Can you feel nostalgia for a trend that peaked just a decade ago? Well, if you’re living in “post”-pandemic America and that trend is America’s early 2010′s obsession with self-serve frozen yogurt, the answer is yes.
Cast your mind back to a time when no one was the least bit concerned about salad bar-style self-service toppings. When sharing licks of ice cream with friends didn’t cause a shudder to go down your spine.
Compared to the dozens of frozen yogurt shops opened in Portland after the Pinkberry chain’s stratospheric success, you can count the number of local frozen yogurt shops that survived the pandemic on two hands. But if you visit one today, you can experience a throwback thrill, when you and you alone pulled the lever on the froyo machine, and the only limit on toppings was the rim of the cup.
Self-service frozen yogurt is a perfect summer treat. It’s ostensibly slightly healthier than ice cream, it gives you a chance to get creative, it’s delicious and it’s cold.
Here are seven places in Portland where you can still get your froyo fix.
— Lizzy Acker
EZ Freezy
Self-service frozen yogurt from EZ Freezy on Southeast Division Street.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian
If you’ve been sleeping on EZ Freezy, it’s time to wake up. At the strip mall location on Southeast Division Street near 112th Avenue — one of three Ez Freezys in Portland (and one in Keizer) — there are 12 flavors and an extensive bar of toppings, including classics like peanuts, sprinkles and magic shell, and less expected things like boba beads, kiwi and peach rings. Inside, it’s clean and sleek and a little 2010s futurist, just like a self-service froyo spot should be. I got the classic chocolate vanilla swirl option, with a hardshell, sprinkles, peanuts and brownie bits to share with my 3.5-year-old. We didn’t stop eating until we were scrapping the bottom of the cardboard bowl.
Cost per ounce: $.68
Details: EZ Freezy Frozen Yogurt, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, multiple locations (we visited 11904 S.E. Division St.), ezfreezyfroyo.com
— LA
Sunny’s Legendary Frozen Yogurt
Pineapple frozen yogurt with (non-kosher) candy toppings at Sunny’s Legendary Frozen Yogurt in Southwest Portland.Michael Russell | The Oregonian
Considering it sits directly across from Gabriel Park, home to Portland’s nicest outdoor playground and indoor swimming pool, I’m a little surprised I’ve never been to this charming Southwest Portland shop before, especially when you factor in my children’s bottomless love for all things ice cream (and ice cream-adjacent). But Sunny’s lives up to its “legendary” name — less than half an hour after opening on a recent weekday, the tree-shaded side patio was already filled with a dozen customers of all ages, while five more loaded up cups and bowls inside. Like most places on this list, the cake batter, original tart and other flavors come from Dannon’s YoCream brand, but the colorful chalkboard menu and retro diner-style tabletops give the place more personality than your average froyo outfit. Two young people sitting near me summed up the experience nicely: “They have every flavor you want, and it’s a cute space, too.” That the frozen yogurt, syrups and more than half the toppings are Oregon Kosher Certified is just a bonus. L’Chaim!
Prce per ounce: $.75
Details: Sunny’s Legendary Frozen Yogurt, 1 to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 4397 S.W. Vermont St., 971-271-8348, sunnysfrozenyogurt.com
— Michael Russell
TartBerry
Self-service frozen yogurt from TartBerry on Southwest 9th Avenue.Chiara Profenna/The Oregonian
One of the more uniquely decorated frozen yogurt locations in town, TartBerry meets all the nostalgic and sentimental requirements we’re looking for. The walls inside are plastered with sticky notes from customers declaring their love of frozen yogurt or each other. With an array of classic yogurt flavors and two separate displays worth of toppings, TartBerry is a froyo fantasy. I filled my cup with chocolate marshmallow and raspberry flavors, before promptly covering every inch with toppings – there are seriously so many options.
Price per ounce: $.79
Details: TartBerry, 12:30-10:30 p.m. daily, 915 S.W. Ninth Ave., tartberryinc.com
— Chiara Profenna
UU Yogurt
POG (Passion fruit-orange-guava) frozen yogurt with mango popping boba from UU in Raleigh Hills.Michael Russell | The Oregonian
According to the words stenciled above the frozen yogurt dispensers, the “UU” in the name stands for “u-serve it, u-top it.” But in, what I’m assuming was a pandemic-time casualty, toppings are now doled out by staff. The shop offers eight flavors from what I assume to be YoCream (I didn’t see a sign, but almost every Portland-area shop uses it), including a cookies n’ cream, a non-dairy POG (passionfruit-orange-guava) and tart, plus around two dozen of the usual toppings, including mango popping boba in a nod to Beaverton’s robust tea culture. UU feels like a far-flung outpost of a vanished chain from the post-Pinkberry froyo craze — before opening here, UU had a Lake Oswego location, but the Raleigh Hills shop carries on, thanks in large part to the support of nearby Jesuit High School just a long football’s throw away.
Price per ounce: $.75
Details: UU Yogurt, 1-10 p.m. daily, 8100 S.W. Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy., 503-278-7191, uuyogurt.com
— MR
Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge
A trio of froyo cones at Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge on Northeast Fremont Street.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian
At Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge, you have options for your frozen yogurt container. You can pick the classic cardboard bowl in two sizes or you can get a waffle cone cup or even an ice cream cone. If there are children in your group, like there usually are in mine, an ice cream cone is sort of an amazing option, since it limits the amount of froyo you can get from the machine, and it requires 100% less spoon. In addition to its original Sellwood-Moreland location, Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge (not to be confused with Nectar, the local cannabis dispensary chain) recently opened a second location on Northeast Fremont Street, which is already a hit with local kids out of school for the summer. With 10 flavor choices, including on a tasty watermelon Dole Whip, and topping options including full caramels and mini bills wafers, Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge is a great frozen treat addition to an already treat-filled street.
Price per ounce: $.85
Details: Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge, noon-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, noon-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, multiple locations (we visited 4335 N.E. Fremont St.), nectarfroyo.com
— LA
Sprinkle Divine
Frozen yogurt at Sprinkle Divine in Eastport Plaza.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian
Sprinkle Divine on Southeast 82nd Avenue is so much more than a self-serve yogurt shop. Despite the small Eastport Plaza space, the menu is massive, including everything from outlandish churro-based sundaes to smoothies to milk tea to flan. Still, if you choose to go with a simple froyo, you can choose from 12 flavors including pistachio, hazelnut and a pleasing purple taro. The topping bar doesn’t disappoint either. We opted for Fruity Pebbles cereal and raspberry sauce but we were thrilled to see Nerds candy as an option too, for the ‘90s kids. As a bonus, a small seating area on the side features a lovely little fish tank so you can eat your frozen yogurt and pretend you are the mermaid of Eastport Plaza.
Price per ounce: $.73
Details: Sprinkle Divine, noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 4328 S.E. 82nd Ave. Suite 1000
— LA
Also try: Eb & Bean
This froyo shop – although not a self-serve location – warrants a shout-out. With seasonal options like boysenberry and passion fruit caramel, it has the outside-of-the-box flavors you might be searching for. Eb & Bean also boasts a considerable plant-based yogurt collection. With three Portland locations to choose from, there shouldn’t be an Eb & Bean too far from reach. We tried the salty chocolate almond with a raw honey drizzle and lots of marshmallows.
Price: $4.75 for a regular + $0.95 for toppings
Details: Noon to 10 p.m., Sunday-Thursday and noon to 11 p.m., Friday-Saturday, three Portland locations (we visited 645 N.W. 21st Ave.), ebandbean.com
— CP
Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
