Oaktown Spice Shop

I love coming here for gifts and I always can’t help but pick up a few jars of spices for myself. They do offer online shopping with in store pickup, but coming in person to browse gives me a chance to find something I haven’t cooked or baked with before. Their products are all labeled with dates so you know you’re getting fresh spices, which make such a huge difference. It’s definitely pricier than the grocery store but it really is so worth it, especially for the fresh peppercorns or spice blends. In addition to gift boxes with 2-4 jars & a recipe card (usually $20-$50), they also have cookbooks, teas, hot chocolate, and misc kitchen tools.

Had my first visit today and WOW - what a gorgeous local gem!! The offerings are unmatched elsewhere and the employee was kind, welcoming, friendly and helpful. I shopped for a single item but I cannot wait to return and fill out my cabinets with so many unique and hard to find spices, teas, blends, etc. Magical experience!

I love this store they have a vegan cookbook with a playlist in it including James Brown, Charles Mingus, BADBADNOTGOOD, Miles Davis, MF DOOM etc. Coolest cookbook ever. I got a small spoon here made out of olive wood, cyprus black lava sea salt, Nigella seeds, French thyme, the most delicious vegan cookie mix, and a lot of other special herbs and spices. The brand of the cookie mix is Renewal Mill, a vegan chocolate chip cookie mix. They also have vegan brownie mix at this store by the same brand, also delicious. There's everything you could ever need here for cooking, tons of chillies too. The spice associates are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Another thing I really enjoy about this store that added a personalized touch is that they have little recipe cards for you to cook some delicious meals with your new spices.

This is a great local spot. They have soo many spices for cooking and even medicinal herbs. I always get inspired about new recipes coming in here! Their customer service is amazing too. Everyone is friendly and recently I bought a mortar and pestel and the pestel was broken when I opened it. The return was very smooth and they gave me a new one to replace it without any issues. Highly recommend anyone check them out and support them!

A lovely store with all imaginable spices, spice blends, chillies, vanilla beans, beet powder... I mean the list goes on. walk into the store and just take a deep breath. The aromas are rich and the staff is knowledgeable. I love going here. prices are higher than what you would pay at a grocery store, however their ingredients are top-notch and their freshness is dated. So you can be guaranteed high-quality spices. TV parking around this area is similar to parking anywhere at the lake, limited so plan time unless you’re walking to find parking.

Good spot to grab some spices. I wouldn’t recommend getting any of the Korean spices or Korean bbq spices because it doesn’t taste/ smell like anything Korean. 🙁 The gochugaru, which you can purchase for a gallon for $10 at an Asian grocery, is $8.50 for a few ounces. This shop is good with the basics like Herbs de Provence or paprika. I wish that there was just more of a variety, especially if it is a spice specialty store.

Wow!! What a cool store! Recently moved to the area and only happened on this place while walking back to the car. Love the gift sets.

I was afraid I would never find a high quality spice shop like the one in my hometown. I found that, and then some here! They have a beautiful, well thought out selection. The quality is amazing. The gift boxes are a great and unique for those people that are super hard to shop for. The folks who work there are super kind and knowledgeable. Added bonus: their covid setup is fantastic! On one side there are menus, and if you don’t want to pick up a menu there are QR codes to pull up it up on your phone. You order from behind the plexiglass, they take your contactless payment, and then go assemble your order. When your order is ready, they bring it to the other side (the pickup window). If you’d rather shop at home, you can order online and pick up at the store within a few days- they also offer free shipping over $75.

I love coming here for gifts and I always can’t help but pick up a few jars of spices for myself. They do offer online shopping with in store pickup, but coming in person to browse gives me a chance to find something I haven’t cooked or baked with before. Their products are all labeled with dates so you know you’re getting fresh spices, which make such a huge difference. It’s definitely pricier than the grocery store but it really is so worth it, especially for the fresh peppercorns or spice blends. In addition to gift boxes with 2-4 jars & a recipe card (usually $20-$50), they also have cookbooks, teas, hot chocolate, and misc kitchen tools.

Had my first visit today and WOW - what a gorgeous local gem!! The offerings are unmatched elsewhere and the employee was kind, welcoming, friendly and helpful. I shopped for a single item but I cannot wait to return and fill out my cabinets with so many unique and hard to find spices, teas, blends, etc. Magical experience!

I love this store they have a vegan cookbook with a playlist in it including James Brown, Charles Mingus, BADBADNOTGOOD, Miles Davis, MF DOOM etc. Coolest cookbook ever. I got a small spoon here made out of olive wood, cyprus black lava sea salt, Nigella seeds, French thyme, the most delicious vegan cookie mix, and a lot of other special herbs and spices. The brand of the cookie mix is Renewal Mill, a vegan chocolate chip cookie mix. They also have vegan brownie mix at this store by the same brand, also delicious. There's everything you could ever need here for cooking, tons of chillies too. The spice associates are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Another thing I really enjoy about this store that added a personalized touch is that they have little recipe cards for you to cook some delicious meals with your new spices.

This is a great local spot. They have soo many spices for cooking and even medicinal herbs. I always get inspired about new recipes coming in here! Their customer service is amazing too. Everyone is friendly and recently I bought a mortar and pestel and the pestel was broken when I opened it. The return was very smooth and they gave me a new one to replace it without any issues. Highly recommend anyone check them out and support them!

A lovely store with all imaginable spices, spice blends, chillies, vanilla beans, beet powder... I mean the list goes on. walk into the store and just take a deep breath. The aromas are rich and the staff is knowledgeable. I love going here. prices are higher than what you would pay at a grocery store, however their ingredients are top-notch and their freshness is dated. So you can be guaranteed high-quality spices. TV parking around this area is similar to parking anywhere at the lake, limited so plan time unless you’re walking to find parking.

Good spot to grab some spices. I wouldn’t recommend getting any of the Korean spices or Korean bbq spices because it doesn’t taste/ smell like anything Korean. 🙁 The gochugaru, which you can purchase for a gallon for $10 at an Asian grocery, is $8.50 for a few ounces. This shop is good with the basics like Herbs de Provence or paprika. I wish that there was just more of a variety, especially if it is a spice specialty store.

Wow!! What a cool store! Recently moved to the area and only happened on this place while walking back to the car. Love the gift sets.

I was afraid I would never find a high quality spice shop like the one in my hometown. I found that, and then some here! They have a beautiful, well thought out selection. The quality is amazing. The gift boxes are a great and unique for those people that are super hard to shop for. The folks who work there are super kind and knowledgeable. Added bonus: their covid setup is fantastic! On one side there are menus, and if you don’t want to pick up a menu there are QR codes to pull up it up on your phone. You order from behind the plexiglass, they take your contactless payment, and then go assemble your order. When your order is ready, they bring it to the other side (the pickup window). If you’d rather shop at home, you can order online and pick up at the store within a few days- they also offer free shipping over $75.

As a frequent visitor to Oakland Spice Shop on Grand Avenue, I can confidently say that this place never disappoints! Each time I walk in, I'm greeted by the enticing aromas of spices from around the globe, and I always discover something new. The selection is outstanding, from rare spices to high-quality everyday essentials. The knowledgeable staff knows me by now and is always ready with personalized recommendations, which enhances my shopping experience. They take the time to understand what I'm cooking and suggest the perfect spices to elevate my dishes. I truly appreciate their commitment to quality and sustainability, with many organic and locally sourced options available. The welcoming atmosphere makes it my go-to spot for all my spice needs. Thanks to Oakland Spice Shop, my cooking has reached new heights, and I can't wait for my next visit! If you're looking to enhance your culinary adventures, look no further!

Oaktown Spice Shop is AMAZING! Truly a local gem. I stopped by about 30 minutes before closing on a Thursday evening and I wished I had planned to come in sooner, just so I could spend more time browsing the store. This is a chef/cook/baker's dream store. They have every spice imaginable and some I didn't even know were available (I had no idea there were so many choices for cinnamon). They also have teas, sauces, cookbooks, and other great gifts and ingredient - many of which were created by local makers. I love that they even have some signed cookbooks by local chefs. The staff was so kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. Even though we were the very last people in the store, they never made us feel rushed. We easily found metered parking on the street right up front but on a nice day, you could definitely park farther and take a nice walk around the lake area.

So cute! Felt like Harry Potter coming in here. The selection here is awesome and I found exactly what I needed, which is hard to find and your usual stores. Also staff is super nice!

Oak Town spice shop is a great place to stop by if you're having a leisurely stroll by the lake or looking to grab gifts for loved ones. They've got a great spice collection and often have new blends available. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I recently stopped by to grab some gifts for old coworkers. I grabbed them some smoked salts while grabbing some chili oil for myself. Pro tip: make sure to smell some of their items including their smoked salts! Everything smells wonderful. Will return for more hauls in the future.

Love this place! Service was super friendly. So many spice options! I especially love the chili pepper section.

This is a lovely spice store by the lake. The service is great and everyone working there is so friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had cocktail mixers/bitters and cocktail making tool. I am a novice mixologist so it's fun to see new mixes! They also have tea blends like Chai, Earl Grey, & Green tea. They have all the spices you could ever need go cook flavorful meal. Here are some I saw: -All the basics: Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Green Onion, Shallots, Chili Peppers, Chile Lemon -Persian Lime Curry Rub -Jerk Rub -Japanese Curry -Garam Masala They also have cook books and recipe recommendations. I love this place and I recommend it as a one stop shop for good quality spices!

A fun store that sells (almost) every spice you can think of - I did stump them with one I had read about and wanted to find as Christmas gifts. A little overpriced for my budget - but if you were looking for fun (and beautifully packaged) gift sets for the holidays, this would be the place to hit up. They also have a macaron person (unrelated to the store) INSIDE the store - that was the reason we came in.

Amazing array of spices, ribs, herbs and recipes. Very friendly staff!!! Can't get to Oakland, don't worry, they'll ship it to you.

My sister, who's lived in Oakland since 2010, is a big fan of local business Oaktown Spice Shop. Oaktown opened on Grand Ave, right next to Lake Merritt, in 2011. Since then, they've expanded with locations in Albany and Castro Valley. To introduce us to the brand, my sister gifted my wife and me with a bunch of different spices from Oaktown. Over the past 1.5+ years, my wife has been regularly using Oaktown spices in her cooking. We have the following spices in our cupboard (prices shown below are for 1/2 cup jars at the time of writing this review): * Better Than Everything Bagel Spice ($8.75) * Grand Lake Shake ($7.00) * Persian Lime Curry Rub ($8.75) * Thai Curry ($9.25) * Umami Sea Salt ($11.50) * Shichimi Togarashi ($8.00) * Ume-Shiso Furikake ($11.75) Each spice is great in its own way. In general, they've tasted high-quality, fresh, and delicious, adding additional depth and flavor to our dishes that sometimes, we didn't know we needed. Oaktown grinds and hand-mixes spice blends in their own shop. A lot of the spices are original creations. The Better Than Everything Bagel Spice, Persian Lime Curry Rub, Umami Sea Salt, and Shichimi Togarashi have been among the store's best-selling spices. Bagels are a regular part of our diet and so has become Oaktown's Better Than Everything Bagel Spice. It adds a pleasant herbiness to our cream cheese bagels. My wife has added the Umami Sea Salt to all sorts of dishes, from Italian pastas to American Southern entrees and sides. It's great when rubbed with oil on the outside of baked potatoes. Anytime my wife cooks ramen, the Shichimi Togarashi goes on top. It's good. The Shichimi Togarashi and the Ume-Shiso Furikake came together in the Ramen & Rice Seasoning Box ($27) which also included cinnamon sticks and bay leaves + recipe cards. We got recipe cards with the other spices as well. These spices make great gifts and ship/travel well. The packaging is nice and all materials are easily recyclable, so props to Oaktown for that. If you like cooking and are a spice enthusiast, I highly recommend checking these guys out. Visit their online store at https://oaktownspiceshop.com/.

I love Oaktown Spice Shop. I'm still very sad that the Castro Valley space is no longer; but was happy I had a chance to swing by and pick up some Hot Cajun Blackening blend and some different Garlic options. Took my brother here for the first time and he grabbed a bag of the brine mix. Definitely recommend purchasing from them any chance you get!

Glad to see Oaktown Spice Shop still in business post pandemic and still pretty busy on a weekend! Located right around Lake Merritt, parking isn't too bad but there's street parking. Lots of people walking and passing by. So many spices and other cool things you can get from this place. Spices from all different places and perfect for a white elephant gifts too to mix and match and they come with recipes!

I came here to buy some rose harissa for an ottolenghi recipe. There is not rose harissa but there was a helper on the floor who said "ottolenghi?" yep. They said combine the harissa with rose water (they had both) and you're there. So I'd say the service was excellent. The only down side was prices: I think it was $7.50 each. Maybe that's the case everywhere but it just seems high. I'll still go back because of the service and it's nice to have local businesses doing well.

Great ambiance. Yummy spices. I got the adobo, umami, and I forgot the other one but they were all great. Went through the umami fairly quickly. If you go to the store there are great free recipe cards that go with your spices. It's across from lake Merritt which makes for a fun walk. Good times.

You walk in and it smells like foodie kitchen heaven. The staff is always pleasant, and that recipe for Golden Milk pancakes? The shopkeeper behind the counter tried it last weekend and loved it, so you take a recipe card home, and you love it too when you make it the next weekend. There are so many enticing spices, herbs, blends, and other little surprises. The garlic salt is awesome. And maybe the most surprising part, their spices aren't really more expensive than what you can get at Safeway!

This place is the bestest!!! They give you free recipe cards and can turn any meal Into paradise .

I love this place! First of all I love everything Oakland and Oaktown Spice Shop is hella Oakland. Everything is always so clean and organized. I love all of the Knick knacks you can find around the store and that everything is clearly labeled and easy to find. I also always experience great customer service! The staff are so nice and knowledgeable and are extremely helpful! I came in right before the holidays for gifts for my staff and they have a gift sets, but this year they had an option to make your own gift set. One of the employees helped me find sets for all of my staff and was so great at explaining what each spice was or was comparable to so that I could understand what I was getting. They wrapped them and also included recipe cards for each. I love coming here for myself and others!

Weird experience. There were no other customers in the store and the shelves were empty. I am not sure what is going on but they didn't even have dried mint. Now I am just jealous of all of the reviewers that had 4 and 5 star experiences. The guys working in the store were courteous enough it just wasn't worth the trip - supply chain issues?

I was walking around Lake Merritt the other day and couldn't help but notice this charming establishment. As I love food and cooking, I thought that I should check it out at the very least. The store is wildly aromatic in the best way possible. Everything is logically organized and well labeled. The shopkeeper was attentive, though I was just browsing. Of course, after seeing their selections, I ended up buying some spices that aren't readily available at your local grocery store. In fact, tomorrow I will be using the Vadouvan spice to make some Venison Vadouvan Curry. So, if you ever find yourself strolling around Lake Merritt, drop in!

This place is incredible! Such a lovely selection of spices to choose from. I have been here twice now, once to find something fun to gift my "secret Santa" person for work, who I was told loves Mexican food and is trying to cook more. The staff member was very knowledgeable and gave some suggestions, and helped me select a few spices to gift. Many of the spices have the option to choose from a shaker and a bag. I liked the choice! I think the bag with one of their little olive spoons was the perfect gift. I also went back recently in search of Kashmiri chili power to make tikka masala. I knew I'd find it, and once again, the staff was very helpful in directing me to the right area of the store to search for it. As I continue to branch out my cooking, trying new cuisines, I'm sure I'll be back to expand my spice collection!

They have GREAT products! I went in before the holidays. The first person helping me was helpful, friendly & pointed me in the right direction where I picked up a bunch of gifts. I continued to shop and asked another person where to find something and asked a subsequent question and immediately felt the condescending snobbery. Geez. Over a month later, as I use some of the spices, I still think of how that left me feeling... it kinda sucks.

I love coming here for anything dealing with spices! It's right across from Lake Merritt and a couple of doors down from Grand Lake Kitchen. They have so much to choose from and such a wide variety of cinnamon, chilis, salts from around the world and that's just a small subset of ingredients they have on display for you to smell and ask about. If you have a recipe that includes a hard to find spice, please come here to inquire. If they don't have it they could probably help you find a substitute - they know so much!!! This is a foodies' heaven!!!

This place is truly an amazing experience. The moment you walk into the cute shop, the smell of spices just envelop you in a warm hug. The staff are very knowledgeable and give great advice, tips and tricks. Their products are extremely high quality! My favorite things to get are the candied ginger, umami sea salt, and the Persian Lime Curry Rub. This would be a great stop for gifts for weddings, engagements, birthdays, coworkers/bosses, basically anyone who loves to cook and appreciates fresh, quality spices!

I wish I could afford to buy all my spices here. But I feel what is really worth picking up is smoked paprika and lime curry spice. They also give you recipes which are absolutely delicious. For example, I made a soup with the lime curry spice that had baked eggplant, cauliflower and sweet potato and a little heat. I fed a neighbor with the extra. She texted me "Nom...this is good." The staff here are always on top of things. They don't let anyone in the store anymore (very good) and they have definitely upped their online game. This place is really worth a visit. My favorite location is next to Lake Merritt. But, they have others that I have been to and have enjoyed visiting. If you're cooking a lot of the same dishes over and over, this is a good place to visit to expand your pandemic home cooking skills. I hope one day they will expand to include olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In the meantime, I am a loyal fan.

I love this company! Their customer service is top notch. My whole family loves their spices and I recommend Oaktown Spice Shop to everyone.

I've been looking for a good spice shop since I moved out of Orange County and Oaktown, to my knowledge, is the best one in my area. Upon entering the shop, you'll be rewarded with the strong and pleasant aroma of their carefully curated collection of spices and herbs. A good sign indeed! Just grab a woven basket from the front and go to (oak)town on their inventory. Bad jokes aside, their inventory is actually rather respectable. They boast herbs, peppercorns, hand-mixed spice blends, chili powders, almost any type of salt you could possibly need, teas, and some amazing baking ingredients that you can gift to the baker in your life...which in a way is really just a roundabout gift for yourself haha. Hi Christina C! In terms of other products, they carry cookbooks, nice grinders, and spice-themed clothing. Moreover, I love that they support other local businesses and sell products such as Lucky Dog Hot Sauce. Any heat-lover should check them out. For anyone specifically looking for gifts, Oaktown does sell pre-made gift sets. I purchased the grand lake shake and the persian lime curry. The shake was ok but I was more impressed with the curry. One thing I should point out is that Oaktown seems to value individual ingredients substantially more than spice blends. I, on the other hand, utilize blends more often. Perhaps I just didn't have access to this selection of quality individual ingredients until now so I'll just use this as a learning opportunity and try things out. Additionally, I remember walking into my former spice shop and spending half the time discussing recipes and other food-related topics with the sales associates. We would legit geek out about their products and how we've used them because everyone was genuinely enthusiastic about that kind of stuff. I asked an Oaktown employee about their spice blends. She asked me questions about what I was looking for and then directed me to the grand lake shake saying that it was "popular and oniony." While that description was correct, I was kinda hoping for more. Like damn, sound excited about the products you sell haha! Both Christina and I were hoping that the employees would act just as enthusiastically as the person who runs their instagram account. I did interrupt the sales associate while she was filling containers though so I'll just have to wait and see what happens on my return visit. Lastly, I didn't see tester shakers containers so customers could try the products. I understand that every product has a description and I am allowed to enjoy the aroma of the spices, but I like to know what I'm getting myself into. Just need a little taste...

This place is a gem. I used to frequent Penzey's when I lived in LA. This shop is like Penzey's but with a local mom and pop feel. I've been meaning to swing by but it wasn't until I was walking past them on the way home that I decided to finally check them out. The menu is huge but don't let that intimidate you. They have posters out front listing their most popular spices and blends, such as the Persian Lime Curry or the Togarashi. The workers are also super friendly and helpful. I decided to grab the ume shiso furikake for my vegetarian friend, as was suggested on their veggie lover poster. Each spice also comes with a few recipes on index cards. It's always that additional touch that leaves a lasting impression! I would return for gifts or when I feel like experimenting in the kitchen.

Wow! Driving down to the shop to pick up some teacher gifts was SO easy! They have gift packaged spices and teas and it's so beautifully packaged. Totally ready to give to someone special. All orders are taken at the window; they have a menu sitting outside so you know what's available. If you don't know what you want, just step right up to the window and ask for a recommendation. Such kind and helpful staff. Tip: I forgot to order them, but I did see homemade old fashioned marshmallows on the menu! Perfect for these cold nights!

I really enjoy tea, so I've been checking out loose tea leaf locations. I was in Oakland to run a few errands and decided that since I was in the neighborhood, I would check out Oaktown. I'm really glad I found Oaktown on Google, because when they opened their doors and took my order, I was greeted by a harmony of spices. The smells from the store were really fragrant and simply a great way to start off my morning. I was looking for mint, black, and chamomile teas, and I was really pleased with what I've ordered. I ordered the Wildflower Dream Tea and the Clear Mind Mint Tea. Right now, I've just taken the leaves that were steeping out of my teapot and am drinking the Clear Mind. The peppermint has a really strong essence and smell to it, which makes it really nice to smell and the peppermint and rooibos are coming together to give a really subtle taste and a little flavor kick. It's a really perfect one-two punch for flavor and I'm glad I ordered this. I won't make any Wildflower tea yet, because I saw one of its ingredients include chamomile, which I've heard makes one really sleepy. I'll have a cup of that soon and edit my review to include my impressions of the chamomile later on. All in all, this was a really great find and I would definitely come back whenever I'm in the area again.

These guys are hands down my favorite spice shop/company. I've been buying from them for several years now. I'd bought from them prior, and then gone through a lull of "oh, they're a little pricey, I can just get grocery store spices" while living as a poor almost-student years back. However, I started making homemade sausage a year or two ago and lo and behold, my spice blend searching led me back to Oaktown! I stopped in to pick up some of their sausage spice blend to try it out, and was reminded that their prices are INCREDIBLY reasonable for how high quality their spices are. Fast forward to now- I have been using a multitude of their spices and blends for all kinds of things. My personal favorite: the Ras El Hanout- smells and tastes absolutely heavenly. I toss it with carrots, roast them, and toss them in with Israeli couscous and a dollop of Greek yogurt, and it's practically a restaurant meal. I recommend them constantly and consistently to everyone for how friendly and helpful their staff is, and how good their spices are. As an aside, their labels and aesthetic are beautiful. Give them a try - you won't be sorry.

We came by the other day and wanted to pick up some spices. For the safety of their employees and customers, they're online only at this point. No big deal. Ordered online and then picked up some fantastic spices yesterday. Full disclosure, it was my wonderful wife's idea to come here. When I started cooking, I opened up the spices for a sniff and wow. They bear no resemblance to the petrified artifacts I'd been buying at the grocery store. Here's what I learned: If you're buying premium meat and veggies and then throwing spices on them that are akin to sawdust, you're wasting your money. Also, if you put amazing aromatic spices on "so-so" food, it elevates the whole dish to "wow" status. Last comment...these are tough and unprecedented times and we have to give some of our small local businesses a little leeway. While I look forward to things fully reopening at some point, one and two star reviews about how a business is getting through a pandemic will not be helpful when things are back to whatever the new normal will be. Just my two cents. Go buy some amazing spices.

ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THIS PLACE!!! Not only do they have every spice you could wish for, all very high quality. But they also have lots of cool spice mixes that are their own creation and are amazing. Plus the prices are super reasonable!!

Happened to be in Oakland this evening and knew I was near my favorite mail order spice shop. Thought I'd see if they did bulk, and they do! Sure, Sprouts has bulk and I love them, but Oaktown has very fresh spices AND they cheerfully scooped the precise amount for me AND did the tare on my containers. I got refills of basic red pepper, Marash chili, and Mexican oregano. I had to meet people nearby, otherwise I would have hung out and browsed more. I've gotten many spices from their mail order (schichimi, Better than Everything, Golden Milk, dulse, etc.). I will definitely return in person! Great folks.

i want to like the place because the spice selection is good, but there hasn't been a single time the people that work there have been pleasant.

I love the idea of the Oaktown Spice Shop. I really do. The promise of all those options to accent your cooking, all those great flavors and smells. What prevents me form being a fan: 1. The value-for-money proposition just isn't there. Some spice blends are pricey and mostly salt. Disappointing and unprofessional. 2. Some of the flavors are just 'off'. The bebere, which I know well and love, is a flat offering that's nowhere as deep, rich, flavorful, and subtle as (for example) the Frontier Co-op offering. I've talked about this with the manager on duty, but with no fruitful results. Still, it's a good place, with everything from individual spices for pretty much any ethnic recipe to chocolates, but it's not all that. Close, but needs an inspired management tweak to make it essential.

Even when I'm not shopping here, I'm always so happy to walk by them because they smell amazing. We buy all of our spices here as well as our loose leaf tea. Incredibly friendly staff and they also put great gift boxes together.

Went in for one thing and bought a handful wishing I had time to shop longer! Bonus was it was a customer appreciation day and got 10% off everything! Dunno how I missed this place before when their in my neighborhood. I'll be going there again!

Amazing selection! Love coming here for some gifts and stocking up the pantry.

Love this spot. They have great spices and tea that are quality. They have multiple sizes of each and I love that they have the prepackaged bags ready to go. I had to stop myself at 4 things but I could have easily walked out of there with the whole store. Busy on the weekends but the line moves quickly. The staff is also super helpful.

Oaktown Spice Shop is always solid with their spices- you can find something for anything your cooking/baking/sipping. Decided to do a bulk of my holiday shopping at this wonderful local business. They made it incredibly easy with an online shop available. They give you an option to deliver or pick up at your most convenient time. I decided to pick up and it was quick and easy. I thought I had them sell out of their black truffle salt online (sorry, yall) but I was told that their online shop isn't reflective of what they have in stock at their Lake Merrit location so lucky me, I was able to buy 3 more when I picked up :) (sorry again yall). So if something is sold out online, be sure to call if there is any in-store. For those wanting to shop there, you have the option to scan the in-store catalogue on your phone outside and they will help you purchase. No in-store shopping to my knowledge. Can't wait to gift these to my favorite people :)

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.

By far the best chai tea I've ever had! I haven't tried a lot of their stuff but if their chai tea is any indication, then the rest of their spices must be filled with bold flavor too! I love a chai tea with a strong ginger taste and this fits the bill pe

This is my happy place! The smells, the kind staff and location make this a special place. The have the best and largest selection of spices. Some of my favorite are Grand Lake shake, Umami Salt, Persian Lime Curry and Harissa spice blend. I love the recipe cards they offer and often will send gifts to friends in this upsidedown time for no reason with spices and the cards from them. They are a hit. I have been coming here for years and hope it keeps growing. Their second location is even bigger. Special note so many kinds of cinnamon at the new location. Love!

I love this spot. It seems that any spice you want, they have. And they are coming up with new combinations all of the time. What I love is the freshness and the quality. I notice that getting spices from them spoils me because store bought vitamins, don't have the same taste/flavor profile. So, when I want to try a new spice or combination, I use up the old stuff first. That way I am not disappointed and I don't have to compost it. Which is wasteful, only because I wanted to use it on my food. The staff are very knowledgeable and no matter how silly my question, they answer it willingly. The only downside is that they are on Lake Merritt, and now that I don't visit that often, my sister moved from the area, I have no reason to stop by. But, if I'm in the area and they are open, I make it a point to stop by.

Lovely place, people who work there are very helpful. Additionally, I'm very glad to find Turkish spices here. If you are looking for unique spices, this is your spot!

My first visit to Oaktown Spice Shop came accidentally while waiting for our take out order a few doors above. The whole street offers so many interesting shops and eateries, this needs to be a day trip to Oakland soon again for us! The Spice Shop comprises of two large rooms, one side with baking, seeds and hand mixed blends and the other room with teas, salts and other specialty spices. Did you know they carry seventeen different types of black peppercorns!! ...and yes, they have other peppercorns too! You name it, they have it, and if not, they will get it for you! They will tell you also, where your spice came from-in my case, I purchased some red alae salt and it was from Moloka'i! I also got some Japanese curry (and they provided me with a recipe too!), kim chee chili spice and Herbal Coffee Tea Blend which I have enjoyed each night since! There are several varieties of sizes to make your purchase economical from 1 oz to as much as you want. If the spice is not packaged or available on the sales floor, they will stop and get some for you, measure it out and label it right in front of you. The staff is very attentive but not intrusive and very welcoming. Many accessories for cooking and preparing the spices are also available-we didn't have enough time to check them all out and will make sure to schedule more time just to do that on our next visit!

Out of this world. They have every spice imaginable and even blend and grind up their own spices. I love how the shop is just peppered (no pun intended) with spice jars and you can just grab them off the shelf and smell them. They even create their own spice blends and have recipe cards to go along with them. There's a spice section on baking, curries, housemade spice blends, umami, tea, and salts (just to name a few). I ended up getting some matcha salt, which apparently goes well with salmon, tempura, and ice cream. I would highly recommend checking this place out in person so you can actually smell the spices, but if you're not local to the area, they also sell their spices online. Truly out of world (or more like, from all around the world). Until my next culinary adventure!

I love this place! It has made experimentation with cooking less scary. The staff is very nice and helpful too. I particularly like their wildflower tea, their Umami sea salt, the vanilla Bean selection. It reduces waste when I am able to bring in a clean jar to be refilled at a slightly discounted rate. I also love their essential oils, such as Lavender, turmeric pain oil, and the Oakland spice shop scent! They now have the cutest spice rack made from reclaimed wood.

They have an amazing Mole Poblano spice mix which is easy to make and reminds me of the Yucatan. I ordered online and picked up my order at the store. Super friendly and supportive with free recipes.

Heaven! Oh no... my heaven... leave me there and I won't get out... This is one of the best spice shops I have been too. You can literally find anything you want here. Most importantly, people working there are extremely knowledgeable about what they have in store besides being super super nice and friendly. So if you are a nerd and are interested to learn more about different herbs and spices, this is the place to go. Everything comes in different sizes which allows you to buy based on your need. You can also ask for other sizes that are not available prepackaged. Pricing is reasonable and not more than what you would pay had you buy stuff from a supermarket. A visit to Oaktown Spice shop is now one of my must do thing whenever I am in the Bay Area!