Penzeys Spices

I absolutely love shopping here. The staff is pleasant, helpful and full of excellent suggestions. The variety of spices is incredible, each one comes in multiple sizes and don’t get me started on the great coupons! Try the Aleppo Pepper and the Mural of Flavor, two of my favorites!

Penzey’s is one of my favorite chain stores. It offers high quality spices in a variety of quantities/​package sizes. The options can be overwhelming at times, for example, 4 different types of cinnamon or 5 different chile powder blends… Which one do I buy? They all look so intriguing! It’s really fun to browse here. I also like the freebie monthly catalog, which features great descriptions and recipes. This company has the best motto: «Love people. Cook them tasty food.» Mission accomplished!

What an amazing spice store. Everything you could want or need is here. From plastic bags of spices (reasonable priced) to glass containers of spices, they have it all. Very knowledgeable staff. Very friendly and helpful. Will definitely drive here more often for the great selection.

I stumbled upon this shop by accident while visiting a friend in Raleigh. She lived very close to Cameron Village, where this location is located. I decided to go walk around while she was still at work.
Upon entering you get a nice whiff of various herbs and spices. I wanted to just browse around but after entering I knew I was in trouble. Well my wallet was in trouble. I walked around the store about 2 times just looking and reading. There is information about each product that explains what it is and its ideal use. While walking around, I find it interesting that no one came and asked me if I needed help with anything. It would have been nice to have someone explain things to me vs wandering around aimlessly. Sometimes its just nice to hear the history of a brand and its spices. That did not happen. The employees actually did not seem very personable.
So I ended up purchasing what I consider the bare essentials. I am not a cook so I just need a couple basics. I purchased the ground pepper, pizza seasoning, pasta spice, and minced garlic.
After I left the store, I went to eat and browsed the catalog I picked up as well. I realized there were a couple other things I wanted. So I went back and got the taco seasoning and the chip and dip seasoning. I also found out there is a location in Austin which I will be checking out!
So far I’ve used the chip & dip seasoning, minced garlic, and the pepper. I love them all. The chip & dip is like a ranch dip that you can buy in packets at the store but the flavor is definitely better. The pepper is also very good and more flavorful. I can tell a difference between what I buy at HEB and this product.
I’m excited to find seasoning alternatives that I can feel good about and I can’t wait to visit the store.

This is such a cool store for the family cook, err… I mean… CHEF — and that would be me: o) and the slogan «Love People, Cook them tasty food» fits Penzeys perfectly.
Out and about after our lunchtime debacle, we decided to stop and peruse and maybe see if we could find some gifts and/​or stocking stuffers. We found Herb, and Herb was fresh, very fresh. We also found Ginger, and Ginger was fresh and smelled very nice… Herb and Ginger — it seems like they were made for each other, a romance budding in the kitchen…
Need I say more?

Penzeys is my favorite place to not only buy spices and herbs, but to find out how to use them. The staff is both friendly and knowledgeable — I have gotten many recipes from them every time I visit. And I love the fact that with each catalog, I get a coupon for something free! This time, it’s a great coffee mug. In the past, it has been new spices that I can try at home. For anyone who cooks, this is the place for spices!

I really enjoyed this store. There are so many spices/​herbs etc here and great mixes too. I wound up getting a lot of stuff. And you know what else is adorable? They have a model kitchen set up in the back of the store. It is so cute – I had to take a pic of it!

My husband, a chef, wanted to stop in here for some unusual spices that aren’t often carried in the grocery stores. I tagged along not anticipating to find anything I really needed.
Much to my surprise, I was delighted to discover an extensive selection of unique gift boxes beautifully prepared with lovely glass bottles of spice pairings. There are grill boxes and baker’s boxes and salad lovers boxes… Indian, Asian, Mexican, French… Cocoa lovers, cheese lovers, pepper lovers. The list goes on and on!
I have to admit that I’m not much of a cook but even I was tempted to whip up some fancy dish with these mouthwatering herbs and spices! We left with several gifts for friends.
The staff members are super friendly and the shop is very roomy for browsing. They even offer shipping!

Penzeys is just awesome. I’ve yet to need a spice or herb I couldn’t find there, or find it for a better price per ounce anywhere else. Be aware, though, the selection may be a little overwhelming if you’re not already familiar with a variety of spices.
M wife and I have found the trip from south Durham to Cameron Village to be well worth it, every time we’ve gone. If you like to customize your cooking, Penzeys is well worth checking out.

This place is awesome. We have been fans of their amazing products for years and are thrilled to live near this store.
Shopping here is a hands-​on experience. I love that they have big jars of each product on display, and taking in those aromas is a marvelous experience. The staff is friendly and helpful and don’t seem to mind that our kids meander through the store on their own smelling all the spices.

I love Penzey spices. I was introduced to Penzey spices when living in Oak Park, IL. When we moved to the Raleigh area we were happy to hear there was a Penzeys. We look forward to getting their catalogs in the mail with the yummy recipes to try. A couple of my favorite spices are :
Salad Elegant
Forward
and we love the Bold Taco Seasoning.
We haven’t bought a taco seasoning from the store in over 5 years! If you are in the area, I highly recommend stopping by and at least smelling all the different spices.

What a wonderful resource for people who love to cook. I stepped in to burn some time before lunch and started planning meals in my head to justify what I started picking up to buy. Epizote, Fines Herbes, French Vinegarette Dressing mix and some of their in-​house spice blends. For the quantity and quality of the selection, their pricing is super fair and reasonable. Why go to the supermarket when you can go to Penzey’s? I have a dear Hungarian friend who was thrilled to learn that Penzey’s carries two different types of Hungarian paprika. It was a very inexpensive trip around the (culinary) world and so conveniently located in Cameron Village.

The smell of herbs and spices hits you as you enter and begin to browse through a very nice collection. The store is very open, with helpful signage designating the «peppercorn» section apart from the «baking» and other sections. I perused for discovery, rather than with intention, and ended up picking up Vietnamese cinnamon, four peppercorn, and Rojan Josh. What a nice variety! I especially loved that you have many size options, so no need to commit to a large container of cheese dip seasoning if you don’t think you’ll use it up within the year. I’m not the chef of the household, but I did find many of the soup and Italian seasonings intriguing. What I’ll for sure return for though are the gift packages — very smartly grouped for the baker, the hot cocoa drinker, the taco lover, and so-​on.

With the post-​holiday depletion of our spice stores glaringly obvious, the spouse and I headed to Cameron Village with visions of exotic salts and super-​hot peppers in our heads! What we found was geared more to the average home spice rack and not the specialist kitchen, but quality products nonetheless.
With its large layout and multiple sections, Penzeys certainly looks like the sort of place that would have every spice, herb and seasoning you could imagine! While they do have a lot, much of the selection is the same product in different variations (such as five varieties of cinnamon and so forth) which can make for fun, but a few items I’d hoped to find were nowhere to be seen. Each display features a lidded jar of the available product that you can open to smell in order to get an idea of the qualities each variety offers, which is nice. We did find a decent selection of dried hot peppers in several weights and formats, including whole and ground, and several of the kitchen regulars we sniffed — oregano in particular — were head and shoulders above what you can get at your regular grocery store. Still, places like Neomonde and the various Indian/​Asian grocers around town are probably a better place to pick up the seasonings geared to those cuisines, especially for the cost. Empty jars are also available to purchase if you buy anything bagged and not pre-​jarred; we found this was a better move price-​wise. There’s also a small sitting area with crayons and paper which is probably intended to entertain children while parents shop, but given its close proximity to lots of easy-​to-​open jars with small things that can be put in tiny mouths, I’d be hesitant to leave any child below school-​age playing there unattended.
My only complaint bothered me enough to take what could have been four stars to three: The entire time we were shopping, not once did any of the many employees on the floor approach us. No matter what section we were in, no matter if we were right next to someone who worked there, no matter that we’d gone to and from a particular area several times, obviously searching for something — not one so much as blinked at us. Now, I’m not one for having my hand held while shopping, but seriously — at least pretend like you care that I’m in your place of business and looking like I might plan to spend some money!
We ended up purchasing a variety of peppers and two types of oregano as well as some jars to keep it in. Since Penzeys is the only local place I’ve found some of these peppers so far we’d probably go back when we need a refill but honestly, the cold shoulder treatment we received during our first visit sets me against making it a regular stop on my shopping list; I know I can get most things there for a better price at small markets around the area and be treated like I’m not invisible in the bargain.

If you like to cook, or know someone who does, this is such a cool place to check out! I was introduced to Penzeys Spices last Christmas when a friend sent me a box of them. Just the way they’re packaged when you get it through the mail was enough for me to say — wow!
When I opened the box it had loose bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and hazelnuts as what I thought was just a decoration to «hide» the spice bottles inside. Nope, there was a pre-​printed note in the box saying they could be used for cooking too and offered some suggestions. The spice bottles in the box were unlike any I’d seen before. I went online, signed up for a catalog, and when that came I was even more delighted.
The catalogs are filled with recipes to go along with spices featured on several pages. To my delight, I found out there was a store in Raleigh! Even though there’s a store here, do yourself a favor and sign up for the catalog. Not only will you get all the great recipes (yes, I know you can get the catalog in the store), but when it comes in the mail there’s always a coupon for a bottle of a featured spice — for free! In the November catalog there was a coupon for a box of four spices — and it was free! You gotta love that!
The store is well described by others here, so I won’t go into that. It’s just a great place to spend some time and the quality of the spices are top notch! Definitely worth a visit!

Livin’ La Vida SPICEY!
Visit: A handful of times
After finding a recipe for Daal, an Indian lentil dish, I realized my personal spice rack lacked about 5 spices for this dish. Where should I go for a bunch of spices? I immediately thought of Penzeys, a whole store dedicated entirely to spices. Perfect! I have been a Penzeys customer long before the store opened locally in Cameron Village. I used to live in rural TN in the mid 90’s and I did the majority of my shopping via catalog. To get quality spices as well as a wide variety of spices, I would order from Penzyes and I greatly enjoyed receiving their catalog. I particularly enjoyed the recipes included in the catalog… gave me a chance to try something new since we rarely dined out while living in TN. I always received great customer service over the phone and my orders arrived in a timely manner.
To buy the spices for the Daal recipe, my husband and I walked to Cameron Village last Saturday to take advantage of the lovely weather. It ended up being very fortuitous because Cameron Village was packed and the parking lot was a zoo. I really like stepping across the threshold of Penzeys due to the low lighting and the aromatic scents wafting through the air. It smells so good! It took me a few minutes to find the section of spices I needed. But then all the spices for the Daal recipe were located in one area. I appreciate that Penzeys has a sample jar of each of the spices allowing me to smell them before buying. FYI, 90% of taste is smell. I have a strong sense of smell so for me having the ability to smell the spices is very important. Penzeys offers spices in ground form or whole seed at several different amounts in glass jars or plastic bags. Shortly after I started gathering my spices, the sales associate came over to give me a hand basket. She was very observant and efficient. I’m sorry that I don’t know her name but she has helped me in the past and I have greatly enjoyed her assistance and sharing recipe ideas. She has long, black wavy hair and is very friendly and extroverted. She pointed out the location of the last spice on my list and went to help another customer. On this Saturday afternoon, Penzeys was the busiest I have ever seen it.
Last holiday season, my husband and I were trying to come up with an idea for his parents’ Christmas gift. We were shopping at Cameron Village and stopped into Penzeys for some vanilla and viola! there was the perfect Christmas present for his parents… a gift box of assorted spices. His parents truly enjoyed their gift. Phew!
If you want to spice up your food, check out Penzeys!

Large, clean, and ample space in this spice store. This is a great place to go for house warming gifts and to start your spice collection. If you already have the spices and need refills, go to Savory Spices, where you can buy them in bulk and baggies & just reload your clean jars.
The staff is friendly and helpful if you have any questions. Their selection is decent, but can be pricy; ethnic stores can often have better prices and I would expect them to be fresher due to higher turn over. For the occasionally used spice or something you like from their catalog, get it here.
Their focus on salt alternatives is good for people on specific dietary needs; however, I prefer some salt and so I feel left over. They also like their spice blends, something good for people with a limited spice cabinet. We have over 100 jars of spices (alphabetized, no less) so we just make our own mixes and have better control of the quality and quantities. Come to think of it, I don’t think I am their target demographic.
I still enjoy walking around and sniffing the spices but rarely buy anything from here and instead go to previously mentioned stores. Have fun traveling the world of flavors and hope you discover or learn something new.

I’ve been a Penzey’s mail order customer for 10 years. I’m an even bigger fan now that they’ve opened their shop in Cameron Village.
Step into Penzey’s and you’re greeted with a waft of the freshest dried herbs you’re going to find (unless you dry and store your own spices). There’s more to the store than the regular stars of your everyday spice rack: there are rubs, dressing mixes, and salad toppings (like the tasty Salad Elegant). You’ll find shallot salt (try it instead of garlic salt), a half a dozen types of ginger, and a rainbow of pepper corns.
And then there are the blends that enhance everything from scrambled eggs to pizza: Sunny Paris Seasoning, Bouquet Garni, curry mixes, Italian blends… the list goes on. (The Sandwich Sprinkle is one of my favorites – a mix of garlic, salt, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and black pepper. A few dashes turn a plain turkey sandwich into art.)
The baking section is a real treat – you’ll find several varieties of vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa. There’s a shelf lined with every kind of extract you can imagine. Plus, Penzey’s has great gift boxes for the cook, baker, or griller in your life. You can also create your own gift box with four sample-​sized jars for around $ 12.00.
Stop in and collect some new recipes or take a whiff of just about every spice, extract, and herbal blend the store offers (Penzey’s has recipe cards and sample jars at each spice station). The prices are great, and everything is available in bulk. You’ll pay more for the plastic jars at the grocery store than the glass-​bottled seasonings at Penzey’s.
Sugar and spice and everything nice… that’s what Penzey’s is made of.

Who woulda thunk that you could have a store totally dedicated to spices? But that’s what Penzey’s is all about over in Cameron Village. The only location of this Wisconsin based chain, Penzey’s is a dream come true for home chefs and cooks. Basil, chile peppers, cardamon, cinnamon, curries and more, you’ll find it ALL here in this store! I wandered through just wanting to scope out the scene. Everything seems to be really high-​quality, you get detailed descriptions of each type of spice, how it’s used as flavoring in simple displays. They’ve also got sample jars so you can sniff to your heart’s content. In the back they’ve got a demo kitchen and cupboards showcasing their wares. Grab a gift box and put together your own special assortment.
And even though Penzeys is all about high-​quality spices, the prices are pretty reasonable. Just a bit more than what you might pay at Teeters. What can I say but if you’re into cooking and want the freshest ingredients or bulk spices, stop on by and check Penzey’s out! I’m pretty sure you’ll walk out with something for the pantry…