The Spice House in Evanston
Site: https://www.thespicehouse.com/
- Monday:10AM–6PM
- Tuesday:10AM–6PM
- Wednesday:10AM–6PM
- Thursday:10AM–6PM
- Friday:10AM–6PM
- Saturday:10AM–6PM
- Sunday:10AM–5PM
The Spice House in other cities:
Used to be a 5++, now just a 3.Still a slightly larger assortment than frenemy Penzeys, but gone are the days of expert workers manipulating spices and measuring out baggies from delightful smelling apothecary jars. Everything is now prepackaged in a very limited array of sizes. The in-store experience is not much different from ordering online.I think Ruth would be sad.
Its so difficult to find Sichuan peppercorns, and maple sugar!! Beyond thrilled to have picked these up today
Have been coming to this spice house since I was too young to ride a bike, my parents rave about their variety of essential spices but also their Unique Contingent of spice blends. The four spices in this picture were purchased as a gift, sort of a starter pack for a few dishes I know my friend cooks already. I would actually recommend the spiced sugar for just about any person who wants to add a little kick to their buttered toast or waffles or even as a topping for cappuccino. The back of the yards rub is perfect for skirt steak or strip steak, my father swears by it and I do as well. Honestly one of the more surprising items is dried porcini mushrooms, Which can be added to Olive oil with salt and basil to make one of the best marinades for filet mignon or chicken breast Or even grilled mackerel. They reopened this is store for in-house shopping, they used to do customized boxes of spices in 4, 8 and 12 packs, But I think they are moving away from this procedure in favor of pre-assembled spice pairings. The young woman who helped me put this collection together, Chastity, was very helpful and agreed that a variety of different flavors would enable more experimentation in the kitchen as well. Its a little pricey, but quality usually is. If nothing else, the variety and combinations inside this place will make your interest in trying different dishes and sources of cooking a little more adventurous. Also, try the dried sweet corn and candied ginger, great stuff.Thanks again folks!
Love all of these amazing spices!!!
I received the Popcorn Collection and a handful of other spices as a gift from a friend. First one I’ve tried is Vulcan’s Fire Salt... WOW. This is definitely what I would call a “food elevator”. Sprinkled it all over fresh veggies (cucs, avocado, tomato) and hummus - adds a great flavor kick with the perfect balance of heat and salt. I’ve never eaten raw veggies so quickly...am also using it to flavor roasted chickpeas, which will no doubt be great. Not only is the taste of the spice itself impressive, the gift packaging was also beautiful - spices came in a special box and the exterior cardboard shipping box even had decals on it. I could tell the contents would be special before even opening. Major kudos to The Spice House all around!
We tend to buy all of our spices here rather than at a grocery store. Variety is amazing and the staff are all quite knowledgeable and friendly.Currently, You can only step inside to ask for your items. They meet you just inside the door at a table so you cannot browse like the old days. Prices are still very competitive with grocery stores however the quality is far superior to any grocery store.
The variety and quality of their spices is absolutely amazing. Online ordering is easy and delivery is fast. The website has a large collection of recipes from customers which is impressive. Ordering in bulk ( 2 ounces and up) makes their product so much cheaper than what you get in chain stores plus the quality and freshness is light years beyond. If you have questions send them an e-mail and they will respond quickly. If you like to cook you owe it to yourself, family and friends to check them out.
Best artisan spices and extracts available. On a fun shopping street. With very good staff. And if they dont have it, theyll find it for you, anywhere in the world. Their premade rubs and spice combos are excellent. The store is attractive and smells like the delivery entrance to Paradise. The website is much improved from years ago. Highly recommend!
Great spices, and smells really good! Unfortunately they only allow two people in the store and are limited to the front 25 sq feet or so. I just had to wait outside on the sidewalk. Ill consider this when in inclement weather. No looking around the store!Metered parking is what it is, on the street or in the lot down the street. They took care of mailing my purchase (gift) from the store which is a great convenience.
I, like most people during the pandemic, have been cooking more from scratch lately & lean heavily on the spice house blends. I particularly recommend Milwaukee ave., Chesapeake bay, and gateway to the north. The vulcan fire salt and vanilla spiced sugar are pretty good too.
WONDERFUL SPOT. These guys have an incredible selection and great service. I will definitely be back. Just standing there and smelling everything is great.
A wonderful specialty shop. I feel very lucky to be close enough to go there regularly. Yes, I know you can get all of these spices (and related mixes and flavorings) online these days. But there is something really inspiring about being able to use all your senses when shopping for spices. Definitely worth a special trip.
Spice House is one of the two best places to go for spices around Chicago. Their single spices are consistently fresh and are often competitively priced vs. supermarket spices. Their spice blends are excellent as well and can make otherwise bland food more interesting and delicious, bringing cuisine that is otherwise unattainable at home within the reach of home cooks.
Great place to get fresh spices of all types. The smell in this place is amazing, I think it is a secret part be of the marketing plan. Huge variety of just about anything you might want to put on any food. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommended.
Love The Spice House. They have everything you could want and more. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. My only complaint is that I cant buy everything.
Weve been customers since early 2000s. It started with a gift set from a friend, but now 99% of our spice pantry is from Spice House. I love seeing all our bottles.The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable here, too!Tip: Its easy to get refills when you have a list you can give to the staff.
So disappointed in my once go-to spot for spices. I got many wonderful spices here over the years, but lately the experience has been unpleasant and even more expensive after a few price increases.A recent terrible experience when ordering spices online: the website says nowhere that their free shipping offer means that your order is fulfilled at the lowest priority in the shipping queue. We ordered a large batch of spices from their site in April - with same-day free shipping on flatpacks. We waited for two weeks with no information and no packages arriving. I called the 3rd week, and they said they were backed up with orders and it should go out within a week. Called again in the 5th week to follow up and I learnt that the free shipping orders are the lowest priority on the orders. A customer’s order with paid shipping gets shipped out before a free shipping order, despite being pending for over 5 weeks - hence there is no knowing when my turn would have come!! After a 6 week wait, we cancelled our order:( and if I had known, I would have paid shipping!I haven’t been super happy with the changes they’ve made since the owners changed a couple years. Their employees don’t seem happy with the changes either. They increased their prices even on low-cost basics (and spend money on unnecessarily fancy labels), and they aren’t producing any more of the innovative blends.
Amazing, as always. Everytime we come to Chicago, we always come here. Their spices quality is amazing, never disappointed. I cannot cook without their tellichery peppercorns or their cumin. Baking with their Saigon cinnamon is a must. You can tell a huge difference in quality and taste when baking / cooking. Staff is always friendly and helpful.
Love this place. They have it all and the employees are great too
George was incredibly helpful and patient. I had never been to The Spice House until today. He walked me through the products and answered all of my questions. He went through the process quickly, without feeling rushed.Thank you, George.
From everyday chef to part time home cook this place has so many great spices. Knowledgeable and freindly staff. You get ideas just from the spices avail. I go in for 1 or 2 things and come out with 4 or 5. Ha.
So, recently I took up cooking and really dont know much about spices so where better to get educated...at the Spice House. Mari spent an hour with me explaining everything, sampling stuff, suggesting stuff and just chatting about her own recipes. It was a great experience. Prices are reasonable, selection is great. Parking was a bit dicey
I like to describe this business to my friends as The Hogwarts of Spices and Apothecary like. This business is AMAZING and the store smells so good you can smell it down the block. I love this place. Good prices and great quality. A cooks dream. I wish I lived closer. Customer for years and will be for many more.
If its a Spice, they have it! Their Chai seasonings are *the best* Ive tasted outside of an Indian restaurant, and the white truffle salt is worth the price. Every Spice Ive purchased here has always been fresh and flavorful and the staff is beyond helpful and knowledgeable.
Great shop with every spice u can image. And staff was very nice.
Spice House has everything that anyone could ever want re: herbs. spices, extracts, etc. Along with herbs and spices, there are special seasoning blends that are superbly mixed resulting in a great and perfectly balanced flavor profile.I have been shopping here for 10+ years and there is always something wonderful to explore in the world of herbs, spices and seasonings.There are a plethora of typical herbs and spices (basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, etc.), however, there is so much more to explore in this herb/spice kingdom. You have the option to taste and smell the majority of the products to ensure that you know exactly what you are buying. The greatest thing and what I recommend most is to step outside your comfort zone and indulge in some of the EXCEPTIONAL all-in-one seasoning blends.A few of my spice favs are:-Little Italy New York City Style Italian Herb Blend-Italian Herb Blend-Lake Shore Drive Seasoning-Brisket of Love-Italian Sausage Seasoning-Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pizzaz-Japanese Seven Spice-Milwaukee Iron Seasoning-Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper Butchers Rub-Chicago Steak Seasoning-Quebec Beef Spice-Sweet Chile Garlic Seasoning-California Seasoned Pepper BlendNote: There are many Salt-Free Blends to choose from and all are EXCELLENT.Stop in and be transported to the Spice Islands.
The staff where very helpful and knowledgeable about spices. Also the spice selection was great, so many different things to try!
I love this place. The products are fresh and just so high quality, hard to describe how much better than grocery store spices until you try them. Prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable.
Simply THE BEST!... if you love spices, you MUST come here! Upon entering you are greeted with the most amazing aroma! My Spice rack has grown to include a full Spice shelf thanks to them!
This is a Spice lovers dream. Walking in the door, it is, by smell alone, a magical place. In my opinion (not their words or advertisement), it is an apothecary of herbs and powders, staffed by skilled culinary alchemists. There are premixed spice combinations, sets to help us keep to a cultural theme, and all the separate components to purchase alone or to create your own personal mix. Cinnamon? 4-5 varieties. Ask and they will guide you thru the differences and give you the opportunity to decide which one you like best.
This place is great. I always find any spice that I need. They have a variety of exotic spices (e.g.. saffron, fancy peppers) but also your general ginger, black pepper, curry, etc). Everytime I go I get a warm welcome from helpful staff who know what they are doing.
Excellent quality and selection. We started making our own sloppy joe and chili mix. Tastes much better than packages from grocery store chains. You can avoid all the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.
Excellent selection of spices. Most popular are often already pre packaged, but you can get custom amounts of everything. Wonderful rare spices
This is the perfect space to hunt down the exact specimen of spice you need for that recipe. The Spice House has an excellent selection of fresh, whole spices and spice mixes made on the premises. Staff are extremely friendly and knowledgable, offering all sorts of insight into the provenance of their goods. This place is perfect for holiday gifting season, especially for those folks who have everything already but dont realize the particular joy of Ceylon cinnamon beneath their fingertips (yes, I borrow liberally from Michael Ondaatje here, but you get the point).
I have never seen a spice shop like this one. What a treat. They have everything. And they ship. Thank you SH
Such a wide variety of spices. The staff operate in the highest level of customer service and knowledgeable of all their products thats not seen in many places today. Its a must visit.
Awesome place I shop here for spices all the time, incredibly helpful staff and quality spices & blends... we use all these spices and seasonings with just about every meal. every time I go in I try something new.. Back of the Yards goes great with everything we make
I go there for just about all my spices. Im for a lack of a better word a spice junky and they feed my obession. I walk in and get hit with most amazing aroma. They have mixed and basic herbs and spices for every ethnic or culture food group. Salt-free and organic also available as well as flavorings. Knowledgeable staff tops it off. Street and parking lots available and parking fees are reasonable.
I absolutely love this place! Spices are so fresh! Unless its an absolute emergency I will never by store bought again!
Always a great experience. Every spice imaginable. Awesome spice blends. Knowledgeable friendly staff. I have been coming here from Arlington Heights for years. Worth the trek!
Fresh spices! Fun shopping experience.
You cannot beat the incredible service and quality products that the Spice House has to offer. The staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. If you care at all about cooking you should be visiting the spice house regularly.
Friendly. Large variety. Need more recipe cards out. Open but just cant walk in. They will do pick ups if you want to order before you get there.
This place is the best !! I use spices a lot. Spice House has the freshest and best quality spices. I highly recommend.
Nice selection of products. Prices are sometimes on the high side so you should be aware of what youre buying. Atmosphere is that of a museum or a library (very quiet and youre afraid youll knock a display over), staff is friendly.
Great variety! Able to find most any spice you need, along with delicious house blends. Their hot chili powder is awesome!
Still the go to for quality spicesMy only minus was they changed the hours 12/24 opening later not updating thier website to refelct the change which I and several other customers checked prior to arriving at the regular opening time.No choice but to stand outside and wait the half hour since parking is sparse and we already paid the parking meters.
Highly, highly recommended if youre even remotely into cooking. The collection here is unbelievably extensive. Theres information with all of the spices about their history, region of origin, and uses.
Friends in Evanston introduced me to this shop and Ive been twice since December. Its like something out of Diagon Alley - all these jars of exotic spices and the helpful, friendly employees are ready to tell you the history and details. The aroma is intoxicating! I am in love with a porcini salt I found there.
Richard was knowledgeable and helpful. He also advised that the owner could answer even more questions about curry, edible argon oil and much, much more. What a treat for the senses. Cant wait to return.
Best selection of any seasoning on earth! Well, mostly! Freshest ever, I use the tellicherry peppercorns in my grinder. Reasonable prices for top quality.
Love the Spice House. Unique spice blends and high quality. Friendly and knowledgeable staff
As a professional cook I am aware of the importance of fresh ingredients. The Spice House makes it possible to provide healthy meals that are extra special for your family.
There are a large variety of spices at reasonable prices. The staff is very knowledgeable and eager to help with any questions that you have.
First order with Spice House, staff was prompt and responsive. Quality of the spices is just fantastic. Highly recommend.
Spices are amazing! Staff is knowledgeable, helpful and super friendly! Prices are good. Smells are free! Love this place!
The Spice House has an amazing range of spices and blends. Always fresher and cheaper than at supermarkets.
The Spice House is a one of a kind experience.From the time you walk in and smell that delicious blend of spices and see every conceivable spice.The staff is very helpful and friendly.If they havent asked you what you want be patient.They will help you after theyre done with a previous customer.From baking to cooking to making drinks.Its all here.Plus their web site has a ton of recipes with each individual spice.Make it a point to visit Plus you can order online and theyll ship it to you.If you sign up for their email you will get deals delivered to your inbox.Love this place and the staff.
A great spot to find unique blends and hard to find spices. Staff is very helpful and prices are very reasonable.
Different experience after COVID, now the items are no longer available for wandering around and sampling. They are doing the right thing. Its just different, a sign of the times.
Epic. Only bring the money youre willing to spend, cause youll want to buy one of EVERYTHING. Adequate turnover means that everything is fresh. Many intriguing spice blends. A real treasure for Evanston.
Spices are fresh and the smells, oh my! All the staff are great.
Wonderful selection of spices. Excellent service and love the option of getting the exact amount you need.
Spice House has a huge selection of reasonably priced and very fresh spices. The staff are knowledgeable and make good recommendations.
Love the aroma when I walk in. Just about any spice you could want and the staff us so very helpful.
I could buy the whole store! 100s of amazing stand alones and blends to diversify your kitchen.
Spectacular selection, quality, and customer service. Theyre simply the best place to get spices, and food magazines agree.
Smells like my childhood
I adore this place! You can bring your dog in and the spices and seasonings are amazing! Endless possibilities. Great staff too.
Highly recommend. Knowledgeable staff. Great selection of spices. Real gem.
They all the spices you would ever need and fresh.
Amazing spice shop with a crazy selection. Great selection of salt free spice mixes.
Wonderful. Everything under Gods Green Earth. Fantastic Flavors. I dont mind the prices because its quality stuff and lasts and lasts
Once you try these spices you will never buy anything else. Very helpful/ knowledgeable staff
Fresh spices the best you can buy!
Best tasting, freshest spices, great mixes. Fabulous vanilla, cinnamon, crystalized ginger, etc.
Great and fresh spices they have a large variety of spices
Such high quality and unique selection, I could spend a lot of money in here and be perfectly happy. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to cook!
Nice clean place everything you need to cook fry grille food( spices). Price just right meaning reasonable.
Great selection of spices, friendly staff. Wonderful store!
Very helpful staff with a wide variety of products and fair pricing, and while youre here, I highly recommend picking up some of their freshly baked products.
Absolutely fantastic place for every spice imaginable. Buy the Chicago ethnic neighborhood gift boxes full of spices.
Fantastic quality spices and unparalleled service on every visit! I never buy spices anywhere else!
The Spice House is awesome. Any spice you can imagine. Great customer service.
The best and freshest spices around! Great service, great prices.
A sensory delight! And the nicest most helpful staff. Picked up a Christmas gift with no effort at all!
Excellent selection of spices and everyone was willing to assist and answer questions.
Hand-mixed proprietary blends are flanked by spices & herbs from every corner of the globe. Just come in and BREATHE ... no passport required!
Excellent spice shop, they have most everything a chef needs.
The highest quality spices and the nicest, most knowledgeable staff.
An amazing store with so many spices. It smells like heaven in there!
Excellent service, everything in stock, still a fun place to go.
Have gone here for years and the quality and service is a given. Great standard for excellence continually upheld. Thanks for greatness!
Great selection of spices, very friendly staff.
Best fresh spices and a knowledgeable staff to answer any questions.
Best quality spices paired with knowledgeable staff.
Great variety of spices!
Fine assortment of spices and related items. Great and knowledgeable service.
Always love shopping here, buying the best spices is easy here, and fun!
Free smells. (Divine store for really useful spices for food.)
Unique shop with helpful staff and unmatched selection of spices.
Best prices on spices. Great creative blends.
Just about any spice you can think ok. Great service and knowledgeable staff
Wonderful place to hangout at, creative spices, wonderful & knowledgeable staff.
What a wonderful store. Staff is knowledgeable and very helpful. Its always a pleasure to shop there.
Wonderful ❤️❤️❤️ place. If you ever need anything ask for toni, she goes way beyond to helping you.
Great quality and selection. Great service even in these trying times.
The best service with the highest quality. Ive been coming here for five years and cant find anyone who does it better.
I love this place!
A HUGE selection of spices, Everytime in area go there.
Friendly staff wide selection of spices! Meter parking on Central.
Always freshest spice and knowledgeable friendly staff
Unique spice blends. Staff was very helpful.
Great customer service and a lot of spices to pick from
Wow, what a great store! Incredibly helpful staff. Huge selection of goods.
Absolutely a requirement for complete cooking. A visit here can change your life.
The only place to buy quality spices.
The only place I buy spices
The spice Blends are amazing and very fresh
Very helpful and friendly staff. A bit pricey but quality is exceptional
Terrific smells the second you enter the store. Great service.
Seems to be a place where theres always something new to try. Friendly people, and delicious wares from people who care.
Great spices. Your nose will be in for a treat.
Great shop!I Love it!!
Clean space,great prices. Food is always excellent.
Amazing selection of spices!
They have more spices than you knew you needed
Best place to buy spices!
So many wonderful spices!
Excellent stock. Very helpful staff.
Delicious spices and friendly service!
Lead a spicy life, stop by to add some flavor!
Amazon place .. Very helpful
Excellent choice of Spices
It would be very easy for their staff to get snooty but they seem to resist
Best spice store ever.
Great option for bulk spices
Wonderful aromas and great service!
Great placeEver y spice you ever neef
Great selection of spices
Great options! Very friendly staff.
Love love love coming here just for the smells.
Nice selection, nice people
This is the place to go for spices.
Great sgop. Amaizing variety
Excellent selection and knowledgeable staff.
Professional, courteous and knowledgeable staff always
Best place for spices
I love The Spice House.
A one stop shop for any cook.
If you can imagine it they have it.
Love their transparency on sourcing!!
Spiciest spices anywhere.
Very helpful
Very good choice
Great customer service
Always great experience
Very friendly staff.
Spice heaven.
Love this place...
Outstanding
Great Place
Very good
Total reviews rating 4.8
173 Reviews for The Spice House 2023:
Review №1
2022-02-27Stopped in today from out of town with the family, and this place was great and smelled the same. Whoever greeted me was helpful in explaining the different sections they have. Walked out with six bottles of various house mixes of herbs and one was free. Thanks for the great customer service, and the free spice!
Review №2
2022-03-01Spices are nice but not properly measured. I ordered online and received 2 different weights for 2 8oz packages. Customer service was quick to refund 10% of the bag that was short but was very passive aggressive and quick to point out that the other bag was over by a few oz (I sent photos with packages on scale). Prior to sending the email I didn’t know the weight of just the bag and had no way of knowing that one package was a little over. The whole conversation felt like they didn’t care about this discrepancy and maybe were even annoyed that I took the time to measure and point out their mistake. Spices seem really nice but just know you may not get what you pay for- maybe in your favor, maybe not- and they’ll care just enough to refund you 10% of your purchase price. Doesn’t seem worthit to me.
Review №3
2022-06-06My aunt from Thailand only comes here for her spices - theyve got a wide variety and the people are so nice!
Review №4
2017-01-31The Spice House is a great place to get everything from your average everyday spices like salt and pepper (both of which they have a great selection of) to very strong spices like star anise and curry. If you need a spice, odds are they have it .They also offer mixed spices like taco seasoning, which will make you swear off the prepackaged stuff forever!Some of the most helpful, cheery staff youve ever met work here. Very knowledgeable too. A must visit if you are in the Evanston/ Wilmette area.
Review №5
2019-03-24My old time favorite spice store. I had to buy alot of spices and bring back to MD. love this unique store. As soon you open the door, the aroma of spices from all over the world is just telling you bring me home. Cook food and share it with your families and friend
Review №6
2021-10-03Good luck getting past the amazing scent when you walk in the door... but when you do, youll find a diverse selection of spices, herbs, salts, seasonings, and oh so much more. My personal favorites are their candied ginger nibs as well as the sweet nib mix. Staff are wonderful, atmosphere is warm and gentle. Hard to resist stopping by when Im in the neighborhood.
Review №7
2017-04-10Great selection and a friendly and knowledgeable staff. There is always something new to discover in the myriad of tiny jars that line the shelves. Plus, the place smells amazing!
Review №8
2021-08-03Spice House has such good variety of spices! There are classics like garlic and onion powder, and original blends like Lake Shore Drive (my personal fave). The whole place gets me inspired to be creative in the kitchen!
Review №9
2017-11-21Phenominal quality spices, and the staff was incredibly helpful and in explaining about the different spices.
Review №10
2022-05-21Bought many spices. Wonderful staff very helpful