Cucumber, romaine, pear, pineapple, spinach, coconut water and agave syrup are not in the average smoothie or juice. But at Method Juice Cafe those ingredients, along with many more, are used to make delicious smoothies and juices.

In early September, Nick Murto and Tyler Lafferty opened Method Juice Cafe on 718 W. Riverside St. in downtown Spokane. Their reasoning behind the café was to show the Spokane community the benefits of healthier food options in comparison to processed and artificial food, manager Amy Robinson said.

Method focuses on two main goals: keep it fresh and keep it natural. All the juices and smoothies are organic, vegan and contain no soy or corn products.

“Our drinks are completely transparent — all organic all the time,” Robinson said.

Every smoothie starts with a base of almond milk, rice milk or coconut water. Then, organic fruits and vegetables are added to the mix. Finally, depending on the smoothie, agave sweetener is added. The menu consists of six juice options and six smoothie options.

“My favorite juice is the Vital,” Robinson said. “I love the taste, the energy and the bio-nutrients it gives me.”

The Vital juice consists of apples, carrots, beets, kale, lemon and ginger.

“I tried the Source smoothie,” Whitworth senior Abigail Pavelko said. “It tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my mouth. I also liked the fact that every ingredient was all-natural and fresh.”

Along with the smoothie and juice options, the cafe also sells salad entrees and snacks, such as trail mix. In the next couple of months the store will add individual-sized, organic oatmeal to the menu. For every oatmeal sold, the cafe will donate one to the local food bank.

The Foundation and Source smoothies are blends any smoothie lover would go for.

When I think of smoothies, Jamba Juice is what first comes to mind. I think of smoothies filled with sorbet, frozen fruit and sweet juices. Do not get me wrong, Jamba Juice is great, but at Method Juice Cafe, both smoothies made me feel like the food that was put into my body would actually help keep me healthy.

The drinks tasted creamy and fresh. While dates are not my favorite fruit, I still enjoyed how rich and filling the Foundation smoothie was.

Even though it takes some driving to get there, the tasty options make the 20-minute drive well worth it.

Contact Elise Van Dam at [email protected].