Oaktown Spice Shop

Best place in the area for high-quality spices, house made rubs, spice blens and teas. It's a great place to buy gifts. I love how they have recipe cards set out to take, that might inspire you to try something new. In addition to spices and blends, there are locally made products like shrubs, preserves, cocktail syrups, and tonic making kits. The staff is knowledgeable and nice and it smells really nice inside the store.

I've been to the Solano spot twice and love their spices, and really nice atmosphere,nice people. The spices are so fresh, and I really appreciate that you can sample each one of them. My staple spices are usually onion granules, cayenne, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc.

I have been waiting a few years to finally get my hands on a refill of the Jamaican Jerk seasoning. I love to cook and I noticed spices from some of the large manufacturers are stale and go stale very quickly. I had been looking for better quality spices. The variety of herbs, salts, and spices that Oaktown carries is amazing. I ordered some Moroccan and Cajun spices and was very happy that recipe cards were included in my mail-order. I can't wait to make some dishes.

Gorgeous shop with a vast selection of spices, salts, and other cooking necessities. Downtown Albany is the friendliest and most precious neighborhood to stroll around. The staff is very kind and helpful. I will definitely be back to enjoy the welcoming store and great products.

Very wheelchair friendly. No steps or curbs. They have a button to open the door. Counter to check out is low and card tap to pay button is reachable from a seated position. Very wide aisles and level concrete floors. Most items are reachable from a seated position. No bathroom.

I love this store. They have such an amazing selection of spices, everything is fresh and flavorful. They have their own selection of amazing spices as well, including sriracha salt and the Persian lime curry. They include recipes. I would highly recommend this place if you're in the area!

Well laid out spice shop. Great selection, easy to find what you're looking for. They have recipe cards to match the spice blends you've purchased, too. Friendly and helpful staff!

Interesting place and such nice staffs!

Such a cute shop! Organized Clean Interesting Is really great for picking up unique gifts for someone who likes to cook/ bake/ have special tea options etc...

Run, fly, dive -- whatever it takes to get here ASAP! They have versions of the ordinary spices and such that they will happily explain! I can't wait to come back!

Their spices are excellent. Unlike most store bought spices, these actually have flavor. I love their jerk spice mix which is actually spicy. If you put a generous layer on your meat and marinate for a few days, it's amazing. They also have my favorite aji amarillo which is tough to find. You can also find some of their spices in individual packets at Berkeley Bowl which is super convenient.

I love this shop! It's a great place to find a gift for loved ones or for your own kitchen. They have a lot of stock, and you will probably be able to find any spice or herb your heart is looking for.

We have been going to Oaktown Spice Shop for years! No matter which shop we visit, the staff is always knowledgeable, helpful, and interested in our purchases. Vietnamese Cinnamon and Whole Nutmeg are always on our re-buy list. I use them daily in my oat milk lattes and breakfast bowls. Our latest favorite spice is Vadouvan. We found out about this necessity when Oaktown Spice Shop posted a recipe for a vegan Vadouvan Cauliflower & Red Lentil Soup. It's delicious! We have made it at least 3x since we saw the post and everyone enjoys it! They offer a number of vegan recipes on the site! The Albany store is spacious and brightly lit. The shop also carries a great selection of cookbooks and sells gift boxes for the baker, chef, or bbq-r in your life.

What a great shop!! I'm so happy I found this gem :) I no longer purchase my spices from anywhere else but here. The staff members are so friendly and helpful!

Was just going in to "browse" but we all know what that means... I love this little shop in Albany. Adorable store with such friendly workers there. So much to look at in here too. I ended up buying a vanilla sugar shaker, some teas, one of the customers there even raved about how much she loved the tumeric spice blend, and a cute tiny gold stirring spoon that I spied at checkout. Teas tasted great, just know that they're loose leaf so you'll need a tea ball or strainer to make it. Highly recommend this cute shop for your baking and hobby browsing needs!

This is a great store and a fantastic find. They have unique spices and blends that really do make my food taste better. I love stopping by this store.

Kitchen heaven. What an absolute pleasure it was walking through these doors these doors yesterday.. It was another Thursday for me dropping off mail at the Post Office when I decided after the last couple years of passing by their front door to finally go inside and have a look. I consider myself a better than average cook not quite a chef but I know my way around the kitchen. I'm no stranger to spices or to adventurous eating. And this place has always peaked my curiosity. The 1st thing that happens when you enter their door is you are overwhelmed by the essence of spice floating in the air. What a beautiful thing to walk into. Their products look clean fresh and and well displayed with recipes that will assist you in using the specific products you're looking at. That's a brilliant piece of marketing marketing what you sell. And it was also apparent that they do their own blends there and I found out that they will do a blend for you. As I walked around the shop I was reminded how minded how little I know about the spices that I've been using for years. There are so many spices I've never seen before or never used and this is a great place to discover and elevate your culinary experience. Upon entering I was immediately greeted by a nice young lady who's been working there for a few years and she walked with me through the store explaining their concept and talking about herbs and spices. She was extremely charming. There was another young lady at the Counter who is creating up an announcement board to I'm at board to talk about an upcoming I believe ghost kitchen event. It's a great tie in for a shop that sells spices. Because their host is is someone who makes sausages and cured meats. She was also very very receptive and open and friendly. I felt like I was at home with these 2 young ladies that helped introduce me to this business. I could go down a long list of spices that would probably not mean too much to you without The knowledge.So I recommend that you take some time in your day to drop into this shop and see this extremely well organized array of fresh fresh fresh herbs and spices.Their in house packaging is very elegant and functional and the display is so nice to see these seasonings with recommended recipe cards that you can have for free. Put this place on your to-do list before you go shopping for spices next time. And if you have any questions these young ladies are very knowledgeable in their product. They will direct you to what you need or would you don't know that you need until you ask.

Gorgeous shop with a vast selection of spices, salts, and other cooking necessities. Downtown Albany is the friendliest and most precious neighborhood to stroll around. The staff is very kind and helpful. I will definitely be back to enjoy the welcoming store and great products.

Penzey's is a fantastic spice store!!! The staff is kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. The variety of spices is spectacular! Our favorite is Fox Point, and we use it daily!!! They have a store in Milwaukie where you can shop or you can shop online!!!

Lovely shop and great service! I love their assortment of fresh spices and teas. The ladies working here are also very knowledgeable and offer helpful tips and suggestions for cooking. I will definitely be frequenting this spot!

Could stay in Oaktown for the aroma alone. SO. FRAGRANT. You might leave smelling like a fresh BBQ marinade, but you'll feel delicious. If you're ready to graduate from Safeway generic spices, Oaktown is the ideal place to start. Anything between your kitchen basics to more adventurous flavors, they'll have. I don't think I've ever seen so many types of salt in one place. For COVID safety purposes, all staff/patrons must wear masks, and hand sanitizer is provided throughout the store. Employees are so helpful and knowledgeable-- I think I learned more about spices here than I could ever on my own. There's also recipe cards available to help guide your spice journey. Along with spices, there's varieties of kitchen tools, condiments, sauces for sale-- most produced locally. This winter, they've pre-packed jars in adorable gift sets-- I'm guilty of buying one of each for my family and friends. The world needs to know about Oaktown's spices, ok?? I'm here to spread the word

Oaktown Spice Shop is amaaaaaaazing. It smells of fresh spice, and is cute, modern, and hipster-y. They give you tastings of anything if you ask! Jars of amazing spices and spice combos fill the shelves - Umami sea salt, truffle sea salt, all sorts of hot peppers, an entire section dedicated to vanilla, and any and every spice you can think of from 'round the world. Prices are actually quite steep (see photo) at $9 for a tiny 1/4 cup jar. They have great gift packages - one for meat-grillers, one veggie-eaters, and others for everyone else inbetween. They have pepper grinders, mortar and pestles, tshirts and aprons, and even jars of local honey in case you're looking for gifts. The space is clean, bright and spacious, and customer service is super polite and prompt. You can bring your own spice bottles, or refill the one you bought last week. They also offer classes - pie baking with pie spices, kombucha-making, and other fun community events. Street parking requires a bit of luck and patience. This place is a great addition to Solano Ave!!

One of my favorite local shops to gift to my family and friends. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. The store is organized and maintained well. Smells very aromatic when you first walk in! There's cool pop up collaboration today that helps support our community. My current favorites are the za'aatar and Vietnamese cinnamon. We just got the bbq master gift set so we're excited to try those as well. Oaktown has recipe cards that you can include with the gift sets. Caroline, the manager, is really hospitable and took care of my customer service needs. She was patient and solution oriented on some prior purchases I made earlier this week. Thank you to Caroline and the rest of the staff!

This place makes my favorite spices for smoking salmon at home . Try the Bombay Orange for a nice flavor . Also has ever kind of spice I would need and then some .

New Spice Mix. DUKKAH This recipe is worth the effort to try. If you have tomato's and basil in your yard, this is worth the adventure.

I said everything that I have to say about them in the review of the Oakland shop! They are amazing and so much closer to my home. Thank you! I went during the Solano Stroll, played a game, won a $5 coupon and got to run around the shop looking for spicey goodies. I got some. I have to say that I love having a shop like this much closer, because when I find out about a random spice, I no longer have to trek to no-man's land to find it. I'm able to rush out, on my weekly trip to Sprouts and pick some up. I also think that the recipe cards are a nice touch. And I look forward to trying some of these. I thank them for the inspiration to try new and interesting spices and spice combinations.

The standard for a spice shop. An important jumpstart for culinary adventures. Keep your pantry stocked with the basics in fresh packages.

Leaving a 5 star review because EVERY time I come to this store the people who work here are so friendly, kind, and helpful. I LOVE Oaktown Spice products, and the staff are really what keep me coming back!

Oaktown Spice Shop is loaded with spices/spices i can't even dream about. what would i do with them anyway? i seldom cook. when i do, it's with just a few spices. noticed "kits" of spices in their window while i was walking by. sounds like a great idea. then i thought about some people who i would gift kits to. they cook with few spices. they would probably return such gifts as being "too extravagant" or "not useful".

I always step out of here smelling like a piece of brined meat or like I'm infused with the aroma of mulled wine. They've got spices, herbs, blends, chiles , peppercorns, and salts. If you're looking for an exotic spice (asafoetida, anyone?), chances are they'll have it. The spices can be overpowering but in a good way - you know you're getting stuff of the fresh and potent variety. This makes sense since they grind some of their own. Their staff is helpful in answering questions or guiding you to what you're looking for. They've also got handy dandy recipe cards in case you need some help using the spice you've picked. I like that you can sample sniff the spices (only the big jars, please) to see if the spice is to your liking. Prices are higher compared to your McCormick's, but you can use your own jars or theirs to refill and you can buy in the amount you want (they typically sell 1/2 oz bag, 3 oz jar).

I love this location WAY more than the one at 546 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610. A lot more friendly and welcoming. Someone is always there to answer questions and give great suggestions! Just wish I didn't have to drive so far from home.

Fabulous place ¡ everyone should go there the prices are great and you will find spices and herbs you don't find anywhere else in the bay make sure you go can't wait to return a friend to send me the year of people are so nice and helpful they are in Albany California and Oakland California can't wait to go again Yes please yes for spices excellent

This place is absolutely amazing. I first encountered Oaktown Spice Shop while doing a food tour around Lake Merritt. So glad to see they've opened up a location in Downtown Albany. Makes for easier parking. I'll avoid repeating myself since I wrote a review for the Oakland location, but this place has the same wonderful spice aroma, vast and organized collection of spices from all over the world, and friendly customer service. I love that they have recipes on their website and recommendations on what food items go well with each spice. You'd be hard pressed not to find a spice you're looking for or to experiment with.

A couple of days ago I used up the last of my basil making a pot roast. Oaktown Spice Shop has a system to order and pay online and pick up at the store. I ordered a bottle of basil Sunday night online and scheduled a pick up today at 2:45. After taking care of a couple of other errands, I decided to stop by Oaktown a little early, because I had received an email yesterday that my order was ready. Sure enough, when I went to the pick up spot at the front door, a friendly young woman brought it to me. It was such an easy and convenient process, and so much better to support a local company than a big conglomerate. I could even get a tiny whiff of the spice mixture in the store, one of the great pleasures of shopping there.

Oaktown has an excellent selection of super-fresh spices, everything you could want for savory or sweet spicing needs. I used to order from Penzey's but have switched entirely over to Oaktown to keep things local. For COVID they have an employee who meets you in the door of the shop and can either assemble an order for you or help you with pickup of an order placed through their website. Particular shout-out to their INCREDIBLY FRAGRANT ground cumin!

Toni M's review of this location of Oaktown spice alerted me that this wonderful spice shop now had two shops. Albany is a bit closer to me and the parking is easier. As I approached the store I thought I could detect the smell of spices, there was no doubt about it when the door opened and the aroma of spices wafted on to the sidewalk. My mouth watered and visions of cooking flashed in my mind. The store is larger and brighter than the Oakland shop and does not have the same cozy feel. I like both stores. The people working here are friendly and helpful. What I had come for was the mole spice blend. I'm not ambitious enough to make my own mole sauce; I use the spices on egg and cheese dishes. This is a great shop for people who enjoy cooking and also for the occasional cook. Most of the spices are $7.00 per jar. They did tell me that I could bring back the jar and have it refilled and the cost would be less.

My go to spice shop since 2014. I threw away everything and started from scratch, their products are the best. I do curbside pick up now, and buy as gifts and have them shipped to family and friends. Don't ever buy spices in the supermarket again. Come in and smell the fresh goodness by opening the big display jars. You won't believe the difference in your cooking, whether you are a newbie or a chef. Change your life list: VANILLA EXTRACT!!! Dark cocoa powder Nutmeg balls Saigon Cinnamon!!!!!!! Toasted Granulated Onion Ginger Sweet Paprika Sumac - OMG ON SALAD, FISH, VEGGIES!!!!!! Black salt Vanilla salt!!!!! French Gray salt - OMG ON FISH! Chamomile tea Chai Masala tea Pink peppercorns Chinese 5 spice Pasillo Negro Kampot Black Peppercorns Have fun, experiment. I committed to trying one new item with every visit for about 4 years. I've definitely broadened my horizons. Enjoy!

We ended up winning a gift card to Oaktown Spice Shop in a silent auction for Pathways for Kids, so we made the trek to the Albany store to check it out. Quite impressed with the variety of pretty much everything spice related. Whether you were looking for the basics or something more exotic, you were covered. What struck me initially was the smell of the place. The spices were clearly fresh, because the smell was intense but great - visions of all of the recipes you could craft immediately pop into your head. We overheard one of the sales people giving an overview of spices, and it was clear that the knowledge was deep and their was passion behind the product being sold. We picked up a gift pack with a number of spices - including the Montreal Rub for steaks, which we had on a great NY Strip from Five Dot Ranch. Divine. The Ghost Pepper Salt has been incredible on avocado toast, and we're looking forward to the Smokey brine for our turkey. Great spot. Spices aren't cheap, but if you're spending cash, you'll get great quality here.

Cumin to ya in Albany! Curry up now and visit this spot! Sorry lame Anyways I was super impressed with this place as they carried juniper berries which are a) hard to find b) important for eastern European cooking and c) for making bath tub gin. Pretty large selection of spices saffron, beet powder, numerous flavored salts (like literally a whole section i.e. great for pairing with steak), all which are pretty reasonably priced too.

I love this place so much! My partner and I stumbled upon this gem while exploring Solano and wow we were just so impressed with their stock of spices. I loved how the organizational style and how friendly the employees were. It really felt like entering a new and exciting world! We got a book about spices and some crystallized ginger. I definitely want to go back as I try new recipes and need more rare spices. If you need any spices, chances are that this place will have it and you'll have a great time. The prices are a little higher but quality of the products is incredible! This place is definitely worth checking out.

Oaktown Spice Shop is THE BEST spice shop in the US, possibly the world! It's also one of my favorite local business, like, of all businesses, not just spice shops. I discovered Oaktown Spice Shop on Grand Ave. in Oakland not long after I moved to the Bay Area in 2012. I've been a regular ever since, and I was thrilled when they opened this Albany location that's a bit more convenient for me. So what's so great about it? Here are some highlights: -- The spices, of course. Let's talk FRESHNESS. I had no idea just how *fresh* some spices could be until I started shopping at Oaktown. I honestly don't know how they do it, they're clearly supply management magicians. I know part of it is that they buy a lot of their spices whole and then grind them in-house. -- They're selection is EXTENSIVE. Whole, ground, chilis, herbs, salts, blends, savory, sweet... you name it, they've got 2-20 different varieties of it. They're incredibly skilled at constantly building and maintaining connections with producers both locally and across the globe, to bring in a vast variety of high quality spices - including things that are otherwise not available in this country. For example, I went to Chile for the first time a few years ago and fell in love with the "aji" that's a common condiment. My Spanish wasn't good enough to figure out what the "aji" was while I was in Chile. But it was so common in Chile, I figured that it had to be available somewhere in the US. Upon returning to the US, my internet-sleuthing was getting me nowhere and I eventually just walked over to Oaktown to see if anyone there could help me out. Turns out they had recently gotten a small shipment of a new chili pepper that's rarely exported from Chile: Cacho de Cabra. That was the pepper I was looking for! ...but I also learned from the folks at Oaktown that the "Aji" salsa that I had fallen in love with in Chile is actually a by-product of chili processing that is definitely not available anywhere outside Chile. ...this brings me to my next point: -- I am in love with everyone who works at Oaktown Spice Shop. Not only are they incredibly KNOWLEDGEABLE (like, spice librarians!), but everyone who works there seems to genuinely enjoy their job in a way that's incredibly rare. Everyone is always so happy, chill, and down to give you space to shop or be your comrade and guide on the spiced culinary journey of your dreams! If you're in need of inspiration, or even just a bit of genuine human positivity - go spend a little time with the folks at Oaktown Spice Shop, they'll brighten your day, and your plate! -- Pre-pandemic, they would refill jars, which both cut down on waste and was nice if your spice jars are odd shapes that are not easily refilled with their pre-measured bags of spices. It sounds like during the pandemic they reorganized/streamlined their production pipeline to make things more efficient behind-the-scenes, but it also means that the Albany store (and others?) don't have the ability to refill jars anymore. I hope they bring back the jar refills!

I may have just come in on a very bad day. I have loved this store but today they were so mean-spirited that I do not feel I can return. No reason for it. My request was simple. They had run out of four-ounce bottles of vanilla. I asked if they would give me two two-ounce bottles for the same price, I would not have minded paying a little extra for the bottle. But no sir, that would not fly. They wanted to charge me considerably more simply because they had run out of what I had come to get. It was simply petty and really a terrible way to treat a customer. They bottle their own so it would hardly have been a financial burden on the store.

I love this store. It has every spice that I have ever needed and the staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. A wonderful addition to our area.

I finally made it to this fabulous store! I'm so glad that I did. I was getting a little bored with my C19 menu at home. I started looking up recipes in the NYTimes and in the Zenbelly Cookbook. The recipes got me searching for good spices and my sister sent me to OSS. As soon as I walked in I was excited about trying these fabulous herbs and spices. The store is welcoming and the employees friendly and knowledgeable. A very positive experience!

I love this store . The staff is helpful and friendly and the offerings are vast . I hope they open soon because I'm running low on some of my favorite , hard to find Oaktown spices

Love Oakland Spice Shop! Extensive product line (chai masala mix is delish!), kind, helpful and knowledgeable staff, excellent value and reasonable prices, welcoming atmosphere, free recipe cards with some purchases like curry to provide a guide for cooking with the spice! Wonderful overall experience every time - highly recommended!

Never disappointed! This place has blends I would never think of! My husband and I bought another spice rack just because if this place! Also Oaktown Spice Shop is probably saving us money by motivating us to cook more often!!

This is Oaktown's second location, and is a sanctuary and treasure for those who appreciate artisanal food and/or seek some inspiration with their cooking. If you don't need a larger quantity of something, or it isn't within your budget, be sure to request a smaller jar or bag and they'll be happy to pour one for you on-the-spot. Tip: Inquire about a recipe card for your spice, for a little bonus magic!

They have almost everything you could possibly need for exotic home cooking, including the rare, smoked Oaxaca chile, the hard-to-find nigella seed that is a basis of Ethiopian cuisine, and blizzard of flavored salts. Their gift assortments are a surefire housewarming gift for that foodie friend, and their spice blends seem sophisticated though often overly complex, based on generic mother spices, and containing filler ingredients like onion, ginger and garlic powder that no serious cook substitutes for fresh unless using a dry rub. Taking off one star for the prices: I realize that with spices there is a wide variance in quality, and that you, in general, get what you pay for, but this is still high. One-ounce packets average $5, and for some dishes, you might use half a packet for one large pot. I came away with their house-blend berbere, some sumac, nigella seeds, Oaxaca chili pepper (impossible to find this side of Teotitlan, and I cruise local Mexican markets regularly), and top-shelf Tellicherry peppercorns. Now, having cooked with all of the above, I can say that the quality is superior, especially with the peppercorns. They were tiny bombs of pungency. The nigella was fresher than from the Ethiopian market. One stumble was the berbere: you actually need the coriander, cumin, and peppers to be of Ethiopian origin for this to taste right. Using the same species but from Mexico, or India, for example, will give you completely different flavors, as these common spices of the world have distinctive local varieties. Chili pepper, in particular, lands in different places on the tongue and has a widely varying finish depending on its origin. All chile may have originated in Mexico, but over the past 500 years there's been a lot of selective breeding in Africa and the far East. The $5 packet of berbere was little more than sufficient for a large pot of lentils, and had a distinctly American spice profile. The lesson here is that you really need to buy your spices in the markets of the people, as long as you are discerning about freshness and quality, in which service your nose is indispensable. Having said all that, it is clear that this establishment will keep the stock rotated and has made a heroic effort to bring a huge variety of delights to well-heeled and adventurous customers. You will pay a lot more than in ethnic markets, but you can delegate responsibility for checking quality and freshness, even if the subspecies get confused from time to time. And for some spices, like the rare black peppers, there is no other local purveyor. Four stars instead of 5 for the overpricing, and the pretentious staff who were not subtle in their upselling when they took a break from their personal conversation to at last recognize my non Ann Taylor bedecked presence.

Overall, very high quality and fresh spices at a fair price. They do some great blends (not the Garam Masala, though, in my opinion). Staff are helpful and you can get refills in plastic bags so you can reuse your prior bottle. Very strong recommendation!!

What an amazing shop! Our go-to for spices and more. We were blown away by Carlito's Rojito Yucatan spice! The recipe card for the Grilled Yucatan Shrimp was outstanding. We'll be back for more!

Great place if you want to plunk down the cash for superior spices. They are helpful, too, and will make suggestions. It's helpful that spices are one area where the best is still not that much, relative to other commodities, so it is an area open to a little splurge. Try the kimchi mix and the Persian rub.

Just received the "Eat Your Veggies" kit in the mail as a housewarming gift and wow! The packaging and little extras are so nice. In addition to the four spices, it came with bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, ginger and nutmeg. What a unique and lovely gift. Can't wait to cook with these and highly recommend for gift giving!!

I just had the best experience! I finally passed by to ask some questions and Ricardo was extremely helpful and so kind. He was very informative!! I'll be back soon

Really SUCH a sensuous treat! Gorgeous store that smells AMAZING & awesome for gifts. To oneself also, of course. As my friend who gifted me Peruvian Lime Spice for chicken said, "when I get in a cooking rut, I come here for ideas, inspiration & new spice ingredients!

I read about these guys in a magazine, I think it was Saveur, And thought I would try them out. The spices are always super fresh and taste way better than other spices I have purchased. Well worth the money! Plus they take all the time and energy out of making blends.

Absolutely phenomenal customer service every single time we attend, plus they give back to the community, go and support this lovely business.