Gibson’s Frozen Yogurt Shoppe

Bacon bits or kiwi????....these are the questions that haunt my dreams

Tacoma…your life just got a little harder. Perhaps my experiences will help you through this difficult time. I am not ashamed to admit the stress I underwent choosing my yogurt and toppings at Gibson’s this summer. I mean…we all know how well chocolate and vanilla sets the stage for all types of cookies, nuts, and sauces – it seemed like the perfect choice. But, a huge selection of delightfully tart yogurt and fresh fruit never failed to create a battle royale cage match between my mind and taste buds. Seriously. People were staring.

Tacoma is blessed with several good donut shops, at least one great bakery in Corina’s, and we’re damn overrun with cupcake places – it’s an epidemic really – but we still have no good homemade ice cream shop. Seriously Seattle, we will trade you like, seven cupcake places for just one homemade ice cream place. Please? Gibson’s may not be homemade ice-cream but it is definitely a step in the right, non-cupcake direction.

The place is in an older commercial building tucked in between salons and tailor shops on N Tacoma Ave, and shares a parking lot with Stadium Thriftway. When you walk in, say “hi” to the sugar-laden staff and try not to make eye contact with the toppings yet, you need a clean head going into this. The yogurt dispensers in the back are usually host to several cheapskates hitting the samples, which will only get worse now that Stadium High is back in session, and your only logical option is to join them.

There are 8 different flavors at any given time which seem to rotate regularly, try them all, why the hell not? Oops! They are all delicious, now what are you going to do? I mean, you could feasibly fit all 8 flavors into one cup, especially if you get the ginormous one, but that seems a bit gross to me. Maybe not to you though? Maybe you’re the type that puts six different kinds of soda in your Big Gulp. You should have no problem here, assuming you have a cup big enough to satisfy your insatiable undiscerning palate.

There is no turning back

Now that you’ve conquered your indecision and gone with a flavor or two or eight, it’s time to dress that bitch!  This is the make or break moment.  Gibson’s has a freakish amount of toppings that range from fresh fruit (pineapple, kiwi, bananas, mango, strawberries, blueberries…) to the “Make it Funky” section, which includes salt, bacon bits, lime, wasabi peas(!), and white chocolate covered coffee beans. I personally recommend the bacon bits, it adds that little extra bit of…I don’t know…freeze dried pork. The staff is willing to heat the ingredients for you if you wish, and once you’ve chosen your toppings you can drench it in several different sauces and whipped cream. You pay by the ounce here, so take it easy on the cheesecake. But hey, think about the potential value of those freeze dried bacon bits! Ours’ all came out to around $5/each.

My final creation involved chocolate and red velvet yogurt (amazing) covered with apple pie, bacon bits, Nilla wafers, and a bunch of other incongruent stuff. I might have been off my game a bit now that I think about it.

Bacon bits make everything better

Adam took a safer route with chocolate, strawberry and coffee.  Weak.

Hopefully you can live with your choice. I will warn you, It’s hard to stop yourself from peering into your companions’ cups wondering what might have been.  At least you will know this: you did not bow to the oppressive Tacoma cupcake regime today. Not today. Congratulations.

Gibson's Frozen Yogurt Shoppe. The extra e means it's fancy.

As always, mention us and get….nothing! Maybe a brain freeze.

Gibson’s Frozen Yogurt Shoppe

8 North Tacoma Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98403-3125
(253) 302-3856

http://www.gibsonsyogurt.com