Chile Hedz

You like hot sauce, dips, or marinades? This is your place. Do you know where the best green chili comes from? Hatch New Mexico, and they bring thousands of pounds in during peak season (late August). You can even have it roasted on site just like you get from home (NM). Absolutely love this place.

This is a true mom and pop operation they have moved from location to location about 3 times. Now they’re on front street which is a great location before they were in the back of this building. They have quite a few sauces, jams and some haberno chocolate which is my favorite. They will let you try before you buy which is always nice because some of those sauces will burn you for a few days. The employees are nice and the owner is very accommodating she will do just about anything to make you happy.

I have never seen the place open over the past 8 months. Today, well, it was open so we rushed in to see what we’ve been missing.
Nothing.
Tasted samples and nothing made me want to buy. I like hot sauce and use it at home regularly, but the samples were labeled differently but were way too similar. Plus, my wife noticed that the smoked/​dried chipotle peppers had bugs in the packages! All of them!
I can see why this place is hardly ever open. A tourist trap. Move along people, nothing to see here.

I have come to Chile Hedz four times… But the place is never open! Their hours are posted on the door but does that mean anything? Nope. It feels like a conspiracy, is this actually a store? The first time I came I saw an employee behind the counter but the doors were locked and the closed sign was up, despite the hours posted on their door that they should be open. Wtf chile Hedz?

Awesome shop with more than just hot sauce! I am getting some of my Christmas shopping done here :) They also have a hot sauce here from my hometown that I couldn’t find anywhere «Pepper Plant» so I’m pretty excited!

As I was waddling the streets of Temecula this last weekend, I happened to see a very large sign inviting me, Sylvia Flores, to preorder hatch chile peppers.
I literally SPRINT towards the open doorway. My love of hatch chile peppers driving my every determined, albeit clumsy step.
Before we go any further:
Wikipedia says: «Hatch chile refers to varieties of species of the genus Capsicum which are grown in the Hatch Valley, an area stretching north and south along the Rio Grande from Arrey, New Mexico, in the north to Tonuco Mountain to the south of Hatch, New Mexico.»
Back to the story:
I SPRINT towards the open doorway, followed by my husband who was equally as enthusiastic. Upon entering, we are surrounded by hot sauce bottles from floor to ceiling. It’s like heaven for people who like to burn their faces off when they eat.
I immediately purchase a bottle of one of their most spicy and something else that is small, I can’t remember, because that is not where the madness stopped.
The madness you ask? Yes. And that madness is named Sidney.
Sidney is the super rad chic who was working there. (Aside: she was in this super adorbs black hat, looking like she had just stepped out of Winona Ryder’s closet, circa «Heathers». Sigh. I freaking love that movie.)
Moving on. So, she’s talking peppers with us and is WINNING the battle against our hunger, which is calling us to BBQ down the road.
Sidney is a chile and pepper and anything hot PUSHER. But it’s so unassuming and she’s so generous and loving, that you (or in this case, we) end up buying half the store. Then you (we) look at one another outside of said store with your now five bags of all sorts of spicy crap and think: What the hell just happened here?! OMG.
Sidney the pepper pusher just happened!
Obviously we were coerced in the door for hatch chiles and we preordered the hell out of 20lbs. of them in addition to everything else.
And in a month, we get to come back to have them roasted and then drive home with them, where I will likely eat 10 of those lbs. like popcorn. Gastro intestinal distress? BRING IT.
What the fiery hell? Sidney freaking ROCKS!
If you have a chance, go to Chile Hedz. GO THERE. It’s heaven for hot chasers. You will not be disappointed!
Love,
Sylvia

The hours are a little funky but I went in today with my son and we had a great time! We were able to sample some great product and it was delicious! I ended up leaving with Carlsbad Gourmet Strawberry Chipotle Sauce! Freakin amaaaziing! My mouth was watering when we were talking about different ideas for it… salad dressing and drizzle it on goat cheese on a toasted baguette! Yea! I’m excited to try the fudge… I was able to put in a special order :) but I have a friend who highly recommends it!!! Give them a try… It’s worth it! :) :) :)

We enjoyed touring Temecula, CA very much especially the old town section and the wineries. We visited Chile Hedz and purchased two pepper wreaths for our front porch in Texas. We were then staying in San Diego and by the time we returned from the drive to Temecula they were already falling apart. Too far away to return as we were leaving so I emailed the shop who said they were very fragile and not treated, but they would pay half back. We’ve had pepper wreaths in the past which lasted over a year let alone a two hour drive. They were rotted from within and the chiles just kept falling off. Wouldn’t recommend that you trust them.