Irvine, United States
8585 Irvine Center Dr
$$
+19495025610
N/A
Great sweet shop! Wes is so knowledgeable and we really enjoyed the education on the different chocolates! The caramel toffee is to die for! Love also that they carry Sensitive Sweets items and Vermont Chocolates for my nut-allergy kids! Edited: went back there a month later and was introduced by Wes to the owner and she's an amazing working mom- super busy and successful! So happy to support her small business!
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This isn't what you think! Delicious and unique international chocolates and imported Turkish Delight. The name sounds like a kid's candy shop, but it is anything but. Yes, they will cater your kid party and have cute and unique offerings for that, but this is an adult's candy delight. Check out these truffles!
A chocolate boutique without any of the panache. Like most people who stumbled upon Sugar Rush, one would assume that it's a stop-and-go candy store with exotic sweets and treats with a premium price to match. The second part is certainly spot on, but the owner is incredibly friendly with his customers and has a story about each of the items he stocks in his store. Not only does he test out brewing his own teas and even making chocolate, but he fills his store with candies and teas from around the globe. He doesn't have to regale you with the story of the item because the flavors of what he keeps in stock speak for themselves (it also helps that he let's you taste things). Perhaps he's just a really good salesman, but I think what really sold me on Sugar Rush was not charisma, but the passion he had for his store and its products.
While the delicate chocolate treats and various delights can be a bit mind numbing, if you're in the area, definitely worth a look. Their truffles are just absolutely insane. I went in once to kill some time and was greeted by the only person working. It's a tiny chocolate boutique. And this guy loved chocolates and candy. He spent the next 45 minutes telling me about chocolate without pausing to take a breath. I'm not one to be rude and walk out while the guy was mid sentence, even if it was his 3618th sentence. So I ended up going from being early and wanting to kill a little time, to being very late. Bizarre. He was obviously tapping into his own supply, that's how passionate he was. I hope they stick around. This particular employee might eat everything so stop by before they're all gone.
As a dedicated dark chocolate enthusiast I would say that my biggest disappointed is that I did not step into this place sooner. Finding a brick and mortar that actually offers first rate chocolates from around the globe is a rare find, but to also interact with people who are true enthusiasts of the craft feels like a minor miracle. I've spent a lot of Time there over the past few months exchanging thoughts on chocolate and getting to taste the works of some makers I've never heard of, and in turn having some influence on what the shop carries by way of suggesting certain brands. Of course it's impossible to carry every niche brand, and certain quantities will sell out so the in store stock can change significantly from one month to the next. But that's where the fun is, discovering a new brand you may have only heard about in passing. Just be aware that first rate chocolate and other confections are not cheap. And this is in the heart of Irvine, with its high cost of living. It's not that the store is overpriced, just don't expect a discount wholesaler. But work with the staff and they will guide you in the right direction. The free samples don't hurt either. I used to mail order more than 75% of my chocolate because I could seldom find what I wanted locally, and what is locally available was frequently mishandled and bloomed. That percentage is now flipped. That's a testament to the quality of this establishment, in my book.
This place is such a treat. They offer a wide variety of unique sweets, especially chocolate. The workers are very friendly and have great recommendations if you let them know what types of sweets you like. They also offer customizable hot chocolate and teas. One of my favorite things about the store is that it is open quite late, so you can drop by after dinner for a snack.
Walked in expecting a standard candy shop where you grab what you want and checkout. Not even close. This place FAR exceeded my expectations. The staff was incredibly talkative, which I would normally not like, but his passion for knowing candies and helpfulness was through the roof. He was full of recommendations, samples, and in-depth explanations of everything in the shop. Amazing candies backed by staff knowledge and passion? This place rocks.
They are really friendly and know what they are talking about. They know a lot of information about each product and let you sample everything. I liked the peanut butter cotton candy, salt water taffy, and red licorice. They were very good. I am excited to go back and try more.
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