The Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt at the west end of the Tacoma Mall near Nordstrom is in a decent location. It's well-removed from the food court, so there's not as much for it to compete with. There's also plenty of nearby seating thanks to its proximity to Nordstrom. If only the product it served was worth buying.
The texture of Orange Leaf's frozen yogurt is the best thing about it. It's creamy without being too wet or heavy and seemed to be consistent across a range of flavors.
The problems with the frozen yogurt are the flavors. Of those sampled, a couple are accurate and moderately satisfying, including Egg Nog and Hazelnut, and Brownie Batter definitely tastes like more than just chocolate. The sweetness of all three is a bit high, however, but the pleasant aftertastes redeem them. The Vanilla and Classic Tart flavors don't really taste of anything, the Vanilla vanishing from the palate as soon as it's swallowed. The tang of the Classic Tart fails to conjure the expected tartness of yogurt unlike the Strawberry and Pomegranate yogurts, which taste just like regular yogurt, though not as much like the fruits they are meant to represent. English Toffee has an extremely-faint caramel flavor, which comes across as more of an aftertaste than a true flavor.
With the selection of flavors at any given time limited to eight, there isn't much to choose from. As with other frozen yogurt places, Orange Leaf offers a couple dozen dry and wet toppings to complement the yogurt, which costs 45 cents an ounce.
As for atmosphere, there isn't any. There's a single employee stuck behind the counter of toppings and a small table tucked in the opposite corner. While it is brightly colored, that's a poor substitute for a quality product.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. (253) 476-2401 Orange Leaf
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