Playa Bowls

I frequent the Playa near Boston College. The staff there are second to none. Always cheerful and expedient. You are lucky to have them as employees.

Very nice and refreshing! I loved the power bowl, it wasn’t too heavy but also was a filling meal 👍👍😋😋

The taste is always good we usually get acai bowls or dawn patrol. Sometimes we ask to get dawn patrol without carrots they are getting so confused. It is just basically apple and oranges.

Tried this for the first time when they came to a local 5K run and have been thinking about it ever since. Got the Pura Vida and it has acai, granola, strawberry, blueberries and honey. This hits the spot as it's not very sweet but just the perfect amount of sweetness where you can still taste slight tartness in the strawberries. Their base is not sweet like many other places. Tastes very light and feels healthy even after eating the whole bowl. The staff were very friendly, polite and didn't rush you to order. Inside has a few seatings and was very clean.

Unfortunately a dishonest business. Really upsetting since it's one of the only healthy options in the area. I ordered a smoothie here and paid, the guy at the counter told me my payment "didn't go through" and asked me to pay again. He promised he double checked to make sure I was only charged once and said I was all good. Well clearly he lied as a few days later I noticed I had been double charged. No big deal, I'll just show them the double payment and get refunded... well I came in and the server was so rude. She acknowledged I'd been double charged but said there's nothing she could do, acted like I'd done something wrong for coming in again days later, was all around really nasty and unpleasant. She told me to email the company which I did... no reply. The fact that nobody can help me with this and everyone was so rude makes me wonder if staff are stealing from customers on purpose? Overall just a really horrible experience.

Good food delivered fast (30 min at dinner time!), still icy cold without melting! Made a bunch of customizations in the app for each bowl which were followed to a T too :)

Overly expensive and too sweat! I do not find this breakfast place healthy and do not recommend it! I wish it was healthy though. 3 stars for the great decoration and vibe and great accessibility by BC train and nice bowl decoration. Google Map should remove this place from “healthy food” restaurants because it is misleading for people like me who are trying to eat healthy food!!!

Had their summer bowl and it was really good. Service was super friendly, too. But I had to dock them a star because the music was so insanely loud, it drove me out of the place.

" Healthy, Fresh, & opened late " This place is opened late . It's healthy , and fresh what more could you ask for . The place closes at 10:00 pm it's better than having pizza this late . For me anyhow I am dieting. Anyhow the staff couldn't be more friendlier . The vibe is welcoming . Parking is limited but manageable. It's on the moderate side but a playa bowl is a whole meal for one hungry adult . Or two adults that want a snack . So worth the price tag . They take cash and credit card . ( I didn't notice a fee for credit cards when I paid , you can also leave a tip with your credit card ). They take cash as well so no worries.

Best Nutella acai bowls ever! Can't go wrong with any of the shakes either - with protein powder especially. Love this chain!

Tried this for the first time when they came to a local 5K run and have been thinking about it ever since. Got the Pura Vida and it has acai, granola, strawberry, blueberries and honey. This hits the spot as it's not very sweet but just the perfect amount of sweetness where you can still taste slight tartness in the strawberries. Their base is not sweet like many other places. Tastes very light and feels healthy even after eating the whole bowl. The staff were very friendly, polite and didn't rush you to order. Inside has a few seatings and was very clean.

Food was really good the açaí Nutella is what I got and it was really cold but melted fast Service was okay Ambiance was small and tight Price was very fair

I love the Açaí bowls. However, I stopped paying extra for gluten-free granola and now bring my own because I barely received any when I did pay for it. On the bright side, they do give generous portions of fruit. The employees are always friendly, and the place is clean and usually busy, but the service is quick.

Convenient street parking with a fast and friendly staff that does a great job preparing the bowls which seemed better than other PBs I've been to. My new go to spot for Açaí when in Boston, will definitely be back!

I would like to start off by saying that I absolutely love acai and smoothies and was super excited to find this place not far from me. Not only is the ambiance super cute and beachy, which is especially perfect for the summertime, but there's such a wide selection of what you can get. So far I've tried one of their pineapple smoothies and berry acai bowls and have loved it! I'm very picky with my acai but I love the consistency that playa provides! The only thing that tastes a little off is the honey they use, which gives a little aftertaste I don't like too much, but other than that, it's a pretty fun little joint!

UPDATE: Although DoorDash was extremely unhelpful, the workers at Playa Bowl agreed to accommodate a change in my order as long as I picked it up. Unfortunately my previous order was the last of the mango base, which they are discontinuing, so I got the recommended açaí base instead. Wasn't a fan of the açaí, it has an after taste that just didn't appeal to me but fully appreciate the employees willingness to replace my previous order with a new one. Usually have great experiences with playa bowl but my most recent order was terrible. It arrived melted for the first time and was extremely soupy. The mango base had no flavor other than the taste of ice almost as if it were previously frozen and they reused it. The granola, which is usually deliciously crunchy and my favorite part, was soggy and the texture of oatmeal. And the fruit was hard and sour. There was no way to salvage this. Wish I could upload a video to give a full picture of what I received but the photo will have to do. Not sure if I got a bad bowl because I ordered right when they opened but it was terrible enough for me to take a serious break from Playa.

Best açaí bowl I've ever had! The staff is super friendly and on their game. The place is always busy but they're fast and seem to have a great team. The menu board is huge and super cute!

Awesome bowls! Mr son loves them and I do too. Very healthy and generous portions. Love that you can pre order online

Update: Playa Bowls warmly reached out to me concerning this "third party" situation. Thank you for such attention to this unfortunate incident. **THIS REVIEW IS BASED SOLELY MY DELIVERY SERVICE EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE YELP APP** Prices are a bit steep especially the store I frequent; its location is next to a college campus. I have enjoyed the store's products a few times but never through a delivery service. So, based on my first delivery experience, which happened tonight, I suggest pick-up orders...ONLY!!! Why? Here's my experience with my delivery. My $25.00 (one protein bowl) order was delivered, probably by GrubHub via Yelp. My delivery "Check the status of your order" update told me, at 5:52PM, your order will be delivered between 5:50PM - 6:10PM. I then checked the delivery status at 6:10PM because I did not receive any text message, no phone call, nor any notification about my order. So, when I checked the status again, at 6:10PM, the notice said, "Your order was delivered at 5:38PM." I go outside of my apartment building to find my one-time frozen or cold, chilled, $25.00 (single protein bowl) item sitting on my front stairs on a warm June evening, when the temps were approximately 78 degrees with 67 (plus) percent humidity, in direct sunlit. So, all I can say now is, I thoroughly enjoyed slurping the flavored liquified $25.00, supposedly semi-frozen, one protein bowl dessert. Do I complain to the delivery service team???? No. However, will I order delivery from Playa Bowls again........no comment. The items are great. The delivery I experienced tonight was crap! Sorry.

Really good açaí bowls. I got the Nutella Açaí bowl and my friend got the Coco Craze Bowl. Both were really yummy. Playa Bowls offers a large serving at a reasonable price with fresh fruit and delicious toppings. Very cute interior as well. Definitely recommend checking Playa Bowls out.

Tried Playa Bowls for the first time a few months back but forgot to write a review for it. It's been on my mind constantly since then though, so Playa Bowls is for sure worth the try! Their fruits are really fresh so their açaí bowls are one of the freshest ones I've had. There are plenty of berries and granola to go along with the açaí at the bottom half of the bowl. I usually order the Pura Vida bowl, and upon first glance $13 might be on the high end for an açaí bowl. But in my opinion one bowl is perfect to share between two people, maybe even 3. So I'd say that you're going to be getting enough to make it worth your money. I recommend the Pura Vida for anyone new to açaí bowls but the other options that they have look great as well. I usually order online via their website and then quickly swing by in person to grab my order (although I think you might be able to do delivery via UberEats too) and I've never had any issues with that. 5 stars!

i love playa bowls with my whole heart. their bowls never fail to brighten my day and bring a smile to my soul

I get the electric mermaid every time! It's consistently delicious and fresh. The wait time is inconsistent and I typically place my online order 20 minutes in advance. I think the wait time might depend on the Boston College school year.

A great location for Playa bowls right next to El Pelon and Crazy Dough. I ordered online and customized the electric mermaid to be half acai/half pitaya (dragonfruit) with no coconut flakes. It was my first time trying an acai bowl and it's definitely a great treat for the summer. This is quite a big serving, but considering the price and amount of fruit you get it can definitely make for a light meal. Both the acai and pitaya work really well together being fruity and refreshing. There was definitely a lot of granola in my bowl, more than I would have expected, but almost every scoop I took had some granola. The pineapple that I got didn't seem quite ripe, but the kiwi that I got was a little overripe and almost seemed mushy. Overall, I'm not sure if acai bowls are quite my thing, but I'd definitely rather just try out a regular smoothie next time!

Whoever decided to open this place right across from BC campus is a genius!! As a BC alum, I know how much BC girls (and guys) love healthy, fruity, and tasty...and Playa Bowls fulfills all three! I've been here a couple of times and have always found the bowls to be fresh and hearty. I love how their menu is very extensive, giving you many options regarding the kind of bases you want (acai, pitaya, coconut, kale, banana, oatmeal or chia pudding), toppings, (mango, strawberries, bananas, star fruit, blue berries, pineapple, Nutella, etc.) and whether you want it to come in the form of a bowl, smoothie, or juice! I've tried to order a different thing each time I've been here and I have always left very satisfied. As to be expected from many of these fresh and healthy food joints, it is a bit pricey (~$12 for a bowl), which limits how frequently I'll come here. However, I think it is a good treat once in a while if you want to satisfy your hunger but want something refreshing and healthy. I also think it's great because Playa Bowls can be your place for a snack or midday pick-me-up or even a full meal given how hearty they can be. Just keep in mind that this place can get VERY busy (what did I say, BC students love this place!) so prepare to wait in line or come during off hours!

I had my first-ever smoothie bowl at Playa Bowls. The first thing I noticed - besides the fun decor inside - was the massive menu. For the smoothie bowls, there are various types of bases, such as coconut, kale, pitaya (dragonfruit), and acai. (Note to folks chasing that IG worthy shot: the pitaya base is not as vividly purple in real life as they are in the photos taken by this business.) All bases have coconut milk in them. There are several menu options (aka combinations of toppings) for each type of base, and you can also select a smoothie bowl and choose to "mix and match" your base so that half the bowl is another base. We were able to sample the smoothie bases. I picked the Pacific green/kale bowl with half coconut base. The coconut base was delicious - sweet, creamy, went really well with the granola topping. The green side tasted how "healthy" would taste like...a little watery/icy, not very flavorful, primarily sweetened by the pineapple that's also in the blend...essentially a grassy and slightly bland fruit smoothie, but I guess that's what happens when you make a kale smoothie? As much as I'd feel guilty about foregoing something as ~good for you~ as a GREEN SMOOTHIE, I probably wouldn't get that next time. The bowls look small in the photos, which fooled me, but they are definitely a decent size in real life. My smoothie bowl was about as filling as a dinner would be. I'll be back for more (if I make the trek out to BC again), but at $11 for my bowl, probably not toooo often. I'm no smoothie bowl expert so I don't know how that price compares to other places. It'll be a treat-yourself spot for me.

I visited the playa bowls location right near Boston college. I tried their winter coconut avalanche bowl and switched the base to banana. I loved their banana base topped w strawberries walnuts granola and more... super filling and not too sweet. In the past I've tried their acai bowl and I felt that was more similar to sorbet so I was happy to try this option that wasn't so sweet. They had a few seats inside and staff was super friendly! It looked like they must be on a few delivery apps. I was there around 7pm and no line at all!

Pretty good playa bowls location (not as good as the NJ original though!). Nite during the pandemic they don't allow walk up orders- only online. The bowls were pretty well constructed but the rations of fruit to granola to açaí were a little off but nothing to to get worked up about. It's in a busy location by BC but has parking in the front.

Fun!! While visiting Boston, I was searching for a healthier breakfast option while in Brighton. We finally went by Playa Bowls and I checked out their menu. Oatmeal bowls, Açai bowls, smoothies, Oh My! I had an oatmeal bowl for breakfast, with berries and slivered almonds. This was exactly what I was looking for....so good! I wish I had discovered it sooner. I would recommend checking them out!

They have implemented mobile ordering for pick up since quarantine but they are still trying to get a hang of it. I ordered through Grubhub an hour early and when it was my time to pick up I don't think they had even made my order yet. They were super nice about it and got started right away after I told them though. The bowls are all really good and they have a pretty big range of toppings to choose from. They are also very flexible about substitutions. It is a good light lunch or heavy snack to have but just be prepared to wait a while for it because they have been quite crowded and busy during this quarantine.

Very very crowded new acai place right by BC. Honestly, I feel like no matter what time of day you go, it will be crowded. It was a very expensive acai bowl (mine was around $12 and my friend's was $14) but I will say it was very delicious. They really stack on the toppings which I liked. When you first walk in, there are A TON of options on the chalkboard that is their menu. It can be pretty overwhelming when you have no idea what you want. I stuck with the classic 5th avenue. I put bananas, mangos, granola, and honey on it and I loved it!! I will say service was a bit slow since there were so many people there. Overall, if I was here again, I would come by again. Service: 3/5 Food: 5/5 Price: 3/5

I had heard good things about Playa Bowls and went to check in out Saturday morning. We ordered the Pura Vida and Electric Mermaid. Portions were solid! Added almond butter and goji berries to the pura vida. Both were very good, the granola was mixed through which was good to start, but did lose it's crunch towards the end and would have preferred a scoop of almond butter instead of drizzle (but personal preference). Great selection! Would love to come back and try other bowls too!

We tried to go to the Playa Bowls near Harvard Square but people were double and triple parked. We needed the tasty frozen fruity goodness of Playa Bowl, so we headed over to Brighton to get our fix. The Aloha smoothie and açai bowl (extra banana, please) were a great end to a fun evening. Delicious!

Loved it! So yummy and the best alternative when you're craving something sweet. Clean place and efficient staff too!

It's a warm day in January and I thought about something a little tropical. Opposed to ice cream I gave Playa a shot and OMG. LIFE CHANGING. Thursday afternoon at 2pm. No lines and I was able to approach the counter clueless. I'm overwhelmed and the nice young person behind the counter told me which ones were the most popular and I landed on the electric mermaid bowl. Fresh, tangy, tasty, coconuty, granola, tropical, and deliciously cold. I don't know what I was expecting but I'm blown away. If you are looking for something unique and cold, this is the place to go. It is loaded with natural sugar. But I'd rather eat this than chocolate ice cream any day. PS-Door Dash is originally how I heard about playa bowls.

A super solid place to go for smoothie bowls!! Love them, they are a shop I am so happy to have near me. Their selection is vast with different bases from acai, coconut, green, pitaya, chia pudding...etc. They even have oatmeal and offer half/half base options. Occasionally, this place gets super crowded and then you have to wait a while...but when there aren't many people around, the bowls come out pretty fast. The texture of the bowls are also great, not too soupy/juice like and not too frozen-- perfect sweet spot. My favorite bowl is the pacific bowl; its delicious. I definitely would recommend this place to anyone craving smoothies or a yummy acai bowl.

Great bowls and smoothies. The fruit tastes fresh. Only caveat is for Oder pick ups, which are important right now. When ordering online it fave a time for pick up- but order was clearly done well prior as my açaí bowl was almost soup. Smoothies in our order were not as big of a deal but just not as cold and with extra liquid on top. When paying this amount really not ideal. I wish they put orders in freezer while waiting for pick up like their Fairfield, CT location does

First tried in New Jersey last month and was looking for this place in Boston. Fresh, healthy, filling , nutrition packed bowls. There are lots of options to choose from. This place is just adjacent to Boston college B line stop. Place is very popular so it took around 20 mins to get our order. But worth it! Surely will visit again

Was curious to see what this place was all about as I love trying out new acai places. Very limited indoor seating and music playing. Nice but a bit too loud. Friendly staff. Lots of bowl choices. I was hoping for a straight acai bowl with peanut butter but chose the tropical which was good. Look forward to trying a different one next time but please turn the music down :)

The best açaí bowls ever! My first time having a bowl was at their Rutgers New Brunswick location (my best friends swear by this place). Ever since then, we would always make sure we go every time I visited. So when I found out that they opened a Boston location - I was so happy! I always get the Nutella bowl w/o coconut. I'll try a different one some day lol

Stop by here since it's a quiet time of the day just looking for something healthy. Place is next to Boston college so expect mostly students here. The menu were overwhelming and hard to decide what to get. So I decided to go with one of the popular bowl instead. You can make your own or just get one off the menu. I decided to get the electric mermaid one of the most popular and it looks very colorful and will pack you up like a meal. It's refreshing and healthy. The staffs were great also.

Playa Bowls is the best açaí bowl place I have found in terms of selection. They have açaí, pitaya, coconut, and green, and tons of different flavor combinations. You can also do 1/2 and 1/2 for the bases, which is so fun! It would take many trips to try them all, but I'm willing it give it a shot! My bowls have been very nicely made with fresh ingredients. It has been very busy so far, I'm not sure if it will level out once it's not brand new, but I have really enjoyed their bowls and would recommend a trip in!

They serve 1 of the best açaí bowls I've ever had! My favorite bowl to get is the Nutella açaí bowl, minus the coconut flakes & banana. Instead I add extra Nutella and granola.

It's a very cute place with a large menu that has something for just about anyone -- from healthier to indulgent and a list of extra add ins/options! The interior is really cute and the staff are super friendly. In terms of taste, I personally think it's decent but not something that I'll go an extra mile to get. HOWEVER, loads of my friends swear by this place so I would definitely recommend people to try it out. From tasting all my friends different flavors, I think the coconut bowls and banana bowls are the best; the green bowls aren't my favorite (high kale and cinnamony taste).

Solid portions, great spot for acai in a city where it isn't plentiful! Go support, esp in lieu of BC staying closed for the semester! One thing that may be good is a wider array of fruits to add... kiwi, pineapple, mango, etc.

I just love love love Pitaya Bowls and Playa Bowl does a great job at keeping me addicted to it. There are a variety of options, I love the Flamingo Pink. I haven't tired any other bowls but I would like too. My friend isn't too much into bowls but as I introduced this bowl he too loved it. It is pricy for sure but the bowl is big and worth it. Kombucha here is $5 which is $3.45 in Shop and a Stop, so skip buying stuff from the cooler or fridge.

This is one of my favorite places in Boston! Such a great smoothie bowl and SO many options. The cutest in store experience. Excellent customer service, the line is usually out the door but they keep it moving very efficiently. Fruit is always super fresh! I LOVE PLAYA BOWLS!!

Great service, great bowls! We have had several different bowls and the fruit is fresh And the service is prompt.

Growing up going to the Jersey Shore every week, Playa Bowls became a staple when they first came out on 8th Ave - I was hooked. After moving to Boston, I craved Playa Bowls and when I found out there was a store opened up on Comm Ave, I knew I had to go. My go-to is the Pura Vida bowl and it has been consistently amazing every time I've ordered! I introduced my coworkers to this place and they loved it! Fair warning though - since it is right by Boston College, you can except a long line when the weather is nice and school is in session! The good thing is that they have online orders which can cut down the wait time considerably.

Enjoy these bowls, I love the different variety and how you can customize it to your liking. I have to say I cringe every time I'm waiting for mine to be made, because the staff don't wear any type of head gear and their hair is everywhere. I'd feel much more comfortable if their hair was pulled back and out of their face.

I love having this place in the area but, as of late I am not very impressed. My orders keep getting messed up. I am paying for addons and picking up my order without the add-ons. It may feel like only a few dollars and nothing to worth getting upset about...but this is truly an expensive place. To be that highly priced you should make sure you get the orders correct or inform and refund when there are add ons that cannot be added. Really disappointing.

This place is really fresh. I would suggest ordering online, it's an easy pick up. I enjoy their menu. I've tried something new about 4 times now and every time it's so good!

Honestly the best acai bowls I have ever had! Never had anything like it. The menu is so big that it'll take you about 10mins just to choose what you want! I got the nutella acai bowl and it was heaven, highly recommend. Only bad part is wishing the location was closer the boston area, but either way the trip is absolutely worth it. will be back soon:)

Oh nom nom nom. This is roll your eyes good acai bowls. I've been craving for a good acai bowl since moving out of HI. This definitely hit the spot, the ratio of fruit , granola and acai was juuuuust right! Will def be coming back to treat myself.

Some of the best açaí bowls in the Boston area! The portions are generous and the fruit fresh. Particularly love the Nutella bowl, which is a nice treat during the summer months. Contact less pick up is super easy - just call in 10-15 minutes ahead, and they leave it ready for you on the counter

So good...I can see why this place was mobbed, even at 11 in the morning. While a bit expensive, the bowls we got were delicious. Had to wait almost 20 minutes for them to be made, but again, it was crazy packed in there. My only suggestion would be to invest all the money they're going to make in a larger space and more staff!

Love this place sooo much. There aren't many places like this in the Boston area so I am so glad that there is now! The Nutella bowl is amazing. Fresh, healthy and delicious!!! My boyfriend loves the power bowl, it has peanut butter. Just did door dash delivery tonight for only 99 cent delivery fee!! (2.60 service fee though) one of my favorite places!