Boston's Best Frozen Yogurt

Berry Freeze, Berry Line, BoYo, Red Mango and Pinkberry. There's an avalanche of frozen yogurt on the streets of Boston. Some are gluten-free, kosher, DIY and most include local food products like Taza Chocolate or home-grown blueberries. With such a gulpable glut, how's a lactose-loving consumer to separate the swirl from the spin? We break down the fro-yo frenzy.
By Kathleen Pierce

Pinkberry

94 Derby Street
Hingham, MA

288 Newbury Street
Boston, MA (new in Oct. 2010)
http://www.pinkberry.com

For many Bostonians it's hard to get behind anything from LA (especially if it's dressed in Lakers purple), but when Pinkberry opened in Hingham in the summer of 2010, the LA yogurt chain was immediately embraced. The tangy treat made with low-fat milk and fresh fruit like watermelon is light, refreshing and celebrity-approved. Kirsten Dunst and Paris Hilton are big fans of this mod shop. Perfect pairings like coconut yogurt with chopped mango and pomegranate yogurt (made with 100 percent California juice) with blackberries are suggested. If there's any sin in this indulgence, it's been airbrushed out.

BerryLine

3 Arrow Street
Cambridge, MA

1668 Mass Ave.
Cambridge, MA

1377 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
http://www.berryline.com/

Tart and terrific. That's the line on this froyo co. started by a pair of Harvard and MIT medical school grads. Flavors like rose, blueberry and chocolate made from Taza across town, change weekly. The brainiacs at Harvard and Lesley have dubbed Berryline the optimal studying fuel. Flavors like green tea and guava are far from boring. Top them off with seasonal peaches, strawberries or blueberries for added brainpower. At 25 calories an ounce and fat-free, you'd better get in line.

Berry Freeze

273 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA
www.berryfreeze.com
Control freaks, this is your nirvana. At this one-year-old Coolidge Corner froyo shop customers grab the lever and twirl their own. Start with passion berry or banana chocolate yogurt and work your way over to the toppings bar where raspberry or vanilla syrup, marshmallow, animal crackers and other kid-friendly indulgences await. You pay by weight in this is DIY shop and seconds are encouraged. Take the kids.

BoYo

175 Cambridge Street
Beacon Hill
Boston, MA
www.boyofroyo.com

If iced coffee frozen yogurt is your cup of tea, you're going to love the indie feel of BoYo. The colorful shop on Beacon Hill lives for fun combinations and goes all out in the summer with s'mores sundaes — chocolate fudge yogurt with Graham crackers, mini marshmallows and chocolate syrup — and the uber refreshing cool mint. Need a soft serve break? They also do gelato and sorbet. Free WiFi makes working remotely cool again.

Red Mango

334 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, MA
www.redmangousa.com

You need to experience the key lime pie yogurt at Red Mango sometime before you die. With hints of Graham cracker, cinnamon and a citrus-y pucker of lime, this yogurt transports urbanites to the tropics with one creamy spoonful.
Need an immune boost? Try a fruit, tea and yogurt blended smoothie in flavors like strawberry and wild hibiscus. It's an exotic escape. And if you're in a mid-day dash Red Mango's loaded parfaits can pinch-hit for lunch.