Huddles Frozen Yogurt

Huddles Frozen is a new frozen yogurt at 86th St. and the Monon. It's in the same plaza as the Whole Foods/Target. You can see their website at: Huddles Frozen Yogurt. They offer an interesting twist on the frozen yogurt plus toppings concept that is offered by other yogurt places in town (e.g., Yogokiss and Zoe's Yogurt Village).

Decor:

The place is really cool-looking. Super-clean, a little modern, very interesting. I loved this wall they had:

There's also an assortment of Colts gear for sale:

You can see there are big-screen TVs (3 in all). There are also a few tables inside and seating outside along the Monon:

Service:

There really isn't too much service here, as you do everything yourself.  You grab a (huge) cup and get in line. Then you serve yourself as little or as much yogurt you want from one or more of 10 yogurt dispensers along the wall:

After you get your yogurt, you move on to the toppings bar where you also serve yourself. This can be crazy if you have kids with you, they're eyes get as big as saucers when they find out they can put whatever they want in their cups. After you select your toppings, you get your cup weighed and you pay. That's it.  There were a few employees around to help direct and so on, they were all helpful and pleasant.

Food:

These yogurts are really good. They have a changing menu, including premium, sugar-free, non-fat, and sugar-free/non-fat. I've tried the peanut butter/cookies & cream swirl (it's delicious, these must've been premium flavors as they were decadent) and the cake batter/red velvet cake swirl (these had to be premium, too, also very delicious). I tasted a bit of my friend's mountain berry and it was insanely good. I would do just that next time.

The toppings were what you would expect, an interesting thing I saw were self-serve (of course) dessert syrup topping bottles (in several flavors including caramel, key lime, vanilla, chocolate, etc.). Also, they had red velvet cake as a topping.

I forgot to take a picture of mine until I'd eaten a bit:

As you can see, I have a waffle cone bowl (which you can find where the line starts). I had the peanut butter/cookies & cream swirl with crushed Oreos/marshmallows and caramel syrup. I couldn't finish the waffle bowl and I wouldn't get it next time as the yogurt is really the star of the show.

Pricing:

You pay by weight at Huddles, $0.45/ounce. The waffle bowls are $1 extra. The size of the bowls are HUGE so it can be really easy to over-serve yourself. Take less than you think you want, you can always get more later because you're paying by weight. Ounces add up quickly!

Verdict:

The yogurts are awesome, the toppings are good, it's a lot fun of getting everything yourself and making your own concoctions, and there's Colts gear in the room. I love it. Huddles is definitely going to become a dessert stop for me.

Yogokiss

After my visit to Jasmine Thai, I had to stop by at the place next door: Yogokiss. It's a frozen yogurt place right next door. They usually have a few different flavors and a couple made of soy (usually caramel and vanilla). They have a toppings bar with all the usual suspects like sprinkes, cookie dough, oreo bits, etc., and they also a wide variety of gorgeous fruits.

Decor:

Sorry for the dark picture, but you can see the place is fun, very spacious, areas to hang out. The owner encourages people to write on little pink hearts and leave messages on the walls. There is also a wall of magazines, plus comfy couches, and free wi-fi to encourage people to stick around.

Service:

I've never had anything but kind service here. The owner and staff are happy to let you sample the flavors and explain the process. They also allowed me to take pictures in the restaurant (I always ask).

Food:

Here's the toppings bar. Unfortunately, I skipped all the healthy looking fruits and ended up with coconut, peanuts, and reeses peanut butter cup bits on sugar-free, fat-free frozen yogurt. Oh! I was also able to add bits of oatmeal waffle cone for free. I was not sad about it:

The yogurt was not screaming chocolate, but very subtle. It's a sugar-free, fat-free yogurt so it is a but watery and thin and there's little richness to the mouth feel. But it's pleasant. Certainly, if you want a decadent, creamy ice cream experience, this isn't the place for you.

Pricing:

I ordered a small with three toppings for about $4.15 after tax. As I have a smaller appetite, I generally share this size with my husband. I find it in line with other ice cream and yogurt places for this size and amount of toppings. Not cheaper, not more expensive.

Verdict:

A fun place, nice for hanging out, decent yogurt, great toppings. If you're right there and are looking for a sweet treat that's not going to be a calorie bomb, it's the place for you.