Chilly Billy’s Frozen Yogurt

I was really anxious to try Chilly Billys. It’s back on campus, it’s supposedly a great spot for froyo and all this.
We stroll in, and the place is empty. It’s noon-​30 on a beautiful Saturday, tons of street traffic in front, and the place is empty? Odd. Then, we find out why. The people working there are assholes. We weren’t offered a sample cup or anything, not even greeted, instead, the douche bag from behind the counter (actually back kitchen area), comes out, walks past us and stands at the front of the place like we’re trying to rob them of their froyo. Newsflash ass hat, you don’t even have sample cups set out for people to rob you.
Anyway, we did some research on this place ahead of time and figured out the flavors we wanted without having to ask the Gestapo guard hawking us for a sample cup.
I opt for the Pom-​Raspberry with a dash of vanilla. Ashley opts for the strawberry lemonade and original tart.
Was very displeased with the fruit in this place. The raspberries were smooshed up and looked terrible. And the blue berries looked even worse. Black berries were solid, but the cherries were totally over ripe or old because one bite into them and it was gooey.
We go up having a good laughing discussion about who’s is going to weigh the most as we stroll up, and the prison guard following us up from the front of the store doesn’t crack a smile or say anything until «throw them both on the scale.» YES SIR!
Froyo quality… on par with Yogurt Lab. A little harsh to the tongue after a while due to the crystals and not as creamy. But, flavor is good.
Overall, not impressed. Won’t be making another special trip here or stopping by even when I’m in the area again. Just not worth it. The people watching was the best part of this place, but, still not worth a return trip.

Chilly Billy’s is the best! The staff are super friendly, it’s very clean, and there’s always great music bumpin on the stereo system. Prices are reasonable and there is a good selection of toppings you can choose from. You can get a punch card for a free yogurt if you visit a certain amount of times.
Though the yogurt flavor selection varies by season, it’s kind of limited. I still wish they would carry more exotic flavors like Pandan or Taro… I’d be there every day if they carried stuff like that. it would be my flavorite! Get it? Jk. But seriously now, the best part about Chilly Billy’s is Bill, the owner! He is the nicest guy you will ever meet and is literally there every day. He epitomizes the meaning of being a hardworking small business owner! He’s always down to listen to suggestions or flavor requests and is so accommodating to big groups.
My boss will sometimes treat us to some Chilly Billy’s after an intense work week and when my entire office shows up, Bill welcomes us with open arms even if he is the only one working. He’s done a lot to make students feel welcome there so it’s more than just a yogurt place. I’ve seen people study and just hang out there with friends.

I mean… any place that has a giant vat of Nutella for me to drench my fro-​yo in deserves five stars right off the bat. But beyond the Nutella… they have a great mixture of flavors, their toppings are always fresh (the fruit isn’t gross and soggy like other places I’ve been) and Billy’s always around to greet visitors and make sure you’re having a good experience.

Yeah, yeah, Chilly Billy’s is Heaven-​incarnate for the Dinkytown world, I get it. While the frozen yogurt there is good (I often make the red velvet flavor my bitch), and the toppings are plentiful, I can’t help but get an annoying monopoly feeling from it. It was the pioneer of Froyo in the area, and since then, any other shop has a hard time getting its foot in the door (remember Fru-​lala? Oh, you don’t? EXACTLY).
I do like that Chill Bill, himself, is actually in the building the majority of the time — it gives you a sense that he actually works for his success — but he can be a little cold (pun not intended) and creepy in some of his interactions.
Maybe I’m being too harsh and Portlandia-​esque about it, but I’d like to see a few more froyo places go up in the neighborhood. A little brand competition never hurt anybody.

I went to the Duluth location right around the time it opened. I got a small-​sized styrofoam cup and got the basic vanilla/​peanut butter/​cookies n cream frozen yogurt blend. Went up to the cashier and I felt like the victim of a street robbery. The grand total came to $ 7.20. That’s about 5 ice cream cones from Mc Donald’s. That ended up being about 25 cents a spoonful.
I felt so ripped off I didn’t know what to say because I conduct myself with class when I’m in line, but I vowed never to go back to a place that does this. I also noticed very vague prices on the menu. Unless all the college students from the area are affluent, I give this place six months to a year in the Duluth market. Nobody is going to buy frozen yogurt for nearly ten bucks more than once.

I’ve come here a handful of times since it’s right on campus, and I’ve always enjoyed every indulgence.
The fact that they have so much variety– genius. It is a bit of a letdown that they don’t have my favorite flavor often (Island Banana), but I can honestly say that I’m happy with other flavors besides the Original Tart.
The toppings are usually fresh and so delicious. I come here for the frozen yogurt and stay for the ripe fruit, yogurt chips, CHEESECAKE BITES (absolutely decadent) and whipped cream. My mouth is watering now.
Another smart idea? The occasional promotions that the owner announces via Facebook, Twitter, etc., plus the fact that Tuesdays are double punch days! Right now I have a free yogurt cup waiting for me :) The large space also allows for a nice study area.
I guess the major downside would be the hefty price for those who love their desserts in large quantities. The price goes by ounces, so piling on the fruits and other heavy toppings will definitely leave your wallet feeling lighter. Other than that, I have every reason to re-​visit often!

Everything here is alright, a bit more pricey than the fro-​yo place in Roseville.

I had a complete and utter frozen yogurt meltdown (ugh…unintentional pun) today. It was a Friday afternoon, the summer sun was shining, and my inner food demon was whispering «frozen yogurt» into my ear. I really wasn’t in the mood to resist temptation, so I biked over to Chilly Billy’s. They offer about 12 different kinds of yogurt at any given time, from the tart original to more indulgent flavors like red velvet cake and peanut butter. Their selection of toppings includes healthy offerings like fresh fruit, boba pearls, and pretzel pieces as well as more calorie-​unconscious things like candy, cheesecake pieces and crushed up chocolate bars.
I don’t know what it is — maybe the lack of natural light, maybe the self-​squeeze bottles of Hershey’s syrup (why not just get a syrup dispenser?), maybe the sort-​of creepy photographs of former customers flashing across the TV screens (am I the only one that thinks this is weird?)…but I haven’t really enjoyed my experiences at Chilly Billy’s. Also, I was a little thrown off by the employee stationed at the door — she greeted me when I walked in and asked if I wanted to try a sample of any of the flavors. When I said yes, she proceeded to take a sample cup OUT OF HER POCKET (ahem, germ police?) and then filled the cup herself rather than allowing me to do so. I understand that Dinkytown can get a bit crazy and college kids are all about swiping as many free samples as possible, but I kind of felt like a child under babysitter supervision. And really — store those sample cups somewhere else, ma’am.
Decent, but for the same amount of money, I’ll bike my way across campus to Yogurt Lab.

My wife and I recently visited the Univ. of Minnesota campus for a meeting, and during an excursion to Dinkytown we walked past «Chilly Billy’s», a self-​service frozen yogurt place. We have a few chains of these kinds of places where we live in Texas, and so the first thing that should help get you through the door is this fun fact: Chilly Billy’s is not a chain (at least, not yet).
This store is the one location for this business. Enter the business, and the first thing you encounter are two sizes of cups for frozen yogurt and an array of 12 flavors of frozen treats. The treats include sorbets, creamy fruit yogurts, and, of course, the complex flavors you come to expect from frozen yogurt these days: cookies and cream, salted caramel, and others.
My wife and I quickly fell in love with the salted caramel, and whenever our meeting at the University got rough or boring we would seek out Chilly Billy’s «Salted Caramel» as a treat to soothe our pallets and our nerves.
In addition to the frozen treats, there is an array of toppings, ranging from fresh fruit, to sauces (e.g. chocolate), cereals, candy bars, sprinkles. .. basically, the possibilities become endless.
The décor in the place is pleasantly upbeat, with big bright photos of fruit on the walls and bright pink tables with black chairs. The staff we have met have ALL been friendly and helpful, willing to offer samples to help you choose.
If you’re looking for an escape from the heat that is sure to cheer your mouth, mind, and eyes, check out Chilly Billy’s. It’s the not-​yet-​a-​chain that probably will be someday, and it easily rivals those established chains like Red Mango and Velvet Spoon.

Chilly Billy’s is a good clean place to get some yogurt. The employees are very helpful and that is a good sign you will enjoy the experience.

Treat yo self.
Chilly Billy’s is my go-​to for fro-​yo. It’s locally owned (I see you, Yogurt Lab and Pinkberry) and was the first to be here in Dinkytown. Plus, Billy himself is a nice guy that loves talking to students and getting to know their feedback.
I appreciate that it’s serve yourself and based on weight rather than what the employees serve you… this means you can try a bunch of different things. It also means that the register can be quite a shock, but whatever (tip: fruit weights the most). They have a good selection of flavors (8 different flavors, usually, I believe) and toppings that get switched out pretty frequently. It’s a fun and fairly healthy (compared to other things…) treat that is much needed in Dinkytown. You can only eat McDonald’s fro-​yo so often.
Follow them on Twitter/​Facebook for updates on changes in flavor/​contests.

Chilly Billy’s is the 16 Handles of the U of M.
They have all the basic delicious flavors you’ve come to know and love from your regular fro-​yo places (I strongly recommend you mix the red velvet and cake batter). Very nice amount of seats and space to enjoy your chilly concoction. But this place wins hands down in toppings. Those familiar with 16 Handles/​Red Mango/​Pinkberry will recognize the surplus of toppings to feed your enormous sweet tooth. Where CB’s really stands out, however, is the inclusion of peanut butter M&Ms. I may be a tad biased on this regard, as I am a peanut butter M&Ms fanatic, nonetheless, don’t underestimate the power of this flavor M&M coupled with cake flavored frozen yogurt.
And I’m sure you’re wondering who Billy is exactly (at least I did). Well remember that guy who rang you up? Yeah, that’s right, you met THE chilly Billy. Now go enjoy your fro-​yo like a true American.

I had no idea that I liked Cookies N’ Cream until I had it here (I hate oreos), probably because the flavor resembles black sesame a lot and if that was a fuck-​up on their part, please keep fucking it up.
Also, I have too many punches on my Chilly Billy’s punch-​card to not bump it up to 5-​stars. I got over the big-​brother-​is-​watching-​you-​free-​sampling-​system. However, the name «Chilly Billy’s» still reminds me of a giggly hillbilly and it’s just weird to think about when I’m enjoying my froyo.

My absolute favorite way to eat is mixing and matching. Thanksgiving with 15 different dishes? Wonderful. Going out to eat and shamelessly asking to sample some of what everyone is eating? Yup. Restaurants that offer multiple sides? Well, you probably get the idea.
Chilly Billy’s is so rad. I’m sure they weren’t the first to offer the self-​serve with multiple options «thing», but it was my first exposure to it.
There are usually about eight different flavors and every time I stop in there’s a flavor I haven’t seen before. Some personal favorites are peanut butter and cake batter. Mmmmm. Whatever chocolate option they have is hit or miss… I’ve noticed it tastes more «ice-​y» than «creamy». They offer a couple fruit flavors as well. Despite my multiple trips I’ve only ever noticed coconut. Apparently as soon as something appears to be even remotely healthy I ignore it and forget about it. Think something looks good but you don’t want to commit? Ask one of the friendly employees for a sample cup.
The toppings are where this all gets real. It’s a good thing that Chilly Billy’s is normally busy because the antsy line of college kids keeps you from staring too long at the topping options… and adding them (all) to your fro yo… and making it more expensive… and less «healthy». They have just about everything. Puppy chow, crushed waffle cones, sprinkles, reeses cups, cookie dough, brownie bites, crushed graham crackers, various cereals, granola, etc. Oh… and there’s fruit up there too. But cookie dough is better than strawberries sooo whatever.
Your concoction is priced by weight so keep that in mind. I’ve had a couple sticker-​shock moments due to some extreme enthusiasm at the topping bar. They have free punch cards at the counter and Tuesday is «Two Punch Tuesday». I noticed on my last visit that they were selling cupcakes? So yea. There’s that. Love Chilly Billy’s, totally worth a stop.

Chilly Billys is fun and colorful with plenty of pizazz because they have tons of flavors and toppings willy wonka would be jealous of this place.
I love the pricing the self serve factor they even have comfy tables to sit outside during the summer and spring time and plenty of outlets to chill out on your computer during the winter months plus free wifi which is a plus factor being on the U of M campus.
One thing that’s a con is parking because there’s not lot just street and meters but if you go during the right times it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Overall I’m a fan that keeps coming back for more because its just that good.

This is probably one of the best fro-​you places in the Twin Cities. They have rotating yogurt flavors so there’s always something new to try.
The best part is they have many different types of toppings so everyone can have what they love and it’s always fresh! I’ve been to other places where the toppings have look really pathetic. This is never the case, no matter what time of the day you go!
I’m sad that summer is over because it’s going to get too cold to have fro-​yo cravings. :(
The place is always clean and the staff is super friendly. Couldn’t ask for more!

Stupid me for stopping at the Grad School office during their lunch break!
So with time to kill, I walked to dinky town and checked out Chilly Billy’s.
As soon as I walked in, a girl staff immediately approached me and asked if i had come here before. When I said no, she explained how things worked and offered me the samples. I thought it was such a good thing to do especially for a first timer like me.
I really like their concept. You pay for however much weight of fro yo+toppings that you want. They seem to change the flavors every now and then, and I really like that there so many choices of toppings to choose from.
However, not all flavors were good. I tried peach & mango, very berry, very strawberry and cookie n cream topped with some fresh cut fruits, yogurt dips, and coconut flakes today. All the fruits were fresh, and I kinda liked the yogurt dips. Of all the four flavor that I tried, I liked peach-​mango the most. It was more peachy than mango but still good. The very berry was burst full of tangy berry flavor. The strawberry though was way too sweet. I will totally pass this flavor next time. The cookie n cream was just ok.
Now I want to try some other flavors that they have to offer.

Get ready for the sweetest sugar rush of your life! A make your own frozen yogurt shop is just what DInkytown needed, unfortunately for Fru-​lala they don’t count because your hands don’t touch your own creation.
Some of the flavors were way too sweet for me so I choice the tart/​pomegranate raspberry combination. Other flavors include several variations of vanilla, cake batter, peanut butter, New York cheesecake, and chocolate. The toppings range from almonds, cereal, cookies, fruit, to every candy under the sun.
In addition to the massive amount of variety offered is the added bonus of getting to choose how much of every item you would like. I personally enjoyed that I could have more fruit and cereal than yogurt. This makes Chilly Billy’s the perfect place to make a cereal yogurt: captain crunch + vanilla yogurt = yummy in my tummy.
The atmosphere is a breath of fresh air in comparison to Fru-​lala, I only wish there was outdoor seating.

I was skeptical of Chilly Billy’s at first, as my heart also belongs to the «Make Your Own» Eden Prairie original Freeziac, just like Rachel E. However, Chilly Billy’s definitely showed off its specialties, offering over 10 fro-​yo flavors & over 40 toppings! I have already tried the Pomegranate, vanilla, & cake batter, topped with fresh fruit, and some chocolate toppings. Each time I have gone in, they are constantly chopping up additional fresh fruit in the back, so no worries, they have you covered if something is running low!
As others have mentioned, it’s 45 cents an ounce, so you can choose as much as you’re craving for the day! Mine have averaged out to around $ 3.50 to $ 4.00, a pretty terrific deal. Yet, I did spy one individual with an heaping amount of ice cream, gummy worms, and the works, with his total being a little under $ 9.00. They also offer a punch card, offering «Double Punch Tuesdays», so go in Tuesdays if you want to fill up that card.
My only complaint is there is not that many large tables indoors & it could be nice to have some outdoor seating as well. All in all a terrific new addition to Dinkytown, with fantastic service, yummy flavors, & free wi-​fi to boot.

Since I lived in SoCal for a few months, I consider myself a fro-​yo (frozen yogurt) fanatic. Needless to say my fro-​yo intake has significantly decreased since coming back to Minnesnowta, but thanks to Chilly Billy’s I now have a nearby go-​to for a quick sweet tooth fix.
First off, Chilly Billy’s is self-​serve (the BEST kind of fro-​yo shop) so you can make whatever concoction your heart desires. When my beau and I entered the store we were immediately greeted by a worker who gave us sample cups to try some flavors. Of the ten flavors available, I sampled Cake Batter which was delicious so I got it for my full-​size cup.
Frulala should be shaking in its boots. Chilly Billy’s has more flavor and topping choices and the «make your own» model will be far more popular in Dinkytown. My heart still belongs to Freeziac (located in Eden Prairie and at the Mall of America) but Chilly Billy’s is definitely going to be seeing a lot of me this summer.

I was a loyal customer to Frulala in Dinkytown, and I was pretty surprised when I heard Chilly Billy’s was going to open in the same area. So when I heard it opened already I had to check it out.
A lot of the fro-​yo places are the same to me what I rate them on are the quality of the toppings, the pricing, the customer service, and the flavors available. And Chilly Billy’s passed the test on ALL of them. With over 30+ fresh toppings to choose from (everything from fresh fruit, MOCHI, crushed chocolate candy bars, sour gummies, to oreos), over 10 different fro-​yo flavors available daily, you pay for what you top your fro-​yo off with (45 cents per ounce), and AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE… I was blown away. I have found a new fro-​yo place I will be going to.
Right when I walked in I was greeted immediately and asked if I had been here before. After saying no, a nice older man told me about the different flavors that they offered and if I wanted to sample any. And then went on and told me about the variety of toppings. He even showed interest and asked «ooh you like that?» after overhearing me say something about the mochi to my sister.
For a little more than the medium cup you’d get at Frulala a couple blocks down 4^th Street, + you get to pile on the toppings as much as you want it all came down to only under $ 4 (take note that this isn’t with happy hour or any special pricing)!
I have tried many different frozen yogurt shops in Minnesota, everything from Freeziac, Frulala, Café Kem, Red Mango, TCBY, to Pinberry, Berry Chill, Yogurtland out of Minnesota… Chilly Billy’s definitely makes the top of the list.