While visiting my mom told us to stop here, it was a place we went to as a family growing up. I didn't remember but when I walked inside the smell was so familiar. It felt like home. At Penzey's they have so many spices all hand packed. Anything you can think frozen pizza spice mix, dips and more! All the spices come in different sizes. I found vanilla sugar, which I never thought I would see on a store. Up till visiting I had only heard vanilla sugar was amazing in coffee, now I am confirm - it is amazing in coffee. It is sugar blended with real vanilla bean. You can use it in coffee, also in baking and on fruit. I was very happy to grab a bottle! read more

Penzeys Spices - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Penzeys Spices is an absolute must with an absolute musk!! You are almost lured into this oasis of spice with the perfuming essences! Our food tour stopped in Penzeys Spices, not to sample anything, but to pay homage to a Strip District stalwart. Although most of the establishments in the Strip are local and not chains - Penzeys does exist across the United States. However, a fun fact that they shared - this Pittsburgh location outsells all of the other 44 locations during the winter holiday months! Soooo... yinzers show up and show out for Penzeys! With spices for every dish, every culture, and curated meticulously to give you a full adventure through the store, you should come in here just to learn about spices, if not to find a new favorite or recipe maker!! read more

Penzeys Spices - Beautiful Panoramic of Downtown Pittsburgh - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I was impressed by the sheer footprint of this spice shop. They have rows and shelves and aisles full of every spice you could think of and some custom/unique blends. I thought everything was displayed beautifully, was extremely organized, and had aesthetically pleasing packaging. The staff working were friendly and helpful. I do think the prices were a little high, especially for the gift boxes, but it would be a unique and thoughtful gift to give for the holidays. read more

Penzeys Spices - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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It's always a treat to get to a Penzeys store - I usually mail order. I have to enter with a list, otherwise I will go nuts and buy everything and forget something else! I have been buying spices and herbs from Penzeys since the beginning of time. I always get extras for my friends, and give custom boxes for birthdays and gifts. Nice employees, and the store is set up so that all the products are available in numerous sizes (jars and bags). I LOVE PENZEYS! read more

Their politics drew me in, their amazing spices brought me back. Don't miss this when you are in the Burgh. Your stomach will thank you! read more

Great Experience!! The smells were delightful. My daughter and were on the strip and wanted to buy some spices. I was amazed at the variety. I have used the jalapeño pepper spice several times. I bought bay leaves, minced onion, dill weed, pumpkin spice, and vanilla sugar. The last two are great in coffee. The Prices were reasonable. Staff were helpful and friendly. I liked the multiple spice gift packs!! Parking is off site on the street or in a parking garage. read more

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Love this large store, full of spices -- both those you know and ones you might not have heard of, certainly ones not in my limited space spice cabinet! If you need a gift pack of multiple spices or hot cocoa fixings, this would be a good spot to fulfill that need. Staff is always welcoming. read more

This is such a fun store, and I say that as someone who isn't really much of a cook myself. I have only bought a few things here, but perusing the store is half the fun. If you want cinnamon, there are like 5 kinds of cinnamon (maybe six!). I left today with pickling spices and am now making my own pickles. Picklesburgh at home! They are also super nice here. Happy spicing! read more

Absolute favorite place to go when in Pittsburgh! Friendly staff, great variety of spices, and the perfect location on The Strip. Love, love, love their Indian All in One! read more

I discovered, thanks to my daughter, a really nice spice shop in Pittsburgh. I knew I was going to like it when my foodie nose went into high gear because this store simply smells really amazing. I don't know how I hadn't found a cool spice like this since there's a lot of them out, including here in Alabama. Matter of fact as of 2012 they had 67 retail locations in 29 states. However in 2020 Penzeys announced closures, due to the COVID , and by June 2021, the number of had contracted to 53. The Penzey family opened a business, The Spice House, in Milwaukee, WS in 1957 and their son Bill started a spice catalog biz in 1986 that grew into a retail outlet by 1994. Today you can also order from them online, or on Amazon as well but the store is a fun experience. Then one I shopped at is a cool space with everything from oregano to saffron with house blended specialty spices and blends and also individual spices not available in a lot of grocery store including a nice selection of sodium free spice blends as well. You can even buy bulk bags of their premium spices that can cost less than you might pay for lower quality spices at the grocery store, so also cool. Some of my purchases were Sunny Paris and Filet Gumbo and several others, so far they're all top notch and met my expectations. But, okay big BUT, I can't ignore what I consider a really dumb business practice that I caught on their website. I was trying to resist but I cannot possibly finish the review without mentioning something truly unique, in my experience, to this business. On their website "Bill" dedicates a full page with an unhinged diatribe about Republicans. Seriously it's right here and it's nuts: https://www.penzeys.com/shop/about-republicans/ "Going forward we would still be glad to have you as customers, but we're done pretending the Republican Party's embrace of cruelty, racism, Covid lies, climate change denial, and threats to democracy are anything other than the risks they legitimately are. If you need us to pretend you are not creating the hurt you are creating in order for you to continue to be our customer, I'm sad to say you might be happier elsewhere." And if that's not enough, in Jan 2022, CEO Bill Penzey sent out an email newsletter announcing that he would be renaming the extended Martin Luther King Jr. Day sale weekend to "Republicans are racist weekend". Seriously?! Okay, I fully support and will defend individual freedom of speech, and everyone's entitled to their opinions, however I believe that any business that disparages any person, or group of people for political, religious, ethnic, or sexual reasons is just plain stupid. Bottom line: This spice shop is a great place to shop for great spices, just don't wear your MAGA hat LOL But here's my unsolicited opinion, which I am also entitled to, Bill you're a certified nitwit. (But I'd still shop here :-) read more

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A variety of high quality spice herb seasonings flavorings and mixes without fillers and preservatives. Excellent specials and deals. very knowledgeable helpful people read more

Penzeys can be hit or miss. I love it because it brings back memories of shopping there with my father for years. Their quality of products are excellent. I would give 5 stars for the product and value. Where I can't give them 5 stars is that using this location can be extremely frustrating. I do mean that it could use more employees that are able to assist. I won't go near the place on the weekends. They offer curbside pickup but on weekends they don't have enough staff to make that a seamless experience in comparison to neighboring businesses that quickly bring items out in hectic days. read more

I visited this store while I was in Pittsburgh seeking a friend. What a charming place in a great part of the city! The staff were courteous and helpful, the spice selection was vast, and the spices themselves were so fresh and fragrant. I was delighted to see the various types of cinnamon they had, and I left with several new items to add to my spice cupboard. This is a great store to stop in and shop. read more

Great company with wonderful customer service. Staff is super friendly & helpful and answered all my questions. It is awesome that you can smell & try any and all the spices before purchasing. It's cool that they send out coupons monthly too! read more

This a great store for sourcing generic spices and seasonings but especially for obtaining nicely thought out specialty mixtures. Their Cajun seasoning looks good per ingredients and smells great. They have some few dozens of additional not-so-known blends. Also vanilla beans, various specialty items, kitchen misc. Owner, staff are very nice. read more

Wonderful and creative spice selections, flavorful without a lot of sodium. Love Love Love it!

Just the best. Unexpectedly good quality. In person and through mail order. Worth the trip into the city no matter where you are. read more

Before you have the pleasure of trying Penzey's Spices, you think all spices are the same. Then you try them and realize all spices are not created equal. They have so many different spices from all over the world. It's so much fun to walk around and see the differences across cultures and countries. The most basic spices like paprika and cumin are even ten times better. They also have all different types of paprika (e.g. Hungarian, sweet, smoked, etc.). Our favorite is the Rojo Seasoning. It is so good on steak and chicken. It's the most flavorful and we're obsessed with it. We brought my cousin's friend from GA here. She went nuts over it and still gets the Madagascar Vanilla delivered to her. Every so often, they have $50 gift cards for $35. We love getting them and restocking our spice chest. Buy spices from there and you'll never buy spices from everywhere else. They're an amazing company and always support people who are on the right side of history. Love them! read more

Wow, this place is everything I was told it would be. Open the door and your olfactory system is overwhelmed with the most wonderful smells. There were spices here in Penzeys that I hadn't seen (or smelled) before and there were mixes here that I really want to try. Yes, spices are expensive, but Penzeys spices are worth it. If you want the good stuff, this is the place to shop! read more

Penzeys Spices - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Customer service is bad. Had two bad experiences. I bought all my spices here but done shopping here.

Love Penzy's! All their spices are top-notch...especially their great selection of various peppercorns (always grind your own!). It's a pleasure to walk through and make selections, and their prices are a terrific bargain given the high quality. Best spice shop around! read more

Overpriced crap you can find in any grocery store for half the price. I'm not sure how they stay in business We bought some stuff and were very disappointed read more

My family and I stumbled across this store as we were exploring the Strip District. I had purchased from them online many times, but didn't realize there was a storefront in this area. what a wonderful surprise! The smells are vibrant and the staff were very helpful and friendly. A few of my family members with me that day had never heard of this store and were so pleased with the shopping experiences and their purchases. We will be back! read more

Love these spices! Everything I have tried is great. Very reasonable prices, and my packages always come with free samples! Try the Sandwich Sprinkle, one of my faves. You can't go wrong with anything they sell. read more

Love their products! And the gift cards are great for seasonal gifts!! I look forward to sharing them with family and friends!!!

Penzey's has a great product and an amazing mission!!! Was so surprised when we were came to the street location for some touristy stuff and then I saw the Penzey's sign. After ordering online for years, so excited to actually have the opportunity to actually go into a store. It was awesome! read more

It's always fun to shop here, everything is the highest quality, and there's a great selection. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, and the store is well organized. I tend to shop their sales and specials, because their everyday prices are quite high. I also tend to buy bulk spices, because that allows me to buy smaller quantities, so that I'm also not paying for the packaging. But I love this store, it's elegant and clean. That keeps me coming back. read more

It's the weekend before Thanksgiving and I've been asked to find spices for the turkey. Well, that's a daunting task. I head to the Strip District, with a Penzy's gift card in hand. I've had the gift card for years and never been to the spice store. I walk in, it's intimidating. One loop and I'm not sure what to do. I ask a staff member and he points me to popular options for Thanksgiving, patiently explaining the differences between options. I take his advice and feel more confident in browsing. I ended up with four spices and ready to cook! Ask for help, if you get overwhelmed. Service is great! Also, keep an eye out for promos. There were a few holiday specials as I was browsing, including $1 for the mini bicentennial rub. read more

I love Penzeys for the variety and quality of their stock and their excellent customer service. Obviously, this visit was different from previous ones, but no less satisfactory. They're only taking online orders right now, which is perfectly fine since all of their merchandise is listed on their website. I placed my pickup order online on Saturday and received a call to schedule pickup within a few hours. When I arrived at the store, the phone line was busy, but I only had to knock on the door and I was handed my order. read more

What a joy it is to live so close to a Penzey's! I'm a fan not only because this place is packed with all the spices I could ever need. The store is also organized so everything is incredibly easy to find. I was looking for Indian spices for an Ayurvedic tea and all the spices were right next to each other. The staff is also very helpful and eager to answer any questions related to spices. The biggest reason why I'm a loyal fan of this Wisconsin based company, is because of their beliefs. Penzey's is the largest independent spice retailer in the US and the CEO sticks to his beliefs. He isn't afraid to speak his opinion and call out the problematic administration that is running our country. At this day and age there are so many companies that are very careful with how they market to people because they want as many customers as possible. I respect Penzey's because they are unapologetic about calling out hatred when they see it. read more

As a chef and baker at home, Penzey's spices are a must-have in my kitchen. I wasn't aware that Penzey's is a chain, but I'm happy to know that cities other than Pittsburgh get to experience the goodness of this place (literally)! Working in the Strip the last few years has given me the opportunity to go to Penzey's whenever I need, and over time, I've found a few favorite spices I can't see my dishes going without. Last Father's Day, my mom wasn't sure what we should get my dad as a gift and she suggested chicken seasoning. Chicken seasoning doesn't seem like the best gift, and without thinking much of her suggestion, I laughed it off. She was serious, though. I got him some of Penzey's Chicago Steak seasoning and he loved it so much he asked me to get some for his friend that grills a lot, too. Since then, I've basically started him off with a small collection of special spices I know he'll use and he seems to like them quite a bit. For myself, my favorites include the Old World seasoning (a jazzy seasoned salt with a laundry list of spices included), grey sea salt from France, and the Vietnamese cinnamon. I put cinnamon in my oatmeal, coffee, cereal, various baked goods, etc., so it will surely be used anywhere and everywhere it can. The Old World seasoning, though, is probably one of my favorite seasonings ever. It goes incredibly well on vegetables or mixed into soups or sauces to give it a more well seasoned flavor. In my house, we eat a TON of veggies, so this one comes in handy! Thinking about all of the spices I have yet to try is honestly exciting in the weirdest of ways, but there are too many to begin to list! The store is incredibly organized, from A-Z in fact, and the workers there are kind and helpful. Surely if you had questions while you're browsing they could point you in the right direction or help you find exactly what you're looking for. I'm definitely looking forward to future additions to my spice cabinet from Penzey's, and if you're in the Strip you should definitely stop by and see their collection of spices for yourself! read more

I finally got around to restocking my spices via the pickup service available and found the entire process to be very smooth. I ordered online, recurved a call when my order was ready and coordinated a pickup window and retrieved my order from the touch less pickup box. I would highly recommend supporting this wonderful store by placing a touch less pickup order. read more

Penzeys Spices - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Penzeys Spices are the best! I normally shop online, but every once in a while I'm able to pop in the store in the Strip District to browse, learn from the extremely knowledgeable staff and stock up on essentials or find new favorites. I love all of the gift box options, including the option to create your own. I'm on a hot chocolate kick right now, so I stocked up on some Penzeys hot chocolate. It makes the BEST cup of hot chocolate! Everyone is asking me how I make it-the secret ingredient is Penzeys Hot Chocolate mix! It's so easy. I just throw in 2 tbsp with 1 cup of milk in my frother/steamer and bam-best hot chocolate ever. They also have a very reasonably priced (under $20) hot chocolate box with traditional and mint hot chocolate mixes and cinnamon. I picked up a few as teacher gifts. My favorites here are the pasta and sandwich sprinkles-they elevate any pasta dish or sandwich with a blend of custom spices. My new favorites are the chip and dip and salsa salad seasonings. Once again, they elevate your standard chip dip and salsa to the next level. People will be asking you what your secret is-it's always Penzeys. read more

Outstanding spices, outstanding storefront, outstanding business ethics. I scream it from the rooftops to whomever is listening, Penzy's is simply THE BEST. Been a loyal customer for years. These spices completely change (for the better) every dish you ever thought you made perfectly. Could have spent a small mint at the store this weekend despite their prices being comparable, or lower, than grocery store brands. Staff are knowledgeable, know exactly where everything is, how to get the best deals, all of it. Do yourself a favor and go. Definitely think of a Penzy's spice gift set for the cook in your life, they'll adore you for it. read more

You're looking for that extra spice to make your lamb, chicken, beef, pork, turkey, etc... taste extraordinary and you just don't know where to find it. Oh, what should you do? Go to Penzey's Spices in the Strip District! I hve purchased different foods in the Strip and then decided that I wanted to make something special, but didn't have a direction. After arriving at Penzey's, not only did I have a direction, I was driven to become "Chef Extraordinaire"! Their spices are wonderful and well priced, especially if you purchase the plastic/cellophane bags of spices and then buy empty containers from the dollar store to fill. The freshness of the spices is also amazballs and everyone that I have given the spices to as presents have truly enjoyed their gifts. Also, make sure that you sign up for their mailing list. Not only wll you receive a monthly Penzey's catalog booklet with recipes included, they will also include coupons for free or significantly discounted spices. Via coupons for free spices, I have been introduced to spice blends that I would have never purchased on my own that I am now addicted to. Yay Penzey's! read more

I wish there was a Penzey's in Seattle. The place has hundreds of different spices, arranged over a wide, homey-feeling store. Going in gives me happy tingles in my stomach that go up and spread all over. It motivates me to buy whatever I can get my hands on and start cooking. (...that is, if we had a car to get to The Strip. The Port Authority rides totally curb the enthusiasm.) The peeps are nice, the prices alright, and the selection heavenly. (And, yes, I love that one of their display cases happens to be on a kitchen-cupboard-over-sink setup.) read more

Penzeys Spices - i freakin' love the store layout and the selection - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Good spices. When you walk in, you are saturated with a wonderful spicy aroma. Some different rubs, blends and spices for cooking or BBQing. Some nice flavors to add to seafoods and meats. Can get expensive, so be careful. Did I say, "The store smells great"! They have small covered bowls with spices so you can smell them. They had a little teachers gift box with a bumper sticker stating, "Teachers Care"..nice idea. read more

This is a rather large spice shop! They have great displays and great multi-jar kits! When you check out, they always have sale mini jars behind the counter. I got a limited edition Embrace Hope kit absolutely free this past weekend. It came with a magnet, a pin, a jar of spices and vanilla extract! The staff are friendly and helpful. I recommend this store to everyone! Thank you for embracing hope and taking a stand in this harsh, ridiculous political climate! read more

Full confession here - I didn't really buy anything from this store, even tho I do shop at the local Penzey's in Memphis, so have a pretty good idea of their stock. Instead I stopped in here as part of the Pittsburgh foodie tour as while renovations, they discovered this really cool historical photo montage of Pittsburgh from the 50s, and the shop very smartly decided to use it as part of their decor. I liked the fact that the sales folks in the store didn't mind our group wandering in off the street to check out this montage and there were no evil looks or mutterings that we didn't buy anything. Real cool to see Pittsburgh as it was in the past. Yelp Review 63/ 2017 read more

Penzeys Spices - Photo mural of the city from 1950s - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If you like to cook (or know someone who does) a visit to Penzeys is a must. I was first introduced to Penzeys by friends and ordered online several times before finally visiting the store. I was really impressed with the store and the staff. The store is laid out so it is easy to browse but so that you can also quickly find what you are looking for. There is an A-Z section and a stand alone section for curries. The other side of the store has gift sets and gift boxes that you can use to create your own package. One of the things that I love about the in store experience is that every spice has a jar that you can open to get a sense of the aroma/flavor. They have a lot of blends, so this is very useful, especially if it is something you can't decide on based on just the ingredients. They have a wide variety of blends and you are really helped out by the fact that each spice has an information card that gives details about the kinds of things it could be used for. Their website also has recipe ideas and details. The staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I had several questions about various spices and the person I was asking quickly knew the answers and even gave me additional information in some instances. It isn't easy to find good customer service these days, but you will get it at Penzys. Another great thing about Penzy's is that they often have sales, specials and freebies. Sometimes all you need to do is present a coupon at the counter and you can get a free jar or boxed set. That is a wonderful addition to everything that is great about Penzys. Overall, a great shopping experience and a store I highly recommend for anyone that loves to cook. read more