“VandyBlenz hates to see me coming. I bet they can hear me a mile away,” I tell my friends every time we grab a smoothie or acai bowl at VandyBlenz. Unveiled to Vanderbilt students in Fall 2024 and housed in Rand, VandyBlenz serves a wide range of options, including cold brews, acai bowls and smoothies. And if you’ve been anywhere near the line during lunch hours at Rand or between classes, you know just how beloved Blenz is.
After weeks of exhaustive research that has sapped my 335-swipe meal plan and most likely has made my name familiar to anyone who works at VandyBlenz, I’ve ranked all of their bowls based on taste, texture and post-consumption satisfaction. To ensure fairness, all açai bowls were ordered through the mobile app and with identical toppings: almond flakes, strawberry, raspberry, banana and peanut butter. Unfortunately, since the premium bowls only allow four toppings, raspberry was omitted for the acai, ocean and pitaya bowls.
8. Oasis Bowl
Described on the Mobile Order app as “banana blueberry peanut butter,” the Oasis Bowl seemed promising — it sounded like a peanut butter sandwich, and how could that combination go wrong? But for me, the texture was off from the first spoonful. It felt uneven, and some bites were oddly icy and chunky. In its defense, I did get it at the start of the lunch rush. The flavor itself was decent and paired quite well with the toppings. However, any post-consumption satisfaction was quickly offset by the discovery that the blueberry flecks stained my teeth. I rated this bowl a 4/10.
7. Beach Bum Bowl
Immediately, the Beach Bum Bowl hit me with a strong pineapple flavor that reminded me strongly of sorbet. Despite being described as including banana, mango and pineapple flavors, I could not taste the mango whatsoever. The bowl was nicely refreshing at first, but the taste became a bit boring with just that singular taste of pineapple. In terms of texture, the bowl was slightly frothy, which I found fun at first, but when combined with the taste, it became tedious to finish towards the end of the bowl. Overall, the Beach Bum Bowl was just okay. I rated this bowl a 5/10.
6. Zen Zone Bowl
The Zen Zone Bowl’s flavors of banana, strawberry and blueberry worked together and with the toppings surprisingly well. The blueberry taste did overwhelm the banana and strawberry flavors, but the bowl was fun to eat, with a satisfying texture that was neither too frothy nor too chunky. However, like the Oasis Bowl, the blueberry flecks got everywhere: in my mouth, in my teeth and on my conscience knowing that this bowl marked my third of the day. Overall, a solid 6/10 experience.
5. Sunset Bowl
Apparently, the flavors of the Sunset Bowl include banana, pineapple and strawberry, but all I really tasted was pineapple and not much else. A couple of pineapple chunks also survived the blending experience, but the overall texture was smooth and refreshing. The real standout, though, was its color: the pink made it all the more fun to eat. It also paired well with the toppings, making it a light and pretty bowl. As such, I rated the bowl a 7/10.
4. Pitaya Bowl
Bright and rich, the Pitaya Bowl is sweet with just the right bit of tartness. Its vibrant color caught me off guard at first while I admired it before I realized that my bowl was melting in front of my eyes. Unfortunately for me, I did not get the chance to admire the color and the texture at the same time: timing is everything, and I clearly picked the wrong time to test it. After ordering during the lunch rush on the Mobile App, I arrived ten minutes later to find my bowl almost completely melted — quick melting seems to be a characteristic of all the premium bowls, though. Despite it becoming more like soup than a smoothie bowl, the Pitaya Bowl’s flavor did not disappoint! I rate this bowl an 8/10.
3. Happy Hippie Bowl
The Happy Hippie Bowl is smooth, light and easy to eat. Maybe too easy, though, given how fast I scarfed this bowl down. Its flavors included banana, strawberry and mango, and like the Beach Bum Bowl, I could not taste the mango at all (perhaps I am mango blind). But the texture was nicely blended, pairing very well with the toppings. However, the only downside is that after the toppings were finished, the bowl became a little uniform in taste and texture. Still, its texture and flavor profile made it a very enjoyable 8/10 experience.
2. Ocean Bowl
Immediately standing out for its blue hue, the Ocean Bowl is best described as refreshing. While tasting slightly of banana, it pairs, to my shock, very well with the salty peanut butter topping. At the same time, the blue spirulina that gives it its pretty color does not affect the taste whatsoever. The bowl’s texture is thick and smooth, making it one of the most satisfying to eat. However, like the other premium bowls, it melted relatively fast, and its portion size was quite small. I rated this bowl a 9.5/10.
1. Acai Bowl
This was my absolute favorite! I couldn’t help but give it a 10/10: the bowl was classic, consistent and everything I think a VandyBlenz bowl should be. The flavor is just the right amount of tartness, yet still rich. It’s not too sweet and goes well with basically any topping combination. There weren’t any unwelcome icy chunks, and it wasn’t frothy either, making each bite satisfying and consistent. The açai bowl is, and always will be, my go-to bowl.
