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    Oaktown Spice Shop

    4.7 (12 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    shelves of various spices and condiments
    Aubany G.

    One can go WILD in a specialty spice shop! Oaktown Spice is the best of the best. I'm so excited they now have this shop in the city. They've always been great with online orders (shipping and customer service) but now I can just pop in whenever I need something. If you're looking for a great spice blend or tea blend or random chili variety- check here. Right now they have some amazing gift sets in preparation for the holidays. The staff were super helpful when I couldn't find the refill bag of a spice blend I love (even though everything is in alphabetical order and in categories). They even have bottles for you to smell the spice you're interested in. My main purpose for this trip was for a gift card for a friend, but naturally "needed" some spices for myself. I'm proud to say that my spice cabinet is almost completely full of Oaktown Spices. - I've been obsessed for years!

    Chris B.

    Probably the best spice selection I've ever seen and definitely one of the best in the city. The chili spiced and exotic Asian spices are definite stand outs! Friendly staff and great prices. Could probably easily drop a quick $200-300 on way too much stuff! The goat horn chili is definitely my new fav

    More cinnamon
    John G.

    My new favorite store on Filmore Street. I was hanging out in the store just looking at all the different seasonings and spices. Seriously - there are so many choices for example - the salt section ... you can't just go in and say " Let me look at a few options." They have over 25 + options just for C salt. Don't get me started on the pepper. Whatever cuisine you want to make... they have your spice. When you go ... send me a message.... I'm sure you will love it.

    Inside S&P section

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    San Francisco Herb

    San Francisco Herb

    4.6(151 reviews)
    1.7 miMission
    $

    The Pros: Massive Variety: Truly a "one-stop shop" for tea…read moreenthusiasts. Low Pressure: The staff greeted me and then stayed hands-off until I had questions. The Price: Easily some of the best values in the city. The Con: Sealed Packaging: Everything is pre-sealed in 1lb plastic bags. Because of the sealing, you can't smell the tea before buying. I'd love to see them implement scent jars in the future to help with the selection process. Neutral Observations In-House Packaging: All the tea is packaged identically in 1lb bags, which suggests they likely process and bag everything in-house. Labeling: I didn't notice any specific organic labels on the packaging, though I didn't explicitly ask. If this is a deal breaker, you may want to ask. Review If you're looking for a genuine loose leaf tea source -- your search ends here. I stumbled upon this place after endless online searching (blogs, search engines, etc) and it was well worth the effort! Just a heads-up on navigation: G-Maps is slightly off. If you rely solely on that, you'll be a few doors down. Look for the Volvo mechanics and the shop is located just on the other side. The exterior is unassuming, no windows, just a sandwich board on the sidewalk and a door. Looking inside it's a bit of a mysterious vibe, you'll see a stairway to the left and a hallway ahead. Go for it. Ignore the single pane glass, bank-teller-style window to your right (which directs you to the main door) and just head in. Also, keep an eye on the clock because, per the phone tree, they close for lunch from 12:30 to 1:00. I arrived right after 1pm and was able to park right in front. There was also plenty of other parking spot around at that time. IDK why, but before walking in, my imagination had prepared me for an old-world San Francisco opium den. I was thinking there was going to be this lingering aromatic smoke, plush floor pillows, people lounging, sipping tea, and the soft, ambient melodies of an upscale spa. I had also pictured rows of heavy, whiskey-style wooden barrels overflowing with loose leaf tea, topped with clear lids and metal scoops. The reality is much more utilitarian. This is not a den or a spa. It's clean, straightforward, and focused entirely on their product. The selection is robust and incredibly diverse. While they claim "wholesale to the public", I can't verify the industry margins, but I can tell you the prices are very good for the quality you receive. The employee greeted me and then stayed hands-off while I browsed, which I appreciated. When I did ask specifics, they had basic foundational knowledge. Honestly with the diversity and sheer quantity of products offered, it would take forever to earn a Tea Master badge. No harm no foul. The only real bummer here is that everything is pre-sealed in 1lb plastic bags, so there is no way to smell the product. I'd really appreciate scent jars in front of the bags. Since they seem to be doing the packaging in-house anyway, it makes me wonder why they haven't set aside a small amount of each batch for scent jars. It wouldn't require a change in their supply chain, just a few ounces and a glass jar to help customers navigate that massive variety. That aside, I absolutely loved this place. I've been searching for a spot like this for a long time. I'm just glad I finally found it. If you're at all interested in loose leaf tea, I'd suggest giving these folks an honest try.

    I needed dried lavender for simple syrup and ice cream and found this place online. Prices are very…read moreaffordable and they have so many options! I'm not able to post all my photos but this is some of what they offer! Will definitely come back.

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    San Francisco Herb
    San Francisco Herb
    San Francisco Herb

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    Golden Way Trading Company

    Golden Way Trading Company

    5.0(3 reviews)
    1.5 miChinatown

    Walking around San Francisco you will run into a few pleasant surprises. San Francisco is always…read morefull of surprises which makes it a unique city. Although it feels comfortable with familiarity with some common spots there is always room for spontaneous things appear out of nowhere in SF. Shopping in the city you will find stores with many different goods. I found a grocery store in Chinatown sells alcohol such as wine and whiskey along of tea from China. It's located on Stockton street and it's called Golden Way Trading Company. On a Summer stroll almost Fall I landed on Stockton ( not the city) street at the Golden Way Trading Company. Inside you will discover lots of different items such as mushrooms and noodles ( not Angel Hair) along with different sauces. They have everything from canned Ovaltine to canned Pho broth. You will also find an aisle of liquor ranging from cognac to red wine. This place has many ingredients like corn and others to make breakfast , lunch, and dinner. This is a place worth checking out and especially if you are on a liquor run in Chinatown in SF. San Francisco has an interesting food and grocery "scene" and at the Golden Way Trading Company that sells tea that's "green" and some with or with or without "caffeine" and you can find anything from a bottle of cognac to a can of "Ovaltine" Walking around in SF things happen "spontaneous" you run into a bunch characters on social media in SF with an "alias"and some occurrences that happen in SF "simultaneous "and this all goes down and happens in a 7 by 7 square mile "radius"

    I needed some chili oil asap and didn't want to wait on a delivery from Weee! or Yami plus have to…read moremeet a minimum spend threshold, so I explored the Chinatown supermarkets and ended up here after a couple other options didn't yield results. They have a lot of options in stock here, so I loaded up on spicy chili crisp, chiu chow style chili crisp oil, and some mala red oil chili sauce by the classic Lee Kum Kee brand. I also bought a bag of chewy 陈皮糖 chénpí táng that I saw next to the cash register while I was at it. Altogether after the 3% credit card fee, my total came to $18.08. Such a bargain, I will be back.

    Photos
    Golden Way Trading Company - It's the canned pho to make pho

    It's the canned pho to make pho

    Golden Way Trading Company - There is little room but much room for the mushrooms

    There is little room but much room for the mushrooms

    Golden Way Trading Company - Looks like a bucket of Ovaltine

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    Looks like a bucket of Ovaltine

    The Spice & Tea Exchange - Great selection of coffee, tea and spices.

    The Spice & Tea Exchange

    4.5(110 reviews)
    1.9 miFisherman's Wharf, North Beach/Telegraph Hill
    $$

    The owner welcomed us as we walked in and it's a very nice spice and tea place on the second floor…read moreof Pier 39. We looked at the honey and the spices. The owner came over and introduced us to the jars that are all around the shop. You can open these jars to smell whatever spice or tea to get a feel for what you would be purchasing. If I remember correctly, the owner and his girlfriend blend it themselves. We purchased some flavored salts, and cranberry apple jam honey. They also had samples of a white strawberry tea that was amazing. This store is great and the service from the owner was fantastic from a details end. I appreciated what they were doing and definitely will be back when we venture out to Pier 39 again.

    Me and my guy were walking by when Andrew drew us in with a delicious floral tea and then invited…read moreus in to look around. The store is very large, and there was so much to look at and smell. We were greeted by the owners, who were very helpful in showing us their store and products. We went to pier 39 just to walk around, and ended up having the best experience while there. We ended up getting a bourbon bacon salt, a honey spoon, and got a free tuna rub! The store was so clean and well organized. I love that the spices/herbs/salta/sugars all had jars that you could open and smell for reference. The candles are also noteworthy! They smelled fantastic and I might just have to make my way back for some! Overall, Andrew, Mauricio, Blair, and Ian made the experience excellent! If you're walking through the pier, definitely stop into the business and give them look and purchase!!

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    The Spice & Tea Exchange - Candles

    Candles

    The Spice & Tea Exchange
    The Spice & Tea Exchange - Merchan"spice"

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    Merchan"spice"

    Other Avenues

    Other Avenues

    4.1(296 reviews)
    4.3 miOuter Sunset
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    50 years in business

    Amazing co-op grocery store with tons of specialty food items and more! They have produce, pantry…read moreitems, frozen foods, snacks, home and body care, and a huge selection of things you can pay for by weight. From herbs & spices, dried foods, olive oil, soaps, shampoos and more, they have everything. The prices are reasonable and there's less plastic waste. They also source locally which is nice. They also carry some gourmet food items like sambal from Azalina's, and locally made curry paste. I need to come here more often.

    I don't live super nearby to this Co-Op grocery market but my good friend does and she brought me…read morehere while on a walk, and I was blown away by the whole place! Firstly, it was my first time shopping at a co op and I really really really love that aspect of it. Anytime I can support a business like this, I want to! But beyond that, I was skeptical that the prices would be outrageous and was fairly surprised that they really weren't! Ok sure, some items were pricey, and that's true for any small store in this city, but for the bulk items and dry goods, the pricing was incredibly reasonable! I even found the same scones I buy at my local box box grocery store for cheaper here!! What?! I was also just blown away by the variety of choices.. they've got everything here.. produce, condiments, dry goods, chips, snacks, bulk items, tea, medicines and supplements, and a section of boutique handmade goods that was so awesome to look through!! I don't live close by but I will be back anytime I go to see my friend (which is often).

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    Other Avenues - Bulk food section

    Bulk food section

    Other Avenues - Bulk teas

    Bulk teas

    Other Avenues - Blogged @ pinkfoodie.com: beautiful beets from Other Avenues!

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    Oaktown Spice Shop - herbsandspices - Updated September 2026

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