Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Chocolate Geeks

    4.8 (21 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 5:00 PM

    Chocolate Geeks Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Chocolate Geeks

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Meghana A.

    It was here the previous time and were closed so I made sure I don't miss it this time around. As a foodie, you sometime just need to be a risk taker. I was drawn by name shot and truffle going hand in hand. Though it comes in a shot glass, you just can't drink this like a tequila. This is more an edible truffle you eat with a biodegradable, environmentally friendly wooden spoon. The truffle shot I got was rasberry, which was creamy, smooth and fruity with perfectly blend flavors. Though I enjoyed everybit of it, I'm not sure if it was worth $10. Enjoy this with a cup of espresso. This review was based complete on the taste not the value.

    Exterior
    Matthew L.

    Chocolate Geeks is an award-winning gourmet chocolaterie that opened in Essex, Connecticut in 2012. It was founded by couple Sherri and Larry Athay as well as their daughter Lauren. The shop originally opened on North Main Street and was called "Truffle Shots". Their signature item was a truffle shot, which is essentially the silky, smooth middle of a chocolate truffle that is served in a shot glass. These shots are alcohol free and are handmade on site in small batches with fresh, premium ingredients. In 2018, the shop relocated to 47 Main Street. Eventually the Athays started carrying other types of high-end chocolate products such as gourmet chocolate chip cookies and artisan craft chocolates. In 2021, the Athays re-dubbed the business "Chocolate Geeks" to reflect their new focus on all things craft chocolate. They also own Essex Duck, a novelty store that exclusively sells rubber ducks, that's next door. My wife and I recently visited Chocolate Geeks while we were staying in Essex for our anniversary. We were staying across the street at the Griswold Inn. While exploring the nearby shops, we wandered into Chocolate Geeks. We were totally blown away by the inside of the store... which smelled amazing. We never realized how little we knew about chocolate until we set foot in Chocolate Geeks. Sure we know tons about craft beer, craft wine, craft cocktails, etc., but we didn't realize that 'craft chocolate' was a thing. We were very impressed by their selection of high-end chocolate bars. You won't see names like Hershey's, Nestle or Cadbury in this place. My wife and I also talked to a very enthusiastic customer who happened to be a former pastry chef. He showed us his extensive list of gourmet chocolate bars that he's tried in his travels and he explained that he's always looking for new ones to try. Before leaving, we ended up buying a Sea-Salted Caramel Truffle Shot as well as some high-end bars such as Letterpress Ashanti 70% Dark Mint Chocolate and Cacaosuyo 70% Piuro Select. We ended up eating the truffle shot back at our room at the inn and it was heavenly! We'll definitely be back!

    Leah S.

    While in Essex, we roamed around the town on a oddly foggy day, and found ourselves outside the Truffle Shots sign. Although we were looking for a tea and coffee place, chocolate sounded like a valuable detour on our way to caffeine. Once inside, we were greeted by friendly and warm lady who walked us through our chocolate journey. This gal gave us so many samples of chocolate, I almost started feeling guilty of how much chocolate I got to eat for free before I decided on what we wanted to take home with us. I was impressed with the variety that they had including chocolate from literally all over the planet. Although we were impressed with the chocolate shots they are known for, we actually fell most in love with the Pump Street chocolates...especially the sourdough crumb chocolates which reminded me of home (SF Bay Area). Basically everything we tasted was delicious, even the things that I was wary about such as the chocolate covered licorice which sounded weird to me, but was much better than I imagined. Start to finish, this was a lovely stop over, and we were able to take home three bars of delicious chocolaty goodness which we burned through within hours. I would definitely return here if I found myself in Essex again.

    We saw this place online while looking for things to do. Not knowing what a Truffle shot was, we stopped in. All I can say is this stuff is absolutely amazing !!! Basically its the inside of a truffle, inside a shot glass. You scoop it out and eat away. There is a few different flavors to choose from. Its a must try, you will not regret it !!

    Bryanna T.

    I love this place! Their shots are decadent and so tasteful. The flavors are delicious and fresh, it's clear they care about their customers and their business! Their prices are reasonable and location is wonderful. I recommend to all!!

    Lots of options...  Truffle stuffing in a glass!

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris F.
    2
    104
    37

    4 months ago

    Chocolate Geeks is a great stop if you love chocolate! The treats are yummy, service was extraordinary! The shop is small and quaint.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leah S.
    4985
    1189
    12596

    6 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 0
    Love this 16
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great gift and treat for yourself! Have been enjoying these cute and tasty treats for years!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emily C.
    3593
    1280
    7568

    9 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Todd B.
    17
    26
    20

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tyson M.
    50
    25
    22

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bee B.
    40
    31
    0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Chocolate Geeks

    Review Highlights - Chocolate Geeks

    They do have an online store as well so if you don't happen to live nearby you can still enjoy Truffle Shots...

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Desserts 207 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Joy Chocolate

    Joy Chocolate

    4.8
    (9 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    I recently had a good experience at Joy Chocolate in Essex Center. I drove by on my way to lunch…read moreand stopped at Joy on my way back. Joy is a cute chocolate shop. They make their own chocolates and creations. I bought two different types of chocolate bars, a bag of mint cookie malt balls and milk chocolate potato chip bark. I thought everything was good. The standout item for me was a hybrid chocolate bar with white chocolate and a brightly flavored red confection component. The red part was pleasantly tart and contrasted well with the sweet white parts. The dark chocolate bar was good. Seemed like high quality. I am a fan of both mint balls and potato chip bark. I liked both versions. I have to admit, I have not kept up with the prices of chocolate bars of this nature. The bars were a decent, but not huge, size. I think they were around $6 each, which I didn't notice until later. I know prices of a lot of things have gone up. This may be the market price now for small batch artisan chocolate. The price is probably higher than I would spend on a regular basis, but it's fine once in while. The experience definitely felt high end in terms of atmosphere and service. 4.25 Stars

    This place is an absolute must-stop! If you love chocolate--or even just like it--you'll become a…read moretrue chocolate lover after tasting these incredible creations. I convinced my husband to try their ice cream sandwich, and he's notoriously picky. After one bite, he declared, "That's the best ice cream sandwich I've ever had!" The chocolates are beautifully displayed, and any assortment would make an impressive gift, even for the most discerning chocolate enthusiast. Located just around the corner from the Main Street shops, it's well worth the short walk. Treat yourself and give it a try--you won't be disappointed!

    Photos
    Handcrafted Ruby Chocolate.
    Handcrafted Ruby Chocolate.
    An assortment of confections!
    An assortment of confections!
    Front window of shop

    See all

    Front window of shop
    Porky Pete's BBQ

    Porky Pete's BBQ

    3.8
    (44 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $

    Love Porky Pete's. We've enjoyed their pulled pork for about the last 20 years, and their food has…read morebeen consistently excellent. Plus they're genuinely nice people. I like to top their pulled pork with Stubbs or some other thick, sweet bbq sauce. Lots of bbq places get lazy and put out pulled pork with chunks of fat, thinking the customer won't mind or notice. I appreciate that Porky Pete's cares about this detail as much as I do.

    Little tiny place, shares a building with a small gas station. Slogan is "Best BBQ Allowed above…read morethe Mason Dixon line" ... okay, calm down. Picnic tables outside under the trees but it seems like they've been neglected for years, not sure who they actually belong to. Legs are almost completely sunk into the ground. We hopped over to Cliff's Meats next door, they had a few better tables on the side of their place. They also make a few little snacks, cookies and what they call "Chest Bars" I think. And they have a chocolates counter with all kinds of chocolatier options from someone they work with in Maine. Porky Pete's has a combo option but the ribs can't be part of it. He only sells ribs in a full rack. Couldn't bring myself to get an entire full rack of ribs for $4 more than the combo plate. Didn't have any more rib eaters with me. So the combo states that it comes with "Pork, Chicken, and Beef Brisket" ... When I asked what exactly "Pork and Chicken" meant I said "Is that Ribs? or Pulled? Or Half Chicken? Or Shoulder? Or what?" and for some reason I got a "No ... it's Pork and Chicken and Beef Brisket" ... not sure what that was all about but whatever I guess. Came with 2 sides, choice of "Mother Selene's Potato Salad" "Chad's Baked Beans" "Keely's Cole Slaw" or "Emily's Pasta Salad". He has Mac and Cheese and Mashed Potatoes too but you can only order that stuff in advance like it's only for catering. Or you can get a big tub of it that's been sitting in the fridge up front for however long. So the meats in a combo platter are all pulled. Even the brisket. Why the menu can't just say "Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Pulled Brisket" I have no idea. Texture and smell looked pretty good. Chicken was very well seasoned and moist, more chopped than pulled if anything but the flavor was excellent. Brisket had some of their sauce on it, very stringy meat and I've never really like pulled beef, I feel like beef cuts should always be respected a bit more like a sliced Brisket or a good steak. But it was okay I guess, just very very heavy. Pulled pork was pretty good too, I like that it wasn't obviously sitting in a crock pot soaking in a bunch of flavor of something else. Put there was no sauce on the pork? Chicken is sauces and seasoned like crazy, beef is dosed in sauce, pork is completely naked? Had to put some of the bean sauce on the pork. Got it with Beans and Potato Salad. Beans were actually very good, I think I saw Pinto and a bit of a red bean? maybe just regular kidney. But the bean gravy actually sticks to the beans rather than falls off like crazy like a stew. all in all it was a nice bean flavor gravy too, I do like the apple flavors in my traditional New England baked beans but that nice essence of bean was fun. Potato Salad straight up looked like Ambrosia (A desert marshmallow salad). These guys claim that their BBQ style comes from Tennessee so I went to look up if this is what Tennessee Potato Salad actually looks like, not even a little. The mayo had an orange tint to it, a few pieces of red bell pepper are probably to blame for that. It tasted fine, little too much mayo for my liking, just wasn't what I was expecting. It was good though. "Tennessee Light Corn Bread" this is the first I'm ever hearing about a "Light Corn Bread" and apparently it is a thing in Tennessee. This was the weirdest looking cornbread I've ever seen. Yellow didn't excited, it was almost a piece of wonder bread. I read somewhere that this style is supposed to be very sweet. The bread from this place though had almost zero flavor other than actual corn. It was so dry it immediately sucked the moister out of my mouth. But I think there is a market out there for this kind of bread, some people like this style. Okay so this "Chest Bar" kind of reminded me of Shoo'fly pie for flavor, but like in more of a brownie texture. They said "It's better than an energy drink" and I took that to mean it's like one of those organic healthy bars but he could have been joking. It very much tasted like a Blondie bar disguised as a lighter colored gingerbread.

    Photos
    Outside
    Outside
    Porky Pete's BBQ
    Porky Pete's BBQ

    See all

    Noah’s 63 main

    Noah’s 63 main

    3.6
    (73 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Noah's 63 is a great spot for a relaxed and satisfying brunch in Essex. The restaurant has a really…read morenice nautical atmosphere that fits the shoreline setting perfectly. The décor is tasteful and modern without feeling overdone, and it gives the whole place a comfortable, coastal vibe that makes you want to linger a little longer over your coffee. Service was excellent during our visit. The staff was courteous, friendly, and attentive without being intrusive, which always makes a meal more enjoyable. The brunch menu has a lot of tempting options, and everything we ordered delivered. I had the soufflé with sourdough toast and a side of bacon, and it was delicious. The soufflé was light and flavorful, and the sourdough was a great accompaniment. We also tried the Nutella-stuffed French toast and the breakfast potatoes. The French toast was a great indulgent brunch dish, and the potatoes were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. Overall, it was a really enjoyable brunch experience. If you're in the Essex area and looking for a comfortable spot with a great brunch menu, Noah's 63 is definitely worth checking out. Parking was a little tricky, as the lot next the pizza place next door was full despite there only being one other diner in the restaurant. But if you go down the driveway next to the museum you can park next to a boat in the boatyard and the entrance is down there.

    Stopped here after a day of boating while visiting family in Connecticut. The menu was nice, lots…read moreof unique selection. Everyone had something good to eat and highly enjoyed it! Wish there was more inside seating when it's hot but we were fine outside. I had the lobster roll and truffle fries, very good.

    Photos
    Noah’s 63 main
    Crab eggrolls
    Crab eggrolls
    Search and Rescue cocktail

    See all

    Search and Rescue cocktail
    The Griswold Inn

    The Griswold Inn

    3.7
    (357 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$
    243 years in business
    Family-owned & operated

    Excellent meal. Excellent service. my son has a dairy allergy and it was no problem at all. They…read morealso had a non-dairy dessert on the menu!!!!! Amazing. We have never been to a restaurant (other than a vegan place) that had a non-dairy dessert on the menu and it was delicious! others got it and ate every bit of it. Great place!!!

    My wife and I have wanted to try The Griswold Inn for many years, and our schedule finally allowed…read moreus to make the trip ahead of a nearby show. Reservations via OpenTable were easy. When we arrived at the hostess station, she verified the reservation and immediately led us to a table in a small room off the main dining area and bar. The entire dining area is old wood -- floor, wall, ceiling -- and the room we were in had narrow floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with hardcover books. I write this to demonstrate that all the decor served to dampen the sound despite nearly all tables being occupied. While you could hear the bustle and conversations around you, you could still have a conversation. Our server greeted us promptly and took a drink order. When he returned with our drinks, we ordered the clam chowder and braised short ribs for my wife and a wedge salad with the dry-rubbed pork chop for me. After entering our order, our server returned with a basket of warm dinner rolls and butter, then minutes later brought out our soup and salad. Both appetizers were terrific, and I think that may be one of the best blue cheese dressings I've had. Water glasses were refilled frequently without being asked and dishes were cleared by other waitstaff. We never wanted for anything, and none of the comings and goings were disruptive. This was a professional and competent team. Our entrees were served shortly after we finished our appetizers, and they were beautifully presented on the plates. My wife loved her short ribs, which she said melted in her mouth. Until this meal, I've yet to find pork chops to surpass the ones I make at home, but this was truly exceptional! While the mango salsa topping the chop was nice, it was completely unnecessary as the chop was well seasoned and juicy. We capped off the meal with desserts, a chocolate mousse pie for my wife, a warm butter caramel cake with berry compote for me. Delicious! We'll be back to this gem of a place!

    Photos
    Inside the Essex/Ward Room
    Inside the Essex/Ward Room
    Inside the Wine Bar
    Inside the Wine Bar
    Exterior

    See all

    Exterior
    Scotch Plains Tavern

    Scotch Plains Tavern

    3.5
    (208 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Went here on Saturday for an early dinner with my cousin. We didn't have reservations but they do…read morerecommend them. We were seated immediately and we had the best waitress. She was so good about explaining some of the questions we had. And her recommendations were spot on . We tried the mushroom Swiss burger on a ciabatta roll so fresh . Juicy. And my cousin had a braised short ribs with a red wine reduction and mashed potatoes and asparagus. Amazing how tender . Then she suggested the beignet with butter pecan ice cream delicious very light and airy . Beautiful inside . It started getting busy when we were leaving. Our waitress said the menu will change to a spring summer and they will have outdoor seating as well . Can't wait to go back again and try other menu items ..Handicraft ramp lover level seating as well.. Highly recommend!!! Enjoy Chris

    While the ambiance was nice and the band was very good (The Bernadette's), we had a terrible meal…read more Both of us ordered the scallops. The fries were soggy and under cooked and the scallops were cool and nearly raw inside. After eating 2 of them we had to send them back to be re-cooked. They came back with the outside hard and crusty but the inside was still nearly raw. Sent them back again and told them to forget it. The raw scallops didn't sit well and had to make a run to the bathroom. They did take off the charge for the scallops but I'll never eat here again.

    Photos
    Nice looking pub
    Nice looking pub
    French onion soup
    French onion soup
    Outside

    See all

    Outside

    Chocolate Geeks - desserts - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...