The FroYoTest
By Jennifer Segal
Each kind of frozen yogurt has its fans.
Tart froyo is tangy and sweet, and tastes like real yogurt in frozen form.
Sweet froyo, on the other hand, tastes more like soft-serve ice cream.
So where can you get the best sweet or tart froyo in the Bethesda area? We decided to find out: first by conducting a reader poll on our website, then with a taste test of our own. Visiting the stores readers picked as their favorites, we sampled the most popular flavors at each place. And the winners are…
Best Tart FroYo
Yogiberry’s Original
While many versions we tasted were too airy or too tart, leaving our sweet-tooth cravings unsatisfied, Yogiberry’s “Original” was deliciously creamy with just the right balance of tart and sweet.
Based in Maryland, the family-owned and -operated chain began in 2008 and now has 11 stores in the D.C. area, including Bethesda and Rockville. Yogiberry offers more than 30 flavors. Customer favorites include Original, Taro, Lychee, Vanilla, Cake Batter and Thai Iced Tea, according to Phoebe Doan, director of operations. Toppings range from fresh fruit and candy to exotic choices like coconut gel, lychee and homemade mochi (a Japanese rice cake).
Yogiberry’s froyo is self-serve and priced from 45 to 49 cents per ounce, depending on the location. A 4-ounce serving of Original has 75 calories, 12 grams of sugar and 2 grams of fat, according to the company’s website.
Best Sweet FroYo
SweetFrog’s Cake Batter
SweetFrog describes its popular “Cake Batter” flavor as having “all of the decadence of cake batter, minus the messy kitchen,” and we agree. Smooth, creamy and sweet, just like our favorite vanilla birthday cake batter, this froyo is irresistible to kids and adults alike.
Established in 2009 and based in Richmond, Va., sweetFrog has 230 locations, including Rockville and Silver Spring. Of its more than 70 flavors, our favorites are Dulce de Leche, Cookies and Cream, Thin Mint and Peanut Butter. Most stores offer 14 to 16 flavors and dozens of toppings, from gummy frogs to cheesecake bites to hot caramel.
SweetFrog offers nonfat, low-fat, supreme (higher in fat) and sugar-free yogurt, as well as sorbet. A 4-ounce serving of sweetFrog nonfat or low-fat yogurt has up to 140 calories, 3 grams of fat and 18 grams of sugar, depending on the flavor. Cake Batter has 120 calories, 2 grams of fat and 17 grams of sugar. The yogurt is self-serve and priced from 40 to 45 cents an ounce, depending on the location.
