The East Nashville invasion is complete – Fresh Blends and Ugly Mugs have both officially opened their doors to the public. We set out on a mission last week to try them both, choosing to visit Fresh Blends first and save Ugly Mugs for their grand opening on Saturday.
Fresh Blends is tiny and bare, as are most smoothie shops. We tried Pomelicious, Strawberry Fields and Sassy Summer Punch, and they all received our stamp of approval. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, try the Sassy Summer Punch – there’s some lime in the smoothie, which gives it the “sass.” All of the smoothies (even the tart pomegranate) were plenty sweet, with just honey and 100% juice sweeteners.
Saturday rolled around and we eagerly made the trip to Ugly Mugs with high expectations. The last two red velvet mini-cupcake samples from The Sugar Bar were conveniently waiting for us at the counter. We ordered a soy chai and an iced americano (they were out of iced coffee by the time we arrived). The chai was a little bland, but our tastebuds are accustomed to the strong and familiar taste of chai concentrates that most coffee shops use. Ugly Mugs makes their chai from scratch, no boxed concentrates involved. The iced americano was on par with our expectations for iced americano, but we’re not coffee snobs. The espresso was smooth and not bitter, and that’s all it takes to make us happy.
Still, the community-driven aspect of both these new businesses is still the best part, hands down. Ugly Mugs is very kid-friendly, and if the steady stream of customers flowing between both businesses on Saturday is any indication of what’s to come, it’s safe to say that East Nashville has embraced them with open arms.
Photo from Ugly Mugs.
Related posts:
- Nashville Newcomers: Fresh Blends Juice & Smoothie Bar
- Nashville Newcomers: Ugly Mugs
- Ugly Mugs Brightens Up Monday Morning With Free Coffee
- Fresh Blends Exits East [Comings & Goings]
- More Smoothies, Please: Fresh Blends To Open Belmont Location