And now for the juicy stuff…
Excerpts from The Honolulu Advertiser Dining Scene, Friday, September 24, 1999
By Matthew Gray, Advertiser Restaurant Critic

Are you doing the juice thing?
The cafe crowd is going in that direction at light speed, seeking health and supposedly low-fat, low-calorie alternative to caffeine and calories.
Does it work? Well given that a 24-ounce smoothie has anywhere from 400 to 700 calories, it seems unlikely. You might lose weight if you substitute a smoothie for a meal, but if you're like a lot of people, you are washing down an order of greasy nachos or a hamburger with your smoothie, defeating those noble plans. Some people swear by wheatgrass juice as the elixir of life - the ones who can get past the taste. Is it a cruel joke that something touted as so healthful tastes so awful? Chefs won't even mess with it. You'll never see wheatgrass pesto, or anything served on a bed of sautéed wheatgrass. But enough of that, here's a quick tour of some Oahu Juice bars:

Jamba Juice (Kaonohi Street in Aiea; Kahala Mall; 539 Kailua Rd. in Kailua): The menu offers nutritional information on their products, telling you the calories, fat content, protein, fiber and carb levels of a large variety of smoothies. It also offers "Juice Boosts" (one free juice boost per smoothie, 24 ounces, $3.75-$4.35) - blends of vitamins, minerals, amiono acids, herbs and other nutrients specifically aimed at particular areas of health. There are blends for "total health," "mind & body energy," "body maintenance," "total body defense," "circulatory and digestive health" and "woman's health" The smoothies here were too sweet for me and the carrot juice I ordered was the worst I have ever tasted. Jamba Juice may be suffering a little bit from its name familiarity; it took 10 minutes (after ordering) to get two drinks and the staff has little time to interact with its customers.

Lanikai Juice Co. in Kailua,
uses fresh fruit in their smoothies.