I think I’m sabotaging myself. And when I say “think”, you should really replace that with the words “clearly know”. The reason I say that is because I work out about 5 times a week, but the minute I leave the gym for some reason my car will always end up at the Chic-fil-A drive through. Completely against my will I’ll place an order and devour it in a matter of minutes. I have a problem, and my first step to fixing it is admitting it. I needed to change and I figured if I could simply find something healthy and delicious then maybe, just maybe, I could lose weight. It didn’t take long for me to find what could be my go-to after gym (and probably any time I crave it) spot. It’s Green Grotto Juice Bar located in the Spring Arcade Building in Downtown LA.

I’ve seen the juicery a few times as I work Downtown and my gym is located a few blocks away. I never stepped inside because, well, I like making fat decisions. However, I met the co-owners Kieran and Chad, at an event previously and once they invited me, the healthy girl inside of me eagerly accepted. A few days later I walked into the brightly decorated location and met with Kieran who showed me through the menu.

Looking over their juice options, I loved how many choices they had without the menu appearing overwhelming. After talking with Kieran he helped me settle on the best drink to try. “How about The Morning Sunshine ($9.50 for 24oz)?” Looking at the description it sounded perfect until the last ingredient. There was pineapple, orange, coconut, and ginger. I’m not a fan of ginger in any form so seeing that in the drink made me want to choose something else. However, Kieran reassured me about how great this drink was and offered to decrease the amount of ginger.

Done deal!

With a few sips I was so happy I got this drink. The Morning Sunshine tasted like the kind of drink you grab when you want something that will wake you up or give you that jolt you need to push through the day. The pineapple and orange offer an intense amount of fresh citrus which feels like it’s sending a nice wave of energy through your system. The coconut on the other hand gives it a smooth balance that helps the citrus from coming off as overpowering. Then there was the ginger. Even at a such a reduced amount I could still pick it out. Thankfully the amount in the jar didn’t take away from the overall drink, but simply added a friendly level of spice toward the end of each sip. It was such a delightful drink, that I was so glad to have taken Kieran’s suggestion. Even better, the Morning Sunshine has anti-aging components. I don’t know how effective that is, but if there’s even the slightest chance that this drink will help me look like the black Jennifer Aniston at 50 then I need to stock up now.

As a Jamaican-American, there was no way that I could see a Beef Pattie ($3.50) on the menu and not order it. Actually, since my track record for finding good patties in LA was batting close to zero, my better judgement suggested I avoid it. My gut said otherwise, and I follow my gut. If you’ve never tried a beef patty before, the dish that may be closest to it is an empanada. Essentially, a patty is a pastry that is filled with different types of seasoned meats like chicken or beef, or vegetables. Appearance alone, a great patty has a golden brown and flaky crust. If someone ever tries to sell you a patty that is beige and dry, throw it across the street and walk away because it’s probably going to make you sick. At Green Grotto, I was apprehensive to try it, but it looked so promising that I gave in. I was glad I did because it was pretty delicious. Biting through the patty the first thing I paid attention to was the crust. It wasn’t as flaky as I’m used to, but what I liked was that it held together very well and the taste was fairly balanced so the spice from the beef was the main focus.

By far the best part of the breakfast was The Islander Acai Bowl ($8.50, 20oz). Inside the bowl was a blend of acai, kale, mango, kiwi and honeydew that was then covered with blueberries, kiwi, and almond granola. I loved how pretty the bowl looked with the arrangement of the fruit and granola. It was so pretty that for a moment I didn’t want to ruin it with my spoon. But that moment passed quickly and I shoved my spoon in it to get a taste. The bowl was such a pleasant surprise from the smooth and zesty taste of the blended fruit and paired with the texture of the oats. This is definitely a bowl that will fill you up and will be perfect after the gym.

Breakfast at Green Grotto was such a great way to start the day. I loved finding drinks and eats that didn’t feel like they were weighing me down or exceeding my suggested daily caloric intake—which I go over regularly. It may be a little premature to say this, but I think I found my go-to after gym eats. Gone are the days where I will be seen at Chic-fil-a in sweaty gym clothes. Now I’ll be in my sweaty gym clothes at Green Grotto happily devouring an acai bowl instead.

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