Imagine that you just had a long stressful day, and all you want is some fresh air. To relieve your stress, you decide to go on a walk, yet as you are walking, you work up an intense appetite. There is no better option than to take that hunger and walk over to Juice Pod or Goodness Bowls, two exceptional health-conscious establishments within walking distance of Villanova’s campus. From campus, Goodness Bowls is just a 10 minute walk, while Juice Pod is about a 30 minute walk. Yet, with hunger as the driving force, it is safe to say that you will get there sooner. 

Juice Pod and Goodness Bowls both offer a wide variety of delicious meals and snacks ranging from juices to loaded toasts to smoothie bowls, which can make trying to narrow down what to order extremely difficult. Both locations accept Nova Bucks and offer a charming ambiance. While the services they provide may be the same, the experience presented by each establishment varies. My goal is to provide enough information so that the next time you leave for your walk, you can make thoughtful considerations about what may be encountered at each establishment. 

To start, Juice Pod may appear like the larger location, but finding a seat tends to be difficult, especially during weekends. With the establishment full of customers, the service tends to be slow. If one’s hunger leads them to order a wrap or piece of loaded toast, be prepared to wait a little longer than if ordering a smoothie bowl, as they take longer to make and serve. However, once your food arrives, you will find that it is well worth the wait, especially if you order a smoothie bowl. Smoothie bowls alone take up more than half of Juice Pod’s expansive menu, and in my opinion, are the star of the establishment. For those of who claim to not like smoothie bowls, Juice Pod is the perfect place to try one. In addition to the standard acaí and pitaya bases, Juice Pod makes coconut, banana and specialty bases as well. Each bowl is loaded with the promised toppings, creating the perfect ratio of fresh fruit to crunchy granola to ice-cold smoothie base, allowing one to experience all the flavors with one spoonful. The experience offered at Juice Pod sets high expectations for other smoothie bowls.

Now comes the question, how does Goodness Bowls compare? Aside from it being a closer location, one appealing aspect that sets Goodness Bowls apart from Juice Pod is its selection of health-conscious brands and goods, such as various types of nut butter, chips and protein bars. What better way to spend one’s time waiting for their food than doing a little shopping for some new healthy treats? Goodness Bowls does not offer the same amount of seating as Juice Pod, yet it keeps its customers moving, with much quicker service overall. Additionally, similar to Juice Pod, Goodness Bowls offers a range of different smoothie bowl bases, yet Juice Pod offers slightly more flavor combinations. When ordering a smoothie bowl from Goodness Bowls, one will notice an automatic difference in their containers, which do not allow for one cohesive flavorful bite. Unlike Juice Pod, whose bowls are wide and flat, Goodness Bowls’ smoothie bowls are served in a much taller cup, with the toppings cramped together and piled high rather than equally dispersed on the smoothie base. After a long day and working up such an appetite, do you want to have a smoothie bowl where you end up eating a lot of the toppings before even reaching the base?

The ultimate consideration comes down to waiting. One must ask themself what they want to get out of the experience and if they have the time to do so. Are you willing to wait longer to arrive at the destination and for your food, knowing that the experience will result in a more satisfactory outcome than if you did not have the time or patience to wait? In my opinion, Juice Pod versus Goodness Bowls is an easy discussion to have. While Goodness Bowls is more convenient and reliable, Juice Pod is better, delivering well-presented and flavorful combinations that will guarantee satisfaction after a long stressful day.