Garrett Popcorn Shops

The lines out the door are there for a reason.. hands down the best popcorn in Chicago. This is a must on nearly every trip into the city. You’ll want to grab a bag that you promise you won’t touch until you get home, and because you can’t wait that long, a little bag for immediate satisfaction. The «Garrett Mix» (known to all as Chicago mix but renamed because of technicalities) is a delightful mix of decadent sweet crunchy caramel corn and rich buttery cheese corn. Grab extra napkins, trust me you’ll need them! Price is fair for what you get, if you really need the tin that says Garrett’s then you will pay a ridiculous amount of money for it.

It’s nice they allow samples. We were first timers and chose the Chicago Mix. While I liked it, my family didn’t care for the cheese/​caramel combo. We did go back to pick some up to take back home and got Caramel Nutty which was excellent. Pricey for popcorn.

Popcorn here is good but not as good as the one on Monroe street. There’s a lot of small, hard, unpopped popcorn in my bag. The workers there aren’t that excited when my friend and I came in either. Probably a long day or something. I was asking the cashier some questions and she sighed and rolled her eyes so I was just like, «never mind. I’ll just get a large Garret’s Mix.» Then she asked me «what size?» With so much emphasis even though I already told her. Sounds as if she was talking through clenched teeth. She probably didn’t hear me at first, but there’s no way to talk to a customer like that. I didn’t get her name, but on my receipt the server name is Maurice. Not sure if that’s her though and the popcorn needs an improvement.

Best popcorn. Both of my kids love the cheese popcorn. I prefer Chicago mix myself.
You won’t be disappointed!

They don’t accept their own Unilocal offers. I checked in on Unilocal while waiting in line at this location and there was a free bottle of water offer on Unilocal and the cashier said the offer only applies in Las Vegas. I pointed out that I was standing 3 feet from her when I checked in but she said the same thing. Not a big deal, just annoying and a bit misleading way to get you into the store. That said, I really love Garrett’s. It’s the touristy thing to do but it’s actually really tasty. This location is not as busy as the one on Michigan Ave., out of the last 3 trips today was the only time we’ve had to wait in a long line.

Stopped in here the other day instead of my usual go to of hunting for donuts… It was the first time I had been here when there wasn’t a three day wait, so I took advantage. One lady behind the counter but friendly and greeted me upon walking in. There were samples to try. I sampled the caramel popcorn dipped in chocolate which was tasty, but I was craving cheese. I ordered a bag of the cheese popcorn, at only $ 3.50, it’s about the same price as a donut. I didn’t opt for the tin, because it’s really just for me, and I planned on housing this bag that day. It even comes with a few wet naps at the bottom. I have now been enjoying this bag of popcorn for three days. lol Of course the first day, the popcorn was the best. The pieces are unusually big in size and just covered on probably what is very bad for me processed cheese powder. It was a very addicting experience… Just be cautious that you ingest fully popped kernels, because the kernel seeds are also bigger than the norm and can injure a tooth. I’m thinking of purchasing some latex gloves next time in case I get the itch and I’m nowhere near a wash station. I have perma orange Chester the cheetah paws.

Love love love the Garret Mix! The popcorn is fresh and the flavorings just send it over the top. It brings out the OCD in me as I have to have the perfect combination of cheese and caramel in every handful… err bite! The combination is harmonious!

So disappointed, not with the popcorn in bought some to take back to California, but the fact you guys offer a freebie thru Unilocal you won’t honor. Girl at counter said she did know why it was there on Unilocal in first place.

On a recent trip to Chicago we knew we couldn’t leave without a bag of Garrett’s. We had been walking through the city all day and had just left the new Latinicity. We were planning to walk to the Michigan Ave location but as soon as we walked out of Block 37 the smell of popcorn hit us and we knew Garrett’s wasn’t far away. My favorite is the Chicago Mix but this trip we got Caramel Crisp.

Who doesn’t love caramel popcorn?!
I knew this place would be a hit when there’s a line for popcorn… how can you resist the smell that lingers the streets of downtown? I am so happy my friend and I bought several bags (as souvenirs) before we left Chicago. Bad idea because now, my friends and family crave it as much as I do!

When someone says, you have to try the popcorn in Chicago, one would think, why the eff would I take a plane all the way from California just so I can eat popcorn? But after our friend, who’s a Chi-​Town native, told us to go, I knew we had to. And after finding out that Garrett has been on two FoodNetwork TV shows, I knew I couldn’t leave Chicago without trying it.
I came to a Garrett’s Popcorn shop at 1am and there was a line out the door. Once inside, the warm, sugary + salty aroma hugged the room. Theres a line of servers who are hurrying you along the line, trying to shovel you bags of freshly made popcorn. I tried all the flavors and by far, Chicago Mix is the best. It sounds weird, cheesy cheddar popcorn with caramel corn, but it works! Theres a nice balance or caramel sweetness and saltiness of the cheddar corn. I shoved bags of Chicago mix to California and my friends loved it! Highly recommend.

First, I love the « Unilocaly insight» (is that a new feature?) about 30 – 40 year olds loving this place. Seems spot on.
I’m not really a popcorn person. I always seem to get hulls stuck in my throat which is one of the worst feelings, and is also why I never eat popcorn at movies.
Day one I came in with my friends and left with nothing but a handful of their purchases. Day two I got my own bag. I did the Mix, but I wish I’d done full cheese, or at least asked for a cheese heavy ratio. The caramel can get to be too much. It’s an addicting popcorn and I understand why it’s so popular.
The store: easy to find, fast service, multiple people on the street right outside/​opening the door for you wanting your money.

No trip to this fair city is complete with a wheelbarrow of Garrett’s Chicago mix: cheddar and savory caramel popcorn. It’s worth every tedious line, every naysayer’s gripe, every hull that wedges between your gums and teeth, every power trip/​dismissive air from employees whom any snack connoisseur would equate to world class drug pushers, every pretty penny overspent on America’s staple bumper crop that’s been ruthlessly exploded in front of (and alongside) its peers, and coated in bittersweet caramel and rich, salty cheddar.
It’s the platinum standard, and while others have valiantly tried, nobody has recreated the magic. It’s what I think of when I think of Chicago.
So, yes, five stars. Don’t be an idiot — buy awlovit. (New tagline?)

We’ve all had Garrett’s
If you haven’t you’re an alien living in outer space.
It’s superb! Simply put, it’s superb.
The lines are always long, but it’s kinda worth the wait. If you’re traveling order a tin it’s easier to tug along. If you’re eating on the go grab a small it’s more than enough to occupy you during the walk down Michigan Ave.

I’m not sure why this place has like … all of the hype. I mean … I guess it’s not bad but it isn’t awesome.
This location is near a lot of construction so there’s almost no parking — this isn’t an issue if you’re not driving. But the inside is dirty, and there’s really not much spazz in it. It literally is just a shop with a bunch of popcorn and some tins.
I will say the employees are amazingly friendly, very helpful and they actually use heat to plastic seal your popcorn for extra freshness. but I guess most of their popcorn is too sweet for me so I can’t say I recommend it — only for those friends of yours who love sweet and popcorn and crazy intense flavors :)

Let’s start by saying that I am not a fan of popcorn. When my cousins told me about this place while I was visiting the city I didn’t expect to become so obsessed with it (to the point of almost ordering their popcorn online when I got back home because I missed it so much).
I arrived here and quickly fell in love with the location and the whole atmosphere. The staff was so funny and charismatic — I told them I was coming from Miami and they welcomed me to the city. I ordered the caramel popcorn and OH MY GOD, I have never tasted popcorn like that. I tried the cheese, too, but the caramel is definitely my favorite.
Now every time I come to the city I definitely have to get Garret’s Popcorn. It’s a must-​go if you’re in Chicago!

If you think Chicago is known for DEEP dish pizza and chicago style hotdogs, you may want to rethink that again. Chicago should be known for this awesome popcorn! Garretts is my all time favorite snack when I’m roaming around downtown Chicago!
You can really only find this place scattered around the streets of downtown. The smell is intoxicating… the sheer smell of it can make your mouth water like the Buckingham Fountain! They have a good variety — Cheese, Caramel, Caramel Pecan, Cashew mix… oh the list goes on.
If you’re not from Chicago, i suggest you get their Chicago Mix — a blend of Cheese and their Caramel popcorn! So good! And if you love cheese, this popcorn is the best cheesy popcorn out there!

***Garrett is popular and it is easy to see why – their crunchy, evenly coated and sweet caramel popcorn combines so well with their salty, cheesy, buttery, yet not powdery cheese popcorn to deliver an addictive, distinct and delicious taste***
Garrett might be the most loved popcorn store in the entire country. It also holds a major stronghold on the Chicago market. Where snacks and desserts ebb in popularity after being around for a while, Garrett seems like it is always busy, always popular regardless of how many new locations they add (and they are expanding across the country too as you can find one of their popcorn stores in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas).
Garrett features a variety of sweet popcorns with an assortment of caramel popcorn flavors that utilize different types of nuts, but their most popular selection is the Garrett Mix (formerly the Chicago Mix) that combines salty cheese popcorn with sweet caramel popcorn. You can find this Chicago Mix offering from other popcorn brands across the country, but none of them reaches the highs of what Garrett is capable of. Often at these non-​Garrett stores, the cheese popcorn is too powdery while the caramel popcorn does not have a great crunch. A lot of this is due to freshness where Garrett achieves optimal freshness by making the popcorn every day and then selling it so quickly due to the big crowds.
While experience with other Chicago Mix popcorn brands might make you wonder what all the fuss is about, Garrett delivers a consistently satisfying salty, sweet combination time after time. Their cheese popcorn is very light and fluffy and the cheese has kind of a wet, buttery-​like coating, which is far from the powdery cheese popcorn that many consumers associate with bags of cheddar cheese popcorn from a gas station convenience store or a liquor store. Ultimately, the cheese flavor of Garrett does not have a profoundly natural tasting cheese flavor. It still tastes like other cheese popcorn at the end of the day, but it is the great size the corn pops up to as well as the fresh layer of cheese flavor coating that separates this popcorn from its competition.
The caramel popcorn is completely different. It is sweet and provides a satisfying crunch to contrast the softer cheese popcorn. What I really like about their caramel popcorn is how the outside caramel coating is an even shell. You do not get those hard deposits of caramel at certain parts of the popcorn, which taste almost like hard candy. You also do not get that overwhelming stickiness on your fingers after eating it that really makes you wonder about the quality of ingredients you have been enjoying (as well as just what were the ingredients to begin with). Garrett’s caramel popcorn reminds me of the fresh caramel popcorn at Arclight movie theatres. Both popcorns have a similar satisfying crunch though Garrett delivers a deeper and more toffee-​like flavor than the lighter caramel flavor of Arclight’s caramel popcorn.
The combination of salty, light and fluffy cheese popcorn with crunchy, sweet caramel popcorn works very well. It is the kind of addictive, indulgent snack that you want to put down, but you might find yourself struggling to stop.
This Garrett store is located in The Loop and does not get the heavy traffic that you will experience in some of the Garrett popcorn locations in the more touristy areas. It is a small shop and it sits right next to a theater; there are signs everywhere telling guests about not trying to sneak Garrett popcorn into the theater.
Prices are reasonable. A small Garrett Mix goes a little over $ 5 and it is more than enough to share for 3 to 4 people. The collectible tins seem very pricey.
Service was friendly though the cashier did seem to struggle a little, which resulted in a longer than expected wait given the very small line.
Garrett is a must visit if you are travelling to Chicago. My appreciation for it has grown over the years because of the remarkable consistency they have shown despite have many locations as well as Garrett’s ability to truly separate itself from other popcorn brands and stores across the country. As Garrett expands, it will be much easier to find it in other parts of the country and most of Garrett’s fans will soon not have to resort to travel to Chicago or shop online to get this popular treat. Still, like deep dish pizza (which I find okay but do not love), Garrett popcorn feels extremely prominent as you travel throughout Chicago (maybe more popular to visitors than to locals but still an important part of what the city has to offer in terms of food). It definitely feels like a trip to Chicago demands a visit to Garrett Popcorn and the freshness, quality and flavor of Garrett does not disappoint.
This Garrett is located in a very busy area. I imagine parking is extremely hard to find and very expensive.

I found out about Garrett Popcorn Shops before the first time I visited Chicago. Being that I LOVE popcorn and it is my absolute favorite snack in the world, I knew I had to make a visit. I’ve now been to this Garrett location twice on two separate trips — it happens to be an easy location since I’ll usually stop by here before/​after hitting up Millenium Park.
The service here is quick and efficient — they have a whole system down that works well. Both times I have ordered (1) Chicago Mix and (1) Butter. On my recent trip, when I was ordering with the cashier, I had the bright idea of making my Chicago Mix heavier on the cheddar and lighter on the caramel — cha ching! What a bright idea. I’m a savory/​salty snack person and while I do love their caramel in particular (I typically do not like sweet popcorn at all), it was awesome having more of the cheddar.
I wish we had a place dedicated to popcorn out here in the Bay Area, but none that I know of. I just found out while reading these reviews that there is a location in Vegas — I’ll have to stop by the next time I’m there since Vegas is a much more often trip!

Garrett’s is a must try if you’re visiting Chicago. Before my visit, I’ve read about this place and how their popcorn make great souvenirs to bring home too. This was my second visit to Garrett’s since arriving and I was back to pick up some freshly made popcorn to bring home.
My favorite was the caramel mix. While I’m not usually a fan of caramel in general, this was really good. The Garrett mix of the cheddar and caramel is popular but I couldn’t get on board with the salty and sweet combination. They offer other flavors like cheddar cheese, caramel and almond, caramel and cashew, and butter popcorn. They even had a a caramel and white chocolate mix for a limited amount of time too. The white chocolate and caramel and almond were just not as good as the caramel by itself. Skip the butter flavor too. That one was the least impressive.
This location is their most popular location and they’re constantly making fresh batches of popcorn throughout the day.
We ended up buying two of the one gallon buckets of just the caramel to bring home. It’s that addicting.