A great Chattanooga juice bar is Southern Squeeze. Here you’ll find all organic, cold-pressed juices along with a full plant-based menu. Not only is everything plant-based, it’s gluten-free and made on site. If this checks all your boxes, you’ll definitely have to give this place a try. And if this doesn’t sound amazing, you should try it anyways because it just might surprise you.
About
Southern Squeeze first opened back in 2013 by a Chattanooga local. Today their picturesque storefront is located on the Northshore side of Chattanooga found HERE. They are best known for their organic, cold-press juices that are made at a nearby site. But it doesn’t end there! They also have a plethora of other drinks to try such as wellness lattes, teas, coffees, smoothies, milks and even specialty waters. And don’t forget the food! They have a full menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Plus everything is gluten-free, plant-based and made from scratch.
“But I don’t think I like this kind of food…”
If you know me, I’m not the healthiest eater, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to try from time to time. I like vegan food to an extent, but typically I find that it’s not enough for me. Either it leaves me feeling still hungry, it’s bland, or it just feels like it’s missing something. But Southern Squeeze is not this way! All their food and drinks are full of so many flavors and textures. It’s far from bland or boring. So, if you’re not big into plant-based or health foods, don’t knock this till you try it. You just might be surprised and find a new favorite here.
The Juice
When you go to a Chattanooga juice bar, of course you have to try some juice! The first time I went I tried the Limeshine (green one pictured above) as it was recommended to me by one of the employees. I was hesitant because it has celery in it and I hate celery. But turns out, you can’t even taste it! Limeshine consists of apple, celery, cucumber, romaine, cilantro and lime. It has a very pleasant taste overall and I’d definitely get it again.
Last time I went I got the Heart Beet (red one pictured above) just because it looked good. It has pineapple, orange, ginger and of course beet in it. This pleasantly surprised me which you will see in my initial taste test video that will be posted tomorrow. I highly recommend this one if you like ginger spice and want a sweeter juice. I’m sure all their juices are great, I just haven’t had a chance to try any others yet.
Also note the difference in shaken and settled juice. Once you shake the juice it becomes opaque with all the goodness suspended within. And it takes a long time to settle so you need not worry about it when you’re enjoying your juice.
The Breakfast
When I went here last time, it was for breakfast with my friend. She got the Superfood Oat Bowl. And as the name implies it is made with gluten-free oats, superfoods, and topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup. She was impressed with the texture of it. She said it’s not at all like classic oatmeal, but better. I didn’t try it, but based on her response to it, I’d say it’s a good one.
I ordered the Works Waffle. This is a waffle loaded banana, berries, fruit compote of the day, almond butter, coconut butter and blueberry maple syrup. There were so many flavors and textures here and I loved it. I would order this again in a heart beat. The other thing that surprised me was how filling it was. I don’t know what they use to make their waffles but it was good and dense and I really like that.
The Drinks
With breakfast, my friend and I got drinks to try as well. This made for a really big meal and I must say I wouldn’t recommend having a drink AND a breakfast dish. It was too much! That’s what surprised me. Normally food like this is not nearly as filling, but they make it right because this was really filling indeed.
My friend got the Calm and Collected which is almond milk, coconut butter, ashwagandha, lion’s mane, reishi, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and honey. This combination is to promote anti-anxiety and relaxation, as the name implies. She enjoyed it and said it mostly tasted like a chai. So if you are looking for a relaxing chai, definitely give this drink a try.
I have been obsessed with matcha lately and Southern Squeeze has two matcha lattes on the menu. I had been eyeing the Matcha Match latte which closely resembles a traditional matcha latte. But instead, I was encouraged to try the High Vibes, so I did. This one is made of coconut milk, ginger juice, matcha, cacao powder and honey. The cacao is why it’s brown instead of green and nicely balances out the flavors. I was shocked at how I could taste every ingredient individually before the ginger hit. And again, the ginger is strong, but so good.
The Lunch
Back to the first time I tried Southern Squeeze. I was looking for lunch so I decided to try the Poke Bowl. This is basically a salad consisting of seasonal veggies, quinoa, avocado, romaine, kelp noodles and nori. A spicy “mayo” and sweet sesame dressing are served on the side and compliment each other very well. I got this to-go at the time so I’m sorry for the to-go box picture. But as you can see, this food is still beautifully arranged. And yet again, I was impressed by the mouthful of flavor and textures it provided. I would get this again for sure!
Conclusion
I’ve only been a couple times but have tried a lot here. I highly recommend this Chattanooga juice bar and look forward to returning again to try something new. I really want to try a smoothie bowl as well as some of their snacks next. How about you? Do any of these items pique your interest? Or have you tried Southern Squeeze before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
As always, thanks for Exploring Chatt with me!
~Amanda
To watch my taste test video click HERE.
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