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    Spices

    4.0 (360 reviews)
    ModerateSzechuan, Hot Pot
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Spices Reservations

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    SPICES ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Spices

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    Reviews With Photos

    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!

    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.

    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.

    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.

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

    M17 chicken wing fried very good!. My son loves it a lot . Service is good, food is good

    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!

    A1. Wonton Soup
    Jolens V.

    I had to try stinky Tofu and boy does it live up to its name. I thought I was not going to eat it but I never back down to a challenge. After asking for some rice I was able to eat it. I had some wonton soup and that was really good. The service was excellent and I enjoyed the Restaurants peace and quiet . The place was clean and well spaced.

    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.

    Becca H.

    Yum! Pretty good food for Szechuan in SF. Everything has really great flavor and spice. The eggplant was really good - switched it up and got a different style than normal. Honestly all dishes around are pretty good. Service is ok - it is usually quick to order but took a while to get food. The spot is not too busy but definitely decent crowds in there. Would return for sure!

    Melinda H.

    Got the pork intestine and beef pot. it was delicious! The pot comes with a bunch of sides (bean sprouts, potatoes, green onions, etc). We opted for numbing spice which wasn't too spicy. In addition we got a side of chili oil wontons which were only okay in our opinion. This place was packed on a Friday! The owners definitely looked overwhelmed but were trying their hardest to accommodate everyone. Definitely recommend!

    Mapo Ma-Po Tofu with Ground Pork Lunch Special

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    Super underrated. I really love the string beans, the pickled cabbage fish soup and the cumin beef

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    Page 1 of 9

    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.

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    Szechuan Cuisine

    Szechuan Cuisine

    4.2(522 reviews)
    1.6 miOuter Sunset
    $$

    Treated myself to a meal here and ordered Dan Dan noodles, pickled cucumbers and dry fried string…read morebeans. Though the food's nice and light, it was also a bit bland. The cucumber was not spicy at all and the string beans didn't have the oomph in the sauce. The noodles took a long time to come out and I couldn't finish when it did, so had to pack them for lunch the next day. The Dan Dan noodles sauce was poured on top, so it needs a good stir and was delicious! Decent service and portions in a homey atmosphere.

    Szechuan Cuisine seems like another spot in the inner sunset, but wow it really blew me away! We…read morecame in for a late dinner (bonus points for being open a little later for SF standards). The space was clean and there's plenty of indoor tables. We got the pork boiled dumplings with red chili oil, dry flat fried rice noodle with beef, the crispy fried chicken, and a veg combo. The food was the perfect level spice, there was a kick for sure, but I wanted to keep eating. It was incredibly good! The food came out as it was ready so it was nice to get the dishes back to back while they came out hot and fresh. The pork dumplings and the noodles were my favorite. Everything was so flavorful and satisfying. I can't wait to go back! This place is known for their Dan Dan noodles, so I have to come back for those!

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    San Tung

    San Tung

    4.1(8.8k reviews)
    1.4 miInner Sunset
    $$

    So we finally got here! The line was long, but honestly the wait wasn't bad at all -- probably only…read morearound 30 minutes considering how far down we were on the waitlist. Once they started calling tables, it moved really fast. When we were seated, we ended up sharing a table with two other groups of two. I actually didn't mind it at all because there was still enough space between everyone to have privacy. It also made the experience feel more social -- I ended up chatting with the people to my right and left about the food. Everything we ordered was really good. Their popular dry fried chicken absolutely lived up to the hype and was probably my favorite thing on the menu... besides the cherry pork. I feel like nobody talks about the cherry pork enough! It was SO good -- kind of like a sweet-and-sour pork without the sour. I dipped it in soy sauce because I loved the sweet and salty combo together. The dumplings were also really good. The wrapper was thin and delicious, but my boyfriend said he wished they had a little more protein filling and less leek. The green beans are always a hit. The only thing I probably wouldn't order again was the black bean sauce noodles. Maybe I just expected a different flavor, but to me they honestly tasted like regular lo mein. I'm also not a huge noodle person in general, so I'd probably skip them next time and order something else instead. Forgot to mention their prices are on point! Definitely recommend to any of the tourists. I think the weight is definitely worth it and I love being able to take home my leftovers and eating them for lunch and dinner the next day.

    Settling into SF and trying as many neighborhood staples as possible, and San Tung absolutely feels…read morelike one of those classic spots that's been getting it right for a long time. The place was packed at lunch, which is usually the best sign, but turnover was quick and I was seated faster than expected. The lunch special is a solid value with soup, rice, and an entree included. Started with the hot and sour soup which had good balance and depth without being overly thick or aggressive on the vinegar. The dry fried beef was tasty. Great texture, nicely cooked, layered flavor, and the kind of dish that keeps you reaching back in even after you're full. Service was efficient, food came out quickly, and the whole place has that old school neighborhood energy that makes you understand why it stays busy. Not trying to reinvent anything, just executing the classics well.

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    Little Szechuan

    3.6(706 reviews)
    3.4 miChinatown, North Beach/Telegraph Hill
    $$

    Highly recommend this place! They have a variety of food options from dumplings to noodles. Their…read morechow mien is to die for! The ambiance adds a nice touch to the place, as well.

    Don't change a thing, the spice level is perfect!…read more Sincerely, I'd like to meet the people who think Little Szechuan goes easy on the heat because to me, it's a blast of mala spice and numbing sensation- and I have a high tolerance. The Spicy Garlic Pork with vegetables was HOT and there was no escape: Like an opponent's chess pieces trying to grab your king, one bite after the next puts you in jeopardy. It was a good kind of peril. The Chow Mein Select noodles with lots of fresh crunchy vegetables was nicely executed with firm, plump chow mein. It was a very generous helping. I thanked my stars for the relief of white rice. The quart of hot and sour soup will have to wait until tomorrow, so much delicious food. For vegetarians, lots of menu options for you as well as those looking for unique dumplings and lots of offal dishes for those who crave it. Ambience is fresh, polished, non-touristy yet in the very heart of Chinatown where this is not always guaranteed. Locals and visitors alike, bookmark this restaurant. Little Szechuan was another Too Good to Go find. We'll be back soon, before Chinese New Year. 新年快乐

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    Little Szechuan - Orange Chicken, J10. General Tso's Chicken, Chicken Chow Mein

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    Spicy House - 78. Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup

    Spicy House

    4.4(323 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    Spicy House is my go-to spot! I come here so often the servers recognize us and already know what…read morewe're going to order. I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE the dry fried chicken and the Szechuan spicy beef. The chicken is crispy, packed with flavor, and super addictive, while the spicy beef is rich, bold, and has that signature numbing kick from the Sichuan peppercorns. I usually also get the honey walnut shrimp when I want something a little sweeter to balance everything out, but if you're trying this place for the first time, you really can't go wrong with the dry fried chicken and Szechuan spicy beef. Just a heads up, it's not just spicy, it's that numbing heat, so definitely get some rice on the side.

    Spicy House is quickly becoming my new favorite Chinese restaurant. My husband and I stopped in…read morearound 2:00 in the afternoon, and even at that hour the place was pleasantly busy, which felt like a good sign right away. We both ordered lunch plates. He had the black bean spicy fish with white rice, and I chose the mapo tofu with fried rice. Each lunch came with tea, a cup of hot and sour soup, and an egg roll. The soup really stood out. It wasn't just a thin broth with a few scraps floating around. It was a genuine, comforting hot and sour soup with real ingredients in every spoonful. That alone made the meal feel thoughtful and complete. The portions were satisfying and well balanced, and everything arrived hot and fresh. My husband enjoyed his fish, which had good flavor and a nice texture. The mapo tofu was exactly how I like it. The tofu held its shape, which made a big difference. I do not enjoy overly soft tofu that falls apart, and this had a firmer bite that worked really well with the sauce. The dish was clean tasting, with a steady heat that was noticeable but not overwhelming. It had spice, but it did not overpower the dish or linger too aggressively. There was no pork, which I appreciated, and it still felt complete and satisfying without it. What made this meal especially meaningful for me is that I had just gotten out of the hospital a week ago after dealing with malnutrition, dehydration, and several health issues. I had not been eating well and had lost over 80 pounds in the past year. This was the first full, nourishing meal I have truly been able to enjoy in a long time. For the first time in months, I did not feel weak or fragile afterward. I felt full, steady, and strong. That kind of experience goes beyond just good food. It felt restorative. It felt like care. From what others often say, this place has built a strong reputation for bold Sichuan flavors that are still approachable. People tend to mention the generous portions, the consistent quality, and the fact that the spice levels are flavorful rather than overwhelming. It is the kind of spot that draws both regulars and first time visitors who are looking for something reliable and satisfying. Spicy House gave me more than just a meal. They gave me a moment of comfort and strength when I really needed it. We will absolutely be back.

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    Spices - szechuan - Updated May 2026

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