Hitting the Sweet Spots: Dallas’ Hidden Candy Gems

1718 N. Market St., Dallas, TX

Delivery is currently available for this shop in Dallas’ Historic West End hits all the old-timey notes, spot-on: It’s located in a 150-year-old neighborhood, a few steps up from the street, with mounds of candy easily visible through plate-glass windows. Patrons rave about the freshly baked waffle cones and ice cream. If you’re lucky, West End Elvis might serenade you on your way in, on your way out, or both.

Kokopelli Sweets >

1106 W Main St., Carrollton, TX 75006

To get the full-on, old-school experience, take the DART Green Line to the Downtown Carrollton Station, and take the skywalk to an enclave that urban renewal forgot. There’s a Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, Amici Signature Italian, a wine bar (55 Degrees), and a nearby ice cream parlor. Then, there’s Blooms, with its selection of GINORMOUS lollypops, metal lunchboxes and candies from the 1920s to the 1990s. Did we mention there’s a variety of 250 sodas in bottles?

Blooms Candy & Soda Pop Shop >

105 W Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201

Three major influences shape Atomic Candy:

• it’s clear whoever runs this joint never grew up because they’ll stick just about anything that doesn’t run away on display;
• Denton is a college town and whoever runs this joint gladly gorges upon Nutty Professor weirdness (lots of kitsch about UFO’s, Big Foot, political humor); and
• the shop is located on Denton’s busy, still-intact courthouse square, increasing the chance for hipsters with handlebar moustaches by roughly 20 percent.

Atomic Candy >

215 E. Louisiana St., McKinney, TX 75069

Those who launched Mom and Popcorn in McKinney realized that popped corn is one of those perfect edible vehicles for delivering tastes to the human palate. Bacon cheddar? Buffalo ranch? Dill pickle? Pina Colada?

Of course there’s taffy available by the pound, and walls and barrels full of novelty candy and tons of oddball/rare sodas. But popcorn’s the star here.

Mom and Popcorn >

Deep Ellum location: 2701 Main Street, Suite 160, Dallas, TX 75226
Arlington location: 1707 N Collins Street, Suite 111, Arlington, TX 76011

If you’re into specialty sodas (KISS Kola?), retro signage and taffy (banana cream pie?), Rocket Fizz is a must-shop.

“From some old fashioned candy and hard-to-find treats to Japanese candy and true rarities, this place has it all,” writes Yelper Jim B.  “Also they have a really great selection of sodas. It will be tough to walk out of there empty-handed, so beware. Right across the street from Pecan Lodge, so seems like a natural to stop in afterward.”

Rocket Fizz >

Fort Worth location: 503 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Grapevine location: 2156 E Grapevine Mills Cir., Grapevine, TX 76051

It’Sugar is crammed with wonderfulness: 2-pound Rice Krispies Treats, 1-pound Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and 5-pound gummy bears, to name a few. Not everything It’Sugar sells is gigantic, but the largeness makes an impression.

It’Sugar has locations in 27 states across the United States including Grapevine and Fort Worth. It’Sugar’s Forth Worth Sundance Square location upholds the old-timey tradition of sweet shops being located near town squares.

It’Sugar >

140 East Exchange Ave., Suite 109, Fort Worth , TX 76164

You’re back again in the Old West at The Candy Barrel. This shop is located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Stockyards National Historic District, which served as a final rest stop for cowboys before they began their cattle drive up the Chisolm Trail. Of course, back then, it’s unlikely the cowboys had access to 53 flavors of taffy. The emphasis at this shop is candy by the pound.

The Candy Barrel >