Inside Bora Bora cafe The Xavierite
A bit over 10 minutes from SXU’s campus, Bora Bora is a lovely smoothie cafe located in Chicago Ridge—right by the Chicago Ridge mall. It is an Arab owned franchise, which is clear from their numerous unique menu offerings.
I found out about Bora Bora through word of mouth and decided to go with a few friends. I didn’t know what to expect, but was quite pleased with my initial visit. I’ve since visited two more times, most recently a few days ago.
Upon arriving at Bora Bora, I was instantly charmed by the endearing logo displayed above the door. It features the name in bright yellow with a funky pineapple mascot atop. I found it quirky, in a way that made me more excited to enter the cafe.
Inside, I was greeted by the cafe’s vibrant blue booth style seating and a gorgeous fountain lined with what appeared to be fake moss. It felt inviting and much more lively than other popular franchise cafes.
With it being my third time at Bora Bora, I really wanted to try out their food and see if it’s as good as the drinks. Since it is a cafe, they didn’t have as many food options but there was still a good variety.
The menu offered savory and sweet options, including croffles, crepes, and fruit-based bowls (pitaya, coconut, matcha, acai). I noticed their drinks leaned on the sweet side so I decided to get a turkey croffle (a combination of croissant and waffle).
The croffle itself was pretty basic; it had smoked turkey, lettuce, tomato, avocado, mayo, and mustard. I didn’t find it to be anything special. It was small for the price ($9.59), but I didn’t find it unusual as their specialty is drinks.
I personally wouldn’t get their croffles again, but I do think it’s fun to try for novelty. I am interested in trying their bowls next time, though.
In terms of drinks, I think Bora Bora’s perfect for those who love to get a sweet treat. If you’re not a fan of sugar, I don’t think many of these drinks are for you.
They offer a variety of smoothies, milkshakes, coffees, soft drinks, and their own signature drinks. So far I’ve only had their soft drinks, which come with the option of being mixed with either red bull or 7UP. I’m not fond of energy drinks, so I got 7UP both times.
I’ve tried their “Blue Lagoon” and “Candy Crush” drinks. The Blue Lagoon drink had fruit syrup, lemon & mint, and 7UP. It was a little basic ingredient wise but tasted very good, I liked that it wasn’t sweet to the point of tasting artificial.
I had the “Candy Crush” drink during my second visit to Bora Bora. It had peach rings, sour worms, strawberry popping boba, 7UP, and cotton candy. I really loved this drink, but you do have to be in a sweet mood for it. If you’re a sweet tooth, this drink is a dream in a cup.
My friends mainly got milkshakes this time around; one drink that seemed popular amongst them during our visits was the “oreo milkshake.” I did not personally get to try it, but my friend Demetrius said he particularly liked it.
The service was overall quite lovely, my friends and I have never waited too long for our drinks. The wait was a bit longer during our last visit due to the food ordered, but not overtly so.
The staff is friendly and patient and the cafe itself always looks clean and put together. The staff was especially helpful during my last visit when I accidentally left my wallet behind. They answered my call quickly and held onto my wallet for me to pick up.
Overall, I’d highly recommend those with a sweet tooth to visit! They have fun options to satisfy your sweet treat cravings and the cafe makes a great spot to visit with friends—very instagram-worthy.