Loco Coco, New York NY

Food was amazing. Needs more staff, can't expect one person to do so much if a rush comes in.

There are a lot of people but there are no places to sit and enjoy dessert. Two tables and two chairs are not enough.

I'm not sure how high expectations should be for an establishment that's literally housed under the FDR Drive, but this one's pretty good. My chum and I stopped by here for a quick lunch yesterday afternoon, after several months of failed attempts (they don't seem to be open during most of the workweek, or at least they weren't in the spring). Despite the fact that we were less than a week removed from a federal holiday and it was legit summer weather, the Seaport area wasn't too crowded.

I decided to go with the bowl that was most similar to my preferred choice at Playa Bowls, the Nut Butter & Acai ($18.49), featuring an acai base, peanut butter, several fruits and cacao nibs. Very tasty; probably on par with Playa Bowls for me. It's understandably not as sweet (I think the acai is unsweetened, and I was getting some vegan vibes from a lot of the ingredients), but it still hit the spot. The gold standard acai bowl for me is Boomchia in Montclair, NJ, but this is a worthy contender in the second tier below that. I'm not going to swear to it, but it seemed like the cacao nibs were mixed into the base, which was a good move in my estimation. The acai was a LITTLE watery for me (I prefer the base to be more solid than not), which was interesting given that my chum's smoothie was so thick/solid that she used a spoon to scoop and consume it for the first five minutes or so. Guess it depends on the item.

The service here was excellent. As alluded to, it was relatively quiet for a Friday afternoon by the piers, and we got our items within maybe two or three minutes. I also enjoyed that they were playing literally the only Fiona Apple song I like ("Under the Table" from her 2020 album Fetch the Bolt Cutters). The price point IS high - probably three or four dollars more expensive than even an NYC Playa Bowls location - and very much reflects the fact that you're right on the edge of a major tourist trap, but you're also paying for the view of the ye olde shipping area (and I suppose the bottom of the FDR Drive, which seems like something that would cancel out the touristy upcharge, but I digress).

Loco Coco is located about two blocks from a Malibu Barbie popup on Fulton Street. I don't know if it's going to have as many Gram-worthy optics as that, but it WILL be cheaper and the food is probably better.

Mekhi and juanita r the sweetest! This place actually makes their açaí fresh unlike most places in the city

I love the food! Everything is delicious! Juanita and Briana are really nice!

FANTASTIC smoothie (I got the pink smoothie!). Roberto who served me was great. A wonderful experience and as a frequent NY Ferry commuter, I will absolutely be going back. As a Celiac sufferer it was great to have so many gluten free options! Loved it!

Great business, one of the best smoothies I ever tasted. Thanks to Roberto for recommending me the blue smoothie. Would come back again! #LocoCoco