82859 Sun Jun 11 02:21:36 -0700 2006 56 2 Los Angeles Area 0 460490 Heard a rave review tonight of this West Hollywood "real" frozen yogurt joint. Santa Monica and Huntley (I think). Anyone out there have anything to report. Sounded like a must-try... Sun Jun 11 02:21:36 -0700 2006 0 Techbod 1 460492 I would like to hear about this place also - just noticed that another is opening up in the TJ's plaza at Ventura & Laurel Canyonish Sun Jun 11 02:25:37 -0700 2006 460490 0 smogqueen 2 460514 This place is awesome, the yogurt is absolutely delicious, my friend calls it crackberry. And literally since I have tasted it, I have not stopped thinking about it. It's "real" frozen yogurt. My favorite is the plain, topped with berries, but for your first time, I think you should just try the yogurt by itself. I just hope they open more locations soon. Sun Jun 11 13:03:52 -0700 2006 460492 0 jenn 3 460850 We always encourage posters to pick unique nametags, that aren't likely to be picked by other posters who use Chowhound. "jenn" by itself is not a unique nametag, (and we have a longtime poster who uses that nametag) so we recommend you pick a nametag that is more distinctive. And welcome to Chowhound! Mon Jun 12 19:42:15 -0700 2006 460514 2 The Chowhound Team 3 1790222 'Crackberry' is a pretty apt comparison. I went yesterday, at first taste was taken aback by the plain yogurt's tartness, then wasn't sure if I liked it, then devoured the whole 8 oz. serving (+ berries). I brought my wife back today, and it was even better - she was just telling me, "I want more of that Pinkberry!". We live in Santa Monica, so luckily I won't be going all the time. But it is addictive, ymmy stuff, for sure. Sun Aug 06 02:30:59 -0700 2006 460514 11835 bixhenry 4 1792561 You're in luck (or should I say "out of luck"?). Pinkberry is opening on Abbot Kinney soon. Mon Aug 07 17:54:52 -0700 2006 1790222 21341 hrhboo 1 460511 Do not go today unless you want to attend the Gay Pride parade starting at 11a.m. in that very neighborhood. Sun Jun 11 12:39:29 -0700 2006 460490 0 carter 2 460512 Thanks for the timely tip. You are a scholar and a gentleman. You just saved me 3 hours in traffic. Sun Jun 11 12:48:10 -0700 2006 460511 0 Techbod 1 460515 this place is awesome, the plain yogurt is really tart as yogurt should be but my favorite is the green tea yogurt with the green tea shaved iced, it's so good and refreshing on a hot summer day. the shaved ice is definitely influenced by korean bingsoo, probably because the owner is korean. definitely check it out yummy. Sun Jun 11 13:13:27 -0700 2006 460490 0 xlargela 1 460532 When I first this place, I didn't love it because it is not as sweet as the other frozen yogurt places and I'm not a yogurt fan. But then, as the days went by, I was addicted. I kept thinking about the place and trying to find ways to pass through West Hollywood just to have an excuse to stop in at Pinkberry. I love it now! Definitely try the Green Tea Yogurt. Sun Jun 11 15:20:02 -0700 2006 460490 0 yaliktaitai 1 460572 I did a drive-by of the WeHo location 6 mos. ago, saw the unruly mob and thought, "I will never, ever subject myself to a line like that for a cup of fro-yo." Besides, there's no parking over there. However, I did see a Pink Berry 'opening soon' sign in Larchmont Village (btw. the newsstand and Noah's) and another in K-Town on (6th?) just a few blocks west of Alvarado. I presume the company is now selling franchises since Chowhounders have spotted three new locations. Sun Jun 11 19:33:38 -0700 2006 460490 0 dégoûtant fille 1 460677 does anyone know when the ventura/laurel cyn location is opening? Mon Jun 12 03:08:46 -0700 2006 460490 0 dc 1 1743520 Just tried this place last night. I ordered the green tea with mochi topping. It was fine. The mob line and traffic jam made no sense to me at all. I felt it was all just hype. Thu Jul 13 22:02:02 -0700 2006 460490 18815 sakura58 1 1743604 i have been going to pinkberry for over a year now, the line has gotten ridiculous and the portions are not controlled, sometimes i get a lot less, sometimes more, cant wait for more to open so its not a whole production just to get a cup of yogurt. quality was better when it opened, more smooth texture and consistant, although i have to say its still my favorite yogurt and sometimes, only sometimes, i brave the lines and all those kids that go there just to get my fix, does anyone know if any of the new locations have opened yet? Thu Jul 13 22:46:01 -0700 2006 460490 18847 love2chow 1 1743640 I was in the Trader Joe's parking lot in Studio City last night, and it sure didn't look open yet (which I think is probably a good thing because half the lot was being worked on, making it near impossible to park in an already near-impossible lot!). Thu Jul 13 23:07:11 -0700 2006 460490 10790 ITurnedOutTV 1 1756550 Pinkberry is also coming to Westwood next to the 24-hour Subway on Lindbrook Blvd. Not related, but Lickity Split Frozen Custard is also coming to the Westwood Village where Ben & Jerry's used to be. Thu Jul 20 17:25:59 -0700 2006 460490 14283 tatertots 1 1757316 i'll be goign to pinkberry this saturday! i can't wait. it sounds remarkably similar to the "tart" vanilla available at 21 choices in pasadena, ca, except 21 choices' tart vanilla is hard pack and not soft serve. i will probably go for plain with some berries on top (my favorite at 21 choices is tart vanilla with peaches mixed in). i'm really curious about how well green tea would go with a tart yogurt flavor, though. do they allow tastes? Thu Jul 20 21:18:52 -0700 2006 460490 10383 arifa 2 1789472 so i went to pinkberry and i really enjoyed it. it does not taste as tart as the 21 choices tart vanilla, which essentially is just yogurt that has been frozen. pinkberry's plain yogurt flavor tastes like sweet lassi, the indian yogurt drink. it's creamier than i expected, and therefore less refreshing, but it was soooo tasty. i'll definitely be back. Sat Aug 05 16:13:18 -0700 2006 1757316 10383 arifa 1 1789359 Check out this article that was in the LA Times about Pinkberry: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-et-pinkberryaug04,1,7740582.story?ctrack=1&cset=true Sat Aug 05 14:17:15 -0700 2006 460490 14283 tatertots 1 1791672 tried this place out today. parking wasnt as difficult as people make it out to be. you may have to walk a block and a half but big deal. arrived around six pm...there was a line out the door. the fifteen minute wait was pretty entertaining. i overheard people talking about the la times review, the need for valet parking (*rolls eyes*)...people were literally coaching other people on how to order and what to order and what to expect. ok, at this point it turned from entertainment to an annoyance. once the "bouncer" lets you in (yes, they have a bouncer at the door) there are two registers. the people behind the counter are "yogurt nazis" much like the infamous "soup nazi" from seinfeld. if you are unsure how to order or if you ask a question be prepared for them to get very short with you. they offer no "hello's" or "thank you's"...i didnt mind this because there really is no time for people to "hmm and haw" when there is a line down the block. now i understood the "coaching" going on outside. plus, they are serving over a thousand people a day...so god bless them! i ordered the plain yogurt with strawberries, blackberries, and granola. after you place your order at the register you have to wait with a confused mass of people until they call your name. it's sorta like ordering at starbucks but in a much more crowded and small environment. i actually got a little claustrophobic. there are only three tiny tables inside and no room for a patio in front so i took the yogurt to my car to eat. boy, it was tangy! i'm probably not going to say anything different about the taste than what has already been said except that i dont think i'm "addicted" to it...i dont think it to be "crackberry" or "liquid heroin" as some have called it. what i liked most about it was the "clean" aftertaste. you dont crave that cup of water like after eating a bowl of ice cream. the texture just seems to evaporate in your mouth leaving no "milky" residue. it's a perfect combination of "sweet" and "tang." the fruit is nice and fresh, not syrupy. i liked the blackberries the best. do i need it everyday like some say they do? no. is it a satisfying refreshing snack? yes. will i be back for more? probably not until they open the koreatown branch in a couple weeks (6th and berendo)...cassel's and then pinkberry in one trip...i can't wait! Mon Aug 07 04:59:12 -0700 2006 460490 12984 love2eat 1 1797359 This is the best frozen yogurt there is if you like real yogurt and you want a much healthier alternative to frozen yogurt. This has all the active yogurt cultures of regular yogurt in a frozen form, unbelievable! Also per the Pink Berry staff it is low in sugar, fat free and only about 20 calories per ounce. A medium has 8 ounces, so 160 calories plus fruit. The taste is for sure addictive, just try it for a second time and you will see. Wed Aug 09 17:44:12 -0700 2006 460490 24719 brookdiamond 2 1803330 Actually this yogurt, although very tasty, does not appear to be any more healthy than soft serve ice cream. They buy powdered yogurt mix from korea. Powdered yogurt does not contain any active cultures. Also, this yogurt has been popular for years in Korea. Known as Binsoo, there are two major chains: Red Mango & Iceberry (hence the name). Sat Aug 12 01:02:21 -0700 2006 1797359 25233 kristen 3 1903966 Thanks for that info about the powder mix -- it helped jog my taste memory . The pinkberry yogurt does taste *a lot* like those tiny little yogurt soft drinks you see in japanese and korean markets. And it turns out, if you combine a few of those little drinks with a quart of yogurt and put that in an ice cream maker, you get something that tastes pretty much identical to pinkberry's stuff. Tue Sep 26 21:07:16 -0700 2006 1803330 43190 sourdoughboy 2 1810213 It isn't fat free at all. Pinkberry yogurt is full fat, and real sugar. Like kristen said..just as bad as soft serve. But tastier. Tue Aug 15 21:14:09 -0700 2006 1797359 11201 Diana 3 1815323 I'm confused. one person said that it was low fat yogurt, but this says full fat with sugar. Does anyone really know what the ingredients are? Is it powder or made with real, fresh yogurt? Thu Aug 17 19:45:45 -0700 2006 1810213 26662 mikem 4 1839361 sounds a lot like that old Seinfeld episode ! Tue Aug 29 00:04:36 -0700 2006 1815323 19558 mikester 1 1808633 Pinkberry is "old" news already, I suppose, but not being a huge yogurt fan, I waited until Saturday to try it. I went with my wife because we knew someone would have to drive around while the other person waited. I dropped her off, drove a few blocks away, parked, and started reading. 35 minutes later she called to ask me to come back to get her. No exaggeration -- 35 minutes. I guess the yogurt was good -- the fresh fruit certainly was -- but 35 minutes? You must be kidding... Tue Aug 15 05:54:37 -0700 2006 460490 25802 never enough 1 1810000 I waited 25 minutes ... at an off hour no less ... for my first sample of Pinkberry yogurt ... wanted to see what all the shouting was about. I was sadly disappointed. Too sour for my taste! The fruit was very fresh ... very good. But the yogurt - I just don't get it! Tue Aug 15 20:03:08 -0700 2006 460490 20757 howard81 1 1815385 yes red mango is comming to LA from the rumors I hear...thats supposedly the original chain from Asia that Pinkberry got the concept from, I will hand it to them though, they are definitely making a huge name for themselves and very smart businesspeople! Thu Aug 17 20:09:17 -0700 2006 460490 18847 love2chow 1 1833780 Does anyone know the exact location of the pending Pinkberry in Ktown? I just spent 20 minutes walking around 6th and Berendo on my lunch break, which is where the recent LA Times article claimed it was located, but could not find it. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but does anyone have any clues or further specifics? Thanks a bunch! Fri Aug 25 21:29:11 -0700 2006 460490 18914 Skorgirl 2 1833852 We had the same experience on Abbot Kinney in Venice. I thought they were opening there as well, but after walking the entire strip, we saw no signs of them. Does anyone know where they will be? Thanks! Fri Aug 25 21:57:34 -0700 2006 1833780 14014 liu 2 1833863 I think these locations are "Coming Soon"... but not actually running... from the sounds of expansion plans and the state of her business, it's probably terribly overwhelming right now... --Dommy! Fri Aug 25 22:03:23 -0700 2006 1833780 10659 Dommy 3 1833874 Thanks, Dommy! I guess I'll just have to go park myself on Jin's patio (don't weep for me!) and wait! Fri Aug 25 22:07:02 -0700 2006 1833863 14014 liu 4 1833900 LOL! Or you could do what my friend does. She has her Chiropractor across the street from the Original Pinkberry, so she gets free parking, an adjustment and Pinkberry! LOL!! --Dommy! Fri Aug 25 22:17:27 -0700 2006 1833874 10659 Dommy 5 1833918 Brilliant! I guess you know you're a true Chowhound when...you select your doctors by what eating places are nearby! Too funny! Fri Aug 25 22:26:22 -0700 2006 1833900 14014 liu 2 1833928 I believe it is in the Chapman Market on 6th St at maybe 3200 W. 6th St.(?). Fri Aug 25 22:29:16 -0700 2006 1833780 10359 carter 2 1833960 i called pinkberry yesterday and they said the ktown branch is not yet open...they told me hopefully the beginning of next month...the address is 3300 6th st. its in the base of a multiple story "newer looking" building. there is a poster saying, "pinkberry coming soon" in the window. Fri Aug 25 22:39:56 -0700 2006 1833780 12984 love2eat 3 1834168 And do you know anything about the Venice/Abbot Kinney location and proposed opening date? Sat Aug 26 00:16:26 -0700 2006 1833960 14014 liu 4 1834215 sorry, i only asked about the ktown branch. just call the weho branch. the man that answered was very nice and helpful which was a surprise after the rude service experienced over there. Sat Aug 26 00:58:37 -0700 2006 1834168 12984 love2eat 5 1834520 Thanks for responding, love2eat, and I will call. Sat Aug 26 05:38:10 -0700 2006 1834215 14014 liu 1 1834977 they are opening EVERYWHERE - just noticed them building out in Westwood too and there's even a similarly named competitor opening as well...let the crack wars begin! Sat Aug 26 17:30:45 -0700 2006 460490 18246 cinzia 1 1835927 Just went there today. It took about 40 min to get my yogurt. The topings were nothing special. The yogurt tasted watery. I'd rather go to coldstones or an italian sorbet shop. They're not yogurt but they are similar enough. Sun Aug 27 05:59:59 -0700 2006 460490 28831 Chim Chim 2 1836385 I worked at a Coldstone for a couple of months one spring before my Sommersemester abroad, and I *NEVER* ate any of the free ice cream I got. I gave it to friends instead...Do you know how those ice creams are made? But, more to the point, don't you find the ice creams there sickeningly sweet? Go to a sorbet shop (Pazzo Gelato? Their wares may be a bit sweet for me, but the people there are even sweeter and make up for it) or at least some place that makes natural ice creams (Sccops? Don't get me started on how disappointed I was by the cash only policy.) Sun Aug 27 16:59:32 -0700 2006 1835927 17463 PseudoNerd 3 1837090 Pseudonerd - how ARE the coldstone ice creams made? Is there some stomach-turning secret? on topic - drove by the Pinkberry in WeHo a few minutes ago. There was a mob in front, and the surrounding street was congested with cars desperately seeking (non-existent) parking. So weird. I went there once six months ago and there was NO ONE there. I thought the yogurt was fine. Whatever. How did this place get so popular all of a sudden? Mon Aug 28 02:25:35 -0700 2006 1836385 22260 mehfactor 4 1837807 Not really, but everything comes out of a package, which wouldn't necessarily be bad in and of itself. What is a bit alarming is the number of ingredients listed as chemical compounds. Scooping the ones that are especially...ummm...not real (non-fat/sugar-free and some of the gummier low-fat ones) is like chipping/chiseling/carving ice. There's also an obscene amount of sugar in everything-- I think it's added to the batch (in addition to the amount that's undoubtedly in the mix) when it's made. That said, there are good things about Coldstone: there's usually a good turnover for the ice creams, so things aren't sitting in the freezers in the back for too long (maybe a week? definitely shorter than two), product quality is also pretty consistent across locations. But, as I've said, I didn't eat it, and I could've gotten mine for free every day. If you want stuff that sweet, go to Pazzo Gelato and get lots of samples. Or try Scoops and let me know how it is. At least everything's naturally and freshly made at both places. Mon Aug 28 15:38:25 -0700 2006 1837090 17463 PseudoNerd 5 1845033 or bulgarini at the pacific asia museum. he's just told me he's also at the laemlle next to vroman's on the weekends. Thu Aug 31 04:49:15 -0700 2006 1837807 22959 revets2 1 1835979 I was on Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills today, south of Wilshire and north of Olympic (near Mulberry Street Pizza). There is a Pinkberry under construction and coming soon there as well. Talk about an expansion plan. www.ultimateLA.com Sun Aug 27 07:37:40 -0700 2006 460490 28836 ultimateLA 1 1838362 Any news on the Studio City location? Would love to stop by on my lunch break. Mon Aug 28 18:28:04 -0700 2006 460490 13176 bassbiz 1 1838838 I waited over ONE HOUR for my Pinkberry on a Wednesday night! my wife and I got in line at 9:06 pm, we left the shop with yogurt in hand at 10:15 pm. They had run out of green tea which was disappointing because we were going to do a taste comparison with fiore in Little Tokyo. It was pretty good, but I wouldn't wait an hour again for it. Mon Aug 28 20:44:37 -0700 2006 460490 24287 ladius 1 1838848 Pinkbery will open a Melrose Ave. location Sept. 15 - right next door to M Cafe de Chaya. As if that parking lot wasn't impossible already... Mon Aug 28 20:47:56 -0700 2006 460490 21181 Dana Harris 2 1840618 that's a nightmare waiting to happen! Tue Aug 29 16:35:19 -0700 2006 1838848 12984 love2eat 2 1841881 Oh wow, that sounds painful. Headline from the future: Caltrans to add additional lane on Melrose Ave. :) Tue Aug 29 23:49:51 -0700 2006 1838848 17439 ray9x 1 1842118 everyone i've talked to says that this place is so completely overrated and not worth going to. it reminds me of the magnolia bakery in nyc, where long lines wait for cupcakes... Wed Aug 30 02:04:06 -0700 2006 460490 15114 epop 1 1844932 i just went to pinkberry tonight, my 3rd or 4th visit. i have to say the quality has suffered, the yogurt tasted very powdery tonight, left a chalky taste in my mouth. also their portions of fruit were skimpy. maybe just an off night? Thu Aug 31 03:38:47 -0700 2006 460490 12755 double S 1 1885688 Pinkberry - Westwood is opening in a week! The address is 10911 Lindbrook Drive (next to Subway). Tue Sep 19 01:38:45 -0700 2006 460490 41586 pizzafreek 1 1903062 Pinkberry on Melrose and LaBrea now open! Tue Sep 26 16:07:51 -0700 2006 460490 41793 Blakekitty 1 1903978 Re: Pinkberry's questionable nutrition facts Does anyone remember the Seinfeld episode where everyone was eating supposedly healthy, low-fat frozen yogurt and ended up gaining 10 pounds? I think the Pinkberry craze is very funny...kind of like a Seinfeld episode. Tue Sep 26 21:11:44 -0700 2006 460490 11619 blk