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Backyard Bowls

4.2 (269 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

Order Backyard Bowls Takeout or Delivery

Backyard Bowls Photos

BACKYARD BOWLS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Backyard Bowls

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Small island bowl add peanut butter
Shelby S.

I love açaí bowls and Backyard Bowls is such a perfect spot to enjoy them. They have a great selection of options and their ingredients always taste fresh. My favorite choice is the island bowl with peanut butter on top- sooo good! I really enjoy the Goleta location for dining in. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Plus the parking is super easy. The staff always seem to be in a good mood. I recently enjoyed hanging here for a bit and did some work on my laptop, though they do not have wi-fi.

NEW Mermaid Smoothie
Sandra L.

Their mermaid smoothie has no consistency. Every time I pick up from this location the color is too light as if they barely put any pitaya or blue spirulina. The picture below is how it's supposed to look like

Berry Bowl, large 32 oz Power Bowl, regular 24 oz
Jennifer L.

Stopped by here for a light and refreshing lunch while in Santa Barbara for a few days to move in! Backyard Bowls is my go-to for high quality acai bowls in the SB area. The restaurant is cute with some outside and indoor seating! I love their unique wooden log tables. The menu is pretty extensive, with acai bowls, oatmeal bowls (until 11am), smoothies, and toasts. There are options for gluten free granola, add ons, protein, etc. sizes range from small to large, with the exception of the Santa Barbara bowl that is only offered in large. We ordered the Power Bowl (regular) and the Berry Bowl (large) to share amongst three people. I loved my Berry Bowl, the base tasted so bright and refreshing and it came with a plethora or strawberry, banana, blueberry, and granola! The Power Bowl came with crushed nuts, banana, granola, and blueberry. I was not as big of a fan because the peanut butter flavor was extremely prominent in the base, but my brother loved it! Service was friendly. Overall- the most solid acai bowl place in the Santa Barbara area.

Santa Barbara Bowl
Grace L.

My go-to spot for açaí bowls throughout my undergrad! I tend to go for bowls with a plant based milk like hemp or coconut rather than juice because the milks make the base creamier. Most of my orders have been the Santa Barbara bowl, which used to be called the Backyard bowl. It's pretty much the classic açaí bowl, but the toppings are loaded on! The bee pollen adds a fragrant, flowery element. Since it only comes in a large size (about 1.5 servings), I prefer splitting it with someone. When I didn't share and tried to finish the whole thing, I would be stuffed and cold; the regular size is a perfect portion! The Power bowl, formerly called the Gainz bowl, is delicious if you like peanut butter, but quite rich. I had trouble finishing the regular size because the peanut butter flavor was getting too much! The inside can be loud with the blenders roaring and whirring, so I'd snag a table outside if you're eating it there. Parking isn't an issue in the strip mall. If you have a physical stamp card, they'll still take it but won't give out new ones since their loyalty program is now through phone numbers. Overall, Backyard Bowls really hits, especially after a hike or workout!

Island Bowl in the front, with two Berry Bowls in the back
Maria W.

Went to this place pre-COVID, and WOW! I'm a hardcore smoothie bowl aficionado and Backyard Bowls is definitely in the top tier. They give massive portions of granola and fruit, the base is just as smooth as a smoothie can be, and taking the whole bowl into account, it wasn't overly sweet or sour. The workers are also super sweet; they coached me through the deliberation process of picking a bowl and made sure I was happy with my order. Very enthusiastic, efficient service! Only took a few minutes to get our bowls. The inside is also decorated in a super cute way, it's giving me all kinds of inspiration with the shiny wooden tables and succulents everywhere. The location is also prime for a post-grocery-shopping pick me up, with lots of parking outside. I can't wait to be back for more icy goodness!

Berry Bowl, regular 24 oz with bee pollen
Richie D.

Ug, I hate to write this review since I am generally a fan of the Backyard Bowls franchise. I will say that I prefer it over their biggest competitor, Blenders in the Grass. However, Oakberry inside Paseo Nuevo truly takes the crown when it comes to açaí bowls. Based on my Yelp Check-Ins, I have been to this Goleta location three times; I even became the "Duke" today. These visits have allowed me to have a decent idea of some things they could improve upon: - My largest complaint is inconsistency. The past two times I have requested to not add certain items to my bowl. For instance, this morning I had the Spartan Muesli with the ask of skipping the goji berries, coconut flakes and almonds. After arriving home with my take-out and taking off the cover, I then realized it had all the above... The order was typed in as 'with' instead of 'without,' even though it normally comes with those items?! (Image attached). The previous time they still put almonds when I requested it without for the Power Bowl. I unfortunately have an odd intolerance to almonds so I try to scoop them out. For the price and being a place with the goal of being healthier and open to various dietary limitations it is disappointing. - Their bowl options are MASSIVE. I'm a 5'8" male and I can't finish their Regular size açaí or porridge bowl. Why they don't have a children's size? The "Small 16 oz" bowl (again still too large) is only available in the Island, Berry and Power Bowls. - They claim to be sustainable on their website, yet the American portion-sized bowls cause a lot of waste. Not to mention, the bowl is paper, but the spoon appears to still be made of plastic. Correct me if I'm wrong... - While the staff is often very busy and courteous, they tend to be young college age employees who don't seem to really care about their work. Sadly, it isn't just this business that has this issue given that finding staff can be tough so I tread on this lightly. All in all, I want to like Backyard Bowls but the inconsistency is too common. Hopefully this review with constructive feedback will be read by management so when a visit down the road I can remedy it with an improved rating. (P/S: I am not asking for anything of value in return, just that changes are made).

Menu 1/2 (7/19/20)
Andre T.

Backyard Bowls is very fresh and refreshing, if you're that's what you're looking for. Ordered: Island Bowl + Berry Bowl which were both $9.95 each. Next time I would definitely change the base of the Island bowl from the coconut mylk base to an apple juice base. The Regular size is plenty enough for just one person. The Large would be prefect to share for two. Plus, a large costs about $12. They do have an small outside patio area to sit down and eat at.

a bowl of fruit salad with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries
Elena L.

very tasty yogurt without added sugar, all products are fresh, fruits are delicious. great idea for a healthy breakfast or snack. I like the concept of this place

Merchandise
Ann D.

Today I used my $10 birthday reward which was nice. I love the island bowl. I have been coming to Backyard bowls since they opened and I like sticking to the island bowl. I think I have strayed a tad from this order and wasn't pleased. They have a lot of healthy foods here. I especially loved coming here when I lived within walking distance. The ambiance is clean and well decorated. There is not a lot of decorations which makes the small local look bigger.

Thick-cut, dried out watermelon radish

On the one hand I really like this place but I've had issues at both the La Cumbre and Goleta locations with the avocado toast - for some reason the food preppers dump an absurd quantity of salt on top of the avocado (and it was a skimpy quantity of avo for $11) Normally it's good but 3 or 4 times it's been inedible due to the salt. I should remember to request no added salt but it's not something I'd normally think about with avo toast. The watermelon radish was oddly dried out and much thicker than usual. Lastly I ordered but did not receive an island bowl to be eaten on site. Looks like maybe a Santa Barbara bowl? And everything packed to go.

Power bowl and Island Bowl (with peanut butter added)
Anila Y.

I was staying at the Kimpton Goodland right next door to this complex. We were visiting for a wedding and not necessarily looking to have indulgent meals while traveling. Enter Backyard Bowls! From the hotel, it's a five minute walk. I ordered the island bowl and added peanut butter for protein, and my boyfriend ordered the power bowl. We both really loved what we got. The good news is that the bowls are pretty big--we were expecting something a lot smaller. That being said, I could only finish half my bowl so I wish there was a smaller size offered. I guess that is a good problem to have, especially in a pricey/expensive area like Santa Barbara! We actually stopped by after an early morning hike by the beach and it really hit the spot. We appreciated the light meal in advance of a long day of eating/drinking/dancing.

Chassidie L.

By far the best açaí bowls in the Santa Barbara area! There's something about the bowls and how they hold the perfect amount of sweetest! Their portion sizes are also great! I recommend getting a small unless you can eat a lot (then get a large)! Definitely worth the price!

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Photo of Michael L.
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3 years ago

Got the Santa Barbara Bowl and my wife got the Avocado Toast. Both were good and filling.

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Photo of Melissa G.

Melissa G.

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Love this place! Their açaí bowls are great! The Santa Barbara is a definite fave with added kiwi!

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Melissa G.

Thank you, Nicole! Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

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5 years ago

AMAZING PORTIONS! $9.50 for what looks like a large? Amazing! Everything was amazing definitely recommend! Especially after a nice hike

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Page 2 of 7

Ask the Community - Backyard Bowls

Do you happen to offer a smaller children's size bowl? Even your smallest size is massive for an adult.

Hi there! We offer our smallest size 16 oz bowl for island, berry and power. Enjoy!

Do they have gluten free granola?

Yes

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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I have literally eaten here 372 times. It is delicious, reasonable, has a great casual atmosphere,…read moreand the service is fast and friendly. The idea one can get fresh healthy food, fairly quickly, brings my family and I back again and again. You will not be disappointed - with the potential exception of the homemade ranch, which isn't great (pro tip: get the thousand island instead). My favorite dishes are the tuna melt, the ranch salad with ranchero chicken instead of the chicken breast (and thousand island, of course), the burrito, and the pasta specials. I also love their tractor juices and mix and match them like an aspiring juice-tender. My family loves this place as much as me and you will too.

I am a home care assistant, and I took my clients to this. firstly, dinner gets really busy and…read morebustling. Secondly it was hard to find parking so I had to walk in the street with my physically disabled client. It was scary but eventually there was a ramp to enter and wheel her up. Food was good, it's a healthier way to eat out and service is quick after you wait in line. I tried the chicken pita - my clients ordered the enchiladas and burger with mushrooms. I can speak for the pita, it was yummy but really needing a dressing or something! I thought the chicken was really good and tender but lacking a sauce. I found it dry even after adding some lemon. It's busy and bustling (can be a bit loud and clanky) but I would take my client where again as they help with allergies and food needs with ease and reassurance!

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Backyard Bowls - juicebars - Updated May 2026

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