Fantastic popcorn, especially the cheese and caramel corn. I always purchase some when I'm in Geneva.

A very nice popcorn shop. The popcorn we sampled and purchased had very few, if any hulls. The caramel corn was outstanding. There is a nice variety of heavily chocolate covered pecans and peanuts. read more

I have ordered from this company for a number of years for the Christmas holidays and love giving the caramel corn in small bags as gifts to friends and family that stop by. It is wonderful and tastes great!! read more

I spoke with Dan and he personally delivered the popcorn to my wife who was away on a business trip and I wanted her to have something in her room when she arrived. I was extremely pleased with his ability to accommodate some an odd request. Great customer service. read more

I'm from St. Louis. I went to a birthday party in Columbia, MO and discovered the best caramel popcorn I have ever had from a place in Geneva, IL. I'd say it is better then a very well known popcorn from Chicago. The popcorn was a gift for the birthday boy from his aunt in Geneva, but the rest of couldn't resist trying it. It was fresh, lightly tossed and coated in a rich caramel. I am a fan of caramel popcorn and what impressed me about this caramel corn is how it was lightly coated and still had the rich flavor of caramel. It was hard for me to keep my hand out of the tin. Chances of returning: Never been - but I'll be ordering via website When: Discovered January 26, 2019 Why: Birthday Celebration read more

Kernel's Gourmet Popcorn & More - Caramel Popcorn - Popcorn Shops Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Superb popcorn. The cheese popcorn was unbelievable! Intense in flavor and super duper addictive. It's so good a customer while we were ordering came back for a second pack. Stamp of recognition!! Don't walk past this shop without grabbing a pack or a tub! read more

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oUTSTANDING popcorn from a true popcorn addict... lol. Brian is wonderful whenever I stop in, when I'm in town from Florida. The combo cheese/ Carmel is the my favorite. it is always my first stop when I come to Geneva, and I have been coming since it opened.. read more

I been coming here for years and the last 2 times the popcorn was stale. But it could be because it was hot and humid out . If I return to this location I will have to ask for a sample before I spend $50 on popcorn. read more

Huge fan of their popcorn!! I've been going to them for years, and now, I'm hooked on the dark chocolate pecans and dark chocolate pretzel balls. Both locations (Geneva and Naperville) have very helpful workers. read more

Service was exceptional . Customer service is great. Popcorn fresh and delicious. So many choices. Cute business. .

Better than Garrett's! Just be careful, it's addicting. During the pandemic, I got into a bad habit of ordering Kernels on a regular basis. Yummy! read more

Kernel's is an old school business doing one thing and doing it very well- popcorn. The Kernel's Caramel flavor is just like I remember it being prepared in small shops during my childhood- that is, heavy on the butter and oh-so delicious. We tried the Classic Mix (Carmel corn and Cheese Corn) which knocked our socks off it was so tasty. OMFG extreme mega flavor explosion! People have debated if Kernel's is as good as Garrett's... the shops have the same basic idea (which is old-time popcorn made from "real" ingredients) with only small differences in the preparation. Which is better? Only YOU can decide; but I am giving the nod to the Kernel. A previous reviewer suggested that Kernel's popcorn is "expensive"... compared to what? It is after all a handmade premium treat meant for adults- not mass produced like you would purchase for nearly the same price at a movie theater. It's important to remember that their small bag will easily satisfy 2-3 people as a snack; I feel accomplishing that for under $6 is an entirely reasonable deal. Having said that- I would wonder if a "sampler" size about 1/3 of the size of their "small" might not be a worthwhile idea? The bottom line: If you love popcorn- I am definitely sure that Kernel's is your kind of place. read more

Kernel's Gourmet Popcorn & More - Popcorn Shops Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

This place is super friendly and has the best popcorn in Illinois ! The small bag is huge and tastes so great! It is not greasy like Garrets! They love out samples which I love! Place is perfect! read more

This was a great find. My husband can't resist candy and this store had every kind of candy imaginable-popcorn, a plethora of gummies, chocolate covered caramels and coffee beans. I think we will be making many return trips in the future. read more

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I had purchased Kernel Fabyan's prepackaged mixed popcorn from the Blue Goose grocery store in St. Charles, and I hadn't been impressed. That's why I hadn't bothered going to their store location even though it was only a few towns away. However, my lovely friend Laura C had recommended this place a few weeks ago, so soon after, I walked to their store after lunch at Bien Trucha. Mixed cheese & caramel popcorn (small bag $5.50, medium $10, large $14) - 4.5 stars. A bit pricey, but it's cheaper than driving downtown to Garrett's haha. The cheese popcorn was supremely cheesy like Garrett's where your fingers will be coated in orange. The caramel popcorn wasn't stale and had a rich, buttery, substantial caramel coating. The service was standard, nothing exemplary. We weren't greeted upon entering. There were 3 employees behind the counter, but they were talking amongst themselves until we went up to order. So far Garrett's has a slight edge for me because: - they provided a poncho when it was pouring rain - I've been a customer since I was a college freshman, and I'm more familiar with their quality- consistent & reliable - popcorn is bagged in non-plastic, waxy bags. Fabyan's uses plastic ziploc bags. Tastewise, Kernel Fabyan's is almost as good as Garrett's. I'm curious about doing a side-by-side/blind taste test comparing the two. Garrett's caramel coating had more of a slight chew to it, but maybe it was because it was fresher. 4 stars for now with the potential to be 5 stars, need more visits. Deadly to have these in the house because they're so good haha. read more

Kernel's Gourmet Popcorn & More - Small bag of their mixed ($5.50) - Popcorn Shops Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Really really really good popcorn. It's probably a heart attack in a bag - it's so fatty and salty and yummy. I especially love the white cheddar! Staff are occasionally kind of bleh- but that's okay read more

This is a great family owned small business, the owners are amazing people and have a very large variety of specialty popcorn and candies. You should give them a try and support small neighborhood business that gives back to the community read more

Ordered the giant kettle corn, and two additional buckets of movie theater and Chicago mix. The employee was super helpful and the popcorn was so good!! I just wish they had reasonably priced candy to go with it. 5 stars for the popcorn but 4 stars because the candy was pricey. read more

Update to the negative review posted earlier: Kernel's made it right. They shipped a replacement package of popcorn AND included a refund on the gift card. It was shipped directly to our son. We never did hear from Kernel's but they went the extra mile to make our son happy. Thank you! read more

We come for the popcorn, which is delish! My only "complaint" is that I wish during the holidays they offered an option to purchase bags that are ready to gift. I would pay extra for holiday gift packaging. Save me the trip of having to get gift bags to put the popcorn bag in. Just a thought! read more

I used to have to make regular trips downtown for Garrett's until I found this little gem in Geneva. This is regular stop for me while in geneva (along with Galena Cellars and the Spice House.) and pick up the great cheese/caramel mix and some kettle corn. Make sure to stop by the kernel for some excellent popcorn. read more

I would give Kernel Fabyan's 4.5 stars -- it's not QUITE Garrett's -- but oh man oh man is it good. If you like/love/crave Garrett's, but can't quite get to Chicago on a regular basis, or if you happen to be in Geneva and need yourself a snack -- get to Kernel Fabyan's! It's super-delicious, fresh, warm popcorn. Yum yum yum. I could eat the cheesy pop allllll day. read more

Review a popcorn store? Really? Well, Kernel's is much more than just a popcorn store. Yes, they have terrific popcorn and a lot of different flavors of popcorn. Beyond that, they also have great malted milk balls (dark, milk, coffee, etc) and all sorts of other candies. They do individual single orders, but they also do larger commercial type orders for clients gifts, special occasions, etc. This is one of those stores like you'd find in Europe: You are recognized and greeted when you walk in, and you are usually thanked when you leave. So many stores in the US seem to employ a sort of surely, disengaged staff. Not here. Here you'll find helpful, engaged, knowledgeable sales staff that makes your whole experience much more pleasant. read more

Sometimes packages are so deceiving. Kernel's is a place where that testament is so true. I bought a small bag of their white cheddar popcorn thinking I shouldn't be rude, and should buy something after browsing the adorable store for much too long without making a purchase. So glad I did! While the popcorn isn't hot or remotely warm, it's fresh, fresh, fresh and full of flavor. Not sure where it's all hailing from, but each bite is an explosion of cheese and butter and salt. Not exactly a mix for health, but sometimes popcorn needs to taste yummy and not like a 1st cousin to sawdust. read more

Great popcorn - many varieties. Cheesy, 'Movie Theater', Kettle, Combo, White Chedder..They also sell decorative tins that you can purchase if you're giving the popcorn as a gift.. The popcorn is pricey for the larger sizes, but it's well worth it! My Fav: Caramel with chocolate drizzle, YUM! Also- they ship long distance, which is a great holiday gift for those who are far away. The Geneva store is much smaller than the Naperville one, but same great popcorn! However, the employees at the Naperville store seem to be much more customer-orientated - they're chatty, helpful, and more friendly. read more

Stopped in during a stroll through geneva this weekend. This place has great flavors. I love the caramel! The small size is huge - you wont finish it in 2 or 3 sittings. My girlfriend and I each bought a small size - we could have split one and had some left over. Stop by for snack when you are in Geneva! read more

Great place for popcorn gifts. I go downtown to meet with clients and this is one of my go-to places to get treats for my clients...a little change up from typical bagel or cupcake drop off. As a side note, they always take super care of the customers - i always feel valued when I give them my business! read more

This is definitely my favorite Chicago mix popcorn place. Taking away a star because the girls at the counter were rude and didn't say thank you or anything. Not usually one to complain about that but it was strange read more

What a beautiful store! We recently moved from Naperville and always bought our popcorn there. Geneva is much closer now and so we stopped in. Displays are gorgeous with the ceiling and tables. We got the cheese carmel mix and cheese which filled out frequent flyer card. So, we took the white cheddar as our freebie. Wow...delicious!!! I love Kernel's better than Garrett's. It's not as greasy and just plain yummy! read more

This is, hands down, the best cheese/caramel popcorn I have ever had. I have had Garrett's, which is good, but it doesn't compare to Kernel's. I also love the cheese/caramel combo. They have a new location in Geneva, on State St., which is much larger than the closet that they used to work out of. Great place for a great snack!! read more

By far the best popcorn ever. The carmel is so creamy and addicting and the cheddar is moist and you just can't stop. The customer service is above and beyond kind. Once you go there you will never go anyplace else. We buy our popcorn by the tins because a bag will not even last you the ride home. read more

You'll always know when you're near awesome popcorn as the smell brings you in-closer-closer. Now you if can fit into the tiny shoebox of a store you're in for a treat. If not, read my review on Blue Goose Market. They also have a store in downtown Naperville. The classic mix is much like Garrett's Chicago mix-carmel & cheese corn. There's a mix with white cheddar too that's pretty good. I usually park in the back lot since 3rd is so busy & that way you can get some good fumes coming out of side vents of the building. read more

We normally stop here once or twice over the summer during one of Geneva's many festivals. We thought we'd stop here today to get some popcorn while watching the playoffs. Guess what ? The popcorn is just as good in the winter. :-) We purchased the Chocolate Carmel as well as a large bag of the Nellies Combo. Both were excellent. We haven't really had any other gourmet popcorn to compare but in our book, Kernel Fabyan's is the best! read more

Best Popcorn in all of the world. My Aunt Diane has brought me Kernel's Cheesy popcorn for years. I literally scream whenever I get this gift from here. It is the perfect amount of cheesy and goes great in the fridge. I love love love this popcorn. I am always in search for good popcorn and this is the best. I make popcorn and it doesn't get anywhere near the greatness of Kernel's. Today I finally got to go to this location and felt like a kid in a candy store. Find candies and treats and popcorn and tins. You can't go wrong with this Geneva Staple. read more

So, I grew up down the road in Aurora, and my hubby is from Geneva, so we both grew up eating amazing Chicago gourmet popcorn. Moved to San Diego about 31 years ago, and while the fish tacos here are AMAZING, really good cheddar cheese popcorn is impossible to get. The last time we were "home", I stopped by Kernels and picked up a back of the cheddar cheese popcorn for the plane trip back to SD. Wow. It's seriously crack in a bag. I realize my standards may be a bit weak in that I can't get this anywhere in SoCal, but I have been daydreaming about it ever since. Yes, Costco in SoCal now carries the "Chicago Mix" ---Garrets, I think -- in the bag, and it's pretty good, but I can eat about 3 kernels of carmel and then I'm done. All I really want is the cheddar. I wish a Kernels would open in San Diego. But then again, going home for a visit wouldn't been as delish and special. :) read more

I highly recommend Kernel's Gourmet Popcorn for their delicious flavors of popcorn and for their excellent service!!! We like the Fire, Carmel, white cheddar, kettle and movie!!! read more

I'm a big fan of the product and an even bigger fan thanks to the great work of Grace. Thank you for taking care of my shipped order with such responsiveness, and follow through. read more

Me and my girlfriends were craving popcorn so we searched a place nearby and ended up at this place, although I have to say the popcorn was decently good, the employees were terrible! As soon as we walked in the two guys at the counter looked us up and down and looked at eachother and scoffed. They kept pressuring us to hurry up and decide what we wanted. While we were trying to figure out how to split the cost (Dang expensive) they kept saying snarky comments. "Its just popcorn ladies" "Just a sample... chill" "Any day now". They made us feel very stupid as they kept scoffing at us. All my friends agreed if we had to give them a grade it would be F- read more

I have been going to Kernel's since back when they were on 3rd street. The new location is much larger and not as likely to get jammed back like the old place. The inside is quite lovely and nicely stylized for a popcorn joint. The staff are often friendly and get to me in a timely matter. The popcorn itself is just wonderful, but I do take my time eating it. I more often then not go for the caramel popcorn and I can only eat so much in one sitting. My only real complaint is they are a little on the pricey side for popcorn, and the mark up on the candies is a bit much. Still I do still find myself returning ever now and then. read more

One of my favorite places to go for popcorn when the time comes and has an affordable price. The Chicago style is my absolute favorite