People all over the area have long been searching for a healthy and local food option that is both delicious and carries a low calorie count. At last, everyone’s wishes have been answered. 

Smoothie bowls, acai bowls in particular, have seemingly taken over the internet. WCHS students often drive to Arlington or Georgetown to go to South Block just to get smoothie bowls. This drive, while both long and inconvenient, was the only way to get fresh smoothie bowls. 

Berries and Bowls opened Sept. 9 in the Kentlands and business has been booming since. They offer five options for smoothie bowl bases: acai, pitaya, kale, spirulina and coconut. There is a wide selection of different bowl combinations, including a variety of toppings, such as granola, banana, strawberries, peanut butter, nutella, chia seeds, chopped peanuts, honey, blueberries and pineapple. 

Walking into the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the clean, colorful interior which provides a welcoming environment for individuals of all ages to enjoy their fresh acai bowl, smoothie, juice or chia pudding. Although the restaurant opened less than a month ago, they are serving customers like they have been in business for years; the service is both fast and polite. Furthermore, they are open from 9 AM to 9 PM daily, making it easy for many customers to fit the meal into their schedules. 

“I’ve been there a few times already and I plan to keep going back,” senior Peyton Kanstoroom said. “The food there is refreshing and tasty while still being healthy.”

Whether it’s after a hard workout or to cool off, eating healthy always helps fuel your body. Their acai is 100% natural and contains no added sugars, fillers or preservatives. Not only that but their honey is locally sourced from Araby Apiary in Frederick, Md. 

The toppings don’t overpower the flavor of the smoothie base, and there is a perfect smoothie to toppings ratio. Furthermore, unlike other smoothie restaurants, they use glass bowls for their smoothie bowls instead of the wasteful one-time use plastic bowls. 

The Heavenly bowl with a pitaya base features granola, banana, strawberries, peanut butter, Nutella, chia seeds, chopped peanuts and honey. The bowl was bursting with flavor and was the perfect portion size to satisfy my hunger without leaving me feeling too full.

The question on most high schoolers’ minds is the price: the average price of a smoothie bowl there was around $12, which is similar to the prices of smoothie bowls across the country. Although $12 may seem a bit steep, it is nearly impossible to find any smoothie bowls for less than $11. Paying a dollar more hardly seems like a hassle because of the relative conveniency of the location. 

While this new, refreshing restaurant seems to have everything going for it, the one drawback is the location. However, while it may not be the closest for WCHS students, it certainly saves a lot of time from the previous trips to Arlington and Georgetown to get smoothie bowls. 

Overall, the restaurant is definitely worth going back to, both because of guilt-free food options and because of the colorful and welcoming atmosphere. Not only did I feel good because the smoothie was delicious, but I felt good because I knew I was putting healthy ingredients into my body. With the large variety of base and topping bowl combinations, it seems nearly impossible to get sick of this restaurant, as there is always some new combination to try.