Oklahoma City fro-yo smackdown, part four: Lushberries
by Sam | September 8, 2009 | 22 Comments
(votes: 13, average: 4.38) 
Loading ...Lushberries is located at 3217 S. Broadway in Edmond (map) and at 1600 Garth Brooks Blvd. in Yukon (map). They are open Monday-Thursday from 11am-10:30pm, Friday-Saturday from 11am-11pm and Sunday from 12pm-10:30pm. You can reach them by phone at 405.715.1888 or follow them on Twitter. All major credit cards accepted.
Welcome to the Oklahoma City fro-yo smackdown where I review some of the upcoming frozen yogurt establishments in Oklahoma City. In this post, we’ll take a look at Lushberries, which opened up in Edmond July 17th and in Yukon in September. Click here for part one in the series, covering Passionberri. Click here for part two in the series, covering Pink Swirls. Click here for part three in the series, covering Orange Tree.
Wow, since the last time I reviewed a frozen yogurt establishment I think the number of open stores in the city have now almost tripled! Many of them are in Northwest OKC and Edmond, which is good news for the residents there.
Lushberries opened in Edmond in July and it was quite the hangout on the Sunday evening when I visited. In fact, the owner was so busy that I didn’t really get a chance to ask him anything about the business. This, even while they were fully staffed with five other busy bees. I guess this goes to show that the market for fro-yo is still healthy, plus I think that these guys definitely have one of the more convenient locations as they are right on Broadway in Edmond.
So, what sets this store apart from all the others you ask? From a fro-yo perspective, they’re the only ones to offer Acai Berry and Taro. I’m sure you’ve all seen commercials about the health benefits of Acai (honestly, I think it’s all hype and marketing). It had a subtle berry flavor and I think it adds something unique to their lineup of flavors.
As I was enjoying my fro-yo, I think I heard over ten people asking themselves, “What the heck is taro?” Well folks, it’s actually a root, popular in Asia, that tastes a bit like cookies ‘n creme. I sampled it and it had a nice bit of tang compared to the more sweeter concoctions of taro I’ve had.
The mango flavor here was also quite tasty and I have to admit — I think they’ve got the best mango flavor of all the places I’ve visited.
They also offer two sorbet flavors — green tea and pink grapefruit. These are non-dairy and non-fat. The flavor of the green tea was pretty strong and I wasn’t quite sure how well it would jive with any of the toppings. Honestly, I think the sorbet flavors are best by themselves.
The ten flavors offered on the day I went were: original, acai, mango, vanilla, strawberry, taro, lemon-raspberry, chocolate, green tea and pink grapefruit. As is typically of fro-yo stores, Lushberries changes their selections on a somewhat regular basis.
The most unique items Lushberries has to offer are their crepes. They’ve got five crepe varieties to choose from, including Nutella (peanut butter, jelly and caramel). I didn’t get a chance to try them this time around, but if they are anything like the crepes I’ve had in San Francisco or NYC, then I’ll be all over them!
Like Pink Swirls and Orange Tree, Lushberries operates on the pay-per-ounce system. They charge $0.38 per oz. which is two cents more than Orange Tree and three cents more than what Pink Swirls charges (I heard that Pink Swirls recently lowered their pricing to $0.35 per oz. — competition is a good thing).
Lushberries’s variety of toppings (24 fresh fruit and 18 dry topppings) was better than what I’ve seen at other stores, which gives them another leg up. Two unique fruit toppings they offer are lychee and jackfruit. Lychee is a common tropical fruit in Asia that tastes delicious. If you can overcome the odd look and smell of jackfruit (it’s the size of a basketball with hundreds of spikes — people in Vietnam call it the “lonely fruit” for its … um, unique … odor, but delectable flavor) it actually makes for a good fruit topping. Fortunately, the consumer will never have to have an Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods) experience with the exterior of a jackfruit since everything is nicely prepared for you in Lushberries’s various fruit topping tubs.
If you thought the cup sizes at Pink Swirls were large, come to Lushberries and you’ll find they’re even larger. At least they offer the convenience of sample cups. For the sake of the environment, it would be nice to offer smaller cup sizes. Sure, I understand that the larger cups coax consumers into buying more yogurt, but let’s be reasonable here.
Overall, I think Lushberries might just have the best fro-yo in town, but Pink Swirls is still very close behind. And, the lower pricing at Pink Swirls gives them a definite edge. Beyond that, it comes down to the extra features. As a sushi lover, I would likely choose Pink Swirls over Lushberries for their sushi menu. However, if you love crepes, Lushberries would definitely be your winner. Bottom line, the two are very close in the fro-yo department so it comes down to personal preference.
Of course, with all the new fro-yo shops opening up, there will likely be more contenders on the scene in the future. If you have an opinion about Lushberries or your fro-yo preferences, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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So far, 22 people have responded to this article. Won't you join in?September 8th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Hmmm, try telling the Brazilians that acai is “all hype and marketing.”
They’ve been eating it like crazy for years, because it’s a “superfruit,” and even higher in antioxidants than other garden-variety berries. Acai also has a good amount of healthy omega fatty acids, iron, protein, and fiber.
(Now, the health benefits of eating it in small amounts like you’d get in frozen yogurt and other processed food products? Definitely minor, of course. That part is hype.)
But anyway. This review just gave me a huge craving for crepes, so I may have to check this place out.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:31 am
If you haven’t had your fill of fro-yo yet, I’ve heard there’s yet another fro-yo place on the southside (104th & Penn, in the shopping center by Homeland). I have not been there, nor have I seen it, just a rumor.
I love your site! Keep it up!
September 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I think Pink Swirls will still get my business for now. I work at Tinker, and live only 4 miles from there as well, so it’s definitely the best bet for myself. I will definitely try Lushberries the next time I am in Edmond though.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Also, had a little Fro-Yo in San Antonio over the weekend. Their Fro-Yo selection is not NEAR the quality of OKC’s, and at $0.40 per oz. it’s not NEAR as good.
September 9th, 2009 at 11:55 am
I still love Pink Swirls, and I live 5 minutes from the MWC location so, my choice is still Pink Swirls!
But, it’s nice to see new businesses opening up and it shows that Oklahoma is strong and not suffering from major economic issues like other states are.
Thanks for the review!
September 9th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Just got back from Pink Swirls and I must say, I’m still torn between them and Lushberries. The yogurt was pretty delicious on a hot day like today!
September 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
My husband is not one for eating sweets, but he is the one to suggest we stop by Pink Swirls on the way home. I do wish there was an option for a smaller “bowl” – very few Americans need the tubs most of the fro-yo places hand out and it is way too easy to fill ‘em up. I did notice an older couple who filled one bowl and got two spoons – maybe that is what WE should do! (When we were in Pink Swirls Sunday we saw they now have two sizes of bowls – big and Good Grief!
September 9th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Heather: Yes there is a fro-yo place near the Homeland at 104th and Penn. It is called Lemon Tree and they do crepes also instead of sushi.
There is also another Orange Tree going in at 119th and Western.
I’ve had fro-yo at Pink Swirls and Lemon Tree and maybe I’m just not enough of a fro-yo fan but I didn’t really care for either…. I think I’ll stick with frozen custard for awhile longer.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:38 am
I have had my first taste of live culture frozen yogurt in NYC from PinkBerry where the whole craze started. It reminds me of my moms old home made yogurt but in a soft serve version. I’ve been trying to find a place that could match the flavor of what she used to make, and Lush Berries by far gets the closest and best tasting yogurt I have tried from various other major cities that have plenty of these specialty shops. Lush Berries is at the top of my list anywhere.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Pink Swirls is still my absolute favorite, but I was REALLY happy when Lushberries opened up, much closer to where I work (not that it keeps me from going out of the way to PS every once in a while).
I was really happy when I saw they had Taro yogurt, as I hadn’t run across that before yet it’s one of my favorite flavors in the world. The toppings have a good variety, a lot of fruit and not a lot of excessive candy or sugary ingredients.
One hiccup I did run across is that they were out of the Natural yogurt flavor last time I went, which was a real disappointment.
They also don’t offer a shake/smoothie option from what I can tell, and sometimes that’s what I’m in the mood for as it’s a lot more portable than yogurt in a tub.
I have gotten the crepes twice… First I got the signature combination (can’t remember what it’s called) with nutella/strawberries/banana/whipped cream. It was a great crepe but the combo was a bit much (hard to eat, the cut of the fruit was way too big) so the next time I just got nutella and strawberries and it was perfect (though they still used the same huge strawberries, weird).
I also got a crepe to-go for a friend, which I wouldn’t recommend… I should have known better, but it lost a lot of the fresh crepe magic on the 5 minute drive back to work.
Request: there are not a lot of crepe shops in the OKC area (in fact I can’t think of any!) but I’ve lived in lots of places in the world that had them and frequented them often. Maybe push the crepes more and extend the options for flavors. Look to European combos for inspiration, or maybe savory crepes if you ever want to go the lunch route (seems to work with Pink Swirls’ sushi).
September 10th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
@Sarah – I believe the Lemon Tree I mentioned above serves some savory crepes. I’ve only been there once and all we had was the yogurt but if I remember correctly they had crepes served with deli meats on their menu.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I just say a sign for a fro-yo place on 19th and Sante Fe in Moore. Wow these things are popping up everywhere!!
September 16th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Is the Lushberries in Yukon open yet?
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:17 am
Yes, they are open in Yukon
September 26th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I am a huge Lushberries Fan. The Tara flavor is my favorite! My family goes multiple times throughout the week; we dont even live close. The customer service is wonderful, they are always friendly. The Fro Yo tastes very clean-good quality. They are always changing their flavors and trying new flavors recommended by customers. Its clean. It has a wonderful atmosphere. They are GREAT with picky kids (our boy!). They are very clean. THEY HAVE AMAZING CREPES! If you are a nutella fan, you MUST try the crepe with mango nutella and whip cream…AMAZING! For all those who tweet, they are on twitter and update regularly to let you know the new flavors, events, specials, etc. It is all around, a wonderful fro yo place. Its by far my family’s favorite.
October 18th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Lushberries in Yukon IS NOT open yet. Sams said it is- but it is still under construction and looks no where near opening. There is also an ORANGE TREE going in across the street from the Luchberries in Yukon. RIGHT across the street! Pink Swirls is advertising that theya re opening in Yukon as well. COMPETITION!
October 18th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Cindi, sorry for the disinformation, but someone told me that they were open…thanks for the update!
October 25th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I’m not a huge frozen dessert fan, but last night we tried Lushberries fro-yo for the first time and really enjoyed it. The place is extremely clean and the girls working there are very friendly and helpful. The crepe menu looked enticing so I’ll have to go back and try them for lunch sometime.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I really like both Pink Swirl and Lushberry, but Lushberry is more convenient for me to get to since my office is right on Broadway Extension. I really like the Taro flavor best at Lushberry. I do wish there was a fro-yo place near the Western district, maybe at the new Classen Curve. Anybody?
November 12th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Hey Kelly, there is a new fro-yo place on Western Avenue across the street from Will Rogers Theatre and Sushi Neko. It’s called Fruiti Yogurt. I went there last week and it was pretty good. Same concept and all. I think pink swirls and Lushberries are a little better, maybe a little creamier, but Fruiti Yogurt is good if you’re in that area.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
and there’s also CoolGreens in the Avondale plaza…haven’t tried it yet, but the salad I had was good. Yeah, salads and fro-yo.
November 25th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
LuShberries Yukon will be up and ready to open for business this Friday Nov, 27th.
LuShberries will be expanding soon, stay tuned we will keep you updated. thank you all for the support.
find us on facebook and/or twitter. =)
have a great thanksgiving!
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