9368 Transit Rd., E. Amherst, New York 14051
Web: Watson's Chocolates of Distinction
Phone: 716.636.0755
See More Restaurant Reviews For:
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"After a couple of visits, it was obvious why we kept receiving Watson's candies as gifts; the service and variety make Watson's our first pick for anything except specialty candies."
Our first contact with Watson's was as the recipient of an oversized gift box of sponge candy. And our most recent contact with Watson's was as the recipient of an oversized gift box of sponge candy. But inbetween, we've visited the East Amherst location of Watson's for ourselves, and learned why people keep choosing this place over Alethea's or other local chocolatiers for that quintessential Western New York treat: it's the people, the pricing, and the quality.
The Story: Back in 1946, two Watson brothers and their wives started to sell chocolates from a Kenmore restaurant, a side business that continued in a limited fashion for the next 40 years. In 1987, one of the Watsons' children created a standalone chocolate company from that business, opening several locations, which eventually expanded to the eight currently in operation. These shops aren't fancy or huge. They're not throwbacks, like Alethea's. But they offer nice selections of well-made chocolates, and in our experience, the people who work there are fantastic.
Normally, the "people" part of a candy store or restaurant experience isn't extremely important to us. At best, service is rendered on a pleasant, diplomatic level, sometimes appropriately aloof, at other times friendly, but rarely "surprisingly good" or "above and beyond." Watson's was different. We came in for the first time and were pleased by the initially friendly reception, then impressed by what was either genuine friendliness or a perfectly disguised long-term business strategy. It seemed to us like the former.
After buying a small bag of chocolates, we were offered a bunch more as samples. Just to take home and try. "Are you allergic to peanuts? No? Which do you prefer, milk or dark chocolate? A mix of both? Sure." We left with twice as much chocolate as we had purchased. And then, as happens when we're more than satisfied with a dessert, we went back again and bought more.
Highs: We've liked all of the chocolates we've tried at Watson's; none are impossible to find elsewhere, but they're all done well here. From the chocolate-covered pretzels to the buttercream-filled bonbons to the toffee crunch and fudge, we had no complaints - everything tasted at least as good as we hoped, sometimes a little better.
Our favorite items at the shop remain the sponge candies, which have several advantages over versions sold elsewhere. First, Watson's prices are more reasonable than Alethea's: a one-pound box goes for $15 at Watson's and $18 at Aletheas, and Watson's also offers 2-pound boxes for $28.50. Having received those 2-pound boxes, we can say with some certainty that they last just the right length of time, which is long enough to be remembered as a great gift, but not long enough to get old. The dark chocolate version literally won over someone who was a milk chocolate sponge candy skeptic, and Watson's orange chocolate version also proved popular. We've received a box with two flavors inside, as well, which is great for couples that can't quite agree on the better-tasting type of chocolate.
Another advantage is that Watson's, like Alethea's, continues to sell its sponge candy year-round rather than discontinuing it during the summer. Whereas supermarkets such as Wegmans do a pretty good job with sponge candy during colder months, they stop selling during warmer ones when humidity and heat can melt both the chocolate and the honeycomb inside. The two local sponge superstars make special versions for the summer, using additional chocolate as a barrier to melting, so we've even received a box of Watson's as a gift during the hottest weeks of summer.
Lows: We split on the quality of the fudge, which is sliced fresh from blocks rather than plastic-wrapped. One of us thought that it was mediocre, but another felt that it was suitably thick, sweet, and rich - everything that fudge is supposed to be. You'll have to develop your own opinion, and we'd encourage it.
The only other low is that Watson's is, by candy store standards, a very narrow business; it doesn't attempt to offer the sort of spectrum of candy sold by Alethea's or old-fashioned neighborhood candy vendors, and instead focuses pretty specifically on chocolates. There are "Buffalo Wings," which turn out to just be chocolates in the shape of drumsticks, "Buffalo Bites," which are pieces of chocolate shaped like buffaloes, and bars of chocolate that are formed with corporate logos and other shapes. You'll find a handful of other options inside, but don't expect to do all of your candy shopping at once here unless you love bonbons, truffles, and sponge candy.
The Verdict: For traditional sponge candy, Watson's is our top local pick - between the reasonable pricing, high quality, and good variety of classic flavors, it's hard to find another place that is so constantly satisfying. After a couple of visits, it was obvious why we kept receiving Watson's candies as gifts; the friendly service and variety of different chocolates make Watson's the sort of shop that we'd pick first to visit for anything except certain specialty candies, such as Alethea's amazing bourbon cherries or Palace of Sweets' unique alternate flavors of sponge candy. Consider this place highly recommended.
