Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Spices

    4.0 (367 reviews)
    ModerateSzechuan, Hot Pot
    Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Spices Reservations

    Order Spices Takeout or Delivery

    Spices Photos

    SPICES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Spices

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Fried Tofu with Explosive Chili Pepper
    Kyra K.

    My coworkers and I planned to grab dinner before hitting another spot for trivia. My friend said one of his favorite spots in Richmond is Spices, so that's how we decided to come here. We arrived on a weekday evening. There weren't any other parties so it was pretty quiet. The restaurant is pretty spacious, with ample seating inside. The decor is pretty minimal and the service was fine. We were served our food quite fast but had to flag our servers down to be helped. We ordered and shared family style. We got: Spicy Cucumber, Scallion Pancake, Orange Chicken, Fried Tofu with Explosive Chili Pepper, Dry Braised String Beans, and House Special Chow Mein with Shrimp. I can't handle spicy food at all. My tolerance is so low. So most of what we got was too spicy for me, but it was really good! My favorites were the tofu and string beans. Everything was well seasoned and had some spice to it. If you like spicy food, I recommend Spices. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. The restaurant is off 6th Ave. with street parking around.

    Fire-Burst! Mongolian Beef Over Rice. It's beef that looks like chicken. So tender, so spicy. Delicious!
    Mario T.

    Spices is the wicked cousin of the chinese food you're used to. It's the one always partying, always a little hung over. If you're expecting broccoli beef or anything Cantonese-comfort, this isn't that. It shows up loud and unfiltered. My first visit was with a big group, and somewhere between all the shared dishes I fell in love with this place. The fish stew was the star. Packed with crab and all kinds of shellfish, deeply flavored, and perfect on a cold day. Then the dry braised string beans came out with crispy tofu. Little rectangles, perfectly breaded, salty, and so crunchy. I still think about them. I came back for lunch and kept it simple. The Mongolian beef hit the spot with tender meat and bold seasoning. The salt and pepper squid wasn't my favorite. A bit chewier than I like and the breading needed more crisp. Still tasty though, and not enough to stop me from returning. Lunch leans more familiar, but the soul of this place is Sichuan. The peppercorns give that electric tingle that numbs your lips and makes every bite feel like a whole experience, not just a flavor. Service is straightforward. Limited English, no small talk, just your order delivered exactly as requested. Spices is wild, bold, and memorable. I'll be back.

    wings
    Alyse K.

    Very good place to go when you're craving some spice. Ordered the beef rolls, the lamb dry pot, and the wings and everything was very good. Don't think you can go wrong with anything here. Went on a Monday night and was not crowded at all (though it should be, but lucky for you if it's not). Very kind workers as well!

    Hand Shredded Cabbage
    Matt J.

    While the food at Spices wasn't bad, it didn't have the characteristics of Sichuan cuisine that we were looking for. I'm certainly not an expert (far from it), but going off of unforgettable meals at Sichuan places abroad, we were eager for the numbing spices and hot and sour flavors. Neither the cauliflower nor the cabbage delivered on these fronts, offering merely solid versions of prototypical stir fry. The cauliflower could have been cooked longer to be less crunchy and better soak up its juices, and the cabbage could have been cut finer and used less of the rough stalks to make it more palatable. The service is fast and the portions are large, so Spices is a worthy option for a bigger group in need of a hearty meal on short notice, but it's not a destination for crosstown travel. Ultimately, when considering whether or not a restaurant is a repeater, Spices doesn't make the cut, compelling me to research other restaurants in hunting for a winner.

    A9. Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken or Calamari

    DO NOT GO HERE ON ANY TERMS! I got spoiled rotten calamari. YOU CAN EVEN SMELL IT! Like why would you think to even serve that you can really smell how rotten it is! Very spicy to the point where it's not edible and super burnt! Just overall gross and left terrible taste in mouth. I couldn't even talk to the waiter to ask for it to be comped because they don't understand. Oh also to mention, came on friday night completely empty in there, they didn't even serve us or acknowledge us. We had to go up to the front to order and when we went up they acted incompetent. This is just awful, I am reporting them to the Health Department immediately like seriously this is a health hazard. I could have gotten food poisoning!! DO NOT GO NO MATTER WHAT, SAVE YOURSELVES!

    Se1. Fish Fillet Bowl with Flaming Red Oil, A10. Beef Rolls M18., Orange Chicken or Beef

    So delicious and very big portions!! Worth every penny. The server was very kind as well.

    Vegetarian Iron Pot (Large)
    Janani K.

    The most flavorful sizzling pot of veggies and tofu ever. Came here for a late dinner and ordered the large vegetarian sizzling iron pot and it totally hit the spot. Service is quick and food is fresh. Portion is massive, so it's a major value for money too. 10/10 would recommend.

    Breeze chicken with chili pepper
    David T.

    Spices is absolutely amazing. My partner and I went with a friend and ordered the orange chicken, seaweed, braised chicken with chili pepper, and the fish fillet bowl with flaming red oil, and every single dish was bursting with flavor. The orange chicken was crispy and perfectly balanced, the braised chicken had that deep, spicy kick you hope for, and the seaweed was surprisingly flavorful and refreshing. But the standout, without question, was the fish fillet bowl. It came out sizzling hot, coated in a rich, fiery red oil with layers of spice that changed as the dish cooled, every bite felt like a new experience. That said, this is not the place for anyone who can't handle heat, the food definitely packs some fire. But if you love bold, complex flavors, this is the spot for you. The service was a little lackluster, but the food more than makes up for it. Don't hesitate to ask for what you need, it's worth it. I'll definitely be back. This place is crazy good and absolutely a must-try at least once.

    Deep fried stinky tofu from the secret menu
    Gee P.

    No gatekeeping here. They have a "secret menu" that's basically stinky tofu prepared in several different ways. My favorite is just the original, deep fried and dipped in sweet chili sauce. This is the real deal. Legit STINKY and oh so good!!! It's highly addictive and I'd come back just for this one dish. It's a deep craving that can only be satisfied by the stinkiest of dishes.

    M5. Ma-Po Tofu with Ground Pork
    Kevin Q.

    I came here for dinner, and this restaurant specializes in Sichuan cuisine, featuring a menu with a wide variety of authentic dishes. I chose some of the most popular items, which were absolutely delicious. The portions are generous, offering enough food to share or take home, as they are quite large. There are some restrictions on dining options; for example, I wanted to order a few hotpot dishes but I couldn't finish eat everything at the restaurant. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my experience and will definitely return for more. The price is good for SF area. Waiters are tentative.

    don't get their shrimp- taste pretty old and all you taste is oil
    Joanne C.

    Ambiance: casual Service: okay Food: hit or miss Came here a few times and I do like their dry pots, it has a decent amount of protein and pretty spicy! Goes so well with rice! But recently we ordered their spicy shrimp which I thought would be lightly fried with szechuan spice, but it was deep fried. It just tasted like batter and oil, wasted $30 for old tasting shrimp.

    Fish fillet Small Meat Iron Pot
    Amanda C.

    Have actually been obsessed with this place for the iron pot, which is essentially like hot pot flavors, but with no soup and in stir fry form. I usually get it with the fried fish filet which is *chef's kiss*, flavorful and crunchy but has a kick to it! Come hungry because the small iron pot is perfect for two people, and I usually take the rest home since I also order additional things. The leftovers even taste good the next day because the flavor has soaked in even more. I do recommend that you consider the spice level because like their name, "spices", the food can be pretty spicy even for a medium. I also LOVE their fried eggplant, for an appetizer. It's crunchy on the outside with that spicy chili and peppery flavor, and balances out the eggplant flavor so well. Like I said, service is quick and I'm so happy it's close to me in my neighborhood. I go all the time for some comfort food and am still not tired of it!

    House Special Spicy Beef Chow Fun
    Mike L.

    Even though I didn't visit them as often as I wish I did, Spices (Spices II?) was one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in SF. In part because, for the longest time, they seemed to be one of the best Szechwan restaurants in The City, but mostly because they were just really good in general. Which, given all of that, probably makes it rather curious as to why it took me so long to finally make my way to the "new" Spices. It certainly hasn't been due to a lack of desire, but I will say that the tepid experiences from family and friends absolutely didn't exactly light a fire to make it here... Compared to how the old/original Spices looked, the current version has a far more modern look. Gone are the colorfully painted walls and table cloths, having been replaced with relatively darker tones and monotone colors. The menu has been similarly revamped with a comparatively narrower range of options (they dropped a lot of their Taiwanese dishes), though most of their main offerings and Szechwan classics, like iron pots, noodle soups, map tofu, and tan tan noodles, are still found. However, even then, a bunch of them don't seem to be exactly the same as before, for better or worse. -- TAN TAN NOODLE WITH GROUND PORK...$16.99 (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spices-san-francisco-6?select=N5rovqiSwHAdOCt4VSkVZg) I was super excited for this one, but I thought it was just okay. The noodles were great, and I liked the flavors of the ground pork/sauce a lot, but I was surprised by how oily the sauce/broth was (it was more than I expected). -- HOUSE SPECIAL SPICY BEEF CHOW FUN...$16.99 (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spices-san-francisco-6?select=NsUg1dpr_ft7YR8AgZcwOg) This was...fine. While there wasn't anything "bad" about this dish, it didn't do much to amaze either. The noodles had a slight kick (which I loved), but not in the mouth numbing way (it had more to do with the slices of jalapeno). -- PORK IN GARLIC SAUCE OVER RICE...$14.99 (Lunch Special) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spices-san-francisco-6?select=R8a5HpjcJ9Su-4z0q0-kgA) Despite how it's marked with two chili signs, we actually didn't find this to be spicy at all. The version that the old Spices also just tasted better, too; while there was a fair mix of pork and veggies, the overall flavors for this just felt lacking/muted. -- MAPO TOFU WITH GROUND PORK OVER RICE...$14.99 (Lunch Special) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spices-san-francisco-6?select=0r0RcXkOjvqHogPKjJBuIA) Pretty solid, for the most part. The chunks of tofu were soft and plump and i liked that the sauce had a good amount of white pepper and Szechwan peppercorns. However, for $15, the portion seemed really small... Also, in terms of service, I generally don't expect, nor need, anything exceptional, but I thought it was interesting how different it was between our two meals here. The first time, we had a young female server who was great - super nice and very attentive. The second time, we had a comparatively older female server who wasn't rude, but didn't exactly give off the warmest of vibes and seemed to disappear for really long stretches. Given how big of a fan I was, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the old/original Spices better, but that's not to say that this one is "bad". If this was the only Spices I knew, I admit I might feel a little differently about the food (though, not necessarily the value); it's just hard not to compare all of those old experiences to my most recent meals here. Plus, this is still one of the better Szechwan spots around these parts, so I'm sure I'll still make it back to try more of what the menu has to offer every now and then.

    My son and me love this chicken wing. Love spicy M17. Chicken Wings with Explosive Chili. Thank you!

    See all

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 28
    Thanks 10
    Love this 26
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Abe B.
    634
    8
    4

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pri J.
    0
    14
    0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of New E.
    0
    10
    30

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 3
    Love this 3
    Oh no 2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean F.
    25
    29
    1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Adel W.
    407
    852
    2959

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 31
    Thanks 0
    Love this 33
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Spices Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Spices

    Do you have gluten free options? (No wheat or sauces that have soy sauce (which typically have wheat).

    Parking during lunch - easy?

    Only if the parking gods have smiled on you. Parking in this area is always tricky.

    View All 3 Questions

    You might also consider

    Szechuan Cuisine

    Szechuan Cuisine

    4.2(530 reviews)
    1.6 mi•Outer Sunset
    •$$

    Came here for a friend's birthday. I told him to pick a restaurant (we both don't live in the…read moreSunset) and he picked Szechuan Cuisine! He and his partner like to come here and I'm glad they introduced us to it. ~$100 pre-tip for 4 dishes for 4 people (plus rice) in SF in 2026? Not too shabby! We were full and very content (though we did almost tear up from the spice.) It was pretty busy on a Saturday night and they also do a pretty good takeout/delivery business. I must shoutout their dandan noodles (very peanutty and nice noodle texture) and Stir-Fried Chicken with Hot Chili and Spices(风味辣子鸡)and Spicy Fried Chinese Cabbage(炝炒莲白). The spicy chicken was the highlight. Very good crunch, flavor, and spice. Truly numbing. We devoured it. Everything was good and I will be back! I love mapo tofu and will try that next time! Service was fine. We drank so much water.

    I have eaten Chinese food all over the world including China . This was one of the worst…read moreexperiences. We ordered eggplant , cucumber salad , fried rice with crawfish and fried chicken wings . Pretty standard , eh? We had taken a guest who wanted to try these dishes . The cook threw in a bunch of dry chili peppers and Szechuan peppers with the same sauce and chili oil in all of the dishes , a lot of sugar in the eggplant . The fried rice was mushy and again spiked with the 'hot' sauce . Big servings but we couldn't eat it . If you are not as fussy and discerning and want quantity over quality, this is the place for you . Never again .

    Photos
    Szechuan Cuisine
    Szechuan Cuisine
    Szechuan Cuisine

    See all

    Z & Y Restaurant - "fish live fish w/peppencorns"
  szechuan cold appetizer
   @sooshieats

    Z & Y Restaurant

    3.8(3k reviews)
    3.3 mi•Chinatown
    •$$$
    Takes reservations
    Locally owned & operated

    10/10 service by Jenny! Got us a superb desert on the house too!!…read more Beware of long waiting queues though.

    We stopped by Z&Y Peking Duck for lunch on a Sunday and really enjoyed the experience. The…read morerestaurant has a polished, modern atmosphere, and I liked how the food was presented in a more elevated way while still keeping that familiar Chinese family-style dining experience of ordering several dishes to share around the table. We ordered quite a spread: Peking duck, pork belly, house fried rice, shrimp noodles, crab maw soup, lamb, two orders of siomai, hot tea, and a lychee mojito. The house fried rice and shrimp noodles were easily my favorites. The fried rice was flavorful and one of those dishes I kept going back to throughout the meal. The shrimp noodles were another standout and paired really well with everything else we ordered. Of course, we had to get the Peking duck. The presentation made it feel like the centerpiece of the table and really fit the restaurant's more modern approach. My mom especially enjoyed the lamb, and we also ordered two orders of siomai to share. The pork belly leaned more on the sweet side, which wasn't really for me, but my husband thought it was good. I think that one comes down to personal preference--if you enjoy a sweeter flavor with your pork belly, you'll probably appreciate it more than I did. The crab maw soup was just okay for me on its own. Stanley had made us a special sauce for the siomai, and I decided to add a little to my soup. Surprisingly, it made such a difference! It gave the soup the extra flavor I felt it needed. For drinks, we had hot tea and a lychee mojito. The hot tea was a nice pairing with all the food, while the lychee mojito was light and refreshing. Stanley, our server, was great throughout lunch. He was friendly, attentive, and very informative about the menu and the dishes we ordered. He took the time to answer our questions and explain things, which we really appreciated. Overall, we had a great Sunday lunch at Z&Y Peking Duck. I enjoyed the modern, elevated presentation while still being able to order a table full of dishes to share. Not every dish was necessarily for my personal taste, but that's part of ordering family-style--everyone at the table had their own favorites. The house fried rice and shrimp noodles were definitely mine, while my mom especially enjoyed the lamb. I'd definitely come back and explore more of the menu next time.

    Photos
    Z & Y Restaurant - Stir fried crab with house spicy saunce
 z&y restaurant 
  make a  reservation

    Stir fried crab with house spicy saunce z&y restaurant make a  reservation

    Z & Y Restaurant - Couple"sdelight (beef shank beef tripe &beef tendon w/chili oil)Couple's Delight | Top Chinese Food in San Francisco @confession.of.a.foodie

    Couple"sdelight (beef shank beef tripe &beef tendon w/chili oil)Couple's Delight | Top Chinese Food in San Francisco @confession.of.a.foodie

    Z & Y Restaurant - Z&y restaurant menu
 Best chinese in San Francisco, CA

    See all

    Z&y restaurant menu Best chinese in San Francisco, CA

    San Tung - Original Dry Fried Chicken ($20/12)

    San Tung

    4.1(8.9k reviews)
    1.4 mi•Inner Sunset
    •$$

    Original dry fried chicken, top tier. Walnut shrimp amazing…read more Shrimp fried rice was fire Hot and sour soup great. Green beans also good. This was maybe the best meal my whole Bay Area trip.

    A bit overrated San…read moreTung on Irving Street in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, CA, offers a textbook overrated dining experience that struggles to justify its massive, block-spanning hype. The defining hurdle of a visit is the notorious wait time, where customers routinely stand on the sidewalk for an hour or more just to be squeezed into a cramped, noisy, and basic dining room. While the legendary original dry-fried chicken wings are decent, they ultimately fall short of their mythical reputation; the signature sweet-and-spicy glaze leans incredibly saccharine and sticky, masking meat that often turns out slightly dry and over-fried. Beyond the signature wings, the rest of the extensive menu feels surprisingly ordinary and heavy-handed with sodium, making standard dishes like the black bean sauce noodles and string beans feel like ordinary takeout rather than a destination meal. Combined with a hurried front-of-house staff operating an "all-business" conveyor belt to clear tables quickly, the rushed environment and inflated, ala-carte pricing leave you feeling like you paid premium time and money for what is ultimately a standard neighborhood Chinese spot. Thanks

    Photos
    San Tung
    San Tung - Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce ($18)

    Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce ($18)

    San Tung - Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce ($18)

    See all

    Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce ($18)

    Spicy House - dry fried wings $16

    Spicy House

    4.3(342 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    •$$

    True to their name Spicy House, the spicy dishes are good. We had the green onion pancake $9, spicy…read morecabbage $13, pot stickers $7, dry fried wings $16, Szechuan spicy fish $20, dan dan noodle $12, cumeng pork ribs $17. The stand out dishes were the dry fried wings and the Szechuan spicy fish $20. The wings were crispy with a semi-sweet spicy sauce. The Szechuan spicy fish came in this oily stew. It was a numbing dish. Caused by peppercorns and chilis, this phenomenon is known as Szechuan numbness (málà) where your taste receptors get confused. Service was slow as the staff was busy with to-go and in house customers. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time. The restaurant was 80% full on a Friday night.

    I slept on this spot for the longest and finally stopped by. Now I'm kicking myself in the butt for…read morewaiting so long... Came for a late lunch on a Saturday. The staff were really nice and helpful when it came to recommendations. They informed us that their version of the San Tung dried style chicken wings were very popular, but we weren't in the mood for San Tung wings. The male waiter even told me that he use to work at San Tungs for 13yrs, so I wonder if he brought the recipe over... Below is the spread and everything smacked! The Spread - Complimentary Veggie Egg Rolls, Minced Pork Basil Chow Fun, Szechuan Spicy Chicken Wings, & Crispy Garlic Pork Chops I def will be back to try other items!

    Photos
    Spicy House - Interior seating area

    Interior seating area

    Spicy House - Spicy cabbage $13

    Spicy cabbage $13

    Spicy House - Szechuan spicy fish $20

    See all

    Szechuan spicy fish $20

    Spices - szechuan - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...