Healthy and delicious is, in fact, possible.

Nautical Bowls is an açai fast-casual restaurant, originally located in Minnetonka, Minnesota. With 104 locations, 39 of them being in Minnesota, the franchise is quickly becoming known across the state and beyond. Their meals are pleasing to the eye with bright colors and an appealing presentation, and they’re also a healthy snack.

Their most popular bowls are the Paddle Bowl and the Sunrise Bowl. The Paddle Bowl includes Blue Majik (an algae-based antioxidant powder), mango, coconut, granola, strawberries, coconut flakes and honey, while the Sunrise Bowl has Blue Majik, pitaya, granola, banana, strawberries and honey. 

“‘You are what you eat’ rings true around here and when you eat Nautical Bowls, you are being filled with powerful antioxidants,” the Nautical Bowls website states. 

The restaurant also offers dairy-free, gluten-free, plant-based and refined sugar-free products. In addition, they also offer detailed information on their website about their ingredients and how they benefit you. 

“The atmosphere at Nautical Bowls is just so happy, so fun and energetic, and the founders really want everyone who works here to be committed to what our purpose is,” Wajd Sulinan, a worker at Nautical Bowls at the Dinkytown Minneapolis location said. “Our purpose is bringing superfoods, healthy lifestyles [to customers], but also still enjoying the food you want to enjoy because honestly, everything here at Nautical tastes like ice cream to me. It feels good to know that what you’re eating is good for your body and not something you’re going to regret later.”

Oh, and it’s super filling!

 By the end of this year, CEO Peter Taunton “expects 40 stores to be open and 125 territories to be awarded by the end of 2022, and 120 stores open and 250 territories awarded by the end of 2023” as reported by Brianna Kelly of the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal in June. They have thus already exceeded their expectations with new locations continuing to open nationwide.

Based on this buzz, I decided to seek out Nautical Bowls to see what it was like, and my experience was great. Right as you walk in, the staff greets you and makes you feel welcome. The environment is nice and quiet, very clean and neat with beautiful decorations.

I tried one of their most popular bowls—the Paddle Bowl. I would recommend this bowl if you like piña colada-flavored drinks or desserts because that is exactly what it reminded me of. Honestly, it did really taste like ice cream but minus all the added sugars. 

I would say this is my new favorite acai place compared to others I have tried like Honor Cafe. First off, nautical bowls had visual representations of what their bowls looked like unlike Honor and they had various sizes in bowls. They also had a bigger selection for flavors.

I can honestly now understand all the talk that Nautical Bowls has received. This is Heaven-recommended!