Open Tab: 4 Suns Fresh Juice gives health a different standard

May 26, 2021

The Monthly

Upon first glance, 4 Suns Fresh Juice might look like just another restaurant in a strip mall. But after stopping in, I left with an experience and juices that were unforgettable.

The juice bar on Main St. has a welcoming atmosphere with colorful artwork and murals on the walls, incense burning and smiling workers. I’ve been a long-time fan of smoothies and fresh-pressed juices, so I was excited when I found out about 4 Suns. That excitement only grew more when I learned it was Black-owned and located close to my house.

4 Suns has an extensive menu stacked with juices, teas, smoothies and smoothie bowls for all taste buds — for those who like leafy green juices and all things sweet. The shop also sells supplements, greetings cards and other merchandise which help add to the experience.

The show-stopper of my trip to 4 Suns was certainly their Sunset juice which has pineapple, red bell pepper, apple, ginger, turmeric and black peppercorn. Although I was hesitant to try this because of the turmeric and black pepper, I loved this juice so much. It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy that only got better with each sip. It makes sense for this to be their most popular juice since it’s like nothing I’ve ever had before. I spent the rest of the day raving about this drink to every person I encountered.

I also tried the Berry Bowl which is a blueberry and raspberry based smoothie topped with strawberries, granola and sliced almonds. Just like the Sunset, this was a hit. The smoothie bowl had a perfect level of thickness and didn’t instantly melt like other bowls I’ve had. I would love to know how they did it, but I guess that would take the allure away from my experience if I knew how to do it myself.

My favorite smoothie was Mel’s Jazz which was filled with pineapple, mango, banana, coconut water, flaxseed and cinnamon. Like everything else I tried, this was delicious and transported me to a tropical island. I’ve found smoothies with similar ingredients as this one, but the cinnamon — a surprising and unusual touch — set this over the top. It mellowed out the sweetness of the fruits and brought a kick of spice to the drink.

While the drinks at 4 Suns are amazing, the engagement from the shop’s workers set experience off the chart. Oftentimes, there’s a stigma around healthy foods and that rich, white people are the ones these products were really made for. It can be hard to learn about healthy foods because much of the information is gatekept — but not at 4 Suns where the employees were eager to talk about the menu’s obscure ingredients like date water, sea moss and bee pollen.

Understanding health foods can be hard, so I recommend paying a 4 Suns a visit if you’re looking for an introduction to those options.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @janeaAwilson