Last Update in August 2021! Playa Bowls was founded by two surfers from Jersey Shore with a passion for nourishing eats. Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor traveled to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii in pursuit of big waves, but they also discovered many local variations of acai and pitaya bowls.
Abby and Rob started blending their own bowls at home, and eventually began selling them at a pop-up stand in front of a pizza shop in Belmar, NJ. From those humble beginnings, they’ve since expanded to an empire of counter-serve restaurants, with a rather lengthy menu.
Playa Bowls Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Vegan Options
You will find ample options at Playa Bowls. Their entire menu is dairy-free, or can be easily modified for dairy-free needs. They even package some protein snacks with dairy-free options.
Smoothie Bowls
They are listed by base category below, with the toppings listed italicized in parentheses.
Acai Bowls
- 8th Ave (granola, banana, honey)
- Pura Vida (granola, blueberry, strawberry, honey)
- Tropical (granola, banana, pineapple, coconut flakes, honey)
- Power (omit protein or sub pea protein) (granola, banana, peanut butter)
Pitaya (Dragon Fruit) Bowls
- Pink Flamingo (granola, banana, honey)
- Dragonberry (granola, strawberry, blueberry, honey)
- Electric Mermaid (granola, kiwi, pineapple, mango, coconut flakes, honey)
- Goji (granola, kiwi, pineapple, mango, coconut flakes, honey)
- Pink Power (omit protein or sub pea protein) (granola, banana, honey)
Coconut Smoothie Bowls
- Coco Craze (granola, banana, pineapple, mango, coconut flakes, honey)
- Coco Bowl (granola, banana, honey)
- Coco Berry (granola, blueberry, strawberry, honey)
- Coconut Power (omit protein or sub pea protein) (granola banana, coconut flakes, almond butter)
- Blue Crush (seasonal) (coconut oil, blueberry flax granola, kiwi, blueberry, coconut flakes and honey)
Green Smoothie (Kale) Bowls
- Pacific (granola, strawberry, banana, shaved almonds, chia seeds, honey)
- Hemp (granola, banana, blueberry, hemp seeds, agave)
- Ocean Ave (banana, granola, honey)
- Lola (granola, pineapple, mango, coconut flakes, honey)
- Green Power (omit protein or sub pea protein) (granola, banana, almond butter)
Banana Smoothie Bowls
- Nica (granola, banana, cacao nibs, walnuts, strawberry, peanut butter)
- Tide (granola, pineapple, mango, kiwi, goji berries, honey, bee pollen)
- Olas (granola, banana, blueberry, coconut flakes, chia seeds, almond butter)
Heads Up! All bases at Playa Bowls are dairy-free, but please note that the protein is blended into the smoothie bases in the Power Bowls. You can omit the whey protein or substitute one of their plant (pea) proteins as noted, but be aware that whey protein is used in their blenders. And there might be an upcharge for substituting plant protein.
Vegan Options: All of the above are vegan if you omit the honey and bee pollen. See the Toppings guide below for substitution options.
Chia Pudding Bowls
- Omega (granola, banana, blueberry, hemp seeds, agave nectar)
- The Jetty (granola, strawberry, blueberry, goji berries, honey)
- Almond Joy (granola, sliced almonds, banana, coconut flakes, raw cacao, honey)
- Trailblazer (omit protein or sub pea protein) (granola, banana, raw cacao, peanut butter)
Vegan Options: All of the above are vegan if you substitute agave nectar in any bowls that contain honey.
Oatmeal Bowls
- #2 Blueberry, Strawberry & Almonds
- #3 Power Bowl (omit protein or sub pea protein)
- #4 Maple & Brown Sugar
- #5 Banana, Cinnamon, Figs & Walnuts
Vegan Options: All of the above are vegan friendly.
Bowl Add-Ons or Custom Bowl Ingredients
- Banana
- Blueberry
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Granola
- GF/Vegan Granola
- Agave
- Almond Butter
- Honey
- Peanut Butter
- Bee Pollen
- Brown Sugar
- Cacao Nibs
- Chia Seeds
- Cinnamon
- Coconut Flakes
- Figs
- Flax Oil
- Goji Berries
- Hemp Seeds
- Maple Syrup
- Matcha
- Mint
- Sliced Almonds
- Spirulina
- Walnuts
- Wheatgrass
- Chocolate Plant Protein (Pea)
- Vanilla Plant Protein (Pea)
- Kale
- Spinach
Heads Up! According to Playa Bowls, the only dairy foods they use are Nutella, White Chocolate, Chocolate Whey Protein, and Vanilla Whey Protein.
Smoothies
- Acai Energy (acai, strawberry, banana, coconut milk)
- Aloha (banana, mango, pineapple, coconut milk)
- Booster (sub pea protein) (banana, vanilla protein, flax oil, spirulina, peanut butter, cashew milk)
- Dang (banana, wheat grass powder, peanut butter, cinnamon, almond milk)
- Dolce (sub pea protein) (banana, chocolate protein, peanut butter, coconut milk)
- Green Smoothie (kale, pineapple, banana, coconut milk)
- Kowabunga (banana, strawberry, blueberry, coconut milk)
- Matcha (matcha green tea, banana, pineapple, coconut milk)
- Orange Power (sub pea protein) (orange, vanilla protein, pineapple, coconut milk)
- Pink Pitaya (pitaya, banana, pineapple, coconut milk)
- Strawberry Banana (strawberry, banana, coconut milk)
- Mango Pina Colada (seasonal) (mango, pineapple, coconut, coconut milk)
- Summerade (seasonal) (strawberry, pineapple, agave, lemon juice, coconut milk)
Heads Up! Their plant (pea) protein comes in both vanilla and chocolate, so it’s a seamless swap in their protein smoothies, but there might be a surcharge.
Juices
Heads Up! All juices at at Playa Bowls are dairy-free and vegan.
Poke Bowls (select locations)
- Basic Beet Bowl (vegan)
- Classic Shoyu Ahi Tuna Bowl
- Rock-n-Roll Shrimp Bowl
- Salmon Avocado Bowl
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Where to Find Playa Bowls
They currently have about 100 locations, with a heavy concentration in New Jersey. But Playa Bowls also has shops in 15 other U.S. states and Puerto Rico. See their website below for locations, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.playabowls.com
Average Reader Review
Rate Your Dairy-Free Experience with this Restaurant
What Others Are Saying ...
Best Ever
Anywhere I go I am always Googling “Playa Bowls near me”. Traded my Starbucks addiction for this healthy and delish treat. I am lactose intolerant so finding a place to accommodate my health was not so easy. But this place offers SO MANY varieties for even the pickiest eater (aka my daughter).
