I am a huge fan of this franchise! It's crazy how each location is different but they serve the same product. I have gone to almost every playa in north and central Jersey. By far the best locations are in Edison and East Brunswick. I love that this Playa is located on my alma mater but their bowls have definitely got smaller and smaller over the years. I barely was able to get any açaí in my bowl this time. Nevertheless, I am loyal to Rutgers so I will still support this establishment when I am in the area. read more

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Im sorry but i have to be honest I got a nutella bowl. It was very messy and the fruits werent for human consumption . The bananas were way overipe.They go down as if they were mashed potatoes while the strawberries were not.They were very tart and some were pink not red.(meaning not ready to eat) They barely put any nutella in it. They were very cheap about it. Idk if this location is struggling or business aint booming but shorting customers could be a downfall. The icing on the cake is the staff working there. They hire young staff (maybe college students or just teens ) Big problem theyre lazy as hell. They dont want to work they just want to talk and be on their phones I ordered online and when i go pick up my food that was supposed to be ready 20 mins prior I get there and everyone is talking and standing around but no one got my order ready.I had to wait an additional 15 mins THIS IS FOR THE OWNER PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GET IT TOGETHER OR CLOSE THAT BUSINESS AND LET THEM PUT SOMETHING ELSE THERE. GET A NEW STAFF TOO YOU HAVE KIDS GETTING FREE MONEY CAUSE THEYRE NOT WORKING read more

Playa Bowls - I ended up with a notella messy coconut bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Huge menu that looked all very delicious! Quick and friendly service. Price not cheap though

We have been really excited about Playa Bowls on our almost month long visit here for a major surgery. Glad to have healthy options. We've been visiting three locations and we absolutely love the other two locations. This one is so bad we will now have to go out of our way to avoid this one or find somewhere else to eat. The manager is soooooo bad. Starting with the quality (last night was really good, today all our bowls were so bad), being out of stock of ingredients, but the worst part is the ridiculous toxic power trip of the manager. Last night my daughter was able to buy a fruit cup for $6, a bowl of only strawberries. My other daughter in the hospital who ate for the first time since surgery had a tiny part of a playa bowl last night. Since she can't eat much, she just wanted some strawberries today and the ones from her leftover bowl were still frozen. My husband tried to order the cup of strawberries. She said he can't. When he said he did last night she said we shouldn't have been able to and that he can buy a side for $1. He implored her to be a little more flexible telling her our daughter was in the hospital and she really didn't care and just not a nice person at all. When he got our food there were no strawberries on my bowl (it includes strawberries) and there was a small container with the strawberries from my bowl on the side. He went back and she did put a tiny bit on my bowl. I can't believe I'm wasting so much time on this, but we won't waste any more time at this location. read more

Jersey shore meets college town! Playa bowls is a staple in the fruit bowls scene and Rutgers is lucky to have one on campus. You select a nutrition packed base (açaí, coconut, chia pudding, greens, banana, or pitaya) and then pile on the premium toppings. It's flavors with (health) benefits! The New Brunswick location is small, with very limited seating inside (a small bar looking out on the street). But they do have more seating outdoors for when the weather matches the summer time vibes of the menu. The ingredients are super fresh and depending on your appetite, a bowl could count as a meal or a post workout snack. Either way you won't be disappointed. read more

Playa Bowls - Power Acai Bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

The service is good. But our Pitaya bowls were literally frozen solid. They barley put Nutella in our bowl. The bowl was half full and had more garnola then bowl. But the green bowl and mango bowl were very yummy. I'm not sure if it was trash day today but the lump of trash outside is very unwelcoming. read more

My absolute favorite place on Easton Ave!! It's the perfect place to go if you're craving something sweet yet healthy. Items are on the pricier side but there's not many other places to go to in the area for acai bowls. My go-to choice is Nutella Açaí Bowl! I've tried a couple of their other Açaí bowls like the Electric Mermaid Pitaya Bowl and Tropical Açaí Bowl. But I always end up coming back to the nutella bowl, which is one of their most popular items. Would definitely recommend grabbing an Açaí bowl in the summer!! The place is a small, cute store with some outdoor seating. Great spot to meet up with a friend and cool off from hot weather. The employees are usually Rutgers students, they're always super friendly and helpful. When I order for pickup, it's ready within 10-15 min. Prices have gone up over the last few years, but the occasional Playa Bowl is so worth it! read more

Playa Bowls - Nutella Açaí Bowl ($11) - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

You can never go wrong with playa bowls! Perfect spot to stop by for a refreshing snack during the summer read more

Playa Bowls - a variety of fruit and cereal - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

I have NEVER seen such poor hand hygiene/sanitation in any food service place l do at this particular facility. I try my best not to come here and if I order I always make sure it's in person so I can watch them. One day I was here and they made someone's smoothie and rather than use a spatula to scrape the smoothie out for the blender, the girl used her gloves hand to scrape it; the same gloves hand she used at the register -'d to open the fridge. I go in there today, the girl is making a smoothie and using the same gloves used to open the fridge and AGAIN, pull a garbage container, to pick up bananas to make a smoothie and the same glove to pick up fruit to make an açaí bowl. Customer service is atrocious. The girl with the big mole on her face is so rude. They are all pretty rude in there. I ordered two scoops of protein on my smoothie and asked that they not leave 1/2 of the smoothie in the blender because it defeats the purpose of paying for protein. The girl with the mole, rolls her eyes. My smoothie was made with one scoop of protein and at least 1/3 of the smoothie was left in the blender with my protein. I wouldn't have mind if the scoops I paid for was put in there. I go to many Playa Bowls and this one by bar is the absolute WORSE. I live close to this one but would rather drive to Somerville or East Brunswick to buy my stuff. read more

Delightfully delicious and filling without feeling heavy . Such a feel good food option. read more

Playa Bowls - Was able to customize the Nutellecco and sub blueberries in for strawberry . Definitely in my top 3 favorite healthy breakfast/snacks . - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Great place with awesome selection of smoothie bowls. Had coconut, acai and banana bowls. They were all perfect and basically no need to customize since the menu has so many options. Be sure when you get protein powder to specify if you want vegan. They didn't always ask. Women working there were super nice. There are just a few stools inside but a couple of big picnic benches outside to eat at. There should be more of these stores everywhere. So good. read more

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This is such a cute little place close to Rutgers University. They have a wide variety of smoothie bowls that are pretty filling. 5/5 rating because they are delicious AND dog friendly :) read more

Playa Bowls - Menu - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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This is a small location in New Brunswick on a random side street off of Easton ave. It has street parking available for free. There is decent outside picnic like area to eat outside when the weather is nice. Otherwise no real seating inside unfortunately. The few times I went here it was very crowded, the line was out the door. This location is always so busy because it's so close to Rutgers University. Every time I go to playa bowls it's always so good and fresh. It never disappoints. I like getting a mix of acai bowl and pitaya bowl with usually banana, mango and some granola. You can create/make your own bowl or choose from any of the ore made ones. They also have smoothies. You can't go wrong with a nice healthy breakfast or snack at playa bowls! read more

I love this place! The bowls are always sooo good and I'm never disappointed. It is a bit expensive, I have had it in other places much cheaper- but it's the only açaí spot in the area. The outdoor seating is cute, but they definitely need to replace their tables. Some tables have corners just completely chipped off, and broken. read more

Playa Bowls - Nutella bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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I came here with a friend to pick up some açaí bowls to go. They provide paper bags and even have stickers! The inside is very nice and the service was really quick. It's a bit pricy but there are a lot of healthy options! I ordered the bae bowl and my friend got the coco craze. read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Had the best Nutella bowl last week thanks to Nikki's recommendation. Food, atmosphere & service were outstanding.

Great healthy food would recommend this location a million times. Great addition to Rutgers college Ave campus dining options for the students and locals alike read more

Great establishment. The staff is always nice. The fruit is always fresh. Love coming here and they have seating outside.

Fruity, sweet, and refreshing are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about this dessert/snack location! It's a small purple shop off of Easton Avenue that you can't miss. Unfortunately there's not a lot of seating inside, so it's mostly a grab and go kind of thing for this time of year. BUT on warmer, sunnier days, they have an outdoor patio area that is lovely for slightly bigger groups! Most of the bowl options are similar except for variations with different bases such as Banana or Pitaya. My go is actually the Acai and besides that, I don't believe that you can go wrong with toppings. However, if you're having a tough time choosing, I definitely recommend the Pura Vida with its fresh strawberries & blueberries as a first time option. Portions are large and very filling - I came after lunch once and only finished half. Recently, I visited and they were doing some construction on the roads around the store, so it was a bit difficult to get to. There were a bunch of "no parking" signs around the area, so we ended up with take out and ate it in the car. Although the experience was subpar, perhaps its a testament to how good the Acai bowl was even without the full experience of eating it inside the shop! Overall, a little pricey at $9-$10 a bowl so I probably won't make this a regular thing. Though I do love the idea of coming here for a cool treat in the hot NJ summer!! read more

Playa Bowls - Pura Vida Acai bowl: fresh strawberries, blueberries, granola & honey!! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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Only location that does not accommodate food allergies. We were advised to order pitaya base instead of requesting the stupid Cupid base without bananas. It is completely understandable. Then we were advised to create our own bowl instead which Uber had no option of doing. We pay UberOne service and when we said the option wasn't available on Uber manager didn't seem to care and hung up. Working in hospitality ambiance requires being hospitable. As a former manager of an even bigger and busier establishment that type of attitude is very unprofessional. read more

Playa Bowl Playa Bowl Playa Bowl Bowl Bowl. Let me tell you, I might have to make this my new place. After initially ordering lunch for myself, my coworkers insisted that we come here and try this place out. Now, I cannot speak for the bowls itself because I didn't order anything on this visit. However, my three coworkers each got three different things and they really seemed to enjoy it. Now, what I will speak about is the layout of the place, customer service and the presentation of the bowls. All very very great! The place is located right off of Easton Avenue and t must be fairly new because as a recent Rutgers University graduate I didn't see this here when I was taking classes. But that's besides the point. Let's get back to the amazing decor and service of this place. You're greeted by super friendly customers who all seem to really enjoy their job which always makes you a happier customer or in my case a happy bystander who stood with paying customers, LOL. The decor is pleasant. There is outside seating for the warmer months as well as about three chairs for indoor seating along a bench that allow you to look outside. All of the bowls they're able to create are listed on a board clearly and legible. Personally, Acai bowls aren't something that I would go crazy and rave about but I guess after this visit I was able to see what the hype might be. The presentations of the bowls were done very nicely and I would recommend this place to anyone that likes this kind of stuff. read more

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Incredible service and food! Would recommend if in the area. The beachy atmosphere brought a fun vibe to the experience.

Yayyy the acai bowl is finally here! And they got a rocking pineapple logo to go with it. So often I wondered why this superduper food in such a superduper delicious form factor has not spread its popularity, but Playa Bowls around NJ are finally replacing froyo as the healthier kid on the block. Decor is very surfer like - bright colors, casual seating, just need a guy greeting you with a hang loose sign saying "hey duuuude" and they'd be complete. Base options are acai, dragonfruit blend, banana blend and coconut blend. I went for the electric mermaid. They also got legit cold brew coffee too. Top it off with granola, fruits, or honey drizzle and you got yourself one (slightly overpriced but fantastically amazing) sweet treat. read more

Playa Bowls - fruity in the best way possible - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

This place is unique. I'll definitely credit them for creativity. I ordered a nutelloco and a stupid cupid to go. The nutelloco was....a little off putting which was surprising considering that I'm a coconut fiend! It's supposed to be a coconut blend with strawberries, coconut, cocoa nips, nutella, granola and bananas. The granola was raw and dry which I didn't mind, I like the crunchiness. The fruit was fresh, yes, awesome. My issue was the coconut blend was too much like banana mush. Like baby food. Like eewww. I despise the thought of eating baby food or drinking apple juice (it's for babies) lol I know its weird. I swear I love babies though and I love bananas, just not blended up or in a drink. It's a texture thing perhaps. Either way it tasted like blended bananas topped with bananas. It was over kill, kinda hard to get through for me at least. Stupid cupid was saved for the a.m. because it seemed appropriate and I have to say IT WAS GREAT! The granola mushed into the strawberry banana blend deliciously. The banana did not over power the strawberry it was very well balanced. The coconut flakes softened a bit and the strawberry held up well overnight refrigerated of course. This one was a strawberry banana blend, coconut flakes, cocoa nibs, strawberries granola and a little nutella which, mow that I've described it, was pretty similiar to the other. Despite the similar ingredients it tasted completely different due to the base and texture. I will definitely be going back to try a much different bowl. More then likely many different bowls. The place was small but there was seating outside and it took like 5 minutes in total to order, pay and receive my order. read more

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Today is Veterans Day & I'm a veteran. I came to this location to partake in the Veterans Day promotion. Although I'm aware locations have a choice as to whether or not they will participate, one of the employees stated "I don't think we are" & made no attempt to find out. read more

Totally in love with this place as you can see from my check-ins. I had no idea how big Playa Bowls is down the shore. I work in Belmar, yet I've never been to the original location! I'll be hitting it up when the weather gets nicer. But Playa Bowls in New Brunz is absolutely perfect. I'm a total smoothie, juice, and bowl queen. I even make my own acai or smoothie bowls, as well as my own smoothies. But there's something special about Playa Bowls. Their base is perfectly smooth and thick enough for all the yummy toppings to stay afloat. I actually let my sit for a few minutes before eating it as sometimes it's super cold! If I don't finish my bowl, some of the granola softens as it sinks inside the smoothie. However, I don't mind it and eat it just the same. Sometimes the bowls can be a bit sweet, but you can always ask the ladies to ease up on the sweetness. My favorite bowls to get are the Pura Vida, Nutella, Power, Harvest (seasonal), and Pacific. It's definitely not inexpensive, but you get your money's worth. Plus, they have a loyalty card! If bowls aren't your thang, you can always get a juice, smoothie, oatmeal, even soup! They sell some power bars, apparel, and have free stickers! The ladies here are friendly and helpful. Don't forget to tip, snap a few pics for the gram or SC, and enjoy dat bowl! (Oh and during the warmer weather, the bees may buzz around you because they like they honey!) read more

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4 Stars because: it's a healthy and unique offering that tastes great! The almost neon colors of it's bowls are super pretty and I adore them (as Barney would tell us, both girls and fish are oddly attracted to color). When you walk into Playa Bowls, the scent of fresh fruit welcomes you. It's comforting because it makes you think they must really use fresh fruits; a place that didn't wouldn't give off this scent. As someone whose eatten their bowls my vote is definitely for fresh fruit, not canned or frozen. The biggest con with healthy eats is the price, but there's a cool compromise. A bowl will run you an average of $10, but one bowl is enough for two sittings and I'm a pretty big pig. Maybe it's just not something you can consume alot of in one go or maybe it's the quantity? But everytime I get this I think, bowl you are oh so small, I wish you were bigger. But then while eating I ask, why is there so much of you left?! Are you self-refilling as I eat you? Another pro is that your food will come out super quick! My bowl was ready in a jiffy before I even knew it. I've waited much longer for drinks at Jamba Juice. I wasn't inside their store for longer than 6 minutes total. Here are the cons: Parking is always a pain in New Brunswick. The customer service is hit or miss. And lastly the place is super tiny with maybe 5 seats at the window and a two seater lovechair. There are some outside benches but it's not warm enough yet to enjoy them. I really like their offerings but not sure how often I'll come back. Frutta bowls just opened on Easton Ave almost next to Noodle Gourmet (which I frequent alot) so it'll be interesting to compare. It's nice that this food fad is catching on and they're popping up everywhere. Oh yes! Let the fruit bowl games begin! ;) read more

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FOOD: Large menu, but the food is pretty underwhelming. Pretty small bowl for a $10 meal, and the fruit doesn't taste too fresh. Nothing special at all. I've only been here twice -- once two years ago and I decided to try it again 2 weeks ago, nothing's changed about my opinion. AMBIANCE: It's difficult to put a restaurant typically found on the beach right in the middle of New Brunswick -- a valiant effort, I'd say. Place is pretty small, only a few seats indoors and some benches outdoors. While It's brightly decorated, the space outside is not maintained well. I don't feel comfortable to eat there; since it feels like I'm just eating in an alley (it essentially is an alley, I guess). Not sure how business holds up in the winter time, too. SERVICE: People who work there are nice, nothing special about the service though. Eh, after going to Rutgers for four years, I'd say this place is overhyped. I'd recommend going to Frutta Bowls instead -- slightly cheaper, get more ingredients in your bowl, more comfortable environment. Feel free to check out my review for there! read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

I love going to playa bowls all their fruit is so fresh and delicious. Such a refreshing option for the summer. Ordered ahead and picked up. Was super quick in and out read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Not a bad experience at all. Ordered online with ease, a measly 30 minute wait and an easy pick up. Pretty much as expected: an overpriced bowl of a smoothie I could make at home (if I had a blender) with all the good stuff on top. Got the Olas bowl, and as a banana lover, I was pleasantly surprised how filling it was. These bowls have substance! It's funny to complain about "options" but there was so many bowls to choose from, it's a place you have to go back to. It's definitely a treat, but due to the price tag, a very sparingly used one. TL;DR: overpriced but good (and pretty!) smoothie goop with tasty fruit and toppings. read more

Playa Bowls - Olas Bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Playa bowl is perfect for a hot summer day. Came here with my friend and we spent around 10 dollars each. The store was pretty however it was a bit small. The Acai bowls were pretty delicious. read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

It seems like most people are a big fan of this place, so I assume that Philly's Whole Foods Smoothie Bar has spoiled me. Smoothie bowls are the same size but only $7 (and they taste better). I came with a friend who wanted to get the nutella bowl (pictured). They gave her a separate cup of nutella on the side to make it vegan for me. I thought the bowl was fine. I didn't want to eat very much so I opted for a smoothie. I was a bit underwhelmed with the choices but ended up going with the Matcha smoothie ($8). I wasn't sure how the different ingredients would mix - pineapple, matcha, banana, coconut milk - but I imagined that if it's one of their offerings than they must have tried/liked it. I, unfortunately, thought that it did not taste very good. There are 11 smoothies to choose from but none of the mixes sounded especially good to me. I would much rather they had 4/5 great options than 11 mediocre ones. Same for their bowls. They have an entire wall of smoothie bowl options which I think is entirely unnecessary. Let's be mindful of decision paralysis everyone. read more

Playa Bowls - Nutella bowl minus the nutella - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Fruit bowl which is delicious, creative & looks nice...reminds me of 16 handles! Location - crowded and parking is a challenge Bowl - got GOJI and JETTY bowls ...they are delicious and each bowl can easily be a lunch / filling. Love the Goji bowl where the fruits blends well (banana, pineapple, berries , coconut flakes and Dragon berry) . from a value point of view - there is a marketing/ hype to it coz i don't think avg. $10 is justifiable + may not be very healthy as it appears. read more

Playa Bowls - GOJI & THE JETTY - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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So amazing and healthy too! Small shop so it easy to miss since it's off of Easton a minute or so (walking). Definitely worth the walk if you can't find parking nearby. For $9 we got a fruit bowl that really fills you up. Think of it this place like an ice cream shop, you can sample some of the bases so that you know what you're getting. I was a big fan of the açaí bowl with granola, bananas, and honey... I added strawberries to sweeten it up a little more. Come here on an empty stomach because like I said the bowls will really fill you up! read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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Pretty good food but almost not worth the price. Always tastes fresh and wait time doesn't take too long. Nice interior and good amount of outdoor seating. read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Chipotle for Fruits! Just decided to become a vegetarian about two months ago but I've been running out of things to eat. Once I found out about Playa bowl I had to see what they were about. A little pricey but worth every dollar. Definitely filling so I'd recommend to come on a empty stomach. read more

Playa Bowls - Custom Pitaya Bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Love playa bowls but if you order online and put any modifications they will never actually do it. I don't think I've received a correct order once and I order at least once every two weeks. It wouldn't matter if I wasn't charged extra money for it and it's not the money I care about it's the principle. If i'm paying money to have no bananas and substitute it with raspberry I'm expecting to have my raspberries. It is not that hard to read. read more

My new spring/summer chill spot. It's a bit pricey but they offer an array of fruit based bowls with healthy intentions. It's a tiny lil place but always populated with pretty, smiling faces and I never find myself wanting to leave..The food is amazing as well read more

Playa Bowls - I know which one I'm having.. gang gang - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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I love this place! The people who work here are great! There's so many options , this is my go to place for a healthy breakfast when I'm around the area. Bowls are not cheap but they are good read more

Playa Bowls - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

I've been here a couple of times so far since it opened at Rutgers. There are a ton of options for bowls, and you can customize your base/toppings to your liking! The bowl itself is large, filling, and can be easily shared between two people. I usually opt for the Nutella Açaí bowl- it's an açaí base topped with strawberries, bananas, coconut flakes, granola and Nutella. My favorite part is the granola as it adds a delicate sweetness and crunch to the rest of the bowl. The Nutella bowl is very sweet- not only from the Nutella but also the bananas, granola, and the açaí base which is sweetened as well. It's delicious and totally would satisfy a sweet tooth. The service is fast, ingredients seem fresh, and the options are vast and varied! For the price of 11-12$ though, this is not something I would get regularly unless I was really craving it or sharing it with someone else. read more