Tea Reviews: Tennessee

Majestic Mansion Bed & Breakfast, Athens, TN

Visited: January, 2010. Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: This is a lovely tea room with great service and very fine food! The service was excellent! She has a special tea once a month and it is truly lovely! We love to go there!
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait
Reviewer: Victoria 6/10 Add your review  

Visited: January, 2010. Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: My tea group and I visit this tea room whenever possible. The food is excellent as well as the service. It is also a B&B and the owners will proudly give a tour of the home. It is a always a delight to visit.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait
Reviewer: Victoria 1/10 Add your review    

English Rose, Chattanooga, TN

Visited: September, 2008. Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: I used to live about 30 min away from the English Room and loved to visit frequently. I've had ladies luncheons there, taken friends & family there, & even my husband. It's one of my favorite places to visit and I go every chance I get which, since I moved 5 yrs ago, is not quite as often as I'd like. However, I hope the English Rose will be in downtown Chattanooga for years to come because it is certainly one of the simple pleasures of my heart.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait
Reviewer: billandbonita 1/09 Add your review   

Visited: August, 2007. Meal: Lunch. Type of tea: Pyramid teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Angela, the owner, has a wonderful tea room and great employees. I've been many times alone and with  my Red Hat group. Always great.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait
Reviewer: Suzy, The Queen of Sheba, Signal Mt. 10/7 Add your review   

Visited: January, 2007.  Reviewed: May, 2007.
Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Good. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: I have frequented The English Rose on numerous occasions since opening. Love the bangers, onions & mash. Love the hot, hot tea. Also, the tea sandwiches are usually very good, but egg salad last visit was mushy. Overall, a good local tea room. They sell lovely tea pots and cozies, etc.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait
Reviewer: SignalSuzy Add your review   

Visited: February, 2006.  Reviewed: February, 2006.
Meal: Lunch. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Fair. Service: Good.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Having never made a visit to the English Rose Tea Shop despite being English and living here in Chattanooga for nearly two years, we decided to take a visit one cold February afternoon. It was welcoming and quite busy. It felt like we were in typical tea shop in a market town in England. My son remarked that it even smelt like Great-Grandma Olive's kitchen. The tea was good and arrived hot with plenty of milk. We ordered lunch - which was quite disappointing. The sausages were of a poor quality (all filler)served with fried onions (what about gravy?!), my husband's chicken and vegetable pie was without a crust and distinctly lacking on chicken. Only the Heinz baked beans on toast saved the day! We observed the high [sic] teas being served and were disappointed to see what was included in them. No sign of pastries, fruit cake - just plain, common english biscuits. There are lots of improvements that could be made to the menu overall. What about Yorkshire Puddings? One last comment - the meals were served with an artificial silk leaf garnish - very  strange!
Would you go back? Sorry, no.
Reviewer: Campaigners for real British Food, Chattanooga Add your review   

Visited: November, 2003.  Reviewed: April, 2005.
Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: The loveliest tearoom I've ever been in. I could have sat there for hours just taking everything in. All was absolutely delicious and so beautiful! Even my husband liked it. I'm from England so it means so much to come across a REAL tea room. We live so far away, but went there every day we stayed in Chatanooga.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Brown-eyed-block-chick Add your review   

Visited: January, 2004.  Reviewed: January, 2004.
Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Good. Service: Good.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: There is a delightful enclave of British civility and tradition in an unevenly-restored area of downtown Chattanooga. The most successful renovation in this old Southern downtown is along the riverfront. But Holiday Inn's Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel and its across-the-street neighbor, The English Rose Tea Room, make a valiant stand near the former train station amidst a row of decrepit, deserted shops interspersed with the occasional pawnshop. Although I never felt in danger, I was uncomfortable walking the half-block between the two establishments, especially after encountering a homeless person. Not the ideal environment to guiltlessly enjoy a hot cup of tea, knowing another poor soul was enduring the cold January day on a street corner.
Nevertheless, the surrounding area's seediness is quickly put out of mind when entering the delightful atmosphere of this tea room. Open since 1997 on the ground floor of the historic Grand Hotel, this tea room is obviously popular and successful. All tables were full during my visit, and the gift shop was busy with browsers. Do not expect to find the beautifully sculpted confections whipped up in the kitchens of five-star hotels. This tea room is more along the lines of what I imagine one would find in a typical, middle-class English village. Although well-decorated with lace tablecloths, silk flowers, and Royal Albert china, there is a non-fussy, "everyday" feel about the place. One would feel as comfortable here in jeans and a t-shirt as in a pretty dress. 
Both afternoon tea and high tea are offered. High tea is served from 11am to 3pm, with offerings of steak or cottage pie, bangers and mash, Cornish pasty, etc. I had the afternoon tea, consisting of six assorted sandwiches, a plain or raisin scone, and four assorted English biscuits. A Victorian tea for $13.95 is also offered, which includes English cheese and crackers, plus a home-made dessert.
Despite a less-than perfect experience, I love this tea room. The food is solid, standard fare. The tea sandwiches are typical, but quite good ... and the most successful course of the meal. The scones, served with a dab of Devonshire cream and plenty of strawberry jam and lemon curd, are exceptional only in their large size. Most disappointingly, though, is the fact that the English biscuits come from a box ... the same assorted shortbreads as one can purchase in the gift shop. Only with the Victorian tea do you get a home-made dessert. Still, for $9.95, you get good value and an unquestionably British experience.
Now, as to the tea, only one choice is offered ... large pot or small. There is no menu of tea selections ... their standard fare is PG Tips. When I asked for a different type of tea, I was shown a tea caddy containing a variety of teabags. Needless to say, I opted for their standard fare. It was well-brewed, decanted, and served beautifully in a large china teapot with a wonderfully-thick tea cozy and "handle-grabber." My server provided brisk, efficient service ... although this briskness detracted from my ability to fully communicate before my server was gone. As a result, my assortment of tea sandwiches was not as varied as I had intended, the tea selection was not my favorite type of tea, and a plain scone was delivered instead of the raisin scone I had specifically ordered. This is a quibble, though, since other servers appeared to linger more at their tables. And at no time was my server less than convivial ... we just weren't on the same wave length.
Reviewer: hsv tea lover Add your review          

Franklin Tea, Franklin, TN

Visited: May, 2010. Meal: Retail only. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: Purchased to prepare at home.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: n/a. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: There was a wonderful variety of teas -- black, oolong, rooibos, etc. The lemon basil oolong is great alone or mixed with other teas, such as blueberry green tea. Le Marche rooibos make delightful iced tea. I purchased several kind and was happy with each one. Friendly, informative service. Clean and beautifully appointed shop. Was visiting with Herb group from NJ.
Would you go back? Hope so, but we don't live nearby.
Reviewer: Joan 11/10  Add your review  

Visited: October, 2006.  Reviewed: August, 2007.
Meal: Retail only. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: Samples from a hotpot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: n/a. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Franklin Tea Shop in Historic downtown Franklin is a very warm, friendly shop that has a nice clean fill to it. With bright lighting, and a open floor plan it has a very modern vibe to it. One of the stop owner's a delightful woman was very helpful and informative in answering my questions and helping me select my tea. I since have told everyone I come across about this wonderful shop (with great scone mix by the way) to drop in and get tea as well really cool tea stuff.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Mary Elizabeth  Add your review           

Tea at the Gallery, Knoxville, TN

Visited: June, 2007.  Reviewed: July, 2007.
Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Good.
Comments: Tea was okay - chai was served in a bag, which is a pet peeve of mine. Food was great, atmosphere was great, they kindly seated us though we were very early. As always, wish there was a little more savory and less sweet, but what they had was great. Kudos for having clotted cream, too!!
Would you go back? Hope so, but we don't live nearby.
Reviewer: AmyB Add your review    

Visited: January, 2006.  Reviewed: February, 2006.
Meal: Lunch. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Knoxville is very fortunate to have such a high quality tea room. The tea selection is outstanding, as is the  service and the ambience of the tea room. Make sure you visit if in Knoxville.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Kay Add your review         

The Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN

Visited: May, 2008.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: We were there for my daughter's bridesmaids' shower. We were treated royally! Christy was a perfect hostess, and Kacie was the ultimate server. We were very pleased with the afternoon. I would definitely go again, we did a "practice run" in December and were very pleased with that event also. I could not have been served with any more honor. The decor is beautiful and it was a pleasure to spend the afternoon at the Peabody.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Candy Brown 8/08 Add your review    

Visited: October, 2004.  Reviewed: August, 2005.
Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Fair.  Food: Fair. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Good.
Comments: For a four star hotel, we were very, very disappointed! 3 teas to choose from, no lemon curd, no silver, no china,heavy ceramic dinnerware instead. tea was served out of a coffee pot. Food was not memorable. Again, Very disappointing! 
Would you go back? Sorry, no.
Reviewer: R. Martin Add your review    

Scarlett's Garden Tea Room, Mt. Juliet, TN

Visited: May, 2010.  Meal: Private adults' party. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Average. Service: Fair.  Appearance: Average.
Comments: I booked a Mother-Daughter Tea Party for our school. There were about 30 moms and daughters in attendance. I pre-booked this event 2 months in advance and discussed the menu and pricing with the owner. The atmosphere was nice enough, but the service was slow. There were only 2 ladies to serve our large party and everyone else who was in the restaurant. The owner was not very friendly, and not eager to answer questions from the guests. The food was good, but the portions were very small. We will do our Mother-Daughter Tea again this May, but we are looking for another tea room to go to.
Would you go back? Sorry, no.
Reviewer: Julie L. 3/11 Add your review  

Visited: January, 2009.  Meal: Private Red Hat party. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Good. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Reasonable prices, excellent service and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Definitely a favorite.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Maureen 1/09 Add your review  

Visited: November, 2008.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Good. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Pretty tea room. Staff was very friendly. Only complaint: when I asked for more tea (the pot for 1 in not that big), I was given more hot water with same leaves. Made for a very weak tea, even with extra steeping time.
Would you go back? Maybe.
Reviewer: Bernadette 11/08 Add your review    

Burdett's Tea Shop & Trading Company, Springfield, TN

Visited: June, 2010.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: This is a fabulous place! My husband loved it and had a regular menu item. I had the tea plate with the sandwiches, scones, and desserts ... so fabulous! The best scones I have ever  had! Keep up the good work!
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Elaine from Eads 6/10  Add your review   

Visited: February, 2009.  Meal: Other. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: The ambiance and staff were wonderful. Would go back. Didn't know about the one pot to a table though. But not everyone likes the same type of tea. Why not more than one pot to a table.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Pauline  2/09  Add your review   

Visited: November, 2008.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Excellent. Service: Good.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Lovely tea room. Afternoon tea was very good. 2 of us went. We had to agree on 1 tea. For some reason we couldn't each have a small pot of our own, we were told only 1 pot per table. We paid for 2 teas, so I don't understand. Otherwise fine.
Would you go back? Hope so, but we don't live nearby.
Reviewer: Bernadette  11/08 Add your review   

Visited: February, 2003
Meal: Lunch. Type of tea: Loose leaf and teabags. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: I happened to be in Springfield today at around 11am so Mom and I went to the tea room for lunch. The food was tasty, the tea excellent, the atmosphere quaint and comfortable. I understand now why my Mother is such a loyal customer. I'll begin making plans to bring my Nashville friends up there for a visit. Congratulations to the Ramsey family for creating an inviting dining environment that really showcases the best parts of small town living. I will definitely be back. Grateful for this hometown treat.
Reviewer: Kelly Add your review   

Visited: June, 2003
Meal: Lunch. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: This place is an absolutely wonderful find! I can't get enough of it! The food is fantastic -- service is out of this world -- atmosphere very cozy and comfortable. Worth the drive to Springfield (many neat antique shops nearby). I can't recommend it highly enough.
Reviewer: lodenhl Add your review    

Visited: June, 2003
Meal: Lunch. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Good.  Food: Poor. Service: Fair.  Appearance: Fair.
Comments: The selection of tea that was offered was very good. However, the lunch was very poor. I didn't finish any of it. Although reasonably priced, the menu itself was difficult to order from since everything is priced separately. The ambiance of what I consider a tea room was not there. In fact a couple of people walked in with shorts, flip-flops, and baseball hats on. I really felt like it was more of a diner than a tea room. The room is large and hollow sounding, not cozy at all. I believe when you enter a true tea room, you should feel as if you have entered a place that can't be compared to a trip to a fast food place. You should dress according to the experience you anticipate on having, not one you expect anywhere else you might go. I will give it another try someday and have the afternoon tea.
Reviewer: Lydia Add your review   

Tea on the Mountain, Tracy City, TN

Visited: April, 2011.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: High [sic] Tea - was wonderful .. everything was delicious as always ... Everything (scones,curd,clotted cream, breads,etc) is made by Myrna on premises ... absolutely delicious.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Pam 4/11  Add your review   

Visited: March, 2009.  Meal: Other. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: While we have visited Tea on the Mountain for a wonderful afternoon tea, we just found out that they are serving dinner as well! The food and service were perfect - deliciously prepared entrees, salads, bread pudding for dessert and hot tea, of course. What a treat! Pat, Myrna and Kathy create such a relaxing atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Joan Everetts 3/09  Add your review   

Visited: January, 2009.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: 'Tea On The Mountain' is an absolutely fabulous tea room. The decor is elegant and the food, as well as the service, is superb. My friend and I had the Cornish pastry and it was wonderful. Visiting this tea room was one of the most delightful experiences I've had in a long time.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Wanda Kilgore  1/09  Add your review   

Visited: January, 2009.  Meal: Afternoon tea. Type of tea: Loose leaf. Served: In a teapot.
Tea: Excellent.  Food: Excellent. Service: Excellent.  Appearance: Excellent.
Comments: Absolutely wonderful food and service. We had High [sic] Tea and everything was delicious, and came with entertaining stories about the recipes used. I had always read about teas like this in books, so I was happy to be able to experience one in person. The best afternoon I have spent in many a year. We had to get some Cornish Pasties to go because they are so good. I will highly recommend this wonderful dining experience to everyone I know.
Would you go back? Yes, can't wait!
Reviewer: Gail Fowler  1/09  Add your review