Stuart's Spices

Stuart's Spices is a specialty spice shop at 754 South Clinton Avenue in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood, operating since 1992. The shop grinds and blends its spices on-site in small craft batches, supplying home cooks, restaurants, butchers, and caterers with a selection of over 400 herbs, spices, seasoning blends, sausage mixes, and BBQ rubs. All products are gluten-free, MSG-free, and kosher certified.

Over more than three decades on South Clinton Avenue, Stuart's Spices has grown alongside the South Wedge business community. The shop also maintains a seasonal presence at the Rochester Public Market from April through December, extending its reach beyond the storefront.

Stuart's Spices carries an extensive catalog spanning kitchen staples to specialty blends. Among their offerings:

• BBQ rubs and seasonings — including Crazy Good Chicken Rub, House Hog Rub, Burger Blast, Sizzling Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, and Rochester Plates Meat Sauce Seasoning
• Sausage mixes — Bratwurst, Hot Italian, Mild Italian, Polish, Maple, Andouille Hot, Cajun Mild, and Original Snack Stick Jerky Seasoning
• Herbs, whole spices, and peppers — sourced and ground fresh on the premises
• Curing supplies — such as pink curing salt for home charcuterie

The staff can walk customers through flavor profiles and offer recipe suggestions tailored to specific dishes or cooking styles.

Stuart's Spices is known for its on-site grinding and small-batch blending process, which prioritizes freshness over the shelf-stable approach of mass-market spice brands. The Rochester Plates Meat Sauce Seasoning — a nod to Rochester's signature garbage plate — ties the product line directly to local food culture. The shop's commitment to gluten-free, MSG-free, and kosher-certified products has made it a go-to source for customers with dietary restrictions looking for reliable seasoning options.

The shop sits on South Clinton Avenue in the heart of the South Wedge, a walkable neighborhood south of downtown Rochester anchored by locally owned restaurants, cafés, and small retailers. The South Wedge stretches along the eastern bank of the Genesee River, and Stuart's Spices is within a short walk of the neighborhood's main commercial stretch. Street parking is available along South Clinton Avenue. The store is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Sundays.