Cocoa Banana

When I used to intern downtown, I frequented this place a lot for lunch. The smoothies are delicious and refreshing. Hands down one of the best in the area. Lots of choices of what you want in your salad and if you bring your own container there’s a discount (;

This place is my go-​to smoothie place. I work near this place so I went in to check it out and ever since I tried their smoothie, I’ve been going more often on sunny days. Their smoothies taste fresh and it doesn’t taste like they put in extra sugar, powder, and all that junk. The sweetness comes from the juice, fruits. It’s only one size though, about the size of starbucks’s grande. There is also a salad bar as well, which I looks alright… i have not tried, but I think it’s clever that you can bring in your own bowl — can’t recall if there’s something to it if you bring your own bowl.

It was my first time been here, people here are really nice. I ordered «Nancy» smoothie which is pretty tasty.

My new favorite smoothie place! Great prices and you can mix and match any of the ingredients to make your own custom smoothie. Their salad bar is also worth checking out.

Go to spot for a great smoothie! I usually order the tiny and add my own supplement!
It’s rare to find a place that will let you add in your own powder and they’re super nice about it here. Plus their drinks are DELISH!

Really glad to have found this place. It’s obvious they take a lot of pride in what they offer! My personal favorite is the Nancy– pineapple, OJ, ginger and nonfat yogurt. Really satisfying and not too sweet.
Their new soups are really awesome also! Velvety smooth and with the add-​ins available, so many yummy combos.
Customer service and prices are on point.

SO GOOD! I bought two different «create-​your-​own» smoothies: Blueberry-​pineapple/​apple juice and raspberry-​peach/​orange juice for $ 8.49. Not bad considering a 12 oz. at another shop recently cost me $ 9 and wasn’t as good and fresh-​tasting.
The people running the business, the cashier and smoothie-​maker, were both nice.

These folks will not toss your salad;but there is no limit to how far they will go to satisfy you! The salad bar here is amazing they have a little bit of everything wether you dig the meat or not. This place is super clean and the staff is always nice. They also make smoothies for those rare occasions when the only thing that can sattisfy that hunger is a shot of protein running down the gullet. Try it today, take a friend, take your mom, bring a pet just get over there!

I am so stoked about this place!
If you’re in downtown or pioneer square area and want a quick and healthy lunch try this place!
A coworker took me here last Friday. She mentioned that we will get salads and that the place is called Cocoa Banana. I was already excited hearing that silly name and loved their vintage logo when I saw it later.
I was even more excited when I saw that the place is a salad bar and you can grab what you want and pay by weight. It reminded me of mini Souplantation from California. I saw 5 or 6 kinds of beans, veggies, yummy pickled asparagus, grilled chicken, tuna, tofu, eggs, nuts, 12 different types of dressings… I liked that they had all of your usual salad ingredients as well as some different items. For example seaweed salad and pickled ginger! Everything fresh and excellent quality.
My box ended up being a little over $ 10. Not too bad, considering that I had some left over and I was picking a little bit of everything. My coworker’s box looked really full, but maybe she picked light items as hers was only over $ 6. It’s a steal in Seattle area!
We were in a hurry, and although it was a lunch hour rush we were able to get in and out in about 5 minutes. I noticed that they also have smoothies on my way out
I sincerely can’t wait to go back here! If they were only open later I would be grabbing dinners here as well.

Well, who can deny a place with cute little monkey as their mascot? I sure can’t! And why are monkeys so cute? I digress.
I’ve only been here for the salads. Despite my Unilocal reviews, I typically bring my lunch, but when I am need in a quick and convenient lunch, this is my spot. I have never had the smoothies, but the salad is pretty darn decent.
At first glance, I was a little underwhelmed. After putting together my salad and eating it, however, I was quite pleased. I love the protein choices, something salad critical seems missing, but I’m usually in a rush, so I can’t put my finger on it. They do have other choices, like pot stickers that I don’t expect.
I can’t say the staff have been friendly, but that’s okay, I’m usually in a rush, so I just grab, pay, and go. Other than that and the slightly high prices, this is a good lunch option for those looking for salads.

In a town filled with a million and a half lunch options, it’s nice to see that Cocoa Banana offers some healthy ones. At first glance, it’s nothing much… small place with just a couple bar seats, but what they offer makes up for it.
Fresh juices and smoothies and a nice salad bar. Tons of topping options, dressings, a couple pasta salads, proteins, the works! It’s easy to get carried away making a delicious meal. Beware they are a touch pricey and the average salad will likely cost you around $ 10. Or if you’re like me, you put too many darn cucumbers and chicken on your plate making it über heavy and therefore expensive. Oops.
The place overall is clean and the staff is friendly. I definitely recommend it for a quick stop.

My go-​to spot for smoothies in downtown Seattle! To avoid the lunch rush, I usually try to avoid going in between 12−1pm. The «Tony» includes chocolate, peanut butter, froyo (I think?), banana, and 1 shot of espresso. At a total of $ 4.75, it’s quite the steal! It is a little rich, but it’s perfect for a chocolate/​PB craving. I have also tried the Larry, which is a little too tarty for my liking. I keep forgetting to customize, so make sure you get what you want when you order! There’s a bunch of options for you to mix and choose from, and at under 5 bucks, this smoothie joint is well worth your visit.
There’s also a fresh salad bar, if you’re into that.

Is Cocoa Banana’s logo cute or what?
I was craving a smoothie and I happened to be in the area. The other smoothie place that I looked up had super green smoothies (spinach! kale!) I am not cool enough to drink those kinds of smoothies yet (or ever) and was craving more traditional fruit smoothies. Unilocal led me to Cocoa Banana.
They have a variety of fruit combinations they can do. The chart is a little bit confusing at first — if you want no nonsense, just tell them what combinations of fruit you want.
The smoothie was like 16 oz and it came under $ 4 which is not bad!
I got a peach and strawberry smoothie. It came out fast and it tasted sweet and fresh. I would come back again!
The décor inside is a bit of a letdown despite its super cute name (I was expecting super bright fun color palettes).

Great for a quick lunch. It’s basically a salad bar/​smoothie shop (and juices, as well). Their ingredients always seem fresh, and when we’re feeling like we need something healthy, this is our go-​to spot. You pay by weight, and if you’re careful, you can get out with a really cheap lunch!
I go all the time, so obviously I will be back.

While I really like going to Cocoa Banana, the owners condone unsanitary practices that violate Health codes established to protect the consumer…
There is a serious risk of cross-​contamination that starts with the owner down through her employees. Trying to nicely point out the issue, my comments were dismissed and I was encouraged to post my comments to Unilocal by a feisty cashier.
The owner prepares food without sanitary hand coverings (health code violation), placing hands on food items and into blender containers without washing hands between tasks (health code violation).
On weds, the scallions were low and two utensils were upside down in the bin with a small amount of wilted scallions. I was happy to see the owner bring out a new bin, but walked away when she poured the wilted scallions that were exposed to the hand portion of the utensils on top of the new scallions. (health code violation)
Although the salad bar is a good selection at a great price, the small amount of daily savings is not worth the risk of becoming seriously ill.

If you’re a vegetarian, or going to lunch with a vegetarian, this place deserves serious consideration. They do have chicken and salami and whatever if you’re not vegetarian/​vegan. Worst case scenario, the carnivores in the group can always go next door to Bakeman’s and the whole group can meet up for lunch in the Waterfall Garden Park.
So on to the rating. I haven’t tried the juice or smoothie options here, only the salad. The salad is a great choice. You may like Market Fresh better, but you do get plenty of fresh, great choices here and the difference between $ 5 per pound and $ 7 per pound does account for something. If you end up spending $ 10 you have a ginormous pile of food. I was under $ 6 last time and it was plenty filling.
It wasn’t very crowded at all on my last visit. We blasted through, got weighed out, and paid up.
And speaking of Waterfall Garden Park, it’s only a couple of blocks away and a great place to enjoy your salad or smoothie or whatever from Bakeman’s.

Oh. My. Word. I was told to try the Tony… I did and subbed coconut milk for the froyo. Now I am hooked. It is sooooooo freaking good I literally salivate at the thought of it. In an attempt to watch the waistline I have been avoiding it… but it’s so close to work and right next to the bank, so they still rope me in on occasion. Guilty pleasure for sure.

Greens and stuff are always fresh. The chicken isn’t amazing, but it’s alright.
I’ve never had their smoothies, but the folks I go with seem to like them.

Cocoa Banana is a little further from my office than Market Fresh and Mel’s Market. After hearing some buzz, I decided to go down there.
I like the selection of greens and veggies. I was surprised not to see more fruit there. In fact, the only fruit I saw was pineapple. I loved the selection of protein.
I didn’t get a chance to try any of the smoothies or juices but I hear good things. I like the sustainability in bringing your own bowls.
The best part for me was the selection of nuts, goldfish, and other yummy toppings.
I was disappointed in the price. It was $ 5.99 a pound and I heard it was cheaper. The cost of a salad that I thought would fill me was $ 7.05. That’s not a great deal.

I was at work, in a city I didn’t know craving something healthy. I mean really healthy. I wanted to stuff my face with loads of fresh, raw vegetables. Or muscle through a tall glass of green juice packed full of random veggies that probably wouldn’t taste very good together.
That’s when I found Cocoa Banana. I walked 1 mile from work as fast as my feet would go to scarf down some goodness on my 30 minute break, and Cocoa Banana delivered. I skipped the juice because the salad bar was extensive enough to satisfy me. I piled cauliflower, spinach, red peppers, artichoke, mushrooms, carrots, peas, (the list goes on), into a little white paper box and then topped it with a bit of olive oil and vinegar. The ingredients were so fresh it barely needed any dressing.
It was a quick experience that left me very very happy as I scurried back to work at a decent time. If you are like me and love salads and veggies, I think you will also love Cocoa Banana.