Austin, Texas – Tart Organic Frozen Yogurt (Self-serve)

Restaurant: Tart Organic Frozen Yogurt
Cuisine: Desserts/Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Cafe/Pastries
Last visited: July 24, 2010
Location: Austin, Texas (Downtown)
Address: 241 West 2nd Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Started in Austin, Texas
• Organic and non-organic froyo
• USDA Certified Organic
• Self-serve frozen yogurt
• Self-serve toppings
• Pay by weight
• New flavours of the week
• Coffee/tea/pastries/wraps
• Healthy dessert
• Free samples
• Free wi-fi

**Recommendations: Taro, vanilla, cookies and cream, cake batter, red velvet… it’s personal preference.

Austin, Texas is bursting with frozen yogurt shops and Tart is one of the relatively new ones to hit the scene. Tart offers non-organic and organic frozen yogurt, but they’re definitely trying to make a name for themselves in the organic frozen yogurt department. Tart claims to be “the only yogurt in town that’s free of artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors and preservatives,” however I think it’s only true for their fruit flavours. When I came they were only serving frozen yogurt, but it seems that they are now offering wraps, coffee, and pastries, but I’m not sure that they’re made in house.

I love the self-serve frozen yogurt concept and I was first introduced to it when I tried Yogurt Planet, also in Austin, Texas. I love serving my own frozen yogurt right from the frozen yogurt dispenser and being in control of putting my own toppings on. They have a variety of fruits, nuts, candies, chocolates and of course mochi (which I’m curious to know if the toppings are organic, because I have my doubts).

The frozen yogurt flavours rotate and they have a nice selection of exotic and creative flavours and nutritional facts for each one. Yogurt Planet was slightly better in comparison, and 10 cents cheaper per ounce, but I do appreciate the organic aspect to Tart. This concept hasn’t been picked up in Vancouver yet, and it’s the perfect market for it too.

On the table:

Cake Batter – 3/6

• $.45/ounce (On the left)
• Toppings: Mochi, cheesecake pieces, sprinkles, and yogurt chips
• It was creamy and slightly icy in texture and not too sweet or tart either. It does taste like cake batter, but the cake batter at Yogurt Planet was better. That one was like real creamy cake batter in frozen yogurt form.

Taro Frozen Yogurt – 4/6

• $.45/ounce (On the right)
• Toppings: Mochi and coconut
• The taro is great and it tastes like a taro bubble tea in frozen yogurt form. It’s creamy and again slightly icy in texture. Tuttimelon in Richmond, BC also offers taro flavour on occasion (see here).
• The mochi was alright. It wasn’t dry or overly sweet, but it wasn’t fresh like the ones at Yo Mama Frozen Yogurt in Hong Kong, or Scoop! in Vancouver, BC. Yes, I have relatively high standards for mochi from frozen yogurt places… it’s a popular topping and if I’m paying $1/topping – it should be good.  

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