Carousel Candies — Local services in Monterey

Update 9/23/24 We stopped by here on our way back from a family weekend stay in Carmel. Typically we come by Monterey every September to celebrate family birthdays but this year we did a trip to Half Moon Bay instead and the Wharf and Carousel Candies is the highlight of the visit for my Wife. She adores their Rocky Road clusters and says it is the best she has tried no matter where we get it. I will often stop by just to get her these even when she is not with me to surprise her. She bought 3 and the service was very friendly and helpful. However... on this trip and on the return home she was very disappointed in the RR Clusters. She said it tasted dry and stale. This was very disappointing as we went to Fisherman's Wharf specifically for these. Not for the Wharf, not for the restaurants, but for this Rocky Road... which for this visit was a disappointment. Now, I am not writing this to bash the establishment. I believe they make good stuff. Next time we come, we will ask when they were made or how long it has been out. Unfortunately, given the experience we will likely be a bit hesitant and a bit wary before stopping in, but we will surely be back. For now, the enthusiasm has waned.

ORIGINAL Best Rocky Road clusters we've had in the bay from Carmel to San Francisco. ...

I feel like this place is hit or miss. We returned because we had a great experience when we visited last year. The second visit, the man was very friendly giving us samples of caramel and taffy that were very good. We decided to buy a bag of caramel and he gave us a handful on top of that. Then we tried the bag we purchased and it was a bad batch. He’s giving a good batch out for samples to sell the bad batch which tastes super salty. My son loves caramels and will not eat them. The hay stacks we bought the last time were nothing but coconut covered in chocolate. not the usual thicker crunch of a hay stack. The strawberries in the chocolate covered strawberries I got were soggy and didn’t taste rip. The mint fudge was the worst fudge I’ve ever eaten. The huckleberry white chocolate was the best thing we got but it was delicious. The taffy was also pretty good. Me and my husband question if they changed owners or if maybe they’re struggling due to covid. Just didn’t seem like the same quality...

Came in this afternoon to buy treats before heading home. This older man helped me and I told him I wanted a caramel apple he said ok..show me.. so i walked over and pointed to the one I wanted and he just grabbed the first one..I told him No I want this one, still pointing to the one and he kept insisting on the one he grabbed...so I told him in spanish that I wanted the one I pointed to..he mumbled something and the just stands there staring at me and said what else do you want?..I asked him to please cut it and as he did he was still mumbling under his breath..So I told the girl that was there that I didn't want his help..he was being rude...I wanted her to finish helping me ..he just seem tired and irritated..I did selected a few more things paid and we left..only to see another candy shop like this a few steps away. So next time I know not to come here.. I haven't checked my bank transactions yet from what I've read they seem to over charge people...I'm hoping not to...