The smoothie we got from Aloha Juice Bar in Hanalei wasn’t just any ‘ole smoothie; it was a well-deserved one after our six-hour roundtrip hike to Hanakapiai Falls. By the final hour, all I could think about was jumping into the ocean and then slurping down a smoothie!
Best.smoothie.ever. Mostly because of how parched we were; if they gave us a kale-spinach smoothie (yuck), then I probably would have gulped it down with one sip. The juice bar is more like a fruit stand near the Hanalei shops. Painted bright red with chalkboard menus, the juice bar was as cute as could be and very much Hanalei.
Customers ordered from the chalkboard side – anything from smoothies to acai bowls to sandwiches. To the left of that, an area under a tin roof housed fresh fruit for the picking. Apple bananas and mangos had been in season at the time. Some people swear by the date smoothies, but smoothie number four on the menu (coconut, pineapple and guava) tops the list of favorites.
Although the fruit stand may get busy at times, it still exudes a mellow country vibe that is so telling of this historic place. Hanalei, home to kalo farmers and fishing, manages to keep its reputation low-key with fruit stands like this. To me, it felt just as refreshing as the smoothies they serve!
ALOHA JUICE BAR
• Ching Young Village Shopping Center, 5-5190 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, HI 96754 • 808-826-6990
