Penzeys Spices

I mean, seriously. .. if you need any sort of spices, don’t bother going anywhere else. Penzeys is it. Not only can you find virtually any seasoning you would ever need, they even have recipes. Just go.

Of course it is amazing, just look at the pictures posted :)

So many options! I had 3 small children with me, so I didn’t linger (too many breakable items!) but it was definitely tempting. Everything was well organized & nicely displayed. What really stood out for me was the customer service. The cashier offered to bag some of my spices separately so my kids could carry them. It was just so nice, and beyond your typical level of customer service.

Smells so good. User friendly. Has alphabetical order of spices. One side of the store is sweet spices and the other is savory. Great gift ideas. Minimally processed. Smells great. Great customer service.

Will only buy my spices from here now! Favorite spice combo is the Greek spice blend mixed with dry lemon peel. Love it on grilled chicken.

Better than McCormick or any Organic spice in the market! I’ve pretty much tried them all…
The Lemon Pepper is to die for.
Fun little store to shop and friendly people to help you if you have questions.
They also have gift sets for any of your foodie friends.

The BEST place to go for spices! I have long been an online purchaser before I was in closer proximity to an actual store and was so excited to visit this one! The quality of their spices and seasonings is unbeatable. There are also some really fun combinations to try and you can’t go wrong with their pre-​made boxed combinations for gifts of all sorts.
I’ll definitely be heading back here when I run out of things and look forward to the fresh and tasty seasonings I’ll get!

Penzey’s is where anyone who loves to cook should get their spices. The catalog – and now the updated website – is awesome. Stories of community, wonderful recipes, and of course a reminder about all of their amazing wares. Penzey’s is more expensive than grocery store spices, but the quality is much higher than the price difference. This location was great when I went this fall – friendly helpful staff, same great deals from the catalog were honored in-​store for holiday gift boxes, and it was great to be able to smell everything in person. There were tons of spices but I did not feel like the store was too «crowded” – it flowed just fine. Everyone should go to their local Penzey’s!

To know they actually have a store… AMAZING! I know of the company but for the longest time they were only available online or through food suppliers so it’s great to have a shop so close. There is a lot of information available about the spices there and the ladies there are oh so willing to help. Pricing is comparable to what you would pay in a grocery store except the quality is 5x better here then your local grocer. The only thing that I wasn’t happy with was the vanilla extract. I have tried both and I haven’t seen that much of a difference in either and it it doesn’t stand out that much in my baked goods. I actually prefer the mccormick Madagascar vanilla extract. Quality quality and quality that is what you will find here. Good in and have some fun! Learn something!

Love Penzey’s! Favorite spices are English Prime Rib Rub, Fajita Seasoning and Greek Seasoning. Herbs De Provence is spectacular.
Wish their hours were a little longer during the week and that they had tasting classes showing how different spices can be used. Would also like it if they sold magnetic spice jars and racks.
I love getting their catalog and reading about people around the country (most recently, Severn, MD – how cool is that!) and their favorite recipes.
The coupons with their catalog are great, too. Gets my friends and me in the store spending moolah everytime!
Can’t go wrong with Penzey’s! Their spice kits make awesome gifts, by the way!

Penzeys has an amazing selection of spices. They have spices for everything. We enjoy their spices for chili and barbecue especially. They have other spice mixtures that are good for grilling. They also have a nice selection of gift boxes with various assortments of spices that make great gifts for friends and family that cook.

My friend’s sister (from California) gave him a bottle of Penzeys sandwich sprinkles, and they were so great and versatile, I wanted to try more of their products. I was pleasantly surprised to find they have a store here in NoVA, with such a wonderful selection. I’m slowly replacing my grocery store-​bought spices with fresher ones from Penzeys; every time I stop in the store I pick up one or two new ones. I only wish this store was a little closer to Fairfax!

I love Penzeys. They offer high-​quality dried herbs and spices, and basically have everything imaginable, even some hard-​to-​find ones, plus interesting seasoning blends. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, which I like. I tend to keep my herbs and spices longer than I should, but find that with Penzeys, the flavors last. Pricing is higher than a global market or Trader Joe’s, but because of the quality, I don’t mind. Plus, I love perusing their catalog. I truly make an effort to get to Penzeys when I need to update my pantry.

Penzeys has a very large variety of spices for every taste. I come here often and it never disappoints. If you sign up for their snail mail newsletter it often has a coupon for a free jar of a featured spice. FYI — buying a bag of the spice as opposed to a jar gets you a larger size at a lower price.

The most wonderful place in the world for spices. The staff are always eager to assist, customer service is top notch, and a great variety of spices– sweet and savory. I get my cinnamon here and buy a big bag and refill my little jar. Everything except the bulk items are in glass jars which keep the herbs and spices tasting fresh. Sign up for their mailing list, as they send out a nice catalog with recipes and a coupon for something free or discounted. YAY!

I could spend zillions here. Their spice blends are terrific, I use all different kinds all the time. You cannot beat the taste of their jarred spices and herbs. The garlic powder alond, as ridic as this seems, is top notch, and worth it when you need it in a pinch!

This place is fantastic! I’ve been in a couple of times. The spices smell really great and there’s a huge assortment of them (although there are a few things that they don’t have). I counted about five different types of basil, and they each smelled unique to the others.
The best part is, the prices aren’t through the roof the way you would expect. In fact, I don’t think they were any higher than Giant prices. They do cost more than Trader Joe’s, which I think is pretty comprable in terms of quality, however Trader Joe’s only has a very small selection of spices. What sets the two apart, in my opinion, is the spice mixes that are available. Trader Joe’s has a couple that I use (21 Spice Salute is pretty useful, as well as Every Day Spice Mix), but Penzeys has a bunch of specific-​use spices that smell fantastic! If you’re a cook or just a seasoner in Falls Church, I’d definitely recommend Penzeys.

Excellent selection, incredibly friendly service, and Penzey’s has so many fresh spices to pick from. They do one thing (spices, in case you were wondering), and they do it very very well. Came here for mulling spices, and were quickly pointed in the right direction. Other trips have been just browsing, and have resulted in other great cooking rubs. Make sure to sign up for their catalog so you get the coupons for a free spice.
This is the kind of place that makes you want to cook far more.

I have been receiving the Penzeys catalog for some time now, and finally got around to visiting the shop. Unfortunately, they close very early, so it’s not a place where you can swing by after work to pick up a few spices. Upon entering, I was like a kid in a candy store – or rather, a junkie wanting to get her fix. Everything smelled so good and I wanted to huff EVERYTHING! I loved that there were a variety of sizes, so you don’t have to commit to a specific amount. For basic spices like garlic powder and red pepper flakes, you can’t beat Trader Joe’s prices, but for specific spice blends and other spices to add to your cooking arsenal, stock up here. The only low point is their meager selection of salts, but that’s because the company has resolved to help their customers reduce their sodium intake, so they aren’t going to offer much variety by way of truffle salts or anything like that.
Whatever you do, you can’t leave without buying their extra fancy Vietnamese cinnamon. And I’m not just saying that because it’s the cinnamon of my people, but seriously… the best cinnamon you’ve ever tasted. Even America’s Test Kitchen says so!
Pro-​tip 1: Subscribe to their catalog! They often have recipes included in each edition and a coupon you can use online or in the stores. Usually the savings is for a free spice or $ off a minimum purchase.
Pro-​tip 2: Metrobus accessible! From West Falls Church Metro, take the 28A (towards King Street Station) or the 3B (towards Rosslyn Metro) and get there in about 5 minutes. It costs $ 1.50 if you use SmarTrip.

Whoever though you could spend so much time in a spice store? My usual encounters with spice stores are either Indian ones or the isles of a grocery store. I had done a quick search for spices online and I came across this place. Out of curiosity if clicked on store locator and low and behold they had one in Virginia. I looked at the address and I knew I had to go. I was on my way to visit someone that lived right down the street. It was a sign. It was calling me.
I drove over and parked in the back. As I walked in the store, I was greeted. She told me they have samples of all the spices. I just had to open the small containers and enjoy. I’ll tell you this. I have always bought the garlic powder from grocery stores. The smell has always been bland. I took one whiff of their garlic and wow… I was almost knocked out. It was a nice strong garlicy smell. That’s what this stuff should smell like. I think figured I’d try and make my BBQ rub, so I started to gather up all the ingredients. The sweet Hungarian paprika had a nice rich color and great smell. Even though I only needed a few things, I still smelled everything. Their stuff seems pretty high quality. As I was nearing the end, I saw they had High Fat Cocoa. What is this, no idea. I picked up a small jar. I’ll make some brownies with it and see if I can tell the difference.
This place isn’t cheap, keep that in mind when you go. You can do a lot of damage if you are trying to build up a spice rack. So be careful when you go =)
The store front is nice and clean, and everything is setup nicely. The employees are extremely friendly and very helpful. They also have a section of premade spices if you just don’t want to make your own. They have some for tacos, BBQ, dips, and so on. Parking can suck. They don’t have too many spaces out back. If that fills up, you’ll have to find street parking.
If you like fresh spices, give them a visit if you are in the area. You’ll be glad you did.