Although Penn State Campus Recreations facilities aren’t open to students just quite yet, a new on-campus eatery, Shake Smart, recently opened its doors in the White Building.

The new healthy-eating joint brings a change of pace to Penn State’s usual on-campus eats, featuring protein shakes, acai bowls, cold brew coffee, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and more. Naturally, our staff headed over to give it a try.

Gabe Angieri: Banana Split Shake

I decided to order a banana split shake for my first Shake Smart experience. In an attempt to be healthier, I substituted in almond milk and I only got half the amount of agave in it.

The shake was good, but it wasn’t anything special. I think the one thing it was really lacking was the amount of banana. I needed some more banana in there to really take it to the next level. It was overpowered by the strawberry and protein powder, so, unfortunately, I really didn’t taste the banana that much at all. Despite this, I would order it again.

Matt DiSanto: Custom Fruit Smoothie

I ordered a nice fruit smoothie to cool off on a warm afternoon. I customized mine with apple juice, banana, and strawberry, which resulted in an especially fruity concoction.

Luckily, the combination worked beautifully. I really enjoyed the smoothie and found it particularly refreshing after spending a while outside. I imagine it’d have the same effect after working out in the White Building (although the gyms aren’t currently open).

Unlike some of my friends, I didn’t particularly notice the added protein powder. Honestly, it was pretty much a non-factor. I guess that’s a good thing?

While I enjoyed the smoothie a great deal, its price prevents me from fully becoming a fan. I forked over more than $6 for one regular-sized smoothie, which is a bit outside any student’s price range. Shake Smart does take meal points and LionCash, though, so at least you can spend mom and dad’s money. Still, I’ll probably come back again sometime when another smoothie hankering hits.

Ryan Parsons: Shake Your Coffee

By the time we decided to review Shake Smart, I had actually stopped by a handful of times just to check the place out. The location is convenient for me to stop by after class, and its a nice change of place from the other on-campus options.

So far I’ve gotten a “Rawçaí” bowl which was ok and a mess to eat, the “Chocolate Covered Strawberry shake (I agree with Will’s review, it’s very delicious), and the “Shake Your Coffee,” which I’ll review. This shake I got was basically just cold brew coffee combined with some other ingredients to create a 24g protein shake.

As a small bit of a coffee snob, I would like to try the cold brew on its own, but this shake was pretty solid. It had a heavy protein taste, but it blended well with the coffee to make a refreshing shake. After sitting for a while the coffee did start to separate from the shake (similar to a slushie), which was really the only downside of the drink itself.

Will Pegler: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry

I’m not normally a huge protein shake guy, but Shake Smart nailed it with the chocolate-covered strawberry. The fruity flavor was refreshing and the hint of chocolate was a nice compliment, to say the least. I was in no way exercising before enjoying this beverage, but I could see myself enjoying one of these shakes after getting a solid workout in at the White Building — or just walking up Shortlidge.

This was my first time at Shake Smart, but it has plenty of flavors that I want to try in the near future. Along with the expansive menu, the ordering kiosk was quick and easy, as there was hardly much of a wait for my drink.

Michael Tauriello: Carrot Cake Shake

While the thick and creamy shake started off strong with an obvious kick of carrot with a cake-y aftertaste worthy of me voicing my approval, I shortly realized after that maybe it wasn’t what I was looking for at the time.

What started smooth and refreshing turned into a shake that was just a bit too heavy for my liking. I think I’d be willing to give it another shot, but I’d likely choose something a bit more fruity and light on the stomach next time. I really enjoy carrot cake as is, but I don’t know if it transfers over in shake form. Don’t be shy, though — Shake Smart is in a great location on campus and it has plenty of different options for shakes. I’m sure I’ll be back to give it another try in the future.