Once upon a time, frozen yogurt was nothing more than a sad substitute for ice cream. Cloyingly sweet with noticeably fake flavors and a depressing lack of richness, it was mostly eaten only by the fat phobic. In recent years, fro-yo has gotten a major image makeover thanks to companies like Pinkberry and Red Mango, which brought a new style of frozen dessert to LA and New York. These cold treats have the assertive tartness of actual yogurt and are served with a bevy of exotic toppings, like bean paste and mochi.
Finally, Philly has caught on to this trend. Now that there’s a Red Mango in Center City—can Pinkberry be far behind? Until one of the originators lands, there are plenty of local options for cooling down with a new (and better) kind of fro-yo.
The Rittenhouse location was the first U.S. outlet for Yogorino, an Italian company with dozens of shops around the world. This is some creamy, milky, more-yogurty-than-sweet-and-frozen stuff, so go elsewhere if you’re not a fan of tasting the treat’s true essence. Unlike most other yogurt stops, this one isn’t self-serve.
Flavors: Plain yogurt only
Toppings: gourmet sauces, fresh fruit, cereals, nuts, candy
Tartness Quotient: Intensely tangy; the most yogurt-y of the bunch
Price: Sizes range from mini to large and from $3 to $6.10, each including one topping
Eating Experience: Window-ledge seating
Scoop Score: A
The folks at Pure Fare churn out two homemade soft serve flavors each morning—one of which is always vegan. The varieties change weekly, but if you’re lucky you’ll stop in when Chocolate Coconut is on tap: a mix of coconut milk, raw cocoa, and agave syrup for a sweet finish.
Flavors: two flavors made in-house daily and rotated weekly
Toppings: fresh fruit and granola
Tartness Quotient: most flavors are highly sweetened for a less yogurty flavor than the others
Price: $4.75
Eating Experience: Window-ledge and communal table seating, plus two outdoor tables
Scoop Score: A, barely missing the A+ mark for lack of smaller (and cheaper) sizes
Phileo has more than most local fro-yo shops: more flavors and more toppings. For the decisive, this is great news. Folks who can’t choose between chocolate and vanilla may need to take a few breaths and make a pros and cons list. For an Asian flare reminiscent of the national fro-yo movement’s founders, top half of your bowl with mochi balls and azuki bean paste.
Flavors: Up to 16, with original tart and chocolate-type staples, tart fruit options and curveballs like taro and snickerdoodle
Toppings: Sauces, fresh fruit, mochi balls, azuki bean paste, nuts, cereals, candy, cookies
Tartness Quotient: The original tart and tart fruit flavors are just tangy enough, but others, like cupcake batter, verge on sweetness overkill
Price per ounce: 49 cents
Eating Experience: Self-serve with window-ledge seating and a few small tables
Scoop Score: B+
Family owned and operated, the self-serve UPENN spot is just one of a number of Kiwis in the greater Philly area. Formerly know as Sprinkles (the shop changed its name a few years backs), Kiwi is the self-serve fro-yo landing spot across the Schuylkill.
Flavors: 14, with the likes of tart mango and salted caramel pretzel
Toppings: Sauces, fresh fruit, cereals, candy, mochi balls, cookie dough, brownie, and cheesecake bites
Tartness Quotient: Sweeter than it is tart, with the exception of original and tart fruit varieties
Price per ounce: 49 cents
Eating Experience: Window-ledge seating and a few tables
Scoop Score: B
The ice cream man reincarnated: Gozen offers self-serve fro-yo on wheels. Eight flavors flow from the food truck itself and toppings are dispensed to your liking. Check their Twitter account (@GozenYogurt) to see when you can create your own, and to really wow your friends, hire Gozen for your next event.
Flavors: Eight rotating varieties, from simple chocolate and vanilla to tart fruit options
Toppings: Fresh fruit, cereals, candy, cookies, nuts
Tartness Quotient: The original and tart fruit options pack some tang, but other flavors balance sweet and tart
Price per ounce: 49 cents
Eating Experience: Take a seat on the nearest bench
Scoop Score: B
Berry Sweet on South Street spot is big, so there’s ample room for groups even during fro-yo rush hour. Flavor names are catchy, like Dark Knight Chocolate, and in prime fro-yo season, you can enjoy your treat at an outdoor table.
Flavors: 12 flavors, from original tart to Irish Mint
Toppings: Syrups, fresh fruit, cereals, candy, cookies, nuts, mochi balls
Tartness Quotient: The original is moderately tart and most other flavors aren’t too sweet
Price per ounce: 49 cents
Eating Experience: Tons of window-ledge seating and a number of tables, both inside and out
Scoop Score: B
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