It is the new year and we are here for the good vibes. What is more refreshing to kick off 2021 than some cold-pressed juice and smoothie bowls?! We are all about supporting local so check out some of these bomb Pittsburgh businesses and their healthy (& not so healthy) treat selections.
Salud Juicery & Rev22 Wellness
Originally known as Salud Juicery, in 2020 this smoothie bar and juicery took on a new name as it expanded to 5 local locations with a next-level wellness bar, Rev22 Wellness. They have 4 different cleanses designed to support your body as it detoxes in a healthy, natural way. If you want a solo juice, they have over 10 to choose from. If you’re more of a smoothie person they have fruity classic feels like the Berry Glad to Meet You with blueberry, banana, strawberry, pomegranate juice & almond milk. My pick is the Racers Edge which is basically a healthier version of a chocolate peanut butter smoothie…mmmm. Don’t forget to check out their smoothie bowls loaded with acai berries, granola, agave, coconut & more!
Pittsburgh Juice Company
If you haven’t heard of Pittsburgh Juice Company before, get ready to hear about them A LOT. Now available at not only their Strip District location but at select businesses in the Pittsburgh area like Coop DeVille and Commonplace Coffee, PJC is making moves. They have wellness shots, pressed juice, and cleanse programs. Oh, and also their acai smoothie bowl is INCREDIBLE.
Curbside Coffeehouse
One of my favorite places to grab a simple yet unique flavored smoothie is Curbside in Blawnox. From the classic Strawberry Banana to the fun Passion Fruit Acai, to the unique Date Cinnamon Espresso, they have something perfect for everyone. Choose to enjoy as is, or blend your greens in for a healthy, balanced treat. If you’re a next-level smoothie lover they have extra special smoothies like the Revive that blends cucumber, orange, chia, banana & peach. Not to mention you’ll also want to buy all the other goodies in the shop from the sweet staff and owner, Kylee. There are 25+ smoothie flavors so they’ll keep you coming back!
I asked Kylee to share her mantra and how she got started with Curbside and this is what she had to say:
“I got started in May of 2008 and wanted to have a business with a high element of creative component and big upside for fun! It evolved from just coffees and pastries into being food-focused and having a daily changing, visual menu. It’s so fun to be able to make new things every day, and use customer feedback to find new favorites. Smoothies are an awesome example of that, they’re so fun to mix and match and get a little crazy. I stand firm that it’s impossible to craft a bad one! They’re all so yummy and just bursting with fruits and veggies, you really can’t go wrong! Covid has super impacted how we do things, but being takeout only has really helped me to refocus on things to survive.”
Delanie’s Coffee
While you may be familiar with Delanie’s as a Southside favorite for a drip coffee or a mocha, you don’t want to sleep on their smoothies or juices. One of their best-selling items is their Crash into me smoothie which is blended with cold brew, oat milk, banana, oats, agave, plant protein powder, almond butter, and cocoa nibs…can you say yum?? Their juices are all bottled in-house right on East Carson Street. They range from the fruity Citrust with orange, apple, lemon, and strawberry to the Eyevee with all the greens you need to power up.
Live Fresh Juicery
This smoothie and juice bar is located in Homestead and focuses on being 100% natural, fresh and tasty. Live Fresh is newer to the smoothie scene as of Summer 2019 but has surely made its mark. With one of the most instagrammable shops, this is a must-visit. With 7 cold-pressed juices, 3 different immunity shots, and 4 cleanses from 1-7 days, Live Fresh is your wellness destination. On the smoothie side of things, they have your average, conventional smoothies like Triple Berry Blast and Green Machine. If you’re looking for a superfood smoothie they have selections that kick it up a notch with kale, hemp seeds & more. They also have 8 different acai/smoothie bowls to try!
Kahuna Poke And Juice Bar
Located in East Liberty, Kahuna is the perfect spot to pick up a quick bite and drink on the go. By the name, you can probably guess they serve poke bowls and cold-pressed juice. Their 4 juices are orange, green, yellow, and red, each with a combo of fruits and veggies. Their 4 smoothies contain super unique ingredients to benefit your health such as bee pollen, goji, and spirulina.
Clean Juice East Liberty/South Hills/Cranberry/Wexford
Clean Juice is a nationally known juice bar, but we have 4 franchises right in our nearby neighborhoods. Clean Juice has 5 cleanses that lays out the benefits of each. New to cleanses? Try their Beginner Organic Cleanse! You can purchase their cleanses in 1, 2, 3 & 5-day packages. The cool thing about Clean Juice is you can order fresh juice, bottled cold-pressed juice, smoothies, protein smoothies, acai bowls, wellness shots, and even kids’ smoothies! There are so many options available to try! They also have wraps and quinoa bowls if you’re looking for something to pair with your smoothie/juice.
Main Squeeze Juice Truck
Main Squeeze is a juice and smoothie food truck right in the city of Pittsburgh! They offer 1-day and 3-day juice cleanses for order ahead and health shots for those of you looking for health benefits. They typically sell their solo juices in 12oz. bottles but you can also order them in gallons, WOW! Their truck menu features $12 build-your-own acai or dragonfruit smoothie bowls and delicious smoothies such as the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana and the Cherry Berry.
When I asked the owner Shelby about how she got started with this fun twist on a typical food truck, she said the following:
“I wanted to bring some healthy food options to my hometown! The food truck was more appealing than a brick and mortar location because that way I could travel to other small towns and help serve healthy foods to others! Hoping the pandemic ends soon so I can travel again and do more events when Spring 2021 arrives.”
Reed & Co
This plant-based restaurant and juice bar is perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike. Offering 3 base smoothies with multiple add-on options and in-house cold-pressed raw juice, Reed & Co. is a great stop if you are down on Butler Street in the heart of Lawrenceville. They also have 1-day and 3-day juice cleanses available to order which include their cold-pressed juices, housemade cashew mylks, and a health shot (with listed health benefits of each drink).
Here’s to hoping you get those juices (& smoothies) flowing in 2021 with these PGH businesses that are killin’ the juice game!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.