Craving ‘outrageous’ hot chocolate? This Sacramento shop made Yelp’s US top 10
Ice skating and walking through neighborhoods to ogle at festive lights are quintessential parts of the holidays.
They wouldn’t be complete without an iconic sweet beverage to warm up hands and boost the holiday season’s nostalgia factor: Hot chocolate. According to Yelp, Sacramento is home to one of the most over-the-top hot chocolates in the country.
With countless cafes dotting The Grid and beyond, it may be difficult to pick just one chocolate concoction to crown. However, a midtown chocolate shop took the cake in Yelp’s list of 10 Outrageous Gourmet Hot Chocolates of 2025.
The business review site selected 10 “outrageous” hot chocolates with the highest ratings from around the country. Most are topped sky-high with house-made marshmallows and chocolate sauce or feature unique international-inspired flavors, and some are lauded for their simplicity and high quality.
Where is the best hot chocolate in Sacramento?
Yelp rated Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates’ Oaxacan Spice Hot Chocolate at No. 6 on its list. The site praised the J Street chocolatier’s creativity in blending three well-known chocolate cultures into a rich, not-overly-sweet beverage.
While the beverage appears relatively simple, compared to some of the more ornately decorated entries on the Yelp list, its complex flavor palate adds a unique kick to the usually saccharine treat.
“The drink isn’t exactly Oaxacan (the regional style is traditionally rustic and grainy, with a nutty cacao taste, and spiced with only cinnamon) or exactly Mexican (which is spicier and made with chiles), but a little of both, with some French thrown in from the chocolate she uses (French luxury Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate),” Yelp’s review read. “The result is an original.”
The Oaxacan Spice Hot Chocolate is made with 53% semi-sweet chocolate and vanilla beans, spiced with a warm blend of ginger, cinnamon and hot chiles, and topped with a gooey house-made marshmallow. For the spice-averse crowd, don’t be daunted by the chiles — the hot chocolate’s rich milkiness brings the potential punch down to a gentle prickle on the tongue.
Keeping the added ingredients to a minimum also allows the luxurious chocolate base to reveal its fruity and earthy notes through the sweetness.
Ginger Elizabeth’s hot chocolate creations are available at both its midtown shop, 2413 J St., Suite 120, and its Folsom outpost, 2770 East Bidwell St., Suite 500.
Which places have the best hot chocolate in the nation?
Ginger Elizabeth was the only Northern Californian entry on Yelp’s list, but was one of two statewide honorees. The Chocolate Dispensary in Los Angeles received an accolade as well.
The Echo Park neighborhood chocolate shop and cafe earned the third-place spot for its French Drinking Chocolate. Its 8-ounce bowl of thick chocolate is made in the traditional French way, with rich dark chocolate and a touch of cream, Yelp’s review read.
Seven other states are represented in the top-10 list, including New York, Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida and Nevada.
Here’s the full list of the nation’s most outrageous hot chocolates of 2025, according to Yelp:
1. Brûléed Hot Chocolate at Glace by Noglu in New York City
2. Haute Chocolate for Two at The Remedy Bar at Four Seasons in Vail, Colorado
3. Bowl of French Drinking Chocolate at The Chocolate Dispensary & Tasting Room in Los Angeles
4. Signature Hot Chocolate at Fan-Fan Doughnuts in New York City
5. Spanish Hot Chocolate at Dulce Churro Cafe in Gilbert, Arizona
6. Oaxacan Spice Hot Chocolate at Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates in Sacramento
7. Van Gogh at Chiqueolatte in Chicago
8. Any hot chocolate at The Hot Chocolatier in Chattanooga, Tennessee
9. Dark Hot Chocolate at World of Chocolate Museum & Cafe in Orlando, Florida
10. Unicorn Hot Chocolate at Cafe Lola in Las Vegas
