Big Top Candy Shop on South Congress is a throwback. When is the last time you went into a…read morefull-fledged candy store? Well, if you haven't in a long time, you should visit here. Opening back in 2007, this circus-themed shop has become an iconic staple of the SoCo strip, complete with vintage sideshow memorabilia, floor-to-ceiling shelves, and a old-school soda fountain serving up classic milkshakes and floats. They have some pretty unique candies and other trinkets, ranging from nostalgic retro sweets you probably haven't seen since childhood to imported treats from all over the world. Walking through the doors genuinely feels like stepping back in time. Decently priced items fire the most part. If you are strolling down South Congress and looking to satisfy a sweet tooth or just enjoy a fun, nostalgic atmosphere, Big Top Candy Shop is a must-visit destination in Austin.

This is a classic candy store in which you can grab a small or large plastic bag and scoop the…read moresweets that appeal to you and pay by the weight. We were visiting from out of town and brought our girls to pick a few items for their en flight snack. We made four goodie bags for approximately $20: 1) Bag 1 - birthday cake cookie dough bites and chocolate chip cookie dough bites 2) Bag 2 - milk chocolate sea salt caramel almonds and milk chocolate peanut butter malt balls 3) Bag 3 - creme brulee cordials and milk chocolate cashews 4) Bag 4 - gummy candy There is a vast selection. We are hooked on the milk chocolate sea salt caramel almonds and creme brulee cordials!

We picked up a few treats from Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company while looking for something to…read morebring home from Cedar Creek. The pecan pralines were rich and buttery without being overly sweet, and the chocolate-covered pecans had a nice crunch. I also grabbed a small bag of roasted pecans for snacking later. There were plenty of gift options around the shop, making it easy to put together a few things for family and friends.

My husband brought me back fudge from "The Nut House" aka Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company. The…read morefudge was delicious. Mint chocolate was my favorite. I'm just disappointed we didn't go there together, and want to go back to see it myself. But for now, the fudge gets 5 stars!

Lammes candy closed on May 9, 2026...a sad day for Austin and a sad day for our family. For more…read morethan a century, Lammes Candies have been supplying candy to the Austin, TX metroplex. This small candy shop on Airport Blvd (also locations were in Round Rock & Lakeline mall) was filled with many family memories. Their Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines were a tradition for our family especially during the holidays. When we lived in Washington state for about seven years, and every time we came home, we would take back the Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines to folks in Washington state and some for us too. Smile. We liked that the box had Texas written on it, which gave us a great sense of Texas pride. In addition, at Easter we always purchased the pastel-colored thin mints and at Christmas the red and green thin mints that literally melted in your mouth. Importantly, we would occasionally go by Lammes to get an assortment of candies to snack on. It felt like there was an unlimited amount of choices of this delicious candy. Lammes candy was founded in 1878 and family run since 1885. This cute little candy store was an Austin institution! It was Austin's oldest operated family business and a source of pride for Austinites. Its signature Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines introduced in 1892 was one of its most iconic candies along with the chocolate and caramel Longhorns. In April 2026, Lammes announced it would begin winding down operations after 141 years, identifying rising ingredient costs, labor expenses, and long term sustainability challenges as reasons for their closure. The Round Rock location closed on April 24, 2026. The Airport Boulevard flagship store remained open temporarily until Saturday, May 9th (our last visit) to allow for final purchases. This candy store closure was a huge loss for Austin.

RIP...almost. After stuffing ourselves silly at Quality Seafood just across the street, we thought…read morethat it would be a great idea to stand in the hot sun to get some chocolate. Unbelievably, we had never been here despite living so close, and since they're closing we felt obligated to go in and try it. The place has been around since 1-8-8-5!! We probably didn't get the most legitimate experience because of the crowds. We waited outside for 20 minutes and then inside for another 20 minutes just to be able to get some chocolates from the counter. The whole situation seemed a bit discombobulated and parking was a nightmare, but everyone around us was in a good mood and chatty, so the atmosphere was pleasant. Some of their items are lame, like repackaged watermelon sour patch kids for $9 (!). But of the chocolate from the case that we got, all were really good: the truffles and chocolates are not Big City good, but for a sweet lil shop on Airport Road, no complaints. We also stocked up on a couple boxes of their famous Longhorns and pecan pralines. We asked about merchandise and they didn't have any currently in stock, which was kind of a bummer because we're not planning on going back. Three stars, but a wistful three, and we wish them nothing but the best before the final chocolate curtain falls.

I rate coffee shops with their affogatos. This one was so worth the dairy splurge I wasn't suppose…read moreto have. The espresso tasted so pure and with the vanilla ice cream just made it perfect! It hit the spot for me! We walked inside the shop while waiting and they have amazing array of candies! It's like down memory lane they have different soda bottles available! The staff was very pleasant and it was a sweet surprise that they're open on Christmas Day! Clean, has benches outside you can watch people go by while you enjoy your ice cream, coffee or any indulgence you decide to pick from 3 star candy shop! Let's support local!!!

Came back for some blue ice cream the kids loved and hi chews for my husband. The outside area in…read morethe back is a little sad looking but we ate in the store and the gal at the counter was nice and patient with us!

Lots of candy. Lots of nostalgia. But it all comes at a super high price. It's a novelty store, so…read moreI guess one should expect to pay a premium. My kiddos did enjoy taking an assortment of strange flavored sodas (Dirt Soda, Grass Soda, etc.) back to my husband to 'taste test'. Their ice cream is very tasty and has a wide variety of traditional flavors as well as some unusual things. Each time we've been, the staff has been very friendly. We've been back in a couple of times.

I tried their vegan key lime pie ice cream and you'd never know it was vegan! Great flavors. It's a…read moredarling shop that smells like sugar.

Nice clean store! Amazing selections of candy for those that have a sweet tooth!…read moreI found my favorite coke candy gummy that I haven't seen in a long time. They also sell ice cream. Nice friendly staff.

We bought some ice cream after dinner. I had the salted caramel and it was really good. Service was…read morefast and friendly.

Stop by for seafood next door and swing by for some excellent candies before you hit the road…read more There is ALOT of wonderful candy to choose from like grapefruit gummy bears!

Over charged for 6oz of candy because the signes had said 84 cents per oz and the total came to…read more$17.00 then that lady with blonde hair tried to keep our change and acted like she gave us change already.