California-grown garlic... I've lived in San Jose for over 20 years and I've never been to this place or any garlic festivals. Sad because I love garlic. Tip: This year's 2020 Gilroy Garlic Festival will be held on July 24, 25 and 26. We stopped by Garlic World on our way home from Big Sur. There are two parts to the store. We entered the store to see an interesting combination of fruit stand and gourmet food store. The other section was a gift shop. Guess what they specialize in? Garlic, of course, in every way, shape and form imaginable -- pickled garlic and olives, garlic-based seasonings and spices. They also stock fresh produce, dried fruits, nuts, honey, preserves, Gilroy wines, and some very cool gifts and cookbooks. Check out the awards and displays of garlic braiding including the World's Longest Garlic Braid. Purchased some snacks and chocolates. No, it didn't have any garlic in it. It had raisins instead LoL! Don't forget to take advantage of a super cheesy photo op to put your face on a garlic in front of the store. I bet you'd make a cute clove. Located off of Highway 101. There is ample parking on a paved lot. I live some 168 miles away from Gilroy now but hope to make it to the Garlic Festival this year! Review #1697 read more

See all

This review is just for the garlic ice cream sold at Garlic World $3. They have both vanilla and chocolate flavors available. I have always heard about garlic ice cream but never gotten the opportunity to try it till now. Do garlic and ice cream combo actually taste well together or do they not? After tasting this vanilla garlic ice cream, I can definitely say I will pass in the future. The ice cream tasted like garlic, so pretty self explanatory. Thankfully the vanilla offsets a bit of the pungent garlic flavor but it's still very distinct taste. It's worth trying once but it's not something I would want to eat continuously. I think I'll stick with my coffee flavored or strawberry flavored ice cream. read more

Had to stop at Garlic World on the way back to Vacaville from Pismo Beach. On a Wednesday around noon, the store was pretty empty, but there were people that would stop in periodically. It's a large store (probably plan for at least 20-30 minutes to browse through the store) with lots of goodies to see and choose from...from garlic chips to pickled garlic/olives to hot sauces and spices to dried fruits, nuts and candies. Of course you can purchase fresh garlic and garlic ice cream! The garlic ice cream comes in vanilla based and chocolate based. As much as I love garlic, garlic ice cream is definitely not my favorite flavor of ice cream! I needed up purchasing a jar of pickled jalapeño garlic, chamoy dried mangos, a jar of spices and jalapeño stuff olives. In the back of the store is a restaurant called Mike's Backyard BBQ, but is only open on Sat/Sun from 11am-4pm. The lady that worked there was so nice and patient and answered all my questions regarding their awesome selection of products! This is a much larger store with much more selection of stuff than the other garlic store down the road along Hwy 101. Check it out the next time you drive through Gilroy. read more

See all

Garlic World for all your garlic needs. This was a bookmarked stop on our trip up the coast to Monterey and we stopped in Gilroy first because we LOVE garlic and this is supposed to be the garlic capital. Garlic World was full of items, some were priced affordable and so we walked out with around $30.00 of garlic spices, crushed garlic, and chocolate chip garlic cookies. Good stuff if you are a garlic lover, bad if you're not. read more

See all

This shop is located off the 101 freeway and large parking available. Insider there a variety of products and produce to choose from. My bf and I noticed that they also had garlic knots for sale with various price ranges. They also sold walnuts, fresh produce, wine, garlic ice cream, garlic chocolate chip cookies, and various garlic world merchandise. Not really staffed as there's only 1 cashier so you have to wait in line to check out. They have various Gilroy festival posters so that was good to see. read more

See all

Friendly staff and great products. I recommend Garlic World over Garlic Shoppe, which is just next door. You've got to try their freeze-dried garlic. It comes in different flavors. The ambiance is clean and very inviting! Check them out! read more

Ice cream tastes like heavy whipping cream with chunks of garlic. Kind of like a sweet garlic butter. Not life changing.

A lot of specialty products! I love their Gator Toes (fried garlic chips)! Go here if you want anything associated with garlic, the people working here are knowledgeable and helpful read more

There are two garlic-centric stores in Gilroy, California - the "garlic capitol of the world": The Garlic Shoppe and this one, Garlic World. *This is the one you want*. Garlic World is the better contrast to Garlic Shoppe in every way. Bright, airy, cheerful, and rustic, there are a plethora of fresh-looking garlic products here, of course, but also much more. There is a small market, nicely stocked with a large selection of candies, nuts, dried fruit, and produce. The staff are friendly and engaged - another way in which Garlic World differs from Garlic Shoppe. read more

See all

My dad loves garlic so I make it a point to stop by Garlic World if I'm in the area. It's right by the Gilroy Outlets but I think what deters people is that it's literally right off the freeway so the thought of getting back on the road may be daunting. Trust me, there are slow enough cars that out won't have to do a "pedal to the metal" and go from 0 to 65. That being said, Garlic World is known for their garlic. I bought two small jars of garlic for my dad and a small jar of crushed garlic for me. Even the paper bag smelled like garlic when I gave it to my dad. They also have a great selection of preserved olives, oil oils, vinaigrettes, produce and garlic ice cream. The bathroom was clean which I appreciated since it was my one stop between Monterey and Oakland. The staff were super friendly and helpful. Definitely will be back for my dad and my garlic needs if I'm in the area! read more

See all

Large corporate feel. Feels like place is run by an accountant. Employees not happy; not a lot of smiling faces. Not a restaurant and not somewhere you go for fresh food or something immediately edible. Fire roasted peanuts. Not dried right. Most were burned. Ate a few and threw out the rest. At least the garlic was good. I didn't really trust them so I just bought 2 bulbs after seeing everything else was both overpriced and of dubious quality. Dried garlic in braids hanging on wall. The dried garlic from here has a black root ball and is dried well. The black root ball looks funny. Maybe they didnt clean it right? The garlic I get from costco are smaller bulbs in 5lb plastic bags and frequently have rotted sections in them. If I let them sit on the counter eventually the entire bulb rots. The bulbs from GW are much better; very low if nonexistent spoilage rate. The dried garlic tastes better than the the fresh garlic in the refrigerated bags from the supermarket. When cooking I can smell the garlic aroma and it is much stronger than fresh garlic. Don't buy the garlic cookies. Those are not edible. Salt, flour, garlic maybe they left out the eggs and butter. They modified the recipe so it can sit on the shelf and not mold or get stale. They are baked to be stale to begin with. They tasted like something a hardtack; the old bread sailors in the 1500s would take across the atlantic with them because it wouldn't spoil. Not soft like bread and not crunchy like a cracker. Just a hard knot of dried out dough. Very hard to chew. Shouldn't be called a cookie. The fish and chips food truck parked outside doesn't look clean. I am all for a food truck but it looked old and ... not clean. Oil may be rancid. read more

See all

Stopped by here after our day visit in Pinnacles NP. The store was huge. Aside from different garlic products that they have, they also sell vegetable, kitchenwares, drinks and ice cream. They staff were very welcoming. The staff checked on us to make sure we were doing okay and if we have questions just asked them. A great example of Excellent customer service in my opinion. They carry "Garlic" ice cream. Ofcourse, we have to try it. Good quality ice cream. I love chocolate ice cream and garlic but not mixed together. So, this ice cream is not for me. read more

I only know about this place because my mom used to bring me pistachios when she would travel to San Francisco. I finally had the chance to stop by. The store is very huge. The main entrance is where you will find produce, garlic & braids. They have a variety of different dried fruits & nuts. They even sell chocolate coated almonds & raisins. On the other side of the store they have merchandise & can goods. Staff here is also friendly. Restrooms are also very clean if you need to do a pit stop. Recommendations: Covered Chocolate Almonds - Sweet & delicious. Perfect when you want something sweet or with your glass of wine Assorted Pistachios - If you're a pistachio lover you must try the assorted flavored which contains black pepper, chili lemon, green jalapeño, lemon and salt, and salted. Vegetable Chips - these are probably my favorite to be honest. They are not salty which I like & are addicting. read more

See all

"Gilroy is the only town I know where you can marinate a steak by hanging it on a clothesline."―Will Rogers Garlic World (GW) is another staple roadside stand that's been in existence for over thirty years (1986) now. Originally started by Don Christopher, of Christopher Ranch, it has been sold approx twenty years ago to another local family. But the Christopher Ranch link is still there, as there is a plethora of their products stocking the shelves. GW specializes in garlic-based and garlic infused products such as spice rubs, marinades, olive oils, stuffed olives, BBQ sauces and much, much more. They carry mostly their own Garlic World® brand and Christopher Ranch® brand products, but also a nice host of other favorites like Pepper Plant®, Stubbs® and even garlic ice cream produced by Santa Cruz-based Marianne's®! There's even a whole half of the store that's a fruit and veggie stand, as well. So much stuff it's hard to fit it all in one review, but count on spending at least 20min perusing the shelves. Here's a few reasons I love this place: -Friendly service -Large selection of goodies at reasonable prices―esp when compared to other places just a few hundred yards south. -Samples! I love that they have samples of their flavored olives on display. I wasn't planning on buying any but fell in love with the smoke infused garlic-stuffed ($5.99/8oz) variety. I usually avoid places like these as they are generally a rip-off, but this place is actually quite reasonable and they get a hearty recommendation from your truly. Def "must-stop" if you're a visiting the South Bay, or a local heading back home from a day trip to Monterey. read more

See all

Cherries are in season!!! So delicious! And yes of course we got the delicious garlic ice cream. If we hadn't been traveling I would've taken a box of garlic too. They have everything you could want from a grocery store plus plenty of dried candies and nuts, and all the kitschy paraphernalia related to garlic you could possibly ask for. It was also national ice cream sandwich day so we got one of those too, lol! read more

Garlic World - Garlic ice cream! And an ice cream sandwich just because it's National Ice Cream Sandwich day, lol! - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

Talk about the Garlic jackpot. This is the place to get all your Garlic ingredients for cooking in Gilroy when there is no Garlic Festival during the Fall , Winter , and Spring. I got the garlic ice cream and cookies and they were so delicious. This place had different varieties of the Pepper Plant sauce I enjoy putting on my eggs in the morning. Must visit to explore the power of garlic. read more

See all

On the way home from Monterey pass by saw the big sign Garlic World...wao I'm a fan , much happier found original& historical those garlic & if you are interested about garlic which is the unique store have all kind fresh garlic, jarred garlic, dried garlic oills& dippers, specialty items, grourmet olives, garlic ice cream , seasonings, fresh fruits, nuts. veg. Unfortunately my phone was run out battery. Btw garlic is super duper natural tasty, I dont mind smell but boost your immune system in Covid 19. Its pricey but we worth your money. Now I'm eating you with popcorn. read more

Garlic World - Highly recommend all kind of garlic. A little pricey $7.99 for this one, but taste is natural and top on my food now. - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

Good little market place, and they sell the garlic ice cream here amongst other flavors!

This was the cutest little place. They had a variety of dried fruit, fresh fruit, and of course garlic stuff. When I saw the package dried fruit, it reminded me of the country town that I grew up in, and all the dry fruits my family members preserved. read more

After reading less positive reviews, I found service was great and friendly. Reminded me to get a spoon for the garlic ice cream which I know sounds weird but was really good. The vanilla version. Didn't try the chocolate version... They sell a ton of dried fruits, and since we passed by some apricot producing farms we targeted the dried apricots. They have the normal imported version and then they have California apricots. And as usual, anything Californian is a lot pricier but they were tangy, plump (or as plump as dried fruits can be), and very addictive. There were absolutely no off putting dried fruit smell or texture, that you often get from big box stores. The whole place had this delicious garlic smell that can make you really hungry... read more

See all

Brian oteri, I contacted you about receiving old rotten garlic. I'm sure when you looked up our order you noticed my mistake of we ordered 9 instead of 6. You could have stepped up your customer service and informed me of my mistake. The replacement garlic I received is old and sprouting with some dried heads and disintegrated cloves. Please refund our credit card for full amount of order. You have no customer service skills and obviously by the age of the second shipment you do not wish to keep us as a customer.  You just lost a customer.  Leonora We were repeat customers. read more

Garlic World - Got this in the mail today, gross - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

I absolutely adore this place! The produce is outstanding and the selection of snacks is yummy. I have made it a tradition to stop here almost every time I head this way to go to outlet shops in Gilroy. I was so happy to find my favorite pepper sauce. And of course the garlic! Plenty of parking too which is so important along this stretch of highway 101 as people drive so fast. Slow down a stop here! read more

Cute shop for the Garlic Lovers in the Garlic Capital of the world in a town called Gilroy. More of a touristy place but a great place for a rest stop if traveling. The only reason we cane here was for the Garlic Flavored Ice Cream. They have a Vanilla Flavored Garlic Ice Cream and a Chocolate Flavored Ice Cream. Loved both of them but I prefer the Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream as the Garlic Flavor seems more pronounced. read more

Garlic Ice Cream is OK. Too Pricey. $3.99. Service is good. They have lot of other items too. read more

Garlic World - Garlic Ice Cream - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

This is a fun spot and sells other vegetable at good prices too. They have the garlic ice cream in vanilla or chocolate. Both of them had little garlic taste. They also have a ton of garlic related spices and condiments. read more

On my drive from Salinas to up north I always stopped in here to shop. Nothing like it where I lived. Such a great variety of seasonings. A chefs delight. Many items I can only find here. Wish they had a sister store in Palm Springs so I could still shop there. read more

We're new in town and wife wanted to check out this place. Overall, very pleasant experience. The store is very clean and has this "welcome" feeling when you get in. The young man who was working when we were there was very polite and professional. It makes all the difference. read more

Great collection of dry fruits and ice creams. Amazing customer service, people are very generous. My favorite stop on the way to Gilroy.

Garlic and gourmet goodie lovers beware! If you are passing through Gilroy take the time to stop at Garlic World. GW is located right of the highway on the Southern outskirts of Gilroy (if you're heading South). I do mean literally right off, there is no road leading to it. It is just the two lanes of highway and then right into the parking lot. So just a head's up! They have a nice sized parking lot right out front for your convenience. The store itself is rather large. They have a ton of produce, nuts, drinks of all kinds, candies, sauces, etc. Some of the fancy food items are a little on the pricey side, but it's the nature of the game. Of course, they have garlic and garlic products up the ying yang! and they have a seafood food truck right outside if you're looking for some hot food as well. I must say I was impressed with how clean and well kept the store was; the bathroom was pristine! I loved all the California themed posters hanging in the back hallway. We came for the garlic ice cream, and boy were we not disappointed! I was so excited to see that the ice cream is in fact made by Marianne's of Santa Cruz. The ice cream comes in perfectly sized individual cups. The ice cream is of the quality I would expect from the legendary Marianne's, excellent smooth, creaminess. The garlic was potent but not overpowering. It was as if you were eating a vanilla cream with a touch of garlic blended in. Absolutely leaves a garlic taste in your mouth once you're done though!! They also have garlic chocolate chip cookies right by the register so you can fully satisfy your garlic infused dessert cravings. Definitely worth it to try the garlic ice cream!! read more

Garlic World - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

See all

Ok folks Garlic World is a must to visit while in the area. The Oteri family runs a great family friendly environment. All there olive and garlic products are the best ! Pro tip make sure you buy extra you will thank me later. Way to go Garlic World! Steve read more

Garlic World - Garlic stuffed olives make sure you buy two! - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

Try the garlic ice cream for sure!! Also get a photo by the garlic face photo opportunity in the parking lot. I bought garlic mustard, pickled garlic, garlic crispy bits & garlic chips. read more

I stopped by this place while traveling from SoCal. I bought a braid because I love how it looks in the kitchen. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that the garlic is very fresh. They are plump, firm and larger than the ones at the supermarket. I can also tell the difference in cooking. I just finished all of my garlic but I am too lazy to drive 2 hours away. I ordered online and it was shipped immediately and in excellent condition just like the ones in their store. Hands down 5 stars for customer service, freshness and price! read more

Garlic World - Reminds me of Southern Italy - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

Garlic World looks like a roadside novelty trying to capitalize on the areas notoriety. How wrong you would be to judge this book by its cover! Gilroy is famous for its garlic. Garlic World is much more than just garlic! Sure, they sell garlic in every form you can imagine, from fresh cloves to stuffed olives. I've even heard of garlic ice cream, but I think that's something featured at a local festival. Any garlic fans and aficionados will appreciate this store. Two things struck me when I opened the doors at Garlic World. It's not surprising the aroma was the first. I love garlic and I could shop here all day. Once I started looking around, I noticed the west half of the store is more or less a small farmers market with all kinds of non-garlic related produce. And this place is huge! Make sure you stroll through both rooms. While I am happy to have purchased my garlic hot sauce and some wasabi peas, I regret that I don't live near this store. Garlic World is a great place to pick up some items that will really spice up whatever you are cooking. You can bet the next time I am in Gilroy, I will be swinging by Garlic World! And hopefully I will find this garlic ice cream I have heard so much about. read more

Garlic World - Here is the cover to a book about the love of garlic. - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

I had way too much fun going to Garlic World. I learned about it on a recent trip to NorCal from my friends who said I should try and garlic ice cream. It was quite interesting. They sell a lot of other things such as produce and dehydrated fruits and plenty of soft drinks in case you need to make a stop on a drive to just stretch and get some snacks. Credit cards accepted. read more

Garlic World is the first place to make visitors feel overwhelmed and underwhelmed simultaneously. It's kinda exactly what I expected. A little corny, kinda fun, garlic everything. Well almost everything. Better get some garlic ice cream. DO IT! A few places in town also sell it, but it's all from the same main vendor. Garlic World is also easy to find. I was burning down the 101 at like 80mph, and when it was time to turn-off, the road offered about 10 feet of off-ramp. Slow down, seriously. Ohhh yeah, and the offramp is mostly loose gravel. (Seriously, slow-down). Lots of easy parking though. On the way inside, my girlfriend noticed a 12-foot cardboard cutout of garlic. Of course we took pictures. Of course we pissed our dog off by putting his head in a picture (seriously, look at the pictures). Inside, the first thing I noticed was mountains of candy bars and candy. There's also lots of olives. Theres surprisingly a lot of things that have noting to do with garlic. But the space is huge... theres a lot of room to fill. They obviously sell garlic. I mean, it is fresh. They have like a 200 foot braid of garlic hanging up for fun. Anyway, I wouldn't necessarily "recommend" stoping by. It was fine, but it's also just fine. If you have time, check out the downtown too. Don't forget the garlic ice cream. It's exactly what you expect, and not what you expected. read more

See all

If you love garlic you know about Gilroy. If you go to Gilroy, this is a great stop to get some of it's easiest to find selections with some city merch and drinks, snacks, and information about other locations. read more

For garlic lovers like me, it's a fun stop. Everything is overpriced but what isn't these days?

An ample of S A M P L E of garlic infused condiments! My favorite - garlic flavored olives (at lest I think they were olives). Anyhow, it's a great quick-pit stop if you need to expel some internal bodily fluids or whatever that floated your boat. Spice is the variety of life. And they carry quite an assortment of hot sauces, including a few from The Last Dab on YouTube. Oh, and G A R L I C flavored I C E C R E A M - trust, it's better than rock flavored ice cream. read more

Garlic World - My mother; The Unburnt Garlic, Queen of the Garlic, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Garlic, Breaker of Garlic Cloves, and Mother of Garlic. - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California

Super friendly and helpful staff! Wide variety of garlic and non garlic goodies (nuts, candies, fruits, veggies, amazing honey). The strawberries are fabulous! read more

Perfect stop if you've been on the 101 freeway for a couple of hours! I had no idea this place existed. While driving to San Jose, we made a pitt stop at Garlic World. No regrets here. When you've been on the road for about 5 hours, Garlic World is the place to be at. The minute we opened our car doors the scent of fresh garlic overwhelmed our car. It's not a complaint, it's just a fact being stated because IT WILL HAPPEN. lol The store itself is super clean and very well organized. They have a huge variety of marinades, hot sauces, olives, seasoning powders. They also have different forms of garlic, so if you're looking for garlic powder, crushed garlic, paste, dried garlic you'll definitely find it here. Most importantly they have very clean restrooms that are perfect for a long road trip. The employees are also very nice and approachable, so if you have any questions they are more than happy to assist you with them. The pricing isn't too bad luckily. I purchased a huge container of garlic powder for about $10. They also have some light snacks like chips, nuts, beef jerky. If you're looking for beverages they have all sorts of beverages available including coffee and wine. If you're hungry and looking for a fulfilling item they also have a small food truck right outside the location that serves some garlic fries, or regular fries, and even some fish and chips. The strangest item by far sold at this location is their garlic ice cream. We definitely had to purchase this the minute we laid our eyes on it. You can choose from chocolate or vanilla garlic flavored ice cream. We decided to try the garlic vanilla ice cream. It's probably in my top three weirdest flavor combos. The ice cream itself is very creamy, but the garlic taste is a bit overwhelming. Nonetheless it was definitely an experience! Definitely a fun quirky stop if you're on your way to San Francisco or Disneyland. They even have a small little photo op area outside, but watch out for any spider webs! read more

Garlic World - Specialty Food Near Me - Gilroy, California