Behind The Aisles Of Handmade Chocolate, This Pennsylvania Candy Shop Hides An Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor

The plan was simple: grab a quick snack and get back on the road. Then a wide brick building in western Pennsylvania swallowed the whole afternoon, one chocolate counter at a time.

Somewhere past the candy castle and the marble soda fountain, the snack turned into a sundae big enough for two. Some stops are just stops, and some end up as the story you tell all week.

A Candy Store on Adams Avenue

Canonsburg sits just south of Pittsburgh, and 511 Adams Avenue is where the town keeps its sweet tooth. Sarris Candies is a chocolate shop and ice cream parlor under one roof, built for browsing as much as buying.

Picture a store that stretches roughly the length of a football field. Bright display cases hold hand-dipped chocolates, thick bars, chocolate-covered pretzels, and shaped novelties, while a classic parlor serves sundaes and milkshakes off to one side.

The look is festive and nostalgic, with murals, stained glass, and plush animals tucked among the shelves.

Why stop here instead of grabbing a candy bar at a gas station? Simple.

Everything in the cases traces back to a family recipe tradition started more than sixty years ago, and the scale of the place is hard to picture until you walk in.

Getting there is easy for anyone driving Interstate 79, since the shop sits a short hop from the highway. That makes it a natural detour on a road trip through southwestern Pennsylvania, or a destination all its own for a weekend outing with kids, grandparents, or anyone who has ever stood a little too long in front of a candy counter.

How a Gift for Athena Became a Family Business

In 1960, Frank Sarris wanted to give his sweetheart, Athena, something better than the boxed chocolates he could find. The son of Greek immigrants, he decided to make them himself, working in the basement of his home in Washington County.

One batch led to another. By 1963, demand had pushed production out of the house and into a small candy shop built right next door.

Customers kept coming, and eventually the family home itself came down to make room for a much larger retail space.

Every expansion since then has followed that same pattern of steady growth. A modest storefront turned into the sprawling showroom that stands today, with factory production now handled nearby.

Walls inside the shop carry photographs and stories of Frank and Athena, so the history is right there between the bonbons. A Jefferson College Historical Society marker adds another layer of local background for anyone who likes a little reading with their chocolate.

It is a sweet origin story in the most literal sense. A young man trying to impress someone he loved ended up building one of the best-recognized candy names in Pennsylvania, and the business has remained in family hands throughout.

Marble, Brass, and Chandeliers in the 1979 Parlor

Chandelier light bounces off white marble, and brass rails trim the booths. The ice cream parlor, added in 1979, was designed to echo the soda fountains Frank Sarris remembered from his own childhood.

Ice cream is made in-house with rich ingredients, and the texture shows it. Scoops come out soft and creamy, without the icy crunch that cheaper tubs pick up after sitting in a freezer.

The menu runs long, covering sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes, cones, and specialty creations such as a tutti frutti sundae loaded with pineapple, strawberry, and banana.

Here is the part to plan around: portions are big. A regular sundae is massive, so ordering a small or splitting one is a smart move, especially with kids along.

Waffle cones in flavors like mint chip make a tidier option for wandering.

Seating indoors is limited, which matters on busy afternoons. Concrete tables and benches out front handle the overflow when the weather cooperates, and lines at the counter can stretch during peak times.

Service tends to move quickly once you reach the front, though, and the parlor’s charm makes the wait feel shorter than it is.

Sundaes, Shakes, and the Chocolate Shell Dip

Ask what to order first and the answer usually lands on a sundae. Hot fudge, whipped cream, and generous scoops pile into dishes that easily feed two people.

Milkshakes come in a close second. Thick and chocolate-forward, they pair the house ice cream with Sarris chocolate, a combination that carries over into the bottled Sarris chocolate milk sold at convenience stores around the state.

One sip of that bottled version has pulled more than a few out-of-staters toward the real shop.

A smaller treat deserves attention, too. The parlor sells a chocolate hard shell dip, and it turns fresh strawberries at home into a quick dessert.

Prices vary with what you choose. Specialty sundaes on the large side cost more than a simple cone, and milkshake prices have risen recently, so bring a bit more cash than you think you need for a group.

Two scoops sit at the more modest end of the menu.

For first-timers, a sensible strategy is one shared sundae plus individual cones. Everyone gets a taste of the classic, nobody leaves overstuffed, and there is still room to head back into the candy aisles afterward for something to take home.

Aisles Full of Meltaways, Clusters, and Pretzels

Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sugar-free, peppermint, turtles. The cases keep going, and so does the temptation.

Chocolate-covered pretzels rank among the biggest draws, sold loose or packed into buckets in milk or dark coating. Peanut butter meltaways melt the moment they hit your tongue, and coconut clusters bring a chewier bite.

Dark chocolate-covered peanuts disappear fast, so grabbing an extra bag is not a bad idea.

Texture is where the house chocolate stands out. It is smooth and bold, made by a family-owned business that still hand-dips many pieces.

Assorted pounds let you mix favorites, and single bars, like dark chocolate with almonds, make cheap impulse buys at checkout.

Sugar-free and natural options sit alongside the classics, which helps when shopping for someone with dietary limits. Chocolate-drizzled potato chips round out the salty-sweet corner.

Pricing leans toward the premium end, especially for large assortments and buckets. A pound of chocolate plus a pretzel bucket can add up quickly, so it is easy to spend more than planned.

Still, the quality and variety explain the cost, and smaller purchases keep things manageable when you just want a taste of several flavors before committing to a box.

An Edible Castle at the Center of It All

Imagine roughly 1,500 pounds of chocolate shaped into turrets, walls, and tiny details. That is the castle at the heart of the showroom, and every piece of it is edible.

Seasonal themes give the centerpiece fresh looks throughout the year, so a summer visit and a winter visit can show two different versions. Nearby, a chocolate factory display made entirely of chocolate adds to the sense that Willy Wonka might pop out from behind a shelf.

Not everything on display is meant for snacking. Life-size stuffed animals perch among the shelves, retro pedal cars sit between candy bins, and stained-glass artwork glows overhead.

Hand-painted murals cover large stretches of wall.

Two walls of flowing chocolate add movement and shine to the scene. Kids tend to stop dead in their tracks, though grown-ups are not immune either.

Bring a phone with plenty of storage, because the displays invite photos at every turn. Pictures rarely capture the scale, which is part of the fun of seeing it all in person.

Plan for extra time just to wander, since the art and decorations stretch the visit well beyond a quick candy run.

Custom Shapes and Holiday Gifting

Need a chocolate airplane for a pilot’s birthday? A letter for every initial at the party table?

The shop’s molded shapes cover animals, vehicles, alphabet letters, and plenty more.

Gift buyers get a lot of help here. Boxed assortments, themed molds, and seasonal items make it simple to put together a present on the spot, and the staff can point toward options for specific occasions.

Holidays bring the biggest transformation. Easter fills the shelves with bunnies and eggs, while the winter season dresses up displays with festive decorations that make the whole store feel like a celebration.

Those weeks also tend to be the busiest, so arriving earlier in the day can help.

Online ordering extends the reach well beyond Pennsylvania. Large boxes ship to other states, which explains how Sarris chocolate ends up on doorsteps far from the original shop.

Selection does follow the calendar, so the mix of shapes and themes changes with each season. Shopping close to a holiday means the widest range of that holiday’s items, while off-season trips show more of the year-round classics.

Either way, few people leave without a bag of something for somebody back home.

Who Feels at Home Here

Grandparents sharing a banana split, teenagers splitting a shake, a road-tripper grabbing a cone before getting back on I-79. The crowd mixes generations with ease.

Families with young kids find plenty to look at, from the chocolate castle to the plush animals and pedal cars. The ice cream portions also suit sharing, which keeps costs down for a group.

Chocolate lovers who care about craft will enjoy reading labels and comparing dark against milk varieties. Shoppers hunting for a unique gift have one of the widest selections in the region in a single room.

On the other hand, anyone who dislikes crowds should time things carefully. Weekends and holiday stretches get packed, and the indoor parlor seating fills fast.

A weekday morning offers calmer browsing.

Staff members are friendly and helpful overall, and the store stays clean and well organized despite heavy traffic. Most of the experience is self-paced, so you can linger in the aisles as long as you like.

For travelers, factory tours have recently started at the production site in a nearby industrial park, with history and samples included. Signage there is sparse, so map the route before heading over.

Planning Your Stop in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Doors open at 9 AM Monday through Saturday and at 10 AM on Sunday, with closing at 9 PM every day. Those long hours make an evening dessert run just as easy as a morning shopping trip.

Parking is on site, and the location near Interstate 79 keeps the drive simple from much of southwestern Pennsylvania. Outdoor tables out front offer extra room for eating ice cream when it is not raining.

Budget a little extra. Specialty sundaes and large chocolate assortments run higher than an average dessert stop, while single bars and scoops keep things lighter on the wallet.

Prices and hours can shift, so check ahead before making the drive.

So, does it live up to the drive? For anyone who loves chocolate, old-fashioned ice cream, or simply wandering a place with real personality, the answer leans strongly toward yes.

The mix of family history, handmade candy, and that glowing marble parlor creates an outing that feels both playful and rooted.

Arrive hungry, share the sundae, and leave room in the car for a bag of pretzels. The castle will still be there next time, probably wearing a new seasonal costume.