Check it off the bucket list. We agree with all the wonderful comments. We saw an alligator in one of the ponds We bought flavors of Tabasco that we didn't know existed. The gal at the sample station was wonderful. The only negative would be the cafe. It's pretty expensive for what you get. (See photo of receipt) Luckily, we got there just ahead of a tour bus. The line did, however, move pretty quickly. All in all, time well spent. read more

Tabasco - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

Fun tour. It was interesting to learn how Tabasco was made and how long it takes to ripen. (3 years plus 3 weeks to mix) I didn't realize how many products they had. It was great to be able to sample it all. They even had Tabasco flavored ice cream! We also went on the jungle garden driving tour. The egret rookery was in full swing with lots of nesting great egrets and fuzzy white chicks. There were even a few anhinga nesting in the area. At the end of the tour we were given a bottle of Tabasco. Glad we took the tour. read more

Well worth the drive. Staff was very friendly. Very organized self tour. Information and historical content were excellent. Exhibits were interesting. Loved the free mini bottles read more

Tabasco - Military exhibit - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

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Absolutely worth the drive here. I have been a Tabasco user for years and this has been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. The tour was nice and the people were absolutely incredible. We ate lunch at the restaurant and the food quality was great and you didn't get just a small tourist portion. The Jungle garden drive was stunning and we felt privileged to have been able to see this beautiful place. Mention that your a Veteran and they will give you some small sample bottles including one with the symbol of your branch of service. Definitely coming back next time we're in this area. read more

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My wife and I stopped by on the way to see our daughter one day and we enjoyed the stop. All of the roads on the island are gravel so prepare for your car to be muddy if it has rained, but it was worth it in our opinion. The factory tour is short but neat to see. The best part is the Jungle Gardens tour. We took our time driving and listening about the gardens with the downloaded app. If you are ever driving near Avery Island, set aside a few hours to stop by and visit. read more

Had a fabulous time! Weather was perfect. Just did the self-guided factory tour only! Learned a lot about the history of this place as well as the history of African American and Cajuns working side by side, how the company built a village for the workers to live on the island, the salt mines that are used, and just a host of historical significance of this place. The general store yielded a bunch of goodies and you can taste all of their different sauces, even flavored ice cream and soda. Oh and I almost forgot that they had a big wall full of recipes (of course I got pictures)! It was a very fun experience and I highly recommend that everyone goes to visit! read more

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I've lived in Lafayette all of my life, but had never been to Avery Island. I decided to spontaneously take a trip, and it was worth it. The tour is nice, although I think if it was a guided tour it would be better. After the tour I went to the Country Store where they sell Tabasco merchandise and products. In the back, they have a tasting bar where you can sample all of the flavors available, including ones that are only sold in the Country Store or via the internet. They also Tabasco flavored ice cream (raspberry chipotle was really good), and Honey that does not include any hot sauce. The worker who was manning the tasting station, Taylor (I hope that is how she spells it) was friendly, bubbly, and knowledgeable. She was such a delight. They also have a restaurant, but I didn't make it in time to try it, as they close early than the tours and the country store. After the Tabasco tour, I then visited the Jungle Gardens. It was so beautiful to see all of Avery Isalnd. The drive along the bayou was so pretty. The Buddha Statue was amazing. I wish they would make E. A. McIlhenny's house a part of the tour because it looked so pretty from the outside. Definitely going back! read more

Five stars all the way for any Tabasco fan. It's great to learn the history of the sauce, the location, the jungle, how it's made, and how far it reaches the international. We also tried the 1868 restaurant. It's like Ikea style that you order from a counter and pay and find your own seats. It was a little chill so I see them lowered the plastic drape for outside seating, otherwise it would be a great view for patio seating. I tried the sample platter. I also ordered a sausage so I can try all the sauces available. Yes, all 13 of them. Pretty unique experience. We also tried jungle garden for additional $8. Pretty good. Wish I had more time towards the end because we were running out of time. Very good garden and you get to see gators(no joke), birds, turtles, trees, etc. read more

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Definitely worth a visit. Super interesting little tour, really puts perspective on some of Louisiana's history in the late 1800s. Beautiful land around and throughout the facilities. Also, don't miss out on Jungle Gardens, a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of various wildlife and scenery. Thoroughly enjoyed it! read more

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This absolutely is the best "Pepper Sauce Factory" I've ever been to. I am a fan of many different hot sauces but the original is Tabasco this is the sauce I fell in love with, the fiery sauce that run through my veins. Now it's important to remember where you are you're in the heart of Cajun Country and when you visit think back how innovated this place must have been in it's hay day. I try and take any of the landmarks I visit for what they are relax and enjoy everything about this place you may never return but that's okay some will never experience what you have. They also will never own a Tabasco tie, pot holder, beer bottle wrap or any of the other things you picked up at the gift shop my favorite is my Tabasco Beer tray or as I always refer to it my boiled crawfish tray. The drive in is part of the fun and the walk around the island is priceless. read more

This place is great for people who love Hot sauces. There are many types of hot sauces on the market but only one Tabasco, founded by Mc.Ilhenny Co. The self-guided tour is very educational. It teaches us how Tabasco is made and how long it takes Vorbote to nature. The country store next door has a large variety of Tabasco branded merchandise. The staff is very friendly and generous in letting you taste the sauces, vegetables, jellies, ice cream and soda. Parking is plentiful and admission is $5.50 for adults. read more

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Tabasco does not accept American cash to go to their factory, buy things in their souvenir shop and eat in their restaurant. I am guessing that it is no longer an American company. I do not buy things on credit when i have the cash in my wallet. So many companies are getting hacked and now they have my credit card information. I swear that i will never return to the Tabasco factory and never buy another Tabasco product ever again !!! Tabasco can kiss my rear end !!! read more

Spent a beautiful sunny day at the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory and was very content with my trip here. We got to try a variety of sauces in their country store, along with samples. WHO KNEW TABASCO AND COCA COLA WENT SO WELL TOGETHER?! The tour was very educating and memorable. Also had lunch here, which was surprisingly, not bad either! I had the Boudin Po Boy, which was just as good as the tour. read more

Tabasco - Boudin Po Boy - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

The Tabasco Factory tour part was pretty disappointing. You go into a room and watch a video that must have been made 10 years ago. Then you walk through the factory for about 10 yards. It is just a walkway and you can see the factory through the glass. It is only bottling M-Th so we didn't see any action. At the end there is a small little room with a stirring pot of Tabasco and some kids games. Overall, I think a brand as big as Tabasco could do a better job. The saving grace was the Tabasco country store. They had two flavors of tabasco inspired ice cream, tabasco coke, tabasco chilli and a lot of different sauces to taste. There are a lot of fun tabasco products to look at too. I think I spent most of my time in the store. It is a pretty decent attraction overall and you should definitely go to the swamp gardens afterwards. read more

Every Island is like walking into a dream. The jungle gardens the plants,the animals and the way everything is so well keeled we did the drive through tour and enjoyed it very much so many things to see and do. The tabasco plant tour is really fun tour with a lot of history. And the country store and restaurant what fun. There is quite a lot of history in the museum about the family and the Island well worth the trip have fun I did and will be back again and again. Thank you to the family for sharing. read more

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What a fun, enjoyable tour at a simply beautiful place! Every employee was so nice and helpful, everything was so clean and the grounds are simply gorgeous. The drive through Jungle Gardens was just an overload of beauty and unique touches at every turn. read more

Tabasco - This shot was taken from the lookout at Bird Island. - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

Visiting Tabasco on Avery Island has been on our bucket list for years. We finally made it! We're very interested in place-based local food, and Tabasco has been made right there for 120 years. We bought the tickets online, nice and easy. The self-guided tour is just the right length, showing the whole process but not getting bogged down. It's so interesting to learn about the peppers used, the processing, bottling, and the history of the McIlhenny family and Avery Island. All the staff members were really friendly and well informed. I stumped them asking about the source of the barrels' white oak (American or French? Inquiring minds want to know...). The store has a huge variety of real Tabasco products and fun imprinted stuff you'll want for yourself and to give as gifts. Highly recommended! read more

If you want to see where everything comes from , this is your place. Even their fermentation smell is not hidden. Everything is is in the open and thank you for that!! The restaurant is OK however we got there at 3:15 and it closes at 4. We had two choices. Pep pizza or Shrimp etop. It was just ok. Glad this is a establishment that IDS. Way to go!! The tour is self guided and amazing. The country store is where all the tasting happens. We spent way to much money on items not released to stores. Wouldn't mind going back to the country store. read more

We loved that the tour was self guided so you could go at your own pace. Also when you arrive you are handed a little bag of 6 or so tiny tabasco sauces which is fun! Everything was very informative and had many different displays. You can go into the country store and at the back they had every Tabasco product you could imagine to taste from icecream to their hottest sauce scorpion. Then go next door to the restaurant to eat and get a Bloody Mary made with Tasbasco Bloody Mary mix and make it how you want with add ins such as bacon, olives, etc! read more

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The Tabasco tour is an experience. A five hour experience! It is fun for the whole family. There is so much history and interesting factoids. We probably should have stayed longer! read more

Tabasco - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

(Full disclosure that my company does work for McIlhenny) I love everything about Tabasco. It has been around for so long (as a privately held company) and the name is as ubiquitous as Kleenex, Bandaids, etc. The company is aware of it's image and takes great steps to protect it. They treat their employees fairly and it is the type of business that has "always been there". I had the pleasure of working with a young man who was a 5th (yes, FIFTH) generation employee. They are constantly evolving their product line. The core is still their trademark red sauce but over the years have added lots of variety. Their buffalo sauce is great; I recommend their Sriracha sauce as a change of pace to rooster sauce...much different. The factory tour itself does leave a bit to be desired. My opinion is that anyone could write to the company and relate this and there would be changes. You can see the bottling operation, hit up the gift shop, walk the grounds, etc. The architecture is (intentionally) done is a Spanish/Mexican style with brick facades on the front. At sunset it is beautiful. If you get the opportunity (it MAY not be available unless you know someone, or maybe write the company in advance) try to get a tour of the pepper processing area where they make the pepper mash. The people in Cajun country are polite and pleasant to be around; it is the type of company that if it weren't 98 degrees and oppressive 6 months out of the year that I would happily work for. So a nice change of pace if you are passing thru the area and worth your time in my opinion. read more

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My family and I visited this venue during a Family Reunion outing. We had a party of nearly 100 and arrived via a tour bus. We had a great time. Our tour guide was awesome. Patrons will be given a tour of the museum, factory and store. The store provides an opportunity to purchase Tabasco products and souvenirs. Our outing also included the Jungle Gardens & Bird City Tour. The Jungle Garden Tours offers beautiful scenery and photo ops. This is a must if you are visiting Southern Louisiana. Beware...signs are posted for bears and alligator. read more

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When you go in, you get in little groups and go through the factory with a guide. There are huge murals on the wall of the Tabasco bottles and stories. They bring you into a little room where you watch a short video about how the sauce began. It was interesting. Then they give you little sample bottles. Then they let you walk through the factory. It isn't running on the weekends, but it's still cool to look in and see where they make it! read more

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That tiny little bottle of pepper sauce has so much history behind it, and here on Avery Island they did a fantastic job of giving us a fantastic experience. The tour is self-guided, and really easy to follow. I have to say that the history behind it all is really interesting, and watching them bottle it was equally cool. Note that they bottle Monday - Thursday, but we went on a Friday and they were, in fact, bottling. So besides the tour, you have the 1868 restaurant here, which has some traditional Southern LA dishes and table of more kinds of Tabasco than I knew existed. The food at the restaurant was really good. I have a Boudin PoBoy and some Gumbo. Excellent. And then there is the Tabasco Store. All sorts of Tabasco paraphernalia, of course, plus all sorts of Tabasco food products. Really nice, but what really got me was in the back they were giving away samples of "Tabasco Ice Cream" and "Tabasco Soda". In a nutshell, the ice cream was a little tabasco sauce mixed in with the ice cream, and the soda was a little tabasco mixed with Coca Cola. BOTH were amazingly good!!!! Finally, I have to add that as you drive here (likely you are coming from Lafayette) you are going to be inundated with billboards for attorneys. Mostly one named "Gordon" and one named "Bernard"... I mean HUNDREDS of them, and they must be FIERCE competitors. I wonder who you would pick. "Gordon" or "Bernard"m, because I just can't choose :-) read more

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If you are ever in this are, you must go to Avery Island for the Tabasco tour (self-directed). Eat at the restaurant and drive through the preserve. We plan to go again next year. Route 90 sucks however. read more

What a cool place. I did not even know that this existed or that it was in Lousiana. It is a self-guided tour. That has several stops. The story of the McIlhenny family and the hot sauce history is fascinating. It is the only place, in the world, that makes this every sauce that you see on tables everywhere. We went on a day when the factory was closed but it was still worth it. You could easily walk all the stations within about 1-2 hours - more if you want to get more detail. The staff was very friendly and professional. The prices were reasonable. They have a tasting bar at the back of the git shop that allows you to try all the sauces. I did not have the time to see the jungle gardens but hope to visit again soon. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. read more

Tabasco - The Tabasco family of sauces - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

Ok self guided touristy tour. Not very informative and a little out of the way. Historical info ok but we were done in 30 minutes. Samples at the gift shop and the tiny bottles given to us were cute and a nice touch. read more

I love your product but the tour left much to be desired. Not much of a story to be told in all the signs, so everything is repetitive. Would have been nice to have a guide or even a listening tour that brought the story to life. I will continue recommending the product but won't encourage any friends to take the tour. I wish the sauce tasting allowed you to try every sauce without feeling like you were tasting too many. The whole reason you go to a hot sauce factory is to try all the sauces. Over all, visiting the factory was a 3 out of ten stars. however still love the product. With all the sauces coming onto the scene, Tabasco will soon lose its notoriety and without an awesome story/tour, it will no longer be a household name. read more

We loved this place. Very interesting tour of how they actually make our fave hot sauce. Gift shop was cute with a lot of gift options. It was well worth the drive from New Orleans. Give it a go! read more

Awesome experience! Clean and friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit for Tabasco lovers!

We enjoyed the tour. The history of the factory and the people who work and live on the island is unique and interesting. The staff were friendly and helpful. The Jungle Gardens were peaceful and serene. I am so glad that we did this. We will probably go back again during the spring to see the gardens at a different time of year and we would recommend the Avery Island/ Jungle Gardens/ Tabasco Experience. read more

This place is awesome. The workers are awesome! The food at the restaurant was awesome! The ladies at the restaurant made us feel welcome!! Definitely would recommend it!!! read more

I'm too hot Hot damn Call the police and the fireman I'm too hot Hot damn Make a dragon want to retire man I'm too hot Hot damn Say my name you know who I am Oh yeah, you know her name. The one and only hot sauce worth her weight in gold. The almighty Tabasco. Where would our lives be without Tabasco in south La? Boringville, USA. That's where. I can't live without this stuff. It's the nectar of the gods as far as I'm concerned. I do have a very spicy way of life :) I enjoyed the tour. I realize it's short and not too in depth but it's effective and just enough. I loathe long, detailed tours where they drone on and on though. If that's what you like you'll be disappointed. For me, this was perfect. I'd much rather the "cliff notes" version and then pursue the island at my lesiure afterwards, which is exactly what I did. You'll get mini bottles of each Tabasco flavors to take home, too. Enjoy! read more

Dear McIlhenny Family, First of all, I have to begin with saying I practically worship your product. Your sauce is like the blood of a Mexican Zeus, wantonly smiting people with hot pepper flavor lightning. My long-awaited journey to your factory was akin to a Muslim's visit to Mecca, but with less circling around giant cubes and more circling with my arms out like a von Trapp on a Nazi-free mountaintop. With that said, YOUR TOUR BLOWS. I'm sorry but it just does. It blows like a final episode of Lost. It's purgatory for pleasure. Your tour welcomes everyone to come check it out, and leaves us wondering like a Robin Williams in an African board game movie, "What year is it?" It's actually kind of amazing how your tour video was filmed in the 2000s but looks like it was filmed in the 1980s. That takes real skill and attention to detail to film directly to Betamax. I left your tour feeling that you must not think very highly at all of your most loyal customers. I mean come on, a Lite-Brite map at your tour entrance complete with a looping video that appears to be a recording of a recording of a recording playing on a TV you found on a sidewalk next to someone's trash can? You can do better than that. SO MUCH BETTER. In fact, let me help you out. Please... I have three words for you. Knott's. Berry. Farm. That is the business model you could pursue. When I was a kid, I loved the hell out of Knott's Berry Farm. That shit was almost better than Disneyland. And it wasn't just because of the rides. It was because of the restaurant there. I always looked forward to their amazing fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and boysenberry pie. Have you had boysenberry pie? It's like a sex working angel giving your tongue a massage with a heavenly happy ending. "But Scott, we don't have boysenberry orgasms to give." I know. You have your peppers. And you should be putting those peppers in some amazing dishes you can't find anywhere else, in a restaurant that only exists in one place - Avery Island. Then around your new Tabasco Restaurant, you build a theme park. Boom, you've got yourself a true Tabasco Mecca. Fans from all over the world will want to visit Avery Island, and not only once, but regularly. It can be like National Lampoon's Vacation, with more hot peppers and less dog piss sandwiches. Trust me. Louisiana needs this. We stayed in downtown New Iberia. We know how hard hit small town America has been. You can be the heart of Louisiana's Disneyland. Everyone around you will prosper. You will prosper. Your loyal Tabasco lovers will love you even more. You can do this. "Tabasco's Pepperland" or Bust! (or you can just record a new tour video over an old VHS tape you find in your garage) Your best hot sauce in the world adoring fan, Scott S. read more

Tabasco - Hold the Tabasco? - Specialty Food Near Me - Avery Island, Louisiana

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Hot sauce mecca. Although I've toned it down, I used to have tabasco in my veins - lol... This place is a must hit if you are a fan of tabasco sauce - plain and simple. It is a bit of a ride out of New Orleans - just pack a few po' boys for the ride, hey at least you'll sober up for a bit while taking the ride! Avery Island is the source for all that smokin hot sauce you've been dumping in your food and if you're like me and have tobasco branded crap all over the house, you'll want to hit this place. Definitely worth the side trip if you are in New Orleans. read more

I am a big fan of hot sauce. My introduction to the wonderful world of this condiment is Tabasco. So of course it was just a matter of time before I made it a point to visit their factory. This opportunity came last April. The drive to Avery Island from New Orleans was quite interesting -- especially getting the opportunity to appreciate the differences between the California and Louisiana landscapes (it still leaves me awestruck just how varying the landscapes of this country is -- oceans, rivers, swamps, pine trees, deserts, mountains, etc.). That in itself was rewarding. The tour is interesting, albeit short. I understood more of what goes on in the production of one of my most favorite condiments and I gained a whole new appreciation of Tabas... Oh, who am I kidding? I got free Tabasco and ate a bunch of Tabasco-inspired products at their store!!!! Seven different flavors of Tabasco and I ate as much as I possibly could without embarrassing myself too much! It was amazing. Also, the raspberry chipotle ice cream and the jalapeño ice cream are a must try. They may sound weird, but they were really delicious. Also, the gardens are well worth checking out. They even have a Buddha that was looted from China (by a Chinese general who thought it was his spoils) and gifted to the McIlhenny family by friends (I wonder if China tried to reacquire it...). Bird City is quite interesting as well. The birds are snowy egrets and a fellow visitor was kind enough to tell us that these birds were on the verge of extinction when McIlhenny (I forget which one) created the sanctuary. This near extinction was brought on by fashion. The feathers of snowy egrets were used in fashionable hats. I think that this is well worth our visit. I understood a little bit more about Tabasco and got to appreciate the family who built it. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. read more

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I don't like Tabasco sauce at all, but I enjoyed the tour of the Tabasco factory in Avery Island. Don't get me wrong, I love spicy food, but all I taste with Tabasco is that overpowering vinegar. Still, factory tours are always fun. I was staying in Lafayette, so it was less than an hour's drive to get there. The building is really cool looking. The tour guide was rather annoying, but she was only around for about 10 minutes of our visit. After that, we watched a short video, and then we saw the factory operations from behind glass. You get to sample a ton of different sauces, and the gift shop is cute. Overall, everyone had a nice time, and it was free. While you're in the area, you can take a stroll around the Jungle Gardens park down the street. read more

Such a great day visiting TABASCO! Great self-guided tour! Loved our time in the Jungle Gardens... every minute of it!

This place is such a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Takes you back to a simpler time. The jungle gardens are worth a slow drive thru. Stop and explore the beauty of nature, they have preserved. It is a well thought out, scenic drive. The history is amazing! The NEW tour of the plant/green house, etc, is very informative! Read the newer reviews, and disregard the old ones. The souvenir store has samples of everything they make. Even jalapeño ice cream. Very good! We bought a few items and we're given a free bottle of their pickled okra! Always a good thing! Go and enjoy! read more

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I would say drive here and check it out if you want to see the beautiful gardens. It's worth the drive alone. The tour itself is a little boring but if you are a tabasco addict, like me, you should make the drive just to see how big of a deal tabasco is in our state. read more