Find an ice-cold smoothie at a South Florida farm stand this summer
We South Floridians have one goal during our scorching summers: Cooling off. Personally, I crave an ice-cold smoothie when our temps start rising above 85 degrees.
The weather met my criteria this week, so I took a tour of local farm stands to search for satisfying thirst-quenchers. I was thrilled to find so many locally owned stands that blend drinks made of produce grown right here in South Florida, such as key limes, sugar cane juice and, of course, mangoes, which are dropping like crazy from trees at the moment.
Many of the smoothie-selling stands have brainstormed ways to keep you busy for a few hours. Some have WiFi so you can work from their cafe tables; others have petting zoos, farms to explore and unique grocery products available for the tasting. Not all are open every day, so make sure to confirm their hours before you head out. And if you know of a stand I missed, send it over and I’ll add it in; I’m at AskLois@sunsentinel.com.
BROWARD COUNTY
Bob Roth’s New River Groves, 5660 Griffin Road, Davie; 954-581-8630; newrivergroves.com
Hours: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m daily
Open since 1964, Bob Roth’s New River Groves used to be one of the largest citrus growers in South Florida, surrounded by other farms, but the neighborhood has been swallowed up by development and only a small agricultural remnant remains. The site offers not only smoothies but sandwiches, a fudge factory, jams, baked goods, locally made honey and schlocky knickknacks. Freshly made smoothies and vegetable drinks range in price from $7 to $9.95. Try Terry’s Key Lime Pie Shake ($8), sprinkled with its namesake’s graham cracker crumbs and deliciously sweet.
Flamingo Road Nursery, 1655 S. Flamingo Road, Davie; 954-476-7878; flamingoroadnursery.com
Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
All smoothies are $6; the Peppermint Explosion offers a burst of homegrown peppermint with banana and mango, while the SoFlo oozes pineapple, coconut, mango and orange juice. Stop by for lunch and order a $6 salad or a $7 wrap. The nursery also has plants, fruit trees, pottery, patio decorations, Crawfish Boils in the spring and a Christmas Tree Village in the winter. If you see “Florida Fresh Herbs” at Publix, they were grown on the nursery’s farm.
Fruits n’ Cahoots, 10900 SW 48th St., Davie; 863-512-2715; fruitsncahoots.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Sundays
Fruits ‘n Cahoots, on a farm inside a residential neighborhood, creates fresh juices and smoothies with uncommon ingredients, such as the Pink Sugar, with sugar cane juice, pink guava and lime ($8). For $10, there are also the more elaborate Jackberry (jackfruit, strawberry, banana, honey and coconut milk) and Mango Lassi (mango, yogurt, honey and coconut milk) combos. The business has more than 39,000 followers on Instagram, where Fruits founder Bianca Santos post about exotic new fruits (cherimoyas, anyone?) that have come in and tips on how to serve them.
Marando Farms & Ranch, 5151 SW 64th Ave., Davie; 954-945-5744; marandoranch.com
Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays and Thursdays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays; closed Wednesdays
The Purple Rain is a great breakfast drink made of blueberries, bananas, peanut butter, raw cacao and almond milk ($9 for 16 ounces), while the Green Lotus offers a healthy dose of veggies and fruits (spinach, kale, celery and cucumber with pineapple, apple, lemons and ginger). Besides a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, the farm also sells an enticing selection of unusual yogurts, pickles, sprouts and hummus and hosts weddings, field trips, a petting zoo, birthday parties and community events. There’s also a lovely cafe for remote work or lunch with a friend.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market, 412 Claremore Drive, West Palm Beach; 561-619-3447; bedners.com
Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays
Bedner’s, locally famous for its pick-your-own-produce fields west of Boynton Beach, has opened two grocery stores in recent years, and the newest site in West Palm Beach’s Flamingo Park neighborhood has a juice and smoothie bar. The most popular smoothie is the Banana Nut, consisting of bananas, peanut butter, almond milk, chocolate syrup and protein powder ($4.99 for 16 ounces). The Beet Sunrise (carrots, beets and apples) is also a crowd-pleaser ($7.99 a bottle). The market has fish and meat counters and sells salads, sandwiches and wraps.
Delray Beach GreenMarket, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; delraycra.org/green-market
Hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, through July 29
Amid the soap, bread and honey vendors and live music of the summer market, check out the Fresh Juice King tent. Offerings include smoothies for hangovers (carrot, apple, lemon and ginger) and indigestion (papaya, orange and lemon). You can also create your own drink from an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, including sweet potatoes, pumpkins and aloe. Prices start at $8, depending on ingredients.
Don Victorio’s Market, 7504 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-588-5661; donvictoriosmarket.com
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
This neighborhood market has become a go-to destination in east-central Palm Beach County for its freshly made juices and smoothies, created with produce sold in the store. Prices are lower than at many other smoothie bars: A 16-ounce Don Vic’s, with spinach, apple, pineapple, cucumber and ginger, goes for $4.49, while a 16-ounce smoothie with a mixture of fruits is $3.49 if made with water and $3.99 with milk.
Rorabeck’s Plants & Produce, 5539 S. Military Trail, Lake Worth; 561-642-3382; rorabecks.com
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (cafe open until 5 p.m.)
Rorabeck’s is a family-owned nursery and grocery store with its own Smoothie Cafe. A 16-ounce combo costs $7.48, with options including Mango With A Flare (mango, banana, peach and orange juice) and Very Berry (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and coconut water). The cafe also sells freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, acai bowls, salads and coffees.
Staff writer Cindy Krischer Goodman contributed to this report.
