Squeezers Juice Bar Brings a Fresh Start to Bishop Arts

Squeezers, a San Antonio-based juice bar, opened in the Bishop Arts District last spring in the storefront previously occupied by vegan grocery store Lucky Mouth.

Squeezers products are certainly a welcome addition to the neighborhood. The health-focused juices, smoothies and wellness shots are not only a treat for those of us looking for a nutritious alternative to sugary drinks, but also a refreshing defense against the triple-digit heat we’ve been experiencing.

Shortly after opening, owners Aaron and Janay Shandy posted their mission statement on Instagram, vowing to make the health benefits of their products accessible.

“We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy delicious and nutritious options that fuel their bodies and support their wellbeing,” the post reads. “We are committed to using the finest quality ingredients and innovative recipes to create flavors that excite your tastebuds and nourish your body.”

Who could say no to that?

We stopped by Squeezers at around 11 a.m. on a Tuesday and saw a steady but manageable stream of people come and go. With only a couple of people ahead of us in line to order, we made it to the front in a matter of minutes.
Juices and smoothies come in a variety of mostly fruit-forward flavors such as the Strawberry Swizzle smoothie and the D-Town Punch juice. Predictably, though, veggies are also very much part of the mix. They do have crucial nutrients, after all. You may already know this from all the times your parents told you as a kid.

The System Boost juice contains apples and oranges as well as carrots and ginger. The aforementioned D-Town Punch mixes beets with pineapple, watermelon and grapefruit. The Clean Green, the unapologetically veggie blend of the bunch, contains kale, romaine, cucumbers, celery and apple.

Behind the counter, signs extol the benefits of some of the drinks' ingredients. Ginger, for instance, stimulates a healthy digestive system, soothes a sour stomach, alleviates motion sickness and reduces muscle soreness and inflammation. Soursop stabilizes blood pressure and might be benefical in preventing cancer. Sea moss supports the digestive system, nourishes the skin and is also apparently “excellent for sexual health.”

The store-bought orange juice we had in our fridge at home could not be reached for comment.

We tried the Valley Girl juice, a refreshing blend of pineapple, orange, grapefruit, lime and lemon. An 8-ounce cup goes for $7. A painting we were standing next when we picked up the order was called “Valley Girl.” This delighted us.
We also ordered a Strawberry Swizzle smoothie. Again, an 8-ounce cup cost $7. This smoothie contains frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, oat milk and organic blue agave, which had a strong presence in the aftertaste. The Strawberry Swizzle is also available as a smoothie bowl that we will soon be back to try.

So did we feel stronger, healthier and more nourished after our juice and smoothie? A single 8-ounce serving isn’t likely to have that immediate an effect, but we did have a little more pep in our step on the walk back to our car. Make of that what you will.

Squeezers is decorated with paintings throughout (the largest being our friend “Valley Girl”) as well as two grass walls, a classic backdrop for Instagram stories. One has a neon sign that reads “You got the juice” in blue cursive. It’s an irresistible photo op for someone who ordered the juice.

You can also purchase Squeezers merch like T-shirts and hats (ideal workout gear from the looks of it) as well as raw sea salt, water and bananas.
The store is a quiet, pleasant place to hang out and have your juice, but if you don’t have time to hang around, just get it to go. Our drinks were ready in a few minutes so if we had somewhere else to be (such as work, class or the pilates studio next door), we wouldn’t have missed a beat getting there.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Texan who would turn their nose up at any cold, fresh smoothie or cup of juice during the brutal summer, whether it comes from a blender at home or a fast food drive-through. The health benefits promised by Squeezers make its products even more tantalizing.

We’ll certainly be dropping in more often and will keep you posted on the status of our skin nourishment, blood pressure and whether or not we have cancer. (We’re drawing the line at reports on sexual health, though. Sorry, weirdos.)

Squeezers Juice Bar, 196 W. Davis St., No. 120. Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.