Kaia Bowls — Restaurant in Clearwater

First Impression Post! I am always in favor of trying new things, especially when it comes to our local Beach businesses. Support the little guys, people! ... Now that I've stepped off my soapbox, let's get down to business. I've only ordered the Poké Bowls so far, so if you're a sushi fan then keep on reading. Once I've tasted their other bowls, this review will be updated.

SERVICE: 5* The girls behind the counter are super nice and informative, giving me detailed information about the different bowls they have and how you can order. I also had the pleasure of meeting the owners - both of whom are incredibly sincere, have a good head on their shoulders, and just want to help people make sounder nutrition decisions.

QUALITY: 5* If you're looking to get away from your typical beach/bar/fried/grilled dishes, this is your place. Brighten up your taste palette with fresh ingredients that you can watch the girls make right in front of you. Poke Bowls: apikai fresh salmon bowl and the kilauea shrimp bowl, and it was enough to last for two meals! I usually ask for half rice, half greens to portion out my carb intake. There is also a build-your-own version in case you don't want certain ingredients in your meal. Acai Bowls: Hono lulu if you're feeling like sweets and chocolate without all the guilt.

VALUE: 5* With tip, I've left the restaurant at about $15.00 per meal. If you manage to contain yourself and save the rest for another meal, you're looking at $7.50 per meal. Although it may seem pricey, you're looking at beach prices here. But if you want to leave with a happy, pleasantly full belly without regret, I think it's worth it.

CLEANLINESS: 5* There are never any unpleasant odors, always fresh and appealing scents! Floors and surfaces are always clean, and their working station remains tidy as well. I mean, they make your meal right before your eyes so it's a great way to determine cleanliness.

I hope this modern little quick casual earns its permanent place...

Avoid this place if you have food sensitivities and allergies. I asked the cashier girl if they have dairy free sauce options and her response was, “I don’t know but I know we have gluten free options. Haha”…. Gluten and dairy are two completely different things. The rest of the staff seemed uncertain as well after I asked her if she’s able to find out. I also asked her what yuzu sauce is and she told me it’s a lime citrus base sauce, come to find out later after trying it that it’s a soy based sauce (which I’m sensitive to as well) and honey. So be careful when ordering if you have any food related issues since the staff doesn’t seem to be educated on what they’re selling or willing to go out of their way to look at their product labels to find out and be certain. I’m giving it 2 stars because the food was alright. But I did use a different sauce in my bowl once I was home. The place also has an interesting and unpleasant smell...

We stopped in one morning hoping to get a good açaí bowl or smoothie while visiting Clearwater Beach thinking it would be a good post workout snack. I ordered a custom bowl with kale/green base and a few fruit toppings. Everything looked good but the texture of the base was off; it was icy and tasted like it was premade and frozen. An employee confirmed my suspicions, that the bases are premade days ahead. Not very appealing in my opinion. As much as I love açaí bowls, I’d never had one that was premade and frozen. I asked for a refund and was told that their system wouldn’t allow it. I opted for a smoothie instead. If it were possible to get freshly blended bowls, I go back otherwise it’s not worth the $15 for premade smoothie.

The employees have poor communication skills and insisted that the smoothie bowl was fresh and did not taste frozen. I found it to be inconsiderate and rude to negate a customer’s feedback...