Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt - a Mixed Review
Sunday, October 8, 2006 11:02Hopefully I will not invite the wrath of my friend, Colleen Cuisine, with this tale of my first trip to Pinkberry.
Last night we hit up the new Westwood location at about 10:00pm after an obviously long and busy day of business for the new outlet. I could tell they had a long and busy day because the toppings were scattered everywhere behind the counter, next to the counter and even in front of the counter. As my wife observed, “you better not come here with food allergies tonight, because everything is touching everything else.” I’m willing to let the messiness slide, for now, since the store had only been open for three days and it was their first Saturday serving the UCLA crowd.
The line was out the door, but not too long. The store is very small inside and even three or four people waiting would push the line outside. We waited maybe 10 minutes to place our order. As a Pinkberry virgin, it would have been nice to see a list of the toppings somewhere, I would have looked at the toppings themselves, but the crowd waiting for their orders to be filled blocked access. Another very minor ding. Fortunately I had some prior information about the cereal and fruits offered, plus we intently watched as people carried their orders out to see what looked good.
There are just two yogurt options at Pinkberry, plain or green tea. I ordered plain (actually, I ignorantly asked for vanilla, but the cashier was nice enough not to correct me) and opted to top it with blackberries, mango and Fruity Pebbles. I ordered a medium because I has heard that the yogurt was distributed around the side of the cup, leaving a hollow middle, so the sizes look a bit bigger than they actually are. The medium with three toppings runs $4.95.
Even though the store was packed to overflowing, we didn’t have to wait too long to get our orders. My first impression was “wow, that is a beautiful frozen yogurt”. The whole black berries were deep colored and ripe, the mangos were diced into small cubes and the Fruity Pebbles were sprinkled about like confetti. My second impression, after taking a bite, was “wow, that is some sour yogurt”.
Pinkberry’s big selling point, and what makes it unique when compared to the fro-yo of old, is that they serve “real” yogurt. Real yogurt is made from cultured milk using some specific bacteria. Yep, age milk with a dash of bacteria and you get yogurt. I have some history with real yogurt, my mom used to make it on our kitchen counter when I was growing up with her yogurt maker. I definitely recognize that sour taste in Pinkberry.
What I really enjoyed about Pinkberry was the toppings. I like that the fruit was just that; fruit without a sugary syrup. Also, the fruit was nicely ripe, the blackberries were plump and sweet without being over ripe and mushy. The Fruity Pebbles added a nice sugary crunch, although they were pretty sparce, I could have used another spoonful on top.
My final verdict: It was ok. I think that I personally prefer the sweetened frozen yogurt. I would like to get some yogurt from somewhere else and then take it to Pinkberry to be topped. Pinkberry’s yogurt was a little too sour for me. I will absolutely go back and give the green tea flavor a try though and see if it is any better. $5 for a medium is a bit high, but not altogether outrageous when compared with some other dessert treats around town.
As a counter point, my wife’s final verdict: She loved it. She preferes Pinkberry to the sweetened alternative, and that is coming from someone who loves dessert and sweet treats.
My prediction: Pinkberry will hold on for the next 18 months, then will be a victim of over saturation as they open too many stores. Competitors will continue to pop up and water down the market, there are already a number of Something-Berry out there, I saw a “Beach Berries” in Huntingon Beach, check out the packaging, look familiar? I am curious if this concept is being sold by a franchising company, or if these other stores are just taking a hot idea and running with it.
By Jonah (see more of his posts). Jonah is the founder of la.foodblogging and also created Digesty, a food blog aggregator and Cheww.com, a spam free foodblog search engine.
KT says:
October 8th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Hmmm … I swear I am crazy because I just tried this last night and it was not sour enough for me.
But I am weird.
Jonah says:
October 8th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Ha! Funny KT, I guess it just shows that we all have different taste sensitivities.
Like you, I would like to know more info about the nutritional info. Not that I really care either way, I expect dessert to have calories/fat/sugar, I’m just curious to know what the details are.
Suzy says:
October 8th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
yummmmm….pinkberry. I already want to go back- who says every other day is too often for pinkberry.
Cate says:
October 9th, 2006 at 9:21 am
Tried it this weekend too, it’s really good but too difficult to get to. They also barely filled the small cup with yogurt. When I asked to have the plain next to the green tea in the same cup, they told me that I could NOT tell anyone that they did that. Ok… There are 5 grams of sugar per ounce, so it is sweetened. Bigg Chill is doing a tart flavor and it is far more tart than Pinkerry’s. Anyway, glad I tried it and it is delicious.
MaxMillion says:
October 9th, 2006 at 10:17 am
Haha Cate — you squealed! Now we can all ask them to pair the flavours!!
Someone on Colleen’s site commented that the yoghurt is made from powder that is sent over from Korea. Thus, no live cultures are present in the final product, which is too bad. Does anyone know if this is true?
They’ve been threatening to open a Pinkberry right near me behind Dupars in Studio City. I’m looking forward to giving it a try. That is, if I can tear myself away from Gelato Bar.
thranduil says:
October 9th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
We stopped by yesterday at the Westwood location - very nice, modern decor. We were able to look at the topping choices before ordering (since it wasn’t as busy as when Jonah went) and decided on a small cup with a raspberry topping. We thought it was quite good (nice sour tang), since we are both yogurt eaters. They do swirl the yogurt around so you’re left with a empty pocket of air underneath the swirl, but there was plenty for a good taste. It’s a nice change from the usual ice cream shops in the area, but we’re not convinced that it will tear us away from Diddy Riese unless the lines for a $1.25 ice cream cookie get too ridiculous.
Cate says:
October 9th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Thanks for your support, Max! I think that I read somewhere that freezing destroys any live cultures. Lucky you if they open in your neighborhood. :)
Annulla says:
October 11th, 2006 at 6:28 am
We just got our first Pinkberry here and I haven’t yet tried it. Since I prefer tangy yogurt to sweet, sounds as though I’ll like it.
Colleen Cuisine says:
October 11th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
That’s it! We’re not friends anymore!
Just kidding…
At least I know Suzy has good taste ;)
Eddie Lin says:
October 14th, 2006 at 9:15 am
i made a wish that they would open a pinkberry in a mall so people wouldn’t have to worry about parking anymore. i also wished for world peace.
MaxMillion says:
October 15th, 2006 at 9:41 am
^ lol — I just wish people would be more considerate to each other when driving; world peace may follow…
The not-yet-opened Studio City Pinkberry is in a mall that has a Trader Joes, a Blockbuster, a MacDonalds, Dupars diner, a drycleaners, a shoe repair place and various other services. The parking sitch there is already horrendous.
Miguel says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Pinkberry has opened in Studio City!!
Anna says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 9:09 pm
I am actually going to NY this weekend to see what the big deal is about PB. If you all really knew what this was made of, I am sure a lot you out in California will stop making a big deal about this yogurt ( supposely yogurt)
MaxMillion says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 10:21 am
^ Anna, are you going to be able to divulge what you learn? Hope so!
When I see the word ‘yoghurt’ I think ‘live cultures’ and ‘relatively healthy’. But Pinkberry is probably almost as full of sugar as icecream. Perhaps less buttermilk, cream or milk solids… But a sugary, frozen confection nonetheless.
Thanks for the heads up, Miguel! Better head over to the Studio City location today and see for myself.
katie says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 2:19 pm
The original Pinkberry has the nutrition facts posted by their cash register. I don’t remember anything but the fact that it is 25 calories per ounce. Smalls are 5 oz, mediums are 8 oz..
Also, I was really disappointed by the hole at the Pinkberry in Westwood. I found that my first trip to the original Pinkberry was by far the best and the Westwood one leaves something to be desired (messy counter, random guy behind counter who said racist things to me, big hole in the cups, slow so the yogurt was melted when i got it, etc). However, the yogurt is still very good and a must for people who’ve never tried it.
katie says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 2:20 pm
by hole, I mean having all the yogurt being swirled around the edge of the cup, leaving a hollow middle in your cup of yogurt.
Guillermo says:
November 6th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
I do love Pinkberry but have found another place I like better! The yogurt at Gelato Bar in Studio City is REAL yogurt (I asked the guy who makes it) and they will put in stuff like flax seed if you ask. The parking is hard at both places… just depends on what’s more worth it I guess.
Evan says:
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:37 am
So Pinkberry is coming to Long Beach, so I can find out what all the buzz is about.
chris says:
February 3rd, 2007 at 10:53 pm
well did anybody find out whats in this yogurt ?
Dolores says:
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:11 am
PINKBERRY IS MY LIFE. omgee so good. haha
Cynthia says:
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:12 am
yoo wtff doloress. you know i like pink berry moree than you geez. you just do if for attention cuzz your stupid boyfriend likess itt!! well you know wattt you dontt. and i like it moree sooo stfuuuu.
I LOVE PINKBERRYY!
-cynthiaaa
smileroo says:
March 12th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
never got into pinkberry….i actually tried it once and was not impressed. try Bare Naked Yogurt at the Century City Mall. MUCH MUCH MUCH better….and topings are better too. its very low key not hyped up like pinkberry and amazing quality!
smileroo says:
March 12th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
i would ditch Pinkberry….wait in a that line for ok yogurt….rather go to Bare Naked Yogurt in the cebntury city mall. better quality same price and more options!
amie says:
March 12th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
With the crazy hot weather today, I decided it was the perfect excuse to try Pinkberry for the first time. I went to the store on Vermont in Los Feliz. I loved it. It has a unique flavor — it actually tastes like yogurt would if you freezed it! I love the pure simplicity. The store design is cool too.
mostly hungry says:
March 14th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I have been a recent regular at the Pinkberry on Vermont. Store seems busy but always spotless, as for the yogurt…Super Yummy. But what I want is a swirl. The machines they are using can swirl… so why not swirl? They will swirl a large only. Also, since it has opened the “fruit count” has dwindled. Last visit they were down to 4 blackberries. I am looking forward to trying imitators, if they swirl flavors, I’ll quickly change alliances.
Pat says:
March 14th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
I agree about the smaller fruit count. I have been a Pinkbery fan since they opened in West Hollywood and they seem lately to be taking shortcuts, the small fruit count being one. Skinny napkins are another. And then they charged me tax on my order one day and when I went back the next day to get my daily dosage, the guy told me that they are now charging tax to encourage people to get their yogurt and leave. so if they ask you if you are getting your order “to go”, say yes, otherwise it’s 8.5 cents more. I do love their product and the look of the store.
Catherine says:
March 15th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Finally. A frozen yogurt that actually tastes like frozen yogurt.
Green Tea + blackberries, strawberries, and almonds.
I luuuurv Pinkberry.
Now I’m just waiting for a Pinkberry to open shop in Eagle Rock.
Catherine says:
March 19th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
As Katie mentioned above about the hole in her yogurt cup, I experienced the same thing at the Los Feliz location. So, being inspired by MaxMillion to do a little food detective work myself I emailed the Pinkberry HQ inquiring about the uniform holes appearing in yogurts across L.A. I’m happy to say the Director of Training immediately replied with an insightful explanation that the employees are trained to weigh the orders. He assured me that they are working on a way to dispense the yogurt to eliminate that problem; he then offered a complimentary three item combo for my next visit to the Los Feliz store. Days later, I received a follow-up email from the District Manager warmly introducing himself and reminding me to ask for him upon my next Los Feliz visit. What a great team effort that was made to acknowledge their customers! Kudos to Pinkberry!
Annie says:
March 26th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Frozen yogurt’s had its day. Why reinvent the wheel?
Dippin’ Dots is much better. Premium ice cream, yogurts and flavored ice.
Debbie says:
April 28th, 2007 at 9:21 am
I am absolutely guilty of jumping on the bandwagon of trendy new food establishments. But there is redemption, because I’ll definitely never return to a place that is just plain hype. So after weeks of not finding parking at the WeHo PB, I find out that I have a PB in my local ‘hood, so I rush to Olympic/Sawtelle and I expertly ordered the “plain” with mangoes. I thought “Sure, okay, I like it, but what’s the big deal?” The next day, I rush back to PB (right at 11AM when they open) and I order the green tea with rice cakes. I’m still in denial about being hooked on the tasty light no-guilt snack, but I shrug off the green tea one as well, “Yea, okay.” So, yes, now after three trips a week to PB, I’ll admit it, it is really really good. And I love the green tea with rice cakes. And the Olympic PB does not make a hole; they do the opposite-they make a tower.
icee says:
June 28th, 2007 at 6:43 am
Yogurt Land is better than Pink Berry..because it’s self serve and you can add as much as you want with 10 different flavors
Jenni says:
July 10th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
[deleted] - please don’t post multiple comments using different names
liz says:
July 10th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
[deleted] - please don’t post multiple comments using different names
aj says:
July 17th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I LOVE PINKBERRY! I am on a very restrictive diet and this is the perfect dessert for those just like me! I ordered a 5oz original yogurt with strawberries, bananas, and mangos. It was absolutely divine!!!! My first time having Pinkberry yogurt, I instantly fell in love. There is a Pinkberry at the Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. For those of you worried about parking (like at West Hollywood), there is plenty of parking there.
kathey says:
August 26th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I work for Pinkberry in Koreatown and I am in love with the froyo,if any one has any suggetions on how to make our service better just come on down ask for me,we are located at 3300 w 6th st
Yogurt Fanatic says:
October 4th, 2007 at 9:30 am
[deleted because this appears to be comment spam]
YOGURT EXPERT says:
October 5th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
[deleted because this appears to be comment spam]
Erica says:
January 26th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Um… my husband and I walked 30 minutes in the freezing tempature to get to it because I’ve heard good things about it. He got the plain one and I tried the green tea one. We ate quietly until I said, “What do you think?” “I hate it, ” he said. I didn’t want to admit it because we just spent over $12 for two ( I got something with yougart on top and ice and ricecakes at the bottom), but I had to agree with him that it wasn’t good at all. We had to go get something else after that to get that taste out.
Joellyn says:
January 29th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I guess I’m just going to have to be in the minority here, but I’m one of those who hasn’t jumped on the PinkBerry bandwagon. I kind of have to agree with Erica about the taste–a little too sour for me, and the prices–well, just way overpriced IMHO for a frozen dessert. And they’re over saturating the market–I have TWO withing a couple miles of me–really too much. But as the french like to say, “Chacun sa sont gout”.