New Ballantyne cafe serves a dupe of the viral Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie
A new shop bringing viral Strawberry Cloud smoothies along with Nutella Bowls and Loaded Toast has arrived at The Bowl at Ballantyne.
South Block, which calls itself a “better-for-you” brand, has landed on Charlotte for its first expansion outside the Washington, D.C., area. It offers handcrafted acai bowls and smoothies made with organic fair-trade acai, fresh fruit and superfood supplements.
The doors opened in Ballantyne on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8 a.m., with a location in Plaza Midwood set to follow this spring.
South Block’s grand opening celebration will include giveaways including mini acai bowls for the first 100 guests, live music, swag and face painting. Founder Amir Mostafavi is planning to be there, sharing fist bumps and “good vibes,” he told CharlotteFive.
What to expect at South Block
The shop offers freshly squeezed juices, along with acai bowls that come in mini or regular sizes. Smoothies come in three sizes, with ingredients available to add in such as collagen, blue spirulina, sea moss and whey protein. Its lineup of toasts come on organic sprouted wheat bread, although a gluten-free option is available, too.
Mostafavi said what sets South Block apart from similar shops is its quality and care. Its bowls don’t use premade acai sorbet filled with “sugars and gums.” Instead, South Block’s acai berries are blended fresh to order with juices, nut milks and other fruits.
“I learned how to make acai bowls 20 years ago from a surfer dude in San Diego, and I make them the same exact way that I learned how to do them 20 years ago,” Mostafavi said.
What to try at South Block
Mostafavi’s personal favorite is the almond butter bowl, but he said the Warrior Bowl is South Block’s top seller. It’s made with organic acai, bananas, strawberries and pineapple juice and topped with organic granola, strawberry, blueberry and banana.
Its Strawberry Cloud smoothie is also high on the recommendation list. At $10.99, it’s often touted as a more affordable dupe for the viral $21 Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie at Erewhon in Los Angeles that was originally rolled out as a promotion with Hailey Beiber.
“It’s kind of gotten viral on its own here for being dubbed the East Coast Erewhon smoothie, which we take as a huge compliment, so definitely try the Strawberry Cloud,” Mostafavi said.
Dog lovers may also be happy to know that South Block offers pre-blended Puppy Bowls with peanut butter and banana, so your furry friends won’t get left out.
Like South Block’s original shops, an indoor-outdoor mural by D.C.-based artist MasPaz will decorate the store. The artwork is inspired by the Amazon Rainforest, the source of the antioxidant-rich acai berry that the bowls are based upon.
South Block Ballantyne also plans to do good by donating a percentage of its sales to the local nonprofit, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, and the company’s nonprofit, Fruitful Planet, which provides fruits and vegetables to underserved communities and people in need.
South Block
Location: 14020 Stream Way, Suite 114, Charlotte, NC 28277
Cuisine: acai bowls, smoothies, juice
Instagram: @southblock
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
