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Friday, September 11, 2009

Dallas frozen yogurt meltdown: BerryBerry in Addison

by Teresa Gubbins

Editor's note: Latest chapter in our series on frozen yogurt covers Berry Berry Yogurt in North Dallas.

Opened: May 2007

Profile: Small, independently-owned frozen-yogurt place with a faithful cult opened early in the game with a heavy emphasis on being "healthy."

Ambiance: Berry Berry sits in a sterile strip center in Addison on busy Belt Line Road. Interior has brightly colored Lucite tables that evoke the classic fro-yo shop vibe. Probably the big thing here is the service. Manager Kimberly has been here practically since the place opened (the mom-and-pop owners are hands-off) and is quick to offer samples and guidance.

Utensils: Plastic plastic plastic including plastic cups for a standard small yogurt.

Price: $2.95 for a small 5-ounce serving -- which, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that an outrageous 60 cents (OK, 59 cents) per ounce?

Yogurt: For starters, it's not self-serve. It has four flavors -- fewer than the typical self-serve place. They always feature original tart and sugar-free custard; the other two flavors get rotated from a list of 15 fruity and chocolaty flavors such as blackberry, mango, strawberry, and pomegranate. Although the outlet claims to use all fresh fruit and no sweetener, none of the flavors sampled tasted especially fruity. (In fact, the mango tasted plasticky.) The original tart was just mildly tart.

The dominant factor in the experience at Berry Berry was the texture and consistency -- different from most of the other frozen yogurt places around town. It was ultra creamy almost to the point of being fluffy. When it melted, there was a creamy residue, versus the milky deal with most of its competitors. The machines they're using -- which they wouldn't identify, nor were they interested in divulging the names of the owners, which is always weird, when a place gets secretive -- seem to whip more air into the mix, giving it more of a traditional ice cream personality.

Verdict: Draw. Place has prevailed for two years and is not the same self-serve routine as most of the other places, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your priorities.

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

Theres no fruit on your yogurt pictured, how did you sample it, did you ask for a sample of fruit? If theve been around for this long, they're doing something right! I enjoy this place more than others, worth the price I pay too! Thanks for finally including them in your series!

lovelybro Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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Okay I am not going to leave a negative comment but I am going to surrender to this cultural phenomenon just one time. Please let me know where you think the best place in central Dallas is to try frozen yogurt. I can't ethically knock something till I try it. (It you don't mind I really would appreciate it.)

tetsujin28 Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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i've experienced both self serve and behind the counter Fro-Yo. Though I am looking forward to the opening of Pinkberry... the California chain that started this whole tart yogurt craze, the self serve is by far the greater deal. There are more flavors to choose from, you pick your size, and load on as many toppings as you want, healthy or not. If you want a dollars worth, get a dollars worth.

nina_chawla Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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tetsujin28, I think t-Gub's favorite so far is <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2009/aug/07/dallas-frozen-yogurt-meltdown-yogurtland-carrollto/">Yogurt Land</a> in Carrollton.

Collin Gouldin Verified

2 months, 1 week ago
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BerryBerry uses Italian-made Carpigiani machines, while almost all other local froyo chops use American-made Taylor machines.

Scott Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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hey lovelybro, i didn't sample any of their fruit. on all of these frozen yogurt visits, i've focused on the yogurt only. glad to hear you like the place

tetsujin28, so far my favorite is <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/places/yogurtland/">Yogurtland</a> up in carrollton. they have the most flavors, the best assortment of flavors, the lowest price, and they seem to do the best job at handling the stuff. they also use compostible/recyclable spoons so they're paying attention to their environmental impact on the planet. for me, they are the standard by which to measure all others.

i've had Pinkberry in L.A. a few times but have never had Red Mango, am looking forward to the opening this fall of both of those chains. meanwhile, there's still many local fro-yo places already open we haven't yet covered, including I Heart Yogurt, Menchie's in Highland Park Village, Dragon Berries in Southlake -- enough to keep our frozen-yogurt series going for many more weeks, hooray

Teresa Gubbins Staff

2 months, 1 week ago
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I hear great things about Menchies in Highland Park.

nina_chawla Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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Yeah TG I noticed you changed your wording on the review, and added some taste comments too.. The owners are there and not a secret either. Im sure their names arent thrown around just to anyone who asks. All your other reviews mention nothing about the owners, or their machines...whats the big deal?

lovelybro Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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yah lovelybro, i changed it because your comments made me realize that my description about the fruit might be misleading (IE, i did not try the fruit, just the yogurt). i appreciate your input.

all of the other frozen yogurt places i've visited have been open and forthcoming about who they are and what they're doing. this one is the exception, and that's why i thought it merited mention. do you happen to know who the owners are?

Teresa Gubbins Staff

2 months, 1 week ago
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He's there most of the time. By what you thought of them, you may not be back to visit.
Oh well, i'll keep going back for their service and great product, thats what "I" look for in any business I patronize. Even looking forward to their Dallas store to open, its closer to where I live!

lovelybro Anonymous

2 months, 1 week ago
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Many times I've gone there was a man who identified himself as the owner.

The machines Scott mentioned are considerably more expensive than Taylor machines. A less common feature they have is the option of pump or gravity feeding. Pump feeding is kind of like a fuel injector, adding extra air to the mix.

You'll find some Wellspring machines too. Wellspring is a also minor player in the frozen yogurt mix industry.