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When we think of the chains that populate LA’s overflowing juice scene, names like Kreation, Nekter Juice Bar, Earthbar, Pressed Juicery, Juice Crafters, and of course the wellness powerhouse Erewhon come to mind.
During the first half of the 20th century, Los Angeles experienced the Golden Age of Hollywood. In the second half, it became a worldwide wellness mecca — from the unmistakable Muscle Beach in Venice to Jane Fonda’s aerobic VHS workouts, which went on to sell over 17 million copies and were filmed at her studio in Beverly Hills. By then, the juice shop boom was already dominating Los Angeles.
A few examples are the Hispanic juguerías, La Hood in Grand Central Market, and the first Erewhon, which arrived in LA from Boston in 1969. In 1975, Beverly Hills Juice Club was the new kid on the juicing block. Founded by the late David Otto (1936–2022), this shop took a different approach to juicing that made it stand out from its competitors big time. From sourcing the freshest produce to the washing and bottling process, David’s meticulous attention to detail continues to make Beverly Hills Juice Club a beacon for health-conscious Angelenos fifty-one years later.
After living in LA for almost eleven years, I can’t believe that last summer was my first time trying out this iconic, longstanding juice shop. I was even a member of the gym that’s just a few blocks away for almost two years!
I took my IG to share my thoughts behind their juices. I was blown away. If you go there for the first time, beware that you may get hooked as well! In this 2013 article by LA Weekly, the author referred to Beverly Hills Club’s juices as “addictive as ever,” with a cult-like following. I’m a little embarrassed to say that upon trying their juices, I went back four times in the span of a week. As of February 2026, I still go to Beverly Hills Juice Club on a weekly basis, but I’ve whittled down the number of trips.
The draft for this article had been sitting in my Drive folder since summer. As I was finishing it in January, the LA Times published this article praising the longlasting legacy of Beverly Hills Juice Club.
“There’s nowhere better than this: nowhere that offers the same type of juice, or even close to the same quality and freshness,” said customer Arya Afgham. “It doesn’t come close.”
The article continues: “Actor Leland Orser, a customer since 1991, has seen juicing grow throughout the city but believes Beverly Hills Juice is still at the top of its game.”
Even David Beckham shared a photo of Beverly Hills Juice Club’s rainbow-colored bottles on Instagram in 2016.
Last summer, I went back to my hometown of Madrid. After walking for so long in the scorching heat, I stopped at a cafe to freshen up and people-watch. As soon as I saw fruit juices on the menu, I perked up and ordered a berry juice to replenish.
Sadly, this fruit juice was utterly disappointing. There was too much pulp and the fruit flavor was very mild. Right there in Madrid, almost 6,000 miles away from Los Angeles, I longed for a refreshing fruit juice from Beverly Hills Juice Club.
Juice has been around for thousands of years — but how did David Otto become a pioneer of the juicing movement in LA?
Before turning juice into a full-time passion, David was a music agent in Los Angeles in the 1930s. In the 1960s, he became a vegetarian and learned all about clean eating and juicing. In 1975, he opened Beverly Hills Juice Club. Despite the name, the shop was originally located in West Hollywood between two gyms, the Beverly Hills Health Club for Men and the Beverly Hills Health Club for Women. In 1979, they relocated to their current location, taking over a short-lived butcher shop on Beverly Boulevard.
By that time, getting access to local produce was much harder. David would wake up between 2 and 3 am and drive to the Historic Downtown Farmers Market to hand pick the best fruits and vegetables.
David passed away in 2022 at age 85. Today, his son Philip Otto runs the shop alongside family members, continuing to spread David’s legacy to new faces.
David’s impact in the juice industry is such that even a juice shop in Tokyo opened under his name in the mid-2010s, David Otto Juice. This store is now closed, but they proudly shared David’s mission with the world, showcasing California’s bounty of seasonal fruits. They even adhered to the 1970s retro packaging and white tile interior.
Excerpt from Metropolis Japan: “A Japanese representative from The Sazaby League reportedly flew to California to ask Otto if the company could open a Japanese store, but was turned down. Undeterred, he took a job in Otto’s juice shop and worked his way up, eventually earning Otto’s respect. It has taken time, talent and long, careful labor to bring David Otto Juice to Tokyo, but the finished store is undoubtedly worth it.”
In his interview with LA Weekly, David gave us a peek into the juice scene in Los Angeles at that time.
“It is the general perception in Southern California that I started doing this in 1975, but there was one juice bar that was in business before I was, at the Grand Central Market Downtown. It was called La Hood’s… There was another guy in Redondo Beach named Bruce who also had a juice bar back then, but he was kinda irregular — if the waves were good the store was closed and he was out surfing. There were also health food stores here and there that made fresh juices, but [Bruce’s Juices and LaHood’s] were the only places that specialized in juice. The guy who really should get the kudos is a guy named Norman Walker, who wrote books about the health benefits of juice. He died at about 100 years old after a lifetime of promoting juices. That’s where I got a lot of my information.”
Photos: Beverly Hills Juice Club
Interviewer: “What’s the difference between the way you make juice, and the way others do?”
David: “I don’t know because I don’t know how they make theirs! We pay great attention to detail, of getting absolutely the best produce we can — we subscribe to the practice of being 100% organic, and we’re very careful in how we wash [the produce] and how we handle everything. We have a big hydraulic press. You could call it a cold press, I guess. I never used that term. I love that everyone else seems to think that’s something special! It has a pressing plate that’s 14 by 14; we designed and built the press ourselves.”
Although the shop opens at 7:30, the staff begins juicing at 5 am in small batches. Beverly Hills Juice takes pride in its close-knit relationships with farmers and is constantly adding new juices to the menu depending on which fruits are in season — which you’ll find listed on a white paper sign taped to the metal counter.
The menu is comprised of three sections: fruit, ginger and coconut. If it’s your first time, stick to the fruit section as you will get a better appreciation of the fruits. The coconut juices are amazing too, but you must love coconut and they’re also thicker. If I’m feeling a little under the weather, my go-to is the ginger section.
Here are some of my favorites:
Apple Persimmon – This is one of their specials. If you see it on the menu, get it! It was my first time tasting this vibrantly sweet citrus, loaded with antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C. The subtle hints of apple add a gently tart finish.
Apple Lemon Strawberry – Think of freshly ripe strawberries on a gorgeous summer day. That hint of lemon adds an extra burst of freshness. I also loved how they kept the tiny strawberry seeds. Incredible.
4 Citrus – Another winner. An explosion of tartness from four different citrus: Meyer lemon, tangerine, orange and grapefruits.
Ginger Coconut – I love the intensity of the carrots with hints of coconut. It is one of their most popular juices! If you like carrots, it is a must order.
Apple Blackberry Coconut – I love how the coconut counteracts the tartness of the blackberry and the sweetness of the apple.
There’s nothing more satisfying than the first sip of a juice bottle from Beverly Hills Juice Club, where my taste buds are tantalized by the intense flavor and I’m automatically transported to a tropical paradise.
Health stores like Erewhon have adapted to the trends. Their infamous celebrity smoothie collaborations are geared to a younger demographic and loaded with coconut cream, syrups, and powders. This is a far cry from Beverly Hills Juice Club, which has had the same shake since the 70s, the Banana Manna Shake – a blend of frozen bananas and almonds, plus a juice of your choice for $5 more. If you like oranges, add tangerine juice. 🙂
Beverly Hills Juice Club: Website and Instagram
Address: 8382 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
