With the recent surge in frozen yogurt shops in central Indiana, we compare some of the most popular spots to keep chilly year-round.

Compiled by Dhruti Patel [email protected] and Melinda Song [email protected]

Orange Leaf

Overall: A-
Orange Leaf seems to be the buzz in Carmel right now, and it’s obvious why. Not only does the atmosphere welcome families, friends and even couples, but it’s also located on prime real-estate near Regal 17, Jet’s Pizza and Clay Terrace. Highlights include the Japanese-imported mango and strawberry “poppin’ bubbles” filled with flavored juice as well as the unique mural that greets you. But where were the exotic flavors, including Pistachio, Lychee and Green Tea, listed on the Orange Leaf website? Granted, as the Carmel branch continues to grow, these flavors may yet make an appearance. Overall, the pricing is affordable, and you won’t feel guilty after eating here: one ounce carries an average of 30 calories. Finally, self-service gives you, the customer, complete control of your unique froyo creation.

Service: B+
Self-service doesn’t allow for much interaction.

Pricing: A-
Weigh and pay: 45 cents/ounce, $3 to $7 price range

Variety: A-
16 flavors: vanilla, coffee lover, chocolate, peanut butter, pineapple, coconut, cookies & cream, chocolate & raspberry, confetti cake, mango tango, peach, strawberry, cheesecake, cherry, caramel & chocolate, almond.
Taste: B+
I decided to try a combination of mango tango and peach with vanilla as the base, topped with delicious “poppin’ bubbles,” mango fruit and gummy bears. My creation tasted pretty good—until it started quickly melting.

Amount: A
Choose from either a huge 16-ounce container or a gargantuan 24-ounce one.

Atmosphere: A-
Crowded and popular, this location straddles the border between Carmel and Westfield. It can hold about 30 people and attracts people of all ages. Despite its self-service aspect, the store has a warm atmosphere with the buzz of content customers, a vibrant color scheme, as well as a customized wall mural of its surroundings.

Yogokiss

Overall: B+
Yogokiss, while not offering all the variety of other frozen yogurt shops, is a quaint place that is an ideal location for a quiet Sunday afternoon. With a calming atmosphere, I could easily spend a couple of hours there, relaxing on the couch and reading the sweet wall of love notes. However, it was not the best place I’ve ever eaten, and it would not be my first place when looking for a dessert. Overall, Yogokiss offers a unique twist on frozen yogurt, venturing away from the expected.

Service: B+
Unlike some frozen yogurt places, Yogokiss doesn’t have a self-serve option. While service wasn’t terrible at all, it wasn’t as warm and welcoming as I would expect from any kind of eatery.

Pricing: B+
The pricing was average: it wasn’t too expensive, but not cheap enough to brag about. A small size was around $3 and the extra large size was $8. Toppings were extra, being around 75 cents each.

Variety: B
While the flavors that were available were original and tasty, there were only five of them. However, there was a wide variety of toppings available, Yogokiss also offers bubble tea, soy ice tea and hot beverages in addition to frozen yogurt.

Taste: B+
Yogokiss offers original flavoring, from coconut frozen yogurt to pineapple bubble tea. I tried the latter and honestly have never tasted anything like it before. The coconut was delicious and the tapioca “bubbles” were a nice surprise every now and then.

Amount: A
For only paying $4, I was able to make my bubble tea last from the moment I got it to later on that night. While the small size of frozen yogurt would be best as dessert, the rest of the sizes are more than enough to fill a hungry stomach.

Atmosphere: A
Yogokiss is cozy and relaxing; however, the store is more hidden than other restaurants, being farther away from the road and near many car dealerships. Nevertheless, it’s a charming shop and definitely worth discovering.

Huddles

Overall: A
Huddles is not only a great frozen yogurt shop, but dessert place in general. I will definitely be a returning customer, as the combination of great taste and a welcoming atmosphere are too much to resist.

Service: A
Even though Huddles is self-serve, I have to say the service is great. The cashiers are friendly, upbeat and helpful.

Pricing: A-
Weigh and pay: 45 cents/ounce, $3 to 7 price range

Variety: B+
Huddles offered 10 different flavors of frozen yogurt when I went, though its website advertised many more. In addition, there were more than enough toppings available to create a custom-made dish for yourself.

Taste: A
Huddles’ frozen yogurt is to die for. Huddles shatters all preconceived notions about frozen yogurt and the dessert experience all together.

Amount: A
Huddles offers 16-ounce and 24-ounce containers.

Atmosphere: A
Huddles appropriately shows its support for the Colts with blue coloring the walls and the tables. The shop is also very conveniently located on the Monon Trail, making me think that it’s where most of my summer will be spent.

Yogenberry

Overall: B+

If you’re looking for a frozen yogurt restaurant that deviates from typical flavors (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry), Yogenberry is the place for you. Although it is a little pricey, the taste of its products will make up for the extra money spent. In addition, Yogenberry supports other local businesses and charity events in the community. However, I was disappointed to find that the location serves Colombo frozen yogurt, not its own, and some of the fruit toppings looked artificial. Nevertheless, Yogenberry’s forte resides in its creative creations, exciting flavors and diverse menu. All in all, while its presentation may not be as exciting as that of other places, Yogenberry proves that it deserves to be a strong contender in the froyo world because of its taste.

Service: A-

Not excessively open nor excessively reserved, the loud sound of a blender prevented much conversation.

Pricing: B

$3.49 for a regular size cup, which looked like it could hold eight ounces, and $3.99 for a larger 12-oz. cup, $5 to 10 price range

Variety: A

Besides regular frozen yogurt, Yogenberry also serves smoothies, sundaes, parfaits and “hurricanes,” store-created frozen yogurt combinations. In addition, Yogenberry serves somewhat eclectic frozen yogurt flavors, like Almond and Superman, as well as sherbet. Yogenberry’s menu also changes with the seasons to include items such as pumpkin spice frozen yogurt and hot chocolate.

Taste: A-

I decided to try the Pinkberry smoothie, which includes strawberry and pina colada flavorings. The taste was a pleasant surprise as the flavors complemented one another nicely. While Strawberry Banana is the most popular, Yogenberry also offers creations like the “Angel”, which mixes frozen yogurt with different types of berries.

Amount: B+

The containers here mirror those offered at Coldstone in size, and the size of the smoothie cups are, fortunately, larger than necessary.

Atmosphere: B+

Self-owned, Yogenberry seemed relatively inactive for a Friday afternoon; I was the sole customer. The layout of the restaurant is family-oriented and reminds me of Yogokiss on a smaller scale, holding about 15 people. With the radio playing quietly in the background, Yogenberry provided a rather nice break from the hustle-and-bustle of Orange Leaf. Although its real-estate isn’t as desirable as Orange Leaf’s, Yogenberry is located near Panera Bread, Qdoba and Mellow Mushroom