Introducing Greenheart Juice Shop, Western Market’s newest vendor equipped to satisfy your healthy cravings with decadent bites and refreshing beverages.
The new juicery opened its stall in June and sells juices, smoothie bowls and breakfast foods to fuel your day — continuing the legacy of RAWish, the smoothie and juice bar that previously occupied the same stall in Western Market until last winter. Greenheart’s on-campus location is the DMV-based franchise’s first establishment in the District and its newest store, with five other locations sprinkled throughout northern Virginia.
Greenheart is open at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends, closing at 6 p.m. daily. I strolled over to the store, which stands right next to Western Market’s Venezuelan spot Arepa Zone, on the afternoon of Labor Day — surprised yet delighted to see the store open on the holiday. With its blend of green wall tiles and a minimalist white countertop, the space delivers a simultaneously earthy and sleek ambiance.
The store has a new, limited-time smoothie bowl every month, and I made it just in time to order their August edition: the Peaches and Cream Bowl ($12) — a peach and mango smoothie base topped with salted, maple pecan granola, sliced peaches, plant-based whipped cream, coconut flakes and peach honey drizzle.
I received my order roughly 10 minutes after my initial purchase, and I immediately noticed a white sticker on the packaging that read “you deserve to feel good” in black capital letters, welcoming me to dig into the layered smoothie bowl.
The base’s texture was a little runny but well-blended and not as thick as most traditional acai bowls often are. The moderately crunchy, slightly salty granola came a bit as a surprise to me as I expected it to be sweeter. The sliced peaches sitting on top of the bowl were firmer and less ripe than I usually prefer, but if you opt for denser peaches, this topping will suit your craving.
As someone that doesn’t enjoy heavy cream, the lightness and subtle sweetness of the plant-based whipped cream paired well with the peaches and allowed the other flavors of the bowl to shine through. I was about halfway into the bowl when I discovered that the honey had settled toward the bottom of the bowl and mixed with the granola to create a natural sweet tooth’s heaven.
I was also lucky to stop by the shop on a day when they were offering free samples of one of their cold-pressed juices called “Refresh,” crafted with watermelon, lime, aloe and mint. The sweetness of the watermelon was the dominant flavor, followed by a tart dash of lime and the refreshing aftertaste of aloe and mint.
Greenheart also sells organic energy bites ($4) from nomz, a Toronto-based organic snack and superfood company, in four flavors — hazelnut, coconut, pistachio and almond — with each pack containing two bites. I bought the almond bites infused with dates, cocoa and sea salt, which tasted like a denser version of a cake pop with a delightfully salty kick thanks to the coating of crushed almonds and salt. The bite’s texture wasn’t too chewy, but the density did give my mouth a little bit of a workout.
Because the juicery accepts GWorld, you don’t have to worry about the hole that buying an additional snack may burn in your wallet. But if your GWorld funds are already dwindling at this point in the semester, I’d stick with just one of the bowls to keep your taste buds and budget satisfied.
