Nekter Juice Bar: 100% Vegan

LA JOLLA/UTC and ENCINITAS.   The vegan movement in San Diego is building momentum.  Menus are dedicating more space to vegan options, the farmers markets are flourishing, and bold establishments are opening with exclusively vegan fare.  On June 21, 2013, another key player opened its doors in San Diego.  Nekter Juice Bar has taken over a charming cottage in the heart of La Jolla, offering a full menu of vegan juices, smoothies, and snacks.

Steve and Alexis Schulze founded Nekter in 2010 and opened the first location in Costa Mesa.  Then, explosive growth.  Eleven locations sprouted from Orange County to Los Angeles.  Now, the San Diego grand opening.  Next, more cities in California, Arizona, and Texas.  Vegan wildfire!

Juices:

On opening day, I tried “The Cure,” made from beet, broccoli, kale, parsley, celery, grapes, and apple.  The beets produce a vibrant pink color.  Even better, the beets, grapes, and apple sweeten up the hard-core healthy green goodness.

Smoothies:

So obviously I’m hooked – a few days later, I’m back at Nekter.  (I don’t live anywhere near La Jolla, but this doesn’t seem to matter.)  This time around, I ordered the Tropical Cooler—a puree of spinach, kale, pineapple, banana, coconut water, and coconut butter.  Yes, coconut butter.  Is there anything more delicious?  And the combination of coconut and pineapple is well established magic, decidedly tropical.  I couldn’t even taste the spinach or kale, although the bold green color of the smoothie assured me that they were in there!

Bowls:

Nekter provides a selection of vegan bowls—most are acai based.  However, I decided to try the Pitaya Bowl made from a blend of pitaya, banana, pineapple, coconut butter, and coconut water and topped with hempseed granola, raw coconut flakes, and bananas.  For more information on pitaya, see my post on Lotus Café.  And if you are looking for a more comprehensive run down, click on the link below:

http://pitayaplus.com/what-is-pitaya-plus/

The bowl was big and delicious.  The bright, pink pitaya tasted sweet and smooth.  The hemp granola gave texture to the bowl, and the bananas sweeten things up even more.  Shredded coconut on top?  Yes, please.  (Are you getting the tropical vibe yet?)

Nekter simplifies everything for the customer.  Three separate menus for juices, smoothies, and bowls are posted on the wall for easy reading.  There is also a refrigerated section where you can pick up snacks, pre-bottled juices, and even cocktail mixers!

Nekter also dedicates space to its first ever Nekter Cleanse Bar.  A cleanse specialist will be available to answer questions.  And in July, I’m going to tackle one of Nekter’s cleanses.   I will document my experience on The Fussy Fork, so be sure to check back soon!

Nekter’s indoor and outdoor patio seating areas create a fun, casual atmosphere.  It’s the perfect place to sip on a juice after a workout, escape from the office for a restorative smoothie, or sit with a book and a snack.  As an added bonus, Nekter provides free WiFi!

834 Kline St

La Jolla, CA 92037

800.385.1650