We Tried Dealer Joe’s Viral Dubai Chocolate Bar — and Sure, It’s Definitely worth the Hype

Ever because the “cronut” transfixed foodies in 2013, we’ve borne witness to a seemingly infinite cycle of viral meals developments. And as a meals author, I can confidently say the Dubai Chocolate Bar is definitely 2025’s model of the Starbucks “Pink Drink,” unicorn desserts, or that Olympic Village chocolate muffin. 

My social feed has been saturated with this crunchy, nutty chocolate over the previous few months, and I’d be prepared to wager your Instagram seems to be the identical. The pistachio-based deal with, created by Dubai-based Repair Dessert Chocolatier, has impressed quite a few iterations — a lot of which retail for $20 or extra. So after I caught wind of an inexpensive spin on the viral bar at Dealer Joe’s, I couldn’t resist monitoring it down for myself. 

We’ve been right here earlier than: Viral gadgets promote out quick, and I may simply spend a day bopping round New York Metropolis seeking the $3.99 deal with. (The popular activity over answering emails, however far much less productive.) 

On Wednesday, I known as 13 of the closest places — 12, for those who rely those that picked up — for intel concerning the Dealer Joe’s Patislove Dubai-Model Chocolate Bar. And pricey reader, practically each notoriously pleasant crew member may rattle off the precise time they’d obtain the cargo, together with how lengthy it’d take for workers to stack them on cabinets. Excellent. 

In the meantime, throughout the nation, the imported chocolate bar started rolling out late final week. Some workers instructed me that they couldn’t internally order it till Wednesday, so it appears many shops jumped on the likelihood. A Dealer Joe’s consultant tells Meals & Wine by way of e mail that the “actual date of its arrival in shops might range.” 

Tasting the Dealer Joe’s Dubai-style bar

Patislove, a model owned by the Turkey-based Patis Meals Group, imports its Dubai chocolate bars from Turkey. It’s round 50% darkish chocolate, which makes this bar creamier than different darkish chocolate choices.At my ordinary Dealer Joe’s in Brooklyn, they had been stacked excessive within the deal with part with a five-bar restrict per buyer. Printed indicators at each checkout register reminded buyers of the acquisition restrict, so this Dealer Joe’s definitely wasn’t messing round. 

As I hopped in line on Thursday morning, I noticed one other like-minded shopper juggling 4 Pastislove bars. Self-doubt started to creep in: Would this be a chocolate-drizzled model of the viral mini totes? Was I foregoing a fortune within the resale market by grabbing simply three? Pushing these cart comparisons apart, I couldn’t wait to sink my enamel into the crunchy darkish chocolate and pistachio cream. 

This bar was definitely designed for an Instagram-trained eye, as the skinny layer of darkish chocolate provides option to a vivid inexperienced filling. It simply falls aside, spilling kataifi — shredded phyllo dough — onto your fingertips. Whereas Dealer Joe’s HQ claims the creamy filling constitutes 30% of the whole bar, I did discover a bit much less crunchy kataifi than in different variations. That may be because of the thinness of Patislove’s model, which some content material creators describe as completely balanced. 

Dealer Joe’s strategy is extra refined than the thick bars we’ve seen on-line, however that’s simply to the model’s benefit: In any case, it’s tempting to make an approachable chocolate bar a weekly deal with moderately than a one-time indulgence. 

Truthful warning: It’s a sellout threat 

I made it out with three bars, however different buyers throughout the nation weren’t so fortunate. Nothing halts the churn of the secondary market: A two-pack of the chocolate bars is presently priced at $26 on eBay, for these questioning. 

After listening to rumors about sold-out cabinets on the Dealer Joe’s subreddit, I made just a few calls—and it seems, they had been true. On Friday morning, one Manhattan location confirmed they wouldn’t obtain one other cargo till Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless, throughout the East River, outposts in Brooklyn are nonetheless providing the sought-after treats. Reddit commenters additionally report restricted availability in Southern California and Phoenix. SFGate agrees, confirming that San Francisco-area shops bought out inside the day.

The Monrovia, California-based grocery retailer is holding tabs on the hype. Whereas the Dealer Joe’s web site says it’s solely accessible by way of July, that deadline isn’t set in stone. 

“We consider that prospects ‘vote’ on what they love — and what they wish to see extra of — with their {dollars},” a Dealer Joe’s consultant tells Meals & Wine. “In different phrases, if our prospects actually love this product, we will definitely get extra.”

Is the Dealer Joe’s Dubai-Model Chocolate Bar value your hard-earned $4? Virtually definitely. As for the time it takes to trace it down — you’ll be the choose.