Best juice bars

Squeeze Juice Works

Remember when green juice was only something you could stomach if you kept your eyes closed? We’ve all matured so much. Proponents of juicing say it reduces the risk for many leading causes of death (cancer, heart disease) while simultaneously helping with weight management. The new wave of juicers don’t freeze or heat the fruits and veggies in questions, thus the “live” juice is thought to increase metabolism and boost immunity. Squeeze was early to the party, opening in 2013 with an original location in St. Petersburg, a second in South Tampa and a third in St. Pete. Kelly Lessem and Amy Losoya have built their brand with all cold-pressed juices made in small batches and sold in 16-ounce glass bottles. They do a couple of pressings each day, and the juice stays alive (meaning all the vitamins and minerals are intact) for up to three days. There are 16 flavors on any given day, as well as “mylks” (hemp, hazelnut, cashew, coconut, etc.), a small food menu and three varieties of cleanses. (Take the preorder questionnaire to figure out which one is right for you.) squeezejuiceworks.com

St. Petersburg: 675 30th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, (727) 821-1095

18 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg, (727) 324-3039

Tampa: 226 S Boulevard, Tampa, (813) 402-2837

Price: $

Swami Juice

The first one of these was in Boca Raton; now they are up to five Florida locations. They are in the business of cold-pressed juice with a shelf life of 96 hours, packaged in glass bottles, but they also make a mean acai bowl. At the original Tampa outpost, they produce the juice in the back and have a small shot bar up front (different energy shots like ginger, turmeric and wheatgrass) with a grab-and-go case for bottled juices. For a while they had a location inside Kodawari Studios, but now their second spot is inside Heights Public Market at Armature Works. The Zeus juice is dreamy, with bok choy, fennel, turmeric, parsley and other green goodies in perfect balance, and acai options like the Rio bowl draw Plant High School students like catnip. Both locations are mostly to-go, and it’s not inexpensive - bear in mind that a lot of veggies are spindled and mutilated in the name of a 16-ounce juice. swamijuice.com

Tampa: 2832 S MacDill Ave., Tampa, (813) 245-1957

Heights Public Market at Armature Works: 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa, (813) 812-4765

Price: $

Karma Juice Bar and Eatery

Karma debuted in 2015 in a tiny space that has since been expanded, with a second location in Clearwater. I first fell in love with its avocado toast (before all the toast-shaming started and I got spooked) and fresh-squeezed green juices, but since then I tend to stop in for a salad (buckwheat soba noodles with seaweed or Asian chicken salad) or the Brainiac acai bowl, the acai blended with strawberry, banana and almond milk for a lush texture, on top of which are more bananas and strawberries, granola, pumpkin seeds, raisins, chia and a little sheen of local honey. If you opt for a salad and a 20-ounce Beets Me juice (at juice bars, puns are essential), you’re looking at a bill that’s more than a Jackson. But aren’t you worth it? karmajuicebar.wordpress.com.

St. Petersburg: 209 First St. NE, St. Petersburg, (727) 896-4000

Clearwater: 2095 Drew St., Unit B, Clearwater, (727) 223-9688

Price: $-$$