Backyard Bowls

We are visiting from Hawaii, and we were dubious that any mainland açaí bowl would match what we can get on the island. But we were wrong! We lived our bowls, and my partner kept raving about how good his blueberry cardamom smoothie was!

Very creamy and smoothly blended bowls! Super creamy almond butter. All the bowls were different and delicious. Definitely recommend!

Got the avocado and egg toast as well as the power bowl. Everything was fresh and tasty and the service was great. The next time I’m staying the night in Santa Barbara, I’ll make sure to stop by to kickstart my day.

Walked in, no other customers there, so I figured it'd be quick. They made several to go orders before mine. I waited about 15mins (after being told 6). Taste is ok/good, but not worth the price or wait. I've definitely had better for half the price. And I was disappointed how little coconut there was. The acai needs to be more frozen, I didn't want a smoothie. After tip for 1 bowl was $18! It's extremely hard to eat an acai bowl from a large cup. You end up not having any toppings for half the acai. They need to reconsider "to go bowls." Overall, I wouldn't recommend unfortunately.

Bowl was frozen, way too cold. The restaurant was air conditioned as hell… also, the Matcha Latte wasn‘t good at all. Staff was nice, but I wouldn’t recommend this place at all.

First time here. The Berry and Island Bowls taste great. Perfect for a hot summer day and after a work out! Slightly pricier side.

Quick, friendly service. I got the large island bowl for $11.95, and I couldn’t finish it. It’s huge (32oz). Flavor and texture is average but the size makes up for it. Maybe it’s because I just went to Oahu and all the bowls there are now my standard to go by. Nothing beats Açaí bowls from Hawaii. Still, this is a good corner shop to go to. Good vibes!

Food is good. But not much seating available.

Backyard Bowls at La Cumbre is a must-visit if you're in Santa Barbara. One of the best acai bowls I've had so far! The product is amazing and delicious, along with quick service. I can confidently say the staff are very kind and helpful with any questions about the bowls. :) I would definitely recommend the Hercules Smoothie or Power Bowl with cashew mylk swapped in if you love peanut butter!

Dude. I payed $13 with a nice generous tip, and they gave me 2 blueberry's and it's not even full to the top!

I wish we had one of these in VC!! I love this place. The bowls are big. I love the oatmeal on a chilly morning and an açaí bowl as a late breakfast. The iced matcha is my fav. I love that they use honey. They have alternative sweeteners too. I'm usually into more savory foods but this place uses fresh fruit and natural sweeteners. I'm also a big fan of the granola.

Got the Santa Barbara Bowl and it was bomb. Went in at 12:30pm on a Wednesday and was surprised they weren't packed. Clean space, good customer service and great product. Will def be back!

I came here to try the Dune Day Crusher (I love me some Dune coffee) and was greeted by a friendly staff member. She took my order quickly then I sat down to wait. There was another staff member making bowls and smoothies. I felt like I waited a long time for my smoothie and they could've done better having one more staff making items. My smoothie was pretty good! Not too sweet and very filling. I've come here in the past for açaí bowls and enjoyed them more than my smoothie. Their ingredients taste good and i love the honey topping. Unless you're really hungry, I'd suggest getting a smaller size bowl.

I love Backyard Bowls but they're understaffed a lot. Recently, I had to wait 50 minutes for 2 smoothies when the original wait time was 20 minutes. When I came up to check on my order, I saw that one of my smoothie in the back just sitting there- it looked like it was sitting there a while because when they handed it to me, the top part was looking a little watery. What's wild is that as soon as they realized the order was incomplete, they started the order and managed to get the other smoothie out in only a few minutes. I also saw a couple in-person orders be completed before mine and those people came after me. I wish they'd have a more accurate time tracking for the orders and that they would staff appropriately.

If you're looking for a quality smoothie I'd go to Backyard Bowls. They have a wide range of supplements you can add to the drinks plus açaí bowls. Reasonably priced menu as well.

These portions were huge!!! Went with mom for a healthy breakfast. Not sure mine was healthy per se as was large (I got the avocado bowl) but I saved half and ate it for a snack later. Mom got the egg and avocado toast, nothing special but at least they offer something else on the menu. Kind service and professional.

I love Backyard Bowls! There was a boo boo with the delivery item and they made it right by reimbursing me. I didn't expect it as I know there is A LOT that goes into it. Very grateful.

Honestly, speaking, I was expecting the real flavor or the original flavor of açai, but unfortunately the taste was really bad to me! Totally disappointed!

I came for breakfast and got the power bowl in a regular (medium) size, without honey so that it's vegan. It was a decent acai bowl. The toppings were in a thick layer on top and all the acai was on the bottom so it was kind of hard to mix the flavors around - probably it would've been better if the container was more of a wider bowl rather than a tall narrow cup. There were too many almonds for my taste, but the other toppings were good. The acai blend was tasty, not overly sweet, and the bowl was filling.

Today was a good one! I crave this for breakfast about once or twice a month, love the variety of fruits balanced out by granola. Not always the fastest service but always friendly and upbeat. In the past I've had issues with over salting the avo toast so I'd recommend if you do order that, ask for no salt. Cheers!

good food, good service not much to say but the fruit was fresh and none of the other ingredients tasted stale. staff was friendly, and attentive.

The Island Bowl is my fav! Love the coconut and the drizzled honey on the top. Order in the app and save some time.

I had to pick my sister up from SB and we stopped here for a quick bite... ended up not being quick, but all was fine. We came in around 10 or 11 in the morning and it wasn't packed, but we noticed that after we ordered there were lots of other people coming in to order. We ordered the power bowl and the warrior bowl. It came out after about 25 minutes of waiting. Honestly there were only 3 workers there and I feel like there was only 2-3 blenders... so not the best when there's a crowd. The power bowl was okay, very melty and way too many almonds on top - I feel like the toppings and acai didn't really balance each other out. My sister enjoyed the warrior bowl, but again it wasn't her favorite... she frequents here often and said she prefers the berry bowl. Overall, I think this is just an okay spot - there's nothing particularly bad about it, but not much I would rave about either. I wouldn't mind returning if there wasn't anything else in the area but I have definitely had better acai bowls at the same price point.

Cute little shop in the shopping center. Ordered a Hercules with spinach added and a Supergreen. Location was very clean and not packed at all. They also do online ordering if you want to order ahead which is nice.

Like the product but 30 minutes for a smoothie and 1 bowl is underwhelming. Should add some staff on busy days.

This place has pretty good Açaí fruit bowls. I loved the one I got first one on the menu. Only thing is the strawberry's some were sweet some were not as sweet but overall, I'd return!! The Staff is very friendly and kind too!

Ordered the Island Bowl when I came here. I loved it and would definitely come back again! The patio area is super nice as well, and a good place to hang out with friends

No effort made on the patio. Tables in the blazing sun on the corner of a parking lot. How hard is it to put out some umbrellas?

Last time I went they were so understaffed and I was late to school for waiting. I didn't even leave with my bowl I had to get a refund. Don't put the sign "order online" if we can't order online. I would leave a 0 star if I could.

It was a delicious little spot for açaí bowls. Refreshing and perfect for the morning sweet cravings. Even the small size offering is pretty large so I would definitely recommended to share with friends. Berry bowl is definitely the go to here!

I went three times this week and ordered one regular and one large. Every time the large was the same size as the regular.

Bombdotcom best acai bowl ever! Got the berry bowl and island bowl with my mother, and we enjoyed it! The line can get long at various times, so hopefully you beat the crowds, which tend to come in waves. Also, I came near closing time, when it got busy, so just be patient. ^^

We just finished a heavy meal and I wanted something refreshing. Luckily we had parked in the plaza and I noticed this beautiful hole in the wall. At first, I didn't understand why smoothies were almost $9, but I get it now. I got the Rose Glow. I'm not one for coconut water, but I couldn't even taste it in the smoothie! And it tastes of real fruit. Please open more locations further down into SoCal or NorCal!

I love backyard bowls- I go to the Goleta location at least once a week, since it's closer to where I live. I do love the state location, because of the ample parking in the mornings (I come here after my 6am spin class). The island bowl is the only thing I get here- why? Because when I like something, I always stick to it. I would be open to trying the berry bowl, but I'm turned off by the images of meals like the diego bowl. The island bowl not only tastes good, but has such a vibrancy to its appearance. So delicious. Although I love these bowls, I cannot eat more than a kid's size for myself. I'm a woman who loves to eat, but because these bowls are jam packed with fruit, I get full real quick. I would definitely recommend this location and breakfast joint to anyone! The only thin I would ask of people is to SLOW DOWN IN THE PARKING LOT. This is not nascar racing. This is a parking lot where many individuals meander (sometimes carelessly). Stay safe and enjoy a delicious bowl!

aesthetics: 2.9/5 food: 2.5/5 service: 3.1/5 after moving into an apartment from the ucsb dorms, i feel that the food at backyard bowls is extremely overpriced - why come here when you can make your own, just-as-delish smoothie bowls at home for 1/2-1/3 of the price? the last time i came here, i ordered the gainz bowl (as usual), but it had a runny texture and tasted WAY too sweet - i ended up throwing 1/2 of it away :( minus that, the outdoor patio seating area is a great spot to unwind with friends. not to mention, it's a decent spot if you're looking to take pics of those acai bowls for the instagram - go to the baby turquoise round tables on a cloudier day for some nice lighting!! ;)

I never thought I could get a better tasting Acai Bowl here in the Mainland US vs Hawaii but Backyard Bowls SB does it! I always get the Santa Barbara bowl and it is so delicious!! Too bad there isn't a BB I'm San Jose. Highly recommend!!!

This place was closed at 7am (unlike what Yelp says) with a sign that says they're open at 8am. So frustrating! So I can't tell you if this place is any good.

Love these bowls, a small fills me up. And resolves craving for ice cream. Called in order ready when I picked up. Good service.

Easily the best acai bowl spot in Santa Barbara! It was tough choosing which bowl I wanted to try and it was a close race between the Island Bowl and the Dragon Bowl. Ultimately, I decided to go with the Dragon Bowl, which contains banana, mango, pitaya, and kiwi along with the honey, coconut shavings, and granola as the fixins'. First off, this bowl was humongous. I was definitely struggling to finish everything. There was a lot of hearty chunks of banana and kiwi inside so I definitely started getting full. Although the acai was good and not too sweet, the texture was almost glue-like rather than similar to a smoothie. I wasn't sure if that was the way that it was supposed to be but the texture was too thick for my liking. Aside from the acai's texture being off-putting, the fruit was fresh and sweet. Here's a tip, but not really a tip: I've experienced in the past, such as at Blenders, where the acai was way too sweet because of the excessive honey drizzle. I would recommend asking for a light drizzle since the acai and fresh fruit will balance it out.

I had the Hercules protein shake. Tastes like peanut butter and jelly due to the peanut butter & Acai. It was pretty yummy! Only thing is that this shake only has 21grams of protein so I paid $2 extra for them to double the protein.

This is a good location. Most of the ones in the SB area are good. We've been to this one in particular a million times and it's never disappointing. The staff here is usually super friendly, their portions are always really good, and the food quality is high. I've never had a bowl I wasn't satisfied with. Some things I will say though are that most of their drink options in the side fridge are super overpriced and not the best imo. Would love more variety. Also, some of the employees here basically wear clothes that look like they're not wearing any clothes lol.....so if that bothers you, just keep that noted. I guess they don't have a dress code. They also do close at 5, would be nice if in the future they extend their hours for Summer. But awesome food, good vibes, never a bad bowl.

I was going back through my old Yelp reviews and this was one I'm happy to say I was totally wrong about the first time. I can't tell whether my palate has refined as I've gotten older or I was just trippin' the day I wrote this review, but either way... Backyard Bowls is the gold standard for acai bowls. In fact, every time I come to Santa Barbara it's a must do (in addition to McConnell's, of course). They've since opened a couple locations in LA but for some reason it just isn't the same as back in SB. Fruit's always fresh, portions are generous, and the acai is high quality. Won't foresake you again, BB!

I have been to backyard bowl numerous times when I'm in SB and always had 5 star experiences. What I normally remembered is the acai being being super firm but yet creamy meaning it didn't melt quickly and the toppings added were both fresh and plentiful. Finally I remembered great service of passionate young people enthused with there jobs. Well this place has really missed the mark this last time and the final product left me a bit disappointed on the experience overall. First off when you walk in there is only one menu on a pedestal at the entrance and so only one group at a time can even see what's on the menu. This becomes problematic when there is a family who is on the fence whether they want pitaya or acai bowl or just a smoothie. While they were holding everyone else from ordering the entire staff were doing nothing so I went to where the lady was taking orders and asked for another menu since I knew what I wanted just forgot name of the bowl. Sorry she said there are no other menus. No sorry no asking how she could help nothing just a blank look.. wtf. So I said give me that bowl with more acai in it. You know?? She replies that all the bowls have the same amount of Acai. Had to push further saying that they used to have a bowl with double the packets of Acai..?? Like you don't offer that anymore?? Finally the light bulb went off and she said oh the backyard bowl yes that has more acai but you only can get a large? Yes yes that one and yes large is fine. Then I'm like having to drill her on what's in it as I wasn't looking at the menu. Basically she said it comes with strawberries blueberries and bananas with goji berries and bee polen on top. Asked to sub out bee polin and replace with nibs instead. Paid the $13 which seemed high but whatever. Finally the menu opened up and I glanced at what I ordered and noticed they put honey on top of the bowl. Forgot to to take that out so went back to change. it kind of would be nice for them to ask you what you want versus the customer have to drill down their orders... Bowl came out and first thing I noticed was tons of strawberries but hardly any blueberries and no goji berries at all. Went back again to ask what where the gojis are and got a basic ok give me your bowl and I'll put some on top. No sorry anything else just put a spoon of them on top. Took a bite and overall the taste was good but the consistency was much more watery than I remembered. It was melting pretty much immediately as and felt I had to rush to eat my bowl. Felt the bananas were over ripe and it needed more blueberries and nibs. By the time I finished the bowl the acai was all melted. Still not t a horrible bowl but really felt disappointed with the way the service and bowl was not up to the past 5 star standards. Let's hope this is an anomaly as BB was always my to go place for all things acai.

So good! The "small" bowls are enough for two and everything seemed to be super fresh! They also let me refill my reusable water which was super kind! I'd recommend the island bowl! It takes a minute to make the foods but it's worth the wait

Love BYB! Whenever I have a great workout and don't want a burrito to counter balance it I come here to get the much needed protein but least guilty feeling! My go-to is the Diego bowl because I absolutely love peanut butter. I've definitely done the berry bowl and added peanut butter to the base! I also love the Popeye smoothie too whenever I'm feeling a green drink! Definitely drop by, the interior has a great amount of seats and outside is great on a sunny SB day. - J

Legendary BYB opened a location at La Cumbre plaza and that makes me happy! Best açaí bowls & smoothies ever; some have tried to recreate but couldn't get close. Think quality ingredients and no bullshit; it tastes straight out of heaven!

Took 45 minutes for a small bowl. The staff is great but there's just not enough of them. Hire more people before you lose more customers. Not returning.

Half full or half empty you decide. I stopped by Backyard Bowls on Saturday afternoon to pick up a 12oz Pitaya Smoothie. The smoothie includes: Pineapple Juice, Coconut Milk, Bananas, Mangos, Pitaya, Honey. The smoothie itself is actually really good. For the first attempt I was unable to drink it and asked them to blend it again, after all this is a smoothie not a bowl. When I got it back I ended up with a half empty smoothie. For $6.95 this is not acceptable and really false advertisement. I will not be returning to this location.

They might suck at answering the phone for pick up orders but they make a mean bowl. Gainz bowl with no banana in or out is a must try.

Great acai bowls! I ordered the green bowl without kale and it was exactly what I was hoping for. It was smooth and the honey, strawberry blue berry mixture added a perfect sweetness. I ordered the small and it was the perfect amount of food for a filling breakfast. I also tried my friends berry bowl and tropical bowl, which were both a little tart for my liking. Definitely coming back!

Five stars for having amazingly delicious açai bowls! Five stars for having a really friendly and quick staff. Five stars for supporting organic food. Five stars for being locally-owned. Five stars for topping all the bowls with coconut. Don't let the seemingly high prices fool you, this place is worth every penny!

Overall my family and love coming here. My only complaint is when i ordered online. I ordered 3 large berry bowls to go. And when I got home I realized they were small sized. Kinda of a bummer. If they could get the online orders correct then I would give it 5 stars.

Usually hit up this place for acai bowls when I'm in the area. This last visit was in chilly California Dec, so we decided to opt for a hot bowl. Once we ordered, the cashier said they ran out of oatmeal at 10am. #1 how does that happen and #2 did no one think to run to the market and buy some oats?? Cashier recommended we sub the muesli for the oatmeal and then said there would be an upcharge. Huh? You're out of an ingredient served in about 30% of your menu items, and then I have to pay up? Our "hot" bowls came out lukewarm and soupy. Not impressed :/

I absolutely love this place!! It's a small joint with tons of chairs! You can sit inside or outside. I usually come here for: Breakfast Lunch (if i'm trying to fast) A guilty pleasure dinner I always get the Berry Bowl because it's just a great mix of everything berries! It's not too sweet and not too sour, a perfect combination of an acai bowl. If you prefer a sweeter bowl you can request for more honey! I would recommend getting a small if you're sharing between 2 people (and if you don't eat as much as me - it's a huge bowl)! I would order a kids size if I was eating by myself. Parking is easy to find. The only issue I have with the bowl is finding out how to mix the bowl evenly! Starting off you're eating the fruits on the top, next time i'll have to request another cup to be able to mix the bowl in more.

This is by far the best açaí I have ever inhaled. That bowl was so fire I couldn't bare it. Your employees were extraordinary and way above par! Taj, an employee was specifically catching my eye in not only workmanship but in his hustle, and drive to make this establishment the best on the la cumbre plaza block!

Backyard Bowls is an acai bowl shop with multiple locations, which is an impressive feat given the number of competitors out there. If you've never had an acai bowl, I'm afraid you are missing some deeply rooted cultural foodstuff, similar to Oryza sativa in Asia or sweet corn in Iowa. Maybe not, but you would think that were the case in Southern California given the number of people hanging around Backyard Bowls. I waited in line behind a family with three small children that dropped $50 on different bowls. Future child, if you're reading this, I will never buy you a $10 bowl of sweet goodness. You will have to work your way through college and earn your yuppie status. Or I will make you an equivalent bowl at home. I don't care if you think it's "not the same" as Backyard Bowls. My large Diego's Power Bowl was a bit disappointing. I feel like a banana was missing, or teaspoons were used instead of tablespoons. Most of my meal was blended acai berries, which isn't bad, but the ratio to everything was off. This is difficult to tell from the picture, but imagine a bowl of cereal with only a thin layer of cereal floating at the top. Backyard Bowls was quick, and the counter service was quite friendly. That may convince me to come back, but it's so hard to tell which acai bowl shops are better than others, especially at the margin. For me, this means "go to the shop that is closest and decent enough." Or, pocket the $10 and invest it in low expense ETFs that track major indices.

Backyard Bowls is a must! All of the ingredients are very fresh and the bowls are huge. If you don't see something you like (doubt that will happen), you can substitute and create something you'll actually enjoy. I especially enjoyed the Island Bowl. Instead of acai berry, I ordered the bowl with dragonfruit/Pitaya. The honey & granola are delicious. In fact, I enjoyed the honey so much that I purchased some for home. Backyard Bowls offers healthier bowls/smoothies than most places.