Ethel M Chocolate Factory Tour

This reminded me of the boudin bakery tour in Disneyland CA adventure park. It was a self tour where you get a chocolate treat in the beginning, milk or dark, and then walk through a hallway where you can see all the factory machines. There is writing on the windows explaining the machines but no live people talking or videos playing. We are also hoping we would see some people cooling or mixing chocolate or something, but all the rooms were empty! We did go on Saturday afternoon, so maybe they weren't working on the weekend.For my 2 and 5 year old, they didn't really understand and just ran through it. Thus, this might be more of older kids and adults. Maybe we will try again in the future.But it was free and there was tons of parking. We also went to the cactus garden after, which was also free. The kids had fun running around and seeing the displays. They were preparing for the evening Santa event during Xmas so we got to see the empty site in the afternoon! Haha.And finally, you can purchase chocolate there! It is pretty pricey though, more expensive than sees. And I couldn't tell the difference too much. But some people might notice and be willing to pay more for the chocolate.

Arrived at the Ethel M. Flagship location for the self guided tour of the chocolate factory. It was about 4 -4:30 pm. We were greeted by the host at the entrance. She offered us a sample of dark or milk chocolate in individual wrapped packets. She explained where the tour started and the gift shop. There's also a tasting room, but unfortunately it's $25 per person for a formal tasting session,so we passed on that for now since you have to make an appointment. So we walked through where they make the chocolate and unfortunately there was no one actually making any chocolate. The machines were not going and there was no one working this late on a Friday. So, off to the chocolate candy counter to see what kind of flavored chocolate they make.There were so many to chose from. The gentleman at the counter was friendly and helpful. They have pre-made boxes to buy or you can make your own -kind of like a doughnut shop-lol.We chose a 24 count cactus box to fill. There were so many choices-a few that stood out was the bananas foster truffle, prickley pear, cinnamon apple pie, and lemon satin, and they also had liquor filled chocolate that looked like barrels. They also had chocolate bars in all sorts of flavors and pecan brittle that was amazing! Also bags of assorted flavors. So my husband picked what he wanted to fill the box and I chose what I wanted to try to fill the box. There was a special limited time offer if you spend $50 you get a free pecan Carmel chocolate bar...3 oz bar!

We love Ethel M's! The chocolate is elite and we love the seasonal cactus garden. But what stops a 5 star review is the light show during Christmas should go back to a reservation system, like they did during Covid. We garden was packed and this years new security line was wrapped around down the street. The garden and shops weren't enjoyable bc it was so crowded. When they had the reservation system you could shop in the store and take time to look instead of being packed in like sardines and can't take your time to choose your chocolates, which we love!! Super expensive chocolates but really high quality.

Always a family tradition! Even though it was cold, was able to have some yummy hot chocolate. I'm so glad that they offer Mexican hot chocolate outside in the garden. The lights were amazing and they show different ones every year! The workers inside the factory were engaging with us and very funny!

What a wonderful visit I had at Ethel M's Chocolate Factory! I was house and dog sitting nearby for a friend and after driving by for the 110th time, I decided to stop inside and check things out. I'm so happy I did! It's been a good 10+ years since I have visited the factory, my kids were a little then, and I was a frantic mess of a mom! The factory was sparkling and was so much bigger than I remember! There is now a tasting room serving up mimosas, several counters in which to purchase sweet delights (which can be customized) and a café, offering coffee, milkshakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, oranges, marshmallows, cupcakes, cannolis, and more. Everything looked delicious and they even had a chance to sample a bananas, foster truffle, two types of pecan brittle and a small, bite sized chocolate and dark chocolate bar. In the end, I purchased a box of pecan brittle, covered with chocolate and a chocolate bar with lemon filling. I can't wait to come back with a friend, or a visitor from out of town, walk around the cactus garden and try the café!

9/28/2023Last visit we didn't even know about the factory.. (the clerk at the airport location told us)..So here we went on the self guided tour..Felt like back in the day field trip..Staff was friendly and shared the story behind Ethel M's.. Also found out there are four shops in the airport..Wanted to buy some items, but I knew we would be running around town..Bought the pecan toffee ( $15 for four pieces) and I couldn't resist to the small travel bag (my second one)..Very cool they gave me an ice pack for the tote bag..Really enjoyed the cactus garden..

We came here for a reprieve from the Vegas heat. We found this place online as a recommended Vegas activity when it's crazy hot outside.Upon entering, we were immediately greeted and offered a sample of either their milk or dark chocolate. I chose the dark (dark chocolate, always). It was a really delicious piece of chocolate; we would've brought some back as souvenirs if not for the excessive Vegas heat that would melt them instantly.We went on a Thursday afternoon but it wasn't a very exciting day at the factory. This isn't your Hershey Park Chocolate World tour in Pennsylvania, it's more of a "fish bowl" type tour where you look on through the plexiglass. They have descriptions printed on the glass to read for a self-guided tour. You start on the left against the back wall and work your way down. It took us about 5 minutes to get through the whole process. Perhaps if more activity was going on inside the factory, the enjoyment of watching what happens behind the curtain would've lasted longer. They did have a few machines going, and you could watch a station of employees putting delicate chocolates into each of their boxes, but overall, it was nothing engrossing.The self-guided tour ended with a selfie spot with a giant box of chocolates, and then you could explore their chocolate cafe/shop. They have a selection of chocolate truffles to pick from, along with a counter to order decadent chocolate milkshakes ($10), chocolate-covered marshmallows (~$4), and chocolate-covered strawberries ($6/strawberry!). Items are definitely on the pricey side, but they did offer quantity discounts.We ordered a dark chocolate-covered marshmallow (comes with three marshmallows on a stick) which was a tasty treat, though the marshmallow was a little on the chewy side. The chocolate is definitely the star, and it had fancy branding printed on the chocolate.After we finished our chocolate treat, we braved the Vegas heat to check out their cactus garden. The cactus garden was a highlight - it was neat to stroll through the garden and see the variety of cacti on display, prickly pears and all! Don't forget the sunscreen though - that Vegas sun is no joke!

We went here in December to see the lights. We were there a couple days after Christmas, and the line probably took us about 40 minutes or so! If I could do it all over, I would have switched out with people in our group, having some people wait in line while others went to explore the store. Inside the store, they give you a free piece of chocolate and you can also look through the window at the factory, where people are working. Even in the late evening. They sell drinks like hot chocolate, and everything is overpriced of course, but very yummy. We bought two delicious and unique flavored chocolate bars ($8 each - ahh!), and also shared a hot chocolate. As for the lights in the cactus garden, it was way bigger than we expected, and therefore worth the wait. In the middle of the garden, there's actually a food truck sort of thing selling more hot chocolate and a few other items.

Love their variety of chocolate! My favorites are the prickly pear, coconut, macadamia dark chocolate and lemon. The liqueur chocolates are good as well... especially the amaretto one A must everything we go to Vegas

Went with a group for my birthday and did a chocolate and mimosa tasting. What a wonder experience! The host was knowledgeable, very informative, and paired the chocolates with the mimosas perfectly! If you get a chance to do this tour you won't be disappointed!