Exploring Nashville’s culinary scene is a rite of passage for many newcomers, and for freshmen, Hillsboro is often the most convenient place to explore new restaurants.

Today we’re rating the menu of Urban Juicer, a shop with juices, smoothies, açaí bowls, and a variety of other food. Because I always get asked this – yes, it’s on the Taste of Nashville plan.

Now let’s see what they have to offer! Come with Ian Hansen, Chelsea Liebenthal, Lauren Lamson, Lina, and I over the course of many, many months of freshmen year, to see how we rated their menu.

Shots

#1 – Wheatgrass shot

Chelsea- 2/10 It tasted like pure grass (even though I was eating grass). Not a pleasant taste, and not enough for the money.

Maria- 7/10 Wheatgrass tastes sweet to me, so I’m totally fine with this. I used to order it a lot more in the beginning of the school year when I was struggling with balanced eating on campus. It’s also supposed to boost immunity. My only qualm is the size for the money. Give us more, Urban Juicer!

#2 Pure Ginger Shot

Chelsea- 2/10 I did this for my health, not my taste buds. Absolutely horrible burning sensation, and it made me gag.

Maria- I can in fact, confirm, that Chelsea struggled to get this down. She also uses this incident against me to this day. Sorry Chelsea.

Juices and Coffee

#1- The Liver Lover

Maria- 10/10 You can do with ordering half the amount of apple on this one. It’s still plenty sweet because of beets’ natural sweetness. One of my favorites at the end of first semester. Good for cardiovascular health!

#2 The Well Being

Kale, spinach, cucumber, apple, ginger, lemon

Maria- 10/10 A really solid choice when you plate hasn’t seen a vegetable in the last week. It immediately makes you feel better. I don’t think I needed the 21 ounce though; I’d get the 16 next time.

#3 Iced Caramel Cold Brew Latte

Cold brew, Caramel syrup and almond milk over ice

Lina- 7/10 It was good, but I probably wouldn’t get it again. There are better options out there.

#4 The Mood Lifter

Maria- 0/10 Absolutely not. I disliked this enough to get a refund. Color was a little off putting, and no trace of orange in this.

Smoothies

#1- Liquid Lunch

Banana, peanut butter, almond milk, added protein powder

Maria- 12/10 I wish I had known about this since August. If you are in the mood for something hearty or you’re addicted to peanut butter like me, this is perfect. Bonus points to Urban Juicer for giving us large when we paid for small. We needed it :O

Chelsea- 10/10 A very simple yet filling smoothie. Gave me energy to continue my work, and tasted great.

#2 Raspberry Buzz

Banana, raspberries, cacao nibs, local honey, coconut milk, chocolate whey

Maria- 10/10 I could have sworn there were blueberries in this. It definitely tastes and looks like there are! Regardless, I could drink this every day. So good, and the chocolate whey is awesome.

#3- The After Glow

Carrot, orange, ginger, mango, omitted banana

Maria- 10/10 I love the strong ginger taste in this. So good that I ordered 2. Chelsea calls this ‘radioactive,’ but don’t let its bright orange hue deter you.

**Note- As of publication, they removed this from the menu. But you can still ask for it.

#4 The Strawbana

Strawberries, bananas, coconut milk, omitted raw agave, added protein powder

Maria- 8/10 This is the most basic smoothie flavor profile, but it never fails. The coconut milk makes it more tropical and refreshing, and I didn’t miss the agave. I’ve had this twice so far, and am definitely getting it again.

#5 The Well-Being

Cucumber, lemon, ginger, apple, spinach, kale, pineapple, mango

I was teased for weeks by Ian for my lackluster efforts at finishing this review, so eventually he was forced to come with me and help out. We appreciate you, Ian!

Ian- 6/10 Very refreshing. If the smell of grass was a taste, this smoothie has it. Honestly, not too bad though. I kind of enjoyed it. Made me feel refreshed and energized.

Maria- Ahh, I remember this smoothie from literally… September. It tastes like a very appropriate drink for the beach. Don’t ask me questions.

Food

#1- The Urban Veggie Wrap

Mixed greens, avocado, carrots, cucumber, sprouts, yellow peppers, hummus, feta

Maria- 10/10 Vegetarian go-to at Urban juicer. With hummus, avocado, and feta cheese to distract you from the veggies, it’s a good choice when you need a break from indulgent food. I added fried egg to it once, on the right.

I eat this almost every time I’m here.

#2 Pesto Chicken Flatbread

Pesto, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, Roma tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach and a balsamic glaze on a gluten-free cauliflower crust

Chelsea- 8/10 The pesto could have had a stronger flavor and they put a little too much balsamic as well. The chicken was well-cooked and the flavors were complex. The crust was really good.

Maria- 9/10 After seeing Chelsea munching on her pizza, I had to get some (no balsamic). Completely reversed my mood from that awful grapefruit juice. A winner in my book, and a pretty filling lunch!

#3 Mediterranean Veggie Flatbread

Olive oil, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, Roma tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, spinach and a lemon aioli on a gluten-free cauliflower crust

Maria- 8/10 I vowed for weeks (weeks!) to try this flatbread for the review. It’s nice to have a vegetarian option, but you can add chicken to it. At first I wasn’t into the lemon aioli, but it grew on me. 100% getting this again.

#4 Chipotle Chicken and Bacon Flatbread

BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, grilled chicken, bacon, red onion, Roma tomatoes, bell peppers and a chipotle aioli on a gluten-free cauliflower crust

Lina- 7/10 I liked it, but the sauce was too much. There are probably better pizza options in Nashville, but at least this has cauliflower crust!

#5 Vegan Energy Bites

Gluten-free old-fashioned oats, vegan chocolate chips, organic flaxseed, peanut butter, and agave nectar

Maria- 6/10 Munchie Mart should stock energy bites like these. They’re tasty and you can be convinced they’re healthy. That being said, I know I can make better than these. They’re too heavy on the agave and I’d use darker chocolate.

#6- Almond Butter Bowl

Banana, granola, cacao nibs, almond butter, bee pollen and local honey (GF)

Lauren- 5/10 The toppings were generous, and the textures were varied between the almond butter, banana, and cacao nibs. Although I rarely eat açaí, I was disappointed by the bowl I got. It was icy and flavorless.

#7 Avocado Toast:

Fresh whole avocado, cherry tomatoes and dressed arugula on Great Harvest sunflower bread

Chelsea- 6.5/10 The flavors aren’t balanced. The sprouts on top do not complement the flavor of the bread and avocado. Also, the tomatoes are mushy.

Note from Maria- 7/10 In their defense, the avocado toast did not look this lackluster when I had it a few weeks ago. When I had it, I added egg and it was weirdly sweet. The wrap is better.

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Also, please try the banana peanut butter smoothie. You’ll thank us.

Until next time … peace!