Bye’s Popcorn

BYE’S POPCORN IS THE BEST!
It’s the freshest popcorn in WNY and it’s such a wonderful place to visit in the summer. It’s only open during the spring/​summer months, and it’s located in a shack on the side of the road. It tastes just as good (if not better) the day after you buy it!

O M G! That should sum it up. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical when someone told me about cashews in popcorn. We stopped after a day at Olcott Beach. Not a whole lot of parking, but so worth it. We bought a large bag of cashew caramel and another of the white popcorn. Both were super delicious. After one try, completely addicted and cannot wait to go back. The caramel tastes homemade. The cashews are perfect and just enough. Completely worth the stop! Yum!

This place is always awesome the price is good and the staff is always very nice and respectful. If I have one complaint it is that their white popcorn is addicting and I go here far too often. If you are in the area you need to stop by.

When my husband and I first started living together he took me for a drive with our kids and unexpectantly pulled over at this little shack on the side of the road. At first I was confused getting out of the car til the kids start jumping up and down screaming POPCORN! The smell hit my nose and I was immediately hungry! They keep their popcorn in sterilized garbage cans and have an array of choices. My personal favorite is Carmel cashew! Please, please stop by Bye’s popcorn, especially on your wal to Olcott Beach and enjoy some of the best popcorn out there. Plus it’s all family owned and operated. They are so wonderful and helpful! Have a great summer and don’t forget to get some of that rockin’ popcorn!

I am rating as I am for service and not quality. The popcorn is good here, I won’t deny that but I drove down on May 11^th specifically for their caramel corn. I was at the window at 3:00 and was told they would be taking orders for caramel at 4:15! This is ridiculous, they need to be prepared! I left and said I couldn’t come back, as I don’t live too close. Disappointing to say the least!

Byes popcorn is a local classic and very popular amongst everyone who’s heard of it! And what’s not to like about it?
Here patience is needed depending on when you go because the white popcorn is very popular and is frequently a made and wait process, but it’s worth it! I do prefer the caramel with cashews, but there a much smaller bag in comparison to the plain old traditional! Let me say a jumbo bag is enormous and will last you the entire day soaking up the sun on olcott beach!
I love the place and will always stop back when I’m in the area.

Byes are becoming more common. Until recently a lot of people went one way or the other, but there are a lot more Byes these days of late, which I think is fun. The classic stereotypes are being demolished and rightly so. But some people like classics. Babies like classics too. I know a newborn who loves that one song, «this ol’ cot of mine, slept here a thousand times…» No? Nobody?
I was very disappointed with this little popcorn stand. They sell little bags of popcorn but I love caramel and I drove all the way up here for some and the only caramel they had was pre-​packaged, and it tasted very much days old, weeks old maybe, pre-​made and may as well have been store bought. The fresh stuff (which was not caramel) wasn’t particularly good either. A lot of people love it but I found it to be overpriced and bland. I do like popcorn from time to time, but not from here. Nevertheless, if you’re a popcorn fan, get up here and try it.
The only thing I worry about with popcorn, is that it’s sort of like Pringles, or being intimate. Once you pop, you can’t stop.

Love this place!!! They are always busy but they move fast. Love to buy a caramel popcorn and white popcorn and mix the two when I get home. Yummy! Yes, there is no parking, but it has never been an issue for us. Just pull to the side. Definitely recommend!

It’s popcorn, does it really deserve 5 stars? Yes! Don’t think of it as popcorn. Think of it as little pieces of bliss passed down from the heavens =0) Seriously though, everything is good. White popcorn, AMAZING.. Carmel corn, MAGNIFICENT… chocolate popcorn, NON EXISTENT (but it would be great if it were real). Try it out and you won’t be dissapointed. Grab a bag or 3 and head down to the lake to relax while you munch.

Why would anyone drive from Williamsville ALL THE WAY to Olcott Beach for popcorn? Because it’s THAT GOOD! I’ve been coming here for decades! In the fall when people are out on the weekends for foliage drives and wine tasting and apple picking the line can get a bit long… but believe me… it’s worth the wait!
They pop the corn right in front of you using a machine that has a crank that turns and keeps the popping corn moving in the pot so it pops evenly without burning. And, then the freshly popped corn is placed into a tray with little holes in the bottom so any unpopped kernels fall through. Smart!
Everything is delicious… the white popcorn is flavorful and light… and the caramel corn (with or without nuts) is fresh, tasty, and sweet, but not overly so. And the prices are quite fair. DEFINITELY worth the drive!

I’ve been frequenting this little stand for over 30 years and it never disappoints. The white popcorn is great and the carmel corn is a nice treat. The usual carmel offerings include plain, peanut, and cashew but at Christmas time, they usually include some other options (Almond, Pecan, Mixed Nut, etc.). I am so happy that they have extended their season over the past couple of years and I no longer have to suffer so long waiting for them to open back up in the spring.

Bye’s Popcorn is an annual event for us. It’s fun, nostalgic and once is enough. The aroma of the popping corn definitely smells of summer and is a draw. Often, folks are lined up in the way they were ordered to: place order on the right, stand and wait on the left.
Regarding parking, you sort of take your life in your hands on this thoroughfare as you eek your way onto the shoulder of the road here entering Olcott Beach.
The storage containers of popped and bagged carmel corn are (drum roll, please) aluminum garbage cans, with lids! Apparently, this unique storage system maintains the freshness.
The bags are regular white food lunch bags, folded just so with a piece of white tape sealing the bag. Be forewarned, however, once you break that seal, eat, eat, eat. The carmel corn goes to the other side pretty quickly, becoming a sticky and soft candy popcorn with absolutely zero crunch.
The prices are, well, let’s say in line with folks looking to bring back memories at any price. A smallish bag of carmel corn with cashews costs $ 6. That’s enough for a snack for 2 little people. A small bag of regular carmel corn is $ 3, a light, after-​dinner snack for two. And if you request a plain old empty spare bag, that’ll cost you a quarter. That’s your «sharing fine» I suppose.
The stand is manned by young men, two at a time. They certainly work hard, but in the process, haven’t learned certain customer service skills yet. Boys, let’s smile a little. People are lining up for POPCORN here, not the DENTIST (no offense Dr. Wendling). And try to force yourselves to at least look like you’re enjoying the making of popcorn, it’s so interesting for us non-​poppers to watch while we wait. We’re waiting right where you told us to.
I don’t know, I’m not from the area, so there are no memories of yore. While this roadside stand is kind of cool and unique, I’m happy to drive by and admire the concept of an old-​timey Mom-​and-​Pop Shop, rather than to stop to order the popcorn.

Bye’s Popcorn is a one-​of-​a-​kind popcorn stand located on Rt 78 just outside of Olcott Beach. They sell freshly popped popcorn of multiple varieties — white, caramel plain, caramel peanuts and caramel cashew. All of these are absolutely fantasic and very reasonably priced. From what I understand, Bye’s is a family business that spans generations. For those who grew up in Lockort/​Newfane this place holds special memories for them. I grew up elsewhere so I cannot speak to the history, but i’m lucky that this place is within 15 minutes of my house. Whenever we go to Olcott Beach we make sure to make a stop here. Be warned that there is no parking lot for this little stand. You’ll need to park on the shoulder of a major road so please be careful, especially with any children. Also note that this place is genereally open spring-​fall 1−8ish — cash only.

It’s an easy to miss roadside structure where a kind group of folks busily make lightly salted white popcorn as well as gooey caramel-​coated popcorn. Well, it would be easy to miss if the area around the building wasn’t covered in cars and people. It’s obvious the locals know what’s up, dishing out $ 5 for a giant bag of white popcorn to take home. When I say giant, I’m talking I could build a house inside the bag. It’s an incredible amount of kernels…
I’m not a caramel fan so I opted for a small bag of white popcorn. It was salted just enough with the tiniest hint of butter. It was hot and crisp — it’s been a long time since I had popcorn of this caliber! The boy loves caramel and opted for a small bag of caramel with peanuts. I tried one for review purposes and it was actually pretty good! If you love caramel, you’ll most likely devour this bag in under 5 minutes like my boy. The peanuts added an interesting touch to the flavor (the bags are also sold in plain and cashew if you don’t like peanuts).
If I find myself in the area again — which I’m sure I will as I visit friends up here often — I will be back for another little bag of light, fluffy goodness. Delicious!

Delicious caramel popcorn, cool road-​side stand, inexpensive — definitely worth the line. Get two bags because you won’t have much left by the time you get home.

A little piece of Americana. Located in an early 20^th century Lake Ontario beach resort town, Bye’s is one of the few things surviving from that era. The popcorn is delicious, cheap and no unpopped kernels will contaminate your bag thanks to the ingenious way they pop and serve the corn. Be sure to watch the whole process!

On my way home when I’m returning from the Lakeview Shoppes, I always stop at Bye’s for a bag of popcorn.
People go wild for this stuff. I myself prefer butter popcorn. But since they don’t have that, I usually order the white popcorn. However, most people would say that their favorite flavor is the caramel popcorn with cashews. And if I had to make a recommendation, that’s the one I would name too. Cashews are way better than peanuts!
It’s a cute little stand. Long lines are a sure sign of good food!

To be fair, I haven’t been to this place in a few years. This place holds fond memories for me though and anytime the weather is nice and I find myself enjoying recreation near a large body of water I instantly crave a white paper sack of their delicious caramel cashew popcorn. Damn… now I want a bag…

I don’t go out thinking about getting popcorn somewhere except maybe when going to the movies, but this is better.
On Food Network, Alton Brown tells you how to make homemade Slacker Jacks. Well if you are a little closer to a slacker like I am, you’d get someone else to make your candy popcorn for you and maybe a little bit better than the national option. Those smart people in Olcott thought the same thing a long time ago, in 1923 to be exact.
Caramel corn plain, w/​peanuts, or w/​cashews with off season ordering on-​line at
or leave a message at (716) 751‑9892. Otherwise the stand is open seasonally between March and November in the early evenings. Best to check their web site for the exact hours.
A small road side stand with a pop machine standing to one side. About 1000 yards South of Lake Road, (route 18) rarely empty while open. Very popular with the locals especially on the weekends with street parking, so mind the traffic and the people about. Typically there is a line but the service is good and moves along at a fairly smooth pace. They have a kettle popping more fresh popped plain white popcorn nearly anytime I can ever remember walking up to their stand. Gourmet? Probably not but the smells and the memories are priceless, from a time gone by to this very day. It’s a great stop after messing around in one of the near by parks or fishing with the kids. It’s comes very highly recommended and yea, I expect to be back. I like mine, a little white popcorn between bites of caramel corn. It reduces my thirst, at least until I can get home. OK, lots of each but it’s good.

Bye’s popcorn is a child hood memory! My grandparents lived a few houses down from Byes on Lockport-​Olcott road and after any big meal, it was just a matter of time before they would walk us down to watch the popcorn being made and get each of us a small bag of caramel corn!
My grandparents no longer live in their old house, but I am going back to the area next weekend and I am already planning a visit to Bye’s for an old childhood treat!
Caramel corn with cashews is my favorite! However, any of their popcorn is amazing.