Golden Spoons Review: Jessie’s Juice Bar

(CNS Foodie): Browsing around Camana Bay, you may have crossed this small hub of healthy grub a few times. Located near Anytime Fitness on the north end of Market St, with a vintage bicycle propped at the entrance, is Jessie’s Juice Bar. When you hear the term ‘juice bar’, you may think of a place that only has juices and smoothies. I had the same presumption, and although the bulk of their menu consists of juices and smoothies, Jessie’s Juice Bar’s food menu is definitely not to be ignored.

It is small but with a good varied selection using all natural ingredients and local produce to satisfy every diet. The staff were very polite and helpful with giving suggestions from the menu if you have any particular dietary needs.

The colourful tropical and nautical theme of the interior, adorned with repurposed materials, such as reclaimed wooden countertops and modern light fixtures, is lovely. There is an organic but funky feel to the juice bar, and you immediately get a sense of what they’re about.

You make your order inside at the front and then it’s served to your table. There is indoor and outdoor seating available. I opted for al fresco dining, and it was a good day to enjoy a meal outside.

I ordered the hummus veggie wrap, sans feta cheese, which had hummus, avocado, tomato, cucumber and a mix of crisp veggies and greens. There was also the option of making your wrap gluten-free with a flax wrap, which I decided to try. The flax wrap is made from a mixture of juice pulp, flaxseed and other natural ingredients that is dehydrated and flattened to make wraps.

They also use the juice pulp for their gluten-free crackers and in some of the baked goods, which I thought was a very creative and sustainable way to make some of their menu items. The wrap was thin and light in flavor, but held all of the veggies and hummus together quite well. The overall wrap had an incredibly fresh and healthy flavour with a nice non-overbearing hint of spice from the hummus. It was like health in a wrap. It wasn’t served with anything else but the wrap itself was a good size.

I couldn’t decide on what to get as my beverage for a while before placing my order as they have the widest range of smoothies and juices I’ve seen on island. I finally decided on the Carmen Miranda smoothie — a delicious blend of orange juice, pineapple and watermelon juice, strawberry, peach, mango, and banana. It was a wonderful fruity delight and a great choice to go with the wrap. Service was super quick and my server was friendly and attentive. My smoothie arrived within minutes of me ordering it, and my wrap soon afterwards.

Having finished my lunch, I saw there was a selection of milky smoothies that could be made with dairy or non-dairy substitutes. I wanted see if decadence and being healthy can be provided all in the same drink with the milky smoothie range. I got the Chunky Bob smoothie, which had milk (dairy or non-dairy), peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chunks. I switched out the dairy milk for coconut milk and it completely satisfied my sweet tooth without the guilt from indulging.

In the realm of healthy novelty cafés on island, the price range at Jessie’s Juice Bar is on the higher end. However, considering the location of the juice bar, I would say there is still some value for money. The wrap and two smoothies totalled at about CI$23, and there was also no gratuity charge added.

Jessie’s Juice Bar has two locations: Camana Bay and Governor’s Square.

See Jessie’s Juice Bar website

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Tags: gluten-free food, Vegan restaurant, vegetarian restaurant

Category: Golden Spoons Review