Noodies, Tucson

I was just in Tucson for a very short business trip (working with students at University of Arizona).  It was mid-October, and the weather was 95* and sunny the entire time I was there.  I *loved* it, and in my world, this was absolutely perfect ice cream weather.  And if you know my blog, you know how much I adore soft serve, particularly in that kind of weather.

My research yielded shockingly few ice cream/froyo/gelato places around where I was staying.  There was one local ice cream chain that people do love (hard serve only), a Cold Stone, and a Pinkberry further away, but other than that, there wasn't much.  One place on campus had plain tart froyo only.  It seems most people opt for Mexican style refreshing icy treats (respados), or get smoothies.  There were *tons* of smoothie/bowl shops.  Acai everywhere. 

But my research did have one very promising set of options: Noodies and Ceres, sister restaurants.  They are actually pasta/sandwich places, with house made pasta as their main attraction, but both also offer house made soft serve gelato.  A rare find.  They have just two flavors at a time, and they swirl to a sundae creation with curated toppings.  The flavors change weekly.  I stalked them on Instagram, and couldn't wait to find out what my flavors would be.

But ... they are not open on Mondays or Tuesday, and I was there in Tucson only Mon-Wed.  And Ceres is only open for lunch, and is kinda far from where I needed to be at 1pm.  Thus, I made sure that at least on Wednesday, I was able to make it to Noodies.

I'm so glad I made this prioritization decision.  I'd eagerly return in the future, to either location, and even though I am not a big pasta person, I'd likely try that too, as it looked incredible (and was sooo fresh!  You could see them rolling fresh pasta right there).

Exterior.

There was some outside seating, more under some umbrellas, but minimal.  I think in general it may be too hot for people to really want to eat outside.

Inside.

The ordering and pickup area are at one end of the interior space, tables fill the rest.  I believe they have table service for dine-in.

Baked Goods.

I didn't realize that Noodies had baked goods!  I was there aiming to get the soft serve, but the "Noodie Pie", their signature dessert, looked incredible (the crust has crushed pecans and dark chocolate, it is filled with a rich mocha mousse, and topped with coffee whipped cream and shaved chocolate).  The staff member told me it was her mother's recipe and it was as incredible as it sounded.  Since I don't consume caffeine later in the day, I couldn't get it to enjoy later either.  I really did consider getting it instead of soft serve, but, I stuck with my plan.  It was 95* after all.

I also nearly got another goodie to take for the evening.  They had whoopie pies, which I rarely see outside of New England, but the warm weather wasn't actually putting me in the pumpkin spice mood (the flavor of the day), even though it was mid-October.  The frosted cookies even called out, despite being lemon (not my fav).  

Next time, I'd definitely plan to try some of these items too, they come from the same local bakery that makes their focaccia.  

Almond Joy Gelato (Kid's Size). $3.

"Coconut gelato swirled with dark chocolate sorbetto (V) topped with coconut flakes, toasted almonds, and chocolate shell."

I went for the swirl, with all the suggested toppings but the coconut flakes.  I actually do like coconut (obviously, I was getting coconut gelato), but the coconut flakes were untoasted, and I'm not particularly into the consistency of untoasted coconut.  I thought it would be more generously dipped in chocolate shell, but instead, was just a slight drizzle.  Same with the toasted almond slices, you can see all of them, the backside of the cone had none.  If I had to criticize one thing, it was the amount of toppings.  I wanted more!

But what I did have was delicious.  The coconut gelato was nicely creamy, a reasonably strong coconut flavor that still had dairy cream in it, which I prefer - I like coconut, but don't actually care for coconut vegan ice cream or the like.  The dark chocolate sorbetto was incredibly rich and decadent.  It tasted like a cross between a fudgicle and very rich dark chocolate mousse, just, frozen.  I think a full cone of it would be far too much for me (but a bowl of it with whipped cream and raspberries to balance it would be heavenly!).  I really liked both flavors, although my cone was more like 65% dark chocolate sorbetto and only 35% coconut, which made it borderline too much chocolate for me.  The almonds were great crunch, and the chocolate shell was a high quality dark chocolate too, not the waxy style.  It all came together very very well.

I got the kid's size, not knowing how big they might be, and I'm used to a world where kid's size is much bigger than this.  I think I'd get a regular in the future.  

Overall, a great treat, ****, although slight ding for quantity of toppings, and ratio of the two flavors being off in my twist.  

The kid's size was only $2(!), the regular $4.  Toppings are $0.50 each, or $1 for all.

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Noosa Yoghurt

Update Review

Blended Yoghurt

Noosa continues to expand their product line of yoghurts, now offering a "blended" range.

The ingredients and nutrition stats seem essentially identical to the classic yogurts, they just really are ... blended.  Was the step of mixing them really too much effort for people?  I actually *like* to mix them, as I often like to eat a little of the top, and a little of the goo separate.

Still, of course I tried these.

Blended Packaging.

The blended yogurts are packaged just like all other varieties, in convenient single servings.   They are available in 6 flavors: coffee, key lime, mixed berry, raspberry, strawberry, and simple vanilla bean.

Vanilla Bean.

I went for vanilla bean.  The verdict?

Bo-ring.  Really, really bo-ring.  Nothing unique here, just, like any other decent yogurt on the market.  Not particularly sweet nor tart, not particularly creamy nor not, just ... fine.

I won't get this again. ***.

Update Reviews, 2017 & 2018

More Noosa reviews, my old favorite yogurt brand in the US.  Including their more recent product line: Noosa Mates!

For previous reviews, see my original here, or last updates here.

Another month, another new Noosa flavor!  That is what it seems like sometimes.  Every time I check in on Noosa, they seem to have another new flavor.  And I like to try them all.

Strawberry.

"You’ve had the rest, now try the berry best. our take on this quintessential yoghurt flavor is made with real strawberries, whole milk and a touch of pure wildflower honey for bushels of flavor."

I somehow never tried one of Noosa's most simple flavors before: strawberry.  I tried, but didn't care for, the strawberry rhubarb, but never just plain strawberry.  Not sure how I missed this one.

It was fine.  The yogurt the same rich creamy Noosa like the others.  The strawberry layer, as always, in the bottom, was sweet, fruity, and flavorful.  Not just mush, not like generic "pie filling in a can", but it actually closely resembled my mom's own homemade jam.  I liked it.  

This flavor was great with some crumbled peanuts on top too, a la PB&J! ***+.

Apple.

"Apple pie à la yoghurt.  We slowly cook crisp Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in a large kettle until they magically meld into what can only be described as granny’s apple pie without the crust. It’s then fittingly topped with our rich, creamy honey yoghurt."

There are many Noosa flavors that scream out "dessert!" to me, like lemon and salted caramel, and, given how creamy and rich Noosa yogurt is, they really can almost pass as dessert, and those are my favorites.  So, even though I don't really like apple pie, this one sounded like dessert, so I had to try it.

And ... it was great!  Same fantastic Noosa base yogurt, rich, creamy, slightly sweet.  The apple component was little cubes of apple in spiced puree.  The spicing was strong, but not in a bad way.  It did, indeed, taste like apple pie ... if your apples in your pie were cubed rather than sliced.  The apple wasn't mushy, not too firm.  For apple compote, it really wasn't bad.  And like I said, apple isn't really one of my favorites.

Overall, this was very good, and I enjoyed it.  If you like apple pie in particular, go for this one. ***+.

Honey.

"It’s easy to comb through a tub of the lightly-sweetened deliciousness that is honey noosa. our tart and creamy yoghurt, paired with a touch of the golden stuff, is the tasty foundation to all of our fruit flavors and will make anyone a bee-liever."

Noosa tricked me.  They have two flavors with the same color lid!  I was rushing around the grocery store, and grabbed the yellow lid, assuming it was lemon, my favorite, and one I've reviewed many times.  And ... it wasn't.  It was honey.

I didn't realize this however until I opened it the next morning, and went to look for the lemon layer.  It was missing.  In fact, there was no layer of any kind.  Homogenous yogurt.  What?  That isn't how Noosa makes yogurt ...

I was confused, and actually, assumed manufacturing error.  Did they forget the lemon layer?  And then I re-read the label.  Honey.  Doh.

But still, it is Noosa, so I swallowed my disappointment, and got ready to be excited about trying a new flavor.

As I said, there was no separate layer.  Unlike every other Noosa flavor (besides probably vanilla and plain?  I've never had those).  The yogurt was creamy and thick as always, slightly tart, slightly sweet.  I can't say I tasted honey exactly, but, it certainly was sweeter than plain yogurt.

I wasn't a big fan of this, besides the consistency of the yogurt. ***.

Noosa Mates

Well, Noosa got more fun.  They created "mates", flavored yogurt paired with toppings to mix in.  Some of the flavors sound awesome, like caramel chocolate pecan (caramel yogurt, toasted pecans, Guittard chocolate, and pretzel bits to mix in), or coffee chocolate almond (coffee yogurt made with cold brew, with almonds, Guittard chocolate, and coffee crunch).

Noosa Mates: Packaging.

The portions are individual servings, larger than their regular single serves though, with a separate top clear container showing off the mix-ins.

Honey Cranberry Almond.

"Breakfast isn’t just the most important meal of the day, it’s also our favorite. A combination of granola, cranberries, roasted almonds and pepitas plucked straight from the breakfast bowl and placed on top our creamy honey noosa you can enjoy anytime of the day." 

Each compartment is individually sealed.

I would have picked one of the more fun flavors, but, these were being given out for free on the street, so, I had no choice, and I was still excited to try it.

Noosa Mates: Honey Yogurt.

The yogurt was standard, rich, thick, creamy Noosa, with a pleasant sweetness of honey.

Cranberry Almond Granola Topping.

The topping sounded pretty boring, but I actually really liked it.

Sweet crispy bits of granola with oats, sunflower seeds, amaranth, millet, quinoa, and chia hiding in there.  Nice cinnamon flavor to the granola too.  Flakes of toasted almonds.  Crunchy pepitas.  I wasn't into the cranberries, a bit too hard, but I rarely like dried cranberries.

The topping ingredients all combined together nicely, complimentary flavors, and they were indeed nice to mix in with the yogurt.  I opted to just make "perfect bites" rather than mixing in directly, so I would take a spoonful of yogurt and then load it up with granola.  I was sadden by the portion of topping though, not nearly sufficient for this style of eating.

Overall though, quite tasty and satisfying.  ****.

Noosa Mates: Coconut Almond Chocolate.

"No shirt. No shoes. Only a spoon is required to enjoy this tropical island treat. Toasted coconut, almond slivers and Guittard Chocolate chips are set adrift upon our creamy coconut yoghurt. So kick back and lose yourself in our tub."

The base for this one was the coconut yogurt, which I've reviewed before.

Coconut Almond Chocolate Topping.

The topping to this sounded slightly better - sliced almonds like the previous one, but I'll take toasted coconut and chocolate over granola and cranberries any day.

And, much like the previous flavor, I loved this topping too, even though it sounded pretty simple.

The chocolate chips were Guittard chocolate, dark, high quality, plentiful.  An excuse to eat chocolate? Works for me.

The coconut was my favorite though, not just toasted, but somewhat candied almost.  Sweet and crunchy.  I really enjoyed it.

I liked the composed yogurt + toppings, and I like Noosa yogurt in general, but honestly, I like the toppings enough as munchies that I'd buy those individually too!  Or, I wish they gave more  - what is provided is exactly the right amount for a serving, uh, I just want more extra! ****.

Update Reviews, November 2016

Noosa.  My favorite store brand yogurt, as I've reviewed before, because it is basically dessert.  While not all flavors are amazing, the salted caramel and lemon have long been my favorites.  But Noosa continues to introduce new flavors, and I continue to try them all, no matter how strange they sound.  This batch of flavors were all interesting, and the yogurt was still the same creamy, rich noosa I love, but, none of the new flavors did it for me.  I'm glad I've tried more, but, I'm going back to my old faves.

Pumpkin.

“The crisp days of fall call for the smooth taste of noosa, with our own spin on traditional pumpkin pie. This seasonal noosa will carve out a place in your heart with the warm, rich spices in our pumpkin puree."

I was hoping that this would be like pumpkin pie.  With creamy noosa on top.  Creamy pumpkin pie.  Mmmm.

It ... wasn't.  Sure, the yogurt was standard creamy, rich noosa and I liked the yogurt itself.  But the pumpkin puree layer was ... just orange pudding?  It didn't taste like pumpkin, and it certainly didn't have the spices of pumpkin pie (not that it claimed to).  It was very bland.

Overall, the yogurt was fine, but, the pumpkin was a disappointment.  ***.

Coconut.

"Sometimes we like contrast, and other times we crave a single intensity. Smooth, creamy coconut mixed with smooth, creamy noosa yoghurt is perfect for those times. Every luxurious spoonful of real shredded coconut is yum in every way."

As always, the yogurt was creamy and rather decadent, but fairly plain (although sweet) on its own.  Unlike most other Noosa flavors with very visible fruit puree layers though, this one was almost entirely white.  Because, well, coconut.

The coconut layer was, as always, located on the bottom/side of the container, available for me to mix in as I desired.  It was a bit hard to find though, since the colors were so similar.  The coconut layer was a puree of sorts, made from coconut, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, and lots of sugar.  It was basically just tons of shredded coconut, in a thickish sweet sauce.  It reminded me of German chocolate cake filling, just, sans any chocolate.  It was quite sweet since it was considerably sweetened, which was just a bit odd with the coconut flavor.  It also didn't taste *that* coconuty, although it was clearly made of shredded coconut.  The texture of all the shredded coconut was a bit off putting.

Overall, this was ok, but, you certainly have to like shredded coconut and sweet.  I wanted to add cocoa powder, or chocolate sauce, or chocolate chips, or something and turn it into a German chocolate cake.  ***.

Bhakti Chai.

"Close your eyes and visualize your favorite spoon. Now, picture yourself digging into a creamy yoghurt blend of chai tea and masala spices from our favorite local chai company: Bhakti. There’s only one way to describe it. Namastasty."

Well, hmm.  This isn't a combination I would have thought of, or, honestly, picked out on the street.  But Ojan brought it to me to try out, as he knows I love trying new Noosa flavors.

It was ... interesting.  The yogurt was thick, rich, creamy, delightful Noosa yogurt as always.  And the chai?  Well ... it was kinda watery, sweet, spiced syrup that I don't entirely want with my yogurt.  Unlike most Noosa, there seemed to be some on top too, not just on the bottom as is standard.  I wonder if that is because it is more watery than other flavors, so it seeped up the sides?

Anyway, it was Chai, for sure.  And it was well spiced.  Just not really my thing.  **+.

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Blackberry Serrano.

"Rob (our co-founder) has a new favorite flavor: this one. Go ahead. Dip your spoon into our marionberry blackberry and serrano chili noosa. It’s sweet, then spicy, then creamy, then gone."

Ojan picked this one up for himself.  I didn't take a photo, as it was his yogurt.  But I did steal a bite.

It was too crazy for me not to review.  Blackberry.  Serrano.  Yes, chili pepper.  In yogurt.  The spice made it incredibly savory, even though the blackberry component was sweet.  It was spicy.  Serious kick.  So strange.  So very strange.

I don't like blackberry really, so, I didn't like this, but the serrano was beyond fascinating.  It made me really curious to try the other "Sweet Heat" flavors, like pineapple jalapeno or raspberry habanero ... **+.

Original Review, June 2016

Let's talk about yoghurt.  Or yogurt.  Obviously, not a subject I've really reviewed before (except when mentioning it in hotel breakfast buffets or when chains like Starbucks or Pinkberry introduced new versions).  And to be honest, I'm not generally a yogurt eater ... unless it is froyo of course.

The fact that I'm not into yogurt isn't really consistent with what you'd expect, given my love of puddings, panna cotta, and other creamy, rich, dairy based desserts.  Which perhaps is the problem.  I always want yogurt to really be dessert.  And generally, it just falls short of that line.

Enter Noosa.  They sum it up pretty well: "We’re noosa, and we make yoghurt. But not just any yoghurt. Ours is thick and velvety. Sweet and tart."

It really is quite different from other yogurt.  The texture really is thicker, yet creamier, than other yogurt.  I'm not sure how they do it.  Besides the plain, all flavors have a compote you mix in.

Noosa was started by an Australian ex-pat who lives in Colorado.  In Australia, this sort of yogurt is common - a big container of rich, creamy, full fat, delicious yogurt, generally topped with something like passion fruit.  Every corner market has it.  Yogurt is big there.  So when the founder of Noosa moved to the US and couldn't find it, she decided to fix that.

Enter Noosa.  She puts the fruit compote on the bottom, but, besides that, it really does remind me of the yogurt in Australia.  The flavor variety is fairly extensive at this point, mostly fruit based, but, recently they have gotten a bit trendy with a pumpkin and salted caramel flavors.

Noosa is still yogurt, don't get me wrong, but, some flavors in particular are close enough to crossing into dessert territory that if you are looking for a guilt free tree it really might satisfy, particularly with a crumble of some sort sprinkled on top.

(For the record, there does exist yogurt that IS entirely like dessert.  You can find it at Tres restaurant at the SLS Hotel in Beverley Hills.  It is ... amazing.  Basically panna cotta, but made from Fage yogurt, whipped with vanilla bean, and with some more magic done to it.  If you ever find yourself in the area, seriously, make a beeline for it!)

Blueberry Yoghurt.

"Sure, you’ve tried blueberry yoghurt, but blueberry noosa is in a league of its own. Off-the-charts in yum, our best-selling flavor inspires cravings like no other with sweet, juicy blueberries hidden beneath our creamy yoghurt."

This was the first flavor I ever tried.

The yogurt was almost a cross between what I know as Greek yogurt and American yogurt.  It was clearly thicker than traditional yogurt, but creamier than Greek yogurt.  Australian style?

Anyway, I liked the fact that it was creamy and thick.  I certainly see why people love this yogurt, texture-wise.  But in terms of flavor, this variety didn't do it for me.  The base yogurt was pretty flavorless, which is fine, as you are supposed to mix in the blueberry.  The blueberry was a compote in the bottom that I could mix in as desired.  It wasn't too sweet, which I appreciated.  There seemed to be just the right amount of fruit vs yogurt, which I also appreciated.  There were whole little blueberries, also appreciated.

Everything about this spelt success, yet it didn't do it for me.  I clearly just needed to try another flavor, since, it was *almost* amazing. ***.

Raspberry yoghurt.

"Raspberries picked at plump perfection are bonza all on their own, but taste even more yum when mixed with our luscious and velvety yoghurt. A little bit tart, a little bit sweet, and a whole lot delicious, raspberry noosa is a dazzling experience."

The next flavor I tried was raspberry, as Ojan said raspberry is one of his favorite yoghurt flavors.

Like the blueberry, the consistency of the yogurt was great, thicker than standard American yogurt, but creamier than most Greek.  Because it is full fat, it had a luxurious feel to it.

Again, like the blueberry, the raspberry came as a compote on the bottom.  I tried the yogurt plain at first and it was boring, I tried the compote plain and it was just sweet, but once I mixed it all together completely, a nice raspberry flavor came out.  Not quite as flavorful as I'd like, but I appreciated that it wasn't too sweet.  I didn't love the compote though, perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for raspberry flavor.

The mouthfeel is really where this yogurt it wins though.  It almost feels like you are eating a dessert.  Topped with fresh fruit and granola crumbles, it was even better.  I probably wouldn't get this flavor again, but I'm now convinced that I just need to find MY flavor!  ***+.

Lemon Yoghurt.

"When life gave us lemons, we mixed them with our unique, velvety yoghurt. The smooth, silky, and perfectly tart lemon curd is a ray of sunshine at the bottom of every lemon noosa tub."

And the winner is ... lemon!

This shocked me, as I don't really like lemon flavored dessert-y things.  Lemon squeezed over salmon?  Yes.  Lemon has its place.  But in my desserts, for some reason, no!  Nothing disappoints me more than finding out that dessert is going to be a lemon cream pie or lemon bar.

So I didn't expect to like this at all.  At first glance, it was just like the others.  Creamy but thick base, lemon fruit puree on the bottom.  I tentatively tried the fruit puree, ready to recoil.  But instead ... I just dug back in.

It was tangy.  It was sweet.  If I thought the raspberry flavor was almost dessert, this one certainly was.  Even better with granola crumbles on top.

I could eat this for breakfast and feel like I was getting away with quite the treat.  Or eat it for dessert and feel like I was having such restraint.  I even think you could top it with whipped cream and it wouldn't be weird.  (I didn't get that experiment as it was gone, literally, in two seconds.)

Next time, I'm getting a bigger container.  And trust me, there WILL be a next time! ****.

Strawberry Rhubarb.

"Strawberry whaaaa? We put our own spin on the classic flavor of sweet, succulent strawberries and added tangy, tart rhubarb. No matter what hemisphere you hail from, you can’t resist this tempting combo."

I feel like a broken record at this point.  The yogurt base was the same creamy yet thick consistency that I liked.  The fruit wasn't too sweet.

Is this my first choice of flavor? No.  But, like the raspberry and blueberry, it had all the right things going on, just, strawberry rhubarb isn't my flavor.  ***.

Mango.

"The satiny tropical flavor of a sweet and tangy mango takes us back to those lazy days at Noosa beach. Enjoying it during a lounge in the sand has been known to enhance the yum-factor of the exotic fruit."

Like all the Noosa yogurts, the yogurt and fruit are separate, with a layer of the mango purée on the bottom, off to one side, so you can mix it in.  You can guess how I felt about the mango.  Still not for me.  ***.

Tart Cherry Noosa.

"Imagine a slice of tart cherry pie served with a side of creamy, lightly-sweetened yoghurt. "

Since I always think the lemon noosa tastes like dessert, this sounded promising.  Cherry pie ...

It didn't wow me.  As always, the yogurt was fairly creamy, and a great thick consistency.  The tart cherry was in the bottom, a compote with pieces of cherry in it, slightly tart.  It was fine, but, not one I'd go for again.  I wanted more cherry, and larger pieces of cherry.  Really, I guess I just wanted cherry pie.  ***+.

Salted Caramel.

"Some things in life are too good to be true. Thankfully, the combination of salty, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth caramel and our thick, velvety yoghurt isn’t one of them."

And this ... this is what all my noosa dreams are made of.  When I saw this flavor, let's just say, I was excited.  I love the base noosa yogurt, but, most of the fruit compotes haven't *quite* don't it for me.  But salted caramel? Um, yes!

And, it delivered.  The same signature, thick, creamy noosa yogurt.  Decadent enough on its own.  But this time, instead of a fruit compote or puree, there is a caramel.  Sweet, flavorful.  For all the times I've thought that noosa yogurt was basically dessert ... this one really went a step further in that direction.

It wasn't as full fledged sweet or desserty as would actually satisfy me for dessert, but, for a mid-afternoon snack, it was truly delightful.  My favorite, although, the lemon remains a close second. ****.

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Frozen Yogurt at Pinkberry

Update Review #10, 2024 Visit

Another year, another few visits to Pinkberry while in New York (since we no longer have any in SF).

Green Apple (Seasonal).

I tried a sample of the green apple, and I'm glad I tried just a sample, as I didn't care for it.  It did taste exactly like a granny Smith apple, or like creamy cider.  Which, I don't like all that much in apple form, and definitely is not what I want in my froyo.  Creaminess was good though, and it wasn't too sweet.  *+.

Pomegranate.

Pomegranate is regularly offered at Pinkberry, but I never seem to gravitate towards it.  This year, while trying to think through what might go well with peanut butter, I decided to give it a try, thinking maybe it would mesh well in a side-by-side with the peanut butter, a la pb & j.

I forgot what a sweet flavor this was.  Fruity, in a way that reminded me of black raspberry almost, but, very sweet.  It seemed almost too sweet for me, and I think I'd probably enjoy it best with the tart to contrast it.  Low ***.

Chocolate Hazelnut / Cookies & Cream.

I was in the mood for something chocolately, but couldn't quite remember which of the two chocolate-ish options was more chocolately.  It turns out, neither really are that chocolately.  

Chocolate Hazelnut: This is instantly recognizable as Nutella (I believe it is actually made with Nutella).  Creamy, rich, very, well, Nutella.  So not chocolatey exactly.  A sweeter flavor.  ***.

Cookies & Cream: More mild, less smooth and creamy, but not icy.  About equal sweetness.  Not very chocolately either.  ***.

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Peanut Butter:

I really thought I'd get the peanut butter, as I do often quite like it, but I just wasn't in the mood, which was obvious immediately after trying a sample.  It had good peanut butter flavor, but ... I'm not sure.  The peanut butter and slightly tart and slightly icy froyo nature of it turned me off, even though I normally really quite like it.  **+.

Vanilla:

I think this was my first time ever trying their vanilla!  I'm not sure why.  I don't feel like I was really missing out though, as this wasn't all that great.  Basically, just a bit sweeter of a froyo with a fairly plain flavor.  If I want vanilla, I really want soft serve ice cream, no froyo.  Froyo I go to for the other flavors, not vanilla.  I suspect best just to use in a side-by-side to balance out another sweet flavor, but not something I'd ever want to just get on its own.  ***.

Small Original.
w/ strawberries, mango popping boba, yogurt chips, mochi.

I finally took my own advice, and was entirely boring, and got the original as my flavor.  This felt like such a "waste", but, I keep being displeased when I pick others, so I did it.  I didn't even do a side-by-side with another.

The base was exactly as expected: slightly tart, a bit icy but not too bad, not too sweet.  It reminded me a lot of Eurotart, the tart flavor from YoCream (the folks who make the base for most froyo places that don't make their own).  I'm spoiled to have this in my office about one week a month, and so I think the lure of Pinkberry's base yogurt is just gone for me at this point.  It is fine, but pretty average to me these days.  ***.

For toppings, I went with one fresh fruit (strawberries), one juicy popping boba (mango), yogurt chips (for crunch and creaminess), and mochi (for soft texture).  The toppings were all good, fairly standard, but the fruit was super ripe and flavorful as always from Pinkberry (they really do source good fruity), the mochi was soft and not dried out, etc.  This set of 4 items really did combo pretty well.  I will note that they now restrict you to only 4 toppings (which has been true for a few years now), but I still slightly grumble at that, because they used to be unlimited.  Toppings: basics done well.  ****.

Overall, this was enjoyable, but not particularly special.  ***+.

Update Review #9, 2023 Visit

As part of my birthday freebie crawl, I visited Pinkberry while I was in Manhattan.  This was my first time getting my birthday Pinkberry in a few years, as we no longer have any locations open in San Francisco.

I was extremely pleased with my visit, and I'm glad I choose to prioritize this adventure, even in a city full of great soft serve options.

As always, I like to sample a few flavors before deciding on what to get, and this time, I really was met with complete indecision.   The Pinkberry location I visited had far more flavors than the ones I normally go to, so, many options were to be had, both tart, or sweet.  I couldn't even decide if I wanted sweet nor tart, let alone which flavors.

Spiced Autumn Cider (Fall Seasonal):

"The new Spiced Autumn Cider tart frozen yogurt is the perfect balance of crisp apple flavor and warm cider spice in a frozen sweet treat."

I didn't think this would be the flavor for me, but, it had just come out the day before, and I was curious.  The employee said it was really refreshing, and tasted more like cinnamon than anything else, and, as it was nearly 90*, refreshing sounded good to me, plus, really, I was just curious.  So I eagerly accepted the offer of a sample.

It was a tart flavor, and thus, yes, actually fairly refreshing.  I didn't really taste apple, but did taste some fall spices.  Basically, what she had said.  Not what I was in the mood for, but I do think it would be tasty in slightly cooler weather, and with the new seasonal pie toppings.  ***.

Cookies and Cream:

"A chocolaty yogurt made by blending real cookie pieces into the yogurt."

I'm always tempted by the sweet chocolatley flavors, and generally go for the chocolate hazelnut, but decided to try the cookies and cream just to mix it up.  It was more like a mild chocolate to me, which was fine, and it was nicely creamy and sweet.  I really wanted peanut butter as one of my flavors, and I think this would have gone really well with it, but, at least minute, I decided against it.  Good creamy texture and nice sweetness though.  ***+.

Side by Side w/ Toppings: Peanut Butter & Original Froyo
Dark Chocolate Crisps / Candied Pecans / Crumbole / Raspberries. $7.64.

In the end, I went for a side by side so I could get two flavors, and ... got one sweet, one tart.  I don't really recommend this, and I probably would have actually liked it better had I gone in one direction or another, but, I really wanted both the peanut butter (always a favorite there, a sweet one) and the original (it really is just quite good and refreshing), and so ... yeah, I did a side by side.  If I could have decided on just sweet, peanut butter with either vanilla or cookies & cream would be a great choice, or if just tart, original with either of the fruity tart ones, or even the fall cider one, but ... yeah, I wound up with this mismatched combo.

Pinkberry used to allow "unlimited" toppings, as in, as many as would fit if you opted for toppings (their model is toppings or not, no option to get just one, etc).  Now they limit you to 4, or you can pay more for additional.  I struggled just as much with my topping choices as I did the base froyo.  All the fresh fruit looked very vibrant.  Kiwi! Mango! Strawberries!  Blueberries!  And what about the popping boba or mochi in several flavors?  Or of course, all the candy and candy-adjacent things, the sauces ... limiting to 4 was quite hard.  In the end, I went for one fruit (uh, to be healthy?), one nut (uh, protein?), and two sweet toppings, because, really, I'm a kid at heart.

Peanut Butter Froyo (Sweet): 

"Light, refreshing, and completely satisfying, made with real peanut butter."

I always like the peanut butter froyo from Pinkberry.  It is one of their sweet flavors, and is quite creamy.  It doesn't taste healthy, it doesn't come out icy, mostly doesn't remind me of froyo.  Strong peanut butter flavor.  Really, at least to me, indistinguishable from soft serve ice cream.  A reliable favorite for me.  Best side by side with a chocolate sweet option (chocolate hazelnut or cookies and cream) or vanilla.  ****+.

Original Froyo (Tart):

"One-of-a-kind taste that is refreshing, light and craveable with the perfect balance of sweet and tart."

The original tart froyo is their signature flavor, and it too is a reliable favorite.  It is tart.  It is refreshing.  And generally very smooth, not icy.  Classic good froyo.  Great with fresh fruit.  ****.

Candied Pecans:

The candied pecans were good.  Nicely candied, nicely chopped into fairly large hunks.  They didn't quite go with my peanut butter flavor very well, and likely would be best with vanilla or a chocolate one.  But the nuts were good, and I liked the crunch they added.  ****.

Dark Chocolate Crisps:  

Ahh, crispearls.  Love these things.  Perfect with the peanut butter.  Because, chocolate and peanut butter.  Need I say more?  More great crunch.  Yay, crispearls.  ****+.

Crumbole (Moist vanilla cookie crumbles):

"Versatile, crunchy and delicious, sweet vanilla and almond flavor."

These I had to look up.  But, it looked like a crumble of some sort, and that sounded great to me.  And, it was very good.  Basically, well, a sweet, crunchy, vanilla crumble topping.  Likely great with the new autumn spice flavor, but very good with both my flavors too.  Super versatile, just as the manufacturer says.  ***+.

Raspberries:

Fresh.  Juicy.  But only 3?  A bit stingy, particularly compared to the other toppings.  Very nice to have a fresh fruit with the tart froyo.  ***+.

Update Review #8: 2019 Visits

I've learned my lesson at Pink Berry.  The only flavor I really should get is Original tart, I should load it with fruit, and perhaps some nuts and (if daytime) chocolate crunchy thing, accept that this is a healthier version of a frozen treat than I normally go for, and I should give up on everything else.

I know this, but still opted to try the Strawberry Pinkbees (since, Ice Cream > Frozen Yogurt, in my world).  It was icy for ice cream, and I don't even like strawberry ice cream in the first place.  So, big meh for me.

Mango & Original, Side By Side, Small
with Mango Popping Boba, Strawberries, Blueberries, Candied Pecans, Rainbow Sprinkles.

For my flavor, I did get a side by side instead of just Original, choosing to have Mango as well.  I tried a sample of the mango, and liked the fruity nature, although it was quite sweet.  I thought that having it with the Original would help tame it (really, I'd want them swirled, but they weren't on the same machine).  The mango ... well, it was still just too sweet, and I grew very "sweeted out" after a few bites.  Maybe a little would be nice, but, it was just too much sweet for me, which I know is odd, as I'm all about the sweets usually.

The Original was pretty standard Pink Berry - tart but still fairly sweet, kinda icy, definitely froyo and not ice cream, but, if you are wanting, and expecting, this style, it is good for what it is.

The fruit was the star as always, both the strawberries and blueberries were ripe, juicy, flavorful, and fresh.  Minus a bit of a point though for stems still being on the blueberries.

The mango boba added too much sweet given the sweet mango base, so that was a bit of a failure for me, and I wished they weren't so generously applied as a result.  Normally something I like, and I do always like the bursting quality, but, when I was already wanting less sweet, they certainly took away from the experience for me.

I liked the candied pecans for crunch, but they weren't anything particularly special.  Same with the sprinkles.

The small size was far bigger than I remembered, quite a generous serve, and was nicely loaded with toppings.  I'd get the tiny next time, actually.

Overall, it was fine, again, for a healthy tart creation.  I again tell my future self though: just get the Original.

Update Review #7: 2018 Visits

March 2018 Visit

Oh Pinkberry.  I just ... don't understand.  I've reviewed it many times before (see below) and, besides the peanut butter they had way back when they opened in SF in 2012, it just always fails to impress.  There really is such better froyo out there!

But, I'm still a member of their rewards program, and thus, I do sometimes get free ones.  I keep trying, just for those.  I've concluded something though.  Unless there is a flavor I actually like, the best move is just the original, loaded up with fruit.  The fruit always is actually good, and, while boring, and still not creamy, the original flavor is a decent base.  Not really my general style, which is why its taken me so long to conclude this, but, it really is what I should do.  Next time.

Small Side-by-Side with Toppings: Chocolate Pinkbees, Original Yogurt. $5.99.

As always at my location, the flavor selection was lackluster.

Tart original, pomegranate, and meyer lemon.  Mango sorbet.  Chocolate hazelnut froyo.  Chocolate Pinkbees (ice cream).

The chocolate Pinkbees was new to me, and, although I don't generally want chocolate ice cream, I tried it.  It was ... meh.  Better than the very icy chocolate froyo, but, not super creamy premium chocolate ice cream.  It is lowfat after all.  And I didn't end up caring for the chocolate flavor itself either.  Doh.

"Original: one-of-a-kind taste that is refreshing, light and craveable with the perfect balance of sweet and tart".

I also went with Original yogurt, done as a side by side, since I knew it wouldn't combine well, and since every other flavor was tart, I didn't really have a choice if I wanted to try the ice cream.  The Original was fine, slightly tart, slightly sweet.  Not very creamy though, clearly "froyo" in the sense that makes people look down on it.

For toppings on the Original side, I opted for fruit, finally taking my own advice to stop getting all the candy and things that looked good, and just get fruit which actually generally *is* good.  I went with kiwi and mango, as the strawberries looked a bit sad.  Both were, well, good.  Juicy, ripe, flavorful.  They went well with the Original flavor.  

So that side was a quasi-success.  Still not something I'd crave, but I was happy to finish it.

The other side was ... very sad.  I didn't care for the flavor of the ice cream, so that was one strike.  My toppings also weren't great.  I wanted nuts for crunch, so I went for pecans, that looked slightly caramelized.  I couldn't taste them, very, very masked by the strong chocolate flavor.  I'm willing to try them again on a more neutral flavor, but, they were lost here.

My other topping was horrible.  I asked what it was, and was told "cinnamon".  I said, "cinnamon granola?", as it looked granola-esque.  "No", was the curt reply, "that is granola" (pointing at the plain granola).  I tried again, "cinnamon crumble?"  "No, its just cinnamon".  Um ... ok?  It clearly wasn't just cinnamon.  So I got it.  I like crumble things?  It was some kind of cinnamon crumble, but it did not add the texture, nor flavor, I was looking for.  It was like sand throughout.  Gritty.  Horrible.  And the flavor wasn't good either.  It really ruined that side for me, and even as I tried to scrape it off, it infiltrated.

For my final topping, I asked what sauces they had.  "Caramel" was one of the answers, so I opted for that.  I was surprised when she picked up the squeeze bottle of "dulce de leche", and squeezed it on, clearly annoyed to be doing so, as it didn't exactly flow easily.  It was ... fine, but covered in the horrible sand-cinnamon.

Lesson learned.  Original with fruit.  Give up on the others!

August 2018 Visit - Logan Airport, Terminal C

I arrived off a flight, totally unsatisfied, and craving ... something, anything.  Except it was 9:30pm, and everywhere was closing.  I seem to have literally just missed them all by mere minutes.  Lights were being flicked off, staff were still there picking up, as I went running up to each and every place I picked out.

After my heart was broken at Wahlburgers, I rushed around the corner saying to myself, "Well, FINE, I'll just get a big huge froyo for dinner!", only to see the Pinkberry lights off, and the staff member walking away with all the serving tongs.

Nooooo ...  

I still approached, and said "You are closed, right?"  The staff member smiled, said nah, and asked what I wanted.  

My options were not exciting though, once I had a second to read the menu:  the standard lineup of Original, Pomegranate, and Chocolate Hazelnut, that every Pinkberry seems to always have, and none of which I really like.  No more Pinkbees real ice cream, and instead just the Coconut Milk Coconut that I never really like that much.  Green Tea Lemonade, caffeinated, so out cuz it was night.  And the seasonal special: banana bread.  Eh.

I asked to sample the seasonal flavor, and she didn't mind, even offering if I wanted to sample anything else.  And when I was indecisive about which flavors to order (since, to be honest, I didn't really like any of them, but I still wanted something), she even offered, not by my asking, to make me one with all three of my choices!  They normally only do side-by-side.  She said she'd never tried it before, but would totally do it.

She was kinda awesome, even if she led me astray with one of my topping choices, strongly encouraging me to get the cookie dough, her absolute favorite.

Small Side-by-Side-by-Side with Toppings: Original, Banana Bread, Coconut Milk Coconut, with Kiwi, Blueberries, Candied Pecans, Yogurt Chips, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

The three I went for were the Original (since I know that one is at least decent with fruit, but is a very tart flavor, and not the style of creamy froyo I prefer), the Banana Bread (it was the only non-tart option, and it wasn't awful, just, not great), and the Coconut Milk Coconut (always too much on its own, but I hoped it would balance with the others).  Basically, all mediocre choices, and I hoped they would combine together to be better.  Which, they sorta did.

The original was as it always is, tart, icier style, not that creamy.  And, good with fruit.  Exactly what I expected.

The banana bread I sampled first, and it was certainly a banana flavor, and you need to like banana flavor to like this, and was too much to imagine a full bowl of it, but, it was much creamier than the others, and sweeter, so it was nice to have in the bowl.  It went best with the non-fruit toppings.

And the coconut milk coconut, even more icy than the original, way too strong coconut, just too much on its own, best tempered with the original, but still not one I actually like.  Nice with the blueberries, but again, too strong.  I need to not get it again.

The fruit was all great as always, kiwi and blueberries, both very fresh, ripe, flavorful.  Pinkberry does a consistently good job with fruit.  Maybe I should have gotten strawberries and mangos too, but I wanted to mix it up.

The yogurt chips were fine, but I always wish they were white chocolate.  Nice from some texture.  Same with the candied nuts, good texture, and hey, protein, right?

The cookie dough I added really because she told me to, telling me about how it was her favorite, how she's on a diet but eats two balls of it per shift (as in, 2 tiny pieces), so, I got it.  They were the most unremarkable cookie dough bits ever!  Tiny, much smaller than most places, and I didn't really taste cookie dough, no butteriness, etc.  Eh.  Would not get these again.

So overall, it was all fine, decent choices given the options, and at least it was something to eat at 10pm, but, eh.

Other flavors sampled:

• Cookies & Cream (nonfat, sweet): "A chocolatey yogurt made by blending real cookie pieces into the yogurt." Tasting notes:  Meh.  Yes, chocolately but not chocolate, creamy but clearly not "ice cream".  Nothing very redeeming about it.
• Green Tea Lemonade (tart): "The vibrant new Green Tea Lemonade is a summertime sensation with its delicious taste and refreshing flavor that goes so well with fresh pineapple and mango, we're calling it A Perfect Matcha!"  Tasting notes: This is a limited summer special, and, it was listed on the sign as "A Perfect Matcha", so I expected, well, matcha.  I was pretty taken back when the yogurt sample was 1) not really green, 2) tart, and 3) tasted like lemon.  I looked up, confused.  "Oh yeah, its very lemonade flavored, right?", said the server.  I'm glad they changed the marketing on this to "Green Tea Lemonade" from "Matcha", because, I can't be the only one who was expecting something entirely different!  I can't really evaluate this one, as icy, tart, and fruity was not what I wanted ... I wanted bitter creamy matcha!
• Meyer Lemon: "A new, fresh squeezed flavor just in time for spring". Tasting Notes: This was almost good, but even though it was a tart yogurt, it was too sweet for me.  I know that is hard to explain really, but, it was too sweet somehow.  Also, icy/grainy.
• Pomegranate (tart): It had been a few years since I tried this, so I gave it a try to see if perhaps my taste had changed.  Nope.  Still way too tart and just not a flavor I enjoy in any way.

Toppings:

• Milk Chocolate Crunch (Luxe Topping, $0.50/scoop): I took one bite of this, and was instantly sad.  Hazelnut.  I tasted hazelnuts.  I know people love chocolate and hazelnut, but, I do not.  And this was called "milk chocolate crunch" ... not "chocolate hazelnut crunch"!  I thought that my brain might be just be playing tricks on me, but, alas, when I looked up the ingredients online later, it was confirmed.  Hazelnuts, and almonds, both in the ingredient list than cocoa even.  Sigh.  And, it probably doesn't need saying that this wasn't exactly great quality chocolate base, the first ingredient is vegetable oil, followed by sugar.  I'm really sad they do not carry the peanut butter nor lemon crunch any more, as I loved those, and only tried this one hoping it would be like those.
• Mochi: Very standard little mochi.  Soft, pliable, fresh, but just mochi.

Update Review #6: July & September 2017

My local Pinkberry has the lamest flavors. Always. They had peanut butter, and other good ones, back when they opened, but in the past few years, I've been really disappointed. Pinkberry makes good flavors, I just don't understand why my shop never has any of the sweet interesting flavors.

This year, I visited for my annual free birthday treat, and was met with yet another disappointing flavor lineup.  2 sweet, 2 tart, and 2 non-dairy: Tart Original and Pomegranate, sweetChocolate Hazelnut and Blueberry Muffin, and non-dairy Coconut Milk Coconut and Just Fruit Tropical Mango.

The first three they always have.  Original is just boring.  The pomegranate is always too tart.  The chocolate hazelnut always fails to impress.  Boo to those.

I tried the other three.  Meh to mango sorbet.  The "Blueberry Muffin" I had tried once before, but still gave it another try.  It did indeed taste somewhat like a muffin, but it was also too tart, and also icy.  The coconut milk based coconut flavor was ok, so I opted to do a side-by-side with the lackluster chocolate hazelnut.  They seemed like they would go together well.

My creation wasn't very good.

Chocolate Hazelnut & Coconut Side-by-Side. Almond Roca, Candied Pecans, Dark Chocolate Chips, Fresh Kiwi.  Small.  $5.25.

Chocolate Hazelnut
"Decadent and sweet chocolate with a hint of hazelnut from real Nutella"

I got the chocolate hazelnut mostly because I didn't like anything else.  This one at least is decently creamy, unlike every other flavor that is always icy.  But, I never really taste the hazelnut, and the chocolate isn't that intense.  Meh.

Coconut Milk Coconut
"Made with real coconut milk."

This was decent in a small sample cup, but, it was extremely overwhelming in a real portion.  Way too strong of coconut flavor.  I like coconut, but this I didn't like.  Even as it melted, even when combined with the chocolate, I just didn't like it.  Too intense, with a strange mouthfeel.  They do add "coconut flavor" to the coconut milk base, whatever that means ...

My toppings also weren't very successful.

On the chocolate side, I had almond roca and mini dark chocolate chips.  The crushed almond roca was even disappointing, and that is one I normally like.   It normally has bigger bits and this was kinda just powder.  The little dark chocolate chips weren't particularly flavorful, not nearly as deep a flavor as the dark chocolate curls they used to have a Pinkberry.

On the coconut side, I opted to try the candied pecans, which were sweet and crunchy, and actually good, and the fresh cut kiwi, which was the best part of my entire treat.  The kiwi really was ripe and tasty ... all 4.5 nibbles I had of it.

Note to self: just get the boring original and load it up with the fresh fruit.  The fruit really does seem to be the best thing at Pinkberry.

My treat was free as a birthday reward, but normally this is >$5, which seems crazy.

[ No Photo ]
Other Flavors

Blueberry Muffin Frozen Yogurt (Summer 2017 Seasonal)."Cool down without heating up the oven with our sweet new blueberry muffin favor."

For summer, Pinkberry introduced a new flavor, and new topping to go along with it, Blueberry Muffin froyo, with blueberry muffin crumbles.

I tried it, but, I wasn't impressed.  Why was it "Blueberry Muffin"?  It just tasted fruity and tart.  It was fine I guess, but not muffin-like, and not particularly interesting.

Just Fruit Tropical Mango (non-dairy).
"Real tropical mango and pineapple that tastes like sunshine."

I didn't taste the sunshine, sorry.  But it wasn't wasn't very mango-y, because of all the other tropical fruits mixed in.  It turned out to be a mix of mango, banana puree, white grape juice, pineapple juice, and pear juice, lots of fillers in addition to the mango.  I don't like sorbet, but tried it because I have liked the mango froyo before.  Sadly, no, this was just sorbet, very icy.

Review #5, August 2016

Pinkberry has expanded beyond basic tart and sweet frozen yogurt.  They now offer a number of dairy-free flavors, and, finally, soft serve ice cream.  For dairy free, you can pick from "Just Fruit" flavors (strawberry, peach passion, or tropical mango) or you can opt for a coconut milk base (available in regular coconut or salted caramel flavors).  Ice cream comes in only one flavor "milk", is low-fat, and not available in San Francisco.

In fact, the San Francisco shop flavors continue to disappoint me.  When I went to redeem my birthday freebie, I was again faced with no flavors I wanted.  My choices were the standard tart, pomegranate, blood orange, and chocolate hazelnut that they always have, plus peach and the plain coconut milk based one.  I tried 4 flavors before I settled on two, but, honestly, I didn't want any of these flavors.  Why does our store never carry the good ones anymore?

Pomegranate Froyo and Coconut Milk Coconut Side-By-Side, With Cookie Dough, Cheesecake, Almond Roca, and . Small.

Even though I didn't really like them, I opted for Pomegranate and Coconut Milk Coconut, because the others were just way too sweet.  The coconut milk flavor was dairy-free.  In retrospect, I really should have considered the Original flavor.  Oops.

The pomegranate was slightly fruity, and very sweet.  Rather icy and not very smooth.  I know people love Pinkberry, but, there is much creamier froyo out there (like Yoppi, or my favorite local Prima Cafe).  As it melted, it got even worse, it separated into liquid and ice.  Meh.

The coconut milk flavor was about the same consistency, but was very rich.  Extremely coconut flavored.  It was a bit much, really.  It was also sweet.  I had hoped this would tame the sweet pomegranate, but it didn't.  I don't think I'd get it again, as it as just too much coconut for me.

For toppings, I went a bit crazy.  I had to rule out all fruit toppings since they had watermelon, which was sad, since the mangos and blueberries looked great.  I couldn't risk it.

I decided to get a bunch of toppings that I'd never had before, just to really mix it up.  And since I was saddened by the froyo flavors themselves, I decided to go big on toppings, hoping they'd jazz up the lackluster flavors.

So, I started with the most decadent option: cheesecake cubes.  They were awful! Cubes of mushy warm cheesecake, coated in some graham crumbles.  I tried a few, and discarded the rest.  Would certainly never get again.

The cookie dough balls were better, but not remarkable.  At least they weren't gross like the Baskin-Robbins ones?

Next up came almond roca, standard chocolate toffee crumbles, sweet, crunchy, fine.

My final topping you can't see here, but it was little pink balls.  I honestly had no idea what it was, I think she said they were pomegranate blueberry crunch balls?  They added great crunch, but were otherwise flavorless.

So, overall, not really great.  My toppings, besides the cheesecake, were all fine, but I wouldn't really recommend any of them.  And I didn't really care for the froyo itself.

I also sampled a few others:

• Blood Orange: "Exquisite and succulent tart citrus with a zing".  Just like last year when I tried a sample, it was crazy sweet.  I honestly don't understand how they take a tart thing like citrus and make it so sweet.  I did not like this at all.
• Peach: "Everything Is Peachy! light and succulent taste of a fresh harvested peach".  This is a summer flavor, and, we'll, it too was too sweet.  The peach was lost in the sugar.

A few months prior, I was on the East Coast, and got to sample the ice milk ice cream, when Ojan's niece couldn't finish hers, and I couldn't let it go to waste.  It tasted … well, like milk.  I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not.  Better than the froyo, but, compared to other soft serve ice cream, not as good.

Review #4, August 2013 and 2014

Many businesses give out freebies for your birthday, but usually they are chain restaurants, or fast food joints, and aren't really things I want (although, I've of course checked out many of them!).  This year, when my birthday rolled around, there was one freebie I was really looking forward to: Pinkberry!

Since I've reviewed them several times already, I'll skip the general details, and focus only on my experience on this particular visit.

The staff was friendly enough, happy to let me sample a few flavors first (in fact, the first question I was asked wasn't "What would you like?", but instead, "Would you like to try any flavors?").  And the cashier even wished me a Happy Birthday (always a great touch!).  And it was a beautiful sunny day, and I enjoyed the fact that they had outside seating.

My froyo was great, and I'll certainly be back again.

August 2013

Peanut Butter Froyo topped with Dark Chocolate Curls and Almond Roca, Mango Froyo topped with Blueberries and Mochi.  Small.  $4.95.

For my flavors I decided on two that I have always loved: Peanut Butter and Mango.  Of course, those flavors do not go together at all, so I had them side by side rather than swirled, and ate them separately.  My last few bites did have a little bit of each in them, as they had melted somewhat at that point, and ... yeah, mango and peanut butter just do not go together :)  But, I honestly don't know how I'd pick just one, so side by side it is!  I love that Pinkberry lets you have any two flavors you want in this way.

Peanut butter is the most decadent of their flavors.  While some are low-fat or non-fat, the peanut butter is definitely not.  They use real peanuts, which, yup, contain fat.  I'm certain that using real nuts is what makes it so delicious.  It is creamy and just so peanut buttery.  Always one of my favorite peanut butter froyos anywhere.

I love a chocolate and peanut butter combo, so I wanted chocolate based toppings on that side.  I had many choices, including milk or dark chocolate shavings, chocolate crunch balls, brownie bites, crushed cookies, chocolate granola, mini chocolate chips, or almond roca.  I have gone with the almond roca on many other occasions, and liked it, so I went for it again.  This time however, I didn't love it.  It was ok, I mean, it is chocolate covered toffee and ground up almonds, totally delicious, but it actually just seemed a bit too sweet to me.  The real winner on my peanut butter froyo was the dark chocolate shavings.  I was shocked by how much I liked them.  The chocolate was actually really good, slightly bitter, and the size of the shavings made them really fun to eat, added a bit of a crunch, and were big enough to really taste against the peanut butter froyo.  I'd certainly get the chocolate shavings again.  Surprising how the most simple seeming topping can be the best!

Mango is another one of their froyo flavors that I've gotten many times, although I've usually paired it with something more appropriate, like lychee.  I knew it wouldn't go with the peanut butter, but I didn't care.   I wanted a fruity tart option too!  And it was.  Not as creamy as the peanut butter, but still fairly smooth, nicely tart, and with strong mango flavor.  It was a refreshing contrast to the richer peanut butter.

With the fruity froyo, I wanted a light, fruit topping.  I've had such mixed experiences with the Pinkberry fruit toppings, ranging from underripe mangos to amazingly delicious raspberries, but generally the fruit is good, although not remarkable.  It all looked ripe and fairly fresh, so I took a gamble and went for blueberries.  They were as expected - not mushy, ripe, but not extraordinary.  Good enough, and I'd get this again.

I was a bit stumped on what to pick for my final topping.  I could go for another fruit, as the strawberries and raspberries both looked good, and would pair nicely.  I could add something crunchy, as there were plentiful choices, ranging from all sorts of nuts (caramelized almonds, slivered almonds, mixed nuts) to several varieties of granola.  But instead my eyes were drawn to the mochi.  The last time I had mochi on my froyo, I said I wouldn't get it again.  But I really liked the flavor combination of the sliced fresh mango and mochi when I used them as toppings on the Greek yogurt, and since I was having mango froyo, I thought it would go well.  Like all other occasions, the mochi was good.  Soft, glutenous, a tiny bit sweet.  And like before, I liked the mango and rice flavors together, reminding me of mango sticky rice.  But ... I still don't think mochi is a very good froyo topping.  I'm not sure what it is about it, I just do not like the soft mochi with the soft froyo.  I mostly pushed the mochi aside, and ate them at the end, in a pool of mango flavored melty goodness.

I also sampled the green tea frozen yogurt.  It was very creamy, but didn't have a strong enough green tea taste for my liking.

I'm still always shocked by the price of Pinkberry.  With no toppings a small is $3.50; with toppings $4.95.  Their stuff is quality for sure, but it always seems steep.  Of course, this was my birthday freebie, so I'm not complaining.

August 2014

Another year, another free birthday froyo!  The very first warmish day in the month around my birthday I headed straight to Pinkberry to redeem my freebee.  I was really looking forward to this, and hoped to get peanut butter.  But alas, my choices were fairly lame: chocolate hazelnut, which I've never liked and pomegranate which I wasn't interested in, neither of which I even bothered to try.  The promising sounding Vanilla Latte had a decent coffee flavor, but was incredibly icy.  I'm glad I sampled it first, because I wouldn't have wanted a whole cup of it.  Strawberry Banana was another sweet and not tart option, and it had pretty good flavor ... except that I don't actually like strawberry froyo or ice cream.  Thus, I was left with only the two tart options: pineapple and original.  I considered coming back another day instead, but, it was sunny, and I wanted froyo!

Small Tart and Pineapple Tart Side By Side with Strawberries, Strawberry Popping Boba, White Chocolate Chips, Almonds.

The pineapple was tart yet sweet.  I liked the flavor, except that it was actually a bit too sweet.  Both the pineapple and the original froyo were fairly icy, not as bad as the vanilla latte one I sampled, but far icier and less creamy than I remembered.  The consistency was disappointing.

For a fruit topping, I went for strawberries.  I thought strawberries and pineapple sounded good together, and it looked like the most ripe option.  The berries were good, sweet, fresh, pretty good.  I decided to continue the strawberry theme and also added strawberry popping boba (the other option was mango flavored).  They were pretty standard, sweet.

I wanted some crunch, but didn't want granola, so my only choice was slivered almonds, the only nuts available.  They were unremarkable.  Still, good for a crunch.

The final topping I picked was white chocolate chips, mostly just to have something sweet and a bit creamy.  Which is exactly what they were.

Overall, this was fairly successful in terms of the ingredients I picked working well together, but it failed to impress.  I actually liked the plain tart better than the pineapple once I had the toppings involved, because the sweeter pineapple yogurt was too sweet with all the sweet toppings.  I wouldn't get this exact creation again.

Review #3, April 2014

You know I like frozen treats, particularly on a warm, sunny day.  And, although it is a chain, I do like Pinkberry.  Sure, it isn't my number one pick for froyo in San Francisco (that honor goes to Prima Cafe), but it is creamy, reliable, and they have a great selection of toppings.

Pinkberry always carries 6 flavors, and they rotate regularly.  I wasn't very excited when I saw the 6 flavor options of the day.  My absolute favorite, peanut butter, was not available.  For tart flavors, they had classic tart, pomegranate, key lime, and mango.  For sweet, only chocolate hazelnut and chocolate chip cookie.

Hmm.  I briefly considered not getting anything, but it was a beautiful day, and I really wanted froyo!

As always, the Pinkberry staff were more than happy to let me sample things.  Rather than asking what I'd like, the first thing I was asked was, "can I get some samples for you?"  I wasn't really in the mood for tart froyo, so I asked to try the chocolate chip cookie, and the key lime, just out of curiosity, even though I rarely like anything key lime.  As I pondered a moment, the helpful worker asked if I like Nutella.  I said, sure, who doesn't.  She eagerly brought me a sample of the chocolate hazelnut, saying it was much better than the chocolate chip in her opinion.  I'd had it before and didn't love it then, so I would have never asked to sample it, but humored her and tried it.

Both the chocolate chip cookie and the chocolate hazelnut are not fat free, and thus, are clearly creamier than the fat free counterparts.  The creaminess and consistency are perfect, but the chocolate hazelnut didn't have much flavor.  And the chocolate chip cookie I just really didn't like.  I can't say what it was exactly, but the flavor just wasn't good.  And reminded me nothing of a chocolate chip cookie.

So, even though I wasn't in the mood for it, I went tart flavors ... with toppings of course.

Small Key Lime and Mango Side By Side with Toppings.  $4.95.

Shockingly, after trying the sample, I decided to get key lime.  Definitely the first key lime thing I've enjoyed in a long time.  I also decided to get my old tart standby, mango.  The key lime and mango were on the same machine, so I was offered the choice of a swirl, or a side by side.  Just in case I decided that the key lime wasn't too my liking, or, if the mango turned out to not be delicious that day, I did them side by side, but I think they would be fine as a swirl too.

The mango was fruity and sweet, just a bit tart.  It actually was a bit too sweet for me, at least, given my topping choices (more on that in a minute).  The key lime however was really tart, and I liked it.

Neither of these were as creamy as the versions with fat, but they weren't icy, and are probably the creamiest of any fat free froyo I've tried.  Very good consistency.

And then, it was time for toppings.  Pinkberry has a rule that you can get as many toppings as fit in your container.  Always such an overwhelming offer for me!

Now, a reasonable adult would get their tart, fruity froyo topped with wholesome things like fresh fruit, granola, perhaps some sliced nuts.  And Pinkberry offers all of these things.  One can craft quite a healthy treat for themselves.  And the fruit did all look good, freshly sliced, and would pair perfectly with the tart yogurt.

But ... I didn't get for any of those things, and instead picked all the ridiculous ones.  I kinda laughed when I saw my completed froyo, as I'm sure it resembled one ordered more often by a child.

Toppings:

• Fruity Bears: I remembered loving these once before , so I made them my first pick.  They are rather hidden in the photo, peeking out below the boba.  I only received four of them.  As before, I loved them.  The flavor is just so intense, very fruity, and they are the perfect level of chewiness.  I wish I knew what brand they were, because I'd really love to eat more of these, just as gummy bears, sans froyo.  I don't particularly like gummy candy in my froyo, so I always let them fall to the side, and eat at the end.  It is kinda perfect, you have that moment of "oh man, it is my dessert gone already?  I want more!" and you then get to enjoy a pile of gummy candy as a second treat.  Perfect!
• Sugarpova Smitten Sour Mini: Speaking of gummy candy, Pinkberry just introduced several new types of gummy toppings, by Sugarpova.  The "Smitten Sour Mini" are little ribbons, which weren't nearly as sour as I wanted them to be.  I didn't get these on my froyo, but when I asked how sour they were, I was immediately given a sample.  I'm glad I didn't pick them.
• Sugarpova Flirty Mini: I did get the other Sugarpova offering, the "Flirty Mini".  These were little lips, in assorted flavors, two layers, with a cream bottom.  I didn't try them before I added them, but if I had, I wouldn't have ordered them.  They were too chewy for my liking.  The lemon flavor I really didn't like.  The strawberry was a nice flavor, and the cream bottom complimented it well in the strawberries-n-cream sort of way.  Like the bears, I received four of them, which you can see, cream side up, right near my spoon.
• Strawberry Popping Boba: For my "fruit" selection, I went for popping boba.  Sure, they aren't actually made with fruit, but they had sweet strawberry flavor, and were kinda fun to eat.  They were too sweet though, at least in the quantity given.  Unlike the gummy candies, my server was quite generous with the boba, and there was far more of it than I wanted. I probably wouldn't get these again.
• Yogurt Chips: I have no idea why I added yogurt chips.  Last time I had them, I thought they were useless.  I thought the same this time.  They added no flavor.  They are the perfect size though, and provide a good textural component, but, meh, no flavor.  Maybe I should try the mini chocolate chips next time.  I really don't want to get these again.
• Fruity Pebbles: And finally, I wanted something with crunch to it.  I mentioned this thought outloud, and the server making my creation helpfully suggested granola or sliced nuts.  Instead I got ... Fruity Pebbles.  Now, I've never had Fruity Pebbles in my life.  Not as cereal, certainly not as a froyo topping.  I think whenever I go to Pinkberry, I have a moment of total weirdness where I can't make up my mind, and just call out whichever topping I see next.  And in this case, it was Fruity Pebbles.  They did indeed add a great crunch.  And, the quantity given seemed right.  But ... soooooo sweet.  With the mango in particular, they were just too sweet.  I guess if I were really in the mood for sweet I'd get them again, as the crunch and size were perfect, but not really right for this creation.

So, I sorta failed on selecting my toppings.  I probably would have liked my froyo more with fresh fruit, like mango, strawberries, or blueberries.  Perhaps some mochi.  Coconut flakes would go well with the mango.  Nuts are always good.  And who doesn't want chocolate shavings?  But instead, I had a pile of candy and sugar.  I still liked it, don't get me wrong, but ... not ideal.  As always though, those fruity bears really impressed me.  Best gummy bears ever :)

Pinkberry does make incredibly creamy froyo, but their prices are what keep me away.  $4.95 for a small with toppings?  It wasn't THAT big.

Review #2, November 2012

A few weeks ago, I posted about Pinkberry, my second favorite froyo place in San Francisco.  I wasn't planning to go back so soon, but they just launched a new rewards app to replace their physical rewards cards, and to get everyone using it, they pre-load it with a free small with toppings!  You know I can't resist freebies, but particularly not at a place I know I like.  I also installed the Pinkberry app on Ojan's phone, and dragged him there with me a few days later to split another one.  So good.

It hadn't been that long since I'd last visited, but they already had several new flavors.  Of course I had to try them.  The staff were again very friendly, helpful, and eager.  Such a happy place to visit.

I still prefer self serve models, but I do appreciate that they let you pick two flavors even in a small, so you can be indecisive like me.  And the same with toppings, you can get 4-5 different ones, or as they say, "as many fit comfortably in the cup".

Lychee and Peanut Butter Yogurts with raspberries, mochi, chocolate covered pretzels, almond roca.  Small.  $4.95.

As always, I had a hard time making up my mind, so I went for my two favorite flavors, even though they totally didn't go together at all.  Which is fine, because they swirl them side by side.  I also wanted all the toppings, so narrowing down to four was hard.  They made it somewhat easier by not allowing any of the luxe toppings for the freebie.

Lychee was a new flavor for me, and I loved it.  It was sweet, but also quite tart, and just really tasty.  I'm not sure I would have known it was lychee, but I really liked the sweet and tart contrast.  On that side, I had mochi and raspberries.  The mochi was soft, not old or stale, but fairly unremarkable.  It was just plain mochi.  He gave a lot of it.  I probably wouldn't get it again.  The raspberries were the suggestion of the server, and seemed fresh, quality, and flavorful.  They were indeed a great pairing with the lychee.  But there were only 3 of them.  I would have certainly preferred more of them and less of the mochi!

The other flavor I picked was my old favorite: peanut butter.  Probably my all time favorite frozen yogurt flavor at most places, but Pinkberry does a particularly good job with making it creamy and flavorful.  On that side I had almond roca, which like before had a good crunch and went well with the peanut butter, and some tiny chocolate covered pretzels.  Like the raspberries, I only received 3 of them.  I guess that is the magic number for countable toppings.  They were a somewhat strange thing to put on frozen yogurt.  Tiny, but still a little big to eat comfortably.  And they did taste a little stale.  I liked the chocolate coating with the peanut butter yogurt though, and the salt and crunch from the pretzel were nice.  I probably wouldn't get them again though.

I certainly enjoyed my yogurt, but I couldn't help but think that $4.95 was a pretty hefty price for a fairly small yogurt.  Yes, it had toppings, but still.  I guess that is the going rate for froyo these days though.

[ Not Pictured ]

Mango and Lychee Swirl with Yogurt Chips, Raspberries, and a Waffle Cookie. 

This was a winning combination.  They were both very flavorful, tart yet sweet, and the two fruity flavors went together really well.  The lychee helped balance out the almost overwhelming mango.

Since I was impressed with the raspberries on my previous visit, I went for them again.  They were again fresh, slightly tart, and good, although ... one seemed frozen.  Do they actually use frozen fruit?

I also picked the yogurt chips, little tiny white chips that were a bit sweet, but mostly flavorless.  I would not get these again, as they added a little texture, but little else.

And at the last minute, I also had her add on a waffle cookie.  I think I got jealous when I saw the person next to me getting a waffle cone.  I'd had the waffle cookie on my first visit, and wasn't all that impressed with it, and felt the same way this time.  It really is just a little chunk of waffle cone, not stale exactly, but not fresh tasting.  I think I'd skip this in the future.

[ Not Pictured ]

Mango and Lychee Swirl with Raspberries, Organic Fruity Bears, and Chocolate Chips.

I again liked both of these flavors.  Tart, fruity, pretty good.  I think I would actually prefer to not have them swirled, as they are each very flavorful on their own, and swirling them somewhat cancelled out the flavors.

The raspberries were again about the same.  Better than you'd expect for out of season berries, but not particularly amazing.  The chocolate chips were semisweet chocolate, and added something good to crunch on.  The fruity bears were a big surprise, they were really good!  Perfectly chewy, really fruity and flavorful, quite good.  I don't actually like gummy candy in my froyo, and pushed them off to the side to enjoy at the end, and I'm glad I did.  I'd gladly just eat these on their own!

[ Not Pictured ]

• Cookies and Cream: Delicious!  Really creamy, and almost tasted like soy milk (in a good way).
• Gingerbread: Well, it tasted like gingerbread.  Which it turns out, I don't really want in my froyo.
• Mango: Such a strong mango flavor.  Very tart.  Tons of flavor here, I think a full cup of it would be too much, but a small portion was delicious.
• Pomegranate: This had a subtle pomegranate flavor, a good tartness.  I would consider getting it again, but I tend to like other flavors more.

Original Review, September 2012

I posted a few weeks ago about my favorite frozen yogurt in San Francisco: Prima Cafe.  They are a tiny, local place, not even known for their yogurt.  It seems strange, but my second favorite place falls on the far other side of the spectrum ... the nationwide chain, Pinkberry.

They only recently opened a Pinkberry in San Francisco, and I attended the big launch event, where they were sampling many flavors.  When I went back for a regular visit, the first thing they did was offer to let me try all of them (which I didn't do, I knew I wanted the peanut butter!).  They were still new at the time, perhaps that is why they were doing that?  It seemed very generous!  Again, perhaps because they are new, but the staff seem very friendly and enthusiastic.

Anyway, their frozen yogurt is particularly creamy, and they have a slew of interesting toppings.  I greatly prefer self-serve models where I can control the size of my creation and put the toppings on how I want them, but for a full serve place, they are my favorite.

As always, multiple tastings are denoted inside brackets.

Small peanut butter and original with peanut butter crunch, lemon cookie crunch, milk chocolate crunch, almond roca, and a waffle cookie.

Frozen Yogurt:

• Chocolate: Very intense chocolate, but not a style I like.  [ Very rich, very chocolatey, but I don’t like it.]
• Chocolate Hazelnut: Very creamy, nice hazelnut tones, tastes like nutella, pretty good.
• Coconut: Nicely tart, great coconut flavor, nice consistency. [ Some coconut flavor, good consistency, ok ]
• Hot Chocolate: Very creamy, not as intense in its chocolatey-ness.  Not sure what was hot chocolate about it, the picture had marshmallows?
• Mango: Very nicely tart, creamy, good mango flavor.  [ Great tartness and creamyness, really good ] [ Tart but sweet, good mango flavor, very good ] [ Very tart, creamy, good flavor ]
• Original: Nice tartness, fairly creamy, very good for this type of yogurt. [ Nice tart, nice creamy ] [ Nicely tart, pretty good for this type of flavor, slightly icy ]
• Peanut butter: Creamy, soo much peanut butter flavor, awesome.  [ Soo much peanut butter flavor, really good. ] [ Creamy, rich, decandent, really good ] [ Creamy, rich, good flavor ]
• Peppermint: Icy, decent flavor.
• Strawberry: Kinda sweet, creamy, not my favorite.  [ Sweet and creamy, but not very distinctly strawberry, meh ] [ Tart, ok strawberry flavor, not great. ]

Toppings:

• Lemon Cookie Crunch: One of the "luxe" toppings, a liquid with crunchy bits.  Very lemony, sweet, good with plain tart yogurt.
• Milk Chocolate Crunch: Another "luxe" topping, basically chocolate sauce with crunchy bits.  Sweet, with a light chocolate flavor, great with peanut butter yogurt.  Crunch was nice texture, but I didn’t care for the crunchy stuff itself that much.
• Peanut Butter Crunch: And another of the "luxe" toppings, a peanut butter sauce with crunchies.  It did not have much peanut butter flavor, but again had a nice crunch.
• Almond Roca: Great crunch, yum, great with pb flavor yogurt.
• Waffle Cookie.  Just a chunk of waffle cone, but kinda fun to dunk in the yogurt.

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