Best Fro-Yo Shops in SoCali
Can fro-yo dialogue ever exist without a reference to Pinkberry anymore? There's more to swirly creaminess than the controversial Korean chain, especially in the fro-yo motherland of So-Cali.
Here are my five top fro-yo shops without a Pinkberry in sight.
About the author: Erin Zimmer, our Washington, D.C., correspondent, is a new media analyst and frequently writes for Washingtonian, DCist, and other local publications. While Georgetown's food columnist, she investigated the cafeteria's omelet station, Hoya coffeeshop's cultish pumpkin muffins, and what exactly the basketball players ate.
Golden Spoon
Address: 32411 Golden Lantern #S, Laguna Niguel, CA and multiple other locations
Phone: 949-248-4338
Website: goldenspoon.com
The white plastic spoon is far too pedestrian for this Cali-Nevada-Arizona-(and now one in Utah!) chain. They stay classy with gold, and equally rich yogurt. About eight to ten fat-free flavors rotate each day, usually with a token coffee, berry, classic vanilla, mint variation and a few chocolate types. During holiday seasons, they roll out the pumpkin or peppermint. Widespread, but always satisfying.
Yogurtland
Address: 501 N. State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA, and three other locations
Phone: 714-525-2912
Website: yogurt-land.com
The self-proclaimed Socal pioneer of DIY fro-yo. Yes, it’s true. You get to pull down the lever and decide when to stop. No countertop barrier either; they give you the wheel. Beyond the 16 fro-yo flavors, there’s a topping station with over thirty options like granola, Reeses and healthier, fruitier stuff. It’s weighed by the ounce (33 cents each), so it can add up. Once you reach the finish line, throw it onto the scale and some pimply high schooler will ring you up.
Yogurt World
Address: 4646 Convoy St #113, San Diego, CA
Phone: 858-268-1688
About a nickel more an ounce than Yogurtland, but it's the San Diego alternative. Asian influences are big here, like green coconut and green tea mochi flavors, with canned fruit toppings. Big college hangout.
Great American Yogurt
Address: 19073 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA
Phone: 714-841-5976
Website: greatamericanyogurt.com
Much like a great American novel, it’s about freedom and glory. The glory of frozen indulgence. It's another DIY type with a wall lined-up with fro-yo levers, many of which are diabetic-friendly. Nicknamed “GAY,” the family-owned shop isn’t a chain, but a comforting staple for Huntington locals surfer bums. Rotating flavors sometimes include Bavarian coffee and banana cream pie.
Bliss Natural Frozen Yogurt
Address: 2094 N Tustin St, Orange, CA
Phone: 714-279-9933
So when is fro-yo just as bad as ice cream? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Tasti-D-Lite and other businesses like it have been knocked for disobeying the 10-cal-an-ounce promise. But the Bliss shop put “Natural” in its title to eliminate that fear. It’s non-fat and made from live active cultures, not a powder. Try mango with the yogurt chips topping.
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12 Comments:
Dangit--I saw "fro-yo," and all of a sudden, that Amateur Gourmet guy is singing his fro-yo song in my head! It still cracks me up!
OneWallKitchen at 2:55PM on 02/29/08
Yogurt World in San Diego needs a little more love in this description.
Here are some reasons why Yogurt World is the BEST BEST place to go for yogurt:
1. They have a sign congratulating themselves - "CONGRATULATIONS TO YOGURT WORLD" - that they kept it up since their opening 2 years ago.
2. Their cows are happier than those other so called wannabe-yogurt places, and the use scientific research along with ancient Chinese secrets to create the best yogurt in the world. And if you don't believe me, they've put it in writing on their wall.
3. They are experts at explaining the nutritional health benefits of daily yogurt intake. It improves your digestion, prevents acne and increases metabolism. Again, if you don't believe me, they hung it up in writing on their wall.
4. They have provided instructions for best practices in Yogurt Nirvana, institutionalizing the practices behind this nebulous art form that has crossed into popular culture. As a result, Yogurt World has democratized access to Yogurt, leading the world in social change one yogurt at a time.
5. The San Diego Convoy location is special becase after you eat the yogurt, you can walk down to the Wow! Photo Sticker Studio and engage in some PuriKura love.
6. One of the their 16 flavors is Taro Cookie - the best!
7. They offer lactose-free boysenberry - so they are ethnically sensitive to those who don't have enzyme to digest milk. You can bring your vegan friends and lactose-intolerant friends along!
8. The owner Michael is unpretentious, warm, and caring business owner. He cares about his client, and has sat down with numerous of times, open to suggestions in architectural design of the next Yogurt World that will open at UCSD!
triciawang at 3:38PM on 02/29/08
I am in love with Golden Spoon. I love the selection!!! I go at least once a week.
daer91 at 5:25PM on 02/29/08
Golden Spoon is definitely, by far, the best around here... outstanding!
(mmm... might have to get me some of that tonight)
LoCo at 9:01PM on 02/29/08
Okay, I have to say something about Yogurtland. I was sorely disappointed eating there and I would never recommend it to friends. Why? Because all their yogurt is non-fat! Even with all the toppings you can choose from, it can not hide the fact that the yogurt had no flavor.
whowantscandy at 9:49PM on 02/29/08
uh...SoCali?
sorry to be a butt, but that sounds really awkward. Is that what people in DC call us XD?
dead_brontes at 6:15AM on 03/01/08
Erin! After I read the article in the NYTimes, I swore that I had to find a way to bring real frozen yogurt here to DC. What do you think? Heard any rumors? I'll even invest my own money!
emily20008 at 10:37PM on 03/01/08
dead_brontes -- I lived in SoCal the first eighteen years of my life, and go back pretty regularly. Never without a visit to Golden Spoon, and the impressive gobs of stripmall fro-yo hotspots off the 5 fwy.
emily20008 -- We should really exchange numbers. The only contenders seem to be Thomas Sweet and now Sweet Greens in Georgetown (for a more tart Pinkberry experience). But it's pretty bad. A few friends and I have romanticized the fro-yo operation business plan, but need more like you!
Erin Zimmer at 12:33AM on 03/03/08
i am in the unfortunate position of working down the block from a newly opened red mango, which sings its siren song to me almost every day, and now there is a pinkberry's opening around the corner.
why don't i just sign my paychecks over to them and be done with it???
cybercita at 4:47PM on 03/03/08
Reading this made me want to give the stuff a try after about 20 years after my first (and only try). You have to remember that 20 years ago, our only option in the Southeast was TCBY. After one try, I wanted no more. So finally, this past Saturday, I tried White Cup in San Marcos. It was not at all the overly-sweet, grainy, flat-tasting stuff I remembered. It was like a tangy soft-serve. And the fruit was fresh, not canned. I'm glad they aren't any closer to me, otherwise, it could become addictive.
beth1 at 12:08AM on 03/04/08
All of these places are pretty far south, especially if you live in the Los Angeles area where it takes 35 minutes sitting in traffic to get out of the city. For something closer check out Gelato Bar on Tujunga in Studio City. They not only serve the best gelato in town, but they also make a super-tangy creamy frozen yogurt that I fly across the country to eat by the bowl.
Schlock and Awe at 11:14AM on 03/04/08
I know it will sound incredibly childish of me, but I WANT TCBY BACK!
cakespy at 11:40AM on 03/04/08