Austin: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt

I swore off FroYo awhile back. Too out of hand, I ruled, too unhealthy when you add in all the mix-ins and candy topping and cookie dough bites.

But then they put a new one, Menchie’s, in the Central Market shopping center by my house (4001 North Lamar Blvd. Suite 550) and we just HAD to go try it last night (it’s open Sun – Thurs: 11am-11pm, til midnight Friday & Saturday).

The thing that differentiates Menchie’s from the other chains is the toppings. There are an INSANE amount. And they crush them all to tiny, or have mini versions–like mini yogurt-covered pretzels, are you kidding me?–so that you can get just the right amount in your cup.

They also have hot fudge, fat-free hot fudge, peanut butter, and caramel sauces. Out of the pump thingies, not out of the gross squeeze bottles.

And they have about a billion options. Any kind of nut, all kinds of chocolate chips, chocolate-covered almonds, the mini pretzels, mini gummy bears, sour worms, mini animal cookies, two kinds of brownies, the requisite cookie dough and cheesecake bites, berries, kiwi, and cinnamon apples … it was crazay up in there.

The yogurt flavors were nothing extraordinary, though the low-carb Angel Food might serve a particular crowd and the dairy-free kiwi strawberry sorbet was delightful, they definitely were not the stars of the Menchie’s show.

Menchie’s is a national chain, so it clearly has a formula that works. You can even pay $1 extra for a waffle cone bowl, something I haven’t seen anywhere else. But it also has national chain prices, at 41 cents an ounce as opposed to the Austin average of 39 cents. Not my fave, but worth trying. Just my, er, 2 cents.

I’m still off the frozen yogurt. But if you’re on the wagon, Menchie’s is worth a visit. I’m just sayin’.