Mahalo Bowl

I stumbled in here by accident when all the stars aligned. I was dropping off a package at UPS across the way, and was already running late to another engagement. I was hungry, but didn’t have the luxury of time stopping for a full meal. Mahalo Bowl beckoned me in, and I’m happy to say I’m now a repeat customer. The acai bowls come in relevant sizes and they have a preset menu of different concoctions (including smoothies). My first time, I opted for the original since it sounded pretty delicious. It delivered on its promise of being a filling, delicious, and healthy snack. I haven’t ventured into the other flavors yet but will be sure to report back when I do.

This has been my go-​to place for acai bowls since I discovered them about a year ago. I was a regular visitor to their food truck in Sunnyvale, and their bowls have stayed consistently top notch after moving to the store on Castro. The base mix is always creamy, never icy, and their fruit toppings are extremely fresh. I almost always get the Mahalo bowl (coconut flakes on top yummmm), and it’s great every time. The store is spotlessly clean and the workers are very friendly attentive, a great change from some of the grungy/​hippy looking acai bowl places I have visited in Santa Cruz. The new store location is a bit out of the way for me, so please go visit so that they will still be in business when I do decide to stop by!

The acai bowl here is fine and my boyfriend and I like coming here in the mornings to get breakfast. My only complaint here is regarding the service. The last time we came here, there was only one person on duty and she had just started making two other people’s bowls. We were in a hurry that morning because we had to catch a flight, and I had to wait at least 7 – 8 minutes to get our order taken, which was annoying because we were the only other customer in the store. Please hire more people!

My favorite is The Original, after trying several options!

I’ve been Unilocaling around for an Acai Bowl in this area for a really long time! I’ve only been able to make it to the Mahalo Bowl food truck because of the uncertain hours. Once I saw they opened a store location, I was ready to try it!
I ordered the Mahalo Bowl, which the cashier said was one of the more popular sellers, with extra fruit. It wasn’t anything spectacular. It was actually a little bit sour. I guess after having a bowl with guarana, I’m always searching for it. There are now other places in the area which I would rather go to. But if I’m ever in Mountain View and really want an Acai Bowl, I wouldn’t be mind going back to try something else.

I could come here everyday. Love it. It’s delicious, healthy, and filling. Made with fresh, quality ingredients that keep you full but don’t weigh you down. Great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or in between. I love their original acai bowl and the Mauka smoothie which has coconut milk, mango, banana, spinach and kale. So good!

The Acai bowls themselves are decent but they never fill up my bowl fully. If I order a large they only fill up about 75% of the bowl and they have done this on multiple occasions. If I pay for a large, I expect it to be full to the top. Not sure if they are doing this to save money but it’s incredibly annoying. Also I have noticed that multiple things on their menu claim to have mango, but I have never received mango as one of my toppings when I order those items! If this place started giving me the quantity that I paid for, then it would be fantastic. Start giving the customers what they want!

It just typical acai bowl, nothing seems to stand out. Better than Jamba Juice or other places who use acai juice instead of purée.
Overall, it’s average.

Wow, what a disappointment. I was looking forward to a refreshing acai treat, and what I got was more like a sugary Jamba Juice with toppings.
I got the Original. The blend is made of acai, apple juice, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, but I couldn’t taste any acai whatsoever. Nada. It tasted like 90% apple juice with some fruit blended in. It wasn’t very thick and was far too sweet for what an acai bowl is supposed to be.
The toppings were granola, strawberries, bananas, and honey. Once again, the granola was unbelievably sweet. Don’t kid yourself by thinking this is a healthy snack or meal, folks. You’ll be exceeding your daily sugar intake here.
I also got to sample the Kale bowl and once again didn’t taste any acai. It was thicker than my Original, though.

5 stars for the taste, presentation, and health value of the bowls, and for implementing an acai bar in general (!!) but they lost overall points for their overly simplistic interior design style.
3 menus (Acai, Pitaya, and smoothie) & 3 sizes
I like The Hawaiian (Acai). It’s got house-​made macadamia nut milk liquid base that’s damn good. The macadamia nut milk creates a unique, rich, and strong flavor to the bowl, hence it is less sweet and lower in sugar than the juicy ones. Otherwise, this one is also topped with bee pollen which is a signature quirk of how the bowls are eaten in Hawaii. The Shorebreaker tastes similar to PB & J and is also less sweet than the juice based bowls. Pitaya is sweet yet tart like a peach, and more tropical tasting if you want something more resemblant of a smoothie. I think you could actually get anything here and still say «omg this is so good, mahalo for life».
Now I’ll talk about the atmosphere. It’s similar in style to frozen yogurt shops and David’s Tea. I think this style creates a cold atmosphere (and I don’t understand why it is growing in popularity these days, as it’s sort of like what a colorful hospital would look like– idk why people like eating and relaxing at places like that). They could use some Hawaiian or Brazilian décor to warm up the vibe, add cultural depth, and «take you away». Upsides to their current style are that it feels clean, thus trustworthy and the staff are relaxed and knowledgable. Kitchen is somewhat visible.
You’d probably like to know…
— they have a rewards program for recurring customers
— during winter months, the food truck doesn’t operate as a roadside lunch truck. Must go to this physical Castro location during winter months
Mahalo to Mahalo Bowl for the A+mazing food, and for choosing enviro-​friendly cups!

Finally, a store! It’s exciting to stop in anytime I want now. The place is spotless and the menu is well organized. Prices remain the same with lots to choose from. Sizes and portions are an A+ here! Which is why Mahalo steals it for me.
Most Acai bowls I’ve had t other places tend to be watery, icy, thin, and less in size but high in cost. That’s not the case here. Mahalo has been serving the same way ever since they’ve started their truck on El Camino. Their bowls are much thicker in texture with a good amount of toppings.
Lisa, one of the women who work here, is kind and very friendly. She and I talked up a storm about different kinds of Acai, trips, etc. She brings a great vibe to the store and that’s much needed in every place.
I’ll be sure to stop in for their Mahalo Monday treats at 5pm!

We’ve loved Mahalo Bowl since the beginning of their food truck days. Now they’ve grown into a store and their fast service and charm have stayed just as great! I love that their bowls are quite filling with granola sandwiching a thick layer of substantial acai smoothie. Love their new smoothies and bowls at the store too!

Pros: fresh fruits, good service, clean place, sweetness was perfect, balanced flavors.
Cons: the bowls were actually big cups which I found inconvenient and annoying to eat from. A wider container will be much better.

YES! So happy this place is finally open. I’ve gone 4 times in one week and it keeps getting better. I love the Kale bowl, since I’m not a big fan of bananas, but everything I tried was amazing. It’s now my go to breakfast\lunch spot.

DELICIOUS. My schedule never lets me make it to Mahalo Bowl’s food truck, but I finally was able to stop by their newly opened brick and mortar location after a 5-​mile hike in Woodside and BAM, Mahalo Bowl’s acai bowl really hit the spot for me!
If you’ve never tried it before, acai bowls are essentially smoothies (blended from the pulp of frozen acai berries, which originate in the Brazilian Amazon) with a variety of toppings.
Their store is located on Castro Street just a couple of blocks away from the main «downtown» area. There is plenty of street parking nearby, but it may be a little more difficult to find parking if it’s during a busy time, like lunch time or evening.
Mahalo Bowl was very clean inside, with bar-​style seating along the edges of the room. The menu is very easy to figure out, with pricing and ingredients listed on three monitors above the cash register. I was pleased to learn that everything is freshly made and the honey and granola are organic, and there is no added sugar or high fructose corn syrup used. For the lactose-​intolerant, never fear — Mahalo Bowl’s acai bowls are dairy free!
I tried one of their popular offerings and namesake, the Mahalo Bowl, and absolutely loved it!
Mahalo Blend: Guava Juice, Acai, Mango, Strawberries
Toppings: Granola, Bananas, Strawberries, Coconut Shavings, Honey
It’s so much better for you than ice cream (don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of natural sugar from the fruit; but at least it’s not empty calories) and the regular size that I got was quite filling! It was a little on the pricey side, coming in at almost $ 9, but as a meal replacement I’d say it definitely is not bad at all.
I wouldn’t recommend coming here to study, since the blender is VERY loud, but I am definitely looking forward to bringing friends here for a post-​workout treat or a delicious, healthy snack.

I love Mahalo Bowl! I’ve been coming to the truck since it was in the Toys R Us parking lot, so naturally I was thrilled when they announced they would have a storefront. It’s such a cute place and I love the décor.
I always get the Kahuna because I can’t stand bananas in my bowls or smoothies. I’m weird, I know. I like that it’s refreshing and the fruit on the top are always fresh regardless of what season it is. My one complaint would be that it has a gritty flavor, kind of like they put protein powder in the bowls. (Even though I know they don’t.)
The staff are super friendly and will remember your order if you’re a regular. You can tell that they’re really down to earth and just want to serve you some nice quality food. They’re also really passionate and seem super excited about finally having a storefront. :)

Wonderful new place. Good for a healthy meal. Best during the afternoon to fill you with some good energy till dinner. A good addition to the great food in mountain view.
Lots of great organic selection. Healthier then ice cream and more filling then yogurt. It’s a satisfying meal.
They are an extension of their food truck. This place is open and easy to order. It’s great to just order a bowl and sit on the steps outside and chow down.

I’m looking for a light lunch so I decided to try a Pitaya bowl. Love the bright flavors and granola crunch. Very satisfying.
Next time I will have kale and peanut butter. Can’t wait to taste it. The people are really friendly and knowledgeable.
I feel healthy and happy.

Tried out the big wave pitaya bowl today. Never been to the truck before but heard great things about mahalo bowl. The flavor is creamy (and dairy free!) refreshing, a bit tangy and sweet. They are also quite generous with the toppings. Plenty of granola, banana, blueberries, coconut flakes and honey. A great blend of flavor and texture!
Can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu!

Could NOT be more excited that Mahalo Bowl has a storefront now! We got the Big Wave Pitaya bowl, the Mahalo bowl, and the north shore smoothie and they were delicious! We’ll be back a million times!