Meet Ricardo... #Travel #California #Grub #HealthyEating #Protein
Wait... Before you meet Ricardo. Do you like finding hole in the wall gems in small nowhere places? Okay, good. Read on...
Ricardo is the owner of a small protein shake shop in a very small blink-of-an-eye Southern California town. Ricardo started this joint in mid 2023. Before he took over, it was a juice bar. In the beginning, Ricardo started out by making shakes. Then he began adding protein. He noticed there weren't many places that offered a lot of protein enriched items. So, he refocused his small business vision, expanded the menu, added protein to EVERYTHING, and voila!!! Protein Garden was born.
Basically everything on the menu is packed to the rim with protein. Most of them have 20-30 grams a pop. He is even filling up his lattes with protein. I tried the Acai Protein Bowl. It has 24 grams of protein, 21 vitamins and minerals, a good source of fiber, and is gluten and dairy free. The texture was creamy similar to ice cream (not exactly, but close - remember there is no dairy). It has texture similar to ice milk. Who remembers ice milk? It was that ice cream substitute that was just a little different. Nevertheless, you immediately notice the creaminess even though there is no dairy. The bananas, coconut shreds, and granola on top added a good texture that is totally necessary to the bowl. It was kind of like eating an ice cream dessert with fruit and granola. The Acai berry flavor was not strong. That might have been a good thing since it had to blend with the other ingredients and toppings. Overall, it was a solid offering that would be a perfect healthy treat to enjoy, especially on a hot day in Banning.
Customer Service: Outstanding! Ricardo was customer focused and took the time to answer all my questions about the items, the history of his store, and the transformation into what has now become the Protein Garden. If you love supporting small businesses with great owners and overall good products, then support Ricardo whenever you are in the area hankering for a protein packed shake, Acai bowl, or even a protein waffle! The Protein Garden is just off the 10 freeway in Banning, California. It's a quick 2 minute detour when coming or going from Arizona/California. Parking is a breeze with the open lot across the street.
