Updated March 2022! 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. Most of their menu is dairy-free, or can be easily modified for dairy-free needs. They even package some protein snacks with dairy-free options. But this is more than just a list. We have details on all of the Playa Bowl Bases, milk beverage options, and more!
Milk Note: They do not use dairy milk at Playa Bowls. Their “milk” options are all dairy-free. They primarily use Silk Almond Milk and So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, but also have cashew milk, oat milk, soy milk, and water as options. Availability could vary by location.
Sweetener Note: All sweeteners used at Playa Bowls are dairy-free. Their options include agave, splenda, sugar, sugar in the raw. Availability could vary by location.
Coffee & Tea Drinks
- Coconut New Orleans Smoothie (banana, coconut base, chicory coffee concentrate, cacao nibs, oat milk)
- Dolce Latte Smoothie (omit protein or sub plant protein) (banana, peanut butter, chicory coffee concentrate, chocolate protein, coconut milk)
- Playola Cold Brew (New Orleans style chicory coffee concentrate, your milk choice, your sweetener choice)
Bowls
They are listed by base category below. We’ve listed the base ingredients for the bowl categories, and the toppings with each menu item.
Acai Bowls (base = organic acai organic sugar, organic erythritol, organic tapioca syrup, stevia, locust bean gum, guar gum, citric acid)
- 8th Ave (granola, banana, honey)
- Pura Vida (granola, blueberry, strawberry, honey)
- Tropical (granola, banana, pineapple, coconut flakes, honey)
- Power (omit protein or sub plant protein) (granola, banana, peanut butter)
Pitaya Bowls (base = red dragon fruit, banana, pineapple, coconut milk)
- 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 plant protein) (granola, banana, honey)
- Stupid Cupid (half Pitaya, half Stupid Cupid base with strawberry, banana, coconut milk) (no white chocolate) (blueberry flax granola, strawberries, goji berries, coconut flakes) (seasonal)
Coconut Smoothie Bowls (base = organic young coconut, organic banana, filtered water, organic cane sugar, organic locust bean gum, organic guar gum)
- 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 plant protein) (granola banana, coconut flakes, almond butter)
- Blue Crush (coconut oil, blueberry flax granola, kiwi, blueberry, coconut flakes and honey) (seasonal)
Green Smoothie Bowls (base = kale, banana, pineapple, coconut milk)
- 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 plant protein) (granola, banana, almond butter)
Banana Smoothie Bowls (base = banana, honey, almond milk)
- 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 (base = chia seeds, coconut milk, agave, and vanilla extract)
- 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 plant 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 (base = water, organic oats, and sea salt)
- #2 Blueberry, Strawberry & Almonds
- #3 Power Bowl (omit protein or sub plant 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 (omit protein or sub plant protein) (banana, vanilla protein, flax oil, spirulina, peanut butter, cashew milk)
- Dang (banana, wheat grass powder, peanut butter, cinnamon, almond milk)
- Dolce (omit protein or sub plant 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 (omit protein or sub plant protein) (orange, vanilla protein, pineapple, coconut milk)
- Pink Pitaya (pitaya, banana, pineapple, coconut milk)
- Strawberry Banana (strawberry, banana, coconut milk)
- Mango Pina Colada (mango, pineapple, coconut, coconut milk) (seasonal)
- Summerade (strawberry, pineapple, agave, lemon juice, coconut milk) (seasonal)
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, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure 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.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
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
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What Others Are Saying ...
Offers perfect meal and side choices
My favorites are the Orange smoothie and Ding repair drink. They are so tasty that my body actually asks for them! (Truth!) The poke and açaí bowls are filling and fresh! My only complaint is that I can’t hit them up on my way to work because they haven’t opened yet!
Blessing
I love the people who make these posts. All your hard work is appreciated and so helpful.
Thank you 😊
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).
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