With the arrival of the new smoothie bowl company Appalachian Sage in town, there is now competition for Lex Bowls, another recent addition.

Both are in convenient locations, have excellent service and are run by friendly employees. If you want to know how their products differ, I tried them both so you don’t have to.

Lex Bowls has been around a couple of weeks longer, so it was the first one I tried. I am a big peanut butter and chocolate fan, so I love their “Power Up” bowl. They certainly never skimp on the toppings and are very quick to get things out to you. You also have various protein powder options available for your açai base, which I appreciate as someone always looking to up protein intake. They also offer some baked goods and drinks in a fridge to the side.

Appalachian Sage may have a few more options, including fresh pressed juices, a few more smoothie options (including seasonal options like pumpkin) and smoothie bowls with a make-your-own option where you can pick your base and extra toppings. I found their açai base to be smoother, less icy and overall better tasting than Lex Bowls as well. 

The caveat to all of these extra options though, is that Appalachian Sage has higher prices than Lex Bowls. However, the store environment and ambience make up for this.

Regarding location and store feel, Lex Bowls is closer to campus, but Appalachian Sage has a gorgeous back room to eat in, with a topiary wall with neon letters saying “Be the Vibe.”

Lex Bowls often plays country music when you walk in, whereas Appalachian Sage has more lo-fi or instrumental music. Lex Bowls is less decorated and usually a little brighter inside, which makes for a much different feel than Appalachian Sage.

The Appalachian Sage store is located at the back end of town which, at least for us college students, is a little further away from the noise. For me, going to get food here felt a little more like getting off campus. You can also pass right by LexCo or Pronto to pair your smoothie bowl with coffee if you want to. Coming from Charlottesville, where Juice Laundry sells coffee at their store as well, makes this an important factor for me. 

Each store has schedules that vary in days and times they are open. Appalachian Sage is closed on Sunday and Monday, while Lex Bowls is closed on Tuesdays and Tuesdays. Lex Bowls is open all the way to 7pm on the weekdays they are open, with 10am to 5pm hours on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. 

Appalachian Sage is always open from 9am to 5pm. I find it very interesting that Lex Bowls stays open so late, but I do genuinely appreciate it considering that I can almost go get it for dinner too if I feel like it. 

It’s also nice that there will always be one smoothie bowl place open in Lexington. Their closed days don’t overlap.

I could go to either store on any given day, depending on how much time I have, and what I feel like eating. If I want to take a good hour to go get lunch and a coffee, and maybe study while I’m at it, I will definitely go to Appalachian Sage. However, Lex Bowls definitely satisfies my peanut butter cravings, and lets me put protein powder in the açai base for a well-rounded meal. Its proximity to campus also makes it a great option. 

There are very different pros and cons to each new smoothie bowl store here in Lexington. Because they are a little different, I hope they are both here to stay.