da Cove Health Bar (Oahu)

da Cove Health Bar on Oahu is where we go for amazing acai bowls (which you can get topped with paiai), fresh juices and smoothies (including a kulolo smoothie). It's located just five minutes drive from Waikiki ^_^

da Cove menu specials

Welcome to "The Health Bar!"

Hapa Bowl with half-acai and half-pitaya (dragonfruit)

What Is da Cove Health Bar?

We eat a lot of acai bowls in Honolulu.* Da Cove is where we go most of the time. Multiple reasons: it's super delicious, reasonable prices, and the location is convenient and fun.

This place is more commonly known as "the health bar" (I don't think anyone actually calls it, "Da Cove"). I like to meet up with friends here for afternoon snacks or breakfast. It's an easy and casual spot, very ideal after a hot day at the beach and/or a Diamond Head hike.

*Why is acai so popular in Hawaii? When Brazil was looking export acai to the US, Hawaii was the first test market (picked for our warm climate and outdoor lifestyle). It proved to be a very successful test, and that's how and why acai because popular in Hawaii before anywhere else in the US!

Da Cove acai bowl

Where Is da Cove Health Bar

Da Cove is located on Monsarrat Avenue, just 5-minutes drive from Waikiki. There's a small three block stretch of Monsarrat Avenue that's filled with fun restaurants/cafes, and shopping (and even exercise classes and acupuncture).

We'll post a walking neighborhood guide to Monsarrat Avenue soon! In the meantime, also visit Diamond Head Market and Grill (especially for dessert), Pioneer Saloon, Monsarrat Shave Ice, Bogarts Cafe, and Banan while you're exploring Monsarrat Avenue.

What Makes da Cove Health Bar Special

I love da cove for the real local touches like offering fresh paiai/pa'i'ai in the acai bowls and blending paiai with coconut milk to make a kulolo smoothie. They also use ingredients like mamaki and hibiscus in drinks. It's a definite upgrade from your standard juice/smoothie shop.

Hawaiian Acai Bowl comes topped with paiai

What To Get At da Cove Health Bar

The menu is divided into four sections: acai bowls, smoothies, juices, and savory items like salads and sandwiches. They sandwiches are pretty tasty (especially the hot pastrami and havarti), but I usually get acai bowls or smoothies. Here are my go-to menu items:

Hawaiian Acai Bowl

There are many different acai bowls on the menu, but love the Hawaiian Bowl the best. Why? It's the deluxe bowl that comes with everything PLUS paiai! What is paiai? It's steamed and mashed taro root. If you add water, paiai then becomes poi. So paiai is poi without the water. We have a full post about paiai and poi here.

So what's in this bowl? The acai (which they blend nice and thick and scoop like a sorbet), topped with granola, bananas, strawberries, blueberries. Finished with the paiai, plus honey and bee pollen. I don't like honey in acai bowls (the honey gets hard and chewy because the acai is cold), so I ask them to replace the honey with double bee pollen. That's the way to go ^_^

Hapa Bowl

Hapa Bowl features the classic acai bowl (which is topped with coconut, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and honey), but made with a half scoop of acai, and half scoop of pitaya (dragonfruit).

We are lucky to grow lots of beautiful dragonfruit in Hawaii so make sure to eat lots of the fresh fruit when you are in town. A few great places to get fresh dragonfruit is Honolulu's Chinatown, KCC Farmers' Market (just a few minutes drive from da Cove) and the Kaka‘ako Farmers Market.

Charcoalicious Bowl with coconut-charcoal sorbet

Coconut-Charcoal Bowl

This is one of the newer creations featuring a housemade coconut-charcoal sorbet in place of acai. Topped with strawberries, bananas, and coconut. You can also add paiai to this if you'd like! It feels like you're eating "healthy" ice cream haha.

Kulolo Smoothie

Remember this post about kulolo, one of my favorite Hawaiian desserts? I'm pretty sure Da Cove is the only place in town to make a kulolo smoothie! They blend up paiai/pa'i'ai (learn more about paiai in this poi post) with coconut milk, and banana to make this really lush and beautiful smoothie.

We eat poi and kulolo often, but rarely do we drink it. It's not a green/low cal smoothie if that's what you're looking for...I think of this more as a dessert.

Specials

da Cove often has special teas/juices/drinks on the menu (check the hanging sign near the cash register) such as Plantation Iced Tea with ginger, brewed hibiscus with cinnamon (it's like Hawaii-style punch!), and even a very soothing honey-lemon mamaki (a native Hawaiian tisane that has gotten extra popular lately).

da Cove menu board

da Cove Health Bar: Insider Tips

• Cash only.
• Da Cove is in a mini-strip mall with a small parking lot. That lot is often packed, but you can find street parking right on Monsarrat Avenue and Kaunaoa Street.
• First time? Get these two items: Hawaiian Acai Bowl (which comes with paiai) and the Kulolo Smoothie.

da Cove Health Bar: Info

• da Cove Health Bar | 3045 Monsarrat Ave #5, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815 | 808-732-8744 | dacove.com
• Price: Acai bowls $8-50-13.50, Juices $9, Smoothies $6.25-8.50
• Hours: Monday (9am-7pm), Tuesday-Thursday (9am-10pm), Friday (9am-7pm), Saturday-Sunday (8am-7pm)