I never knew that a South Asian grocery store existed so close to me! I went to Spice Bazaar to buy some freshly made potato-filled samosas for a potluck (they're right at the cashier's register). They were $1.50 each, crispy & delicious, but a bit on the smaller side. Also bought a tamarind-based chutney which was the perfect sweet & savory condiment for them. Ambiance not applicable, service fast & friendly. There's a large parking lot in front. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Spice Bazaar - Samosas & tamarind chutney - International Grocery Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Love this tiny little grocery store right by Target. Whenever my friend's mother comes to town, she gives me a list and I go pick up what she needs since she always cooks for me! The man at the counter is very helpful and knows exactly where everything is. My two favorite things from this store are the frozen naan (delicious and you can't be the price!) and the FRESH samosas!!! They are $1.50 each and worth every penny. I actually bought a dozen to take to a vegetarian Friendsgiving. This place is definitely worth checking out, especially if you're cooking Indian food. read more

I was visiting relatives and offered to cook an Indian meal for them. The owner was very pleasant and helpful with suggestions. I'm happy to say everything turned out perfect. read more

Got a new cookbook and needed spiced and ingredients not found in my typical Target or Harris Teeter. The staff was super helpful in locating ingredients and suggesting other items. read more

This Indian grocery store has super friendly and helpful staff. There's fresh produce, frozen meats, and lots of frozen breads and curries, in addition to shelf stable stuff. More importantly, there are delicious fresh samosas at the checkout counter. Only $1.25 each! They're generously sized and filled with tasty curried potatoes and peas that are spicy enough to leave a tingle but not so much that your eyes water (though I found they got spicier the next day). The checkout guy told me to eat one in the car while it was fresh - didn't need to tell me twice! read more

Spice Bazaar - Samosa with nickel for scale - International Grocery Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I stop here when I'm in Durham to grab paneer to bring home. The place is packed full of spices and foods I can't find at home. The samosas are the best I've had, hands down. read more

We've driven by here plenty of times but finally stopped in on a Saturday after shopping in the big strip mall behind it. They have Indian, Pakistani and African foods and ingredients, including some frozen items and vegetables. The gentleman behind the counter was very friendly and chatting with some people who brought some South Asian students from Duke to go shopping. Like many small ethnic stores, it can be a little disorganized but just think of it as an exploration of interesting foods. We bought some frozen items and an Indian snack. There's an Indian grocery store closer to our house so we'll probably go there when we're looking for something. Otherwise, this store seems to serve this part of Durham well. read more

the only grocery store you need if you are making food thats actually good frfr get the samosas and pakora on the weekends you can't be disappointed and theyre vegan!!!!! read more

Best samosas around, period. Large, crispy, and delicious. Great spice and grocery offerings as well. read more

It was nice to recently discover the Spice Bazaar, another Indian grocery store in Durham (NC), located not far from Little India. As I came to learn the hard way, however, paying attention to the deadline for perishable (spoilable) products is not a quality that characterizes either of the two aforementioned stores. Despite not having a price sticker for most boxed and bottled items, Spice Bazaar was a welcome addition for me as a second Indian grocery store. Unfortunately, that changed quickly. Standing in line near the check-out counter in Spice Bazaar last week (week of September 18, 2023), [suffering from incontinence] I needed to go to the restroom for a brief period. Having left my grocery basket to mark my place in the queue, I returned to take my place. While the young couple behind me did not say anything, the store owner told me to move and make way for the young couple. Although I had the right to object, I did not want to create a scene and complied. After the young couple completed their shopping and left, I did mention to the owner his incorrect assumption (particularly that I usurped a place in the line). Instead of taking responsibility, what I found even more disturbing was that the owner right away blamed the couple (actually, the man) for not letting the store owner know that I was in fact ahead of him. Well, so much for professionalism and courtesy. Needless to add I have no intention of going back to Spice Bazaar! read more

Presenting a fantastic array of international products, The Spice Bazaar in Durham reminds me of the amazing markets and bazaars I have visited in Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur. Not only will you find an incredible selection of exotic products including curries from India, spices and fruits from the middle east and a broad selection of scrumptious foods from Asia, you will discover fresh vegetables and dried fruits that you cannot find any place else in the South. The friendly staff welcome you warmly as they guide you through their labyrinth of delicious and healthy delectables. The Spice Bazaar reigns supreme as the unique food emporium on the East Coast of America. read more

Love, love, LOVE this store. Whether you're experimenting with Indian cooking or experienced, they've got you coveted. + the clerks are super helpful with recipe tips & any questions you might need answered. Also can't beat the prices. Don't shop in the "Ethnic Food" section at your grocery store, GO HERE. read more

Want some spice in your life? Come to Spice Bazaar!! I'm surprised I haven't been here since moving to Durham, but have I missed out! Let me tell you about my experience. I walk into this shop, and start looking for the ONE thing I needed for my recipe. Madras curry powder. I go down one isle, it wasn't there. But do you know what was?? Garlic and ginger paste! I've seen it in recipes before but always grounded everything by hand! Along the back wall is an amazing wall of spices for specific recipes! With recipes in the back!! ($1.99) I grabbed a few of those for the meats I had in my fridge! The next isle, rice and snacks! I just grabbed a 10lb bag of basmati rice for (7.99-15.99). And I was so tempted to buy all the snacks in that isle!!!! Finally I go down the correct isle and I find the MADRA CURRY POWDER! I also picked up bags of dried spices. BAGS, y'all. But the story doesn't just stop there. Since I already wondered half of the store, I wondered into the other half. They have groceries as well as TEAS. I just picked up some masala tea. I was trying to find the pre sweetened tea, but couldn't find it. I asked the owner. He drops everything that he is doing to try to find it. Wasn't there, he went to the back to get a new stock. As I was checking out, the owner asked if I liked teas, gave me free tea. And of course-- I buy that one too! Overall great experience and spent way more money than planned. My $5 spice trip turned into a $40 Indian adventure. P.S they also sell henna and stencils! read more

Excellent staff and help finding everything I needed and more! Everyone was so friendly and there was an excellent selection to choose from. Thank you! read more

Such a great place and James the owner is friendly and wonderful! I took my class here for a field trip today and 14 of us, plus 6 adults had a great time. James was very welcoming and accommodating to my class of 2nd graders who were eager to buy new foods and excited to see some foods they had never seen before. They have a variety of frozen foods such as dosa, naan and paratha bread. They also have delicious homemade foods such as chana, plantain chips and fresh samosas on Thursdays. My class was so excited to purchase vadias (savory doughnut mix), jalebi (sweet gummy treat), masala-flavored Lays chips, Chicken Tikka Masala bites (in the frozen food section) basmati rice, spicy crackers and much more. Give yourself some time to browse the store, there are so many wonderful spices, snacks and foods to learn more about. Many of the parent chaperones mentioned they'd love to go back and try more foods and one even bought chana for their lunch. James even served the adults some delicious chai tea as we left and gave the kids cookies! I am so glad we got to visit the Spice Bazaar so my students could learn more about foods they may have never seen before or see foods they recognize from home. They had so many great questions and are excited to cook and try all the food we bought. The Spice Bazaar is definitely worth checking out so swing by and say hi to James. Bring cash if you plan to spend less than $10.00 since there is a $10 minimum on cards but there's so many cool things to buy you can easily spend $10.00 read more

It's frustrating when there is no rules at the checkout. Some people block the checkout for like half an hour while their partners are still shopping and bringing items one by one. What a waste of time. read more

A gem of a store! We had been traveling from Jackson heights queens and were so excited to find a lovely grocery for all our needs. Great selections, very friendly, good prices. Don't let the tiny store front fool you they have a huge selection! read more

The vast array of products, reasonable prices and excellent customer service lead us to drive "down off the mountain" to shop at Spice Bazaar. Grazie mille. read more

Spice Bazaar is a wonderful little grocery store (don't let the racy Adam and Eve store nearby scare you away) located in a strip mall just off 15-501. They stock all kinds of Indian food, including large, tasty samosas for $1 each. While I'm by no means an Indian cooking expert, they have everything I need for dinner at home. Also noteworthy is the delicious home-made chicken biryani, which you can sometimes find in the refrigerator section. The friendly owner helped me navigate the store and offered recommendations on my purchases. read more

Spice Bazaar - two cars parked in front of the store - International Grocery Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

After moving around a lot the last few years, I've got a pretty set list of "essentials" I need to find every time I move to a new town. A good Indian grocery store is one of these - preferably small, tucked away in a strip shopping center in a weird area of town, and stocking at least one or two homemade items I can take home as treats along with my red lentils and cumin seeds. Spice Bazaar is perfect. The owners are so friendly, helpful, and chatty; they stock all the Indian-cooking essentials I can't live without (mostly red lentils, but I pick up ginger and other spices there when I run low); and they've got a small selection of fresh produce, where I know I can always find a tub of chiles for pickling. Every time I go to the counter to check out, the owner greets me with a new tasty treat: one day, crunchy, honey-soaked pastries to take home to my husband, another day, flaky, buttery, perfectly fried samosas (for 99 cents, sure enough) I scooped up for a Saturday lunch. I love this place. There are a few other Indian groceries nearby, but I'll always find myself coming back to this one. read more

Lovely little family owned store, small but full of treasures, always a joy to visit.

I love this little store. Sure, the parking lot is tiny, and sort of a pain to navigate, but the store itself is awesome. Anything and everything you could possibly need for Indian cooking can be found, including dried lentils, bags of spices, several refrigerators full of meat, and lots of prepackaged, ready-made dishes. There is a small fresh produce section that has good produce at great prices, but the selection isn't too big, considering it's tucked in a corner in the back of the store. Oh, and you'll want to ask if they have any fresh samosas on hand to snack on while your shopping or for the walk to your car. You can't beat a yummy, warm samosa that only cost $1! read more

Excellent variety, prices and amazingly knowledgeable and helpful Staff. I've had one pleasant experience after another in this store.

I went to this store before lockdown in 2020 and this is a late review but still I want to share my experience. Most of the spices were expired. When we said the same to the owner he gave us an excuse that since the spices are all coming from India, he cannot replenish the same, so he sold whatever is available even though it has expired. He even charged us for an item which was not in our cart. Although he did process a refund but we had to explain him about the product not being picked up by us. That was waste of time. Overall experience was bad and NO MATTER WHAT, I will NEVER VISIT THIS STORE AGAIN. read more

Yep, the store is tiny, but lawdy, lawdy, it's pretty awesome! Give yourself some time for browsing. Soooo much there-- just about every possible item you need for Northern or Southern Indian cooking and everything in between, including Middle-Eastern, etc.. So many choices. So much fun to shop there. The owner is a very cool guy and will help you if you are a silly American and your recipe list calls for Ajika Besan and you don't know that's chickpea flour or you need hing but don't know if that's a spice or a special utensil. Also-- be sure to get a cup of chai from the machine-- it's excellent. One Saturday there were homemade samosas for sale too (inexpensive and oh-so delicious). FYI-- they take credit cards but it's a small business, so I try to bring cash instead and save the guy the credit card fees as he ain't no mega-corporation, just a cool, friendly guy with a tiny store full of goodies you won't find elsewhere. read more

Spice Bazaar - Hing or aasoefetida-- one of the most interesting spices you will ever smell or cook with! Get some when you're there! - International Grocery Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Be careful with the pricing. The spices said it was 1.99 but then I was charged $2.99 and $3.49. You got me on that but guess what I am not shopping here again coz they charged me $3.49 extra total. You don't try to make short term profit and lose in long run as I will tell my friends and family not to shop here. Thanks. read more

It has all the basics you will need to maintain or start your South Asian kitchen. I am Indian and cook food from the motherland at least 2x a week and buy all my spices etc. from here. The proprietor James is a really nice and helpful man and it is always a pleasure talking with him or his sons. That's an added bonus compared to other Indian grocery stores where the customer service isn't necessarily bad, but not as friendly as this little gem. read more

Wonderful, clean, well stocked Indian market that gets five stars due to the owners friendliness - contrary to other markets of the same vein. read more

A cool little spice shop with a great select of any Indian spices you might need. Have yet to need an Indian spice they couldn't provide me with. read more

Small but densely stocked Indian store with lots of unique ethnic foods you won't find anywhere else nearby. The owner is very friendly and gave out coffee & samosas. read more

My go to spice store when I am headed toward Durham for Middle Eastern cooking staples such as tahini or to put together a Indian dish. Have taken home some of their samosas as well and they do not disappoint. The shop keepers are friendly and helpful. read more

Make sure you check the items before you purchase. I bought Amul cheese a while back and it has fungus on it, recently I bought fryums and it had insects all over it. I'm not saying all products are bad but I have noticed there are decent amount of outdated products as well. Specially farsi food ( generally consumed when fasting) read more

Agree - the person at the front was very, very friendly. I went for one very random thing on my shopping list, left with bags of treats and spices. In total I probably walked 5 feet every 5 minutes while there - very densely stocked, very small. I left with a bag of free homemade chips too. They're great! Clearly mom and pop. Support! read more

The cashiers are polite and they try to help you in every way possible to make your shopping a good experience. They have wonderful selection of spices and vegetables. They have great samoosas, and fresh biriyani every weekend. read more

This store might seem small, but literally has every masala and every type of parantha that I usually shop for. James is super helpful and knowledgeable and will help you find whatever you're looking for, and if you're lucky you might be served a hot masala chai with a warm smile. The samosas are freshly made every weekend and are a real treat, don't forget to ask for them! read more

Typical indian store, crowded stuff everywhere but i still love it. Guy on the counter is usually really nice and their samosa is great as well. Seems like they are expanding soon read more

Just a WONDERFUL little place. Large selection of South Asian cooking essentials, and their mangoes are fantastic and a great price!! So glad I stumbled upon this little gem of a store! :) read more

I would like to say that the owner is very friendly and service minded. He went out of his way to return tickets I had bought from him via a seller. It took him effort as the tickets were none refundable. Still he did it! I recommend this place. read more