Craving fruit? Converting to veganism? Broadway now has the smoothie spot for you!

There’s a new hot pink storefront on Broadway between Hex&Co and Häagen Dazs. It’s a promising hang-out spot for vegans, but is it worth it? Editors Vic and Solo try out Loco Coco and tell you all about it.

Initial Impressions:

Solo: It’s cute! I feel like Broadway is missing this kind of fun, fresh pop of color, and it’s a nice break from the murky brown storefronts. It’s super bright and clean in here—hot pink furniture and plants are everywhere. The playlist was great, the service was friendly. I personally loved the vibes. 

Vic: I was immediately overwhelmed by the menu, both by the options and the prices. There are too many fruits and “superfoods” that I’ve never heard of, and they encourage ungodly behavior (topping off your smoothie bowl with a shot of espresso). There were also extra options for consuming your various fruits and veggies not written on the menu—for instance, you could get a “not-milkshake” or your whole smoothie bowl in a pineapple—but that is above the cash register. However, at the end of the day, veganism itself is fun and cool.

Conclusion: Was the menu a bit overwhelming? Maybe. But once you get oriented, it’s actually very customizable, and between the pre-made options and the build-your-own, there is something here for any smoothie bowl lover. The only immediate downside? The prices. Nothing here is cheap, with most items averaging at $15…and given that you’re paying for some blended fruit it’s a little tough to justify. 

What We Got:

We decided to try as wide a range as we could afford—two bowls (açai and pitaya*) and a smoothie. We got the “Nut Butter and Loco” Açai Bowl ($14.35) and the “Enter the Dragon Fruit” Pitaya Bowl ($13.75), both of which were the first suggested on the menu, and the “LocoLoco Smoothie” ($11.99), which just looked good. We also got these because they had fun names, but we’ll admit, it was hard to pick an item based on the name because all of them are so fun.

We spent a whopping $45 on these three items (that was with the 10% student discount), and left the store with our pockets lighter, but our Loco Coco bag certainly heavy.

*Note: We also didn’t know what pitaya was. Turns out it’s just another word for dragonfruit. The more you know.

What We Thought:

“Nut Butter and Loco” Açai Bowl

• Blended: Açai, Banana, Peanut Butter, Cacao, Oat Milk.
• Topped with: Granola, Banana, Cacao nibs, Strawberry, Blueberry, Peanut Butter.

Solo: I generally like smoothie bowls, and this felt very typical. If you want to play it safe, and the rest of the menu is scary, this is a good, reliable bet. The peanut butter and granola make it pretty filling, and I can totally see this as an actual meal. For me, it was just a little bit too thick and sweet, and I think I preferred the other items, but it was still very good.

Vic: I liked this one a lot! I’ll admit, I’m not normally much of a fruit bowl person. However, I think the blending of peanut butter with the açai—as well as including granola, banana, and blueberries—cuts through the sweetness of a smoothie bowl and gives a salty edge. It was filling, purple, and had a good balance between solid and blended fruits. It had strawberries though, but I’m an adult, so I ate around them.

“Enter the Dragon Fruit” Pitaya Bowl

• Blended: Pitaya, Banana, Strawberry, Pineapple, Lemon, Basil, Coconut Water.
• Topped with: Granola, Strawberry, Grapes, Pineapple, Coconut Flakes, Honey.

Solo: This was definitely my favorite of the bunch. It was super light, and the lemon and basil gave it this unique fresh taste. I’ve never had a pitaya-based smoothie bowl, and I personally really liked it. Not as sweet as açai, not as thick as a normal smoothie, but at the same time not watered down with ice. Overall, a fantastic bowl, if I wanted to drop $14 on something random, this would be it.

Vic: I didn’t like it. Contrary to Solo, I thought it was too sweet, and while I liked the look of the hot pink goo at the base of the bowl, I didn’t like the gritty texture of the pitaya. I liked the combination of the pineapple and the pitaya, but I don’t know if I’d eat a whole bowl of it. Meh.

“LocoLoco” Smoothie

• Açai, Banana, Blueberry, Coconut, Charcoal (!?), Coconut Milk

Solo: This bitch is THICK. Maybe the thickest, smoothest smoothie I’ve ever had. Honestly, it was a banger smoothie, especially coming off of the subpar John Jay situation. Dare I say, this is the best smoothie in MoHi? Also, of all the items, this is perhaps the only one that is actually worth the money. $12 is steep but…this smoothie will fill you up, tastes delicious, and given that a Joe’s latte can get up to $9, it really is not that bad. 

Vic: I could not identify a single ingredient in this expensive smoothie, but it worked, and I don’t care. I loved it! It was refreshing and looked cool. I think every mystery-flavored item should be jet black. 

Conclusions

The Good: If you’re a smoothie/bowl person, these will not disappoint. All the ingredients are clearly fresh and high quality, the recipes make good combinations, and the menu is wide enough to order exactly what you want. With the right order, it can make a good breakfast, or a good pick-me-up snack. If anything, get a smoothie. The $12 is steep, but wholly worth it.

The Bad: If you’re looking for something that’s cheap, filling, and nutritious, maybe consider another place first. Three items for $45+ total is not the most reasonable, and you can get a more balanced meal for less at other restaurants in the area. Also, because it’s all fruits and some vegetables, you don’t get any complex carbs. So, when you get a sugar crash, you crash hard. Definitely would not recommend this after working out because you will not get that energy back. 

The Fruity: Mmmmm fruity.

Images via Solo and Vic