Herb & Spice Food Shop

I go in there for tea sometime.
It’s a good store in that they had things they don’t have anywhere else downtown without going to the market, such as specialty tea, and as well this was the only place I could find mulling spices.
It bothers me how their nut-​free cake selection is also the gluten-​free stuff, because I was buying for someone who can’t eat nuts nor tapioca, so I need the wheat stuff.
Also, they thought I was weird because I wanted pure corn syrup (glucose syrup) as I make low-​fructose desserts. All they had was agave which is pure fructose. I would have given 5 stars had they not made me out to be a weirdo unhealthy freak for requesting corn syrup.

This is a wonderful local grocery store in Westboro. If I was a rich girl (a la Gwen Stefani) I would shop here every day for everything since it’s mostly all local. Almost everything is organic, they have a great bulk selection and a ton of dairy-​free and vegan alternatives. They also carry some local meat, and some frozen foods.
I love that they also allow local business owners to come in and offer samples. The last time I popped by their have Baroness Chocolates there sampling some of their tasty products. It’s nice to see a store that cares so much about local suppliers.
So what’s not to love about this place? The prices. It’s kind of ridiculous, actually, but I suppose that’s what you pay for organic, local food. I understand it’s really not the fault of the store, and that’s just the price you pay for buying fresh, local and organic stuff. I do feel like some of their prices could come down a bit — we saw a bag of quinoa for around 8-​$ 10 — eek!
Prices aside, I love this place. Their Bank Street location is also really cool — they have more of a focus on health there, so if you’e looking for supplements or protein powder head there :)

I’ve lived close to Herb & Spice for many years, but only recently began frequenting it. Since it’s a health food store, I always assumed it was over-​priced and filled with weirdos (a health food nut, I am not). Some of the items — especially snack foods — are quite expensive, but a lot hard-​to-​find items are not. I go there primarily for bulk items like flour or sugar, since I often only want a small amount. Their bulk selection of different flours is impressive and surprisingly reasonable (for example, a kilo of almond meal/​flour is $ 18.69; it’s almost $ 22 at Bulk Barn; I’ve seen it at over $ 30 at other health food stores). As for the staff, when I first started going there, I found them cold and stand-​offish and, yes, a little weird. Lately, however, they’ve all been very friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. When I was looking for a certain type of baking flour and couldn’t find it, the staffer said they didn’t carry it, but I could special-​order it and wouldn’t have to pay shipping like I would if I ordered it online. Another staffer went out of her way to explain a product I’d never tried before (which I not only bought, but now use on a regular basis). If you’re looking for a grocery store to buy everyday items, this is not the place to do it unless you’re prepared to pay. For the out-​of-​the-​ordinary, though, it really can’t be beat in the downtown area.

I LOVE Herb & Spice. For a small store, they have quite a great number of products. The store is generally pretty easy to navigate. It’s clean and aisles are always clear. Staff are really exceptional and truly put an effort into helping you if you need it. One girl even offered to help me transport some heavier items home on her bike! If you are looking for something, they will walk you to the item, rather than point in a general direction– I really appreciate this.
As much as they can bring into the store is local. Most items are organic. Produce selection is really fantastic and great looking. They have a great selection of household and personal care items as well.
Also, on Sundays they offer a discount to students. I love that!

Herb & Spice used to act as my corner store. It still does, to some extent. I like their small, selection of cold deli stuff. The spicy waddies — sort of a chick pea cake mixed with corn and jalapenos — are a delicious treat for $ 0.69. So are the samosas for $ 0.99.
Sometimes, I get the bulk stuff. They have a great selection of spices that can be purchased in bulk, and this is pretty convenient. I like to cook weird things, and I like having juniper berries on hand.
It’s just … they have kale chips for $ 8.99. And lots of «organic» stuff for well over 30% to comparative products in stores that are close-​by. Do not get your tomato sauce at Herb & Spice.
Their produce section borders on gross. Economies of scale, my friends. They cannot move their potatoes faster than they can sprout, apparently.
Whoever said the staff is friendly and knowledgeable must have an entirely different perspective than I do. I find them cold, stand-​offish, and more-​or-​less weird. Some of them are okay, but I don’t know. I don’t like the cashier asking where I live.

Someone recently described Herb and Spice as the one store that a Vancouver girl needs to know. They weren’t kidding. This place make me smile just thinking about how awesome it is.
Herb and Spice features everything I could ever want, from organic produce to gluten free delights they have a great selection of everything under the sun and are fairly reasonably priced. Obviously when you seek out organic gluten free and/​or vegan food you can end up finding some pretty pricy items, but Herb and Spice has a good mix of costly and more affordable.
The thing that truly makes them fantastic is their bulk spices. They have half an isle, with an old chinese medicine chest full of any spice you could imagine. A cooks wet dream, to be honest.
Check it out, even if you just wander the isles and smell the cooking inspiration.

They have un-​marinated tempeh, which I’ve been looking for for a while, at around 3.50 $ a pack. Pretty decent. Also frozen edamame beans and a ton of tasty looking treats. Not to mention a variety of bulk bins and a produce section with two different baskets of sun-​dried tomatoes.
All of this adds up to lots of love. This is a pretty great place. I’m not saying you will find all your groceries and vegan-​health-​loving goods here, but you’ll be happy enough to forget about your list and maybe try a delicious baked thing.

Herb and Spice was the first place I visited in Ottawa, after landing a 1am to an empty apartment with two cats and a couple of suitcases. Their selection of vegan pastries might have kept my sanity in check long enough to deal with the necessities of moving across the country.
There isn’t much I can write that hasn’t been said by previous reviewers, other than that the best thing about Herb and Spice is the sheer variety of speciality products crammed into a tiny store space. There is daily soup and a deli selection of in-​house and locally made take-​away. They also have heirloom seedlings and packets of seeds for sale during the warmer months. There is a small raw section as well as natural and cruelty-​free cleaning products and toiletries. In addition to health-​food and organic options, they offer some speciality food items that can be harder to find in Ottawa, like corn tortillas and harissa sauce.
As the name suggests, they have an extensive bulk section, including bulk spices. If you are having trouble finding a specific spice or blend, your chances are better here than a Hartman’s down the street. I know you’re checking there first before paying the small-​business, health food store mark-​up at Herb and Spice. Don’t lie.
I recommend the Herb and Spice blend in the bulk coffee and also to keep an eye on the discounted bagged bulk items usually found near the back of the store.
One great mystery that I will likely take with me from Ottawa, is the story of the mezuzah in the front doorway. Is it the owner’s? Previous tenant? Anybody?

In terms of selection, this place is pretty great. There are a lot of spices and supplements, as well as natural, organic, and vegan-​friendly foods and products here that you will have a hard time finding elsewhere. They have sections for vitamins, produce, dried food, refrigerated food, bulk food, and even some baked goods. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and are willing to give you suggestions and tips when choosing certain foods. The smell of the shop can be a bit overwhelming to those that aren’t used to it, but you’ll get used to it after awhile. The main problem is the price — my eyeballs actually felt like they got larger when I picked up a package of «healthy» chips. Of course, high prices are to be expected in specialty food shops, and it’s nice to know that if I was looking for something healthy that isn’t too widely available, that I would be able to find it here.

This is definitely the better Herb & Spice in Ottawa. The one on Wellington isn’t as well-​stocked.
Anyway, this is the place to go if you are looking for a health-​food store. I like it better than Rainbow Foods, but that is probably because this is at a more convenient location for me.
There is produce, bulk goods (candies, baking stuff, beans, etc.), dried goods, a freezer section, a deli section, and of course vitamins and things like that. They also sell vegan baked goodies from Aunty Loo’s.
There are always a bunch of cashiers just hanging out by the cash registers pretending to be too cool to talk to you. Or maybe it’s just me. They seem more eager to laugh and flirt with each other rather than help the customers. I took one star off for that.
The aisles are kind of cramped and tiny, so it gets crowded pretty quickly.

Health food grocer carrying organic fresh produce, healthy snack alternatives and non-​perishables, vegan cheeses/​yogurt, organic dairy, skin care products, bulk items, their own baked desserts and a fridge with food you can take-​out or eat there. There are about four stools, but I’ve easily found room every time I’ve gone.
They need to work on having better food that’s to-​go available in the refrigerated section.

This is a fantastic natural food store that includes a deli, natural body products, bulk food, frozen food, premade food, tea and coffee. The size and layout of the Herb & Spice and the friendliness of the staff make it reminiscent of a small rural grocery store or something you’d find in the city decades ago. You may not be able to find everything you want on your grocery list, but this is a great place to go if you want to tailor your diet towards organic, vegetarian or just healthier living. It’s in close proximity to Hartman’s too if you don’t mind making two grocery trips.
They also have freshly made dishes that are often vegetarian, including samosas, tofu, quiche and sandwiches. If you’re on the go, by this central location and looking for a heathier alternative to a sub from Quinzos or poutine from a chip wagon, definitely stop by. However, they have hardly any seating, so you’ll most likely have to get your food to go.

Don’t let the name fool you, Herb and Spice Food Shop is a fully-​stocked grocery store. But don’t look for KD or Chef Boyardi, Herb and Spice specializes in organic/​environmentally friendly-​only dry ingredients, produce and cleaning supplies. They have a great bulk section where you can pick up all kinds of grains, pastas, dried fruits, nuts and coffee beans. You can do your organic shopping and, if food shopping makes you peckish, you can even eat in the store. They offer two kinds of hot soups and dozens of various baked goods (all to suit any dietary need — sugar free, gluten free, etc.). I even saw this woman dropping of tubs of fresh vegetable and chicken samosas. The staff look a little goth/​artsy, but they are quite friendly and really know their products. As for parking, this stretch of Bank is strictly metered.