Candy Bar Reviews, Candy Reviews

Cruisin’ Down Crunchy 5th Avenue

February 5, 2010 by
Did you know that the Hershey 5th Bar was invented by William Luden who invented Ludens Cough Drops

Did you know that the Hershey 5th Bar was invented by William Luden who invented Ludens Cough Drops

Sharability: 3

Denture Danger: 6

Convenience: 5

Novelty: 8

Overall: 9

NECCO created the Clark Bar, Nestlé created the Butterfinger, and Hershey’s didn’t want to be left out. Don’t fear because Hershey has its own chocolate covered crunchy peanut butter candy bar, the 5th Avenue bar.

I can’t say it is better or worse than the Clark Bar or Butterfinger, because it is basically the same. It’s delicious, it’s flakey, it will get stuck in your teeth, and it will leave chocolate on your fingers, but it won’t disappoint.

William H. Luden started his candy business in 1879. He manufactured hard candies and soft candies, marshmallow products, and chocolates. He created the well-known Luden’s cough drops as well.

In 1936 Luden introduced the 5th Avenue candy bar. During WWII the cough drops and 5th Avenue bar had greater production rates because they were used by the military. Until Hershey’s acquired Luden’s in 1987, the 5th Avenue bar had two chocolate-coated almond halves on top.

The 5th Avenue bar is great for creating one of those stories where you use the candy bar (or just the wrapper) as a word in the story. I know Pittsburgh has a 5th Avenue, and I’m sure most cities have one, too. Write a story with it, share it, or gobble it up, but whatever you do with it, make sure you enjoy it!

Fun Fact: The 5th Avenue bar appeared in the Seinfeld episode The Dealership and in the 1994 movie, Stargate.

Sources:

  • http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/fifthavenue.asp
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Avenue_(candy)

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24 Comments

  • Reply MATT October 22, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WAS OR IS THE NAME OF THE CANDHY BAR MADE OR WAS MADE JUST LIKE THE 5TH AVE BAR THAT HAS TWO NUTS ON THE END . I LIKE THE 5TH AVE BAR AND THIS OTHER CANDY BAR BUT NOW CAN NOT FIND IT…

  • Reply theresa April 18, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    According to the Hershey’s website, the original 5th Avenue bar had 2 almonds on top.

  • Reply Nancy April 22, 2012 at 7:30 am

    I remember when the 5th Avenue had the chocolate covered Almonds on top and it is one of the things that set the 5th Avenue apart from the Clarks bar and the Butterfinger. I must admit I do miss those Almonds, however, I do notice the difference between the 3 different bars and I have always enjoyed the crunchy flaky peanut butter of the 5th Avenue better than any other of the above mentioned. So if you want to make me and the other 5th Avenue fans a little happier bring back the Almonds.

    • Reply Gary Fleming October 10, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      My grandmother owned a 5&dime store. And no one remember. When they had almonds. On top. Thank you. Thought I was nuts. Ha ha.

  • Reply Karen Long October 30, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    FIFTH AVENUE is my favorite candy bar of all time. It is different from Butterfinger and the Clark Bar. I wish Hershey’s would make a MINIATURE FIFTH AVENUE like Butterfinger does. Didn’t they used to???

  • Reply Ardis Pierron August 29, 2013 at 11:03 pm

    The 5th Avenue is my favorite bar and I also miss the almonds on top. It is different than the Butterfinger and Clark Bar, because of the crispiness of the peanut butter and also I always thought it had a slight “coffee” taste. It states the when Hershey’s acquired Luden’s in 1987 they quit putting almonds on top. Could I asked why? They make the Almond Joy, so it just seems weird why they would stop. I have been having a hard time finding the 5th Avenue lately and that is why I am on the website.

  • Reply Carol December 20, 2014 at 7:03 am

    5th Avenue was my mom’s favorite bar. I’d like to know why they took the almonds away also! I’ve found them at family dollar and at Smith’s (Kroger). But alas no almonds! We pay more for the bar than our Moms did and we don’t get the almonds! But almonds be damned, 5th Avenue is WAY better than a Butterfinger!

  • Reply Pitunia Chops June 14, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    Sorry to tell you but your info on the 5th Avenue bar is incorrect. W Luden did not develop the 5th Avenue bar.The 5th Avenue was introduced by the Luden company 5 years after W. Luden retired and sold his company.
    The bar was made in Reading,PA. But was developed and named by H. Earl Erb, a Luden’s secretary-treasurer who lived at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Chestnut Street In West Reading, PA.
    And Yes, The bar did have two chocolate covered almonds stuck to the top. Hershey did away with them when they acquired the Luden’s company.
    I miss he almonds too!

  • Reply Susan June 21, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    I cannot seem to find the answer as to why the fifth Avenue bar quit adding almonds ……does anyone know why?

  • Reply Kevin October 9, 2015 at 1:30 am

    Yes, as Pitunia Chops above states I am from the Reading Pa area too and remember the 5th Ave bars made locally when I was a kid. They had two covered almonds on top. The best part was going to the local outlet and getting big bags of the broken pieces for half the cost of the bars in the stores. I really miss the originals.

  • Reply Mmmm Mmmm June 24, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    Bring back the almonds on the fifth avenue candy bar.

  • Reply Robbin Bitner September 29, 2018 at 9:10 pm

    Please bring back the 2 almonds on top of the fifth Avenue cany bar.

  • Reply Jeff December 16, 2018 at 10:27 am

    Does anyone remember a 5th Avenue candy bar promo where they had 2 candy bars in one large package for the price of 1? It was in the early 1980’s I think. Also seemed like it was the first time I had seen the 5th Avenue bar and was meant to beat the competition from the Butterfinger bar. Am I crazy? The liquor store I got my candy as a kid had the double bar pack for $0.25 for over a year. I went there every week with my paper route money for the 5th ave bar! Love it.

  • Reply T R Brown March 13, 2019 at 8:06 pm

    The Reese’s Crispy Crunchy is basically a Fifth Avenue but has crushed peanuts mixed into the chocolate layer.

  • Reply Terry August 13, 2019 at 3:05 am

    Miss the almonds, bring ’em back.

  • Reply Liz Lutterbach December 15, 2019 at 3:35 pm

    My favorite by far! I really miss the almonds on top. Bring them back!

  • Reply Gene February 4, 2020 at 9:19 am

    I remember 1987,the almonds left, the Peanut butter was cooked too long, and they did the twofer packaging at the same time. I felt the twofer packaging was to make up for the almond loss and the bad cooking. I stuck it out, I bought one every day in high school at the library for study hall. I wonder how many books had 5th avenue crumbs in them?

  • Reply Cindy M March 25, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    I too love the almonds on the top. It seems like everybody else did too that remembers them. Why can’t you put the almonds back on the top? Are you even reading these comments?

  • Reply Bill Spancake July 20, 2021 at 1:24 pm

    The almonds were discontinued by Hershey as a cost saving measure. They were unknown west of the Mississippi, and Hershey was sure no one there would know the difference. Little did they know that candy afficianados definitely missed the almonds. I used to work at Hershey so I know this is true.

  • Reply Richard Burkes January 18, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    I really wish that they can place the almonds back on top. I do remember them and I still be looking and asking questions when I am in a candy store. Some people say they do remember them, and since they do not put the almonds on both sides, they don’t buy them anymore. It’s very sad that they discontinued the almonds. I really miss them….

  • Reply Richard Burkes January 18, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    I really wish that they can place the almonds back on top. I do remember them, and I still be looking, and asking questions when I am in a candy store. Some people say they do remember them, and since they do not put the almonds on both sides, they don’t buy them anymore. It’s very sad that they’ve discontinued the almonds. I really miss them….

  • Reply Mary Bodnar February 28, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    I would like to know where I can get 5Th Ave candy bars in Punta Gorda Fl. I use to get them at CVS now they have been out for about 2weeks

  • Reply John Gotaskie May 5, 2023 at 3:31 pm

    The Clark Bar, while owned for a period of time by NECCO, was created by the David L. Clark company of Pittsburgh and is now owned by the Boyer Candy Company of Altoona, Pa.

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