Savory Spice Shop

Came on a lark here at a Portland culinary friend’s urging and spent almost an entire afternoon in Newport. This store is simply magic and will change your cooking to inspired in a millisecond. These spices are as fresh as they come. You can buy smaller amounts and try any of them. Littler tasters are left out and customers in the know put some in their hands and toss the rest onto the floor to scent the shop!
The owner, a lovely lady named Laura was there and shared with me one of her favorite spices– Vadouvan. She said, just put it in some butter. I did. I was informed with gusto at my homestead that from here on out that all rice should have this on it! What it did with butter and a little leftover rice from the kitchen was beyond. wow.
I walked out with all kinds of fabulous blends. Za’atar for salad dressings! Fresh Organic Ground Cumin. Peruvian Chili Lime, Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend. (Lemon peel, garlic, salt, ginger, onion, allspice, parsley, white pepper and spices).
Vadouvan (onion, salt, shallots, cumin, turmeric, garlic, black mustard, cardamon, black pepper, fenugreek, sugar & spices).
Also their Organic Ground Ceylon (true) cinnamon is a scent other worldly. With the holidays coming up, this is the place for special & local! Gift cards make it a gift that keeps giving and lets anyone pick their new fabulous cooking! This is a wonderful place.

Never thought I’d spend almost an hour in a room talking about spices, but the clerk had so much information on hand I almost bought every spice we talked about. Awesome to know I can get aleppo and urfa peppers with ease, and the birthday club deal came in quite useful.

Savory Spice Shop is my go to boutique for when the urge to get creative in the kitchen strikes.
I have been a huge proponent of inventive seasoning since this store opened in Newport Beach a couple of years ago. From Bleu Cheese Powder to Himalayan Rock Salt to Vindaloo Curry, if it comes in a granular form and is guaranteed to make those at your table sing praises, you will find it here. It turns your home kitchen into Alinea! Well, that is hyperbole but you can pick up what I am putting down.
Sure, you can find Cumin or Mustard Seed here as well but that isn’t the point in my mind. I stop in and pick up a few items I have never tried before and then create a meal around the spice. You will be amazed at what you come up with. Black and Bleu Brussel Spouts, Chimichurri Marinaded Steak and Tarragon Shallot Citrus Swordfish are all recent attempts that had people at my table looking like Roper & Ebert with both thumbs up.
Next time you are interested in flexing skills with the All Clad or Le Creu, stop into Savory Spice Shop ahead of time and pick up some magic flavor dust and then thank me afterwards.

We were looking for a birthday present for one of those «this person has everything — what could I possibly get him?» kind of people, so we decided on the spice shop.
It’s just a little corner store in the OC Mix, but for how small it is they really do pack in a lot of different variety. They have every kind of salt and peppercorn you could ever want, all sorts of meat rubs, extracts, even powdered cheese! If you plan on coming here, take your time and explore because there is a lot to see.
Anyways, back to the difficult birthday boy. We knew we wanted something that would complement all things steak. Ian was nice enough to take us through all of his different suggestions, and we ended up taking almost all of his choices. We ended up making a nice 4-​pack of different BBQ rubs (and I picked up a refill of the Santa Maria, because its the best!). The nicest thing about it was it was packed in a box with a lot of loose whole spices — anise, nutmeg, bay leaves, along with some other things. The box ended up looking really nice, and I felt no need to wrap it in any other way, score!
The spices are definitely a little more expensive than you would find in a grocery store, but you get what you pay for. They are so fresh, and blended very nicely. Expect to pay about $ 6 for a 4oz bottle (which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it goes a long way)
Overall the experience was great, and I will be back for more!

I came here to buy Thai curry spice and they have a good selection to choose from. The shop is not very big, so the staff was able to easily point out where to find what i was looking for. If you are feeling adventurous to make Thai curry from scratch, look no further!

I am impressed. I was greeted right away and asked if I were looking for something in particular or if I was browsing. The way the spices are measured was explained as were the sections of the store.
I browsed around and found several items I had to have. I walked out happy with a small supply of spices. I will be returning to buy a few more spices in the coming months. They have great gift packages of complimentary spices as well.

Savory. The name says it all. They have a huge selection of spices that are mixed or just plain. Their baking selection is pretty neat as well seeing the different sugars, extracts and the cocoa that they have push you to your limits to let your creativity flow. They have a vast selection of whole roasted and ground chilis.
Come and give this place a try it will not disappoint!

While not a Penzey’s, this is a pretty nice little store, with a bonus of delicious scents greeting you at the door.
Fresh herbs, spices, teas, flavored vinegars and oils, custom rubs, gourmet sauces adorn the shelves, some of which you can get a tasting. As if we don’t already have enough, we left with a small bag of goodies to make our kitchen even more odiferous, some Turkish bay leaves, a coffee bbq rub, some candied ginger slices, and a sampler cup of ghost chile salt (whoa!). And of course I could not pass by the swiveling, three tiered bamboo container for my salts and seasonings that will sit next to my stove. I can see me now… grabbing a pinch of salt and flinging it into the pot as I say, «BAM !»
I found a salt grinder that can be used with one hand (it has a button on top to press). That is a great replacement for my old sea salt grinder that took two hands and has refused to cooperate to anything smaller than shards.
And then there was Ian, a very likable and knowledgeable kinda guy who kept our mouths watering with his tales of bbq and pumpkin pie recipes.
A good find!

Pros: Wide selection of unique spices and blends
Cons: The place needs air conditioning
Savory Spice Shop has a wide array of spices, some of them rather exotic, and unique spice blends. I’ve shopped at Penzey’s and
, and Savory still had some spices/​blends not carried at either. I haven’t gotten around to using all the spices I purchased but they do smell quite fragrant.
I spent less time than I wanted to, though, and this was because the place has no air conditioning and got very sultry. They do have ceiling fans, but as I stood in line for a few minutes the sweat was heavy enough it started beading down into my eyes. This might be acceptable for some mom and pop store in Santa Ana, but in this swanky neighborhood there’s no excuse. And no, you cannot get away with «ocean breeze.» While I might order online, I won’t be back to the actual store unless the weather is cooler.

If you are at all interested in cooking or mixing quality cocktails this is the place for you. The best quality spices I have ever tasted, and the selection is incredible.

We cook at home a lot, and we get our spices here! Any kind of spices, for just about anything. We love coming here. Service is always great. We got a recipe book here too.

Baking, queing, or stewing= Savory Spice Shops CDM, Costa Mesa. Fresh ingredients and a knowledgeable, friendly staff. They have helped me find the perfect chili blends and rubs for bbq. Thanks gang!

If you haven’t gone to Savory lately you have to check out the amazing new products they have added. The new infused oils and vinegar lines are STELLAR. I tested practically all of them and almost ate the tester cup on Walnut” oil it was so good.
I’ve been using the new «White Balsamic» vinegar and the «Rustic Rosemary» oil and my salad dressings have never been better. We also got the «Jalapeño» and «Garlic» Infused oil (both super tasty) and we have been using them on grilled veggies and baked fries. YUMM. Keep the great new stuff coming Savory!

This is one of our favorite stores in Newport. We used to get spices from their CO store and were delighted to discover they’d opened a store here, too.
For Father’s Day this year I went in to pick out some new spices for my husband to explore. Got some amazing fun new spices for him to try — they have sets with themes and also some fantastic custom suggestions from the owners.
I got the Walnut butter and Walnut oil to try at the owner’s suggestion and they are both great. Love that the owners know the proprietors and stories behind the products they carry.
This store is an absolute delight where you’ll get individual attention from real spice experts. Unforgettable!

I wandered in here one rainy night seeking shelter and some spices for my breakfast creations.
The aroma that hits you upon arrival is enticing. I was reminded of my grandmother’s cooking. The sales associates were friendly. I was drawn to almost every spice and was impressed they carried such a huge variety that was ground fresh daily.
Since I don’t live near Indian stores, and most of them can be quite pretentious to foreigners, I just tend to avoid them all together. I was surprised that this shop had some garam masala and other Indian spices that I’m accustomed to. I even got to sample some to make sure it was the right blend for me.
They have a blend or rub custom fit for almost any occasion or you can blend your own. The glass jars are refillable so you only purchase them once and then bring them in for a refill. I love it.
I ended up buying the chai spice for my teas and the Capitol Hill seasoning (shallots, salt, pepper, dill weed, parsley and chives) for my eggs. I will be back for other spice purchases.

Ok, so I stumbled upon Savory Spice Shop and no joke, it changed my life. I’m a beginner cook (who LOVES to eat). I’ve got great taste, just not great cooking skills. Laura, the owner of the shop, took her time with me to help educate, allowed me to try a ton of different options, and sent me home with small portions to try before committing to the bottles. They weren’t pushy/​salesy at all because I think they knew I’d be back for more. They were right.
Sweet Mama’s BBQ Chicken Rub mixed with a little Aleppo Red Pepper Flakes (crushed) transformed my grilled chicken. I started broiling broccoli (with a little olive oil) and generous amounts of Parmesan Pesto Sprinkle — and my friend who didn’t like veggies couldn’t get enough.
All the staff at Savory are awesome. Extremely knowledgeable and patient, even with newbies like me. Think the manager’s name is Sue — she’s great too. She recommended the Chimichurri Steak Marinade and it came out so well that my parent’s didn’t believe I’d made it myself.
Also love that they have recipe cards and gift boxes. I’ve given a few of my girlfriends a gift box from Savory and have to say it’s gotten me more gratitude than flowers and candles ever did! I didn’t think that spices could change my life, but Laura showed me the way. She’s one of those people that once you meet her you’ll wish she was your best friend. I’m a convert and fan of Savory Spice Shop.

Have you ever watched a cooking show and realized, hey I can make that, but I don’t have that ingredient? If you enjoy cooking & baking as much as I do, then you’ll like Savory Spice Shop. They have many of those obscure spices you’ve never heard of and many of the spices you’ve grown up with.
I was here with friends for an after-​hours event, but was able to purchase a bottle of garam masala and a bottle of vanilla bean sugar. I can’t wait to try them in my recipes. We were also able to try some really delicious spice combinations. Ask about truffle salt and the many varieties of curries they carry. The employees are friendly and knowledgeable. There are even recipes for ideas on how to incorporate particular spices. Once you purchase a bottle, should you return to refill it, you pay the refill cost and not for the container. That’s really cool! Come in, peruse and enjoy taking your food to another level of awesomeness.

My wife and I love coming to this plaza. There’s great restaurants such as Gulfstream and Tommy Bahama’s, some cool stores, and Bristol Farms. While we walked over to Gelato Paridiso we both noticed this new spice shop. I’m a huge fan of Penzey’s spices and 90% of my pantry is from them. I was hoping this would be a good alternative since I can just walk in and buy what I want.
This was probably one of the worst stores I’ve ever been to. The staff here are the rudest bunch of people I’ve encountered in a long time. I guess if I was driving a Bentley and had more expensive clothing on I’d be treated better.
First off… not one single person asked if I needed help, explained how the store works, or even acknowledged my existence. I was reading the descriptions on one of their spice box sets when a female employee walked right in front of me shoving me with her body and loudly exclaimed «EXCUSE ME!». She then proceeded to show some guy who’s a regular customer the box set I was looking at. I was stunned and decided to move on. I was reading yet another box set when the same exact thing happened. She shoved me out of the way saying in a bitchy tone «EXCUSE ME!!!». Rude lady!!! I was willing to buy one of this gift sets to get a sampling of your product! I hope it was worth losing my business for your regular customer. At this point I was upset and left the store while my wife shopped around.
I’ll be generous and give it two stars since my wife ended up buying a few things that tasted really good. We got some dehydrated onions, garlic powder, mustard powder, smoke flavor, and some really tasty serrano habanero hotsauce.
I’ll stick to Penzey’s where they appreciate their customers. There’s no excuse to be so rude to a potential customer just to kiss ass to your regular customers. It’s a real shame… this is definitely the type of store I’d want to do business with, I love seasonings.

I cannot say enough about this shop. The staff is always so helpful. Just left there a bit ago and they were so attentive and made excellent recommendations for the food I was cooking. Being able to taste everything is just awesome. Go here and taste the cinnamon… this is how cinnamon is suppose taste. You can taste all the different ones and really pick up on the differences.
This will take your foods to levels unknown.

Loved this place!
Loads of spices, mixes, and rubs. Everything from common day to day herbs to unique blends that I have never heard of — like the Black Truffle Salt I purchased :)
You can taste pretty much everything in here. You can buy a pre-​packaged jar, or they will make you bags of all different sizes.
When we went they had chips and dip made from a cheese blend they sell that was delicious, so of course I bought that too!
Prices are very reasonable, and if you bring back your empty jar, they give you a dollar off your next purchase.