When I think smoothie, I think Jamba Juice. I find that the taste and texture of their smoothies are spot on every time. Their smoothies remain nice and thick long after I have departed the store. I really wish the frappuchino drinks at Starbucks had a similar consistency. Occasionally the frappuchinos are well mixed. However, more often than not, the ice and the coffee already start separating before I’m out of the parking lot. Grrr…

So, I was most curious when I saw that Starbucks is now selling smoothies. I was hoping that the smoothies would be just like the ones at Jamba Juice. I tried the Orange Mango Banana. The banana flavor was overpowering. So much so that I couldn’t even detect a hint of orange or mango. The consistency of the Starbucks smoothie was better than the frappuchinos, but the taste wasn’t there for me. The other flavor—banana chocolate—didn’t appeal to me. Too bad Starbucks couldn’t make a decent smoothie. They are conveniently located just about every where. The thing is smoothies are not that hard to make. Just visit the Vita-Mix booth when they have a tradeshow at the local Costco and see for yourself.