Yapple Yogurt

I had only been here once and only because they sold boba. I noticed there aren’t many boba shops around and this boba wasn’t all that great. I’m not surprised they closed though. I’m sure the rent was a lot more than they could afford, especially on Cary St. of all places. I wonder what will be here next!

I have to say, Yapple is beautifully decorated. It’s the main reason we (well, I) choose to come here over Sweet Frog. I am a sucker for pretty «packaging.»
As I said on my instagram pic of this lovely looking place, «I wish this boba tastes as good as this place looks.»
I sampled 2 froyo flavors — Nutella, Cookies & Cream, and didn’t like either one. For being «creamy» and non fruity flavors, they were both TART! Yuck! Strawberry being tart, mango — ok too, but not Nutella or Cookies & Cream! They come off as spoiled to me. :(
Will probably not come back.

This was my first time here and I ordered the honeydew bubble tea. Was extremely disappointed that the bobas were hard and the insides tasted chalky.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. (Get it?!) Ok, cue the crickets.
If you like frozen yogurt and fresh fruit toppings, this is the place for you. Great atmosphere with the alternating light colors and kid friendly. There is actually enough room for your terrible two toddler to run around and for you to chase after.
Ok, I’ll stop joking so the crickets will stop chirping. But seriously, give Yapple Yogurt a try!

Love to go in to check out the ceiling! :)
The lobby/​eating area is okay, but the seating is a bit off. They do have chairs sitting outside to munch on your yapple delight and watch the people cruise the sidewalk.
The options are changed everytime I go in and you can sample them. Just pick up a mini cup and try it free. Then grab a cup, pour out the froyo flavor and then go to the toppings bar, weigh your bowl, and pay! That simple!
They have a community board for local events which is neat to check out.
The bathrooms are spacious and big enough to do a dance routine inside (not that I’d say do one). The wall art is cool and they have some flat screen TVs that show interesting facts and play cool music inside. Definitely a unique take from the other froyo places

When Yapple first opened, I jumped ship from SweetFrog and joined the Yapple bandwagon. Shame on me. The last time I went to Yapple, the frozen yogurt was way too icy — almost like the consistency of Italian ice. Not what I was expecting at all.
Back to SweetFrog for me!

THE CHOCOLATE AWESOME SAUCE IS AMAZING!!! :D
So good! I think it’s melted Crunch Bars… but I’m not sure. The only thing I’m sure about is that it’s AWESOME! hence the name.
I usually get the tart froyo flavor, the awesome sauce, and bananas. So so good.
I do like the Tart froyo flavor from Sweet Frog better, but that chocolate sauce is too good to pass up.

Red Velvet anything.. I’m sold. Red Velvet cupcake yogurt. Yummy!
I passed by Sweet Frog and came into Yapple and I’m glad I did. It felt like a party at Yapple with the color changing ceiling, music, and happy servers.
Yapple has a new fan, due to the cake flavored selections.

I agree with Laura L, this place does seem like an Art Gallery! It’s very open and has some nice «art» on the wall; one of the walls has like monkeys and strange little aliens clawing at fro-​yo, it’s kinda cool.
One of the best things about Yapple is that they have UNLIMITED sample cups! Unfortunately, by the time I finish sampling I’m usually almost full… haha. I almost always get something fruity like Strawberry, sherbet, mango, etc but this I decided on Chocolate, Espresso, and Cookies and Cream! it was almost a bit tooo sweet for my taste, but it was still good. I did sample the Mango Sherbet and it really didn’t taste like mango… just tasted sweet.
They give student discounts here so that’s always a plus in my book! Hopefully next time I’ll get to try some other flavors that I haven’t been before. Not sure how most Fro-​yo places switch up their flavors to keep the constant flow of customers, but on my most recent visit, they had: Strawberry, Taro, Chocolate, Espresso, Cookies and Cream, Pumpkin Pie, Mango/​Orange Sherbet. This place also makes bubble tea!

I thought it was crazy that a Yapple was opening right next to Sweet Frogs. However, I think the storefront itself can stand on its own. Yapple has more of a sophisticated feel with its lighting and spacious interior. Very different from the kiddy feel of Sweet Frogs. In time, we’ll eventually see which style comes out on top in this froyo war.
So onto the important part, the yogurt! I gave this place a try over Sweet Frogs because I had a LivingSocial coupon. I liked that they have their sampling cups out so you can try the flavors. However, I didn’t like the consistency or the flavors of the froyo they offered. I thought the fruity flavors were artificial tasting and the original left a chalky feeling in my mouth. Their toppings, especially the fruit, did not match up to the quality of Sweet Frogs located 10– steps away. For $ 0.45/oz I just don’t think their froyo or toppings are worth it. I haven’t tried their boba yet so hopefully that will be an improvement over their froyo.
Food: 2
Value: 2
Service: 3
Overall: 2

Location, interior, and selection of flavors are what Yapple brings to the froyo scene. I loved both their taro and salted caramel pretzel flavors! I almost wanted to get a second cup of the salted caramel pretzel on its own because it was THAT good!
While they’ve got their variety in selection and flavors down, I sadly can’t say the same about the quality and spread of their toppings. The fruit did not seem fresh, and the most disappointing topping was their mochi! I was so excited to try their green tea and strawberry flavored mochi and unfortunately loaded my cup with hefty spoonfuls of both. However, when I took my first bite, I was really let down :(The mochi did not taste like green tea or strawberry, and they both had very strange textures — similar to Play-​doh. Maybe it was just a bad day, but I’ll be a little hesitant to try the mochi again after this experience. Will definitely be back for the salted caramel pretzel, though.

This review saddens me to write.
The last few times I’ve visited Yapple, the boba has NOT been good. When I first visited (when Yapple first opened) the boba always great but I feel like they’ve just let it go at this point. Last night, I got some, and the boba was very hard, like it had been sitting out all day. It was downright awful. And my drink was so sweet it didn’t taste like tea. I don’t know if I’m just getting the employees that don’t know how to properly make it or what, but if your boba is not consistently good, then your boba is just not good. Period. In addition, I went back maybe two to three times afterwards to give it another shot. The first two times, they were out of boba and the final time one of their machines was broke… not sure if the girl was feeding me BS because it was a busy night and no one else was there but her but regardless I was annoyed. Also, the front of the store has a sign that advertises that they sell milk tea with egg pudding, and they don’t. I asked and wound up looking foolish when the employees literally had no idea what I was talking about. So, sorry to say, but I don’t think I will be ordering boba here anymore. Back to my regular TT Lounge!
As for the froyo, there’s a good variety of flavors to choose from but they always come out watery. There are plenty of toppings, more so than I see at other places. Students also get a 15% discount on their order if you show your ID, so that’s pretty cool.

Located right next to the Sweet Frog, you can see people walk by one, look at the other and contemplate which one to try. I even saw one guy sitting outside eating Sweet Frog on Yapple’s chairs. Yogurt wars!
I actually think I prefer Yapple to Sweet Frog. It’s like they took what Sweet Frog was lacking and improved. Gone is the hideous hot pink and lime green. At Yapple it’s replaced by murals, white walls, and even color changing balls on the ceiling. Whoa.
Another thing: taste testing is encouraged. Seriously. There’s a huge bucket full of little cups to try their flavors. Never had taro? Try it. New peanut butter flavor? Go ahead. You really can fill up on yogurt from the mini tasting cups alone.
I tried at least five different kinds of yogurt and they each offered a light but satisfyingly take on their flavor. Peanut butter was creamy, slightly nutty, and smooth: reminiscent of the kind from the jar, but without the trouble eating it by the spoonful. The red velvet was sweet and savory, a cold version of the cake. Taro was aesthetically my favorite because of the purple hue. Ah, so good.
Tons of toppings, a few more/​different than the one next door. Want candy? Got it: load up on twix, snickers, you name it. Going healthy? Pick from an assortment of fruits. Want brownie or cookie dough? Chocolate syrup? I could easily come here and spend lots of money on all the different combinations.
Yay for Yapple!

Like many others, I am amused at the fact that this Yapple is two doors down from Sweet Frog. Since my bachelor’s degree was in Economics, I can say that this direct competition can only be good for us as consumers though!
Yapple is slightly more expensive per ounce (at the moment) than that yogurt place next door, but it’s a bigger space with slightly different yogurt flavors. The crazy, color-​changing lights on the ceiling and the strange drawings on the wall, paired with the hopping music, almost give this Yapple a club feel.
I usually just stick to tart flavors (which usually means just plain tart) and fresh fruit toppings, so I can’t comment much on the other yogurt flavors or candy toppings, but the yogurt here is good. One thing that makes this Yapple stand out a bit too is the fact that it also sells bubble tea (i.e. boba, as it more commonly known in CA) drinks.
To be completely honest, I feel like the non-​religiously-​affiliated Yapple is a major selling point for a place like Carytown. Then again, Sweet Frog has a pretty loyal following and has been established for much longer. It remains to be seen what will happen with this new Carytown yogurt war.

First of all, I am not getting involved in the whole Yapple vs. Sweetfrog war. I am here to try the yogurt, nothing more, nothing less. I really am getting a bit peeved about the infusion of politics and religion into EVERY aspect of my eating, drinking and entertainment dollar. But more so, those that think it shouldn’t be going on are missing the point. It’s ALWAYS been here, we just seem to make a big deal about it now because it makes it more fun to go on Facebook and complain about it. If you do or don’t want to patronize a business because it believes something or doesn’t believe something, that is your right, but I don’t need to hear about it, or feel guilty about trying a place even if their beliefs don’t match mine. The bottom line is — How’s The Food?
That being said, the main reason I had not dabbled into the gourmet yogurt thing earlier is pretty simple — I have a son who simply can’t have it. Now I know that there are non-​dairy choices as well, but they have always been sparse and not reliable to find everywhere, at least for the first few trips I have made to these establishments. Thankfully, my more recent visits have seen a pretty staple representation of non-​dairy choice. Even a yogurt place should have something for those with allergies, and at least to try to reach out to those that have restrictions in their diet.
I like being able to try the flavors first, and I am sure someone who sets the mark for most yogurt in a sample cup could live off this stuff without paying a cent, but I also then found some flavor choices to have too much of an aftertaste to enjoy fully. I keep forgetting, it’s still yogurt, and if tart and even sour is someone’s cup of tea, it certainly ain’t mine as a dessert choice. Cinnabun came closest to what a dessert, in my opinion, should taste like.
Then the toppings, OK, if I needed to rate the fun level of the visit, this would be at the top. Fruit, cereal, chocolate, sauces. My favorite was the chocolate covered waffle cone pieces.
Then you weigh it… now I can imagine the un-​initiated getting into SERIOUS trouble here. What do you do if you don’t have the money to pay for your masterpiece? Throw some of your swedish fish back in the toilet? Anyway, here is where they may need to place some type of rudimentary weighing system out in the customer area so the bottom line is not a shock.
Aesthetically, the Yapple location in Carytown is in and of itself a work of art, with chameleon-​like ceiling lights, wide and airy space for seating and loitering (the rent must cost this company a fortune per square foot) and visible and pleasant cleanliness (how often do you sit at an ice cream parlor and find remnants of the last customer’s kids ice cream on your chair, table, and ultimately on your clothes?). It’s a nice experience, even if you don’t buy anything, and what’s refreshing, they don’t seem that upset if you don’t, they’re just genuinely pleased you stopped by. Really.
So score one for Yapple, and those who just won’t try the other due to their pretty in-​your-​face religious undertones, all I have to say is, have you checked the bottom of your In N Out cup lately?

Walking into Yapple reminds me of an art gallery — it’s a bright and open space with the mesmerizing lights on the ceiling that I could not stop staring at. Aesthetically, Yapple looks awesome.
The froyo itself is not bad, I sampled a few before I settled on buying a small cup (mostly because I felt bad for trying a few then walking out…) but I will say that I was very happy with the selection of flavors. Seemed like there was a nice variety that would appeal to all froyo fans. I will say that the taro flavor was RIDICULOUSLY concentrated, it was like biting into a full taro or something. It may have been that batch but man oh man. It was way too strong.
I finally settled on the cheesecake and red velvet froyos. I reeeally liked the cheesecake! The toppings bar was very clean and organized and I do have to mention one thing: the hazelnut something sauce (weird that they call it sauce.) was ohhhmygodddddd delicious. It’s like a Nutella sauce with some little crunchy thing in it – if I had known it was going to be so delicious, I would have gotten more sauce than froyo. Seriously, I think it’s worth stopping by Yapple JUST for that sauce. Mmmm just thinking about it is making me want to go back to Richmond for a cup of hazelnut sauce!

First of all, I haven’t been to Sweet Frog very often (read: once), so I can’t make any definitive comparisons between SF and its new neighbor Yapple. But just by looks alone, Yapple wins hands down. Whoever thought neon pink and green were good decorative colors needs to have their head checked. At least at Yapple, I don’t feel like I’m in a children’s play pen. The space at Yapple is more wide open and airy-​feeling, and the LED light bulbs overhead are pretty neat.
I loved the sample cups just sitting out in the open. You can literally fill yourself up on froyo from sample cups alone. After trying all the flavors, I was full. But I felt like a thief, so I bought an actual cup. While the flavors are all spot on (I’m looking at you, red velvet, raspberry, and taro), there are some pretty non-​naturale colors up in the mix (I’m looking at you, radioactive-​hued orange sherbet). Also, the froyo isn’t exactly… yogurt tasting. It tastes more like ice cream. I like my froyo tart.
They also serve drinks now, and we got a taro boba. They use jasmine tea, I believe, so the smell/​taste is going to be a bit different from regular milk tea that is put into boba drinks. It’s not bad, but if you don’t like the essence of tea, you probably won’t be pleased.

Frozen yogurt with a clubbing vibe? Genius!!! Yapple has reinvented the frozen yogurt industry that has been trending and growing in Virginia for the past year. One thing that I really appreciate is the fact that they have mini testing cups to try out the flavors. This is especially helpful for people who are a bit skeptical of trying new flavors like I am ;P I have tried the strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, original tart, mango sorbet and raspberry flavors. I wasn’t too fond of the blueberry, strawberry or raspberry flavors because the consistency reminded me more of ice cream than frozen yogurt, but the original tart was very good, and the mango sorbet was amazingly refreshing and delicious! (best mango I’ve had at any frozen yogurt shop)
The frozen yogurt quality here is the best I’ve had in Richmond as far as self-​serve frozen yogurt shops go. The consistency is thicker than most, flavorful, and does not taste cheap and watery. They have definitely improved their formulation from when they first opened.
The froyo is priced at 0.45 cents an ounce, and comparable to its competitors. Another thing that I really liked was that they offered green tea flavored mochi, however I felt as though other frozen yogurt shops offer more of a variety in both flavors and toppings.
Eating the frozen yogurt while bumpin to bangin club type music was actually very enjoyable. That, and I love staring at the colorful, mesmerizing lights on the ceiling and getting lost in my happy place.
They also have a great frequent buyer incentive where after your 9^th purchase, you receive a $ 4 discount off your next purchase while $ 1 is donated to a featured charity. Eat frozen yogurt AND do good? Another plus in my book.

I love it.
I love being able to sample everything as soon as I go in, I like the open space. It’s not as crowded as Sweet Frog. It’s very spacious inside with a more modern/​adult interior. Sweet Frog seems to cater to small children, which is nice and all, but I don’t like kids.
They had more choices of toppings and all of the employees were very friendly and kept the place very clean.
You should go to see the lights on the ceiling, that’s worth it all to me.
One thing that they should do is to make their logo bigger, the small sign that says Yapple on the front isn’t big enough, but maybe that’s just me.

Yapple is the best fro-​yo I have had and I know my fro-yo…worked at TCBY in high school. The yogurt has so much flavor. And one of the most important things, it has good texture. It is fluffy and creamy, not icy and dense. Yapple’s décor is much more dialed down than the neighboring fro-​yo place and they have more place to spread out. For those who like the other place, Yapple has pretty much the same toppings and flavor selection; the yogurt is just better!
Give Yapple a try and you will LOVE IT!
Cheers