The popular local restaurant, LexBowls, closed its doors this spring after a short, but successful life in Lexington. However, the owners, Greg and Amie Phillips, were set on
leaving their legacy behind to their loyal customers.
In the town next door, Buena Vista, small business owner Lauren Johnson, was looking for the right thing to spice up her soda shop, Straws.
“Our friends at LexBowls had to move back to Connecticut,” said Johnson, “but they wanted to make sure their product could continue to sell.”
The Straws community jumped at the opportunity to keep this legacy intact. They bought all of the equipment to make açaí bowls from the departing owners of LexBowls.
Johnson reflected on their smoothie bowl training.
“They came and taught us how to use all of the equipment and make the new items on our menu,” said Johnson.
I had not tried the Straws smoothie bowls because I honestly did not think it would be the same as they were at LexBowls. However, this week I finally made the trip to Buena Vista to try them out.
The restaurant has a warm and welcoming environment with plenty of tables, couches, board games, and even a stage for their various activity nights. As you walk toward the counter, there is a large menu informing you of all the soda, smoothie, and appetizer options.
I was only interested in a smoothie bowl, but my brother had great things to say about their different root beer soda combinations.
There are three options for ordering açaí bowls: the Yum Bowl, the Delight Bowl, and the Berry Bowl. All bowls are açaí based with granola, but they have different arrays of toppings.
I ordered the Yum Bowl, which had strawberries, banana, shredded coconut, and nutella. The Delight Bowl is topped with banana, peanut butter, honey, and flax seed. Finally, the Berry Bowl, true to its name, has both strawberries and blueberries, as well as chia seeds and honey.
The final decision you have to make is size; do you want a snack size or a regular
size? The option for a snack size was great. Most of the time when I’m craving a smoothie bowl, I am not looking for it to fill my entire stomach. Instead, I am looking for a healthy, quick bite to tide me over, so the snack size was perfect for me!
As for pricing, the snack bowl is listed at $6.50 and the regular bowl is listed at $8.50. For the good quality bowl I got, I was not at all upset about the price. It was packed with toppings, and the granola came on the bottom, which I honestly prefer because it makes the top of the bowl less messy.
If you are looking for a healthy yet delicious snack, I would highly recommend going to Straws. Even if you are not craving an açaí bowl, you can still order sandwiches or appetizers. If you are looking for something a little sweeter, I would still recommend going to Straws because they have baked treats and sweet soda drinks.
This shop is well rounded, with a great environment, and adds a lot of flavor to d
owntown Buena Vista, and deserves a solid 4.8 out of five stars. If you are interested, just head on over to 2047 Magnolia Ave, Buena Vista, VA 24416! They are open Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and open for an extra hour until 10 p.m. on Fridays.
