15 Delicious Acai Bowls You Need to Try on Oahu
O`ahu, nicknamed “The Gathering Place,” is considered the heart of Hawaii because it’s full of adventure at every angle. There is so much to explore and enjoy that you could spend every waking moment of your vacation on the move. Or, if you’re not the adventurous type, you could spend your days soaking in the sunshine and enjoying fresh tropical fruit.
Speaking of fruit, what better way to taste their delicious goodness than an acai bowl! Acai bowls have become quite a staple on the Hawaiian Islands. These healthy, superfood-rich bowls offer a mouthwatering vehicle for experiencing a rainbow of fruits and nuts on Oahu.
Shave ice might be the big thing here, but they also have some amazing acai bowls and smoothie cafes you need to try at least once.
In a hurry? Below are our top five favorites. Be sure to read the complete article for the full list.
- The Sunrise Shack
- Tropical Tribe
- Haleʻiwa Bowls
- Jewel or Juice
- HiBlend Health Bar & Café
(1) The Sunrise Shack
Hours of operation: Open daily from 6:00 am – 7:00 pm (some locations close at 6:00 pm)
⭐RATING: 4.8 out of 5
Location: There are 4 locations – Sunset Beach, Waikiki (The Outrigger Hotel), Shark’s Cove, and Kailua
The Sunrise Shack was started by three brothers right across from Sunset Beach. It began as a little roadside stand in 2016 but has now become a chain with three cafes in Haleiwa and Honolulu. They are known for their vegan, gluten-free smoothie bowls, bulletproof coffee, and fresh cold-pressed juices.
Why we love this place: The whole vibe of the shack is super sunny and laid back with orange and yellow décor. And the best part is, everything they use is locally-grown and organic. They also offer some unusual superfood ingredients, like spirulina and matcha, to give their bowls spectacular green and blue tints.
Tip for travelers: If it’s especially hot outside and you’re in the mood for ice cream but want to keep things healthy, ask them to make you a sorbet acai bowl with frozen berries (instead of the usual fresh ones).
(2) Tropical Tribe
Hours of operation: Open daily from 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.7 out of 5
Location: There are 2 locations – Honolulu and Haleiwa
Tropical Tribe is located in the Discovery Bay Center Building, near the Ala Moana Hotel and Hilton Hawaiian Village, and there’s also one in Haleiwa Town. It also began as a small lunch wagon offering authentic Brazilian acai bowls and now has its own storefront in Waikiki due to popular demand. Unlike most cafes in this list, the secret of this one’s tasty blend is a mix of acai berry as well as guarana berry – which is exactly how it’s done in Brazil!
Why we love this place: We are used to “Hawaiian” smoothie bowls made from just acai berries as a base, so we were pleasantly surprised with the Brazilian version of both acai and guarana berries. As much as we love the earthy, a-little-chocolaty taste of acai, guarana has smooth undertones of apples and ginger ale which are super refreshing.
Tip for travelers: In addition to an acai bowl, you’ve got to try their Pao De Queijo (Brazilian-style bread) and drip coffee!
(3) Haleʻiwa Bowls
Hours of operation: Open daily from 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: Haleiwa
Located on Oahu’s North Shore, Haleiwa Bowls is a popular spot among locals as well as tourists. The charming little kiosk in the surf town of Haleiwa offers acai bowls made from only locally-sourced organic ingredients. Each bowl comes with the standard toppings of fresh coconut flakes, homemade granola, honey, and Hawaii’s famous apple bananas. You can, however, choose your own toppings for an additional cost.
Why we love this place: Their portions are extremely generous for the price (the regular ones cost $9-$10), and the bowls are really filling. We also loved the unique topping options like papaya and poi.
(4) Jewel or Juice
Hours of operation: Open from Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: There are 2 locations – Kailua and Kaimuki
Jewel or Juice is a small, family-owned cafe that serves amazing acai bowls, smoothies, and cocktails. Oh, and they also have coffee and cake!
Why we love this place: A filling, affordable bowl? Check. Fresh, local ingredients? Check. Optional toppings of protein supplements and nutrients? Check and check! That’s right, you can make your acai bowl even healthier with various supplement additions.
Tip for travelers: They make every bowl from scratch, so it can take 10-15 minutes. If you are in a hurry, choose the location and call to place your order while you’re on your way.
(5) HiBlend Health Bar & Café
Hours of operation: Open daily from 9:00 am – 7:30 pm
⭐RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: Honolulu
HiBlend Health Bar & Café was founded by two brothers, Joey and Miles Sugahara and their childhood friend Jason Chang in order to promote healthy eating via farm-fresh foods. They make all sorts of bowls, smoothies, fresh juices, and health shots using organic, non-GMO ingredients. Their focus is on taking simple ingredients and turning them into delicious flavors for maximum health benefits.
Why we love this place: We are all for fancy ingredients like maca powder and bee pollen, but sometimes the soul craves simple flavors. Since HiBlend Health Bar & Café sources all their ingredients from local organic farms in Oahu, that’s exactly what you’ll get here. They blend their acai with local apple juice, bananas, poi, shaved coconut, blueberries, and strawberries – which, again, sounds like nothing fancy, but you’ll find yourself craving it for the rest of your vacay!
Tip for travelers: Want something more solid with your salad bowl? Their smoked salmon & bacon sandwich is to die for; it’s made with freshly-caught salmon, local tomatoes, and avocado and topped with cream cheese on sourdough bread.
(6) Crispy Grindz
Hours of operation: Open daily from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm (Laie location opens at 9 am)
⭐RATING: 4.2 out of 5
Location: There are 2 locations – Haleiwa and Laie
The Haleiwa location of Crispy Grindz is located alongside the “7-mile miracle”, a beautiful stretch of coastline on the North Shore. This trendy food truck offers many classic Brazilian dishes like acai bowls (of course), brigadeiros, coxinhas, bastilla, and guarana-flavored drinks.
Why we love this place: They are the only place we’ve found that offers pure acai bowls, i.e., no milk, apple juice, or extra fruit. You can choose these additional toppings, but if you want to taste real acai and nothing else, this is the place to go.
(7) Olena Café
Hours of operation: Open from Monday to Friday, 7:30 am – 5:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.3 out of 5
Location: Honolulu
This is a vegan café offering farm-to-table fare, acai bowls, cold-pressed juices, sandwiches, salads, coffee, and more. Located in the heart of Ala Moana area, they are known for affordable and unique acai bowls made from all-natural ingredients.
Why we love this place: If you are a gluten-free vegan, you know how hard it is to find a good health café and bar. Not anymore! Olena Café offers an extensive variety of all-vegan, gluten-free options that will have you coming back for more. And as if that wasn’t impressive enough, they also have a CBD joint jar!
Tip for travelers: Many customers have said that the café often seems to be understaffed, so it might take you 20-30 minutes to receive your order. But is the food worth it? ABSOLUTELY.
(8) Leahi Health Kaimuki
Hours of operation: Open from Monday to Saturday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm; Sunday, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: Honolulu
Leahi Health was started by Jason Coleman, a health advocate who is a big supporter of veganism. Seeing his grandmother lived up to 101 years on a vegetable-rich diet, he decided to bring the same values and health benefits to local Oahu residents.
Why we love this place: From the first bite, it is pretty clear that quality ingredients matter at Leahi Health café. All of their organic foods are hand-picked from local farms in Hawaii, so each acai bowl contains the freshest fruits. They also brew their own kombucha over several weeks, which is known for preventing many diseases.
(9) Lanikai Juice
Hours of operation: Open daily from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (times may vary by location)
⭐RATING: 4.4 out of 5
Location: There are 6 locations – Kapolei, Kaka’ako, Waikiki (Hilton Hawaiian Village), Haleiwa, Kahala, and downtown Kailua
Founded in 1997, this is one of the oldest juice bars in Hawaii. They offer fresh juices, smoothies, and acai bowls made from organic ingredients. You can find three variations of bowls at each location: green bowls, pitaya bowls, and acai bowls.
Why we love this place: If you’re traveling from the mainland and missing your regular Jamba Juice fix, Lanikai Juice and Smoothie Bar has got you covered. Our favorite is the Acai Monkey Bowl, which has organic cacao nibs, bananas, homemade granola, and peanut butter. You can also choose the no-acai version of these bowls.
(10) Banzai Bowls
Hours of operation: Open daily from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm (times may vary by location)
⭐RATING: 4.6 out of 5
Location: There are 2 locations – Haleiwa Town and Sunset Beach
When the husband and wife duo, Joe and Tiana Bard, first opened Banzai Bowls in 2008, they didn’t even have enough money to put up an actual sign. Via foot traffic and word-of-mouth alone, however, they became one of the top health cafes in Oahu and now have multiple locations.
Why we love this place: Every single thing they put in their acai bowls, juices, and smoothies is organic, non-GMO, and comes from a local farm. Unlike many other chains that use soy and lime juice as fillers in their acai blend, Banzai Bowls uses pure acai and nothing else. Even their honey comes from a local bee farm right here on Oahu!
Tip for travelers: The Sunset Beach location doesn’t have seating and is great for those who want to laze around on the sand and slurp up their bowls while watching the waves.
(11) Andy’s Sandwiches & Smoothies
Hours of operation: Open from Monday to Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.7 out of 5
Location: Honolulu
Popularly known as just “Andy’s” among the locals, this is a cozy sandwich shop located in Manoa Valley. They have been around since 1977 and have become somewhat of a local landmark.
Why we love this place: They have a great selection of acai bowls and smoothies with various toppings, but we have to talk about their sandwiches! The whole wheat bread is baked fresh in-house every day. Plus, they make their own herb blend for those delicious sandwiches; we are not sure exactly what’s in it, but we could definitely taste some pepper, paprika, and steak seasoning.
Tip for travelers: You may be tempted to take a seat outside the shop so you can enjoy the view while eating, but be careful…there are a lot of birds around here. Enough said.
(12) Cafe Villamor
Hours of operation: Open from Monday to Thursday, 7 am – 1 pm and 5 pm – 8 pm; Friday to Sunday, 7 am – 3 pm
⭐RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: Honolulu
Café Villamor is located on Ilaniwai Street at the entrance of HiClimb Rock Climbing Gym. They have tasty acai bowls, fresh smoothies, healthy bites, and coffee. You can also add protein to whatever you order!
Why we love this place: They offer three incredible acai bowls – Stairway to Heaven (fruits, granola, and coconut butter); Kokohead (fruits, macadamia nuts, and peanut butter); and Midnight Makapuu (fruits, granola, cacao nibs, and honey). From their macadamia nuts to their fruits, everything comes from organic farms in Hawaii.
(13) The Beet Box Café
Hours of operation: Open from Thursday to Tuesday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
⭐RATING: 4.6 out of 5
Location: There are 2 locations – Haleiwa and Kailua
Their menu is strictly vegetarian, with many gluten-free and vegan options. If you are a picky eater or you’re traveling with one, you’ll love the variety of foods they offer – acai bowls, smoothies, fresh juices, baked goods, cheesy egg dishes, raw health bites, and more.
Why we love this place: If you are craving something different that’s not on the menu, head over to the café on the weekends when their chefs create new items. The oat and banana pancakes served with hot syrup are a must-try too.
(14) Hawaiian Aroma Caffe
Hours of operation: Open daily from 6:00 am – 12:00 pm (some locations stay open later)
⭐RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: There are 4 locations in Waikiki – Kaiulani Avenue, Kalakaua Avenue, Ala Moana Boulevard, and Kalakaua Avenue
When coffee lovers come to Oahu, trying Kona Coffee is pretty high on their lists of things to do here. At Hawaiian Aroma Caffe, besides acai bowls, you can also enjoy some of the most delicious coffees in the world.
Why we love this place: They have a truly extensive menu that includes four acai bowl options with toppings of fresh granola, shaved coconut, bee pollen, honey, peanut butter, and more. Three of their locations are located inside hotels and one (Waikiki Beachcomber) in the middle of a shopping center, right next to a pool.
(15) 808urbanbowls
Hours of operation: Open from Monday to Saturday, 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
⭐RATING: 4.7 out of 5
Location: Ewa Beach
If you have a sweet tooth, make your way to 808urbanbowls and drown your taste buds in the sweet goodness of acai bowls, pitaya bowls, fruit bowls, stuffed cookie dough cups, and so much more. All acai and pitaya bowls include pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, banana, watermelon (when available), kiwi (when available), honey, granola, and coconut (on request).
Why we love this place: With so many toppings, how can their acai bowls be anything but mouthwateringly delicious? And did we mention they have a cookie dough topping for acai bowls?! And we have two more words for you: stuffed strawberries! Once you’ve had your fill of the fresh acai, you’ve got to try the succulent strawberries filled with brownies, cream cheese, nutella, condensed milk, and sweet mochi.
The Wrap Up
With such an abundance of fresh fruit, it’s no wonder Oahu has so many amazing juice bars and health cafés with the very best acai bowls. So, do your body a favor, and instead of snacking on junk foods during your vacation, grab a made-to-order bowl!
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