Freshberry Yogurt and Smallcakes Cupcakery - Charlotte

Yogurt with fresh fruit.

Freshberry Yogurt and Smallcakes Cupcakery recently opened in the space that formerly housed Blockbuster video on East Boulevard. Charlotte, like Atlanta, is starting to become overrun with frozen yogurt establishments, in particular the soft serve variety. Freshberry adds another one to the bunch, offering several flavors in tart and non-tart varieties and dozens of cereal, nut, candy, chocolate, and fruit toppings. They have multi-colored mochi (sweet rice balls) which made me smile and their tart yogurt flavor pleased the palate - I actually had some for a late breakfast one day just when they opened. I thought Freshberry might have a hard time making it since they are so close to Menchie's, but perhaps the cupcakes are the different draw that will keep them in business.

The cupcakes here, like the ones at the Atlanta Smallcakes, taste bland to me with overly sweet frosting and not enough buttery cakey flavor despite their gorgeous outer appearance. I imagine they use the same recipes so this is not surprising. I'm sure kids will enjoy this place - both yogurt AND cupcakes - it will be a difficult decision if parents make them choose!

Smallcakes cupcake collection.

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt

Menchie's mascot.

Menchie's is the closest place to walk for frozen yogurt in our neighborhood. I had seen Menchie's in Atlanta but never actually tried it until we moved to Charlotte. Menchie's offers more flavors that many yogurt shops (flavors rotate) and has franchises in almost every state, Canada and in quite a few other countries. Many of the flavors are certified Kosher, which certainly makes it a popular destination in the Toco Hills section of Atlanta. I prefer the tart yogurts and recently enjoyed some plain tart with fruit from Menchie's. I wish Menchie's would offer a green tea flavor - my absolute favorite! Kids have fun here piling on the toppings and enjoying visits from the mascot! At this location there is even a room for a birthday party. I'm sure we'll be here plenty in years to come - although, a new fro yo place is opening soon less than a block away. Stay tuned.

Yogurtland

Yogurt and toppings - quite a nice variety!

I was recently provided with a gift card in order to sample Yogurtland, a self-serve frozen yogurt shop (apparently the first such company that offered self-service) with 170 locations in the US, Guam and Mexico. The majority of locations are in the western half of the US. In Atlanta there are 2 locations, one on West Paces Ferry Rd. near I-75 and another in Norcross. A third location in Peachtree City is coming soon. At the West Paces Ferry location on a recent rainy Saturday, high school kids dominated the constant crowd in the bright, friendly shop. A sprinkling of young families played into the mix as well.

Although I believe the Atlanta yogurt market is over-saturated I was pleasantly surprised with Yogurtland's flavors, toppings, atmosphere and price. I tried many of the available flavors (more than a dozen!) including limited edition Yo Frappe and Mango Mixer tart flavors. Both were tasty. I personally prefer the tart flavors, and found the plain tart flavor to be delicious, especially when coupled with fruit and chocolate toppings! Toppings include the usual fruits, nuts and candies as well as mochi and tiny pieces of cheesecake as well as cookie dough bites - definitely appealing for the under fifteen set. Other flavors I enjoyed include Pecans & Pralines, Superfruit tart, Guava-Pineapple tart and Red Velvet Cupcake Batter. In my experience it is hard to find a good chocolate frozen yogurt and Yogurtland's version was pretty good - another welcome surprise. On the company's website you can view all flavors. I would love to try the Matcha Green Tea (which was not available when I visited).

I was also impressed by the pricing. At 33 cents per ounce the cost is reasonable and seems quite a bit lower than some of the other local yogurt establishments. Each of the above creations cost about $3.50. If Yogurtland was closer to me it would definitely be my top pick. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Disclosure: The yogurt described in this review was complimentary.

Yogurberry FroYo in Buckhead

This week I was invited to check out Yogurberry Frozen Yogurt and Smoothies (local site and worldwide site) in Buckhead's Terminus building. A friend and I were treated to several samples of this store's tart yogurt. Current flavors include plain, chocolate mocha, blueberry and taro, and the flavors change regularly. Yogurberry has several unique features when compared with the many yogurt shops popping up around town. For one thing they offer a variety of smoothies, hot drinks and bubble tea in addition to the yogurt. In addition, they offer a granola parfait (pictured above) and a variety of other drinks. I also like the homey touches: hand-made signs and topping combination suggestions including owner Brian Hah's "Brian's Special".

The yogurt here is quite tasty and apparently is made in-house. I liked the plain and taro flavors the best - in my opinion chocolate does not pair well with the tart yogurt taste and the blueberry was a bit sweet for me, but still delicious. They have many different and unique toppings here, including Pocky, mochi, a variety of cereals and tons of fruits and candies. I absolutely loved the avocado shake with bubbles (tapioca balls) added in. Wow - this could definitely be lunch and as it is not too sweet, probably a pretty healthy one. I will be back for that shake and recommend this place for a good, unique yogurt fix. Parking is validated for up to 3 hours.

Plain & blueberry swirl with strawberry, mango, granola and blueberry.



Taro with Strawberries, mochi and coconut - these flavors so very well together - you have to get a taste of each in one bite!



Chocolate Mocha yogurt with marshmallow creme, chocolate sauce and Golden Grahams - Yogurberry's homemade s'more.

My Addiction

Green tea yogurt with blackberries, strawberries and mango

For awhile now I have been addicted to the short menu available at Yoforia, an Atlanta frozen yogurt chain. Catching on to the healthy fro yo craze that already hit LA and New York, the flavors available are simply: original, green tea and pomegranate, although I believe they are making a new chocolate flavor that will be available soon - that I'll have to try. Then you choose your toppings (up to three). I usually go for the fruit, although the availability of mochi is always tempting and, surprisingly, Oreo cookie crumbles are very good with green tea yogurt! The fact that each ounce of yogurt is only 25 calories makes it even more difficult to curb the craving!