Raw Energy

I am the founder and original owner of Raw Energy Organic Juice Café. My name is Vicky Lee. Customers will remember me as I was there for 4 ½ years and sold it to move to Hawaii to become a taro farmer. I deeply loved each of my customers and the organic farmers who provided me my produce, such as Bernie (apples) and Richard from Firmey Farms.
I WROTE A MEMOIR about the juice bar at
which will be made into a movie by Puppy Entertainment (Craigar Grosvernor). Some of the characters from my juice bar in the book are Dahli, Henry Taylor and Wendell my compost man. Please know that I still love everyone who was a part of that journey with me. You can find me on Facebook. I would love to hear from you. Aloha.

Great smoothies. But it’s a joke that they just open/​close whenever they want — regardless of listed opening hours. I’ve come here 5 times and gotten smoothies twice, the other 3 times the place was closed, when it should be open. Sorry but you can’t run a business like that. Oh and your phone number on Unilocal is no longer a working number either…

Like other reviews already mention, they are not always open when they should be! I came here the other day and waited 15minutes for them to open since the sign said be back at 12:45pm and he was late but i had time to kill so it was no biggy! (He was also a nice guy by the way.) We ordered the autumn energy and light sunrise I think and it was good… although i wished it was cold since it was really warm and hard to drink.
Also, make sure you feed your meter. beware of the meter people cause they will give you a ticket

My absolute favorite juice bar.
My go to’s are the green juice (with lemon and cayenne), the green smoothie, or the açai bowl (tasty!!!).
Thank you Raw Energy for the pick-​me-​ups!

Don’t make a special trip out here. Last five times i went to get a smoothie in the middle of the business hours, they weren’t there. I would rather them list a 3 hour window to be open and actually be there, than give such a long business hours and they are NEVER there.

Whenever I go for workout in 24Hours Fitness, I like to drink next door Raw energy’s Fresh green juices. They are quick and make front of me.
Love it. Highly recommended.

I wish I could come here more often. It’s a little hole on the wall run by one guy who makes great juice and some raw vegan food. It’s just him so it’s a little slow if there’s a line but he’s so nice and the juice is tasty and fresh.
I normally just get a green juice, but the menu has a variety of fresh juices and smoothies. There’s also a raw «pizza», which I love. It’s basically a raw, gluten free seeded thin crust with fresh veggies and avocado and vegan Parmesan cheese. People always look at me weird when I describe it but I eat a lot of rich food in restaurants for business and I need to balance it out with something light and healthy.
If you go there and there’s a line, it’s going to be a wait, but it’s one guy working hard, running his own business, so be patient. The end result is worth it.

Raw Energy might be healthy, but it’s not good.
There were several things I was disappointed about. First of all, the service was very slow. It took the guy 10 minutes to serve my friend and I when there was no line. Second of all, the smoothies were waaay overpriced, my 16 oz smoothie costing me 6.50 $, especially since, third of all, they weren’t even good! I ordered the Hawaiian, which was supposed to be coconutty, peachy, appley deliciousness. Instead it was a gushy, yellowish mix which tasted like thick apple juice with lumps of dried coconut. Couldn’t even finish half.

After an awesome yoga session, my gf and I wanted to keep the health kick with a smoothie. So glad we tried Raw Energy! She ordered the Green juice while I had the Smooth acai. Both refreshing and filling! I liked the green juice better than the acai, but that’s because I’m weird and enjoy the taste of veggie and green in liquid form.
Check this place out! If you go on a Saturday morning, you can stroll the Farmers’ Market while enjoying your smoothie!

Awesome juice. Never open. It’s a shame. They’re never open during business hours. It’s a game of chance.
Suggestion: Reduce your hours of operations but honor them.

Good juice, but this guy is rarely here when he says he will be. For example, I visited during open hours and there was a sign posted: «will return at 2:45p.» Ok — fair enough, dude may need a break. So, I parked (which costs in Berkeley) and dude didn’t show til after 3p. What is that?
Fast forward to 1 week later, I decided to come on another day during open hours. What do you know? Shop is closed — I have had enough. I rather go get my juice somewhere else with the guarantee that they will be open.

Amazing place to go! I used to come here at least twice a week after my workouts when I was an undergrad. The guy that owns the place recognized my sister and I after a couple times and is very enjoyable and friendly to talk to. On to the yummy stuff:
1. Green Smoothie is my go-​to. I crave these smoothies. Kinda of tart, kind of sweet – it’s the perfect combo.
2. Acai «bowl” – with granola and bananas: my second go-​to.
Try it out if you’re looking for some juices and good customer service! Only downside/​why I’m not giving that extra star is for prices and unreliable «open» hours. Prices are so high, $ 7.50 for a smoothie (it does get me filled up but only for an hour or two)! Definitely damages the wallet. Now that I’m working full time I don’t get the chance to go here often at all– and the couple times I did go to get a smoothie there was a «we’ll be back at _:__» sign out front or it was closed… during times it was supposed to be open! So don’t always rely on this place being open during the times they say they will be.
Also, sometimes there can be a line – so if you’re in a rush go somewhere else because it takes time to make the smoothies/​juices and with a couple people in front of you, expect to wait at least 10 – 15 minutes.

If you read my check in tip, CLEAN = looking at it as a i pass by while driving and looking for parking. The place is literally a hole in the wall, more like a bullet hole in the wall. After all, Berkeley is Nuclear Free not bullet free right? haha
Organic Fruit juices are great and all.
1)Acai Smoothie– Berry looking, like wild berry red looking and good. (+1)
2)Mango Smoothie– 75% Smooth Tasting, 25% starchy taste at the bottom. Much more fruit than the crap you get at jamba juice. (+1)
3*) Male late 30’s-40’s worker DID NOT
a-b)wash hands nor wear gloves while prepping the fruits and veggies
In Addition to
c-d)Handling the cash transactions before going back to work. CROSS CONTAMINATION/​HEALTH CODE VIOLATION.
(-4)
Recommendation: Go ToJuice Appeal On Shattuck/​Center

Feeling sluggish and less than vital? A good green smoothie never fails to set me straight. Luckily, Raw Energy delivers all killer, no filler smoothies made from organic and seasonal produce, blended to your taste. No dairy, no added sugar, no ice, nada. All the better that it’s served to you in eco-​friendly cups from a tiny shop window. The whole experience is tailor made for busy people on the go with a penchant for healthy fare and the clean eaters trailing out of 24 Hour Fitness.
The only downside of Raw Energy is that they aren’t always open when they say they will be. I’ve come here during «open hours» to find it shuttered multiple times so think twice before driving at length to visit. Even if they are open, make sure you have ample time to wait since the preparation takes a cool minute.
I’m not a raw food aficionado nor am I particularly a raw food enthusiast but the quality of the smoothies and juice is what makes me a repeat customer. Preparing your own can be time consuming from the shopping for the ingredients to the prepping and blending. You’re not going to walk away feeling like you got a deal but I feel like the prices reflect the quality and freshness of the veggies and fruits being used. They make their own nut milk and wheat grass shots too, if you’re into that.
In addition to their drinks, they also offer made to order salads, tofu sandwiches, organic soups, energy bars, and more. I’ve never tried anything but juice but people seem to line up and wait for it. While I’m all for being healthful, the concept of raw pizza frightens me so I leave that to the vegans.
Arrive after the lunch rush, order the veggie blast, repeat.

Update* uh while drinking my green smoothie, I found what seems to a small, hard piece of metal/​tin in my mouth. So pissed off right now. I don’t think I will return…
$ 6.50 to $ 7 for a 20 oz. drink. Very healthy and fresh ingredients with such a delicious taste makes for an appealing concept, but the prices seem to push people away. I would rather make my own smoothies at home, but buying a drink here once in a while when I don’t have time to make own drink sounds fine to me. The quality of the smoothies are superb. On the other hand, people like my bf would steer clear of this place bc of their prices… I say it’s a must try at least once!

This place is adorable. It’s a little window that serves up raw organic juices, smoothies, and lunch items (soup, salad, sandwiches, etc). Everything is fresh, fresh, fresh!
Yesterday, I had an Acai smoothie, and it was über refreshing. It was a much healthier pick-​me-​up that my usual afternoon latte. I felt invigorated and energized.
Today, I tried the Raw Pizza and a Green Juice. The raw pizza is described as «pizza crust (sprouted for 3 days and dehydrated for 18 hours), fresh herbs in avocado sauce, tomatoes, red cabbage, fresh tomatoes, and mixed sprouts. Upon request can be topped with vegan parmesan».
Ohmaigosh, yum! I’ve definitely been making an effort to eat healthier, so this was a real treat. Imagine a crunchy cracker topped with a few generous scoops of creamy guacamole, fresh veggies, and a mountain of alfalfa sprouts with nutritional yeast on top. And it’s only $ 7.50! Affordable, healthy, very satisfying. I practically licked the box clean!
The Green Juice was lovely, and packs quite a punch. I splurged and ordered the 20 ounce size ($ 6.00). It consists of celery, chard, parsley, kale, and cucumber. On the menu, it also recommends adding cayenne or lemon, so I added the lemon for a little flavor boost. This is a serious green juice… it means business. You definitely get your money’s worth.
There is only one shopkeeper slaving away in here, so don’t expect fast food type service. It does take a little time, but you can watch him juicing, chopping, blending. Everything is made with a lot of TLC, and it’s very reasonably priced for raw organic food. I work in the Financial District, and it seems like every other juice shop is trying to bamboozle their customers.
I dabbled in going completely raw, but it lasted less than a day. What can I say, I like it HOT. Still, this shop makes my heart go pitter-​patter. I just might have to stop by here more often for a healthy snack.

This place lived up to its expectations! The location is next to 24 Fitness so it’s perfect after a nice workout!
(+) Green Juice. (Avocado, Lime, Kale, Celery, Peaches, and Chard) I’m not a big veggies smoothie fan but this one did not disappoint! It has a nice citrus kick to it despite the strong veggie taste. Definitely something worth trying if you don’t now what to get. Not sure if it’s something I’ll get often because I want to try all the other fruit smoothies
(+) Salad. Not bad. Just a simple organic salad. The homemade sauce was different from other places so it was a nice touch.
(-) This place will definitely empty your wallet. A green smoothie is $ 7.50 for 20oz! While it’s definitely worth my money, this is not a place that I’d go to often on a tight college budget.

I really like the area — you walk by some thought provoking quotes on the way over. And then you’re overwhelmed by some nice smells from a quaint little shack that is def so fresh to death!
Oranges, celery, kale, and a variety of fruit pop out from the back. The owner is also very friendly.
I always order the Green Smoothie when I’m having a crappy day. I love how the cups are made from plants :)
PS: Do prepare yourself for a wait (I’ve waited 20 – 25 mins here before)

I used to come here for smoothies years ago when the Capoeira Arts café was in the Freight & Salvage location and was always impressed by how good they were and how friendly the service was.
Now I’m always on the lookout for good juice for when I’m too lazy to juice at home, and let me tell you there’s a huge difference. My regular smoothie place (which I love for smoothies) just does not juice well. It tastes old and kind of like dirt. Not Raw Energy. I had the Sweet Beet which is my favorite combination of beets, carrots and apples and it tasted just like when I juice at home… which is to say, freshly purchased from the farmer’s market, with just the right blend of savory and sweet. I had the 20 oz for around $ 6.50 (hint– the smaller size is only .50 less, so in this case it makes sense to super-​size it) and he even had me drink a little out of the cup so he could fit the rest of the juice in. I will definitely be back.

If parking wasn’t completely impossible and the drive was not 20 minutes from home, I would make it out here all the time.
Super efficient and friendly service. It’s on the shady side of the street, so be prepared for a little chilliness.
Tried the Veggie Blast and the Green Juice. They don’t use bottled juices. The raw pizza was so satisfying. Seriously, I was thinking about making a trip out to a certain deep dish pizza parlor in Albany today and RE’s version kept me away!
I feel so fresh and so clean.