Not Just Spices

A few years back Not Just Spices seemed to be somewhat more expensive than other Indian/​Pakistani markets in the area so my prior visits were infrequent. However, I recently visited and noticed that their pricing remains at circa year 2010 levels while nearby competitors have slowly inched up in price. My go-​to items are now on par with competitors and my visits will consequently be more frequent.
Possible areas of concern:
–Narrow aisles, if you see someone come your way and it’s crowded, don’t be shocked if both of your butts kiss.
–Limited refrigerator/​freezer space and consequently less selection.
–Tall shelves, some items may be out of immediate reach.
–Very limited fresh items
Positives:
–Extremely helpful service
–Fair pricing, especially compared to grocery store «ethnic» food aisle items
–A somewhat fascinating random selection of ayurvedic health food and beauty items that I haven’t seen elsewhere
I like it here. But if your butt gets brushed against, try not to call the cops before you verify what’s up. You might just be in need that organic import amla juice by the register. Just saying.

Great place to find spices in bulk at a fraction of the cost you’d find at your regular grocer. There’s a 10 $ minimum on card purchases, so stock up and try some me thing new.
It’s a small little Indian shop, but there’s a pretty good variety of frozen, premade and fresh profucts and the employees are always nice.

Very well stocked and a very sweet man who runs the counter.

Yay! As someone experimenting with South Asian cuisine in my kitchen, I’m grateful for Not Just Spices, where I can pick up mustard seeds, asofoetida (I know, what a crazy word), curry leaves, ghee, and garam masala at one place. Also, they sell frozen dosa batter (fermented rice flour batter to make delicious South Indian flatbreads), which is a huge time saver if you’re like me and recoil at the idea of having to ferment rice and grind it up which, amazing as that sounds… takes…a long time,
When I want delicious South Indian food, I want it bad. There aren’t a lot of places in Providence to get a good dosa and filling, but it’s really so easy to make at home with the ingredients. Sometimes when I’m feeling particularly indulgent, I’ll stop by Not Just Snacks across the way and get a samosa to go.
I’m triple-​dollar-​signing because my comparison points are Indian grocers in the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of bigger cities (i.e. NYC), where price points are much lower, but I’m guessing those are the stores that supply some of what NJS carries, so the added expense is justifiable.

You can get Bengali fish like rohu.Hilsa.vetki.koi.etc here. Prices are OK. But the grocery as compared to spices n things is costlier.

This is probably the best place in Providence to buy a lot of spices for cooking, partulicularly for Indian food. The family also runs a restaurant across the street, which serves low-​priced Indian dishes.

Wanted to venture out, grocery shopping ’cause we’re hungry
Decided to make Lamb Kabobs, oh my gosh, so yummy.
Needed several spices, which Eastside Market didn’t have
Whole Foods didn’t either, plus their prices make me sad
Decided to drive farther, went into «Not Just Spices»
To much delight, they had legumes, veggies, and rices
The owner was very passive, yet he was a great help
The store was pretty great, so I’ve decided to Unilocal!
The prices were quite fair, the selection was spot on
My mouth started to water when I spotted the Naan
Said farewell to the cashier, we drove home really quick
I’ll be sure to come back, next time I cook an Indian dish

It has a nice selection of spices and a small variety of vegetables overall. I’m taking 2 stars away because the prices are SO HIGH with their quality of food. I get nuts from Whole Foods and probably Whole Foods’ collection of nuts are a lot better and CHEAPER than the ones in this store. A lot of items were very overpriced so my friend and I left without buying anything. Unique store but the prices were so overpriced. (And the stocks seemed to be sitting there forever. There were layers of dust everywhere.)

One of the only «ethnic» grocery stores in the area. They have a large selection of spices which are very cheap. There grocery options are very diverse. For anybody who likes to cook Indian or asian food, this a is a great place to get some items that you are not going to find at your run of the mill grocery stores. Lots of interesting snacks and foods I’ve never tried before too.

Well what can I say.
The collection is way too trivial and limited. Most of it
old stock lying there for years and years.
Reason I guess is the owner’s greed. It’s beyond imagination how
overpriced the groceries are. If u have any doubt about it, just pick any stuff
and check the prices at other places around. I am pretty sure you will be up for a great surprise.
NOt recommended unless you want to buy sub-​standard stuff for double the premium price.

I really like this store.
They have lots of spices, rices, legumes, all sorts of starches and some interesting fruits and vegetables. You can get these great foods for a fraction of the cost then a supermarket. Where else can you get a pound of fresh ginger for $ 2!!!
The man who runs the store is very nice and helpful. He really appreciates every customer.
I will continue to go to this store… even with the crappy construction that is killing the stores on Hope Street.

LOVE this place. Great prices and selection for such a small establishment, very nice owners. They’re ready to help you. If you want something ready-​made, cross the street to Not Just Snacks.

It has what you want when there is no Penzeys around (which is here) and you are looking at something in the Indian/​Asian spice category. And frankly not a lot of places to get quick food (garlic, ginger, etc) on the East Side without going to Whole Foods. Specifically on the hunt for whole Mustard Seeds. Not to found anywhere else (who wants dry mustard powder?). Found it here, very inexpensive. Happy customer!

This small market is great and fully stocked of tons of all different kinds of spices, some produce, fresh herbs, a variety of drinks and other odds and ends you didn’t even know you needed. They even have some very tasty ready to eat meals that you just need to heat up in the microwave. In addition to the vast supply they also have great prices… as you can read have no complaints.

Great shop with unusual selection of spices and non-​American staples. It’s a small shop and can be a bit overwhelming at first, but the friendly shopkeeper will answer all your questions. For example, I was at the register and saw a cucumber-​like vegetable, except it was covered in small bumps. I asked the shopkeeper about it and he explained that it’s bitter melon– great for digestion, sometimes put in drinks, very bitter taste. We began chatting about learning something new every day, which led us to talking about new foods and the importance of travel. I left the shop feeling a bit more enlightened (maybe found my new life guru?), ready to use some exotic spices and pretend I’m traveling in Southwest Asia. Overall, Not Just Spices goes far beyond the typical corner shop– service and substance with a splash of useful insights.

This is one cool little shop. The love list: large quantities of quality spices for a little bit of money, unusual teas and infusion blends, quirky Indian knick-​knacks I like to look at, and cold beverages.
They seriously have every type of dried pepper, curry and size of cardamom pod imaginable. There’s no need to spend $ 5 on a single vanilla bean at Whole Foods — come here! You’ll get a handful more for the same price — I kid you not. They’ve also got a small produce selection that, while not great, will get you by in a pinch.
The peeps that run this joint are super-​friendly and sweet. They let you poke around and have fun with your shopping, offering politely to help you if you seem like you need it. They also sell an assortment of cookies, snacks and dried goods for the more adventurous or curious.
Bottom line? This place is great — perhaps a tad dingy — but great.

When I first walked in to Not Just Spices, I planned on giving them four stars based on the exceptional variety of products contained in a _​very_​small space, but a quick check showed that most of their products are overpriced in comparison with other Indian markets in the Providence area.
That said, I recognize that rents on Hope St. can’t be cheap, justifying a higher markup on merchandise. The selection here is truly amazing for such a tiny shop, with the shelves extending all the way to the ceiling. As a local option or in a pinch, NJS is a fine choice, but I’m going to to the bulk of my Indian shopping elsewhere.

Long behind me are the days of spending a grocery shopping trip in a peeved state of mind because I just spent $ 5.00 on Barbie Doll-​sized plastic container of McCormick’s cumin that’s empty after a few pots of chili.
You better believe I’ll make special trip for the veritable SACK of cumin at $ 2.95 from Not Just Spices! OK, not quite a sack, but enough to fill a big mason jar and still have reserves.
Thankfully the name doesn’t let you forget that this is Not «Just» Spices ;)
In addition to picking from the wall of spices (coriander, red pepper flakes, curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, etc.), this is where I buy rice, dried beans & fruits, and other snacks. It’s fun to scour the South Asian imports for new things to try like the teas, unusual fruit drinks, ice cream novelties, and a wall of prepared Indian-​food-​in-​a-​boilable-​bag delights. I haven’t tried the produce or meats so I can’t comment there.
The shopping adventure continues in the area by the register devoted to incense, oils, soaps and lotions. I always pick up a couple of boxes of Nag Champa on the way out.

A great neighborhood store stocked with all sorts of spices, teas, vegetables, meat, and other items for Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and other South Asian cuisines. It’s owned and operated by Bangladeshi Americans, so the focus is on items geared to Bangladeshis, Indian Bengalis, Nepalis, and other people from the eastern end of the Subcontinent (including various kinds of fish popular in that region)… but you can really get just about anything.

The store name is an understatement!
This little grocery is stuffed wall to wall with unusual and tasty treats. Pretty healthy stuff too. Make a habit of cooking Indian and you will loose weight and clean out your GI tract.
Every square inch of every shelf of every aisle is packed with the most boggling variety of items I’ve ever seen. Probably all that’s missing are goats. And maybe not. They could be behind the 25 lb bags of rice.
The store clerk is very helpful at answering questions culinary and botanical. Want to know what a jackfruit is? Ask away.
The only way they can stock more stuff is to suspend it from the ceiling with string.
And now for fun, here are some alternate names for this store:
«Just Everything»
«Just Snacks, Not!»
«All That and More»
«Everything but goats»