If you’ve read any of my reviews of one of the numerous froyo shops, they you’ve read them all. There’s really not much to differentiate one from another. All of them rotate the flavors of frozen yogurt. Some have more toppings than others. It’s 100% self serve, so service is never really an issue. They all have the same type of atmosphere, but some do have more seating, indoors or out. Every froyo shop I’ve been to so far has a loyalty card as well, usually giving you 1 free cup of yogurt after you’ve purchased 10. I think the main factor in picking which one you go to is which is the closest, considering most everything else is more or less the same.

While service is normally negligible at these shops, I will say I received some service above and beyond what was required of them. My fiance and I had gone here with our dog. He’s obviously not allowed inside, so we took turns getting our frozen yogurt. My fiance went first, and the lady at the counter allowed here to take her yogurt without paying so that I could pay for both of them when I was done. It’s a very minor thing for them to do, but that simple trust put in us (yes it was only over a cup of yogurt) for our convenience goes a long way.

There are a couple minor differences with Delish Frozen Yogurt. They give you a free cup of yogurt (up to 8oz) on your birthday. I have not seen a special like this anywhere else. While most froyo shops have a flat, per ounce pricing structure, Delish charges $0.32/oz for frozen yogurt, and $0.42 for frozen yogurt with toppings. I really don’t see the need to do this, since most people really don’t pile on the toppings, and I can’t see toppings other than fresh fruit costing much more than the yogurt itself.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is just one of the many self serve frozen yogurt shops to pop up. This particular establishment is generally more crowded than others in the area. There may not be enough room to enjoy your frozen yogurt there, but you can always eat it in your car in the parking lot. Menchie’s has a ton of toppings, more than any other froyo shop I’ve been to yet. While they do offer fresh fruit, most toppings are on the less healthy side, and include all sorts of candy, sprinkles, marshmallows, and syrups (caramel, chocolate, etc.). Menchie’s is self server so you can get as much or as little as you want, both of yogurt and toppings, and you just pay by the ounce.

While you can get milk shakes in several different flavors at Steak and Shake, McDonald’s, Arby’s, Sonic, and many other places, no one other than ShakeOut offers 120 flavors. They only offer French vanilla ice cream, but that is so that the ice cream does not take away from the added flavors themselves. To flavor your milkshake, you pick from over 120 options, including candy, cookies, cakes, cereal, and fruit (view their menu). The fruit they use is fresh, the cakes, cookies and pies are real, not just flavor shots, and the candies are right from the package you would get at the store, rather than bulk generic candies. They also offer boosters like, bran, energy or muscle builder, and toppings like whipped cream, sprinkles, or chocolate chips.

For $3.99 for a regular shake (16oz) or $4.99 for a large (20oz), you get to pick one flavor. If you want to create your own combination, it’s only $1 more per flavor. Or, you could try one of their custom blends created by and voted on by customers ($4.95 for a regular and $5.95 for a large). They have a customer loyalty program offering 1 free milk shake after your 10th purchase, and they also offer 10% off to military and service employees.

I really liked ShakeOut and think it has a great, unique offering. I would recommend it to anyone that likes ice cream or milk shakes. I can see them thriving, and spreading all over, much like the froyo shops you see popping up everywhere now.

The great thing about Mix Frozen Yogurt, and most froyo shops, is that you pay by the ounce, 39 cents at Mix. I love this because I can get as much or as little as I want to eat. I can put the exact amount of toppings I want on my frozen yogurt. I’m not charged more for premium toppings or anything like that.

Mix is in a great location, tucked away in the shopping plaza on the southwest corner of Colonial and Alafaya. It’s close enough to the shopping area at Waterford Lakes to go there if you are in the area, but far enough away that there isn’t too much foot traffic. While the owners may disagree with me, I think it’s a good thing. The place is not too crowded, keeping it clean and comfortable. The place is mostly self serve, but the staff is friendly and courteous, and will answer any questions you may have about some of their more unusual offerings.

I appreciate the staff inviting me into their shop. It really is a great place to get a snack. You can sit around and relax, or get some work done with their open WiFi.

Mochi is a popular Asian rice cake made of sweet rice flour that is usually eaten as a snack or dessert.

Not to be outdone by their unusual flavors and toppings, Mochi keeps with the trend with their pricing. It is $0.45 per ounce, including any mix of yogurt flavors you want, and all the toppings you care to have. I think it is a great pricing strategy because it lets people get as little or as much as they want to pay for. It is a great, refreshing treat that can be made as healthy or as fattening as you want it.