2020 Froyo Guide to San Francisco

Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. My froyo guide to San Francisco was published in 2015, so it’s time for an update. Of the four shops that I recommended in 2015, two have closed since then: Fraiche Yogurt and Pinkberry. The Pinkberry Union Square location was the only Pinkberry in San Francisco. Yes, there’s a Pinkberry at SFO Airport but that’s outside of San Francisco. Fraiche closed in Palo Alto last December, so their SFO kiosk is the last remaining location.

Hayes Valley/Marina/NOPA

Souvla (517 Hayes St., 2272 Chestnut St., 531 Divisadero St.,) has opened additional locations and even launched a froyo truck since my last 2015 SF froyo guide. I’ve had their Greek froyo at all of their locations and the froyo is consistently wonderful. Their salads are tasty and popular and they have Greek wine. But the star is the creamy Greek froyo made in house. The Greek frozen yogurt comes in one size and one flavor (plain) with your choice of toppings: baklava crumbles with syrup, sour cherry, olive oil and sea salt or honey. I like to get sour cherry syrup and baklava crumbles. The froyo comes in a cute NY coffee cup that’s perfect for strolling.

The Mission

Foodhall, 3100 16th St.) opened in April 2016 as a stylish gourmet grocery store with coffee, pastries, cheese, produce and a large wine and spirits collection. Foodhall serves Italian style frozen yogurt made with Straus organic milk. There’s just one flavor, plain and they have some fancier toppings. The froyo is thick, smooth, and dense.

Oh, there’s a Souvla in this neighborhood too, at 758 Valencia St., and yes, froyo is available.

Noe Valley/Inner Sunset/ West Portal

Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt (4028 24th St., 718 Irving St., 44 West Portal Ave.) moved from the Castro to West Portal and opened a shop in Corte Madera since 2015. I’m recommending them again because they make their own froyo with their own recipes. It’s fresh and unique. They try to use organic ingredients as much as possible and have interesting toppings. The décor is adorable and they care about the environment. Plus, all their shops are Swirl of Honor shops.

Pacific Heights

Apizza (2043 Fillmore St.) is the new concept from the founder of La Boulangerie and new owner of Loving Cup. The idea is to make high quality pizza and froyo that’s fast, eco-friendly, and affordable. The froyo there is hand-blended to order and creamy but with more texture than your typical froyo. Choose your base (nonfat vanilla, nonfat chocolate, non-dairy vanilla made with coconut milk) and pick a swirl (achocolate, my favorite, thinner mint, guilty-ish pleasure, all good). You can add a chocolate chip cookie, sprinkles or additional mix ins or toppings. There are other Loving Cup locations in SF but the one inside apizza offers the best value, but with fewer options.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

San Francisco Froyo Guide

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been almost three years since my Fro-yo Visitor’s Guide to San Francisco post and it’s time for an update. Sadly, some of the frozen yogurt shops on the original list are no longer in business but the good news is that new places have opened. This guide contains the frozen yogurt shops that are worth visiting.

* Hayes Valley: Hayes Valley, the artsy shopping/dining district has long been devoid of good dessert places but all that has changed and the neighborhood is now a frozen dessert mecca with Smitten (freshly made nitrogen ice cream), Miette (ice cream sandwiches made with Straus organic ice cream) and my froyo pick. Souvla (517 Hayes St.) is a crazy popular casual Greek eatery that specializes in spit-fired all natural meats. Get a Greek sandwich or salad, drink some Greek wine or beer and enjoy a cup of creamy Greek froyo for dessert. The Greek frozen yogurt comes in one size and one flavor (plain) with your choice of toppings: baklava crumbles with syrup, sour cherry, olive oil and sea salt or honey. It comes in a cute coffee cup that’s perfect for strolling over to Patricia’s Green (Octavia at Hayes), the neighborhood urban park with rotating art exhibits. 

* Japantown/Fillmore: There are so many cute places to shop in Japantown. My top picks are New People, Daiso, Ichiban Kan and Kinokuniya. Fillmore St. is also a shopping destination with Marc by Marc Jacobs, Paper Source, Jonathan Adler, Steven Alan, NARS, Kiehl’s and Nest. Fraiche Yogurt (1910 Fillmore St.) offers artisanal yogurt and fro-yo made from scratch. The soy fro-yo is excellent and the combination of steel cut oatmeal and fro-yo is an unexpected delight. The housemade chocolate shell sauce is out of this world. I also recommend afternoon tea at the British owned Crown & Crumpet (1746 Post St., make reservations) and Jane (2123 Fillmore St.) for a fresh baked treat and Four Barrel Coffee.

* Union Square: No trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting Union Square, the main shopping destination in SF. Pinkberry (170 O’Farrell St.) is conveniently located at Macy’s Union Square. There are other froyo shops in the downtown area (e.g., Yoppi, Caffe Ambrosia) but Pinkberry is the best one. You can never go wrong with the original tart with fresh fruit – such a refreshing, light treat after a long day of shopping.

* Castro/Noe Valley/Inner Sunset: Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt (4028 24th St., 718 Irving St., 4092 18th St.) became the International Frozen Yogurt Association’s first Swirl of Honor recipient. Look for the IFYA Swirl of Honor decal and know that you’re in for a treat – hand-crafted unique frozen yogurt and frozen custard flavors (e.g., Lemon Ginger Zinger, Cherry Marzipan, Vietnamese Coffee, Banana Cream Pie), including organic and non-dairy flavors made with almond milk and coconut milk. There are three locations and the décor is super cute. Swirl your own cup and head over to the toppings bar which features local toppings and toppings you won’t see elsewhere. The Inner Sunset location is close to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (9th Ave. & Lincoln) and museums in Golden Gate Park.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.