International Grocery

I needed a cheese for my friend’s party. I walked in and had no idea what to get. For me, the usual choices are American, cheddar or wiz. The man behind the counter was very helpful. He gave me some suggestions and let me try some cheese. The one I just loved was the kefalograviera. I bought what he had left. I know it will be a hit at my friend’s party.

Great food. Great prices. Friendly staff. Will keep coming back.

Really, really, really THE best. Besides barrels of fresh spices, dried fruits, raw nuts, Mediterranean desserts, spinach pie, tons of olives, mushrooms, pickles, spreads, dips, cheeses, salamis, coffee beans, cooked octopus, filo, pita, there are fun surprises everywhere in this lil place, and fun tastes while you’re waiting. Prices are totally reasonable, the staff is friendly, fast, efficient, and helpful. This is the only place where I literally give tips to the clerks. And I get all occasion gifts for everyone I know. And I get nuts and dried fruit for people I know are flying for treats on the plane. Lil convenient plastic bags…

great old times grocery, friendly workers, fair prices. what do i get here… olives, octopus, feta, spinach pie…

Love this market — we call it the ‘spice shop’ because of all the spices out in drums in the middle of the shop. Try the Baklava… try it all. Everything is good, real good — fantastic. This is my go-​to shop for so many things that you just can’t find so easily. The service here is fantastic — everyone is super friendly.

You can take the A train to 42^nd Street, walk into International and feel like you’ve stepped out of an airplane and arrived at a real world spice market (without the risk of uninvited frisks or transportation delays). If you enjoy eating, this neighborhood store will charm and stimulate your imagination beyond the many colors that circle air bubbles.

For those who remember the «bad old days» of Hells Kitchen a generation ago visiting International Grocery can seem like entering a time warp. For those who weren’t alive a generation ago, it can still be a convenient place to pick up some ethnic specialties. Like most of their merchandise, the good selection of olives right by the door are packed to order by their staff. We love servings of their hand-​cut spanakopita which we often accompany with filled to order containers of their hummus, babghanoush and tabouli. Personally, although we enjoy the ambiance they create, we avoid spices displayed in open bins. Do take a minute to walk around and acquaint yourself with what they carry; pita are hidden in the front window, while halva (cut to order) is next to the register and feta is in the refrigerator chest between the dips and the giant bean salad; deserts, both home made – think baklava and honey almond cake, as well as packaged cookies, are adjacent.

Really nice grocery with friendly service. Filled with bulk beans, grains, flours, nuts, fruits, and olives. I do think it is on the pricier side compared to other middle eastern groceries in my neighborhood but that may be because of the location. Everything is labeled by the quarter pound or half pound. They also carry locally made desserts like baklava, kataifi, and cookies, all were $ 8. I spotted Kabuli naan and Lebanese style pita near the entrance. Dried fruit seemed very expensive — Turkish apricots were almost $ 10/​lb.
The men behind the counter were very friendly and accommodating. The one who rang me up even poured some of the almonds that went over the amount I asked for into my hand.
Overall the shop has a nice selection of bulk foods. But, I would say that if you need spices, dried fruit, or nuts, try going to an Indian or other middle eastern grocery in the outer boroughs first before coming here to save money.

I checked out this place for the first time today after reading the great reviews on Unilocal and I have to say I love this place!
This grocery is packed with fragrant spices, oils, nuts and much more. Also the prices are reasonable.
What I loved most about this place was the friendly staff. I bought some walnuts, pecans and cashews. After the cashier shoveled them into the plastic bag he gave me a few extra on the house. :)
I came here for fenugreek powder and left with much more. I will definitely be back!

Love, love, love this place! It so surreal to have this in Midtown. Coffee beans, spices, fresh Greek yogurt, hummus, etc. cheeses and deli meat from Europe. It’s amazing fresh food and prices are fair As well. Everyone there is really sweet and kind.

Wow… how did I live here for so many years and NOT discover the wonders of this place? I had known it was a store for spices/​seasoning, like my recent purchase of a French harissa sauce for some North African dishes (haven’t tried the bulk spices since I stock up during various travels), but little did I know about the delicious goodies this place holds until recently, when a long time NY resident friend was surprised I had not tried to pre-​made foods here!
The dips here are to die for. Their hummus is fresh made, so thick with natural flavor that you’ll never buy another tub at Whole Foods again. Their taramasalata dip is amazing, I didn’t know what it was but I sure love it now — the perfect blend of potato and fish roe. Their savory pies were great, and though I haven’t had the chance to try, the array of desserts look amazing. This is also one of the few places I’m able to find pita w/​out sugar and extra additives, both stone ground whole wheat and plain, along with an assortment of other breads for dipping.
And the owners (with an adorable meow wandering around sometimes) are a big part of the charm of this place, so warm and patient in explaining the items and helping each and every customer. Even if you don’t live close by, this is a place worth making a regular stop to.
Hungry kat, two-​paws-​up with approval!

I’ve only purchased spices from here, so that is what I will talk about.
Wow! This place is truly top-​notch as far as spice shops go. The prices they charge for the quantity and quality of spices you receive boggle my mind. I have never seen anything that compares in terms of price, even if it’s referring to the cheapest, stalest colored sawdust sold at a discount store. And even though these spices are better priced than anything, they are extremely fresh. They’re comparable in quality to the same thing you get at Kalustyan’s or any gourmet spice shop in the city. Seriously, they are some of the freshest spices I’ve ever bought. I didn’t even know beforehand that things like turmeric and paprika had a smell, but the stuff I bought here was extremely aromatic.
And let me just reiterate how cheap these are. I stocked my entire spice cabinet for about $ 25. This includes pretty much every spice one would ever need for Western and basic ethnic cooking. I had so much leftover that I was able to sell the rest for $ 20 to someone getting an equally good deal. That’s right, the prices are so good here that one can practically stock a spice cabinet for free. It doesn’t even make sense.
That being said, there is one caveat. The selection is not gigantic and ridiculous like Kalustyan’s or other specialty ethnic stores. You probably won’t find anything super exotic and obscure here, so only plan on buying stuff you’d be able to find at a supermarket.

There are so many reasons to love the 9^th Ave strip of Hell’s Kitchen, and here is one. This store is like a preserved, historic sanctuary of old New York, with its intoxicating conglomerate of European cultures all under one heady roof.
Buy spices by the pound for crazy cheap. Enjoy freshly made pastries like the giant slices of Basbousa for only a mind-​boggling $ 3.50. Bask in the old world hospitality of the owners, who never fail to thank you and invite you to come back.
#lovelovelove

This place is THE place to go for Taramosalata. It is so creamy and tasty. The store is full of old world charm and the shopkeepers are lovely. And there is a big friendly cat as well.

Specialty food stores equals heaven to me. And this place, is my new favorite store. It’s great for spices and some nuts. I say some because you can find cheaper nuts elsewhere.
Love the garlic potatoes and Halva, and my nuts and dried fruit was fresh but, I have yet to try more.
Oh, and great people and cats apparently works here too. I wouldn’t worry about cats. I once worked at a specialty food store/​market in Brooklyn and they tried to follow the rules and not have a cat but they had a family of rats that consistently destroyed the place and the place smelled of rat poo, pee and bleach. They had the exterminator coming every week but obviously, nothing works on NY rats and mice except cats. Plus, it is all about maintenance and International Grocery appears to be very clean.

Along with fantastic items mentioned in other comments, the taramosalata is heavenly. Also love the spicey olive mix. Try anchovies packed in salt… so meatier than those packed in oil.

Prices are super cheap and the service is friendly and fast.
I have purchased coffee, spices, tabbouleh, and a spinach pie.
The tabbouleh was flavorful with a lot of dressing, but was surprisingly not overwhelmingly acidic. There’s just the right amount of feta mixed in, but I wish there was a bit more tomato. They weigh this by pound, and I got a small container for $ 3.25.
The spinach pie is hefty for $ 4, loaded with spinach too! They give it to you cold, so the downside is that you have to heat it up in an oven (shouldn’t microwave delicious phyllo).
For $ 7.25, it was a huge tasty lunch!

What a find on 9^th Avenue! This unassuming store is a treasure trove of foreign and not so foreign produce. It’s quite a lot of fun just browsing the shelves to look at exotic produce from other parts of the world and wonder if you’re supposed to eat them or wear them.
The Italian bread and imported Prosciutto are great here. They also sell spices by the pound so if you’re in the mood for Indian cooking then you can pick up most of the spices you need here. They have a great selection of Basmati and other rice.
The service is excellent and well worth a visit.

I can’t help smiling like a crazy person when I walk into this place. No, it’s not fancy (and I’ll admit that it looks questionable from the outside) but they have EVERYTHING and it’s all delicious. His favorite Iranian flatbread? Check. Giant «gigantes» beans? Check. Hella delicious dried figs? Check. Amita MOTION fruit juice, the most crack-​like substance known to man? Holy sh*t CHECK.
I love that a lot of items are sold by the pound — and there’s stuff hidden in the store that you don’t see at first glance, so grab one of the employees and ask. They know their stuff.

They have really great roasted cashews.
They have great dates
They have a lot of spices and other open-​barrel things to buy.
I cannot go back.
There is a big fat cat that I took a picture of… that I don’t need to post because he is already on the reviews. Seriously? You sell food and you have a family cat in the store licking his ass? Which is what he is doing in my pic. Yes, I know cats clean themselves but they also carry diseases and should not be in a place that sells open food. I am not surprised people have found bugs and hair in their food. It is a health violation.
I will say the workers are super nice. Really helpful and the nuts were good. But, in good conscience of wanting a clean product, I cannot go back.