Gather Juice Co. — Restaurant in Tacoma

I’ve been saying it forever: Tacoma needs more healthy food options. I guess someone finally heard me because last year we got both a great salad shop (Crisp) and a phenomenal juice bar.

Well, calling Gather a juice bar feels like underselling it but juice-smoothie-bowl-latte-avocado-toast nirvana is a bit of a mouthful.

The Juice

Options run the gamut from “liquified salad” to super fruity. I’ve tried almost all of them and haven’t had a single one I didn’t like. My favorite is Sunrise, an apple-lemon-ginger concoction with a color that makes it as pleasant on the eyes as the tongue.

The Smoothies

Quality juice makes a quality smoothie. The ones made with coconut shreds were a little gritty for my taste but all were tasty.

The Bowls

Before Gather, you had to go to Gig Harbor to get an açaí bowl in Pierce County. Gather makes a great one as well as another smoothie bowl made with berries and almond mylk (and a tropical one that I haven’t tried because it kind of weirds me out that it’s made with pineapple and spinach). If the owners weren’t such great people, I would absolutely think they were lying when they said their granola was sugar free. It tastes like gingerbread in the best way possible.

The Lattes

Not made with coffee (although they sell coffee, too). They sound confusing on the menu but they’re actually pretty familiar: a matcha, a tumeric tea, a subtle hot cocoa, a take on a gingerbread latte and...a pink one that’s kind of it’s own thing. I haven’t had all of them but the ones I’ve had were delicious.

The Toasts

Two different types of avocado toast: spicy and not. Each is made with an entire avocado so you know it’s good. The other option, a heavenly almond butter/banana/honey number led me to actually say out loud “Why am I so excited about toast?” All are are served on a sourdough bread that is made in some kind of special process I don’t understand but is possibly friendlier to people with gluten sensitivities and/or other allergies.

There’s no getting around the fact that it’s pricey but it’s all made with high quality ingredients and I’ve found everything to be filling. Additionally, they give workers paid time off and I don’t mind paying a little more if it’s actually going to employees.

TL;DR: This...

Gather is a quality juice shop. You could stop there, but that description fails to convey the thoughtfulness of their creations and the space. Tacoma has long needed a place that offers the latest innovations in super foods & nutrition: detoxing drinks, green drinks, whole food smoothies and wellness lattes with tumeric, mushrooms and macha. They plan to add similarly smart foods and I can hardly wait.

Working through the menu - I must praise the green juices. I have been craving well-balanced green drinks. The OG Greens is my favorite - unapologetically veggie forward with kale, spinach, cucumber, lime and cilantro. I also love the Roots juice. The juices are well balanced, and not overly acidic. The smoothies are very good as well and run the gamut to satisfy, refreshing to filling. My favs so far are the Ginger Colada Green and Blueberry Almond Butter.

Gather takes Green practices seriously - with compostable cups, glass containers where ever possible, composting, and perks for customers re-using containers. They aim towards zero waste and I appreciate that they shared with me the latest recycling practices of the city. I learned some small things I could do better - all in friendly conversation.

Round this out with a nice selection of pantry items like mushroom coffee, kefir, gluten free energy bars, detox and energy items...I'm a huge...

Tried the 3 day juice cleanse from Gather. I've done several in the past when I want to reset my gut and curb sugar cravings. This was my first time doing theirs and overall it was good. The online ordering process was easy, you need to order 72 hours in advance. I liked the variety of juices throughout the day instead of the same all day, it kept it interesting. Also liked that you could sub out a couple of the juices. But not the lunch, dinner, or PM cashew mylk. I'm not a huge milk drinker so didn't care for the mylk, I couldn't stomach 16 ounces of it at a time especially at night so wish I could have swapped that out but that was not an option. Price was probably on par for the area but I found it a little expensive ($150 all in). Cute store front, casual vibe would be a nice stop for studying or working remotely. Tried the pumpkin pie smoothie as well...