Parrot Confectionery

I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were in this place. Two hot chocolates and an ice cream for $6.25 in a touristy section of a state capital city. And the items we got were delicious. Highly recommended.

Pro tip: credit card only available if you buy $5 or more I was hoping it would be better than it actually was. The price is fair. I was disappointed they didn’t have a lot of sugar free options.

We love the Parrot and come here every time we're in town. The staff are always friendly. We love their chocolates. And it's fun to sit at the counter and get a cherry coke.

Part of why I love this place is because of the decades of history it has. I also have fond childhood memories associated with the Parrot. That being said I LOVE their toffee and caramels. The turtles are also up there as a favorite. Definitely worth stopping and grabbing a little bag of candy to enjoy while walking thru downtown.

I was excited to bring my family here because of all the wonderful things we've heard. The building is absolutely beautiful but the teen employees are extremely rude. We were treated like an inconvenience for wanting to buy some candy and soda. It ruined our experience.

Like stepping back in time (in a good way). The candy selection was great and some amazing chocolates. The hand made sodas for a dollar were the best!

We are staying at the Mini vic and came in per reccomendation, we are glad we did. Thank you for the sweet treats!

Sat at the bar for 30+ minutes and was not even acknowledged would not come back.

Not too expensive always good service, tasty candy and so cute, it's very nostalgic for me :)

Our waitress was great, don't know her name. She mixed my special order of everything but coffee and Vanilla Coke in an imaging soda drink. Only 1.00. Chili is great, as always and the candy selection is wonderful and homemade!

I would have never guessed this was a candy shop if my friend had not mentioned it to me. We actually passed by it a few times while sightseeing the area. As soon as we walked in we were welcomed. So much candy on display it was hard to choose. We bought some caramel apples and enjoyed them in their dining area. So amazingly delicious! I should have bought some to take home! The lady at the counter was so sweet she provided us plates and some water! They do sell other tasty treats like chili and corn dogs, Fountain drinks, and sundaes. Cute decor! A must visit to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth!

Stepping into Parrot Confectionery Store is like stepping back in time. This old fashioned soda shop fits perfectly with the vibe of the downtown area where it's found and if these walls could talk they'd certainly have a story to tell. The candies are ok-not amazing, but decent. I had a sea salt caramel, which was fine. I'd probably get it again, but wouldn't stock up on a dozen of them like I've been known to do at other candy stores. There are knick-knacks everywhere! One theme that I noticed was the elephants. When I commented about them, one of the employees told me that it's good luck to have elephant figurines on display and to have their trunks facing the door. By the number of elephants on the shelves, this place is bound to have good luck forever.

Cute little old soda shop!! The wafers are incredible. Just melt in your mouth flavored sugar. Cannot wait to go back through town to get some more.

I love the Parrot!! It's a must stop every time I go back to Helena. The chili's like mom's comfort food and the candy is great. Don't miss this gem!

We came across this cute little confectionary while walking through their downtown. When walking in, it definitely takes you back to an old school diner vibe where you would come and enjoy a milkshake. The staff are nice and welcoming. It does take a bit to browse through the options, but ultimately nothing really grabbed my eye. There wasn't a lot of variety and the sweets were decent. The caramels were soft and had a good texture and the chocolates were good, but nothing made me want to come back. Overall, a decent little spot to try a few sweets, but don't expect anything to blow you mind.

Adorable shop and helpful staff. I bought some dark chocolate wedges--too few, as it turned out, and had to go back again for more! The staff is trained to offer help but not to rush the customers, a fine balance. Two kids were in the shop and had lots of questions about prices, and the staff was very kind to them, answering questions and giving them space to figure out what they could afford. That speaks to the training and attention to customer service offered here. I also saw the chili they were serving, and it looked delicious. Definitely a gem!

This is the coolest old-school candy shop! The soda fountain has some fun old school beverages, and the chili and tamales are super yummy. Be sure to grab a few candies from the window before you go!! I got a chance to read through their secret recipe book, (although this is usually off limits) to find some allergy-friendly options. If you are looking for gluten-free, soy-free, and corn-free options, stick with the rock candy, assorted wafers (colorful discs made from fondant), brown sugar fudge, or fudge (the original plain kind).

This is a small candy shop with little else. Because dining booths and counter stools were present we thought we might grab a small lunch. Chili or hot dogs were the only food options. Chili would have been good on a cold August day, but our party needed more options. Helpful service guided us a few blocks down the road to Windbag Saloon.

Ok the sodas and confectionery section in this place are amazing! Well worth the visit, the hot food, not so much. They said the chili is homemade but it's NOT! I can tell out of the can chili, and if you order it and it arrived in less than 3 minutes it is t homemade and fresh. Ultimately I would come here again for the sodas and chocolate but not the food.

worst customer service ever. the lady was unbelievably rude I'm sorry for coming in and giving you guys business.

2 stars because the place is cute and the candy is good but one employee ruined the rest of the experience. Rudest service I have ever had anywhere. Made me sad because I always go to the Parrot when I visit Helena.

This place is a super cute, old school diner with decent lunch and delicious milkshakes. However, todays visit ruined my experience with this place. This service took place at the bar. The lady who initially greeted us gave us a minute to look at the menu. When she returned and asked if we were still deciding on food, we told her yes and she walked away without taking our drink order. Once we had the food order placed and the food brought to us, she had asked if everything looked okay and we said yes. A few minutes later she asked if it tasted good and we said it did. This was the last time we spoke to our server. She never asked if we would like another drink, dessert, to-go boxes or anything. Herself along with 3 other employees stood in a mostly empty store talking and gossiping not more than 15 feet away from us! Several times she walked past us and said nothing. Several times eye-contact was made and no action was taken on the servers end. This is a poor excuse for service/attentiveness and quite honestly the worst service I've had from anywhere a long while.

Stopped in to satisfy the sweet tooth during a rather hot July day in Helena. There isn't a very big selection although they were able to provide us with a list of some candies that may be safe for those with celiac disease (we had some in the group) which was nice. Tried some of the candies and honestly thought they were decent but nothing to write home about. The salted caramels were a bit flat...something was missing. Also tried some creamy buttons (wasn't sure what they are called) but they were overly sweet. Prices were a bit high for the quality.

I've been in here a few times to look around and a couple of times to buy things! It is an amazing shop. Each time customer service has been great! It is worth going in just to look around! It's a little pricey for the confections but the ones we have had have been DELICIOUS! I could go back to this spot again and again!

Such a great soda fountain that will be celebrating 100 years in 2022. Excellent candy and shakes, malts, and phosphates.

I had bought a soda, and then played on my phone and finished the drink. After I was done, I was gonna give it to the cashier, and there was a bug in my drink. An ant I think?

Certainly not what it used to be. On my last visit (Sept. 2018), I walked out after waiting fifteen minutes for service. The place was not busy. The owner was just wandering around, seemingly paying no attention to what was going on. If you didn't know he was the owner, you couldn't even tell he worked there, dressing as he does in casual street clothes and looking unfocused. When I was a kid, the waitresses at the Parrot wore sharp-looking tailored green uniforms. Service was professional. The place wasn't all junked-up inside with hand-written signs. You felt like you had arrived at a happy, professionally-run destination. In my opinion, those things no longer apply.

This is one of those places you really should visit when you are in town. However, stick to the candy. We decided to order lunch and let me tell you. The drinks were tiny, I mean my daughter when she was a youngster would have loved to play tea time with what they served our drinks in. My daughter (now a high schooler) ordered a homemade hot chocolate and her remark is that it wasn't all that special. And came complete with a teeny tiny spoon. And our bowl of soup and chili weren't much to write home about either size wise. The hot dog my daughter got was big though, huge bun. Skinny dog. All and all we'll visit again. But will just skip the extras they offer and just get our candy and go.

The chili was all that & more however the candy was delicious. Understand why my Mother insisted we go back to her childhood hangout.

Every time I come home to Montana, I have to go to the Parrot. Homemade ice cream is just better. There's always a special flavor. Pumpkin is my favorite. The only problem is that the portions are pretty small for the specialty ice cream dishes. I love the old-time drinks like the phosphates. Their candies are homemade and okay. I'm not the biggest fan of their chocolates. What I do love are the pecan logs. The nougat in those rolls is so delicious that I always ask them for the least pecan-y ones. I think their chili is really good, not too spicy, pretty meaty, and filling. I do find it ridiculous that shredded cheddar cheese is only available in the summer time.

Really cute confectionery store with a juke box and diner style interior. The workers were nice and gave my nieces a sample. The candy is very expensive though. A box of caramel corn cost $30. It's nice to treat yourself once in a while, but if you have a sweet tooth, you'll definitely break more than your teeth here.

A bit pricey but good assortment of candy and chocolate. The staff was friendly. We got a pecan roll which was fresh and delicious and some black and red licorice.

We took the tour train, and received the 10% discount. There were 11 people in our party, the ticket reads the discounts apply to every paying passenger. Me and one other person from the party wanted to use the discount. They only allowed 1 person from the party to use the discount. So, with the discount, two, 1 pound boxes of chocolate, were more expensive than one, 2 pound box of the same box of chocolate. In my opinion it is a neat place to see, because of the old style ambiance, but not really anything special. If you go, make sure you grab you receipt and expect to pay more than what their boards read.

I have come here my whole life. We live out of town and have ordered online before for Christmas. The candies came broken. Hence the 4 stars. Otherwise this place is perfection if purchased in store. We love the Turkish Delight and the wafers. All flavors are great except pink and purples. The staff was great too.

Great service. We tried the huckleberry cream. It's a chocolate with huckleberry filling. It was very rich and decadent, but we had to get it since huckleberries are unique to the area and we could get all the other chocolates back home. Towards the back there's also a diner like seating area for food, shakes, and ice cream.

We've enjoyed the Parrot's chili on some cold winter afternoons in years past. It's good, certainly, and I like the vinegar side that comes with it. However, the last time we stopped in, apparently it was too close to quitting time for us to order chili, and we heard F-bomb serenade about it from the kitchen. We probably won't be going back.

This review is for the chili only. I have recently had the chili from this place. I have heard numerous raves about how good it is. I am sorry but it tastes like a white mans version of Menudo, which is crap. It should really be called soup as it is the consistency of that and not chili. Don't waste your time if you like a thick chili with lots of meat.

"I love rock-n-roll, so put another dime in the juke box baby" -- Joan Jett The heart of the shop is a fabulous juke box that actually plays old 45s. Not only does it work, but it sounds great, and the play list includes The Beatles. Did I just die and go to juke box heaven? Sit at a stool and have a milkshake at the old fashioned ice cream bar. We shared a chocolate milkshakes: one shake two straws, and enjoyed the music and decor. As you can imagine, a shop named "The Parrot" is covered with the beautiful feathered creatures. Our milkshake was on the small side, but it tasted good. The cashier was a friendly whippersnapper who cheerfully rang up one family after another. I saw kids whose parents allowed them to pick out a few pieces of candy, and then away from the Parrot they flew. Definitely a fun date spot.

The Parrot defines Helena. An absolute original. From the time I was a little kid, I used to stop by the parrot to get candy, enjoy the old-time soda fountain, and have a delicious bowl of chili for lunch. The Parrot is famous for their chocolates. So much so, the White House requests them for Valentines and Christmas. And, they feature home-made ice cream, lending to amazing malts, and other ice cream confections. A must-stop in Helena.

Parrot Confectionary Store made sure my friend on hospice received the best box of mixed dark chocolates! It put a smile on her face and brought her total joy! Thank you Parrot Confectionery Store! Thanks Johnny!

I wish I could give this place a five! My grandmother hung out here in high school. So did my parents. So did I. The new owers aren't like the old ones. They still use the old owners recipes though, so there is that. And last I checked they didn't mess up the decorations.

This place is a true destination for us the legacy is awesome. The service was horrible sat morning. The chili was cold. There were more employees bumbling around than customers. Our order was incorrect and the waitress didn't seem to care. The candy selection was great and while I enjoyed the selections we made my wife thought is was a little stale. We have hopes to go back and try this again as this experience may have been a one off. We were disappointed.

An olde timey soda shoppe with an olde timey jukebox...come on people... this is the stuff dreams are made of (mine at least). And sure, it might not be the best ice cream or chocolate I've had in my entire life, but it's pretty great and but the staff are friendly and, if you allow it, the Parrot can transport you back to a simpler time...where allowance money was spent on candy and your feet still dangled from the stools. That makes this place worth its weight in gold and i shall return whenever I'm in town.

We came here for a snack of ice cream before we went out to dinner. I am glad that they gave me a small spoon to enjoy the ice cream. The ice cream and toppings were delicious. I also had a cherry phosfate to go with my ice cream. I would highly recommend this establishment to anyone looking for a sweet treat. Also for sale are a variety of homemade chocolates and goodies.

I am on a candy kick whilst up in Big Sky country, so while in Helena, I had to stop by Parrot Confectionery. They had a wide selection of chocolates, turkish delights, and assorted candy. I got lime turkish delight and lemon. I wish I had gotten more, it was so good! I also got dark chocolate lemon cremes, dark chocolate coffee cremes, almond butter toffee, dark chocolate honey comb, and dark chocolate peppermint patties. I have partaken of all except the honey comb. I love the ambience of this place. It reminded me of a 1940's diner with it's high-backed green wooden booths and vintage jukebox. Apparently, they also do soda fountain stuff, which I will have to try another time. The staff were helpful and accommodating.

Soda fountains are really fun, and this one is no exception. I sidled up to the counter and had a cherry phosphate, which is a drink with a wonderful sour aftertaste-try it to believe. The couple next to me were having some great looking chocolate sodas, which I'm looking forward to trying next time. What I like about this place is that they keep portion sizes small instead of the gut-load of ice cream you usually get. The Parrot also offers chili and tamales. My phosphate only cost $1.50 or so, and since you need to spend $5 to use a card, I decided to sample the chocolates. The little coffee creams were my favorite, and I liked the Parrots, which had nuts.

I was soooo underwhelmed with my last visit, which was also my first visit in a very long time. The milk shake was ridiculously small and had a funny aftertaste that hung around for quite a while after I finished it. The older blonde gal behind the counter was so rude and abrasive towards another customer that it actually made me feel uncomfortable.

The Parrot is another main staple venue I visit when I'm in Helena. The Parrot has been around for a long time and I was introduced to this shop when I was in college. My favorite are the box chocolates and the grape phosphate with a lemon scoop. I just discovered their various Turkish delights; mango and raspberry are quite good. I also tried the honeycomb (dark chocolate, of course). I enjoy walking into the Parrot because the decor and atmosphere is very friendly and nostalgic. They have a soda fountain bar and the booths are a little small but still cozy. The people there are friendly and always have a smile behind the counter. If you have never been to the Parrot, I suggest you head over to the Last Chance Gulch, take a walk and you can't miss the Parrot. They used to always them their front window and it's just a walk back in time with a modern touch (but you can't tell).

I LOVE the Parrot! I found out I was allergic to dairy when I was 13, so most of my dairy-filled-confection memories are from back then, but there are plenty of non-dairy goodies to enjoy now! I grew up with the Parrot, when I was a kid my Mom and I would stop by (my Mom and Dad's office was just a block away), and get caramel corn, and a few candies. My sister would take me there sometimes for ice cream or a milk shake. I loved the milkshakes, I'd always get double chocolate. You can't beat the old-fashioned style, and the homemade ice cream sauces...TO DIE FOR! I also loved all of the chocolate candies, with a passion. I miss those goodies, but, as I said, there are still options! Nowadays, one of my favorite things there is the Chili. For my birthday, we got it for takeout and I had a half gallon of chili for everyone :). I like to get the Chili, put a lot of vinegar in it, and get a root beer soda (They make their sodas the old fashioned way, which I love, I'm not usually a soda drinker). On the way out, I like to get some wafer candies (they are dairy free), or the mixed roasted nuts....and a treat for my husband, of course. The service is maybe not something to write home about, but it's not a 5 star dining experience, it is an old fashioned candy shop/soda fountain! I've always gotten served, and it's always been pretty quick too. I will also note that the new owners seem to be great. I wrote to ask if there was dairy in something I like to order, and they wrote back within an hour (And it was almost 11 at night!) with the full ingredient list for the item I was asking about. Very friendly, and always able to answer my allergy related questions, which is really cool for me. Overall A+, one of my favorite spots.

Worst chocolates I have ever had! I was hoping they would be good, but I was sorely dissapointed. I ordered the milk chocolate box and the soft center box. If I can give this less than 1 star I would. I was really trying to support a business in Montana, but this will one will not be one I will be supporting. Really bad tasting, you'd be better off just getting a box Russell Stover chocolates at least they will be a consistent product that you know will taste good.

For those that love homemade ..... Lots and lots of homemade candy, chocolates, peanut brittle etc. Lines out the door good in the middle of the day. Very popular with locals it appeared from those waiting with me. It's not cheap that is for sure but high quality.

This place is so quaint and it's always such a treat to grab some chocolates here! Highly recommend stopping by.

An absolute classic in every definition of the term. The Parrott lived up to expectations. The chili was excellent the milkshakes are fantastic and the candy oh my goodness the candy is delicious. This place is the real deal a complete throw back in place and time. We are very glad we went out of our way to pay this place a visit you should pay it a visit as well.

I took my 84 year old mother here thinking she might enjoy an old fashioned sofa fountain. She did, but the service was terrible. Once we were seated, a waitress brought over water was very rude and then proceeded to ignore us for 20 minutes while others were served - even people who received 15 minutes after we did received their food before we even ordered. I was embarrassed and very disappointed. Great candy! But I will NEVER sit down to eat there again.

Recently visited and purchased several boxes of chocolates as gifts. We tried the peppermint patties, sea salt caramels, and a mixed box. All were very good and prices were reasonable. Employees were friendly and helpful, and efficient.

I don't understand the fascination with this place- went there once for lunch, sat down, waitress gave me a menu- I'm ready to order, but some buddies of hers walked in- they chatted, and then she proceeds to take their order and serve them, visiting with them and ignoring me- I walked out. Also, the chocolate is fair to poor- maybe that's a matter of taste, but I've met others who feel the same. My folks went there and had some soup- was definitely out of a can- you'd expect something homemade from a place like this.

Customer service here is worse than bad...it doesn't exist!! My husband ordered a pound of mints, travels 4 hours home & finds the employee has given him the wrong product. After a call to the store to explain &, hopefully, resolve the problem, the response was NOTHING! I emailed then....STILL NO RESPONSE. He spent $35 there that day but never again. The product is good....but certainly not that good!