- Address:
- 111 W. Jackson Ave., Naperville, IL, 60540
- Phone:
- 630-904-0994
- Overall User Rating:
-
(1 rating)
- Hours:
- 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thusrdday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
We've been watching frozen yogurt spots pop up all around the city with reckless abandon this spring (Yoberri, Berry Chill, Starfruit, need we go on?), but the 'burbs just scored its first fro-yo chain, Red Mango, this week.
The Naperville location opened Wednesday (with the Evanston one coming any day now) and we stopped in last night. The place was empty -- who else wanted to get frozen yogurt when the temps were tipping into the 40s? -- but fast-forward a few weeks from now, and there's no doubt that the location will be crazy. It's smack dab across from the Naperville Riverwalk, a perpetual hangout for skateboarding high schoolers, strolling after-dinner daters and everyone in between.
The Naperville location opened Wednesday (with the Evanston one coming any day now) and we stopped in last night. The place was empty -- who else wanted to get frozen yogurt when the temps were tipping into the 40s? -- but fast-forward a few weeks from now, and there's no doubt that the location will be crazy. It's smack dab across from the Naperville Riverwalk, a perpetual hangout for skateboarding high schoolers, strolling after-dinner daters and everyone in between.
The last time I had frozen yogurt, I was probably 11 years old, standing in TCBY ordering a styrofoam cup of chocolate-peanut butter swirled yogurt topped with gummi bears. No doubt, Red Mango's version feels a ton more grown up, with just two flavors swirling out of the machines here: green tea and original (not vanilla, as the staffer behind the counter politely corrected me when I placed my order). Super-modern red chairs, striped banquettes and chocolate-brown couches seem more suited to an upscale cafe, but sugary cereal toppings like Cap'n Crunch and Fruity Pebbles keep things from getting too serious.
The original flavor was creamy, had the smooth tangy flavor of actual yogurt (as opposed to soft-serve ice cream with no actual yogurt in it) and was a perfect match for fresh, super-plump blackberries and raspberries. The green tea (we tried it with blueberries and mini-Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips) had a smoother, less yogurt-y tasting flavor, so if you're not particularly a fan of what actual yogurt tastes like, this should be your pick.
We went in thinking the prices were on the expensive side, and if you get the largest size with the most toppings ($8), it definitely is. But that 12-ounce large is pretty darn large. A more reasonable medium cup of original with two toppings rings in at $3.75 before tax -- still cheaper than your average Starbucks Frappuccino. Our only (admittedly totally trivial) gripe had to do not with the prices, but those adorable scalloped ramekins that are featured so prominently on Red Mango's website as well as their photos (see above) and posters inside the shop. Just a play in food styling, for presentation purposes only? Apparently yes, as it was all paper cups for us.
Red Mango is also looking pretty angelic when it comes to the health factor. There's the whole live active cultures deal -- it packs probiotics reportedly good for your digestion -- and a small is less than 100 calories. That's a lot easier to justify than my stand-by frozen treat in downtown Naperville: ice cream topped with a scoop of cookie dough at Cookie Dough Creations. Not to say we won't be back there, too, angling for a spot in line along with what always seems like the entire senior class of Naperville North. Now we'll just have to alternate between the two.
[ Lisa Arnett is the metromix suburbs and shopping producer. All meals are paid for by Metromix, and reviewers make every possible effort to remain anonymous. lmarnett@tribune.com ]
[ Lisa Arnett is the metromix suburbs and shopping producer. All meals are paid for by Metromix, and reviewers make every possible effort to remain anonymous. lmarnett@tribune.com ]
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