International Grocery
“best place to buy spices, olives, dried fruits, nuts, grains, flour, rice, etc. in bulk.”
“Nuts and dried fruits are bulk-binned (a guy helps you with them) and cheaper than your average tasteless grocery store stuff.”
“spices, coffees, flours, etc. Great for gluten-free diets- a variety of rices and gf flours.”
International Grocery
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
8 reviews
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This place is THE place to go for Taramosalata. It is so creamy and tasty. The store is full of old world charm and the shopkeepers are lovely. And there is a big friendly cat as well.
There are so many reasons to love the 9th Ave strip of Hell's Kitchen, and here is one. This store is like a preserved, historic sanctuary of old New York, with its intoxicating conglomerate of European cultures all under one heady roof.
Buy spices by the pound for crazy cheap. Enjoy freshly made pastries like the giant slices of Basbousa for only a mind-boggling $3.50. Bask in the old world hospitality of the owners, who never fail to thank you and invite you to come back.
#lovelovelove
You can take the A train to 42nd Street, walk into International and feel like you've stepped out of an airplane and arrived at a real world spice market (without the risk of uninvited frisks or transportation delays). If you enjoy eating, this neighborhood store will charm and stimulate your imagination beyond the many colors that circle air bubbles.
Wow… how did I live here for so many years and NOT discover the wonders of this place? I had known it was a store for spices/seasoning, like my recent purchase of a French harissa sauce for some North African dishes (haven't tried the bulk spices since I stock up during various travels), but little did I know about the delicious goodies this place holds until recently, when a long time NY resident friend was surprised I had not tried to pre-made foods here!
The dips here are to die for. Their hummus is fresh made, so thick with natural flavor that you'll never buy another tub at Whole Foods again. Their taramasalata dip is amazing, I didn't know what it was but I sure love it now – the perfect blend of potato and fish roe. Their savory pies were great, and though I haven't had the chance to try, the array of desserts look amazing. This is also one of the few places I'm able to find pita w/out sugar and extra additives, both stone ground whole wheat and plain, along with an assortment of other breads for dipping.
And the owners (with an adorable meow wandering around sometimes) are a big part of the charm of this place, so warm and patient in explaining the items and helping each and every customer. Even if you don't live close by, this is a place worth making a regular stop to.
Hungry kat, two-paws-up with approval!
For those who remember the "bad old days" of Hells Kitchen a generation ago visiting International Grocery can seem like entering a time warp. For those who weren't alive a generation ago, it can still be a convenient place to pick up some ethnic specialties. Like most of their merchandise, the good selection of olives right by the door are packed to order by their staff. We love servings of their hand-cut spanakopita which we often accompany with filled to order containers of their hummus, babghanoush and tabouli. Personally, although we enjoy the ambiance they create, we avoid spices displayed in open bins. Do take a minute to walk around and acquaint yourself with what they carry; pita are hidden in the front window, while halva (cut to order) is next to the register and feta is in the refrigerator chest between the dips and the giant bean salad; deserts, both home made–think baklava and honey almond cake, as well as packaged cookies, are adjacent.
I can't help smiling like a crazy person when I walk into this place. No, it's not fancy (and I'll admit that it looks questionable from the outside) but they have EVERYTHING and it's all delicious. His favorite Iranian flatbread? Check. Giant "gigantes" beans? Check. Hella delicious dried figs? Check. Amita MOTION fruit juice, the most crack-like substance known to man? Holy sh*t CHECK.
I love that a lot of items are sold by the pound – and there's stuff hidden in the store that you don't see at first glance, so grab one of the employees and ask. They know their stuff.
Prices are super cheap and the service is friendly and fast.
I have purchased coffee, spices, tabbouleh, and a spinach pie.
The tabbouleh was flavorful with a lot of dressing, but was surprisingly not overwhelmingly acidic. There's just the right amount of feta mixed in, but I wish there was a bit more tomato. They weigh this by pound, and I got a small container for $3.25.
The spinach pie is hefty for $4, loaded with spinach too! They give it to you cold, so the downside is that you have to heat it up in an oven (shouldn't microwave delicious phyllo).
For $7.25, it was a huge tasty lunch!
I needed a cheese for my friend's party. I walked in and had no idea what to get. For me, the usual choices are American, cheddar or wiz. The man behind the counter was very helpful. He gave me some suggestions and let me try some cheese. The one I just loved was the kefalograviera. I bought what he had left. I know it will be a hit at my friend's party.