If you like refreshing Asian desserts, this place is for you. The #6 Dessert - Che Trai Cay (mixed tropical fruits) is really good. The menu can be a little overwhelming with many choices but look around on the walls to see photos of each dessert to get a better sense of what each one looks like. If you're going to eat there, get the ice in the dessert so you don't have to deal with pouring it in. if you're taking it to go, then the ice on the side is better so it doesn't melt and dilute the dessert on the way home. Bring cash as it is cash only. read more

BAMBU - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I have to agree to what a lot of people are saying about this place...meh. Huong T. made a good point, it is a repeat of a the Honey Toast hype. After two failed attempts to try this place, I finally succeeded yesterday. I ordered #1 Bambu Combo and #3 Che 3 Mau. I enjoyed the Bambu Combo, although it was not anything special, just sugar water, basil seeds, coconut, lychee, and jelly. Sadly, #3 was not as enjoyable. If you want good Che 3 Mau, go to Pho Van! Even though it is a sit-down restaurant, it is well worth your money to eat the Che 3 Mau there instead. Oh yeah, "CASH ONLY"......please pay your taxes, people. Bambu seems like a family-owned business to the max. Only two girls, under the age of 13, were working up front (Child Labor Laws?). One of the girls seem enthusiastic about being there during her spring break, while the other girl looked like she wanted to enjoy the great weather (I don't blame the woman). These girls took care of the cashier and ordering duties, while it looked like the mother/aunt worked in the kitchen preparing the drinks/desserts. In my opinion, these girls did a fantastic job for their age, but I can see why so many mistakes occurred during the grand opening. I will not say that I will never return to Bambu, but the likelihood that I go out of my way to get a cup of Che for myself from here is low. read more

I stopped in today and it was very busy! Granted, it was a Sunday....Easter Sunday! It was a very sunny day today, so people were sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine and drinking their che. It was packed inside with people waiting for their drinks. We ordered two number twos, one number one and one number six. Number one was definitely my favorite! I love coconut juice! Number two was also very delicious. Number six was good, but not as good as the others. I didn't mind the wait, as it did seem like quite the popular place today. I like the location. Very convenient and right next door to the Chinese bakery I got my birthday cake at. Delicious! read more

BAMBU - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Yummy alternative to bubble tea. It's like bubble tea except almost everything is made from scratch including the coconut water, coconut milk and even the pandan jelly is hand grated. I came here on here on opening weekend with my sister. Place was packed there was an hour wait for drinks. The drinks were all made to order and wasn't too sweet or bland. Perfect ratio for a Viet dessert. Love all the options they have for che. I would love to come here again perhaps on a weeknight when the craziness dies down. It's isn't worth a one hour wait just cause people in line were ordering to go orders for their entire family and their extended relatives. read more

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I didn't expect to find one of these in Portland. My companion on my trip wanted to get some asian dessert and found this place on Yelp. The menu is exactly what you would find in California. The drink was quickly made and tasted exactly like home! I'm glad they opened one of these here, since there isn't one like it around. read more

BAMBU - #6 - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Bomb. I never had Che before but the pandan jelly was so chewy and good! This dessert was refreshing and not overly sweet. The store was clean and the labels were clear. I'd recommend this over plain bubble tea any day. read more

BAMBU - Menu - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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A great place to pick up a quick drink. It's always clean and service is always on the ball. They accept cash only, so make sure to stop by and try one of their many drinks. I am partial to #1 which is coconut juice with longan, basil seeds, pandan jelly, young coconut, and sugar cane for $4.95. read more

BAMBU - #6 and #1 - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The girl came out from the kitchen seemed she just woke up. I Ordered avocado drink. Not even half of the cup, but I paid the full price. read more

BAMBU - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Agreed that this place isn't as good as good as the ones in California but it does the job. Ever since the grand opening hype I don't see this place being so busy anymore, I really hope this place stays and doesn't have to close down. It's so rare to get to see California Asian chains to be able to survive up here in Portland. It's not located in the best location cause it's hard to get in and out of but there's plenty of parking. They have a huge selection of Vietnamese drink/desserts but I always seem to get the same thing. My sister ordered an avocado shake with the shot of espresso added to it. It was way to strong and hard to drink. I told them and they were happy to fix it for us by adding more condensed milk. My mom doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but she liked my drink and said everything tasted really fresh. read more

BAMBU - So much selection - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place sells awesome smoothies!!! I always get the avocado or durian with tapioca. They make the smoothies so well and it's so smooth, not icy at all. And they use real fruit! The drinks aren't overly sweet and I love that since most of the time the sweetness is overkill. Drinks only come in on size which is a bummer but the drinks are always consistent in taste and texture. The tapioca is only mediocre compared to other bubble tea places but it's still good. Downside to this place is that they only accept cash which sucks because I rarely carry cash, so I can't come here as often as I'd like. read more

BAMBU - Avocado with tapioca - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Amazing unique desserts. Some of the best food I've ever had in my life. Worthy of a special trip for sure. read more

BAMBU - Mangonada - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Service was wonderful and drinks are very authentic and delicious!!! Will definitely be returning soon and highly recommended

For those of you who don't know about Bambu, you should know. (From their website) "Chè is a Vietnamese word for home-made beverages, dessert drinks and puddings. Our Chè is made to order using freshly cut coconut water or daily prepared coconut milk combined with select exotic, healthy and delicious ingredients." The first time I experienced Chè, was with my husband at a tiny store in Seattle. It was in a plastic cup, with beans, jellies, weird long green jello looking strips, some unknown looking liquid and a ball of shaved ice on top. Not exactly what I picture when I visualize the word, "dessert." I took an apprehensive bite and bam, it was delicious! A crazy mix of textures, mild sweet flavors and a cool (in temperature) refreshing twist. The beans are sweet red beans (these are in many Asian treats). There are also options with hydrated seeds. Similar to when you soak chia seeds for smoothies, they get this transparent jello-y halo around them after they're hydrated and the nickname is "frog eyes." Appetizing nickname, am I right? If you can get past the unusual appearance of 500 little frog eyes floating around your cup, they're delicious and fun to eat. Kids always love this one. My daughters favorite variation of this is the one with lychee fruit, chia seed and fresh coconut meat. You can always sub out lychee vs longan. I will warn that their longan are more traditional almost medicinal tasting. So we always go the lychee route. My favorite item here though, are their silky smooth and rich smoothies. My absolute favorite is the taro coconut. For those not familiar with taro as a dessert, it's perfection, it's sweet but not overly so. It's a root vegetable, with a soft purple color. The coconut brings a warmth to the drink that I love. Their mango smoothie is a close second. I always order 50% sweetness, you can adjust as long as you let them know! Really family friendly, they usually have an animation movie playing on the tv that is visible to all the seated areas. Their pandan waffles here are good, too, just a little over priced. read more

Wow...buried treasure find right here. These folks got the smoothie game on lock. That Mangolada with the spices and Pandan Waffles?...Effin goooood. That's all. read more

Loooove this place, each ché dessert drink is such a treat! All the workers here are friendly and driven like a family business. I wish I could come here everyday. I recommend any of the drinks with the green chewy things lol ... But all the boba teas are delicious as well as the iced coffee! read more

The cashier charged me for 3 larges when I didn't ask for the size upgrade but the girl was new so I let it slide. The drinks come out but then they only give me 1 large and 2 smalls. I inform them of the error. What appeared to be the manager asked her if she had charged me for the larges and she says no. They don't say or do anything afterwards. They also gave me a milk tea when the cashier specifically asked me if I meant just the tea or the milk tea and I told her just the tea--not the milk tea, but after checking the order, they took it back and got one without the dairy. read more

The girl with the glasses at the front has THE WORST ATTITUDE EVER! We came in to order 5 drinks and she literally rolled her eyes as she walked in the back. read more

Terrible service, terrible drinks. Went here yesterday with a group of friends and waited in line for a good 20 minutes only to be disappointed in the end. The "staff" members looked like they were 12 years old and that's probably why the line was moving so slowly when there was only about 7 people in front of us. It was clearly everyone's first job. I was pretty disgusted when I saw a young girl scratch her back and head/hair and continued to make drinks without washing her hands. She also would take sips of her bubble tea drink (which was sitting next to the open ingredients) every so often WHILE she was making customers drinks.. Pretty unsanitary and gross, IMO. Me and my boyfriend ordered a #1 to share. The drink was so tasteless it literally tasted like water. The lychee that was inside was also VERY bland. After three sips, I didn't want it anymore. What a HUGE waste of $4.25. Our other friends agreed that their drinks tasted awful, too. There is so much hype for this cafe.. I'm really not sure why because my experience was so bad. Overall, I will not be coming back and I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. read more

YUM Vietnamese dessert! Cash only! Che ~$4.50. This is a chain Vietnamese dessert (che + boba) place that I've tried countless times in California. They maintain the same menu and prices. I often get the bo dam (smashed avocado with combo jelly, condensed milk and coffee jelly pieces) or the Bambu special #1 which is longan, basil seed, pandan jelly, coconut and coconut juice dessert (the most refreshing menu item in my opinion). They also have Vietnamese coffee, smoothies and teas. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The girl here didn't speak Vietnamese which was really surprising to me. read more

I have not had good che in a very long time! Number 4, che suong sao hat luu with grass jelly, red tapioca, pandan jelly, jello and mung bean was recommended and it was pretty amazing! Maybe since the flavors are a little nostalgic, I thought it was really good. I'd love to come back and try their other flavors! Note: it's cash only read more

Finally, my waiting is over - a Bambu has made its way to Portland! First heard about Bambu a year or so ago from friends who would travel down to California and rave about the yummy varieties of chè and milk teas they would devour during their trips. So, being the big food lover that I am, OF COURSE the news of Bambu opening up a shop in Portland got me giddy like a little school girl. After doing some research online through their Bambu website and local articles in the newspapers I marked my calendar for the end of February since that's when they said their grand opening date would be - "end of February 2014" it stated in red font. Unfortunately though they didn't open until a week or so later, so you can assume the instant disappointment I had on my face when driving by on March 5th to see a banner that said they weren't opening until March 7th. Maybe some construction and design issues delayed them? Who knows! Anyway, I knew that wouldn't stop me so planned to come back. Now, 6:30pm opening day finally arrived so along with my boyfriend we decide to check it out since we assumed a business like that couldn't possibly close until 8 or 9pm, but whatayaknow! - another look of disappointment instantly appeared on my face once we walked up to the door and an older man, (probably the owner), tells us they've sold out for the day, hands us a mini take-out menu, and tells us to return tomorrow. By this time I was really starting to think maybe Bambu and I weren't meant to be, but you know as they say: "3rd times the charm" so more waiting I did. Now fast forward to Saturday around noon: the shop is open, no signs of being sold out, but again, more waiting I did as a line of customers extended out the door. Random observation while in line: the older man from the night before along with another man were finally putting up their sign of hours of operation on the window. Personally, from working in retail and numerous restaurants for almost 10 years and being a part of restaurant grand openings in the past I assumed that a big detail like that would have been posted up before they were open. Anyway, to cut to the chase: - did I finally get my hands on some long awaited chè? Yes! - If I would recommend one thing on the menu would it be #4 "chè sng sáo ht lu" (grass jelly, red tapioca, pandan jelly, jello, mung bean)? Yes! - Were they offering a grand opening $3.00 special on any drink? Yes! * BUT, was it worth the waiting in line to finally get to the counter and be told "cash only", the hour long wait for 5 drinks in a room full of annoyed customers who've been waiting probably longer than I was for the same amount of drinks, maybe less, and not to mention the sympathy I felt for the girl standing at the counter who was the ONLY ONE taking the orders, ringing people up, and giving out the orders while everyone else was running around in the back without an organized system, no assembly line, no order or efficiency whatsoever? No way, jose! Overall their variety of milk teas, Vietnamese chè's, and other beverages on their menu is probably one of the best in town, but if you can wait a couple more weeks for the hype to die down a little or go during the weekday when crowds of Asian mothers' aren't there ordering 10+ drinks before you to take home to their families, I would DEFINITELY and HIGHLY ADVISE IT! Plus according to my Vietnamese boyfriend's family they still prefer Pho Van's chè. NOTE: their website states: "always made with the freshest ingredients" which doesn't make much sense to me since while I was waiting I could clearly see a big box of canned fruits and other ingredients behind the counter staring straight back at me. Being asian and very familiar with store bought ingredients I knew that "CHAOKOH" brand canned label and could spot it anywhere. read more

Really nice people and their drinks are decently priced. Got the banana smoothie for my daughter and she loved it! The best part is that they used real bananas not the powdered stuff! read more

Ladies&Gentlemens, not sure why everyone is having a bad experience @ this place. "Myself" I sure have been fairly pleased with the service. There are times that the wait & customer service experience is rough, but only due to heavy traffic of customers. You shouldn't complain about customer service experience if your willing and knowingly coming to a "grand opening" of a known franchise & then expect AA+ service. On the other hand, they should of been more prepared knowing such traffic could occur. In which they didn't therefor everyone employed was thrown off track a bit and it did piss alot of people off due to their travel time for the place & having to leave empty handed. As far as age and judging people by way they look? Just awfully rude, well some might take it as a compliment since your stating they look young :), let me just throw it out there. "Asians will always look young & never there proper age", The majority at least. Age also plays no game on how fast a person works, it's a learning process that progresses over time. New place, new environment. Give these teens a break. It amuses me to see some crazy judgmental reviews on here lol. Try to be in there shoes working non stop to serve over 100+ a day for such a busy place. I think all the ladies there are beautiful. I also agree, there deserts and drinks is a little over hyped. However, every new Asian cafe that has opened in portland has The same hype & eventually it will fade. Nothing special here. It's a chill place to hang out with your friends, meet new people and see old friends. Because let me tell you...... Alot of people goes here lol. Especially Friday (school kids) Saturday (family/party) & Sunday (church & Sunday school). Because it's located right on 82nd and near all these other Asian hot spots, that's why this place has a lot of hype. If your reading my review and haven't tried this place or scared of the heavy traffic or because of other reviews. Don't worry :) traffic cooled off & you got nothing too lose anyways. But, If you want to be safe go on weekdays. My final conclusion of this place....... - Employee's could socialize more to boost customer service experience - I do wish there was more tables&chairs to relax, it's always occupied **** 4 stars because not enough chairs&tables lol read more

Finally got a chance to try it because I actually had cash.. And I'm not impressed. I ordered the number 6, which is supposed to consist of fruits and banh lot. Well, I found maybe 2 lychees, 2 huge chunks of coconuts and a strip or two of jackfruit.. It taste very bland and unsweet.. The way I have always had che from my parents and from Vietnam, it is sweet and milky. This is very watery and bland tasting. I don't know what else to say about it. If you really want a good che, I'd rather go to Pho Van and buy their "che ba mau" (three color dessert). It is very much up to par for me. I am very disappointed because I was really excited for this place.. Hope it steps it up in the future and accept credit cards. read more

So this review is in comparison to the Bambu up in the Renton, WA location. Although the #6-The Fruit Addict is my favorite drink, it's not the same as the one in Renton. I would say it's not as good. The shaved ice is more chunky than I'd like. I like Pandan jelly, but I think they give more of the Pandan jelly so they can skimp out on the mango. Booooo. Well, this is better than nothing, so I'll keep coming here if I'm on this side of town. Here is what is in the che: Coconut Milk with Jello, Lychee, Longan, Jackfruit, Palm Seed, Red Tapioca, Coconut Meat and Pandan Jelly. read more

BAMBU - #6-The Fruit Addict: Coconut Milk with Jello, Lychee, Longan, Jackfruit, Palm Seed, Red Tapioca, Coconut Meat and Pandan Jelly. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I first heard about Bambu through my father, who loves che (like myself) and wanted to join the hype after hearing about it from relatives and fellow Viets in San Jose. I was excited too, and one afternoon not long after its grand opening we stopped by, only to discover it was closed! For the first few weeks the hours were unreliable and lines were long, but everything seems stable now that the hours are in place (disappointingly shorter, may I add) and the hype is slowly dying down. This place was smaller than I imagined, and seems to be a family-run establishment. You can pretty much see how they make the drinks and desserts right behind the counter. The servers appeared young, but were bubbly and friendly. I was pleasantly satisfied with the #2, #6, and Vietnamese coffee we ordered. Not too sweet, refreshing, and well-priced (although I wish it weren't so watered-down); the coffee was quite strong, but still good. I would definitely come back for the che; it seemed well made, well portioned, and there are so many varieties to choose from. If you want a taste of traditionally sweet che with all the right fixings, go to Pho Van for the most delicious che. However, if you want something cheaper, simpler, and with greater portions, come here instead. read more

It's nice to have an Asian dessert and summer drink place in town. I do love Vietnamese drinks and desserts especially their pandan jelly and anything with coconut milk. However, the first time I went I got their Che and thought it was way too sweet for my taste. Next time around, I got the grass jelly and pandan jelly coconut milk drink and that was yummy. Don't be discouraged by the line out the door, the service is quick and efficient. read more

BAMBU - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I have been wanting to try this since it opened after seeing everyone's delicious posts on IG and FB. I heard the lines were hellacious so I held off on going right away. I decided to finally give in and try it out this weekend and it wasn't a terrible experience. My friends had gotten there earlier so the line was shorter for me when I got there. They had to wait when the line was out the door, but I didn't. Hehehe. There was a ton of people milling around waiting for their drinks and in line still though. It's a small clean spot. The girls behind the counter were friendly and just trying to keep up with the orders. It has bubble teas, but other options as well than just the usual bubble tea. I got #6 and it was yummy. It wasn't overly sweet, it was actually just very refreshing. My friend got the mango dazzle shake and that wad delicious as well. I would come back when the hype fades down a bit so that I can just run in and grab a refreshing drink. I hope their business continues to be busy though for their sake, I want them to do well! As I was leaving my friends came in, and they were told the wait was 30 minutes for a drink, I think that's a little long and I'd probably try for another day, but hey they're keeping busy so...go ahead Bambu with your bad self. Good luck! read more

BAMBU - #6 and a mango dazzle smoothie. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Let me start off by saying that good milk tea & boba is VERY hard to find in Portland and I'm assuming in all of the PNW. I base my review of milk tea's off of my favorite and very simple -- Jasmine Milk Tea. The jasmine milk tea here is good, not AMAZING or the best I ever had, but it is good. It's not too watered down like all the other places I've tried in PDX. I wish I had a car so I could frequent this place more often because no places in SW or Downtown Portland has my stamp of approval... yet. I still need to try Fat Straw! Not only is the milk tea good, the boba is good. Pearls/tapioca as you folks like to call it. It's not hard and It doesn't taste like rubber. THUMBS UP! Bambu Desserts & Drinks is a chain and there are MULTIPLE locations all over California, so I'm quite familiar with it. They are known for che (Vietnamese dessert) and they are quite tasty as well. I recommend this place for milk tea boba! CASH ONLY! read more

I actually do like this place. The unfortunate thing about this place is their hours. Only open till 6 even on the weekends! Garr! Can't even have dessert after dinner, unless you want to eat dinner at 330! Che is a traditional Vietnamese dessert that is eaten with a spoon. I love the cleverness that is che in a cup eaten with a thick boba straw! I also love the bubble tea. I love the selection they have because I heart variety!! The coconut taro blended combination is a must try! This summer I will be here all the time along with everyone else that just came from Little Saigon. Beware: they do not accept cards, it's cash only!!!! So bring dollar dollar bills y'all! read more

Yay! Was so excited to have Bambu here in Portland! My first experience was in San Jose and we ordered a couple Che varieties. All were really good! I like how they put shaved ice in them, too. However, I recently frequented this location and it's not like I remember. Disappointed actually. It's not that sweet which is fine but mine tasted watered down and not at all authentic. Maybe I got a bad batch but I probably won't be going out of my way to come here again. I may give it another try just to be fair. read more

Real cute little place, avacado shake was amazing! And you can add bubbles or jelly to any drink

Bambu Desserts has a semi cult following of Vietnamese, non-Viets, and anyone with a sweet tooth. The storefront is new, bright, and clean with the obligatory Asian performance DVDs playing on the huge TV screens. First off, this place is not an impromptu stop, at least not yet. Is it worth all the wait and hype? Honestly, no. Do yourself a favor and wait a couple more weeks after the excitement has died down, it'll save you a headache. The shop is clearly family run (and maybe owned) with the children, seriously the cashiers had to be no more than 16 years old, running the front and adults in the back assembling the desserts. They are clearly very disorganized and are in desperate need of getting a system down. The order line moves at an excruciatingly slow pace for a place that only offers items that can be very quickly assembled. And then you can expect an equally long wait to receive your drinks. I think what's also to blame are the constant large orders, everyone leaving had at least 6 desserts in their hands. The group before me ordered 30 drinks, yea 30. When I ordered the register girl warned me that my order (of a measly 2 desserts) would take at least an hour because they had to make the 30 first...so clearly this place needs to learn how to manage orders better than they do. I have high hopes for this place, though. The extensive dessert menu has any combination of fixings you could probably dream of. My go-to are the Bambu Special and Che Trai Cay ("Fruit Dessert") but be warned that their desserts run on the sugary sweet side, even for Ché. read more

BAMBU - Trai Cay and Bambu Special - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is awesome. Only seen these places in San Francisco. Highly recommend it for dessert. Next time I will try the drinks. I had the 22. Da ht sen nhãn nhc thch, which had Coconut, lotus, jello, longan, and shaved ice on top. Refreshing and filling. People complain about cash. Really, you don't carry $5 in your wallet? If you are buying for an entire family, then it may be more difficult. read more

***CASH ONLY!!!!!!****** I am so glad I found this place while in Portland. I was desperate for Vietnamese dessert and BAMBU never fails me. My togo item is #1 and #6 on the special drinks menu. You cannot go wrong with those 2. Really good customer service. I love that the workers speak Vietnamese; they were super nice! read more

My experience here was fantastic. If you're having Che, I highly recommend getting the ice separate from the Che. That way you can control the dilution and the sweetness of your Che. I ordered #1 and #3. Delicious. I will come back and try other items. read more

BAMBU - 3 color Che and Bambu special #1. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great place for Vietnamese desserts and drinks. Really enjoyed the smoothies with fresh fruit unlike many other places. Could really taste the flavors, but also werent over-poweringly sweet. I had the strawberry fantasy, passion in love, and durian smoothies. The durian was terrific, you could really tell they used real fruit which is pretty rare, but. The tapioca pearls themselves were right on, chewy and not to sweet. Jellys were awesome, I was able to enjoy all the flavored jellys which were all great. The place itself is very organized and the staff is friendly and helpful. The environment is great, bright and a great place to be. Would highly recommend this place for the great service, product and ambiance. read more

Bad customer service. The girl I came today to order looks mean and not helping at all. I dont know why they hiring someone who doesnt know how to say thank you and smile with customers. The drinks are normal. Never come back, would not recommend this place to friends or family. read more

4 stars instead of 5 because what place take cash only?! It's 2018. Upset because I was craving the mango tea and couldn't get it because all I carry on me are plastic cards...besides "cash only" I come here for one drink and one drink only: mango tea. And I'd give that a 5 out of 5 read more

Cash only. Menu is fairly large. However the che isnt amazing. It's decent. Wait time is alright and the prices are reasonable but the trip isn't worth it. read more

BAMBU - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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