Living in Illinois during the winter months can honestly be quite miserable. We spend December through March yearning for summer to finally come back around, and there’s not many places that can give us a summer-like experience during that time.

Luckily, the newly opened Bonita Bowls can offer you just that. The acai shop came to LaGrange on Feb. 21, and offers a variety of items including acai bowls, wraps, waffles, smoothies, poke bowls and more. 

When I first walked into the restaurant, I noticed that there was a very comfortable and tropical vibe. The walls and ceilings were lined with artificial greenery and flowers, and were painted with vibrant colors such as pink and red. I found the space very intriguing since there aren’t many other places in the LaGrange area with a similar atmosphere.

I noticed that the menu had various different items, and decided to order the Classic Bonita Bowl ($12). My friend ordered the Strawnana Waffles ($10).

We chose to order at the electronic kiosk rather than at the register because it seemed like the more convenient option. The ordering process was super easy, and I would recommend ordering this way if you want to skip the lines. We both ended up receiving our food around 10 minutes after ordering, which I thought was very fast. 

Upon the first bite of my acai bowl, I noticed that all of the flavors blended together very nicely. The bowl itself had an acai base, with granola, Nutella, strawberries, bananas, and coconut flakes on top. Although it was very sweet, I thought that it wasn’t too overpowering. My favorite element of the bowl was the granola, which can be bought separately at any Bonita Bowls location.

I also tried my friend’s waffles and had a similar opinion of those. The waffles were topped with Nutella, strawberries, and bananas. They were fluffy, warm and had an overall comforting taste, which is what I always seek when ordering an item like this. 

I will note that there are not very many seating options so it may be hard to get a table on a crowded day, but there is also the option to take your food to-go.

Overall, I had a great experience and will definitely be going back. I would highly recommend that you take the time to check this new restaurant out. Bonita Bowls is located at 114 Calendar Ave., LaGrange, and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

5/5 paws