Donovan H.
Yelp
To those of you that need that healthy boost, have no fear because "Palm Açai Café" will have you covered. Nestled in the heart of Berkeley and located directly on College Ave. and adjacent to Ashby Ave., this place has been serving up delicious smoothies, bowls, coffee drinks, and even a variety of toasts dating back to the summer of 2018. And considering this is in close proximity to UC Berkeley, this has been a fan favorite for college students, locals, and passerbys.
Keep in mind that they do have somewhat limited hours of operation only being opened Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00am-5:00pm while they are closed on Monday to give their employees a chance to rest. As far as the interior layout, they do offer a few tables inside but this is more or less a to-go business. The decor has a very IKEA-esque vibe to it with a ton of white furniture with several live plants throughout. It is well done, simple, and provides a clean feng-shui for its customers and staff.
Since I had already eaten a decent lunch a couple hours prior to coming here, I wasn't too hungry; at least not for a bowl. Therefore, during my visit which was around 3:30pm on Saturday 5/13/2023, I went with their "Açai smoothie". This smoothie had a blend of açai, cherries, mixed berries, banana, coconut milk, mint, and agave nectar. Since it was fairly busy, it took about 10 minutes to receive my smoothie.
One noticeable difference about this smoothie is that it was not nearly as sweet as some of the major well-know competitors; mainly "Jamba Juice", "Vitality Bowls", and "Nektar Juice". Reason being is that they replace the unhealthier sugar with agave. This to me is a great marketing tactic while providing a better detox for an overall healthier alternative.
All in all, "Palm Açai Café" is an above average place to get your fruit smoothie/bowl fix while the prices aren't too expensive for a small family-owned and operated business. I think the only reason I had to deduct a star is their limited hours of operation. Many students start class before 9am and many times, they want a healthy dose of their fruit fix after 5pm. Other than that, this is a great little place. My rating, four stars.