No matter the weather, I have always been a big fan of a cold treat, whether that be ice cream, popsicles, or even smoothies. This is why I was very excited to hear that a new smoothie bowl shop called the Upbeet Life opened in Downtown La Grange at 18 E. Burlington Ave., La Grange. I decided to try it out; the aesthetic and overall vibes in the shop were very cute, but the food was a bit of a disappointment to me.

The store was decorated with faux greenery, light wooden floors, black metal outdoor tables, and a wooden counter with high top wooden stools inside. It was very aesthetically pleasing, and curated the perfect vibes for a healthy smoothie bowl restaurant. I will say though, there were only two outdoor tables, and just a few indoor seats, making it more of a place to go on the go rather than dining in. 

The menu had a decent variety of options, including “power smoothies,” “power toasts,” smoothie bowls, build your own smoothies, and different types of coffees and teas. I decided to order an acai smoothie, which included acai, blueberry, strawberry, banana, and vanilla protein powder (which the worker at the store recommended that I add). I also got an acai bowl and was able to select my own toppings from a variety of options. I chose granola, dark chocolate, shredded coconut, banana, and almond butter. The smoothie base of the bowl consisted of bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. The smoothie I ordered, along with all of their other regular smoothies, cost $10.99. The smoothie bowl cost $10.70. 

The smoothie was fine, but did not really impress me. The flavors of each fruit were not very strong, and I could really only taste the banana and the vanilla protein. It was sweet, but kind of bland. I also noticed that it was kind of watery in texture, and less thick than I would typically expect a smoothie to be. 

The bowl was more exciting. It was served in a cup rather than a bowl, which did make it hard to mix up all of the ingredients. The granola and chocolate were in the middle of two layers of smoothie, and it was topped with banana, coconut, and almond butter. The base of the smoothie bowl was bland, similar to the smoothie that I ordered. The toppings definitely added to it, making it much more flavorful and providing a variety of textures. It was pretty good, but again, not something that really wowed me. In comparison to a smoothie bowl from Jamba Juice or Red Mango, it was just OK. 

I will say that the ingredients in these smoothies and acai bowls were probably much healthier than a smoothie bowl you can get elsewhere. If you are looking for clean ingredients and a very healthy smoothie, then the Upbeet Life may be for you. 

Overall, The Upbeet Life is very cute, and their smoothies and acai bowls are decent, but it is truly nothing special. I would probably choose other restaurant options to get a smoothie from in the future. For anyone in the LT area, the location is very convenient, and I would recommend stopping by if you are looking for a quick snack. If you are interested, it is open from 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, and 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Mondays. 

3/5 Paws