Tuck’s Candy

If you have kids and/​or a sweet tooth, this is a fun ‘touristy’ spot after a day at the beach. The taffy machine is neat to see in action and, while not a taffy fan in general, I really liked the peppermint and cinnamon options. Also lots of homemade chocolate treats and those fruit slice candies (a hit with my 5 year old). Given the location, I found the prices reasonable and the candy fresh. Shop has an old timey feel.

A must stop and see candy store in Rockport. Get a box of variety salt water taffy to take back as gifts. So fun for the kids to see how it is made. A wonderful old fashioned candy store that has a little bit for everyone.

SO I’m torn as I would probably have rated this place 2.5 stars.
The store as many have mentioned is a must visit when taking a trip to Rockport. It screams summer and salt water taffy is as new england as Lobsta and Chowda. How can one pass by when the taffy is being magically made right in front of your eyes. The smell of candy and chocolate wafts out onto the street and hypnotizes the naïve tourist. So yes I’ve been here before and always buy a handful of salt water taffy. Now the important thing is you must count the taffy and not just indiscriminately throw them into you bag. But when you are being tempted by smells and childhood memories of salt water taffy you forget to count. Is this a problem well apparently it is here at Tuck’s Candy.
We brought out bags to the counter and the girl manning the register was new and I admittedly told her «I have no idea how many candies are in the bag». So she says well I’ll weight them which was fine by me. I was not buying gold or semi precious stones just salt water taffy. The girl with the nose ring who must have been training this other girl did not like that one bit. OH no «make sure you count them» she scolded and then she opened the bags we were buying to make sure what we were being charged was accurate to the number of toffies we had purchased. Apparently one of out bags had 6 taffies and we were charged less by weight than if they had been counted. Thank GOD she let it slide.
SO yes to have to watch this interaction was entirely painful as we bought a combined 11 pieces of salt water taffy which came to approx $ 2. I understand this girl with the nose ring was young but come on… REALLY. Perhaps if you smiled you would like your job.
I’m not sure about the going rate of salt water taffy but by the prices of chocolate and other treats I felt they seemed a bit inflated. Oh the taffy. actually very good and even better after having softened in a warm car for a couple of hours.

We went to the large candy store, not the Hallmarkish store w/​the candy counter, but the main store with the taffy puller machine. My sister loves the taffy, can’t eat enough of it, and I go for the chocolate. The chocolate covered rice krispie treats on a stick and anything milk chocolate are my favorite. I’m extremely impressed with Tuck’s website and shipping too because I placed an on-​line order later and the chocolate was shipped to the opposite end of the country to Los Angeles, and the package arrived quickly and was just as delicious as if I’d bought it in the store that day. It’s hard to find good, homemake chocolate candy these days and Tucks is one of the best.

Pecan patties are unbelievable

Quite the variety. I discovered I dislike marzipan, but I do like Kahlua truffles the size of golf balls. Impressive taffy selection with seasonal triumphs such as Raspberry Lemonade and Key Lime.

This is THE place to go for Salt Water Taffy — the other candy is ok but you can find better fudge and chocolates but the Taffy will keep you coming back

What would a trip to Gloucester or Rockport be without stopping at one of the (many) candy stores? Located on the main drag, Tuck’s has a large array of fresh taffy, my favorite, but I seem to have missed the taffy production process that other Unilocalers have described. Don’t know where it was. Oh. Guess it was at the other Tuck’s in Dock Sq. Not sure why they need two Tuck’s in a 1-​mile radius. Not a Starbucks.
The place was pretty busy, and if Mr K hadn’t had a hankering for a Reese’s peanut butter cup ($ 1.25) and white chocolate peanut cluster ($ 1.25), we would have skipped it. The lone cashier person was in over his head, and no one knew where, and in what direction, the line was. I’d suggest moving the counter/​cashier back another two feet, but no one asked me. As designed, the area is claustrophobic. There was a large section in the back, probably tourist-​related, but we didn’t head in to check it out.
The counter is stocked with different types of fudge and chocolate goodies, as well as marzipan and about five different types of chocolate-​covered pretzel rods.
As one of the signs suggested, I asked to sample a piece of pumpkin taffy. What I got was a piece that needed to be served with an electron microscope. Could they spare it? We walked out with our five pieces of taffy and the two other things mentioned above. Wish we had waited to satisfy the candy cravings, as there were a couple other «cuter» stores within the confines of Rockport. Maybe next time.

I know that Tuck’s Candy is a staple of every tourist’s visit to Rockport, especially for the salt water taffy, but I’ve never understood the appeal. The candy is good, but there are better places in Rockport that sell for lower prices. And, the goods in the shop are sold at such inflated prices that I’m amazed they move any merchandise at all!
Even as a child, I remember going into this store and absolutely loving the smell of the candy– especially the newly made fudge. I always wanted to buy a toy or a trinket, and my mother would never let me because the prices were always way too high. Now, as an adult, I go in and I feel the same way. Some items do look cool, but when I see the tag there is no way I can justify buying it.
The location is great– you can’t miss it (or the sister candy store down the street) when you visit Rockport. And, I can’t fault anyone for being hooked on the taffy and feeling compelled to buy some on their one trip to Rockport every year. It’s not for me, and it’s probably not for most locals or thrifty tourists. So much to choose from in Rockport for trinkets, jewelry, and yes salt water taffy that it’s hard to justify paying the prices that Tuck’s charges. I say look around first and you might find a similar (or better) product at a more affordable price elsewhere in downtown Rockport.

LOVE this place. They have the best salt water taffy. Super fresh and chewy. The flavors are soo good. The licorice, maple, and molasses are great. The peanut butter ones are also killer with real peanut butter in them. The butter crunch is amazing– with chocolate and almonds on it. I have been here 5 – 6 times and am never disappointed. I always go to the one where they make the candy and have bever been in the other one– it looks touristy and odd– go to the one in Dock square like the other review recommends.

It amazes me that a town the size of Rockport needs more than one Tuck’s Candy stores… but it does. Most tourists get mesmerized by the salt water taffy wrapping machine at Tuck’s Candy Kitchen in Dock Square, but if you want to (sort of) avoid the crowd of drooling tourists, go to this main Tuck’s Candy store, where you can find the same variety AND a store full of OTHER stuff you don’t need in life! The Tuck’s Main store is an odd combination of candy shop plus Hallmark stop slash godawful souvenir shop. Every wanted a lobster bottle opener — well, you do now! At the same time, you can also pick up a gift bag that rings «Wind Beneath My Wings», corn on the cob salt and pepper shakers, and the ever necessary bottle of Wite Out.
The major bonus of Tuck’s is a variety of sugar-​free chocolates (I know, you sugarfreaks will hate me for this… until you become diabetics) that taste really good. Plus you get to laugh at all the random crap that people come up with to sell to tourists.
Seagull magnets, I’ll be back for you. I swear.