Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory

So disappointed!!! I was in New Orleans on business and thought I would stay over in Louisiana for a couple of more days; specifically, to take a tour of the Tabasco factory. I drove all the way from New Orleans to Avery Island expecting to take a full guided tour of the plant operations. There was no tour! Instead it was a «self guided tour» which was made up of only looking at interactive displays. I had a question regarding the barrels and the one employee that I found, while walking around, could not answer my question. I was done with the entire «tour» within an hour and that included stopping to take pictures, buying stuff at the gift store, and reading everything in the museum. I should have stayed in New Orleans! Definitely not worth the trip to Avery Island.

For all of those who are going to the Tabasco plant for a tour I want to make sure that you understand what you are going into. There is no tour it is a walk around and listen to videos interactive display. There’s nobody to ask a question to and they leave out gross amounts of detail. Finally you don’t even get to really see the full scale of the operation you just get snippets and with the video tells you. Each video seems to repeat itself just with a different spin on it. Past that the gardens are awesome that’s why I gave it 2 stars. Oh and in reference to the fact that you don’t have anybody to ask a question to don’t ask any questions to the people who are currently supposed to point you in the right direction they have no idea what they’re talking about nor have they been trained on the Tabasco process. Sincerely disappointed.

They were not operating a tour for several weeks, yet this was not posted on their website. The gift shop was pretty small considering Tabasco is such a famous brand, however this could be overlooked if they had some products of interest. The most innovative thing they had were samples of Tabasco ice cream. I am a huge foodie and totally opened minded when it comes to trying new things but honestly, this did not work at all. I feel that they should have gone a savory route but instead it tasted like cream loaded with processed sugar and tabasco sauce. If Tabasco ice cream is the only thing you have going for you, then it should be on point. I have always been more of a Crystal fan and this experience solidified that opinion for me.

Tabasco is my favorite non-​alcoholic liquid.
I put it on everything. Love it. I have a special bond with Tabasco Sauce. I crave it when it’s not on my eggs, pizza, burger, anything really…
I was thrilled to see that they allow you to see how the magic is made. You get handed a couple of tiny bottles of samples of the sauces, and put in a room where you watch a 10 minute movie that looks like it was made in the early 90’s. Then you get released down a chute that takes you by the factory bottling room.
I was really hoping for something more like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but with Tabasco Sauce, but they didn’t have a hot sauce river. Instead, a bunch of machinery and people staring intently at dials and gauges as bottles whiz by. Then you go by little displays and games that teach you about the hot sauce, and can see some of the foreign packaging.
I was glad to learn the history of my favorite hot sauce. If you’re not a huge fan of the stuff, you’ll still be interested.

Great product. Not a well thought out or executed experience. They’re expanding the whole thing but it’s really not educational enough for the foodies at this point. The shop and products at the general store are average. They didn’t have my favorite hoodie or tie displayed in the store. I did like the opportunity to compare and contrast their products in the tasting area. I was disappointed to see that they use high fructose corn syrup in their popular sweet and spicy sauce. They’re surrounded by sugar fields and they use a corn based and likely gmo product?! An ingredient that has been proven dangerous to our diets. This calls into question their decision making skills about their products across the board for me.
Most of their peppers are grown in Central and South America. I hope they’re not mowing down rain forest so that they can grow peppers there. They said it was because they needed peppers grown year round but they age their peppers for 3 years. I digress. The factory pumps out an impressive quantity of this terrific product to countries around the globe. The original and reserve are my favorites hands down and after learning the reserve uses peppers only grown locally I think I will stick with this one.
It was a nice drive and this area of the country one of my favorites. Go check it out. It will only take an hour from your day and is free.

Came Here with the family. The botanical gardens were beautiful.
We’re expecting a little bit more from the tour of the factory since we had driven 4 hours.
The tour consist of going in a room
With pictures on a wall, meeting your tour guide (although I’m not sure what you they take you on exactly) they walk you to the next room with a tv in it and you watch that for about 15 minutes and learn about tobacco.
Once that is finished you walk by a window that looks into the factory. And that’s it.
WAY less than we were expecting. You do get free tobacco mini samples (perhaps as compensation for gas money).
My family was visiting and I think if I had the option to do it over I would have spent the day at home with them rather than driving all day in a car. I would have thought that since they are such a huge international product
And historical
Image for louisiana they would have had more to offer.
If you’re driving really far I would advise against it unless your staying around Lafeyette.

My husband and I stopped here on our drive back to Arizona from NOLA as something we thought would be exciting and cool to say that we’ve done. We had it all planned out. We were going to do the tour, then we were going to haul ass to the Country Store before anyone else in our tour to try all of the Tabasco products without a rush and be able to buy our souvenirs without a line.
I was genuinely excited to go on this tour. I thought it was going to be awesome, that I would learn so much about Tabasco and how it’s made and how they came up with the crazy ideas for flavors and Tabasco ice cream. I thought we would get to see Tabasco being made, maybe take a guided tour through the factory, or through the field or maybe to the salt heap. I thought that perhaps they would also go into detail about the Jungle Gardens, how they came to be, why there is a Buddha in the gardens.
Nope. We were herded into a theater, given little bottles of Tabasco (which was really cool!), told how to make Tabasco Coke so we don’t have to buy it at the store, and watched what was basically a very outdated infomercial about Tabasco and the products you can buy in the Country Store. They touched a little bit on the pepper, barely anything about the salt, a brief overview of how it’s made, and then a LOT about how they have three or four Tabasco flavors now! Yippee! Nevermind that there are currently about 1.2 zillion Tabasco flavors and products currently available.
Once the movie is over, you are to stampede through a hallway which looks into the factory, but sadly nothing was running the day we were there, so it was uneventful, and then you exit the hallway into a room which depicts the plans they have to build another, better, information center.
The Country Store was pretty awesome, I’m not gonna lie. They have every Tabasco flavor and product out for sampling, which we did. The prices aren’t ridiculous, either, barely above what I would pay for Tabasco at the supermarket, AND they had a lot of flavors I’m pretty sure you can only get here or online. We came home with quite a lot of Tabasco stuff, and they were running some sort of deal that if you spend X amount of dollars you get a free product, which was really neat.
We then drove through the Jungle Gardens, which were beautiful, and totally worth the money.
All in all, I’m glad I went. It only costs $ 1 to get onto the island, the tour is free, and Tabasco products in the store are very reasonably priced. If I had to pay money for the «tour», I would have left very disappointed, but for an afternoon that ultimately only cost a dollar (if you don’t get anything in the store) it was worth it. I’m not sure I will be back if I’m in the area, unless they really do revamp the information center, but now I can say I went to Avery Island and saw where the almighty Tabasco got its start.

Come and get some tiny sample bottles and some interesting tastings. When we were there they had two different Tabasco ice creams, a chili, a soda, and several varieties of sauce to try. Pretty good, considering its not exactly on the road to anywhere, per se.
But what you really need to come here for is the video tour. Shot in the early 90s with cameras that could have been from the late 70s, you’ll just enjoy making fun of it. Man I love shoulder pads in women’s suits.

Saw that they offered free tours. Thought, okay this might be interesting.
FYI: There is a $ 1 till to pay per vehicle for access to the island.
So off we went. Drove an hour. Arrived, signed in and waited 10 minutes for the next tour.
A young lady came out, welcomed us and told us a bit about the history and process.
Then as we were led into a small theater to watch an informative film. She handed us each 4 varieties of mini Tabasco.
The film was about 10 minutes long, pretty much reiterated what the young lady had already told us.
Then into to plant. A bit disappointed here. All you see is the bottling process, then there is a small «museum».
Thought there would be more too it.
Both the young lady and the film mentioned the birds and jungle garden.
Thought we would have access to those. Never found them.
The gift shop is all Tabasco. Everything and anything you can imagine.
They do have a tasting station so you can try all the varieties.
Turned out I love the Tabasco brand of Siracha.
If in the area a definite stop. Not sure that I would recommend driving an hour for it though. Unless of course you live and breath Tabasco.

I’m too hot
Hot damn
Call the police and the fireman
I’m too hot
Hot damn
Make a dragon want to retire man
I’m too hot
Hot damn
Say my name you know who I am
Oh yeah, you know her name. The one and only hot sauce worth her weight in gold. The almighty Tabasco. Where would our lives be without Tabasco in south La? Boringville, USA. That’s where. I can’t live without this stuff. It’s the nectar of the gods as far as I’m concerned. I do have a very spicy way of life :)
I enjoyed the tour. I realize it’s short and not too in depth but it’s effective and just enough. I loathe long, detailed tours where they drone on and on though. If that’s what you like you’ll be disappointed. For me, this was perfect. I’d much rather the «cliff notes» version and then pursue the island at my lesiure afterwards, which is exactly what I did.
You’ll get mini bottles of each Tabasco flavors to take home, too. Enjoy!

The Tabasco Factory tour part was pretty disappointing. You go into a room and watch a video that must have been made 10 years ago. Then you walk through the factory for about 10 yards. It is just a walkway and you can see the factory through the glass. It is only bottling M-​Th so we didn’t see any action. At the end there is a small little room with a stirring pot of Tabasco and some kids games. Overall, I think a brand as big as Tabasco could do a better job.
The saving grace was the Tabasco country store. They had two flavors of tabasco inspired ice cream, tabasco coke, tabasco chilli and a lot of different sauces to taste. There are a lot of fun tabasco products to look at too. I think I spent most of my time in the store. It is a pretty decent attraction overall and you should definitely go to the swamp gardens afterwards.

This is the actual place they make good olé Tabasco…
It is a large brick building with strong AC inside… thank the good Lord, for in Louisiana it is hot as a hot tub.
Anyways, you watch a ten minute video and then take a short tour of the factory…
Eh… one of those places if you see it cool… if not. no worries. just give me Tabasco for my chicken wings … regardless of the tour… Ill be using Tabasco forever… TABASCO FOR LIFE… and pizza