Food Fight: Menchie's vs. Yagoot

A new wave of yogurt shops is putting a healthy twist on the frozen treat with tart, probiotic yogurt. But two local purveyors have taken different approaches to serving the not-too-sweet stuff: Yagoot's limited lineup focuses on fresh fruit, while Menchie's wide selection of toppings and self-serve setup lets patrons build their own oversized sundaes. Let's see how the new yogurt slingers stack up.

Serving size, $4.75

Menchie's: 10.8 ounces with toppings (you pay by weight, 44 cents per ounce)

Yagoot: 8.5 ounces yogurt, plus three toppings ("medium")

No. of yogurt flavors

Menchie's: 12

Yagoot: 3

No. of toppings

Menchie's: 47

Yagoot: 21

Most unusual topping

Menchie's: Sno-Caps - rainbow and dark chocolate!

Yagoot: Mochi, a sweet Japanese rice cake

Cereal killers

Menchie's: Cocoa Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles, Golden Grahams, Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms

Yagoot: Cap'n Crunch, Fruity Pebbles

Fruit forward

Menchie's: Some fresh berries and bananas; canned pineapple and mandarin oranges

Yagoot: Fresh kiwi, berries, mango and pineapple; bananas sliced fresh to order

Fun factor

Menchie's: Yes! It's a blast pouring your own yogurt and going nuts with the toppings. (Reality sets in at weigh-in.)

Yagoot: Eh. The small shop is cute but utilitarian. Good luck finding a place to sit when the mall is crowded.

Taste test

Menchie's: Sweet and uncomplicated. The raspberry yogurt tasted a little like soft-serve ice cream.

Yagoot: Tart, tangy and refreshing. The strawberry yogurt had a complex, fresh-fruit flavor.

The Winner!

Yagoot. Menchie's topping bar is a lot of fun, but Yagoot takes the probiotic blue ribbon for its fresh flavors and delightfully tangy yogurt.