Go Ask Alice

I drifted in here in the process of wandering up and down pacific avenue.
This is my Alice story, if you want a just the facts kind of review, skip to the bottom:
I’m not a big fan of better living through chemistry, and also have a deep skepticism regarding herbal supplement thingys. To be honest I was drawn in by some of the fashion items.
Anywhoo after watching me poke around a wee bit the counter woman and I started chatting. Some of the herbal items are things that my great grandma used back in the old country, like chaparral (we used it, as far as I know anyway, as a seasoning). She had an profound knowledge of all things garden and herbal related, and took the time to actually hear what I was saying instead of just discarding my concerns as ignorance.
After some time I decided to by one of the herbal thingy’s. It was only seven bucks so I felt I had nothing to lose. I’m glad I did. That stuff totally worked.
Now, back to the just the facts review.
Go Ask Alice is one of the older and better run places of this type on pacific. The owner’s been around a while and she runs a tight ship. They have a ton of herbal products for various things and the staff are especially knowledgeable. Not necessarily the best pricing per se, but this is made up for by the excellent advice and knowledge of the staff.
There is a small but tasteful collection of art and fashion items available, which makes it worth a browse even if you are not terribly interested in herbal stuff.
Overall this is a well laid out shop.

This is not a place I would usually patronize but they have a specific herb I was looking for. I was pleased with my experience. The dude behind the counter was knowledgeable and helpful. I def will return to replenish my supply and maybe check out some other herbs. You may miss the store if you’re not familiar with the location but it’s directly across from the Del Mar.

I was looking for an obscure esoteric reference. I happened upon this shop and was intrigued. I looked around a bit and then inquired. The kind and helpful staff/​owner looked here and there and finally found what I was looking for. An altogether positive experience.
The inventory is part Alice and part trippy and related stuff. Drop in, enjoy, you’ll probably find something.

A quintessential Santa Cruz establishment. Definitely counteracts ‘Forever 21′ and other chains proliferating Downtown.
Extensive selection of various herbs for well-​being. Ariel is extremely patient and helpful.
I will definitely be making a return trip, all the way from the Peninsula. This is a really great shop if you are interested in herbal teas and other preparations.

Worst experience ever!!!
came in to buy a tapestry and got the wrong size so I came back within 20 hours after and they didn’t want to give me a refund and they only give store credit (when I purchased the tapestry I wasn’t informed about the return policy) so I drive all the way from Menlo Park to not get a refund. I asked the employee working there if I could buy a different one so I looked at the other ones but I didn’t like them so I asked for the one that they had out on display and he didn’t want to get it down because it was «too much of a pain in the ass». how rude! I asked if I could get a refund since I couldn’t get the product I want nor a refund! he had «called his manager for approval of the refund» but he claimed «she was extremely strict». They should make the return policy extremely clear. I was extremely upset about this situation because I didn’t get my refund nor the tapestry I wanted even if I paid the difference for the other tapestry on display.
do not waste your time here! go to urban outfitters where they have way nicer and bigger tapestries!

I liked my experience at this herb shop, she is extremely nice! I have a hard time deciding what I want, or if I want to buy more stuff so she was very patient which was awesome understanding how horrible I am with deciding what to buy. She helped me find what I was looking for and yeah it was great :)

This place has a nice selection of various herbs at reasonable prices, with lots of suggestions and information on usage. I came in looking for something that would help my focus without keeping me up at night (I’m very caffeine sensitive, and ginseng gives me insomnia), and the guy who was there talked to me about the many herb options. He was fairly knowledgeable, but not completely familiar with all of them. I have been trying what he recommended (rhodiola), but haven’t seen much of a result yet. I don’t expect anything to happen overnight, but at least I’m not wired for hours or unable to sleep.
They had herbs for all sorts of things — energy, libido, focus, stress, etc. They also have jewelry and clothing. The clothing was pretty cool and definitely quality, but not really my style or price range. Overall, good selection of stuff with a lot of information. If you don’t know what you want going in, you might want to look some herbs up ahead of time.
Also, complimentary herbal tea!

The shop has expanded to include clothing, jewelry, etc and is now called ‘Go Ask Alice’

This is one of my favorite stores in the entire universe! Catherine is so helpful and easy to be around, and she also gives you your space to look around independently. They have some really good herbs to help me sleep, and also to enhance my already wonderful sex life with my soul mate. Santa Cruz is so blessed to have such an amazing store! Catherine, thank you so much for all of your help! xoxo

My husband and I happened upon this store not 5 minutes after talking about how he wanted to get more into the study of herbs for healing purposes. Catherine helped us pick out quite a few for bringing down blood pressure and blood sugar and bringing up energy. She’s very knowledgeable and we’ll definitely be purchasing herbs from their online store as well.

Catherine is a sweet heart. She is really knowledgeable and in to healing. The stores moving across the street in a bigger building. That really speaks volumes to the her ownership. My friends did say they didn’t like the products but this was all taken care of when they talked to her.
Keep doing it! I really enjoyed the store, Catherines presence and it’s really good to see successful female business owners. I will stop by next time I’m in Santa Cruz

This is an amazing place. I just ran across it while browsing the area. I had no idea such a thing existed. I spent about 15 minutes perusing the walls-​everything is organized by category and displayed on different wall sections and although the owner offered to help, she left me alone so I could absorb it all independently. Which I really appreciated. There were informational laminated sheets that allowed you to search by ailment and after I was ready to pick things out, she was very helpful, but not pushy. I immediately felt very comfortable, even with personal matters.
So far, my husband and I tried some of the herbal capsules for energy. He is usually impossible to energize, but they worked. And with no crash like I get with caffeine. We actually got the entire front yard cleaned up in two days, which hasn’t been touched in almost a year!
They also do some of their herbs by mail, which is great since I’m not very close. They are on a street perpendicular to the end of downtown, convenient, but may be missed. Definitely worth the search.
I am already planning a return trip to get more «energy pills.» I hope they do well. We so need an alternative to big business drug companies.

I had the pleasure of finding this gem of an herb store the other day and I am amazed at the quality of their stock. Not only do they sell top quality herbs at low prices, they offer a number of gifts and jewelry. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and compassionate. At the very least stop in for a cup of fresh tea.

NOT a dispensary. Australian-​owned and operated, this is one of only four stores in the US. Like the name of this place, you can get legal herbs that purportedly do all sorts of things! I had heard of a few and have tried a few myself, and well, it worked for me.
The shop itself is in a strip mall of sorts across from one of the large parking lots. Next door to Hula’s Island Grill, all types of herbs line the wall as well as tinctures, bindis, etc. Ones I can recall from memory include:
* Cat’s Claw
* Maca
* Kava Kava — Great stuff!
* Damiana
* Wormwood — Yes of the absinthe variety
* St. John’s Wort
* Mugwort
* Blue Lotus
There were also herb cigarettes for about $ 8.95 a pack. My friend ended up buying a small bag of stuff — we’ll see how potent it is.