Some of Charlotte's best açaí bowls are hiding in a gas station
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Some of Charlotte's best açaí bowls are from a gas station. Never thought I'd write that sentence, and yet, here we are. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios
While you're filling up your car, you can fuel yourself at a smoothie and açaí bowl shop hiding in the back of an Oakhurst gas station.
Why it matters: Charlotte has no shortage of trendy restaurants and wellness spots — but at Berries 'n Bites on Monroe Road, the kind of menu you'd expect at an upscale smoothie bar is hiding just past your favorite convenience store snacks, cigarettes and lottery tickets.
State of play: I stopped by after a friend told me one of the best smoothies she'd ever had came from a gas station in Oakhurst. Immediately, my curiosity was piqued.
What to expect: The walk-up smoothie bar inside Energy Mart, next to Oakhurst's Two Buck Saloon, offers over a dozen signature smoothies and açaí bowls — or you can build your own.
- Smoothies, which the shop says are 100% fruit, vegan and include no added sugar, start at $8.99 for 16 ounces or $10.99 for 24 ounces. They're made with your choice of plant-based milk: soy, almond, oat or coconut.
- Bowls start at $10.95 for a small or $13.95 for a large, with seven base options, including açaí, pitaya, tropical mango and matcha.
- There are more than three dozen add-ons, including protein powder, fresh fruit and toppings like peanut butter, chia seeds and date syrup.
- Their menu also includes mocktails, sourdough toasts and flatbread pizzas.
What to try: I ordered the employee's recommendation, the Golden Energy smoothie ($8.99), made with banana, pear, apple, pineapple, oat fiber, dates, peanut butter and an energy blend.
- I also, of course, couldn't leave without a bowl. I was recommended one of their most popular — the Berry Banana bowl ($10.95) with an açaí base, topped with banana, blueberries, strawberries, granola, chia seeds, coconut and honey.
- Both were made to order, delicious and were filled to the brim. I even got the extra smoothie left in the blender served in a separate cup.
The big picture: A gas station smoothie bar isn't the only unconventional place to grab a solid bite around Charlotte.
- Roasted Tinto is a Colombian coffee shop and bakery inside a North Tryon Street laundromat.
- Caffeena Coffeehouse serves Yemeni-style coffee and pastries alongside luxury cars at Auto Lab in South End.
- Nor'East Family Treats & Eats serves New England diner fare and ice cream inside Town & Country Ford on Independence Boulevard.
If you go: Berries 'n Bites is located inside Energy Mart at 4712 Monroe Road in Oakhurst.
Axios Charlotte reached out to Berries 'n Bites for more information about the business's ownership and history but did not receive a response before publication.