Garrett Popcorn Shops

Garrett’s + Navy Pier = a trapping of tourists v. 2.0; the steroid stories.
There’s your book title, i’ll let others wax poetic on the potential graveness of such a deleterious marriage.
We picked up the Chicago Mix (they call it the Garrett Mix and *they* are wrong) on our way out of NP to snack on the bus ride back to West side.
It’s obviously hyped beyont and nothing played up this much could ever meet one’s expectations… well most things, there are a few exceptions, but Garrett’s is not one of them.
The caramel is good and fairly standard or a bit above. The cheese is just a little too much for me and feel its effects within about an hour after snacking on it so i’m wise to consume just a moderate amount. The flavor and taste is good but my stomach isn’t really equipped to deal with whatever makes up the «cheese»
I much prefer Mariano’s Chicago Mix as the cheese is a dry coating while Garrett’s is seemingly liquid/​wet. My Mom makes the best caramel corn on the planet so for that variety the bar is set pretty high I suppose.

The popcorn is good. but I just don’t understand the hype. Just taste like caramel popcorn to me!

I was a bit skeptical about this place mainly due to the price of it. I paid about $ 6 for a small bag of the Garrett mix (half cheese, half caramel) merely out of curiosity about the hype of this place.
The cheese popcorn wasn’t what I was expecting. I kind of expected it to have the powder quality of the white cheddar smart popcorn sold in grocery stores but the cheese corn at Garrett’s was… wet. I watched them make it and it was basically popped corn and nacho cheese… and somehow it works! Yes, it’s hella greasy and messy but oh so tasty!
The caramel corn was pretty average but I did enjoy the sweet and salty combination of the Garrett mix. If I were to go back though I would probably just get the cheese corn since I’m more of a salty snacker.
3 stars for the flavor but one of the employees really made my day. The cashier was taking forever on my order (I ordered one small bag of the Garrett mix) and the employee filling the orders felt bad so he gave me a free upgrade to a medium!

Speciality popcorn, worth trying at least once, but the novelty quickly goes away. There’s only so much chocolate covered popcorn or spicy popcorn that I can eat. The samples were more than enough to satisfy my craving

So of course after hearing all the «You have to go to Garrett’s, you have to go to Garrett’s» I stopped at this one while exploring the Navy Pier on my touristy day in Chicago. The associate was really nice and there was no line since it was in the winter. They were right. *sigh* They were right. First off I love popcorn. Crunchy, flavorful popcorn. So after trying some samples of the flavors they had, I decided to get a small bag of the Garrett’s mix.
Initially, I was going to eat the bag while in Chicago and then buy another bag to bring home. But I was too busy stuffing other wonderful Chicago food and drinks in my mouth to do that. So I brought the bag home and shared with my god daughter. Instantly I wished I had another (or didn’t share, lol). The cheddar was so cheesy and the caramel was so yummy.
I can’t wait to go to Vegas this Fall to hit up the one in Planet Hollywood.

My boyfriend surprised me with garret’s popcorn to try! He got the garret mix (caramel & cheese combo) medium size. That bag size lasted us for over a week worth of snack. It’s a lot and very flavorful. If you don’t try it while you’re at the navy pier, try it at their other locations!
We came during winter so no line =]

Aside from the deep dish, Garrett’s popcorn was the one place that I felt REALLY lived up to the hype. An absolute MUST when you come to Chicago! I’m still dreaming of that addictive Garrett Mix and wish we had a store in the Bay Area :) Don’t think about it, just do it!

So we dropped in here while exploring the Navy Pier. We had, of course, heard about Garrett’s before, so a chance to give the popcorn a try was definitely up on our list. I had heard that it was akin to crack in it’s addictiveness, so, hell yeah.
My wife and I ordered a snack sized caramel and a snack sized Chicago mix (a mix of caramel and cheese — I know it sounds weird, but work with me here).
The «snack size» is not far off a medium popcorn that you would get at a movie theater. Alright, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but just a bit. The snack size tided me over for a couple days worth of late night snacking. Of course, I have excellent self control, otherwise I would have demolished the entire bag, and more, in about 14.5 seconds. :)
The caramel is crispy, crunchy and sweet. Everything it should be. The Chicago mix is a spectacular mix of the same caramel sweetness and a really yummy cheesy savoriness. My wife would hate it, but I love the savory/​sweet mix, as well as the salty/​sweet. This hit the spot on all accounts.
So, you’re probably asking why I’m only giving this 4 stars if I loved the product so much. I’m glad you asked! Well, it was the middle of winter and the place was fairly deserted. Plus, all of the popcorn was already made (they weren’t making it to order or anything). So, why did I have to wait for 15 minutes just to get two snack sized bags of popcorn? Dunno. Second, the staff could not have been less interested in customer service, friendliness, or even a smile. Yeah, it’s a small thing, but it matters. So, for those reasons, one star off.
Garrett’s is worth the hype. Seriously. This is some of the best popcorn I have had since Ocean City, NJ (which, honestly, blows Garrett’s away). And that is saying something. If you’re in Chicago, you have to give them a try. Just make sure you have time to hang around.

Garrett’s popcorn is good, but that that good. I do not believe the quality warrants the price and the line Garett’s attracts.
I saw the line and raving reviews, and thought it must be amazing.
You’ve been warned!

When you are in Chicago, a visit to a Garrett Popcorn Shop is highly recommended! They make some excellent popcorn! I was able to resist stepping into one of their shops for the first couple days of our trip. Finally, when we were at Navy Pier I gave into the temptation. There were a few people ahead of us in line, but the staff is very quick and efficient when it comes to serving the public. Before we knew it, our turn was next.
Garrett Mix was what we chose to share. It combines their Caramel Crisp and their Cheese Corn which are two of their most popular flavors. Talk about an awesome combination of delicious flavors! Would definitely order this one again!
Next time we’re in Chicago, the chances of us frequenting a Garrett Popcorn shop are very very good! I look forward to trying more of their flavors!
They are no ordinary popcorn place. They are one of the best gourmet popcorn shops around, and there is nothing basic about them at all.

The Classic Chicago Mix is an undeniable indulgence. I am a low-​carber, and though I felt a smidgeon of guilt for eating an entire medium bag in one day, I forgave myself. Something this good is worth a splurge. I am just glad that I don’t live in Chicago. The temptation would be too much.
True, when I first heard about Garret Popcorn, I was skeptical. I mean, really, it is *just* popcorn. How can it generate all this hype? Well, I am happy that I stood in that long line. This is popcorn like I have *never* had before– so much cheesy, caramel goodness. And yes, those two flavors really *do* go together.
One thing though: this popcorn only remains fresh for one day, so when purchasing it make sure you don’t expect it to remain fresh long after that.

So after trying the infamous mix at the Vegas location, I decided to get the caramel pecan from here, and it was delicious. This would definitely be my go to before the mix. I thought it would be caramel popcorn with pecans just mixed in, but it was pecan pieces melted directly on the popcorn to give it a great caramel buttery pecan taste in every bite. I wished I would have asked for a bigger bag, I got the small tin. I will definitely embark on other flavors when I am able to visit, looks like they do. It disappoint.

Long wait for nothing. All of the popcorn taste basic. Its good to taste just to say you have tried it while in Chicago.

First ever girls trip to Chicago from Alabama and took the advice of a friend to «try the popcorn». First of all, this isn’t popcorn. It is straight up ambrosia from the gods!
Our first clue as to its addictive powers came as we stopped a young man on Navy pier to ask where he got his bag of Garrett popcorn. He literally had a ring of orange goodness around his mouth and he could barely stop shoveling in handfuls of popcorn long enough to point toward a door while spewing some unintelligible directions.
When these Alabama girls walked through the doors and spied a crowd gathered under a blue striped sign, that was clue #2, and we knew we had hit gold! We went for the mix and thought for sure we had found the holy grail of popcorn. The fresh cheesy popcorn was like nothing I had ever had and the buttery crisp caramel had me seeing visions of angels. My friend affectionately referred to it as cocaine for the remainder of our trip and since we woke up to her loud smacking and crunching in the middle of the night, and she ate it again for breakfast, I would say she nailed it. That was our third clue as to the addictive powers this manna from heaven possesses.
We bought more popcorn two more times before flying home and imagine our sheer joy as I found out through their website that there is a Garrett Popcorn in Atlanta! That’s only an hour and a half from where we live. I feel another girls trip coming on!

We passed by several Garrett shops in Chicago and all of the stores had long lines. I had to try the popcorn when we saw the stop at the Navy Pier. The wait wasn’t too long. High turnover with the popcorn and even had a chance to try the flavor of the month — white chocolate popcorn. We bought the medium Garrett mix which was ²⁄₃ cheese and ¹⁄₃ caramel. It is one of the most expensive popcorn that we’ve purchased, but it was so good and fresh! The cheese popcorn was made with real cheese, and the caramel popcorn was awesome! Thank goodness there were napkins in the bag since our hands were really cheesy. It is best to eat the popcorn within a day.

What can you say about this Chicago institution, Garrett Popcorn Shop, that has not been said?
The Navy Pier shop is smaller than some of the other shops, however, just as good as the other shops. The popcorn is always fresh. The service is quick and painless.
You never go wrong with the Garrett Mix (mixture of cheddar and caramel popcorn).
So when at the pier, grab some popcorn.

Pop goes the weasel…
My, Oh my… cheddar popcorn! I love cheese. It is good by itself and just adds a punch to warm freshly made popcorn! Our friend told us to make sure to get popcorn while at the pier and being good tourists, we took his advice. Glad we did! I figured out why this popcorn is amazing… it’s because everything is made fresh! The cheese is yummy and the caramel is sweet and adds so much flavor combined. The combo of these two things gives you the ChiCago Mix! Tangy with a sweet side, just like Chicago! They come in various sizes and they come in cute tins, so I know what my neighbors are getting for the holidays! The tins come if various decorations: Cubs or Soxs? Bulls? America? Chicago skyline? Christmas!
The staff is friendly and are tons of fun! The lines are really long, but the wait is worth it! They do give small samples while you wait, so it just adds to the anticipation and excitement as to which popcorn you’ll get! This is truly a local treat and a must purchase because I was waiting in line with so many people from various cities wanting to get the popcorn to take home. The staff and even their bags, recommend eating the popcorn right away and I don’t blame them cause I think we almost inhaled ours. However, if you want it to travel, get the tin containers, it will be crunchy and not stale. Who are we kidding?!? The «stale» cheddar popcorn was still very tasty when we got back to California!

This is by far the best popcorn I have ever tasted. My friends’ cousin took me here and at first I didn’t think much of it. I always try to avoid popcorn to save my teeth.
My friend suggested that I get the Chicago style which is a mix of cheddar popcorn and crispy caramel. I had a small sample and then purchased a small bag.
It was not until I returned to our hotel that I discovered the sweet and savory flavor of this popcorn. The cheddar flavor is not what you would find at a grocery store. It’s like they tossed the popcorn in fresh cheese. The combination of the cheese and caramel is out of this world.
I returned before I left to get a medium bag. I should have bought four large bags like my friend did.
My medium bag of popcorn was gone in two days. I can’t wait to go back & I hope they deliver! :)

This stuff is dangerous. Dangerous, I say! I’m so glad we don’t have any of these in Boston. I’d weigh a ton by now if we did. Haha.
I got a small tin can of the pecan caramel popcorn. So so good! A bit expensive though. The price was in the teens, and I thought that was a bit much for a small tin can. But, I still felt it was worth it.
Unfortunately, most of it did not survive the plane ride back to Boston. Once you pop, you can’t stop!

Heeeeeeyyyy!!! Hello Garrett’s! How YOU doin?!? Whenever I’m downtown (I live 25 mins outside the city) I’ve got to grab a bag of corn. Well ok fine, two bags: I need a bag of just caramel, and then I HAVE to get the Chicago Mix — since, ya know — that’s what they’re famous for and all.
This location is at Navy Pier, INSIDE by the food court. It seemed like an updated location (meaning, prettier), but small just like the rest of them. The one employee I interacted with was friendly enough.
I just don’t understand how ANYONE has complaints about Garrett’s popcorn. It’s so fresh and yummy, and the flavor just stands above the rest! There’s no comparison, anywhere.