The best and friendliest store in downtown Wilmington. My go to is an iced tea whenever I am downtown. The staff are knowledgeable on all the teas they have and make fantastic recommendations. Cape Fear Spice Merchants is a must if you are downtown!

Amazing spice and tea shop! The smell is wonderful and all the options are all you could ever want!!!! Even if you are passing through youll find something youre going to want to try! A must if you are in Wilmington!

I walked into this store not knowing what to expect. It was like walking back in time in an exotic location. The smells and ambiance are intoxicating. Id consider driving 12 hrs solely to return to this merchant. The selections offered are unimaginable; Ive literally thought of this experience everytime Ive cooked a meal or brewed a cup of tea. This merchant has obviously poured their sole into this menagerie of products.

This is my favorite store downtown! I love the Moroccan spice blend and the Madisons pasta spice blend. I also love trying new teas. Everyone who works there is very nice too. Love it :)

Love this place! The workers are always friendly and the store has a great vibe.

Wonderful selection and staff! I liked it so much I came back the next day during my weekend trip. They were helpful while I was browsing and patient with me during check out. Got ghost pepper powder, jasmine tea, various dry rubs and loose leaf herbs!

Cape Fear Spice Merchants is full of coffee, jarred goods, spice blends, single spices, loose leaf tea & infused oils with cookbooks and related accessories. The staff was welcoming and helpful. Spices are available in a pouch, jar or custom size. Oils are available in small and full size bottles. I love to give food gifts so I purchased spices, oil and a balsamic fig vinegar for myself & started Christmas shopping early with a steak rub and hot pepper blends for family that likes extra heat.

Only a handful of boutiquey stores like this that I know of, with bountiful tea and spice options and the staff to ask detailed questions. (The other store Im thinking of is unrelated and in Mystic, CT.) .... Absolutely love the loose leaf tea options. And, you can buy a cup to drink right there on the premises.

Incredible customer service from people who are passionate about what they sell, and what they have to sell is amazing! Their teas are amazing, point blank period. Will definitely be ordering more later!!!

My partner and I are from out of town and this has been a spot we always stop in for spices and all sorts of pickles and peppers. Very friendly and helpful staff. Great items for gifting too!

This is much more than a tea store. There are dozens of different spices available and many flavors of olive oil and balsamic vinegar too. Other items include jams, pickles, soup mixes, and kitchen gadgets.

I absolutely adore going here for all my loose tea and spice needs.The variety of teas they have is exquisite, and even just walking into the store youre hit with these wonderful smells.Im not gonna lie, i buy waaaay more tea that a person could need but i have to try them all damn it. LolI also like to get gifts for people here. Since they also carry accessories for such like tea cups and strainers and some other cooking stuff.

Very friendly staff, quick to serve guests with info and suggestions. Highly recommend stopping in!

Our favorite spot to get our tea!!! So many different options to choose from. They also have a wide variety of spices! Friendly and helpful staff.

I was gifted a spice baggie from this store - Red Thai Chili Powder - and it contained bugs!!!!! It was purchased sometime late in 2020. I assure you that I never left the bag opened and unattended. Just this evening I ripped off/opened the seal, smelled it, closed it, and when it was time to season I noticed the bugs. It seems they are called drugstore beetles. They feed on many things, including spices. There were no visible holes in the baggie upon inspection; I read that they can chew through packaging. Maybe the hole is covered by the branding sticker. Very strange but nevertheless unacceptable and incredibly worrying. If I can find a way to attach photos, I will.

Bought a porterhouse steak the other day and needed some type of rub to put on the steak. Found this shop on the web and dropped in to see what they have. Magnificent little store with a great and helpful staff. Took me to the section of the store that had pre-made rubs already packaged. Got the Devil’s Dust rub. Delicious!!! Stop on by and browse around, you won’t be disappointed.

Always buy a big array of spices, they have everything. The teas they have are incredible. Service spectacular, knowledgeable and efficient.

Wonderful selection of spices and tea! Very friendly staff.

Wonderful aromas took us in to this delightful shop. So many spices from the world over, teas and coffees. Exceptionally friendly and helpful staff. We are planning on being back there soon!!!

An absolutely amazing selection of teas and spices alike, with a wonderfully helpful staff

Its true.. roaches in the cut. Why did u assume I didnt wanna work here anymore? Why did u play with homebase app. He assumed that I didnt want to work anymore. Tell me Gary 🤔 HOW did u guys manage to have three people on a Saturday memorial holiday and make 4 grand off of that and u oust me on a Wednesday on June 2nd? They.. them.. it..changed the schedule. Then tried to say I wasnt worthy. JEN!! CLEAN THE CONTAINERS BEFORE FILLING THEM BACK AGAIN!! AGO HEALTH ISH SAYS SOO.. yo.. I cleaned under the kambucha one day and found a little friend.

Park in the parking deck, 1st 90 min free.The place is a party for your nose .with very helpful staff

I always love coming to this store! They have such an extensive selection of teas, spices, and more. Every time I go in I have to stop myself from getting more. My most recent trip was the best I’ve had. The very nice young lady (I wish I got her name) that was working had great advice and suggestions. Super knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She had me leaving the store with exactly what I came for and more.

1st time in this shop and omg I love it. The employees where great and answered all my amd my family questions...coming back

Very friendly & informative, the guy with long hair was great with helping us find items. Cool place!!

The staff here is so helpful with helping you choose the products that best suit your taste. They will let you taste anything you care to before you purchase it. They have a wide variety of olive oils, balsamic vinegar, teas, coffees, spices, sugars, salts and so much more. Definitely worth a stop by if in the area. They are also dog friendly.

First time to a spice and tea shop and Im in love! 💗💗 I am new to the world of tea (other than just drinking it when Im sick) I bought a few chai varieties and a diffuser and I am so happy. I plan to go back and get my mom a few things for Christmas!

Such a sweet staff, super welcoming and helpful! we didnt end up buy anything this trip but im sure we will next time :) a must see while youre walking downtown!

Great spice shop. Great variety of spices, basalmic vinigars, olive oils, teas and coffee beans.

We always love coming to this shop. We drive from Raleigh to Wilmington and always make it a point to stop in.Their customer service is great, olive oils and vinegar are great, and we just bought our first bag of whole bean coffee. Also great!!

Great staff and amazing service! Everyone is always so tentative and friendly. Ive been here at least 10 times, never had any issues. Come here for all your spices, seasonings, coffee, teas, and accessories!

This staff is amazing! They have a huge selection of tea and spices and the staff helped me with all of my selections.

Im in love with this store! Very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. I found exactly what I wanted and then some. I highly recommend them. Definitely be back!

Lovely place if you need almoat any kind of spice. The smoked paprika is so much better than any kind we have bought elsewhere,that alone keeps us coming back.

The customer service was amazing. I went there for loose leaf tea to help me sleep. They were very nice, and showed me their many options for sleepy time tea. They told me everything I needed to know and had answers for all of my questions. Strongly recommend coming here.

This place has great spices, teas, oils and vinegars

This place has some of the best spices! I love thier different combinations and variety. They have many spices that are hard to find with great quality. Highly recommend!

My wife and I had a wonderful time shopping here yesterday. We will be back. This place has the best spice selection of anywhere we have tried. Nice friendly staff as well. Very clean.

Cape Fear Spice Merchants are my go to place for spices. I didnt believe that spices from an actual spice shop would be so much better than those in the grocery store, but they truly are. I highly recommend the raspberry chipotle for shrimp.

5 star 🌟 customer service and attitude towards customers. I only bought $21 worth of merchandise and you would have thought I bought the store. I really appreciate great customer service and a great attitude towards new customers, returning customers and “potential” customers. Thanks 🙏 your great store, absolutely amazing & great products, your great approach towards people - I’ll be a returning customer and will happily tell the world 🌎 about y’all!I can’t abide by people/stores who think a person must spend a LOT of money 💰 to be considered a valuable customer. Thank y’all for your positive pro-customer, “all people matter” attitude !

Great selection of teas, spices, and other interesting, eclectic items. They are dog friendly and the people that work there are super friendly and helpful, and they always have a treat for my puppy! I also love their selection of teas. Ive been drinking their Irish breakfast tea, (I also occasionally make blends of their many flavors), every day & now I cant start my day without it! I add in some of their vanilla bean infused sugar, and its delicious! I also got a great small brewing/steeping kettle that works great with their fresh, loose, shredded teas. They also carry spices, sauces, and many other interesting cooking & brewing related items.

Lots of variety and nice service staff, will go again.

Ill never get enough of this shop. The smell upon entering the store is amazing and the fact you can sample nearly everything they sell really ensures youre getting exactly what you want. Their tea selection goes underrated as most people focus on the spices and oils but their tea selection is vastly unique and delicious. One of my favorite shops downtown!!!

Interesting little store in the time of online ordering and supermarkets carrying all ones basic needs. They offer bulk spices and teas, seasoned or flavored oils, and the various gadgets, vessels and other equipment associated with those products. Very dog friendly and located on Market one block from the riverfront, I frequently check the place out on Saturday mornings as part of my outing to the Wilmington Riverfront Farmers Market (which is temporarily relocated to Dock Street between Front and Second). A little on the pricey side, the store offers an upscale product in small enough quantities to alleviate concerns about spoilage and waste. Management employs a friendly, informative, and knowledgeable staff. Overall, a cool place to visit.

Great selection and amazing customer service. Gentry was extremely knowledgeable and kind! The store has something for everyone!

A good variety of teas, coffees, olive oils and spices. We were able to find 4 types of smoked salt which indicates the wide selection. Very helpful staff. Prices reflect that the shop is in a touristy area.

Always a must stop when we are in town.

Very professional and great communication! I own a coffee and wine bar and do wholesale business with them- we order pumpkin spice, chai spice and multiple teas- they are always prompt and let me know immediately when my order is ready. The product is fresh and they are always happy to work with me and my ideas! Will recommend.

The selection of teas, oils & spices is amazing. Love the gift baskets :) This place is a gem of Wilmington. Downtown by the Cape Fear River Walk adds to the ambience.

Awesome place! Always something brewed to sample, every kind of spice you can imagine or need. Helpful and friendly staff. Dog friendly!

We always love going into the store. Always great prices and by far the best tea and spices we have had. We only use their spices now! If your looking to start somewhere the cajun citrus is great in fish, and chicken!

The best selection, fair prices. You can find so many new spice blends to try and they are wonderful. Tea selection is outstanding.

They have a great selection of all different spices, teas and salts. One of the few places you can find such a large selection of quality spices. They also have the blooming tea flowers. I enjoy being able to sample their different spice blends they carry.

We stopped by Cape Fear Spice Merchants while traveling about 3 summers ago and purchased 4 different spices. . Today as I was going through my pantry and spices to toss out the older or regret spice purchases i made a list of the sources of my best longest lasting and flavorful spices. Of the 15 and more brands from simply organic, trader Joes, Whole Foods Market Organic, Frontier Coop, Spice Island, sadaf etc...and spices from Pike Street Market Seattle ...The top two are CAPE FEAR SPICE MERCHANTS and close secondMorton & Bassett of San Francisco.Its close but the fennel seeds and Cardamom made up my mind!

Very friendly staff and an amazing selection of herbs, spice blends, and teas! I live an hour away, and will happily make the drive every time I run out of their sleepy tea!

Great selection of spices, teas and oils. The staff is super helpful. Love the fact that you can buy however much you want. We usually get 3 different spices at a time to help us in deciding, and so far we have enjoyed them all. Also, the reward card is great.

This is a phenomenal place if youre into tea or spices or other kitchen/cookware specialty items. The selection is incredible and everything is high quality. The staff is wonderful and the store is very dog friendly.

I had a quick visit to purchase a gift card as a Christmas gift. The gift card transaction was fine, the worker who approached the counter first wasnt familiar with the process and needed someone to help and it went fine from there. I fell victim to the products at the counter while waiting and bought a bar of chocolate. This is why I gave it 4 stars, $10 for a 2.5 ounce bar of chocolate is ridiculous and the flavor definitely didnt support even half that price. My wife really likes the tea there, but its not my thing and I likely wouldnt go in there if not for her.

Good price on spices and tea. Nice staff. Good place to pick some spices for cooking

This is my favorite store in downtown Wilmington. There is such a great variety of spice blends, teas, and more. There are great oils and vinegars to sample as well, and a nice selection of kitchen tools and accessories. Its a little expensive, but not more than one would expect from such a store. Overall, just a great atmosphere and experience

If you need spices or tea look no farther. If this place doesnt have it you probably dont need it. Wife stopped in during our walking tour of Wilmington and bought several different spices. Got back and immediately put them to use. Wow is all I can say they were amazing made simple carrots really pop with the autumn spice. If you are in the area treat your taste buds from the everyday mundane and expand your palate.

Lways helpful. Yummy spices will keep on returning

Great selection and friendly service.

Very knowledgeable staff, with an eagerness to help!

This locally owned business has made going caffeine free easy and fun. Love the variety of teas.

I love this place.. From spices to teas they have just about anything you and imagine from a spice shop! If your a culinary professional or just person who has a passion for cooking and spices this is the place for you!

Love this place for all my spice needs. They are one of the few spots to get truffles too.

This is such a nice shop. The smells of the spices draw you in. I purchased a raspberry chipotle rub here and used it on pork, it was so good. I have a fire and water spice mix from here to use on fish and cant wait to try it on some fresh walleye.The people That work here are knowledgeable and friendly,dont be shy, sniff and taste.

This is a great place to get unique blends as well as a large variety of herbs and spices. Come in and explore... You will probably find something new or different to enjoy. The friendly staff is also great at making recommendations.

This shop and the staff are amazing! I bought some creme brulee tea and it was fabulous! All tea/coffee/salt/spice/oil connoisseurs need to see this place!

Very cool place with friendly and helpful staff. They have a crazy amount of spice selections and tea assortments, we have been each time we are in the area because the product is so good. Highly recommend this place.

2 words. Carolina reaper. They have them! Been looking for a few months, and nobody had them. Very helpful staff with fair prices. She helped us very carefully bag and buy the worlds hottest pepper. Not for the novice!

Best spices as well as oil and vinegar around. Oh, they have amazing teas too! Try the white peach.

I love, love, love this place! They do such a great job here, the employees are friendly and greet you as soon as you walk in, the selection is amazing. We visit every time we find ourselves downtown, even if Im not going for something specific I always end up taking something new home.

Great place to find rare spices and teas. The front offers spice mixes for barbeque and other dishes. As you move back youll find Asian spices, teas and hot chocolate mixes. Dont be afraid to grab the smelling samples in the little jars, they are a good way to smell the spices and get an idea of what the spices would taste like.The staff here is great. They noticed my stuffy nose and offered a tea to help open my sinuses. It worked great! Take the time to talk to the staff to get the most out of visiting this store. If youre just browsing youre missing out.

Wonderful selection....dozens of tea varieties. And the employees are so helpful in suggesting new teas. Love this place!

LOVING my new spices! The staff was a great help and I grabbed some perfect blends while I was there. Im really loving the spicy salt and I hear they have even hotter mixes in the back. I look forward to going back next time Im in town!

Amazing selection of bulk teas and spices, friendly and knowledgeable staff eager to help. Lovely store!!

Favorite spice and tea place in town!!

Perfectly articulated, enjoyable, and clean, tea and spice shop; great location, friendly knowledgeable staff. Not only can you purchase goods, oils, salt blocks, tools...you can get a highly inexpensive, full flavor tea to go!!! For someone quitting coffee due to too frequent headaches, Ive found my new go-to!!

Helpful and kind staff, knowledgeable and not pushy. Good prices, 1oz pickling spices $3.89; 1 oz black sea salt $3.29. Tons of teas, coffee, spices, and all the accompanying materials to go with it (cups, tea balls, mortar & pestle, etc.)

Fantastic spice shop with so many choices. I have gone to many different privately owned spice shops all across the Carolinas and I love that they have great coastal flavorings!! Typically you find so many rubs and bbq seasonings (which they have plenty of here) but with the balance of the local coastal feel is a great change. Their Teas are delicious and with so many varieties. They bottle and pour all the spices on site. Great customer service!

So many spices and teas to choose from!! Also assortment of gifts and gadgets for the tea lover!!

What a cool shop with being able to taste a variety of olive oils or balsamic vinegars that has been infused with bacon, or honey. Walls of spices and teas to choose from as well. Shop is clean and staff is super friendly.

Absolutely love this place! A must if visiting, so many good spices rubs and teas!

Great little local spice and Loose Leaf Tea shop. Has some really cool gadgets as well!

If you like coffee and tea, then you must stop here. I drive all the way to Willmington just to get beans and tea. If you are new to the realm of coffee and tea drinking, then the employees will assist you and point you in the right direction. This place is a must see.UPDATE JUNE 2020 :If you are of African American descent or any other minority group, be prepared to show ID. These guys here asked for my ID when all I came for was some Darjeeling tea and a tea pot. I felt like I was profiled during my visit because they didn’t ask any of the other shoppers of Caucasian descent for any ID. I should have called them out on the matter but I didn’t want to bring unwanted attention upon myself.

This place is pretty pricey, but is definitely worth it because of the attentive staff. Been there a handful of times, and found the perfect steak rub the first time, so staff just acknowledges us as we enter to let us know they are there if we need help.

I got stuck here during pouring rain and waited out the storm drinking delicious coffee and shopping around the varied interesting teas and spices. I picked up some gifts, some staple spices I was out of, and some interesting-looking things to try. I only wish I lived closer!

Very disappointing... Love the staff, but no one contacted me to let me know that my order was in and the Manager, Gary, was extremely rude to me and discussed my order with his other clients. Extremely unprofessional. Will not do business here again.

Great spice shop. The best part is you can buy a small amount of the spice you need for a recipe. Staff very helpful. Wonderful selection of oils and congrats.

I usually get the tea, which they have a wonderful selection of. You can smell the loose tea before purchasing it. They will also make you a cup for $2 (I think) if you would like to sample it. They have an abundance of spices and you can try their oils as well. They staff are great and the location is perfect. Parking can be a pain but its worth it. Especially if you are going to stop in a few other places downtown. This should be on your must see list!

Great store with very unique spices.Well worth a look around.

My best friend and I enjoyed stopping in and trying all the different spices and coffee. They offer all kinds of seasonings, tea and coffees. I would recommend to others

What a great find! This place has every spice youll ever need and the customer service is wonderful. Ill return when I am in Wilmington again.

Super helpful& very nice staff! I literally smelled every tea& every spice in the store & they didnt make me feel rushed or like i was bothering them. It was a lovely place with lots of variety!

Wow, what a great store! So much tea and spices, really great to visit and check out the inventory. Youll find something you need.

If you cook, you must MUST visit this shop. Hard to find spices to exotic oils, salts, and teas. Every time we are in Wilmington we stock up. Also have several house blended rubs and seasonings.

Very nice, vintage spot, great selection of tea, great customer service. Store personnel was quite helpful. Lovely experience

Great selection of teas, spices, specialty salts and sugars, tea accessories, and so much more. Love the custom blends of teas and spices. Great customer service!