Helvetica Juice Bar & Cafe

We attempted to go for lunch today, but despite a large «lunch and dinner» sign in the window, they do not open until 5pm on weekdays. They have no website, and the Unilocal information is no longer relevant. They are also closed on Sundays. I hope to try them soon, as I have heard good things from a few friends.

I’ve been here a couple of times and I did like the food a lot but my god is the service slow. Even when you are the only person in the café. It’s bizarre. It took them about 35 minutes to make me a latte. I’m a barista and it should have taken about 3 minutes including walk time to and from my table. You could even stop and yawn and scratch your butt then wash your hands and still have a decent latte made in under 5 minutes.
I would come back because I did like the food but I never know when I will have the time to wait so long.
It’s a really cute space so I want this place to improve on service and survive.

A Groupon introduced me to this great restaurant. The food was very tasty I would highly recommend checking it out. My only gripe be that it was pretty cold inside the restaurant. No one likes to eat with a jacket on.

Pros: the veggie burrito was okay, the inside of the place was warm, good art on the walls, prices are reasonable
Cons: food took too long, burrito was small and not at all filling, natchos dont come with guac or salsa (??), I ordered to go and was given the wrong food

The place:
A fascinating place. You walk in and are immediately immersed in a tropical? environment. There was loud world music playing, bright green and orange paint on the walls and a whole wall of exposed brick. Bright and colorful art adorned the walls. An iPad running Square sat opposite the door on a low table covered in old burlap coffee sacks. The kitchen would have been visible to the dining room had a too narrow window blind not attempted to cover the opening in the wall. Seating consisted of tables with one side booth and one side chairs. Very easy to rearrange for large groups, of which there were none, however the pillows serving as cushion to the brick-​backed «booth» were definitely not plentiful enough to accommodate as many people as the bench could.
The food:
I ordered a banana peanut butter and spinach smoothie ($ 4.5). Taste was good, but consistency was too liquidy. I’m not sure what milk it was made with (2% or soy) as the waiter didn’t ask. As an entrée (since I had to order one in order to use my Groupon) I got a pulled pork dish. It was served with a big scoop of white rice centered on the plate and a too small portion of pulled pork on top. Surrounding that were four Toston sliders with corn, pico and guac on top.
Service:
A couple of friendly guys were running the place; one cook, one waiter. They were friendly.
Other:
Free WiFi-​see the chalk board on the wall for the long numerical password. Metered street parking. I had a $ 22 for $ 11 Groupon for my visit.
All in all the flavour was there but the portion sizes were too small and the music too low. Despite the friendly service, the free WiFi and the signs inviting you to chill I’d opt to head to Starbucks down the road after I ate.

As soon as a walked in the door (which took a second since neither of the handles work well) I knew my initial impression was way off base. This dark and dingy room is a far cry from the concept I understood. I thought the clean, crisp feel of the name would deliver the fresh salads and juices they have touted on Facebook and through groupon. Wrong.
As I entered, I was overwhelmed by the thick oily smoke permeating the air and obnoxiously loud music with pounding bass. I seated myself at literally the least dirty table available and someone brought out menus but offered no water, napkins, or specials. Maybe they were waiting for the person I was meeting.
After ten minutes of waiting, I left. It smelled so gross and the music was annoying. The menu looked okay but wasn’t what I anticipated and definitely didn’t deliver a fresh and clean vibe. As soon as I got my car, I could tell the unpleasant odor was all over my hair and clothes. This is not the type of impression you want sticking to you…

The Tacos were pretty good, but everything else was just bad. Thank goodness I was using a groupon and not paying full price or I would have been more pissed.
We ordered a dish I cannot remember the name of with pulled pork on top with corn and black beans with plantains on the side. It was a very pricey menu item at $ 14 and definitely did not deliver at that price. It had very little flavor and had very little meat. A naked burrito from Chipotle would have more flavor and is probably just as filling at half the price. Yes, they didn’t even meet my expectation of «better than a Chipotle burrito» which is sad. The fried plantains were the only decent thing, the pulled pork was dry and the rice was rice and minimally seasoned.
Next, we got the tacos. I’d give the tacos ⁴⁄₅ stars. We had two different types and both had very good flavor and tasted fresh. If I had known how mediocre the main dish was going to be I would have ordered more tacos instead.
At this point, I was slowly started to feel the smoke in my eyes. I was sitting in the furthest corner away from the kitchen and my eyes were irritated for HOURS after. I also had to take a shower because my hair smelled like their oil.
Any, the grand finale was the nutella crêpe. If I could give this negative stars, I would. It was HORRIBLE. It was folded in half with no ice cream like in the picture from their Facebook and it was HARD. I couldn’t cut it with their knives, I just had to pick it up from the plate and bite it off. It was extremely cold in the middle and it was obviously not prepared fresh. I have never paid for a worse desert in my life and I couldn’t believe it was supposedly $ 6.
It was a ride. From the main course, it was at ²⁄₅. After the tacos, I would have raised the average to ³⁄₅. From smelling like their kitchen and me and my wife’s eyes watering from the smoke I would lower the average to 1.5 or2. And from the desert, which I felt was like a smack in my face, puts it right at 0, but since Unilocal doesn’t allow zero stars, I’ll leave one.

I never write reviews for Unilocal.But when I tell you I’ve just had the best burrito I’ve ever had in my entire life, know that mean it. The menu, atmosphere, and staff are all 5 stars. PLUS, it’s BYOB!!! Do yourself a favor and come here to eat

Helvetica, one of the most classic fonts EVER. How can you not stop inside and check the place out ?! I been to Helvetica a handful of times and every time I’m here, I find something new I like about the place. But, if you’re here, I definitely recommend one of their special juices. Personally, I just like saying the word «guanabana» so get the one that includes that particular tropical fruit. The sandwiches are pretty good especially the Cuban. I like them better than the tacos and crepes. They use to throw Friday night events with music and BYOB which was cool. Honestly, this place is more of a stopgap between my trips to Barraco Grill.

Ack. Ugh. I don’t know how many stars to give Helvetica. 4 seems high, but 3 would be too low. I tend to think it’s a place that has a lot of potential, but maybe isn’t quite achieving as much as it could — and hopefully will.
The food is tasty (though sometimes a bit lukewarm, when I would expect it to be hotter), the coffee is good, the juices are refreshing. So… what’s the problem? It’s just not really run very well.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a manager or authority figure when I’ve been there and it shows. I’ve seen a table of two have dishes come out at very different times, without telling diners that the rest of the meal is coming up (which just reassures diners that nothing has been forgotten). I’ve been served milk with my coffee instead of cream (I know that sounds petty, but when I’m asked if I want cream with my coffee and am served milk instead, it’s worth noting). The space is pretty cool, with good décor and plenty of seating — mostly because there are very rarely more than a couple of people in the café. The tables, however, are clearly VERY cheap and none of the are sturdy. Again, it may sound petty, but when half of their business is coffee and juice (ie, beverages), it’s fairly noticeable when the tables wobble to and fro.
I hate giving a sort of negative review, because I really do like it there and I’ve happily gone back repeatedly, which is why I’m leaving the star-​rating fairly high. Generally speaking, I think they just need some management with stronger experience running a café.
p. s., I completely agree with the other reviewer (s) who mentioned the late open time for Helvetica. Maybe I’m overestimating the importance of coffee to their business plan, but 11am is unheard of for a coffee shop. I wish they would give morning service a try for a least a few weeks and see if it takes off.

Yum!
Not just juice! I was not expecting tacos! Stopped here for a bite while biking home from Gordon Square today and was pleasantly surprised with both the food and juice.
I had two tacos — barbacoa and carnitas. Two-​taco plates come with lime wedges and some tortilla chips. Very tender and flavorful meat, ample, fresh toppings and 4 sauces at your table to try. I also tried the Lulo juice at the recommendation of the server. Looks super gross — brownish green with a thick brown foam at the top — but is very yummy and refreshing! I don’t really know how to describe the flavor. It was semi-​sweet and had a subtle, not strong flavor. You’ll have to try it for yourself.
Atmosphere is kind of coffee shop-​ish and is comfy to just hang out for a bit and work on something or read. There are no tables in the middle of the room, just around the edges so it feels really open. Plenty of outlets for charging your stuff and free Wifi.
Definitely recommend giving them a try when you’re in the mood for something different.

I had the tacos. Awesome. Good selection of toppings. 3 $ good size tacos. Very friendly and attendant staff. I like places where people show you they care and really want their business to prosper, not just function.
Ill definitely be back, they have awesome smoothie mixes. Wanna try all of em!

Came here on a weekend to have some lunch with some friends. People have raved about this place, so I thought I’d check it out.
The café is definitely cute and hippy. There’s plenty of art hanging on the wall to make the place look more lively and entertain you. Reminds me of eateries around Venice Beach, maybe because they also had reggae/​Latin/​surfer music playing in the background.
The food was ok. My friends and I all got different tacos. They didn’t have any chicken items that day, and I had to get tacos instead of the burrito I originally wanted because they ran out of the larger tortillas. Probably would’ve been nice to be told this before receiving our dishes, but oh well. The tortillas were regular store bought tortillas… and I don’t think they warmed them up even. The meat was very tender and good though, so I was happy about that. They also give you 3 sauces to add a bit more flavor to your food.
The smoothies and juices were good. My friends got the guava and banana smoothie, and I got the lulo juice. It was a refreshing lime juice drink, but not too sour and with a touch of sweetness. I would definitely order it again if I came back.
Overall it’s a cute place to relax with friends and grab a bite to eat.

Helvetica… you need to kick it up a notch. Your big brother Barocco Grill has it pretty much dialled in, but Im here to give you some free advice.
1. Your bevvies are tasty and, pretty much, in line with my experiences in several South American countries. However, it would be nice to have 2 – 3 fresh squeezed juices available. How about one of those old school OJ juicers?
2. The lone sandwich on the menu is tasty. Really tasty. Aside from a couple of tacos, there arent too many other food options. How about more snack-​y type things? Empanadas?
3. Invest in air conditioning.
4. Buy some funky vintage fabric and cover all the tatty, thrift store pillows on the window seats. They look messy and dirty. Crisping them up with 1 – 2 coordinating fabrics will bring some visual peace to the chaos that currently exists.
5. Opening at 11am seems strange? Breakfast smoothies? Coffee for students before class? Yummy South American breakfast treats/​sweets? Even a breakfast burrito or two? Seems like these would fill a niche.
There is potential but something seems unfinished here in both food and experience. It would take just a bit of effort to make this place pop.
All said with love. See you at Barocco.

Helvetica looks nice on the inside.
The server wasn’t very nice.
We ordered two iced toddys.
The server wet behind the counter and started pulling espresso shots.
Toddy is the name for 24 hour brewed cold coffee. there is a specific way f extracting it. It should have taken her 1 minute to get our drinks.
We ended up getting two espresso and waters with ice.
That was $ 3 each. Helvetica is putting up a front. I wouldn’t suggest getting coffee here.
They do hav bendy straws

Walked in on a rainy day to grab some lunch. My bearded bandito and I had stopped here for smoothies a few weeks back and found ourselves drooling over the food being served throughout the restaurant. Upon walking out the door, refreshing smoothies in hand, we vowed to return.
Upon return, let me tell you, we were not disappointed. We were ushered in with a warm welcome and immediately provided water and menus. We ordered a plate of guac to share. It was divine. So fresh! Man, do I love fresh avocado on a nice salty chip.
We decided, after much deliberation to try the Ropa Vieja sans meat plus beans. OH SWEET MOTHER MARY. The flavor! The texture! The rice! The plantains! The beauty of this meal is that you could taste each piece of it. Unlike some dishes I have had in the recent past the focus here is more on tasting the wonderful harmony of all the different veggies and spices in your dish than the mixed up end product. I love this food. I think you will too. In all seriousness, this place is owned by one of the owner’s of Barocco (on Madison) so what could really go wrong here?
Bonus, while trying to scoop our brains back into our heads post-​lunch. We were offered a sample of some vegetarian chili one of the employees had mixed up (on a whim) the previous night. I hope the chili makes it to the menu. It was glorious.
So, real talk, this place is cheap and totally worth a skip down Detroit. Get an iced coffee and bask in the glory that is Helvetica Juice Bar.

I’ve been trying to write more reviews, but my writing is feeling very meh lately. That said, this place deserves a gushing, albeit poorly written review. Yikes, godspeed, etc.
Because I’m lame, I’m also going to casually mention that I was in Colombia about a month ago (this is totally relevant) and the guanabana and lulo juices at Helvetica are essentially slightly watered down versions of their glorious South American cousins. Which is a good thing, because where the heck else are you going to find guanabana and lulo juices in Cleveland (and really, America? Besides Miami. By the way, I went to the Cavs vs. Miami game last night and OMG I hate LeBron and I am now a diehard Cavs fan. That’s all, had to share).
In any case, we were so pleased with the restaurant and the excellent service that we ordered coffee, and as much as I dislike coffees that are also proper nouns, Rising Star is so much better than Intelligentsia, Blue Bottle, Four Barrel and all their poncy and slightly rancid tasting ilk. Go Cavs!

Loved this place! I have to say Groupon intrigued me to check it out since I hadn’t heard of it yet, but glad it did!
The food is so fresh and has the right amount of spice and taste. The atmosphere is very chill and artsy. Our waitress was very friendly and talked about how the new restaurant came to be.
The only thing I was kinda upset about was their crêpe machine was broken and I was looking forward to one since they look delicious!
I will definitely be back soon!

Woohoo! This place was great.
After trying two times to go to this place (and each time it was closed-​watch their hours and the days they are open!), we finally got to go to Helvetica tonight… and loved it.
The inside is simple yet super designed. A small café, the walls are lined with records, and modern art-​including a large face drawn onto the wall, and some wood fixtures. There’s comfy bench seating all around the café as well. To top it off, each of the tables has a white paper and crayons… so you can draw on it! I found it amusing that every couple in the café was drawing on the tables with crayons.
Helvetica has an amazing selection for juices. We got the Curuba (an exotic banana passion drink with soy milk… it was REALLY good!) and the aguapanela. We ordered two tacos– the barbacoa (good) and the broccoli slaw– my fave, but man, it was SPICY!
For dessert, we ordered the Maduro crêpe– it came out in a coffee cup (so cool!), with the cinnamon plantains in yogurt, with a wafer on top. Man, that was GOOOD!
This place is definitely cool and hip. I absolutely love the juices too. I’ll be back to you, Helvetica! A must go!

Great food, byob, and healthy! I went here on a weekday evening. We brought our own beers and they supplied a bottle opener and glasses. The service was great, very attentive. We drew with the crayons on the tablecloths. They have a unique seating area where some of the seating is along these long benches with some pillows. Hard to explain. It would have been nice to have some dimmers on the lights since we were there around 7 and it was dark outside. But I don’t think they are quite finished decorating yet.
We got the chips and salsa and the salsa was very fresh and a kinda pico. Then I had the ropa vieja. It is kind of like a naked burrito. It was very good. It came with plantains too but I wasn’t a fan of those so the bf ate them. The bf got a zucchini salad that he said was really good but also small. I looked at the facebook page —
— and wow I am going to have to try one of those crepes and juice!