Marin Yogurt Co U-Top It

After a satisfying lunch with old friends at the awesome Sol Food, we decided to grab some froyo dessert at the brand new U-top It in San Anselmo. I remember some pretty fun times with friends over froyo and we were eager to give this new joint a try. When we arrived, we found it completely overrun with little kids and their moms topping off their cups and ringing up huge bills. That said, the price is not listed anywhere and not until you reach the counter do you find out how much you're really being taken for.

Before I get to that though, it all started with a sample. We weren't offered sample cups to try flavors ourselves and instead were fetched flavors by the doorman. A nice touch (I think?) but it would have been much easier just to go get myself a sample. Of the 8 flavors, only 3 appealed to me: carrot cake, dolce la leche, and cable car chocolate. The carrot cake and chocolate were alright (if not a little icy) but the dolce la leche was so saccharin-y sweet that it was difficult to eat. The toppings were abundant and certainly did nothing to lower the calorie count of the otherwise [mostly] fat free flavors. By the time I reached the register and weighed my yogurt, it came out to a whopping 9.8 ounces, half full in the 16 ounce cup. Well, that's when I found out that that it was $0.49 per ounce (it's not listed anywhere)! With tax, it came out to $5, which is kind of ridiculous when you consider that it's only $0.15-$0.39 in many of the places I'm used to. What's more, they charge for the cup as well which certainly doesn't help.

I might be making a mountain out of a molehill here and the main clientele probably isn't half as price sensitive, but this is definitely the most expensive yogurt place I've ever been to. That said, the area isn't cheap either, but it's pretty clear that they're making a killing. They just put some tables outside so people can finally enjoy their snacks with their pets (instead of tying them up), which is a nice touch. However, make no mistake, this is not a cheap treat and during busy hours the place is totally cramped and chaotic, and enjoying the froyo there is impossible. Truth be told, I wasn't that impressed.

Food: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Price: $$

Atmosphere: 4/10