My Top 4 Açaí Bowls in Hale‘iwa

It’s possible that I was born to eat açaí bowls. In fact, I might’ve come out of the womb with an açaí bowl gripped between my tiny baby hands.

Was that a disturbing image? I apologize. Let’s clear your head with some exciting news: I tried nine açaí spots in Hale‘iwa to find the absolute best bowls. It wasn’t hard—I’ve been getting açaí on the North Shore for years, usually after spending the day at Sunset or Ke Iki Beach. While I tend to stick to the same spots, I wanted to explore what else Hale‘iwa has to offer.

After tasting and retasting a slew of juice bars, stands and coffee shops, I present to you my Top 4 açaí bowls in Hale‘iwa. Next time you’re on the North Shore, here’s where you should go:

Photo: Annabelle Ink

No. 4: Nalu Bowl, Nalu Health Bar & Care

This is one of the freshest-tasting açaí bowls I’ve ever had. It’s made with pure organic açaí—the actual berry, not the frozen concentrate—shipped from Brazil.

With just the açaí in the base, the flavor isn’t diluted by any other fruit; that’s exactly how I like it. It’s also not overly sugary. While I love a sweet bowl, I also enjoy a more balanced one from time to time. It’s like eating a salad. Let’s just say that I feel very healthy consuming my hundreds of calories of açaí at Nalu Health Bar.

The bowl ($14.75) comes with banana, strawberry and granola that’s made with full-sized almonds. On top, you get locally sourced honey and a sprinkle of bee pollen. This is the only place I’ve been to that puts bee pollen on their signature bowl, and I love it. It adds a sweet, floral kick that you can’t get with any other topping.

Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 66-215 Kamehameha Highway Suite 1, (808) 840-0153, naluhealthbar.com, @naluhealthbar

SEE ALSO: Your Top 5 & Our Top 5: Ranking the Best North Shore Garlic Shrimp

Photo: Annabelle Ink

No. 3: Brazilian Style Bowl, Tropical Tribe

If you’re looking for authentic Brazilian açaí sourced from Brazil, this is the place to go. At a lot of juice bars and açaí spots, the açaí bowl is all about the toppings—it’s what brings flavor to the treat. But at Tropical Tribe, the base could stand alone and still be incredible.

When you’re building it, you can choose between two options: Brazilian Style and Hawaiian Style. I order the former ($10.75), which is made with açaí, banana and guaraná berry juice. It has a much stronger açaí flavor than most açaí I’ve tried, and it’s also a lot smoother. You won’t have any pieces of half-blended fruit stuck between your teeth, and that’s a win in my book.

Even with such a strong base, the bowl is definitely topping-heavy—you get a whole lot of banana, blueberries and strawberries, in addition to the granola and honey. And the fruit is all so fresh. It’s easy to serve up açaí bowls with browning fruit, but I’m happy to say that Tropical Tribe uses only the best of the best.

Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 66-562 Kamehameha Highway Unit B, (808) 762-9992, tropicaltribe.net, @tropicaltribehi

Photo: Annabelle Ink

No. 2: OG Bowl, Banzai Bowls

In the summer, when I feel like recklessly spending all my money on food, this is my go-to breakfast spot. My brother drove me out to grab a bowl ($13.75) before hitting the beach one day years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. The base is made with a blend of açaí, bananas, strawberries and your choice of apple juice or almond milk. I typically go for the almond milk—it makes for a creamier texture.

Because the base is so jam-packed with fruit, I don’t mind that the toppings are simple: just banana, granola and honey. I actually prefer the combination to a more elaborate one, but that’s just me. The granola is my favorite part. It adds the perfect hint of crunch and sweetness to a bowl that, I’m sure, is already loaded with sugar (this is not an invitation for you to send me any nutrition facts).

Another plus: The bowl is seemingly never-ending. If you order the large like I do, you get double the açaí for just $2 more. Banzai Bowls is the place to get the best bang for your buck.

Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., 62-594 Kamehameha Highway #100, (808) 637-5000, banzaibowls.com, @banzaibowls

No. 1: Mana Bowl, Hale‘iwa Bowls

I would empty the rest of my gas tank, push through crowds of sweaty tourists and give up my last $13 for this bowl—and I do. Repeatedly. It’s hands-down the best açaí I’ve ever tried. The base, made with a frozen açaí purée, is thick and creamy. Think less smoothie, more ice cream. Even after taking 500 pictures of your bowl in the direct sunlight, it’ll still scoop beautifully; no runny purple juice here!

The bowl is nearly overflowing with granola, banana, strawberries, blueberries and coconut flakes. When you dig in, you’ll sadly have to part ways with several courageous blueberries, who will inevitably fall onto the floor. But sacrifices have to be made, and I can’t think of a world where too many toppings is a bad thing. Every spoonful of açaí is accompanied by a generous serving of fruit and granola, all the way until you hit the bottom of the plastic-free bowl.

But the best part? The honey. Hale‘iwa Bowls uses locally sourced raw honey—and lots of it. It’s what makes their bowls so flavorful. You’ll find globs of the sweet substance coating your granola and seeping down into your açaí. Buy the bowl, and shower me with hugs and kisses later.

Daily 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., 66-030 Kamehameha Highway, haleiwabowls.com, @haleiwabowls

Annabelle Ink is HONOLULU Magazine’s Society of Professional Journalists intern for the summer of 2025. She majors in English at Pomona College.