This is a wonderful business! The spices are awesome and such a wonderful selection of single spices but the blends are also wonderful. I have not been to a store yet (closest one is 350 + miles away) but that is for the future. I also support their stance on what is going on in our country now so another reason for me to support what I believe in! read more

Great selection of spices, variety of sizes is a bonus. I applaud the business for their position on many social issues. I have to say though, the encouragement of masks in the store is silly. The forms of masks I saw on people were either ineffective material and or worn improperly. Take the signs down. read more

A great collection of spices and free shipping if you buy $40 of spices. Been eating in more lately and this gives more of a eat-out vibe to my cooking. And the pizza topping adds to the favor of takeout pizza. read more

Penzey's Spices - Collection of Penzeys spices - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

First, Penzeys carries everything the inquisitive cook may want. They have a wide range of both common and not so easy to find spices. They offer frequent, fantastic sales and the Arlington (MA) store is clean with attentive and helpful staff. The company CEO who lives in Wisconsin is concerned about the direction our country is going and worried about how we may lose our Democracy (with good reason). Thus his email advertising makes his political opinions abundantly clear . So, if you are of a disposition to disagree with him this is not the store for you. And, as evidenced by many comments on Yelp people will not shop there . However, for those with whom this message resonates I encourage you to support the store and its products. I admire Bill Penzey for speaking up and thus it is an additional reason for me to shop at his business. read more

Freshest spices. Great spice blends. Excellent service. And it smells terrific in there!

Top notch products. Consistent. Great customer service online or in the store. I like how they offer themed gift boxes.

After going to three different markets/supermarkets looking for mustard seeds and only finding the ground powder, I made my way to Penzey's. Lovely store that is fully focused on little jars of flavor-bringers. It is inspiring to come in here and think of all of the ways you can elevate or re-create a meal! Guess what? They had the mustard seeds and not only that: they had yellow ones AND brown ones. Didn't know the latter existed! And it cost next to nothing. You should buy some and make some curry tonight. read more

I've been a customer for close to 30.years. Usually I plan out what I need & buy through Penzy's wonderful catalog. I enjoy getting the catalog with all the amazing reciped and stories from cooks throughout the country. Caught off guard, I decided to hit the actual store....and sooooo glad I did! I've baked both professionally and now just on my own. I also love to cook. The variety at Penzy's is endless. I use several of their blends. Lately I've been into their Turkish and Sunny Spain seasonings. Other favorites are : Tuscan Sunset, Greek Seasoning, Berebere Seasoning and much more. Baking I always use their Mexican Vanilla extract... It's awesome! You can purchase their fresh spices & blends in small or larger sizes... In jars or bags. They also carry the jars plain, unlabeled to fill with whatever you'd like. read more

This is a great place to buy spices. They have every spice imaginable and they are all really fresh. If you can't get to a store, you can place an order on the web. We have been using Penzey's for well over five years and have had no problems. If someone in your household loves to cook, then this is the place to go. If you like to bicycle, you can get there from the bike trail. We arrived in style on our 1966 Dunelt rod-brake roadster (English bike) and 1968 Peugeot (French bicycle). read more

Penzey's Spices - Bicycle parking out front - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Incredibly fun place to explore! You'll find all the standard spices and seasonings you'd want on your shelf, but you'll also find options you've never seen (or maybe even heard of) before. If you're like me, you'll leave with more than you intended because everything looked and smelled so great. I love that a lot of their categories of spices (such as cinnamon or pepper) have multiple options side-by-side so that you can compare. read more

Now I understand why my wife loves this place. Friendly, knowledgeable staff, great inventory. and plenty of free parking in large lots both sides of the building. Why shop online when you can go and see and smell the merchandise,? read more

This review addresses the quality of their products, which are among the very best available in the US. Their in-store staffers are top-notch as well. JS read more

Love this place. Great customer service, knowledgeable employees, and quality product.

The spices are superior and I was glad to learn that the politics of the president of the company are like mine.

I've been a Penzeys customer for 15+ years. Almost always order online, but I do enjoy going in to the store now and then. If you haven't signed up for the catalog or emails, you must. Fantastic coupons. I have an email address I use only for retail emails, and I recommend that if you sign up for Penzeys emails. They send a LOT of emails. However, there are always outstanding deals and freebies, so it's worth it. My experience has been that Penzeys spices are much better than what you can get at the grocery store AND at a much lower price point. Even better that they offer a variety of size options for most every spice. Instead of spending $8 at your local grocery for a spice you need for a recipe (and may not use again), get the $3 small one at Penzeys. My online orders typically take about a week or more to arrive. Their zip bags of kosher salt and Pacific sea salt are a bargain. read more

If you aren't yet familiar with Penzey's Spices and want more proof of how good they are, go to just about any issue of "Cook's Illustrated" magazine and look for spice reviews. Theirs are almost always one of the top rated. This particular store has a parking lot, which makes it very convenient to visit. I think it's a smaller store than most of the others I've visited, so the layout is slightly cramped. But if I've ever had a problem finding something, the staff have been glad to help - oh, and they're incredibly friendly folk too. One piece of info - if you want saffron, you need to ask for it; they keep it behind the counter. read more

Whenever I walk in here I just want to start cooking. They have pretty much any kind of spice you can think of ... really. I live in Watertown with all the Armenian markets so I don't really have an issue about finding spices. This place, though, appeals to my OCD nature with its neat bottles all lined up and in their special area of the store. While I think you pay more than you should for this stuff, I think some of it is worth it. The sales people are also really nice about using expired coupons. read more

Best selection and variety of fresh spices ! You can buy in small amounts so they don't get stale. Loved going in to smell everything but only pick-up or delivery now. I remain a loyal customer no matter what. Love their politics! read more

Penzey's is a food lovers dream. They have American, Italian, Persian, Turkish, Indian to name a few specialty spices. The shop smells wonderful for the moment you walk in. The curry and dried jalapenos were what made me start stocking the basket and after spending more than a bag of food from WholeFoods we left with a very lovely smelling hot chocolate mix. I can not WAIT to cook with the curry and jalapenos spices. Bring tissues, smelling the spices will cause sneezing! The attendant suggested we open the jars and wave the sent to us, not put our noses over the jar. (Newbies!!!) They also have lovely spice boxes that would make fabulous gifts for those who like to cook. The only thing I really wanted was for them to have more organic spices. The basil, thyme and other common spices are comparable in price to WholeFoods and wanting to support local businesses its a great place to frequent! Enjoy! read more

I have loved Christina's in Inman Square for a while but waited until I visited Penzey's to make my reviews, just to compare. I've decided that I love them both! Penzey's is great. They have so much variety in the spice department. They have all various sizes in differing prices. I like those kind of options. They have samples of everything out so you can smell and decided. After sniffing literally every single jar I am on spice overload but I regret nothing. Penzey's feels a little bit more high end than Christina's. Definitely a place you could go to for a nice gift for someone. It's a bit pricer but the quality is outstanding. read more

I just want some smoked paprika. But oh no, I did't make the minimum $20 touchless pickup requirement. Thanks! Hello Amazon read more

This place is worth the schlepp out to Arlington for the well-edited range of spices that are a lot fresher and of a greater variety than you'll find in your local supermarket, and for the most part cheaper. It's also nice that there are not 18 different kind of most spices (though there ARE alot of pepper.. Aleppo, chili, etc etc etc) So you are not confronted with a ridiculous amount of choices, but just enough. It's also great that there are sample jars of each spice -- when was the last time you could SMELL your spices before buying and it was really helpful when choosing between types of say cardamom or curry. The gift sets are great for birthday and Christmas and especially housewarming gifts. read more

This is not the spice store to end all spice stores. You won't find obscure specialty spices or bulk bins. This is not a crazy herbal apothecary filled with walls of stuff you've never heard of. I've been to some weird spice stores out there, and this is not one of them. But what they do, they do amazingly well. Penzey's is a spice store for people with a little extra dough and a love of cooking to easily create an enviable spice rack. If you're a casual cook, they probably have every spice and culinary herb you can name, plus a few others, and a few different versions of each. Not just focusing on American cuisine, they have a large variety of curry spices, peppers, ginger, five spice, saffron -- lots of great stuff here. They primarily sell ~1oz (exactly weight depends on the spice) and ~2oz jars, as well as larger packets containing multiple ounces. I have my own spice jars and frequently buy multiple ounces of something at a time. I'll also pick up a 1oz jar here and there to round out my spice rack if even if I'm not sure I'll use it much (and sometimes I'm surprised and it becomes a new favorite!) Like others have said, it's extremely easy to drop $100 on a dozen spices. The quality is great though, and they do last a long time -- Penzey's will ruin you on grocery store spices forever. Think of it as an investment in your meals that will last for the next few years (If stored properly!) Rice and beans: boring. Rice and beans covered with spices: a culinary masterpiece! The straight up herbs and spices are great (really, they'll probably be the best quality you've ever experienced. You have never smelled a more fragrant cinnamon), but everyone knows what they are. A few shout outs to their blends: I particularly love the "Greek Seasoning." Got it as a freebie with purchase last time I went and my husband and I love it on chicken. When I ran out, he even drove to the store after work to get me a new jar! I've used the Chicago steak seasoning for 6 years now and can't cook a steak without it. It has a blend of peppers and natural hickory smoke flavor that makes steak taste amazing even when it was just cooked in a pan. Great on burgers, too! Also, do yourself a favor and get a $5 bag of the French Gray Sea Salt. It has a really great texture and complex flavor and makes a fantastic finisher for lots of things. Honestly, sometimes I just eat it out of the bag. Microwaved frozen vegetables: boring. Microwaved frozen vegetables topped with French Gray Sea Salt: a culinary masterpiece! Seriously, go through your spice rack right now, throw out herbs that are more than a couple years old, get rid of that ancient jar of Stop n' Shop paprika, and clean everything out. Make a list of what you need, think about what you cook and what you'd like to cook, and drop a bill or two at Penzey's to build yourself a world-class high quality spice rack. Your food budget will thank you in the long run! My mother in law actually complimented me on my spice cabinet the last time she came. That alone was worth it! read more

Best Curry Powder! Forget all those salt bombs and order Penzey's. my experience with curry powders is that they are usually major salt demons. i ve found my fav curry powder [and it is no salt] at Penzeys--it is called NOW curry powder. you can order it online. read more

Great variety of hard to find spices. Huge selection of rubs and premixed spice combinations. Friendly service. Convenient location. read more

I stopped in here to pick up some spices that have been impossible for me to find anywhere else. While here, I also picked up a few staples and my 9 y/o drew a picture :) What's great about Penzey's is their vast array of choices. There are so many choices that you can get lost in the little shop browsing away. There's a little table where your little one can draw a picture as well. There's so much to like about this shop. The only downside is that it closes rather early. It's not a stop at on the way home from work kindof store. read more

See all

I've purchased online and in their store. Thought I would try again but the Spice flavors were stale. I won't be purchasing from them again.

The store offers a variety of International flavor formula with different ratio of mixing standard spice ingredients which can be handy for cooking certain dishes by their names. For example if you want to.cook Vindaloo or Tandoori or Curry to can get spice jars with exact same names. It is convenient for novice cooks but the fact of the matter is they all have the same basic ingredients but the mixing ratios are different. This is great. The unfortunate part is they charge exorbitant price for even the smallest jars they sell. Most ethnic grocery store carries name brand spices of similar kind for much reasonable price and quantity. read more

Penzeys is a perfumerie for Foodies. WOW. I have shopped Penzey's before, through their catalog, but this is the first time I've been to their shop. All I can say is that I spent a ton of money, and I could go back tomorrow and spend a ton more. I'm finally getting my kitchen right where I want it, and getting set up with spices and herbs from different food types that I love to cook - Indian, Creole, Thai, Italian, French...I'm getting hungry just thinking about it ! The employees are helpful and knowledgeable about the items available. The atmosphere is exactly what you would expect - likeminded people milling about looking for and exploring amongst the groups of herbs, spices and different mixes that they have available. One of the great things about Penzey's shop is that for each item available, they have a glass jar that you can open to sniff. This is one of the greatest reasons to come here and purchase. The ability to test using your sense of smell. No catalog, no matter how fantastic they seem to be, can beat that. The spices are sold in small plastic containers, larger glass jars and in resealable plastic bags. Since we purchased two items in the bags, we also took advantage of purchasing 2 large glass jars to store them in. Beware - it is easy to think you aren't spending a lot of money - we kept putting the small plastic containers into our basket thinking "it's only $1.29, or $2.39", but after 30 or so of those, a bottle of double strength madagascar vanilla and some saffron, we got rung up for 75 bucks. I don't feel badly about that tho, because we have some amazing spices and herbs in the apartment, and I can not wait to go cook ! Love the parking lot....makes it so easy to get in, get out. MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE: when you walk in, go straight to the counter and ask one of the employees for a container of coffee. We walked around getting overwhelmed, sniffing each of the herbs and spices that we were interested in, and by the 25th jar, I was ready to go outside and breathe in fresh air. When we mentioned that we wish we had something to breathe between herbs/spices to clear out the nasal passage, as we were paying, the woman told us that in fact, they DO - the give you a container of coffee grounds to help for JUST THIS REASON. Enjoy foodies! read more

You can go to the market and buy spices or you can treat yourself, and anyone else you cook for, to those sold by Penzey's. I'm a good *amateur* chef whose dishes are often elevated by using fresh and authentically-derived spices. So, I make the pilgrimage To Penzey's in Arlington Heights every three months or so to stock up. No, they don't have some of the exotics but I wouldn't know what to do with them anyway :-) Still, it's my go-to and you may be sure what you're buying is fresh, absent of additives and fairly priced. Enough said. read more

Folks are right, Penzey's is high quality and wonderful. It's such a treat to go into a store like this and focus on something. There's not a lot of extra BS, no big sales or gimmicks. Just damn good spices. Prices are fair. Quality is high. Service is great. It's a rare American shopping experience. If you can find your way to this charming little shop in Arlington, you won't be disappointed. Note they do not take American Express cards. read more

If you are not open due to Covid, have some courtesy and let your customers know. Drove 40 minutes to find this out

When I moved to Arlington people warned me not to go in here because it would become my new favorite place and I would make it my mission to try every spice in there. After a year, I finally went in looking for smoked paprika for some burgers tonight. Well, they had it (for $2.99 -cheap!) and I also found a handful of other amazing spices I've never seen anywhere before. The lady working there was very friendly and the place is laid out well, easy to find stuff, even for a clueless first timer like myself! The spices are awesome and the prices are cheap!!! this will change the way you cook, eat and enjoy food. read more

I love this store - there is something for everyone (and for every cooking experience). I love the fact that they have about half a dozen different curries! Things to look out for: Mulling spice - great for the season and great to make the house smell good too Curry - depends on what you like but I am a huge fan of the hot curry Vietnamese Cinnamon - yummy yummy Spearmint - perfect to use as a lose tea Also, a ton of different spices that you can use to prepare meats. What's really handy (especially for someone who doesn't really cook) is the fact that a lot of the spices explain how to use them on the back. For example, the Bavarian spice is great to use as a rub on chicken. I have a ton more and it is always fun and yummy. The staff have recipes that they are always happy to pull out for you and everything smells so good. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area or a spice buff. They even have gift boxes! read more

This shop is bad (in the good way) for 2 reasons. 1. While the descriptions on the spices were really helpful as i would otherwise have no idea how to use the shaved root of the Umba Choomba plant, it read like a J. Petermann catalog. I couldn't stop giggling to myself (yes, i actually giggled) as I read some of them. 2. This is the kind of place that spells trouble for me because it empowers me to think that I actually can use the shaved root of the Umba Choomba plant in my every day cooking. While this is really good for their sales, it's bad for me because my boyfriend and I left the store with over $60 in spices, many of which I haven't the faintest idea of how to use... While I absolutely loved this place and will be back in a second I have a few minor quibbles. 1. Food samples would be awesome! Nervous about buying one of the crazy spice concoctions? Try it on this piece of bread! 2. There should be containers of coffee beans available to cleanse the palatte. By the time I left, I had a massive headache from all the varieties of things to smell. By the end, it all kind of blended together. 3. Please do a better job of keeping your shelves stocked! I think as a product of empowering your customers, a good majority of the spices I wanted were sold out of the smallest-sized bottles. I understand why... but still get them restocked! Seriously, if you enjoy cooking.... go here. you won't regret it. read more

It should be fairly obvious by now that I love food, so when I found out that the place where my family mail orders their spices from is the next town over, I just had to go. I fell in love with the place the moment I walked in. Little jars of spices everywhere, recipes and information on each spice, and really wonderful helpful staff. The woman who helped me respected the fact that I have anosmia and didn't stick jars in my face and say things like "well this is really strong are you sure you can't smell this". Instead, she would carefully describe the spices I was looking at (cloves and ginger for a carrot cake, mmm!) and help me find the one that would work best. First class customer service has earned them a customer for life. If you can't make it up to the store, take a look at their catalog or website. My parents and several friends order their spices by mail. read more

A great little shop that is a treasure trove of spices. My newest find: dried jalapenos and berbere seasoning (yeah I really like spicy food..). The staff is super sweet, and I really appreciate the little recipe and idea cards laying around the store. Be careful, though, cause you can easily drop $100 on a small bag of spices. I think for spices that you use a ton of (turmeric, cumin, etc) an Indian store is probably better bang for your buck, Penzey's is a great place for unique, hard to find stuff. read more

I wouldn't know how to cook without Penzeys. Peas (frozen or canned) with a quick toss of shallot pepper, butter, and vermouth are to die for. Ozark is my fried chicken seasoning. Penzeys makes better cocoa (both natural and Dutch process) than anyone else, even Ghirardelli, which is normally my chocolate source. The Mexican vanilla (available in stores only, not in the catalog) is the secret ingredient in my brownies. The Sarawak black pepper is my favorite, and the Sandwich Sprinkle makes the best croutons. Penzeys isn't perfect--the original taco seasoning tastes mainly of salt, the hot cocoa mixes need a pinch of salt, and the chip and dip seasoning tastes like hydrolyzed soy protein more than like vegetables--but the spices are awesome, and I'm always finding new ways to use them. I love having a store so close to me, and I love walking around smelling all the spices in the apothecary jars. read more

Could barely contain the inner chef in me when Penzey's broke news that they were building a store in Mass. Penzey's delivers a huge selection of spices, herbs, mixtures and other goodies. They offer small to bulk quantities that are priced reasonably and provide more than just one choice for many spices. My recently localy famous chili (can't keep the friends and families out of my dutch oven!) makes use of their wonderful flavored chili powders. Their location is also conviently near many other great shops in Arlington and offers ample parking with friendly service. read more

A friend of mine who just moved up from Atlanta always has a nice supply of whole spices. He would get them at a local market down there. They keep much better than ground spices and taste richer as well. I did a search on Yelp for "spices" and Penzey's came up so I gave it a try. I really like the layout of the store, it's like an old time general store. The overall smell is fantastic and you can smell every spice in the store before buying. I love Mexican food and have decided to learn how to cook with more Mexican ingredients, so I bought dried ancho and guajillo peppers along with hot and medium hot chili powder. More generally I got small jars of hot curry powder, whole cloves and sweet Hungary paprika and bags of yellow mustard seed and bay leaves. I can't wait to get to cooking! read more