Go Greek Yogurt signage sat unopened in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center for months, with “coming this winter” promises testing the patience of passersby craving a fresh cup of frozen yogurt. On Friday, it held its grand opening.

On opening night, balloons decorated the storefront, a DJ blasted music throughout the evening and the line trailed so long it almost reached Einstein Bros. Bagels. Despite the crowd, the line moved relatively quickly, and the staff were friendly and accommodating for allergies, providing separate cups of toppings to avoid cross contamination. 

The shop’s interior was simple yet elegant, with the iconic Greek color scheme of dark blue and white. Beyond the fanfare of opening night festivities, the store itself is rather small and plain. Frozen yogurt machines line the back wall, followed by a small toppings bar next to it. Regular yogurts are stored in large bowls, a peculiar choice of container that clearly presents the yogurt for all customers to see but also resembles bowls of thick slime. The familiar swirls of frozen yogurt are more enticing in comparison.

According to the shop’s menu, products are imported directly from Greece. Their frozen yogurt, greek yogurt and smoothies are marketed as being packed with proteins and probiotics and a lower-sugar, lower-calorie alternative to ice cream. Core flavors — plain tart, greek yogurt and chocolate — are always available, with three additional seasonal flavors rotating regularly. The soft serve costs $1.35 per ounce, which is considerably more expensive than typical frozen yogurt shops, but they offer a 20% discount for the first two weeks after the grand opening. 

Plain Tart: 

The quality of a shop’s plain tart flavor is an honest indicator of that of the other flavors. Plain tart is an adored staple in the frozen yogurt community, and this rendition did not disappoint. It was soft but refreshingly tangy, an explosion of comforting cold. The tartness could have been augmented, as the taste seemed to dull with each bite, but it was otherwise well done.

Rating: 5/5

Greek Honey:

The Greek Honey flavor was surprisingly tart, almost like its visually identical twin, the Plain Tart. Hints of honey hid within the soft, smooth swirls of white, leaving a mild yet delightful syrupy aftertaste. The rich honey taste was never overwhelming; each bite was delectable and addictive, satisfying cravings while complimenting other, more intense flavors.

Rating: 4/5

Chocolate: 

The standout flavor for us was easily chocolate. It had a more authentic cocoa profile and was less sweet than typical chocolate frozen yogurt, with real chocolate bits mixed in. Its flavor was light, yet rich at the same time but not cloying or nauseating. Compared to the other flavors, its texture was softer and slightly more watery, causing it to melt faster but also have a creamy and milky texture. 

Rating: 4.7/5

Rose: 

The floral taste was faint, almost undetectable, and instead came across more like lychee or sorbet rather than frozen yogurt. The color was almost identical to the plain tart and Greek honey flavors, even though we were expecting a faint, soft pink color to match the rose label. Although the flavor or appearance was not what we were expecting, it was still very refreshing.

Rating: 3.2/5

Wild Berry:

The soft pastel fuschia color of the Wild Berry flavor gave it an appetizing appearance. Upon tasting, the flavor consisted of a pleasant tartness embedded with a distinct berry tang. After a few bites, it begins to taste like mixed-berry Go-Gurt. This flavor resembles the mildly artificial taste of yogurt made for children but not necessarily in a bad way. Though the aesthetics were inviting, the flavor itself was perhaps a bit banal.

Rating: 3/5

Greek Acai:

Greek Acai was a creamier execution of this summer staple. It seemed to be less water based, like a typical acai, but thicker and more velvety. It was an enticing plum purple with an equally fruity taste. However, it was incredibly sweet, like ice cream, to the point that it almost took away from the actual acai flavor. Nonetheless, it felt authentic to traditional Brazilian acai, with an incredibly similar flavor. It was a successful blend of yogurt and acai, though this combination was downplayed by the excessive sugary taste.

Rating: 3.5/5

Greek Yogurt: 

Go Greek offers six flavors of yogurt — three house flavors and three rotating flavors — costing $10.99 for a small, $13.99 for a medium and $25.99 for a large. We tried two flavors, chocolate and rose. The chocolate had chocolate chips mixed throughout, giving it more texture and crunchiness, while the rose flavor included delicate rose petals, which were tasteless. Both were slightly sweet, but still had a sour, tart yogurt flavor. The creamy and thick texture became a bit nauseating over time. Considering the price, the yogurts are not worth purchasing; the flavors taste better in the form of soft serve. 

Rating: 3/5