-bowl menu: a sweetened, dairy-free açaí sorbet, to which you can add all the usual suspects, including strawberries, pineapple, gluten-free granola, and coconut shreds. Prepare for a long battle with your to-go lid, because when it comes to toppings, Northside Shack does not skimp.
1255 Rosecrans Street, Point Loma | 3773 30th Street, Unit H, North Park
Courtesy of Postmates
The Cliffs Cafe
Monkey Business
When Mayra Contreras took over The Cliffs Cafe in 2017, she wanted to do something different with her açai bowls—so instead of blending frozen berries with milk like most places, she experimented with apple juice. The Monkey Business bowl was born. She says the juice gives the açai base (and its blueberry, banana, and peanut butter accompaniments) a fresher flavor.
1830 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Ocean Beach
Courtesy of Señor Mango’s
Señor Mango’s
Açaí Bowl
If you’ve read our deep dive on local tortas, you know I have a lot of love for Señor Mango’s. That affection extends to the shop’s açaí bowls. As a nod to the name, top yours with mango slices. They add a burst of tropical brightness that will make you wonder why you ever thought banana was enough.
4607 30th Street, University Heights | 3042 North Park Way, North Park
Courtesy of Nekter Juice Bar
Nekter Juice Bar
Chocolate Bowl
Curiosity (and my sweet tooth) got the best of me when I perused Nekter’s menu. The national franchise recently began blending açaí with banana, strawberry, housemade cashew milk, almond butter, agave nectar, and cocoa powder for a bowl that tastes more like a milkshake than a smoothie. But don’t let the cacao nibs and chocolate drizzle keep you from thinking this isn’t a decent post-gym meal—thanks to the addition of vanilla protein powder, it offers a whopping 23 grams of protein.
Various locations
Courtesy of Val’s Coffee Corner
Val’s Coffee Corner
Açaí Bowl
We all have our neighborhood go-tos, and as a proud OBecian, Val’s is mine. I’ve had the açaí sorbet bowl there more times than I care to publicly admit on the internet, and it always hits the spot. It’s topped with the typical fare: banana slices, strawberries, blueberries, honey, chia seeds, and granola. What sets it apart for me, though, is the layer of toasted coconut. You can add PB if you’d like, but the nutty crunch of the coconut flakes makes the additional charge unnecessary.
1869 Cable Street, Ocean Beach
Courtesy of Door Dash
Açaí Carioca
Build Your Own
Most smoothie bowls have the same setup: a fruit base smothered in various yummy bits and bobs. Açaí Carioca, however, assembles its build-your-own bowls in multiple layers that include condensed milk; açaí berries blended with honey, protein powder, or vegan agave; dry whole milk; and your selected toppings. The tiered structure of the bowls (which are really more like cups) makes each bite richer, as do unique extras like Nutella and peanut butter crumbs.
3772 Voltaire Street, Point Loma | 743 Emerald Street, Pacific Beach
Courtesy of Blue Bowl
Blue Bowl
The Lazy Blue
If you’re over upcharges, you’ll love Blue Bowl‘s fixed-price menu that lets you go nuts on the long list of add-ins (which, fittingly, includes a lot of nuts). You can customize the açaí base with everything from maple quinoa to lime zest to mulberries, but if the amount of choices is too overwhelming, dip your toe into the topping madness with The Lazy Blue. This fan-favorite bowl comes with açaí, pitaya, blue chia pudding, pumpkin flax granola, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, almond butter, almonds, toasted coconut, goji berries, cacao, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and date honey—all for just one flat price.
9625 Scholars Drive North, Suite 0120, La Jolla
Courtesy of Juice Kaboose
Juice Kaboose
Rise and Shine
Coffee and açai bowls go together like brunch and bottomless mimosas. Juice Kaboose‘s Rise and Shine bowl pays homage to that caffeinated partnership with a shot of espresso whirred into an açai pulp base. Bananas, dark cacao, and soy milk also make appearances in this jacked-up treat, which comes crowned with fruit and gluten-free hemp granola for one delicious kickstart to your day.
7556 Fay Avenue, La Jolla | 1826 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach
Courtesy of Juice Wave
Juice Wave
Açai Bowl
There is, perhaps, no better place to enjoy an açai bowl than the Mission Beach Boardwalk. While there are likely dozens of places to grab one along the promenade, Juice Wave has my vote. The açai sorbet is garnished with strawberries, bananas, house-made granola, hemp hearts, and honey sourced from a local farm. What’s more San Diego than that?
3733 Mission Boulevard, Mission Beach
Courtesy of Rum Jungle Cafe
Rum Jungle Cafe
Watermelon Bowl
The purplish hues and honey-drizzled fruits make any açai bowl worth photographing. But if you really want to wow your Instagram followers, order a Watermelon Bowl from Rum Jungle Cafe. This long-time PB spot serves its açai scoops in half a watermelon shell. It’s huge and ridiculous and makes the traditional bowl seem pedestrian, especially when you get a hint of watermelon mixed in with the granola, coconut, and other seasonal toppings. Consider your daily serving of fruit complete.
4150 Mission Boulevard, Unit 153, Pacific Beach
Courtesy of The Mad Beet
The Mad Beet
Beyoncai
The Mad Beet gets extra points for its açai puns. While I don’t think Queen Bee has tried her namesake bowl yet, she should. Like the superstar, this combination of açai, granola, honey, peanut butter, strawberry, and banana is a crowd-pleaser. The other music-inspired bowls, like the Twopac Shakur, The Granolling Stones, and the Acaiwol Nation, are also just as fun to order as they are to eat.
933 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach
Courtesy of Meràki Cafe
Meràki Cafe
Açai Gida
There are some wild açai bowls out there. But no place tests the limits of what you can top this typically sweet treat with quite like Meráki Cafe. Outside of the Classic Açai, owner Remzi Kaval says the most popular bowl is the Açai Gida. It’s got familiar flavors like blueberries, strawberries, and sliced almonds, but it also includes goat cheese crumbles. I was skeptical at first—especially when Kaval told me to get it with a balsamic drizzle—but the mix of sweet, creamy, and tangy is surprisingly addictive.
1735 Adams Avenue, University Heights
Katy’s Cafe
Açai Bowl
The single açai bowl on the menu at Katy’s Cafe is unlike any other I’ve seen—starting with the fact that the base isn’t açai. It’s plain yogurt. Instead, this reverse riff is smothered with açai, granola, and fresh fruit. Mix it all together for a creamier texture that’s much richer in probiotics than your average smoothie bowl.
Emily Blackwood is a freelance journalist based in San Diego, CA. She covers entertainment, wellness, travel, home, food, culture—all the things that make life interesting, tantalizing, and just the right amount of weird. Her work has been published in SELF, HuffPost, and YourTango. You can learn more at emily-blackwood.com.
