Tucked in the middle of an office park in Carlsbad is a delicious chocolate factory--it's not Willy Wonka, but rather San Diego's own Chuao chocolates! I especially love their firecracker chocolate- spicy and filled with pop rocks! They had a post holiday sale --50% off their center table. The chocolate flavors are so fun and the chocolate tastes smooth and creamy- churro, sprinkles, s'mores and lots of other fun flavors! The staff is super nice and there's a big window you can see the factory in action. read more

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Friendly neighborhood chocolatier, Chuao has their corporate batch plant hidden in business park of Carlsbad where they create their seasonal batches and fantastic flavors. I learned that Chuao's pure chocolate shows no signs of any waxy texture. Waxy texture can indicate low quality ingredients. Chuao provides all fair trade, ethically sourced chocolate with no artificial flavors. I'm partial to Dark Chocolate flavors but the milk chocolate is fantastic! Firecracker, Churro, Honeycomb, and Spicy Maya! Tastes so good! read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Carmel - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I have been coming here for the last 3 years and it's such a treat to come here. Karen remembers me every time I come in. Their award winning, ethically sourced, chocolate is crafted in the Carlsbad. They make small batches of chocolate to go with the current season. Their chocolates are not only delicious for yourself, it makes a great gift. (They used to give tours but they no longer do so.) If you can't make it to this store location, checkout their website and sign up for their emails for the latest chocolate flavors and deals. read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Inside - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Whenever I'm visiting San Diego, I always stop by Chuao Chocolatier to stock up on Chuao chocolate. As soon as I step into the store, I literally transform into a kid in a candy store, marveling at all the unique concoctions that Chuao has to offer. During our most recent trip, my family purchase 30 of their holiday boxes to gift to family and friends. The two ladies that worked there were very friendly and generous, answering all of our questions and offering us samples. They even gave us a discount on our purchase. I highly recommend paying this store a visit whenever you're in the area to get your chocolate fix. read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

When I was in town on a work trip, Chuao Chocolatier caught my eye while we were headed out from our office and I'm so glad it did! My colleague and I decided to pay them a visit during our lunch break and I am SO glad we did. From the factory's gift shop you can see inside into the factory and the staff member was super helpful, patient and also offered us a few samples of their chocolates to try! During my visit (which was in early October 2025), in-store prices of mini bars were around $1.25 and then the larger bars were about $6 each (give or take) and I felt that price for high quality chocolate was super reasonable. I opted to get the smores bar, potato chip, and then a churro bar. The churro bar had a lovely crunch to it and you could taste the cinnamon flavor (this one was also dark chocolate) while the smores had bits of marshmallows in it too (I think this was milk chocolate if memory serves me correct). We also got a box of bon bons to share with our team and I didn't get to try all of them, but I do believe they were a hit! I already can't wait to go back for more next time I'm in town and I want to be clear I thought I wasn't a chocolate kind of girl - I guess I just had to find the right spots to get it! Thanks so much Chuao Chocolatier. See you next time! read more

Chuao's hidden in the industrial area of middle Carlsbad, but wow what a cute find! The small storefront has pre-packaged chocolate sets as well as a bon-bon bar to build custom boxes. The passion heart-shaped chocolates are delicious! Fruity and unique, with the smoothest chocolate. I came with my two small kids, and staff didn't seem too thrilled with that part since the shop has some delicate items and pretty displays. But we were in and out quick thankfully. Really love this local alternative to See's. We'll be back for more gifts. read more

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Update since my last review over two years ago... Tucked away in an unassuming industrial business park, is the Chuao Chocolate Factory & Gift Shop! I stopped by the Chuao Factory Gift Shop this past week while I was in Carlsbad visiting. Despite living up north in Orange County - I consider this to my "local" chocolate factory, since it's still the closest one compared to other chocolatiers. I've come to rely on their unique flavors and amazing quality chocolates as go-to's for gift giving, during the holidays. You can typically find their chocolate bars in places like Whole Foods and Amazon, but they do have some chocolate products that are available exclusively at their gift shop. The store definitely looked a lot more "alive" during my most recent visit, than back in 2022 when I had stopped by for the first time. Festive Christmas decorations, and you can actually see into the on-site chocolate factory from the gift shop. There was a chocolate bar display of their full-sized flavors, a section for their popular mini bars, a section dedicated to chocolate covered pretzels & drinking chocolate (fancy for hot cocoa), and a truffles bar that you can utilize to build custom gift boxes. Special pricing found on their website is also applicable here - for my visit, holiday-themed chocolate was priced at half off. Their Gingerbread chocolate bar was a hit when I handed those out to colleagues - so I definitely picked up quite a few of those, along with a boxed set of their mini-bars. Easy parking upfront - and another plus - this spot is minutes away from my favorite pasta place in Carlsbad! read more

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I had never heard of Chuao Chocolate before. My friend introduced us to these chocolates and I think I'm forever hooked. Nothing says Christmas time like chocolates! Their chocolates are not overly sweet or sugary tasting. Gingerbread was delicious, Exploding Coal was interesting!-- reminded me of eating those pop rockets candy as a kid, Smores flavor was also tasty as well. Can't wait to purchase more of their chocolates as gifts! read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Smores - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The absolute best hot chocolate mix. High quality chocolate. Rich. Perfect. I get the big bag of dark chocolate and usually mix my ratio a bit thicker than recommended. Spendy but worth it if you enjoy a proper cup of choco. read more

Never heard of Chuao Chocolate but now that I have, I might be a little more sophisticated. lol. So we drove by this building yesterday and I thought, "that looks fancy!". Well today, I walked in and now I have experienced a taste of fancy. The store is attached to the factory in which you can look into (to see the magic being made) through a glass wall. The shop is small but displays their selection of chocolates and depending on what time of year it is, their seasonal flavors. The lady at the counter was super friendly, and told us more about the company. She then offered us a sample of the Firecracker. Literally an explosion in your mouth. Yes, this flavor has pop rocks in it with light taste of chipotle in the end. So different, but so good! We walked out buying a selection of bars, which we can't wait to try. The prices in this corporate store are sold cheaper than they are on their website. Also, they also gave me a military discount. Delicious chocolate and fantastic service! -Chuao chocolate fan and customer for life read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Karen is so polite and very good suggestions. She was polite to tell the process of the chocolate. They have truffles too!!! read more

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We bought some chocolate bars and they had a whitish tinge on the dark chocolate. We wrote to the company weeks ago about it, sent several follow-up emails and they have not responded at all. THIS IS POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE! What incentive do we have to re-try this brand if this the respect we receive in having bought their product ... answer is NONE. Time to support a chocolatier that respects its customers and treats them in that manner. We responded to their YELP response on the morning of 14 October by email, and have not yet received any reply as of 28 October. Obviously, this isn't a priority for them. EXTRA-EXTRA POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE! We can easily say their lack of customer service has been consistent. Need we say more ... ... mala atención al cliente. read more

I discovered Chuao Dark Chocolate Honeycomb chocolate quite by accident and I am so happy I did! My local Gelson's supermarket had a tiny display of miniature size Honeycomb chocolates at only one checkout stand and fortunately at the check stand where I was watching my groceries being checked out. I thought this chocolate looked like it could be good and so I bought one. I think the packaging design was just one reason for my impulse purchase but I confess to being a chocolate lover and am always trying new brands. Of course I presumed Gelson's carried full-size dark chocolate/honeycomb bars since they carry the miniature version but as of now they do not. I hope this will be rectified soon. I believe different varieties are sold at other supermarket chains and at BevMo but I would like my favorite market to stock them too. Is that too much to ask? So far I can only speak about the great taste of the honeycomb bar but if you are a fan of really top-notch upscale chocolate, you MUST try Chuao. You won't regret it. read more

Chuao Chocolatier - The best chocolate bar I have tasted in many moons! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Nice place, delicious chocolate. Great service. I'd definitely make the drive again. Highly recommend the quality of the chocolate.

The greatest chocolatier in San Diego County IMO. Try everything. Go often. Buy their chocolate for business gifts. Your clients/customers/accounts will love you. And the people that work here are sooooooo nice. AND I don't know anyone that works here and nobody is paying me to say this -- it's simply beautiful. read more

Outstanding chocolatier a short distance west of El Camino Real. The shop is open post-COVID. It's a great place to pick up a luxurious gift of chocolates for a special occasion ... or just to treat yourself. read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Interior--Chocolates on Display - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

These chocolates are divine! I love the exquisite flavor combinations they use, the firecracker is one of my favorites. A wonderful gift. Client service is very responsive. read more

Chuao Chocolatier makes some of the best chocolate bars out there! Their flavors are unique, rich, and absolutely delicious--every bite is a treat. We love their yummy chocolatier bars, and they never disappoint. If you're a chocolate lover, you won't be disappointed. A must-try! read more

Excellent service. Wonderful selections. Tasty hot cocoa sample - the Spicy Cocoa was out of this world delicious. I shopped for every yummy bit I could and loved every single bite - truffles, chocolate bits and bars, and cocoa to bring home. Thanks so much!!! read more

Everything was perfect to a T. Great customer service amazing communication with Carrie and team. They go above and beyond:) we appreciate all your team does even with our last minute orders - Fina from ARK read more

Fresh chocolates!!! And the service is always spot on. They have a lot of selection to choose from.

I live not too far from this place and work isn't too far either, so I am surprised that I am not here more often. I came here in July '19 to do truffle making and get the tour of the factory. I gotta say that the truffle making was my favorite part. Chef Michael was very detailed on instructions and how the chocolates were made. I also got to bring some home and have recipes printed out for me to make at home at a later time. The shop itself is really cute and has quite a few flavors when it comes to the chocolate bars. My favorite truffle flavor is the passionfruit and my favorite chocolate bar flavor is the churro and the mint. I was here recently to get some chocolates for my stocking stuffers and the chocolates were a big hit. I even got some cocoa powder for hot chocolate for my kids... and of course they loved it. I plan to make more frequent stops here around Valentine's Day and birthdays. read more

Delicious flavors. Especially like the exploding coal holiday flavor. Orders for store pick up, super easy.

My review today is on one way that Chef Michael uses this location for events to bring the community together. For my review on their chocolate, please follow this link: A 5 star review of Chuao Chocolatier by Aiko N. https://www.yelp.com/biz/chuao-chocolatier-encinitas-4?hrid=plTyMSv7KfNB5Z1e6CUuZA&utm_source=ishare&utm_content=review I came for the Awakening to Flow and Intention Ceremony, as part of my mission to self-improve, become more aware, and to improve my meditation practice. It was a simple low-key afternoon for a modest cost. The Awakening started a bit late (disappointing because I was on time! They were waiting for about 10 others to show up who never did) and it was about learning to breathe deep and how to self-massage by laying on balls (I use racquetballs at home; theirs were much bigger). I didn't know all this time what I was doing is called "myofascial release". Angelika even showed a video on it; I was able to learn the science behind why the technique works. While Chef Michael was speaking during the Intention Ceremony, he had truffles handed to us, and told us to close our eyes, eat slowly, and embrace his words. Well the truffle had some sort of popping candy inside, and when I bit it, something sharp popped down my shirt. So, imagine everyone there with their eyes closed, relishing their moment, and me... digging down my sports bra trying to remove the candy from my boobs. I'd like to mention that I've been to various Cacao Ceremonies(which are more spiritual in nature than this), where we have to share our intention out loud with the group. I appreciated that we were to write our intentions down and hang them from the JOY sign outside. Besides chocolate samples, there were banana jerky samples, and Choice Juicery was there, as well as Dr. Bonner's. Overall, this is a beautiful space and I look forward to returning for the factory tour and chocolate bar/truffle making events. Oh and of course, to buy more chocolate! Thank you to the Chuao team for your generosity and kindness. And, fellow readers who are interested in events, hop over to their web page and sign up for their emails. read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Intention Ceremony- I hung mine on the J :) - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I love Chuao Chocolate's bon bons and truffles!!! They are better than other more popular brands, not as cloying sweet and much more flavorful. One of my favorites is the "Firecracker Truffle: chipotle caramel fudge, sea salt and popping candy". I also love the "Salted Chocolate Crunch: toasted panko breadcrumbs, olive oil ganache and a sprinkle of sea salt." The candy is handmade in their Carlsbad factory. The chocolate bars are tasty, but the bon bons and truffles are my favorite. They're expensive but worth every penny. I usually order online when they have a sale and pick up in store to save the $12 shipping feel (I live half an hour away and it's worth the drive.) Note: they don't give samples unless they have items that are near their expiration date. read more

Former sandyeggan now in Sacramento, missed Firecracker choc bar. The local chocolate maker does not match Chuao's, fortunately Chuao's ship! read more

Chuao Chocolate had been my favorite chocolate since I bit my first piece of Potato chip chocolate many years ago. We were invited to tour the factory and was absolutely excited! Our 3 hours in traffic drive to Carlsbad was painful but we made a day out of it and having great company made it absolutely better. The tour begins with chocolate tasting and you'll get to learn how Chef started it all. Chocolate tasting was fun! Imagine wine tasting but even better, you won't get drunk on it.. lol! When the session ends, you put on your hair net and proceed to their kitchen. You have to take off all your jewelries and no pictures or any other personal belongings allowed. As you enter their kitchen, you have to wash your hands with soap and water. My one suggestion is to give a little more discount to those who come to a long way to tour and eager to learn about your facility. After all you are the manufacturer that sells it to those local markets. Bae wanted to get a few dozens chocolate for his employees at work and I came with a big budget to buy my friends and workers chocolate from here but left with only 5 bars of chocolate. Reason, the prices are even more expensive than your local specialty grocery store. A bit disappointing for me but we all did get a free bar of whatever flavor chocolate they are making at the time. We got smores! My absolute favorite is their Firecracker! Total addicted to this! Sea salt, a dash of chipotle and popping candy crackle in 60% dark chocolate. read more

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Five thousand stars! This is hands down the best chocolate I've ever had! Great flavors, fresh ingredients and I even like the dark chocolate (I'm more of a milk person but their dark is amazing). Don't buy from Amazon stores that are not their store specifically, either order direct on their website or go to Carlsbad and buy it., if you're local. Trust me, Chuao would not let stale chocolates go out like some stores would! Make sure you buy direct from them! read more

I went to a Chocolate tour event hosted by a Yelp friend of mine. The event was truly organized well and we were all able to mingle for a bit in the lobby of the factory store. We met Abigail and her staff who were super nice and friendly, took lots of pictures and became a little more acquainted with the products. Once I saw the chocolates, I realized that I had bought many of their bars before for Christmas grab bags that I had made. I was even more excited about this tour after realizing that! We were all ushered into a small room that was beautifully set up for our tour group. There were samples set up for us featuring the Chuao California Collective Salted Caramel dreamin' which has milk chocolate, caramel toffee, and sea salt. There was also the Firecracker, which has pop rocks in it, the Potato Chip, which has kettle cooked potato chips and sea salt in it mixed with milk chocolate (My Favorite!!), and the Bright and Sunny Hunny, which has dark chocolate, roasted almonds, and honey toffee (Amazing!!). We washed our hands and wore gloves and hair/beard nets and began our tour of the factory. We watched as they made honeycomb for their chocolate bars, mixed fresh roasted hazelnuts into chocolate, and we even watched them make their famous S'mores bars! We were able to sample the chocolate, the hazelnuts, and the fresh honeycomb. Everything is handmade with machine help. The smell in there was ridiculously delicious! I wanted to lick the air! The name Chuao comes from a particular region in Venezuela, where Chef Michael is also from, that is known for their chocolate. Chef Michael came and greeted our group and told us that he didn't want a simple chocolate bar, but rather one that had many layers of flavors. The Signature chocolate bars are more of a "meal in a bar" and the California chocolate bars are more of a "vacation in a bar." They are certified Kosher and organic for those who follow those guidelines. You can also hold events here like ours, which was a tour of the chocolate factory and tasting. They also hold corporate events here, team building, baby and wedding showers. All events can be catered and you can bring in food for your event. They hold several different events that are open to the public, like Truffle Rolling that is coming up, soon! You can take home all the truffles that you roll! read more

Bookmarked for a visit when I'm next in San Diego, I was able to enjoy their fantastic product here in Boston when I picked up a couple of their bars at Roche Brothers in Downtown Crossing. They have a huge display of high end chocolates and Chuao was front and center. Of course, I chose the bacon. As it says on the label, "Delicate maple sweetness, a springly of bonfire smoked sea salt and crispy, uncured bacon in milk chocolate." It was all of that though perhaps the maple was a bit too subtle. The saltiness and the crispy bacon bits in with the sweet milk chocolate was heavenly. I might have eaten more than a quarter of it before the rest was discovered by my wife, with me looking completely guilty. Oops. Great stuff. I will be getting more, for sure! read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Front of the Chuao bacon chocolate package - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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I had never heard of this chocolate company until our visit here with the Yelp group. This is the most chocolate I've had in months, hasn't been a part of my diet lately. So this was a real treat! Our visit included lots of tastes, I tried every one! Delicious! Great team, tour by Laura, honeycomb by Sal, warehouse overview by Mark. Plus all the rest of the team! And Chef Michael stopped in too! Great time was had by all! read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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There's a saying that every incredible adventure begins with the first step, and those that do not believe in magic will never take it... As instructed by our lucky ticket, we arrived at the Chuao Chocolate Factory gates in Carlsbad on the 7th day, of the 7th month, of the 7th year of the decade... to tour the most eccentric and wonderful chocolate factory of all. At precisely 10AM, the doors swung open and who was to appear? None other than the eccentric Chocolatier Michael Antonorsi -- the mayor of flavor -- only made possible after years of culinary training at École LeNôtre in Paris. France. Our tickets were scrutinized, verified, and notarized. The required legal documents were signed, confined, and combined. In due time, entrance to this factory of joy was granted. We took our first steps past the fabled stockpiles of popcorn; potato chips; pretzels... marshmallows; graham crackers; breakfast cereal; and bacon... dairy cream, whipped cream, coffee cream, vanilla cream, and hair cream!! There were little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous. What we saw were melting machines whirling; mixing machines swirling; liquid chocolate hurling... from ceiling hoses into molds. Tables on wheels were swerving; conveyer belts turning; and a candy wrapper machine churning... imported all the way from Loompaland!! France. Chocolate-making, you see my dear friends, is 93% imagination, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple. Baconluxious, Firecracker, Oh My S'mores, Cheeky Churro, Pretzel Toffee Twirl, Cinnamon Cereal Smooch, and Strawberry Waffle Wild bars had sprung to life ... right before our eyes! Sampling as many as we could, each one brought as much joy and wonder as the one before it. We had so much time and so little to see. Wait a minute! Strike that, reverse it. Thank you. Scorecard 1 star for deliciousness 1 star for wonderment 1 star for bacon 1 star for the great state of Loompaland 1 star for the law firm who drew up the contracts: Whirling, Swirling, and Hurling APLC read more

Chuao Chocolatier - Cameras are not allowed during this tour, but this is what the chocolate factory looks like at night - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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All I have to say is: Chew-WOW! At Chuao Chocolatier you may... Book a Friday morning factory tour (only day offered). Taste the best local chocolate in NCSD (of a high quality). Take home a fresh bar off the line (today's production included; Oh My Smores). Spread Joy (the slogan and a t-shirt you can purchase at the headquarters and boutique)! #Chuao #Chocolatier #NCSD #SpreadingJoy read more

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I've been driving past this place for a while now and every time they've been closed since they're only open during the week until 3pm. I had previously emailed them to see if they had vegan non-dairy options and to my happy surprise they did! I bought a variety of bars in both mini and large sizes. I have not yet tried them all but I love the triple nut temptation and the mango one the best so far. The orange was okay and the one with tempura bits tasted like a fancy crunch bar which was my hubby's favorite! You honestly don't miss the dairy in these. My momma, who came down to visit said she devoured a full size chocolate bar while sitting in traffic on her way home because it was way too delicious to stop! I don't know why this place isn't more packed! It's a small shop with a viewing window where you can see chocolate being made. The staff was friendly and very helpful at answering questions. We got a free truffle/bonbon with yelp check it and it literally melted in my mouth!!! This is now one of my favorite vegan friendly chocolates! Chuao, you've made me a lifelong customer! read more

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Best chocolate! Great flavors with high quality ingredients. We stock up on these chocolate bars as everyone loves them.

Please please please bring back the Earl Grey tea flavor. I am not a chocolate eater, but this... this makes me dream of chocolate.

Great chocolates! Fantastic service and a local business. Valentine's Day I know where I'm going for my chocolates!!

Chocolate? Maybe? Yes? Erm...try a very enthusiastic yes!!!!!! Don't just come here for the chocolate store though, also come by on a Friday so that you can take a factory tour! For $15 a person, you get a chocolate tasting and a tour of their factory! I'd say it was a pretty good use of my time. I've always wanted to go on a chocolate factory tour ever since I saw the episode of "I Love Lucy" in a chocolate factory. And well, chocolate is my favorite food, so it's a no brainer that it would be my kind of thing. The tour was informative and I learned a lot, and my taste buds were challenged by the sheer amount of chocolate they let us taste. I'm the kind of person who can eat a whole bar in one setting, they gave us so much chocolate that I had some trouble finishing it. But I did. Cause that's what I do. Pro tip, they let you take any leftovers home so you can just take some home instead. They also give you a big bar of chocolate hot off the machinery line!!! Whee! More chocolate! Chuao is on their way up, but is still a smaller business. You can definitely get that heart feel from that. No human robots working away in there, it's real live people crafting the chocolate and making sure everything goes well. Everyone was extremely nice and friendly and looked happy to see the tour group. While it's no Willy Wonka with a chocolate river, it's still a fun tour to take! read more

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Had a great talk with the team today at their Thorn Brewing Co event, never thought you get to pair chocolate with beer which was awesome, also didn't know this is a local company from Carlsbad, definitely supporting local companies especially hoping them to get their products out to Costco in the future. read more

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I've visited Chuao (Chew-Wow) Chocolatier previously, but most recently I visited to take a factory tour. This was my first tour of a chocolate factory so I don't have a comparison, but to me this was the best part of my week and the highlight of my year. Chuao went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Walking through their facility, I was really impressed with how "crafted with joy" wasn't just a slogan. Their chocolate is tempered perfectly and has such a rich beautiful color, texture and taste. I've always shied away from their "Firecracker" offering, but decided to give it a try while on the tour and it didn't disappoint. It's one of their signature offerings and my favorite. They've started a new line under the brand name "Wild Joy Goods" and we were able to taste their banana jerky. I can't wait to try more of their offerings as they expand the line. read more