Basik Cafe

I never knew what the big deal was about acai bowls, but after trying Basik Café, I can understand the addiction. Basik Café has turned me in to an acai fiend.
I’ve tried their all their bowls and in all honesty they are all equally so good. I think when it comes down to what’s the best, it’s all based on your preference. But i do highly recommend their Puna and Islander. Now you may think $ 9 is ridiculous for a small smoothie bowl, but don’t be fooled! These bowls are packed and fulfilling that you actually may be struggling to finish. But compared to lots of other acai bowl places, this place is fairly cheaper.
This is hands down my favorite acai bowl place in the city!

My first acai bowl! I honestly didn’t think the acai bowls on the menu were that different from each other, but I got the Puna bowl (the smaller size) and found it to be very refreshing. The portion size is about just right for a light breakfast or snack. Small bowls are $ 11 and large bowls are $ 14. A bit pricey as all acai bowls are, but so healthy!
Taste | 4
Atmosphere | 4
Presentation | 4
Service | 4
OVERALL | 4

So happy I made the trek over to Basik Café when I was in San Francisco for the day. Anyone knows that I am a HUGE fan of Acai Bowls/​Smoothies/​Superfoods (I often make my own smoothies in the morning for breakfast and do homemade acai bowls with homemade nut butters, etc.) and this place really blew me away!
The place is VERY simple — not a lot of seating, some simple lighting. A refreshing feel though, for sure.
I tried the BANYAN bowl after asking the store lead what the most popular acai bowl was. It came with granola, honey, bananas, and was blended with peanut butter. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! Great texture, the honey drizzle was the perfect touch of sweetness, the granola was not too crunchy but not too soft, it is topped with almonds which adds the perfect extra crunch, and the base itself was great (esp. with the touch of peanut butter).
Overall, the meal felt satisfying and refreshing — not too heavy. I was a little iffy about paying $ 11 for a small acai bowl, but hey… they’re based out of Kona and so you’re paying for some authentic stuff here.
OVERALL VERDICT: I’m 100% addicted to acai bowls (would definitely say they are in my top 3 foods of all times) and I have nothing but great things to say about this spot!

There are not many acai places as I would like in SF but Basik is great! So healthy and refreshing and so fresh. Can’t go wrong with any of the bowls. Also, there usually is a line but it moves fairly quick.

If there was a show about my life, it’d be called «True Life: I’m Addicted to Acai Bowls».
I’m always thinking about where and when I’m gonna get my next fix (acai fix, that is). Shawn C. doesn’t support this addiction, so I knew that I had to take advantage of my time alone and make it out here to Basik Café.
This place is poppin’. Came around 1pm on a Sunday and the line was out the door the whole ~hour I was there.
I got a regular sized Puna and it was delicious. $ 11 is pretty steep but they do not skimp on quality toppings here.
A large is only $ 3 more but it’s like double the size. SO WORTH. Passed on that though because I was by myself and I’d be all acai’d out.

If I won the lottery, I would spend it on acai bowls from Basik on the regular.
Just kidding… or am I?
If you’re okay with forking $ 10+ for an acai bowl, then you might as well get the best. Of the handful of places I’ve tried around the city, Basik has my favorite so far (though I still need to check out Bowl’d Acai). Go for the large ($ 14) and split it with a friend or two… or like another reviewer suggested, eat half and freeze the rest for later. That’s the most economical option and you get so much more than the small.
My first bowl here was the Banyan with peanut butter, hemp hearts, honey, bee pollen, and cashew milk. It was divine. I loved the layered granola and fruit which ensures you get toppings with every bite, and the ingredients were fresh and top notch. I’m eyeing the Puna for next time.
Acai bowls are expensive, period. But if you’re going to splurge, you should go with Basik because theirs are amazing, delicious, and filling.
#treatyoself

So Bebebar in the Mission will always fill my acai shaped hole, Basik is a close second.
As far as toppings, they offer a plethora of fancy/​healthy additions that are far from basic ;]
Goji berries, granola, bananas, mulberries, strawberries, blueberries, seasonal berries, coconut shavings, bee pollen, hemp hearts, several types of nuts, cacao nibs, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and nut butters. I like the Puna and the Islander bowls. If you’re trying to cut the calories, omit the granola and get quinao puffs instead. Never had a smoothie here but they all sound delish.
The price point is a bit high, $ 11 for a small. Also, while they advertise specialty Kona coffee, IMO it’s kind of meh/​blah. But this isn’t a coffee shop so I let that slide. My only other complaint is they don’t have a posted phone number. The website has none for the SF location and this one on Unilocal just rings and rings and rings. So just know ya can’t order ahead and pick it up and on Saturday/​Sunday mornings the line can go down the street.

TL;DR — I don’t get it… not worth the $ or time.
Maybe I’ve been spoiled by acai in Hawaii and LA… but this place confuses me to no end (just like the inevitable line out the door)
Price:
— Expensive for what you get
Atmosphere:
— Minimalist with touches of an industrial vibe with the exposed brick. (btw I don’t think there is AC here)
Now, the real issue I have. I don’t mind paying ~$ 10 for GOOD acai, but its not here. The acai is ice-​y and watered down. I know that it says its blended (I got the original) with apple juice… but I felt like I was tasting more apple than acai (also to note, most places blend acai with banana and not apple juice for a good reason). The other options were to have it blended with some type of nut milk and I don’t like the texture that comes from the combo.
Bottom line, the poor quality doesn’t warrant the time nor wait associated with Basik. There’s better options out there, but maybe not in this area. Try the mission.

I’ve been a huge acai fan for a while and finally got a chance to try this place! Went on a hot Sunday afternoon so the line was a little long but I didn’t mind since I had my good friend with me to keep me company. Overall the experience was great. The shop is nice and small and the seating is timed perfectly (they also have outdoor seating). Since they only serve acai bowls and drinks/​smoothies, there’s no need to really sit in for a long time, so it’s likely you’ll have a seat to enjoy your bowl!
All the bowls seemed similar but had little tweaks to it so it was hard for me to decide on what I wanted! Eventually ordered the Forager since I was feeling chocolatey. Overall, it was a really good proportioned and picturesque acai bowl. Every bite had fruit and granola in it and I was satisfied after a small bowl.

ACAI!
I love acai! Not only do they offer several creations/​combinations, but you can substitute for other toppings they have (like mulberries, hemp seeds, etc.)
Fresh, fast, and delicious!

I love basik café! And my basic self always orders the Brasilia acai bowl. I always ask for no bananas topping and replace them with berries and they’re always super nice with letting me do that.
However, I went last Tuesday and idk the workers were not getting people’s orders right. The girl before me asked for berries (which she paid extra for) and they forgot to give them to her. Then I realized they never topped mine with honey and then the guy after me had a smoothie and they forgot something in his as well…

My favorite ACAI BOWL in the city! The line is way crazier now then when they first open. But the chances of them selling out is less now. They are more prepared for the overwhelming need of their amazing bowls and smoothies. No best time to come, the luck of the draw I would say. Overall the wait time isn’t bad, the line moves.
Been a customer since day one and super excited to have Basik Café in this neighborhood. I love this place. My favorite is their **FORAGER Asai Bowl. its made and blend with acai, cacao powder, and cashew mylk «milk». Topped with granolas, bananas, strawberries, raw cashews, cacao nibs and honey. It taste so good and refreshing. The toppings is a super nice added touch, especially if you add some coco flakes. YUM! I think their regular size is good for me but only $ 3 more dollars for the large.
Also I love their **ACAI SMOOTHIE. Made with acai, strawberries. banana and mango juice. I always add in some coconut flakes for a little more texture. Large is the way to go because its so good, you will finish the small quickly.

Nothing hits the spot more than a delicious açaí bowl on a warm and sunny day.
Basik Café absolutely nails every aspect of what you’d want in a place like this. They use fresh ingredients, have fast/​friendly service, a great atmosphere and make what I think are the best açaí bowls in the city– and that’s not a bold statement either (give it a try and you’ll see).
First of all, if you’ve never had an açaí bowl before, you need to make your way over here as soon as possible. Besides being delicious, they are also incredibly healthy. How healthy you ask? Well, the main ingredient used in these bad boys is açaí berry, which comes from Açaí palm (which is a species of palm tree that originated from Brazil). Açaí berries contain a bunch of antioxidants, fibers and heart-​healthy fats that are really good for your system. But I’m not a doctor, so don’t hold me accountable.
So now that I’ll tell you that I ordered the «Brasilian», it will actually makes sense and doesn’t sound like they just gave it a random name based on a country. History! Don’t you love it? No? Dang. Anyways, the Brasilian was top notch! It’s basically a mix of blended açaí, apple juice toppings, granola, banana and honey (see picture). They have a diverse menu, so if you’re still on the fence about getting an açaí bowl, you also have the option of getting something similar yet different, like a smoothie. We all love smoothies right?
Final verdict: Basik Café brings a very relaxed vibe to what is otherwise a pretty busy area. They have fast service, fresh ingredients and top notch açaí. It’s the perfect place to sit down, read, write or just «grab-​and-​go». Enjoy!

There’s nothing better than starting off your day with an acai bowl. I love the Islander, which has some pretty great toppings — strawberries, bananas, coconut, gojiberries, etc. If you’re a peanut butter lover like me, go for the Banyan.
Downsides of Basik: you can expect crazy lines and it’s pretty pricey for a breakfast item. If you’re with another person, it’s worth upgrading to the large. Way bigger and small difference in price.

Acai bowls are the next big thing — I can feeeeeel it! Man what is it about SF and their waiting lines everywhere. Came here on a Sunday morning, and I think all the yoga studios must’ve decided to take a field trip here, because the line was out the door and everyone was geared ready to get into the downward dog pose.
I got the puna bowl which was deeeeeeelicious. Expensive for the portion but it’s SF — people pay premium for their trendy foods. Downside was how small the place was. Felt like we had to pounce on a table the moment it opened up — yep kinda like savages. Also why do they spell milk like «mylk» and basic «basik»? Man if you weren’t so tasty, I’d have to call you out for helping perpetuate all the rampant spelling errorz in today’s society. Not k00l basik.

Slightly overrated, but still delicious. There’s a long line, but if you mentally prepare for it before you get there, it’s not that bad.
They have 6 main acai bowls on their menu but you can substitute different things in them if you don’t like something! I got the islander with almond milk instead of hemp milk. There are also a lot of substitutes for granola if you don’t like granola. They have smoothies and coffee too, but I haven’t tried either.
I love that this place is dairy free! The large is only $ 3 more than the small, so I got the large and saved some in my freezer for later. They’re pretty generous with toppings and it does really keep you full.
It’s a pretty small place but there are tables and seats if you want to stay there and eat. You can take it and walk over to chestnut to eat your acai bowl whilst shopping in the marina.
Be sure to wear your lulu lemon leggings to fit in.

Basik has delicious acai bowls and smoothies.
You might think: hmmm, fruit, granola, acai blended into non-​cow milk pudding-​like custard… what’s the big deal?
Well, the combinations are really tasty.
The ingredients are combined and served fresh-​to-​order,
There are many choices for every taste… cacao bits (check), raw cashews (check), coconut (check), strawberries (check), banana slices (check), etc etc…
These bowls are not inexpensive.
But how important is the food you eat the first thing in the morning?
Muffins or other pastries are a lovely splurge and, maybe, you’ll think this acai stuff is also a splurge. True.
Give acai a try and you’ll see why there are long lines here.

«WAKE UP & LIVE!»
For those that know me, I’m a sucker for nice décor and acai bowl. I’ve tried plenty of acai joint’s all over the Bay Area and Basik Café is probably one of the best one I’ve had. It does tend to get crowded but the line moves fast. I went with the Puna which includes: acai, hemp milk, keahole grown spirulina, granola, strawberries, local banana, organic hemp seed, fresh blueberries & a drizzle of local honey.
Prices:
— Small $ 11
— Large $ 14
A little pricey but definitely worth your bucks.
Conclusion: I would highly recommend to try this spot if you’re around the area or if you’re craving for some good Acai.

Am I the only one who thinks that the name of this place is hilarious? After all, there are few things more basic than an acai bowl.
Their name aside, their acai bowls are no joke. My favorites are the Islander and the Puna, but you can’t go wrong with any of the acai bowls on their menu. They’re all super fresh and taste great, and the acai itself is the perfect texture (I hate it when it’s too runny or icy). Service is friendly too.
Minus 1 star because the price is pretty steep for the amount that you get, especially for the small ($ 11), which isn’t really big enough for a meal. If you want the best value, go for the large ($ 14). That is, if you can finish it, because that thing is humongous.

Holy acai bowls! The large here is ginormous and is more than enough for 2 people (probably could’ve fed 4 honestly.)
We came by on a Sunday afternoon and it was not too packed. There was a line, but there were still seats available inside and out. I believe we ordered the Puna bowl and added bee pollen to it. Comes with a TON of fruits and granola so you’re not just left with melted acai at the end. The consistency is a bit more watery/​smoothie than I prefer, so that was a minus for me. All in all, a good acai bowl!
Bebebar in the Mission is still my favorite acai bowl place in the city. They really get it right there, and I think it’s the closest to what we had in Hawaii. Blue Hawaii on the Embarcadero takes second place and Basik Café takes third. Blue Hawaii is the boyfriend’s #1 fav though.