The Spice House

The re-design betrays the heart and quirky feel of the previous layout. I don't know what happened. But the owners, old or new, really seem to have gone full corporate. There is absolutely no reason to visit this store. It isn't fun anymore. They sell spices but in the redesign they lost just about all of their heart. Why bother.

We went as a group of home cooks and had BLAST. I loved the variety of spices, rubs, oils, pastes, seeds, grains, powders, etc. The entire store's presentation of the products☝🏾, the aromas were intoxicating✌🏾, prices just right, 👍🏾service🤜🏽🤛🏼we left out of there floating. We'll be back again and again! -Claudia

A staple for those who know. Honestly some of the best most fragrant spices you can get here. Sister location in Evanston is where I was introduced but this location turned out to be just as good now that the up north one is inconvenient. Of particular note: the roasted garlic is very potent. The various dried citrus peels are fragrant and fresh smelling. They have a wide variety of peppercorns for millers. It's in a dense and popular area so a car is perhaps not the best option here. There was a convenient bike lock out front. I seriously miss the old jars with the fat black lids though. New jars and labels are disappointing and uninspired compared to the minimalist beauty of the old ones. Store is fairly small and (appropriately) there is only one staff member at a time (at least when I've gone) so your best bet is to have a plan ahead of time. Thankfully the store is very well laid out, and spices are organized well. My understanding is that their premade spice blends are quite good, but I take cooking seriously, so I don't use blends, so I cant speak personally other than a Vulcans Fire Salt I was gifteda while back that is admittedly rather good.

A MUST if you’re in Old Towne Chicago! The shop is open and laid out to make it easy to browse their many spices. The clerk who was working took time to answer questions, to let us sample one we were undecided on, and had genuine conversation with us as friends. People always say I’ve never met a stranger and this is exactly how we were welcomed into the shop! I’ll be ordering online and definitely stopping in every time we are in Chicago! Thank you Spice House! My favorite experience this visit by far!!! ❤️ Anything with maple… get it! The popcorn seasoning, the mesquite bbq seasoning, the gateway to the north!!

The moment Spice House's front door swings open I was hit with an abundance of fragrances, some familiar, most foreign. Whiffing my way through the isles, I was amazed by the sheer number of spices. Not to mention the variants of the same spice. There's a host of spice rubs for different meats and popular dishes. Had I been a local, I would have bought at least two different spices. The interesting combination and flavour profiles created here inspired creativity in the kitchen.