Yogen Fruz

This is one of my go-​too spots in the summer for frozen yogurt. You have the option of putting a whole lot of toppings on it but the yogurt itself isn’t so bland that you can’t have it alone. Perfecto!

Pretty over-​priced, bizarre in how its made — a bag that goes into a weird mixing machine — and only one person was working. They only sell frozen yogurt and smoothies — no water or anything else. Not sure I’d come back if other options were available.

Meh, its a yogurt place like most others. It is average all around, but could use some help on busy days with cleaning up the messes customers leave so that others can use the space to sit and enjoy.

I used to go into Yogen Fruz after a long day at work when I was tired, and grumpy, and needed some damn comfort food while waiting to transfer to the Clark bus.
Every time, I’d think, «This is the day that it actually tastes good.» And every time it tasted terrible, like frozen yogurt designed by a pregnant lady that has whacked out taste buds. How can vanilla frozen yogurt with raspberries on it taste bad? I have no idea, but Yogen Fruz finds a way!
The place also looks like it was designed by the poor-man’s Steve Jobs, like a trendy Apple-​lite for hipsters ready to eat futuristic Fro-​Yo. The chairs they have in there look like they belong on the Enterprise. I used to be afraid to sit in them thinking I’d fall off or they’d topple over.
I actually had to do some visualization exercises to stop going in here, because it always looks so good. So I’d close my eyes and remember how last time I ate there my frozen yogurt was so tart I couldn’t finish it and ended up giving it to a drunk person on the street. Who then tasted it and threw it away.
They get an extra star because the staff aren’t assholes, but that’s the best I can do.

My fiancé and I frequent this place almost daily in the summer. We usually grab it to go, which I prefer since their tables and chairs seemed to come from the «as-​is» section of Ikea. Also, good luck finding parking in that area.
The Yogurt here is the creamiest we’ve found yet. We like it with blueberries, strawberries (sometimes we go for raspberries instead), and chocolate chips (my personal fave).
Nothing is better after a meal or on a hot day. Don’t walk, run.

First off, the only reason I ended up at Yogen Fruz was because a freak storm cause some nasty leaks at Forever Yogurt. I knew not to have the same expectations…
Basically, you better love tart yogurts. I went with the Key Lime Pie, and it was OK. I also tried the cookies and mint, which was disgusting. I suppose Yogen Fruz speaks to a small niche market, but not to me. I’ll pass.

Ok, I love this place for several reasons:
1. The location is great — cant beat the always-​busy Belmont and Clark!
2. The interior has an interesting futuristic feel to it
3. The name — it just sounds so German. Dieter from «Sprockets» approves (and yes, he wants you to touch his monkey).
4. Best of all — the yogurt is really good! I tried the key lime pie on one occasion, and while that was good, I decided to get CRAZY and just try the PLAIN VANILLA… and it was fantastic… mainly because it reminded me of those Dannon Frozen Yogurt bars that we used to get at the grocery back in the 80’s! YES!!! But the best part was, it tasted EVEN BETTER than those!!! Just like the dannon bars, only better.
I do have to admit though, Forever Yogurt is better because of the self-​serve option. But the flavor here, is unbeatable.

I was on a determined hunt for ice cream and came across this place to see what it had to offer.
Okay, I was desperate. Yogurt is pretty good but nothing like the real thing. Still, I had to give it a try. Try everything once, right? The selection was pretty good and available flavors original enough.
The look of the place was very clean, modern and too sterile looking.,
I had a craving for a chocolate shake. It was good but just not flavorful enough for me. I don’t care if dark chocolate is good for your health. No one can tell me that a chocolate shake made with ice cream and milk chocolate is not 10 times better.
(We all got to die sometime)
But, but, I will go back and try their key lime pie yogurt.

I am definitely not a fan. The prices are pretty outrageous. My husband & I walked in last night with our groupon of $ 6 for $ 1. That $ 6 didn’t even cover two smalls. We got the mix-​in, but only because we could barely hear the guy who was explaining things to us (since we’d never been) and when we ordered, we didn’t specify if we wanted our fruit on top or mixed in. At the place close to me, the only way you get a mix-​in instead of yogurt with fruit on top is if you specifically say you want a mix-​in.
Not the case here, apparently, which we didn’t know. I am not sure what happened with mine (chocolate with raspberries mixed in) but it was awful. There was way too much bitterness between the yogurt and the raspberries that it just wasn’t good. My husband got vanilla mixed in with raspberries, and although it was too sour, it wasn’t bad. Maybe the chocolate was wrong too, I don’t know, but as I’m a huge fan of chocolate with raspberries (hello, Godiva dark chocolate bar with raspberry inside), I was bummed that mine was so not good.
What makes it worse was that the yogurt they use for the mixins is wrapped in paper. I don’t know if the guy just didn’t notice that there was paper stuck to the yogurt or what, but I found a ton of it in my yogurt mix and had to ask for it to be remade. It still wasn’t good. We actually ended up leaving, ditching the yogurt, and walking down the street to our favorite yogurt place.
I wouldn’t go back. The prices are just too high to bother with, and if I want regular frozen yogurt (i.e. the plain flavors that are vanilla, plain, and chocolate) I’ll stick to the place that’s much closer to where I live. It tastes much better there and it’s in walking distance. Yogen Fruz is just not worth the travel, and if you know me (or have read my reviews), you know that good desserts are definitely worth traveling for.

I love frozen yogurt, but this did not taste like it. It was more ice than anything. The Mint Chocolate Chip had a weird sour mint taste to it. And the Pina Colada had stale coconut. Since I bought lots of Groupons, thinking this was going to be delish, maybe next time I will just try plain old vanilla so the taste or texture will not be affected.
And I have to agree with Dane K, what the F is up with that menu board. I walked in, was the only one there but could not figure out how or what I was supposed to order. And the young man working, did not seem like he cared to help explain anything if I asked.

After the much awaited Spring reopen, which occurred on March 1, I hurried in. I got the original tart flavor with fruit on top, strawberries, kiwis, blackberries and coconut. With my Groupon (Get Yours!
) I only had to pay some change. The yogurt was very good but I was disappointed in their choices in tart flavors. I was also disappointed with the placement of my blackberries, first off there was only 4 (that counts as a topping serving?) and they were placed on the side of the yogurt and the largest one tumbled all the way to the ground as soon as I sat down. Had I not had a groupon, I feel the $ 6.50 price would have been steep.
They have some fancy combos here, maybe I will try one of those next but I am a sucker for that tart yogurt flavor which they do not come in.
Overall yummy, but pricey yogurt.

I had never been and bought two Groupons for here…
Observations:
I find the menu confusing. There are two sides I guess, one where you put toppings onto the yogurt and the other is blended in. There’s a third category for their «pre-​designed» flavors, which is what I chose. But there’s no pricing on those, because it’s really a reincarnation of the other two items but you’re supposed to add some cost to that, I don’t know.
I got the chai, which comes with slivers of almond on top. I have no idea how much sugar was in this, but I assume a lot. It was indistinguishable from ice cream, which is OK and fine since I wasn’t really caring about how healthy it was at the time. Though I’m not sure how almonds fit in with Chai, they were a fantastic idea and worked very well. Brian chose something similar from their pre-​designed options.
The two of us got larges, and even with the $ 5 off Groupon, it came to over $ 8.50 (so, that’s $ 13.50 for 2 yogurts in a cup if you’re counting.). To me this seems outrageously expensive, maybe I’m missing something. Even with the Groupon my cost was $ 11 for two.
But was it good? Absolutely!

Mmmm chocolate fro yo. That is the main reason I came in here, other than being wasted after a cubs game… oops, that’ll happen!
I mixed in banana with chocolate but then proceeded to add oreo and white chocolate chips. Oops, again. I could have just eaten the chocolate and banana alone it’s that good!
Noted that adding those sugary toppings cost me $ 1 extra, I couldn’t done with it.
Will stop by here again sober or wasted :)

I don’t think the frozen yogurt craze has hit Chicago yet. Being spoiled in LA where there is a yogurt shop literally on every block, Chicago felt like a YOGURT DESERT :(boo!
Luckily, I did find this place — and it was unlike any yogurt place I’ve ever been to! This yogurt shop lets you «personalize» your yogurt! They did have some «pre-​determined» combinations — but I know what I like. and I was ready to personalize! LOL
1^st pick you cup size — yogurt is charged by cup :)
2^nd you pick your base yogurt flavor. I ordered chocolate and so did my date, but there was also the regular yogurt flavor.
Next you pick a fruit to «mix» into your yogurt. I picked cherry to make a «chocolate cherry» flavor. My date picked banana. You can also pick other fruits or even chai powder to make a Chai Yogurt! MMmm. They take your base yogurt flavor and literally BLEND it into the yogurt. You are left with the flavor — but absolutely NO grittiness or chunks in your yogurt!
Next you pick toppings! (charged per topping) I got pecans and my date got fruity pebbles.
The Outcome
1) Cherry flavored Chocolate yogurt topped with Pecans = delicious: D
2) Banana flavored Chocolate yogurt topped with Fruity Pebbles = NOT so delicious :(haha
Guess to show what a yogurt pro I am :)
Overall — delicious yogurt and great service. The girl was so nice about explaining everything to us! And I was SO happy I could get my yogurt fix! :) it was like hitting GOLD in the dessert! LOL

Yogen Fruz why do you have to be on the way to the gym… I mean I guess I could take a differnt route but that would not be as fun !!
Lots of froyo places poppin up in the city in the past year but this is definitly the best in my book. Its the only one I’ve seen as of yet where you can blend the fruit in with the yogo itself. I have only had the rasberry so thats obviously what I recomenend… YUMMY !!
Very small seating area but it looks out on to Belmont, some of the best people watching ever !!

disclaimer: basically any frozen yogurt place gets 5 stars in my book.
I go to Yogen fruz pretty regularly. I get my normal fat free tart vanilla with raspberries and kiwi. Probably would have been four stars until yesterday, when I tried the «key lime pie»
Now I think I’m even more addicted to fro yo. I was a bit worried when I saw them putting the flavored syrup in with the yogurt… I thought it might taste too sweet or fake. Then they put tiny tiny ground up graham cracker all over it.
hallelujah, I think I found my new favorite fro yo treat. I’m sad it’s not quite as healthy as only fruit, but still super low calorie! It actually tasted like key lime pie! And you don’t feel guilty when it’s gone! I wish I was rich enough to eat fro yo every day. I hope this trend never goes out of style.
I lovies you, yogen fruz.

Every Tues and Thur on the way to physical therapy I drive by Yogen Fruz. When I pass by it she calls out to me. Actually she taunts me like an irresistible siren with frozen yogurt covering only the nether regions (sorry they ran out of whip cream in this fantasy).
I’ve been trying to cut down on extra calories. So on my way home, I start negotiating with myself, and try to set odds in favor of not going in. So I make a deal: If I find parking right by the store on Belmont, in the same exact direction as going home, I will stop by. And what do you know, there’s parking almost every time I pass by, and usually there’s never parking on that strip.
I don’t know how else to tip the odds. Maybe next time, the deal is, if I find parking storefront and there’s a tranny hanging around that corner, then I’ll stop by. Actually, adding a tranny into the deal does not really sway the odds. It’s Belmont ave we’re talking about! There are more transvestites than Dunkin’ Donuts in that vicinity.
Speaking of Dunkin’, Do not park at the Dunkin’ across the street to go to Yogen Fruz. I did that once, but luckily my friend was in the car. While my friend was still in my car, the security guard charged at my car with a boot. My friend was like, «Oh hell no!» He jumped into the driver’s seat and backed up out of there!
So there you have it. If fate brings a parking spot at all odds, I cave to the beckoning fro-​yo siren, and almost get booted for a $ 2.50 cup of frozen yogurt, then it’s got to be pretty damn good. Yogen Fruz ranks just right behind Red Mango. I think Red Mango is still a little smoother in texture with less ice particles, but at the same time it’s a little bit more expensive.

I just can’t get enough Yogen Fruz in my life!
I recently tried it unblended… even without the flavor merge, the yogurt itself is top-​notch.
Yesterday I was so absorbed in my cup of fro yo that I was almost hit by a car crossing Clark! What can I say– I get lost in the things that I love.
This stuff is sweeter than the rest. I think even those reticent to get down with the more-​sour-​than-​ice-​cream flavor will still appreciate it!
Yes it’s expensive. But antioxidants and active probiotic cultures don’t come cheap, apparently. And there’s the added bonus of eating cleanly, as in, ‘I didn’t just blow 1,000 calories on a banana split’. Good stuff, yo.

So I like this place a lot. The yogurt is verrrry tasty and refreshing.
It is a little pricey and the portions are a little bit inconsistent.
I really like the top-​it with three topping (walnuts, almonds and strawberries for me) but it seems like the some of the staff can’t figure out how to put yogurt in a cup in a efficient way.
I usually get the medium size but sometimes they only put the yogurt in the very center of the cup so my friend who got a small size actually got way more frozen yogurt than I did. How is that fair?
They need to train your staff on consistency with the portion sizes. When you get it blend it, you do get a consistent amount since they put all of the blended frozen yogurt mixture into the cup.
I’m not a cheap ass, I swear, but when you’re paying $ 6 for a cup of frozen yogurt, you generally want your money’s worth.

The best thing about this place is saying its name in a Bruno-​accent.
Went this afternoon with a friend; we each got the small size lowfat vanilla… he added in Reese’s Pieces and Nilla wafers. A small is 2.50 I believe and then each topping is .95. They do also have lowfat chocolate, but as I understand it, that flavor is a hard, scoopable kind – not soft serve. There is also nonfat vanilla, which I did not try.
I had a small and chose Fruity Pebbles as my topping since I read in Shape magazine yesterday that «Fruity Pebbles are a smart substitute for sprinkles because they have less calories.» (OKAY, SHAPE!) Well, I picked them because WHO DOESN’T LOVE FRUITY PEBBLES?! The froyo has a nice tang to it… not like TCBY (which I also love, but is not real yogurt).
This is fancy schmancy «probiotic» just like every other frozen yogurt place popping up in Lakeview and Lincoln Park, so at least you can tell yourself you are being healthy when you order a large and then have the girl wearing the apron add Oreos, and yeah, what the hell, go ahead and add Reese’s, too! Cute little place; reasonable prices. I would go back and try their non-​dairy smoothies… they looked delish!