Penzeys Spices

Went here today with my family. My daughter was having a really hard time. The staff went the extra mile to bag her stuff separate. They were so kind. I was expecting to have them glare at me, hey! I am used to it, however these women were extremely sympathetic. I love penzeys! It was nice to smell it all before buying. Thanks for being so nice to me and my family!

I do not have a Penzey’s store where I live so I keep a list of the things I want until I’m ready to order on-​line.
Unless, of course, I am visiting a city where I can go in and smell the spices and look at the recipe ideas.
I no longer buy spice blends (Over the years I’ve tried Berbere, Northwoods Seasoning, Cinnamon Sugar, Vanilla Sugar, Tsardust, Sandwich Sprinkle, and Bankok Blend) and find I prefer their unblended spices. I absolutely insist on Penzey’s Vietnamese Cinnamon, Hot Curry Powder, Cumin, Creamy Peppercorn Dressing Base, and Dutch Process Cocoa above all other brands. Supermarket brands of herbs like oregano or Italian herbs just taste like grass, stick with Penzeys.
I get that many cooks want to browse undisturbed in a store, but I marked this review down because the 2 employees were pretty indifferent and checkout was slow because they weren’t paying much attention to the shopper.

This store is so fun. I’m the weirdo who will slowly walk through the store smelling everything and dreaming of all the stuff I would cook with the super potent and fresh spices. In reality, I get the spices and forget about them in my kitchen cupboards. I highly recommend this place!

Despite this place having quite a variety of spices, if you come here looking for something very specific, you probably won’t find it. In that sense, while being able to come here is useful in terms of being able to actually smell the spices before purchase, shopping online is otherwise a preferable option.
I came here with a friend, myself looking for Baharat and her looking for a specific kind of sea salt. The employees there were polite and helpful, though we quickly learned they had neither of our desired items. We perused the store anyway and were reasonably impressed; the selection of vanilla sugar was really nice, and if I ate breakfast more often, I definitely would have availed myself of a jar.
The trouble with stores with such a specific bent as this one is that you go in expecting them to have EVERYTHING and of course their floorspace doesn’t allow that. So, you approach it logically: if you can buy general spices from the grocery store and hard-​to-​find spices can only be had online, you get squeezed away from stores like this on both ends. Add to the equation the high prices that come with having to pay for a brick-​and-​mortar shop and you realize that this place is only really for locals who want to try something fancy and support local stores at the same time. If you fall into that category, this place is for you. If not, well… Check online instead.
Overall: 3.0 stars
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Pros:
— Store has an attractive layout, and all the spices are all available for smelling.
— Employees are polite and helpful.
— Some unique offerings will impress you.
Cons:
— Since many spices are far cheaper at the grocery store and many hard-​to-​find ones simply aren’t here, you may leave empty-​handed or having paid too much. This option is for locals and internetphobics only.

Once upon a time, a Jersey girl who found herself living in Kentucky got a misdirected Penzeys Spices catalog in her mailbox. She read through it, drooled, and ordered stuff. Said stuff was AWESOME. Penzeys grabbed another customer.
Fast forward a few years. The Jersey girl now lived in Richmond, Virginia and had friends in Northern Virginia and Maryland. She also knew that Penzeys had a store in Falls Church, Virginia, and delighted in swinging by the store on her way home after visiting said friends. On one trip, after loading up the counter with her spice and herb haul, she bemoaned, «I really wish we had a Penzeys in Richmond, but I doubt that’ll happen.»
«Don’t you read the catalog?» asked the cashier. «We’re opening up a store in Richmond next year.»
Fortunately my lungs aren’t that powerful or else my squee of delight would have blown out windows.
And so Penzeys opened in Carytown, and all was right with the world.
If you are a serious or semi-​serious or are like OH HELL I TRY cook Penzeys needs to be on your radar. Name the spice or herb, they’ve got it. As a fan of Indian food I will claim that Penzeys has the most awesome and authentic curry powders and blends ever. The Carytown store is staffed with friendly, helpful yet unobtrusive people. There are jars of spice and herb that you can sniff (DUDE SERIOUSLY DON’T LAY OUT LINES THAT’S NOT COOL) to make your decision. Prices are very reasonable, particularly if you buy large quantities like me (ahem, curry, chili powder, garlic and cumin). If there’s any drawback, it’s that owner Bill Penzey is EXTREMELY salt and fat-​phobic, even as most of the recipes featured in the catalog and on the website are for sugar-​laden desserts, which will kill you way quicker than salt and fat, but I digress.
If you cook? Go to Penzeys. Period. End of story.

I would have never discovered Penzey’s if it weren’t for a wonderful coworker of mine buying us a gift card here for our wedding gift. I was very pleasantly surprised to find such a wide array of spices and such amazing quality. I love to cook all different types of food, and I love to blend global seasonings in my everyday meals, so this place was like a playground for me.
You walk in and you small all of the different spices, and you see so many different displays, and it’s a bit overwhelming at first because the organization of the spices is not necessarily the most obvious. The workers greet you as soon as you walk in and are very helpful without being overbearing, but this is definitely something I’d like to experience in pensive solitude – what will I use, which variety, how? I don’t need my train of thought clouded by a customer service rep hounding me, so thank goodness they don’t do that. There is, however, a bit of an intimidation factor here because it seems like everyone who comes here has been a thousand times and knows exactly where everything is.
As far as their products, I loved the fact that they sell single-​origin spices. If you are a serious cook, you know the importance of spice origins. Vietnamese cinnamon, my favorite find here, is definitely a standout high quality cinnamon. It is sweet, rich, and has just the right balance of spiciness and depth to sweetness. I also loved the allspice here. For some odd reason, allspice sold in the store is so often old and dried out. While I typically use 5 allspice berries in some dishes, one or two of the one from Penzey’s is enough. All of their spices are so packed with flavorful oils because of the freshness and unparalleled quality. Everything here is certainly gift-​worthy. The allspice berries were even uniform in size, which is something very hard to come by. In addition to individual spices, there is an abundance of wonderful seasoning blends as well, although many of them were far too pricey, in my opinion. I feel like the blends are their real money makers because they have salt and blends of less costly spices, but because they are so expertly blended, some people are willing to pay the high premium because they aren’t so confident in their ability to make their own blends at home. I get that.
The spices here are sold in nice little glass jars. I’m all about re-​useables, so that’s a major plus for me. I also loved how they had display spice jars that you could smell. Any good cook can tell by the aroma how good the quality is and also which variety would work best for a given application. They even have flavor descriptions and common uses on the display shelves and jar labels, which is also very useful. The wide variety of spice jar sizes was a huge plus for me too.
I am so grateful to my coworker for sharing this gem with me! There is no grocery store or even specialty ethnic market selling spices of this quality in the area. To find all of these spices, you’d have to drive all over the place from market to market, so it’s so nice to know that I can find them all in one place and at a superior quality. If you’re broke, stay away, but when you have a little cash to burn, you won’t regret spending it here. Your belly, your family, and your friends will surely thank you!

I bought $ 150 worth of fragrant spices, some very unique (for richmond). ‘Nuff said!

I stumbled upon Penzeys Spices while I was shopping in Carytown. Once you open the door to Penzeys Spices; the aroma will open up your nasal cavity. Penzeys has a lot of samples out so you can smell different spices before buying. I brought the pizza and cinnamon spices. Both spices are very flavorful. The difference from store brought cinnamon and Penzeys cinnamon is night and day. Penzeys Spices has some nice gift pack spice set you can purchase as well. The staff is very helpful. The employees are friendly. If you want good quality spices, Penzeys Spices is a good choice.

Wish I didn’t wait so long to stop by here.
When you first walk it you are literally smacked in the face of amazing smelling spices and seasonings. It takes a second or two to get your bearings when you walk in because the smell hits you and then you take in the fact its hard to isolate where this amazing smell is coming from.
It only took me about 2 minutes until I realized I needed a basket. I found some amazing different spices and rubs. I was very excited to go home and cook up some fish and chicken.
Highly recommend checking this place out. I will always come back next time I am in the need for spices.

Good selection, horrible prices, snobby staff.

During a Carytown walk we popped into Penzey’s Spices. The smells are amazing and the staff is very friendly. A nice touch… they have recipes displayed near spices, so you can get ideas. The spices are on the expensive side when compared to grocery store options, BUT they are fresh and high quality.
Cheers.

Hollah! I have to drive all the way to Raleigh to visit this store and low and behold it’s right across from where I grabbed breakfast. Score! I love this store. I’ve grown weary of the dusty suspiciously old rows of spices in the grocery stores. This stuff is authentically fresh and tasty. Their magazines not only display their newest inventory but have great recipes utilizing them. I’m super excited to try their showcased Raspberry enlightenment. There’s so many options on how to use it!
As a well-​seasoned foodie and self defined chef, I can appreciate the high quality and unique blends their spices offer. Give up that bland supermarket seasoning that has been sitting on the shelf for decades and replace it was a unique Penzey’s blend packed with flavor and taste. There’s plenty of jars to sniff test and determine what you need or like. The service here was super friendly and the cashier was awesome. I’ll totally drop by again next time I’m in Richmond.

If I go to heaven, I hope there is a Penzey’s there.
This place is a cooks dream/​nightmare. Dream because you can get lost in the awesome smells and your imagination swirls with what you can create. A nightmare, because if you don’t know where to go you’ll be looking for that damn bottle of oregano for 20 minutes.
To avoid said nightmare, ask one of the super kind associates at the front. Every single time I walk in this place, I’m greeted cheerfully and asked if I need help. I always let them know what I’m there for and they take me personally to the section I’m looking for and tell me about what i’m seeing. Great customer service.
After I’ve selected the necessary items on my list, I decide to wander and find other spices/​mixtures to experiment with.
I love this place and don’t know what I’d do without it… well probably just get my spices from Sauers but anywho.
The only thing I wish they would sell is truffle salt. I have only found it at Whole Foods, which isn’t a problem other than the fact it takes me 2 minutes to get to carytown and 20 to get to short pump.
Oh well!
Take care and savor the spices!

Does ANYWHERE in Richmond carry ras el hanout? I know it sounds like a Batman villain but it’s a Moroccan spice blend that my mom is absolutely nutty about and hasn’t been able to find outside of large cities. I thought that Penzeys would totally have it. They don’t. Unfortunately, they can’t order it, either.
Aside from that, Penzeys is a really cool place! I didn’t know they were a chain store and I wouldn’t have guessed that by the layout or the way the clerks act. They’re really knowledgeable and friendly. I’ve never noticed them being snooty or mean, but then I’ve always been there around noon, not right before closing. I bet you that they smell fantastic… that sounds creepy, doesn’t it? Can you imagine though? They work all day in the midst of spice heaven! My mom works in a doughnut shop. Everything she owns, down to her purse, smells like doughnuts. Working in Penzeys must bestow on you a fabulous scent. Never wear perfume again!
Lack of ras el hanout notwithstanding there are lots of cool spices in here that I’ve never heard of. There are also spice blends, the usual spice contenders and all different size containers of nearly everything. Need enough mulling spices to drunken an army? Only want to try out the tiniest bit of juniper berries? You got it. Everything is laid out alphabetically so it’s really easy to find stuff.

Favorite spot to pick up great spices and unique combinations of spices. I like that the staff is helpful and cheerful, the space is clean and inviting, and that they have a website that you can order from in case you move out of town, like I did! They also have wonderful gift boxes that make delightful gifts.

There is something about Penzeys Spices which I enjoy going into. I think it is the fragrance of all the spices which makes you hungry. I am a TRUE lover of spices in my food and this is a great place to spend an hour. I go from spice to spice and testing many in how they taste. They have a sample jar there which you can pour a little in the palm of your hand, I it gives you an idea of what it taste like.
In addition, it is worth signing up to get their magazine as it has many wonderful recipes, including a Free Offer on a new spice coming into the store… Also, a lot of good background on the spices they have and where they come from and how to use them…
If you have not been, this is a great place to go. The people in there are extremely wonderful and they are willing to help if you need them. I do not go often as I am not in that part of town often, but when I do… I seem to walk out with a bag full of spices. They have their spices in varies sizes. I try to buy the bigger size since I cook with a lot of spices because you get more «Bang for your Buck» when you do.
I uploaded several photos of just a very small portion of this place… Great place and a great place to visit. They have specials for gifts as well… Who does not enjoy good Spices… Make it a visit…

Have you ever made the effort to try a new recipe only to find that your local grocery chain doesn’t have an exotic ingredient (umm, hello, dried ancho chiles should not really be considered an exotic ingredient but, oh well)? Have no fear because Penzeys is just around the corner and they are pretty much gauranteed to have what you want and what you need.
Other pluses —
Their gift boxes make great wedding shower gifts.
The entire atmosphere of the store encourages culinary exploration.
It is a great place to seek shelter when stuck on Cary Street on a cold/​rainy day.
Great prices.
Great service.
Find a recipe, find an excuse, just go.

I’ve been shopping at this Penzey’s since it opened, and I’ve always had really great experiences with the folks who work here. Usually they are really chatty, super helpful and full of good advice and tips…
I’ve actually stopped buying spices anywhere but Penzeys, because the quality is so far superior to anything you get in a super market… and I love that they have straight spices as well as blends that you wouldn’t think to make at home… and they have recipes right in the store that are great thought-​starters for how to use their spices…
I also love that they sell empty containers that you can buy to organize your spice rack… It makes it really convenient to buy spices in bulk and then fill the glass jars at home…
And I also love that they have gift boxes with a variety of 4 jars of spices, for $ 10. That’s the perfect gift for just about anyone, and I’ve bought them for myself as well.
If you do like to shop here regularly and you haven’t signed up already, sign up for their catalogue– it has a coupon on the front each month, and you can usually get a free spice…

Penzeys is the place to go for just about any spice you need. Is what you need inspiration? You’ll also find lots of free recipe cards throughout the store. There are also cook books and magazines you can buy.
There’s different types of chili powder, cocoa powders infused with various extras like mint or chili pepper, ginger in a bunch of forms and salad dressing spice blends.
I like the gift boxes. You can get sets that are traditional or more complex depending on the recipients’ cooking style. I think these are cool for wedding/​shower gifts if you want to go off the registry but choose something the couple will still use. And, at holidays there are special sets like a hot chocolate one I remember catching my eye at Christmas.
Penzeys probably isn’t as cheap as your friendly ethnic grocery store, but they’ve got almost every spice you could think of in one spot, service is helpful/​friendly and it’s right in Carytown.

The best smelling store in town for sure! They have spices from around the world and there are sample jars everywhere so you can take a sniff.
While gourmet cooks are familiar with all of these sophisticated spices, those of us who are novice cooks love the free recipes and the signs that explain what each spice is, how hot it is, what you can use it for, etc.
You can also get a free catalog that has recipes and coupons and the staff is really friendly and helpful, if you have questions.