The Ethel M Chocolate Factory & Cactus Garden

Las Vegas is famous for being a city of sinful indulgence. There are over 50 Michelin Star rated restaurants in a quarter mile stretch of the Las Vegas Strip and this says it all as far as this city being a world class gourmet dining destination. One particular food item that has always symbolized the decadent side of life is chocolate and it is no surprise that the finest gourmet chocolates in America are also made in the Las Vegas Valley. Ethel M Chocolates are renowned for being the chocolates of the stars, so this chocolate factory is one of the most popular destinations for visitors that want to indulge upon some sheer gourmet culinary delights!

Forrest Mars started the Ethel M chocolate factory back in 1981, but he had already been an expert chocolatier for many years. Forrest Mars’ mother, Ethel, was a highly skilled chocolatier back in the early 1900s. Forrest Mars learned the fine art of gourmet chocolate making while spending time in the kitchen with Ethel and he put this knowledge to use shortly after retiring from a job in an unrelated industry. Forrest Mars ended up establishing the legendary Mars Candy empire, which includes the world famous M&M brand.

The Ethel M Chocolate Factory produces fine gourmet chocolates that have been rated as the best in the world. Ethel M takes pride in being a family owned and operated business. The chocolates contain absolutely no preservatives and this company only does small batch production runs, in order to maintain high quality standards. The chocolate factory has an extensive quality control system that involves regular tasting to ensure that every gourmet chocolate creation is absolutely flawless. These high standards are the reason why Ethel M is number one!

The Ethel M Chocolate factory also has an M&M retail store on site. Everything and anything M&M can be found there and sometimes there are unique M&M gifts on the shelf that can be found nowhere else. The Ethel M Chocolate Factory has a retail store on site that is filled with gourmet chocolate products. Modern creative chocolate creations and classic chocolates fill the display cases. Liquor chocolates, satin cream chocolates, turtles and truffles tend to be the crowd favorites. The Ethel M Pecan Brittle is world famous and the Peppermint Bark is a crowd pleaser too. Artistic looking Giant Chocolate Caramel Coated Apples are offered during the holiday season and these items make great gifts for kids of all ages. Ethel M also offers an extensive line of sugar free chocolates and Kosher chocolate too. 

The chocolate factory also has a vast outdoor cactus garden that is decorated for each season. Walking through the cactus garden during the Christmas holiday season is a local tradition. When the cactus are draped with strings of Christmas lights, it is kind of surreal looking, till one realizes that Christmas trees do not grow out in the middle of the desert! Tours of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and the extensive Ethel M Cactus Garden are free of charge.  Complimentary chocolate and pecan brittle tastings are offered with each tour, so the experience definitely is a sweet one!

​The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is located on Cactus Drive near the intersection of Sunset Road. This intersection can be a little bit tricky to negotiate, because several roads meet in this area.  The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is a few miles away from the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street, but this destination is definitely worth the short hop, especially if you happen to be craving gourmet chocolates!