Traditional Candies at St. Louis Sweet Shop Landmark Merbs Candies

Rease Kirchner

Rows and rows of classic candies line the walls at Merbs Candies.

Merbs Candies (4000 South Grand Boulevard; 314-832-7117) has been a St. Louis favorite since 1921. This old-fashioned candy shop handcrafts all its chocolates, hard candies, candied apples and a variety of other specialties throughout the year. While all the delightful sweets are whipped up at the original location in south city, Merbs Candies also sells its goods out of two other locations, one in Ballwin (14560 Manchester Road; 636-230-9798) and another in south county (11644 Concord Village Avenue; 314-843-7118).

The sad truth is that nowadays most people buy candy from superstores, drug stores or grocery stores while neighborhood candy shops seldom spring to mind. The candy is all wrapped up in plastic and foil packaging and mass-produced in a factory someplace far away, but Merbs Candies keeps it traditional and works its magic right here in St. Louis. The atmosphere in the store is lighthearted and joyful, welcoming customers with enticing smells, a wide array of colors and glass cases filled with tantalizing treats.

Kids generally beeline for the individually wrapped candy section, with the rainbow of shiny colored foil catching their eyes. The high-quality chocolate is shaped and dressed up to look like fun things such as hearts, gold coins, soccer balls and even eyeballs. The beauty of this section is that you can buy just a couple pieces instead of a whole box and also mix and match candies.

For grownups with a sweet tooth there is plenty to satisfy more refined tastes, too. The cases are filled with perfectly crafted chocolates such as peanut and almond clusters, chocolate-covered caramels and creams, chewy nougat, pecan bark, chocolate-covered pretzels and so much more you'd develop a sugar coma just from the list alone. Items can be purchased by the pound, and don't worry, mixing and matching isn't a problem. If you're too overwhelmed by the selection, you might want to try one of Merbs mixed boxes of chocolates, which allows you to sample a variety of chocolatey goodness all at once.

Rease Kirchner

The candy selection changes with the season and holidays throughout the year. Merbs carries specialty items such as chocolate eggs for Easter, candied apples in autumn and chocolate crosses for confirmations. Whatever the occasion, Merbs has you covered (in chocolate, as it should be).