This place seems to have struggled a bit when it first opened. It's got a nice location near Trader Joe's and some other popular stores in the short pump station strip mall and there's plenty of parking. I had a pretty frustrating start to my first order here ever though. I was ordering for my son so I placed an order online but when I got there, they told me they were completely out of stock for any type of whey protein. That sucked since I was given no notice when I was ordering and I'm ordering for someone else. Ugh. When I looked around at other places, I definitely got an out of stock notice so I let them know that but they said they couldn't fix it online. Seems to me they need a better Web person. My son decided to go with the plant protein and did enjoy his smoothie. The employees on duty were incredibly nice, and because I was supposed to get a partial refund since we didn't want an extra scoop of protein powder with plant being the only option, they ended up refunding the whole drink. They need someone new working on the online ordering system but I will go back and try a bowl or one of their cold brew drinks because they were so nice and professional. read more

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I have missed having good Acai bowl places to go! A lot of the others closed down! So I was extremely excited to find this place! The workers are super nice and patient because they have a LOT of different options and my favorite was they had different bases and so they had some non-dairy options which made me like it even more! The ambiance and decor on the inside is gorgeous! I absolutely loved it and they had some indoor seating! I have even done pick up orders and that was nice and simple! read more

I'm a big fan of Playa Bowls! I first learned about this chain in NYC and adored how amazing their Acai Bowl bases are. If you know me, you know I'm picky with my acai bases and prefer to have them more sweet and with a sorbet texture. The other locations of Playa Bowls I've been to have had this so I was excited to see one come to RVA. Parking was easy since it's located in a strip mall. I knew exactly what I wanted, but do know they have a huge menu with a variety of awesome bowls and smoothies to pick from. The cashier was beyond sweet to me. She even took the time to compliment me which made my day. There was a lot of seating inside so I decided to eat my bowl there. It seems like a lot of people doordash bowls from here. They still have their surfer/beachy vibe inside which is cute. I liked the space and am already pretty loyal to this brand, however, the bowl was not exactly what I was used to. The acai base was a bit off. I'm not sure if I was there on the wrong day and if there was something different, but it was not what I was used to from Playa Bowls. All the other elements were delicious and great though. I'd try going back another time when it's maybe more busy and they have fresher acai! read more

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I LOVE a good açaí bowl so we had to check this place out after church! There were so many options so make sure to take time to look over all entire menu, maybe even before you get there. We did go around lunch time on a Sunday afternoon so it was pretty busy. I will say the line moves quickly to take your order, but took a little longer to get our bowls. We ordered a the Nika Bowl which has a Banana Base and the Pacific Bowl, which has a green base. Both were very tasty and a good portion! There are a bunch of açaí bowl spots over the city, but I don't feel like you get a good portion size for the price. I think at Playa Bowls, you get a very good portion size. As far as seating, there's a big table in the middle if you have a group, and there's more seating along the wall if you want to sit inside. We'll definitely be back to try something new! read more

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I have been looking for a reason to go try this new place out and today was the day! They were the perfect spot to go cool off with a smoothie and açaí bowl. We drove over and noticed instantly a line of people heading in, and although I was worried at first, the line quickly dropped down to our turn, and we ordered a kawabunga smoothie and an açaí bowl. My smoothie was blueberry, strawberry and banana in coconut milk. I love the freshness of it, and that the6 are using real fruit and not one of those syrups. My daughter got the tropical açaí bowl, it had blueberry, flax granola, pineapple, banana coconut flakes and honey. The atmosphere is really cute too, every beach like vibes, and decorated cute. I will absolutely come back again soon. read more

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From first walk in the colors and atmosphere are amazing. Great playlist, colorful well written chalk board menu, well lit. There is also QR menus around that you have access to. Unfortunately we weren't greeted when we walked in. I will say they are teenagers that work there so give them a little patience. The menu doesn't have pictures or anything and the employees said they hadn't tasted the bowls there so we didn't have much information to go off. I did call prior to going because of my nut allergy to make sure that the granola doesn't carry nuts. The young man that answered the phone only said hello lol and confused me. My daughter ordered the 8th Avenue and I got the tropical bowl. Service was fast and fresh. The bowls have a sugar substitute aftertaste that wasn't my fav but everything was clean and super fast. I do suggest looking at the menu before going in but would suggest trying them out for yourself. They offer smoothies and bowls! read more

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One Sunday, May 3rd a little after 7pm I had to wait over 30 minutes for my bowl, only to have it remade three times because the three young women working could not read "remove coconut". The fact that I had to wait that long is insane because it wasn't even busy. When I first saw my bowl, it had coconut and was all melty because the employees didn't say the names of anything and would just place the bowl and walk away. That bowl got taken by another customer who was confused because they had waited so long, as well as others. I finally got the attention of one of the employees because all they would do was walk right past me quickly. When I got my bowl the second time, I had to tell the girl that had a white shirt on, frizzy hair, and was wearing it in a low ponytail that I didn't want coconut she gave me attitude and asked another employee to remake it. This was the worst service I've ever received at any place, and to the person who schedules, you either need to fire all of those employees for being rude and ignoring customers, or never schedule them together again. On top of all of this, there were other customers who were ignored and had their orders wrong. For a job so simple, those three employees acted like they couldn't read, and it was there first day on earth. What a shame, Playa Bowl, I definitely will not be coming back here any time soon! read more

I visited your establishment for the first time this morning and ordered a smoothie. While the smoothie itself was good, the cup was completely sticky, and I had to wash it off in the bathroom. Because of this experience, I am hesitant to return or recommend your business to others. I wanted to bring this to your attention so it can be addressed. read more

Best bowls around! Service is quick and friendly. Inside is always a vibe! The coffee too is good with the vanilla sweet cream cold brew

What a VIBE ! Located at 11341 W. Broad Street I absolutely loved my nica bowl (Banana blend contains banana, honey, and almond milk topped with blueberry flax granola, banana, strawberry, walnuts, cacao nibs, and peanut butter) with a playa pita blend mix There are so many items on the menu. Ya'll want to check this place out!! So glad there is a location in RVA GRAND OPENING 10/19/24 read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

Yummmmy!! Thoroughly enjoyed all these delicious bowls and smoothies. I wish we had one in CLT as I'd get their bowls weekly. Super fresh and tasty. Love fruit so much and def will be back when in Richmond. read more

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After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Short Pump finally has their Playa Bowl location. Right across from the Trader Joe's, this place is all about the Acai-style bowls and boy do they have a lot of choices. Here is where and why I took the star away from what ought to be a slam dunk review. Whenever a new place opens, especially for a well-know chain, many will assume that the clientele will be automatically baked-in, but that is not always the case...and that is where managers need to step in and make sure that the front line during an opening weekend is welcoming, knowledgeable and experienced. This way newcomers won't feel like they're intruding, and the old guard will feel like they are welcoming back an old friend. What I found both times I entered was a cashier (two different ones) who really did not know a heck of a lot about what they offered, about the reward program, about the ability to substitute ingredients and their cost, heck they didn't even know if their location offered customer wi-fi or not. Now I understand that it is hard to train a new staff, but I think they are missing a once-in-a-grand-opening opportunity to establish better roots and repeaters by not putting their best people forward. And only the one interacted with me. This was on day two of their opening...um...would it kill ya to be a little more welcoming and warm-hearted? The food is what brings people in, and it is high quality (albeit becoming a bit pricey) for the portion you receive, but when you are the new kid on the block, have a better team in place to welcome all to the neighborhood, invite them back, bend over backward to be helpful, and furthermore, about the wifi - why IS there no customer access? I don't believe that this is the standard at their other locations, and to be a part of their rewards program, they encourage you to USE THE APP! Make it easier to do, not harder. Summing it up - in a place where the decor and vibe is a laid back beach/hawaiian theme, I think it is very important that the ENTIRE staff practices Aloha a little bit (or maybe on second thought, a LOT) better. read more

Yeas ago, I discovered Playa Bowls in MD. I traveled there for work every week and I stopped at Playa Bowl once almost every week. I really missed it after I stopped traveling to MD. Now that there is one in Richmond, I couldn't be happier. This is right now my favorite spot for fruit bowls in town. I love the fruit bowls and the variety of ingredients. You can't go wrong with the options in the menu, and you can have a lot of fun making your own. The staff is friendly and they keep the place clean and tidy. read more

Great smoothie place in short pump! I love how there are many options and toppings to choose from read more

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Very bright and colorful aesthetic to match the colorful bowls! The fruit was very fresh and we received quite quickly. Went back the next day we loved it so much! read more

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Way to much oatmeal,the Nutella and fruit is my favorite part about the oatmeal and most of my Nutella on the top of the container and why so much oatmeal this is the first time I was given this much oatmeal. read more

Playa Bowls - To much oat meal - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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Me and my wife got a couple of smoothies and we were very satisfied with the service. We are coming back for sure to try a bowl. Friendly staff. Colorful ambience. read more

Nine dollar juice that tastes like dirty water, no fresh flavor at all. Also weirdly lukewarm...

This is unbelievable!!!....came here ordered 2 bowls waited 15+ mins for a bowl for dine in.... While we're waiting two girls come in one of them happens to work here but she wasn't on shift and went back there and made her bowls for her and her friend...still waiting..another customer happens to know and get there bowl before us...still waiting my mom went up there and asked for the bowl and come to find out our bowls were placed in the freezer and when we got it it was all melty. Went back up there and my mom said something about it and one of the employees complained about it. read more

I loved the look of the place very aesthetic! went with 2 of my friends and we loved our bowls! For the amount of people in there they were really good about getting our food out! read more

Playa Bowls - Nutella Acai Bowls Pura Vida Acai Bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I worked as a shift manager and playa bowls in Salisbury Maryland for 2 years. I can confidently say staff needs better training. Bowl Presentation is extremely low. Fruit is cut extremely thick and they barely give people any granola. And as someone who pays extra for gluten free granola you'd think you'd be getting standard sizing, but your not. Pitaya base wasn't mixed all the way there's still chunks of frozen pineapple. New location shouldn't mean low standards read more

The açaí here is some of the best I've had in Richmond. It's very apparent that the staff care about the quality of service they provide. I come here regularly and have always been greeted kindly. When my online order wasn't delivered properly, they prompted remade my order, free of charge. Some of the best people I've met! read more

I really wanted to like this place, but it was a disappointment from start to finish. The staff seemed uninterested and rushed, even though it wasn't busy. I waited over 20 minutes for a bowl that looked nothing like the photo -- half-melted, sloppy, and missing ingredients I paid extra for. The fruit wasn't fresh, the granola was stale, and the portion was definitely not worth the price. For a place that markets itself as healthy and vibrant, the vibe was totally off. Not coming back. read more

I loved the ambiance so much that I tried to ignore the poor customer service. Two ladies who had the look of " uh, another customer"! Huge turn-off. I visit Hawaii from time to time and it gave me a vibe that I needed today. Convenience was key - right outside of Trader Joe's where I shop. However, my smoothie was SO thick even after letting it sit for a few. Was it missing something? Ugh. Anyway, I'll try again in the future and hope for better results. In closing lol PLEASE, speak to people, it's so simple to DO whether properly trained or not. read more

So in love with this place! The aesthetic, cleanliness, quality ingredients, friendly staff. and flavor of every item we purchased was 10/10! Our fam has been waiting for a location to pop up in RVA and this is officially our favorite spot! read more

The atmosphere was a nice tropical vibe in a good location. Customer service was subpar. Smoothie bowls were very disappointing! It had a super sweet artificial taste, sorry this was not good. read more

very rude customer service people and they charge way to much and they had to redo my bowl twice

Acia bowl was pretty good however customer service was atrocious. Layla took our order and was quite rude. Definitely needs some improvements. read more