Garrett Popcorn Shops

I love their cheese popcorn. Normally I get their large bag, which is about $ 13 – 15. This location is very fast and clean. The only downfall is there isn’t any parking really. I recommend trying this popcorn if you never had it. They also ship if you need them to.

Line to order popcorn goes out the door! Didn’t realize how popcorn was all the rage … and curious how folks are willing to pay premium prices for gourmet poprcorn. Popcorn is delicious and tasty … & to buy it where it is freshly popped and concocted is a treat.

Ah yes, Garrett Popcorn. It’s a classic for a reason! It’s not uncommon to see lines out the door, even in the winter, full of tourists and locals alike waiting to get their popcorn fix.
I normally don’t even like caramel corn, but Garrett somehow manages to make it delicious. I always get the same thing when I get here: the Garrett Mix. It’s a combination of their sweet, crispy, buttery caramel corn and their cheesy popcorn. Have napkins with you; it’s a really cheesy, messy blend that’ll leave orange all over your fingers. That’s how you know it’s good!
The only downfall is that it’s kind of expensive. It’s hard justifying spending the money on something as simple as popcorn. But, it just can’t be helped here because Garrett Popcorn makes it so damn delicious and addictive.

HAVE AGAIN: The buttery and cheese popcorn are great. First time I went to Garrett about 15 years ago, it was a magical experience: long line, delicious popcorn. But…
NOT HAVE AGAIN: The caramel popcorn was bitter like it was a bit burned. I throw it away. Also, the service was poor with the person packing my order standing there holding my bag and talking to another person for quite a while before handing me the bag. Very odd.

How did I not know that Chicago was known for popcorn? This pink shop is everywhere! I don’t eat that much popcorn and when I do, it’s from the microwave or the fanciest I would go is some fresh popped kettle corn from the farmer’s market.
Of course I had to try the Chicago Mix — the caramel and the cheddar popcorn combined. Who thought of this? It’s an interesting combination — not my favorite, but the popcorn separately was really good. This isn’t your light and air-​y popcorn. This is more of a jammed packed with flavor and a pretty heavy snack type of popcorn. I could get pretty full from just a few handfuls because the coating on the popcorn was so rich!
My favorite was the cheddar. And it didn’t taste like the powder-​y artificial cheese either. Then it was the butter and then the caramel. None of them were super salty or too sweet.
Overall, it’s a great snack! It’s perfect for sneaking into the movies (which I did). And it even lasts a few weeks if you seal it up properly.

Great popcorn but very pricey! I came in around closing time and never had to deal with any lines. You can sample all of their flavors and they have more variety than Nuts on Clark. My favorite is the cashew caramel. The pumpkin spice is also pretty good and you can’t go wrong with the regular cheese mix. If you want to buy some to go, they put the popcorn in a sealed tin container for you. They say it stays fresh for two weeks but I’ve had it stored for longer and it still retained all of its flavor and crunch!

A friend of mine told me that Garrett Popcorn was a favorite of both tourists and locals, so we had to make a stop the day that we arrived in Chicago. Traditionally, I would go more for caramel corn with chocolate or nuts, but we decided to do things the Garrett way and ordered the Garrett Mix®. The Garrett Mix® includes their CaramelCrisp® and Cheese Corn.
Though I enjoyed trying this Chicago classic, I wasn’t overly impressed. The caramel corn tasted a lot like Cracker Jack to me, and the cheese had more powder on it than Cheetos. I think the flavor combinations are interesting but did not think the quality of the popcorn was anything to write home about.

I enjoy the cheddar popcorn the most. just simple. popcorn and cheddar cheese. not powder. i can imagine them throwing in blocks of cheddar cheese! As mentioned, cheddar will not keep overnight. I find that putting a few napkins will help a bit but you should eat it all in one sitting if you can.
I usually like to get a bag on the way out of town so this is the last taste in my mouth. There is also a location at O’hare now so that helps even more!

I know that people don’t like this location, but as a tourist who didn’t even know what Garrett Popcorn was until about an hour before coming here, my experience wasn’t so bad.
They let me try samples. The samples were HUGE! They were the size of my tiny fists lol. I ended up getting the Garrett Mix and the Almond Caramel Crisp to take home to my family/​The Garrett Mix, which is essentially cheese and caramel popcorns, sounded so strange and weird to me. I didn’t get it. Til I tried it. It’s a perfect combination of salty and sweet!
Overall, it’s definitely worth a try for you tourists, as strange as it sounds!

My friend took me here after convincing me that this is a must-​try in Chicago. I got the caramel crisp small size. The portion size is insanely big even for a ‘small size’. Even ¼th of the «small» will totally fill you up for a good 2 – 3 hours.
They SHOULD have sizes which are smaller than the current small size. The popcorn itself tasted very good!

Maybe I’m expecting too much from a popcorn store but when you’re charging that much and people are raving about your popcorn I anticipated better.
I got the caramel crisp which is a popular flavor at Garret’s but it tasted just slightly more bitter than other caramel popcorn I’ve had. Nothing phenomenal about it. I also noticed they do not really have any interesting flavors. All of the flavors there are «normal» and nothing out of the ordinary. I won’t be standing again in that line for popcorn again.

Visited: 06/​27/​2015
As delicious as the popcorn is, the lines are always out the door, around the corner and so on… so please be prepared to spend quite some time in line before even entering the line that’s in the store.
My brother is a popcorn connoisseur, hence why I braved the lines to get his favorite popcorn :) Of course it was worth it! Make sure if you are taking this back to wherever you are from, that you purchase this as close to when you’re about to head back to keep this as fresh as possible. Yes, the popcorn will stale and not taste as delicious if you purchase it far in advance for a later trip back home.
Of course our favorite is the Garrett Mix. Once you get in there is an interactive screen to your left where you can take a selfie and e-​mail it to yourself ;) It was entertaining and certainly shows how you were there visiting.

I have never heard of this popcorn which apparently is a Chicago must do. My friend really wanted to go to get some so I figured I should buy some as well. I was pretty surprised that there was a pretty good size line out the door. The shop is tiny too. I got a large bag of the CaramelCrisp and last minute I got a bag of the pumpkin spice CaramelCrisp. It’s pretty pricey, but very fresh. I probably should have just got one bag, but I am sure we will finish both and enjoy them. My friend did the Garret mix which is the salty sweet mix. I like both, but not together. Instead I went for the seasonal flavor.
We were able to find a self parking garage and ended up just paying $ 6 for this quick stop.

We had heard the hype of this Chicago institution, so we had to try it even though neither of us are super into popcorn — but we are *really* into trying local foods. On an obligatory trip to stroll Navy Pier, we spotted through our Unilocal app that of course a Garrett Popcorn Shop was near by (I mean, it’s pretty much a Chicago requisite, so it makes perfect sense that one would be located at the ultra touristy Navy Pier).
Tip: It’s a bit hard to find. It’s not located ON the pier; it’s inside a shopping pavilion. We asked a security guard where it was and his face beamed up. He was definitely a fan.
Despite the lore, Garrett’s popcorn totally lives up to the hype! It’s fantastic and I thought the price was quite reasonable considering all its fanfare. You can sample various flavors, but our favorite was the Caramel Pecan! It’s just the right salty sweet combo! Delicious!
We got a small bag to share for our plane ride home and we still had a bit left the next day. I really appreciate that this is more than a tourist foodie stop; locals totally dig it too. It’s hyped for good reason. Try it!

Garrett is famous for making that popcorn that makes you want to want to eat more popcorn like you’re some sort of addict. This stuff is good and of all the things made famous known as «Chicago Mix» outside Chicagoland it’s simply called Garrett Mix here or «mix» for short that is because when something is local there’s no need to be redundant. It’s like when people in Philadelphia call cheesesteaks cheez whiz and onions «whiz wit» for short.
The address of this place if you’re seeking to destroy is actually in the building of 625 N Michigan but the storefront is off Ontario street half a block to the east. Deceiving? Sort of but many places in Chicago do this. I don’t know why but I sort of get it. It’s like that big match stick building in NYC 432 Park Avenue. An address on 56 or 57^th street just doesn’t sound as good.
Regardless they are where they are and the smell of the caramel is literally fanned out into the street. Where the storefront of this store is there is a fan that shoots caramel smelling sweet air into the street. There is a particular spot if you stand beneath this fan where you’ll get showered with this aroma of sweet caramel directly. See if you can find it or not.
This popcorn has NO preservatives. Think about that for a second and decide what size you want to get because this stuff doesn’t keep forever like the sealed bags of Cretors from Costco that can stay on the shelves for a year. I ended up buying a jumbo back for about 15 bucks plus tax. It’s heavy and large and they bag it and then paper bag it and then handle bag it so it’s essentially triple bagged for easy carrying but you can tell after the first day it starts to not be a fresh as it was when you first bought it.
One gallon tins start at around 33 bucks. That’s right 4 quarts of popcorn for 33 bucks or 8 bucks a quart. This stuff is expensive but hey it’s amazing right? Imagine the largest tin on display is 6.5 gallons. That tin would be almost 215 bucks! In theory if you were to fill an oil drum it would cost 1650 dollars!
OK enough of the imaginary costs of Garretts. Mix is good. It’s sweet and crunchy caramel popcorn mixed with sharp cheddar flavored popcorn. Sweet and Salty at the same time. Trust me it’s not gross and if you try this good luck getting it out of your mind.

After watching countless locals snacking on their bags of popcorn while walking along the Mag Mile, we decided to see what the hype was about, and checked out Garrett’s on our way back to the hotel. Upon entering the store, we were immediately overpowered by the aroma of buttery, caramel goodness.
Somehow, I got suckered into buying the $ 33 gallon tin of Garrett’s mix because I was told it would last 8 – 10 days. While my fiancé decided to get a small bag to share. Loved the flavored of Garrett’s mix! Who knew that cheese and caramel would pair so perfectly together.
The popcorn in the small bag was slightly stale the next day. So you really DO have to eat the popcorn fresh!
When I got home, the popcorn was just as good as I remembered, but after a few days it got stale. I guess that expensive tin I bought didn’t really help :(
At least I have a cool souvenir now? Stick with the bags and don’t waste your money on the tins!

On our first trip to Chicago, we stayed at the Marriott next door to this shop and kept wondering what everyone was standing in huge lines for. The smells were amazing but we thought, it’s just popcorn what’s the big deal?
My husband and I decided to give in to popularity and joined the line ourselves the next day. Once we walked inside I saw huge vats of cheddar popcorn, caramel popcorn with pecans, with almonds, plain, etc. People were buying it in bags, souvenir buckets, and even the mega sized buckets that you see in most stores around Christmas time.
I liked Carmel popcorn, but I wouldn’t say I was in love with it so we got a medium of the Carmel crisp with pecans to share and went about our day. I thought they were quite proud of themselves to charge as much as they do, and once back in our room we opened the bag to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.
Popcorn CRACK you guys!!! This is truly unlike any other Carmel popcorn I have ever had. Especially when it’s warm as it will completely blow your socks clean off of your feet. We destroyed the bag and went back like the tourists we were to get a larger souvenir bucket to take home with us before we left.
Since then we always make it a point to come when we are in town. We love it so much that we even had it as our party favors for the guests at our wedding. We chose the Chicago style mix for our favors which is a blend of both the cheddar and Carmel. I’m not a fan of mixing savory and sweet so when it’s for me only I usually avoid the cheddar, but try the Chicago mix at least once because it might surprise you. My husband didn’t think he would like that combo and it’s now his favorite.
You can order online but fresh is best. So if you’ve never had it before wait until you can try it for the first time in person. While it’s still great a day or two after you get it, nothing beats the taste on day one.

Dear Garrett’s Popcorn, You won’t hear me complain, because this is a Chicago legend and must have! Chicago Mix is now referred to as Garrett’s mix and If you’ve never had this «popcorn crack»… you’re in for a mouth orgasm! Be prepared to wait in line. Be prepared to be be addicted. Be prepared to be in love! The popcorn is always fresh and delicious. You will want to take some home for your friends, however it will never make it past the the Chicago River. You will stand in line in good weather or bad. Just as long as you’re in line.
One of the best things to get is a Tin of popcorn. They make perfect gifts for the holidays.
Garrett’s I already miss you.
Signed. Every popcorn lover

I’m a lover of all popcorn, but this one is at the top of my list. It’s always my first and last stop when in Chicago. The Chicago Mix (caramel and cheddar) is life-​changing. It’s so good, and even better with a Coke to wash it down. The popcorn is always fresh and stays fresh for a while as long as you seal it! I bring it home to my family as a souvenir and they are always begging for more. I would order it online if it wasn’t so expensive to do so.
On the plane ride home, I would say about 70% of the guests have their popcorn ready for their flight snack, me included. I feel bad for the flight attendants because they have to wipe all of the cheddar off the seats. They are probably jealous of the greatness that is this popcorn.

Garrett’s is a must stop if you’re visiting Chicago. You can smell the sweet, caramel before entering the store. They have a variety of sizes to choose from and tin cans to fill popcorn up in if you’re taking some home. This location can get busy but the line does move fairly quickly.
The Garrett mix of the caramel and cheddar cheese seems to be popular but I can’t get on board with the salty and sweet mixture. The cheese popcorn is softer and less crunchy than the caramel version.
My friends and I ended up getting some caramel popcorn to bring home. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much on popcorn before! While this place may be overhyped, their popcorn is very fresh, tasty, and addicting. While you’re in town, grab a small bag to share to get your popcorn fix. That is a good size for three to share.

Quand le pop corn est élevé au rang de confiserie de grande qualité. Plusieurs spécialités disponibles en particulier des mélanges sucré/​salé comme les parfums caramel/​noix de cajou ou caramel/​amandes: un délice.