New Business Alert: Smoothie Stand Re-Opens After Lengthy Closure

If you’ve driven up Centerline Road recently, you may have seen some activity at the iconic Colombo’s Smoothie Stand just between the Reef Bay Trailhead and Coral Bay. The stop that was once known singularly for its fresh fruit smoothies with a splash of rum managed to withstand the wrath of Irmaria in 2017 only to be closed and put up for sale in 2019. I’m happy to say that today, this St. John gem has re-opened with a new look, a new menu and a healthier twist on their infamous smoothies!

I stopped by Colombo’s last week to check out the new menu and food truck. The new owners had originally planned to keep the iconic and funky old truck as the store front.

They even went through the steps to give it a facelift and a fresh paint job before finding out that new business licensing rules require that a food truck be registered and operable in the VI.

Although fully functional as a kitchen, and concession window, it was far beyond repair in relation to ever actually driving anywhere again! So, they had to lay the old truck to rest and bought and shipped down a used one that has amazing functionality and has allowed them to expand their menu to incorporate breakfast and lunch items. And, the new menu is AMAZING.

I tried several novelty breakfast and lunch dishes while I was there and nothing fell short of imaginative and tasty. I’m going to start with something you should ALL get excited about…The spicy brown sugar bacon! It has all of the crunch and smoky flavor of everyone’s favorite breakfast meat with a sweet candy coating and a spicy kick. Whatever you order. Get the bacon as well. I had it with pancakes filled with fresh blueberries that were served with house made blueberry syrup…Also delicious.

Although, I’m typically more of a savory breakfast person, I couldn’t resist another sweet option. The Captain Crunch Coated, deep fried french toast resembled the flavor of a funnel cake with the texture of a crispy doughnut or fritter. It was also served with the blueberry syrup, but it wasn’t necessary. The balance of sweet and savory in the toast made it great all by itself!

For the savory breakfast lovers out there, or those of you looking for something on the commute between Cruz and Coral Bay, they offer a variety of breakfast sandwiches as well. For a healthier option, try the yogurt bowl with house made granola topped with fresh fruit and honey.

For lunch, the new menu at Colombo’s offers a selection of sweet and savory grilled sandwiches served on some pretty incredible sour dough bread. And, if you’re a sucker for french fries. they have them in both the sweet potato and regular varieties. The Steak, Gouda and Mushroom sandwich was served with garlic fries. I’d be lying if I said there were any left on the plate.

My favorite sandwich was the Brie, Fig Jam and Bacon grilled cheese served with a balsamic glaze. It was absolutely decadent and I’m sorry we saved it for last.

And now, on to the smoothies. The recipes have changed to incorporate healthier fruits and veggies and absolutely NO added sugar. I was disappointed for a moment to find out that they were not offering the signature “free rum” in their new smoothies, but after I tried the Love City Fresh with Kale, banana, coconut and almonds I was just fine with that change.

All of their smoothies are made yogurt and coconut or almond milk and fresh fruit that they freeze on site. The frozen (fresh) fruit keeps ice out of the mix which keeps the drink from separating as it melts.

If you’re still not sold on leaving the rum out and healthy isn’t your game, try the P&B. The peanut butter and banana smoothie topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and chocolate chips would have had Elvis in tears of joy.

If you are interested in an afternoon libation of the alcoholic persuasion, Colombo’s is serving beer, wine, Truly and mimosas.

One other thing I noticed was that they are keeping it green…Which I ALWAYS appreciate and promote! Paper straws, reusable cups, compostable cups and to-go containers all caught my eye. When I asked about the cups, they said the 22 ounce smoothie cups come with a free smoothie upon purchase and $1 of refills. Same with their insulated to-go coffee cups.

I hope that the next time you’re visiting, you’ll stop by and check out some of the new offerings from Colombo’s Smoothie Stand. I don’t personally make it out that way too often. But when I do, I’ll be stopping by to try more of their menu! Their current hours of operation are Wednesday-Sunday 8AM-4PM.