On the Spot reviews are exactly that—reviews written on the spot, after eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner at a restaurant in Redlands.
Place: Juice It Up!
Meal: Snack
Squished between Starbucks and Yogurtland on Orange Street is Juice It Up! The exclamation point isn’t just part of the name—it’s how I genuinely feel about the little juice bar.
I made a quick stop around noon, surprised that I was the only customer. It took me a few moments to decide what to order; the colorful menu is quite dazzling. Not only does Juice It Up! serve smoothies, but they also have acai bowls, a number of protein blends, and raw juices aimed to energize or detoxify or rejuvenate. Overall, it’s a paradise for vegetarians, vegans, and athletes.
It’s also a saving grace on a hot day in the Inland Empire. I ordered the Lucky Lemon Punch, a smoothie that consists of lemonade, raspberry juice blend, pineapple sherbet, and strawberries. Each smoothie comes with the option to add boosts, such as calcium plus (calcium and iron), protein power (soy protein), and vita boost (essential daily vitamins). The first boost is free, so I added immunizer (echinacea). The medium size cost a cool $4.75.
There’s a limited amount of space in Juice It Up!, so there are only two tables inside, but there’s more seating outside. I feel that the juice bar is meant to be a grab-and-go type of place, though a small group of people could definitely have a nice time hanging out. The interior of Juice It Up! resembles an acai bowl: lots of vibrant colors layered to create a positive, friendly atmosphere.
Two customers wandered in during the few minutes I waited for my smoothie. One of my favorite parts of the whole Juice It Up! experience is receiving my drink. On the counter is a turntable with several cupholders; the barista puts your drink in a cupholder, gives it a spin, and—whoosh—your drink arrives safely to you. (Maybe I’m just easily entertained.)
Though delicious and smooth, the Lucky Lemon Punch wasn’t as sweet as I’d hoped it would be. I was expecting the lemonade to make itself more evident in the blend of flavors, but it wasn’t very punchy (pun intended). I’ll be trying a different flavor next time, but that’s mainly because I want to try them all anyway.
I wanted a smoothie because I knew I’d be having a late lunch and needed to sate my appetite until then, so I still left feeling satisfied. If you just need a pick-me-up, or you simply aren’t hungry enough for a full meal, Juice It Up! smoothies have enough calories to provide the perfect snack to keep you going in the middle of the day. —Taylor
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