Food Review: Menchie's Frozen Yogurt (Willoughby, OH)

After a workout and a yoga session a few weeks ago, I went to hang out with my co-worker at Menchies in Willoughby. Never tried this place, and apparently they're all over California too. In terms of frozen yogurt bars, I admit to never walking into a Pinkberry (a similar store) back at home because the lines were always out the door, but now I understand why people like places like this so much. Fortunately nobody wanted to stand in line for frozen yogurt in late January up here.

When you walk into the place, you're immediately greeted by a worker and all of your yogurt choices against the wall in self-serve machines. It's simple to start your yogurt journey, just grab a cup (with a waffle cone or a brownie at no extra charge) and have at it.

Here are some of the featured flavors at this location. They do get rotated on a regular basis, and there is always your basic chocolates and vanillas, but some of these are quite unique.

After choosing the yogurts, go for the toppings.

My little combination was a sampler of several types of yogurts, some hot fudge, and a few fresh fruit pieces. You can pile as little or as much as you want in your cup because of their loose pricing structure: they charge you by the ounce. (It's 45 cents an ounce at this location.) So, if you came in with pocket change, take it easy on the cup.

Menchie's also has a series of mascots that grace multiple types of merchandise ranging from buttons to shirts, hats, and even Christmas tree ornaments. It's very cute, and with the atmosphere being very open and casual, it's great to take a friend or a date. And those funny mascots they even greet you on the way to the bathroom. It's also a great place for kids to hang out (there's a chalkboard/activity center in the corner of the store).

I definitely recommend this healthier alternative to regular ice cream. For more information about this self-serve yogurt chain, visit their website at http://www.menchies.com/.