Oolong, yerba mate, rooibos—if those words make you smile, you’re in for a treat. If they just leave you confused and reaching for a dictionary, you’re in for a treat, too! Oolong, yerba mate, and rooibos are all types of teas, and the Dallas area has several amazing tea houses that will please the tea novice and the tea connoisseur alike. Whether you’re going for a quick lunch or a leisurely afternoon get-together with friends, you’ll enjoy the atmosphere (and the chicken salad sandwiches).
Maudee’s Tea Room has been around in Dallas for nineteen years, albeit in different locations and with different names. It’s small but not cramped, and the owners are more than happy to chat about tea with you. If you order traditional afternoon tea, you’ll start with a sorbet before moving on to finger sandwiches (the pimiento cheese is delicious), a delectable assortment of scones and banana muffin popovers, and finally dessert — pastries, cookies, and homemade brownies.
Their tea choices include black boysenberry apricot, cinnamon ginger, and vanilla mint rooibos, and you’ll get a different pot of tea with each course. Tea not your style? Go for lunch, and if you really want the quaint teapot they’ll put lemonade in it. There’s a special each day (try the chicken spaghetti casserole on Thursdays), but if you get the “trio plate” make sure that one of your scoops is pimiento cheese — it’s delicious. You might even rub elbows with a former First Lady—the owner says that the Dallas tea room is a favorite of Laura Bush.
Maudee’s Café & Tea Room is located at 4333 Lover’s Lane in Dallas and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; afternoon tea is only available by reservation.
Chocolate Angel in North Dallas also offers both lunch and tea, although unlike at Maudee’s these are in separate rooms. If you choose to go for lunch, you’ll sit in the warm, chic café and will have an array of salad and sandwich choices before you. Try the Angel “Confetti” Salad (mixed greens with bleu cheese, mandarin oranges, grapes, almonds, and raspberry vinaigrette) or the Smoked Turkey on Orange-Cranberry Bread. If you can’t decide what you want, try it all: order the Angel Duet or the Angel Trio and get soup, half a sandwich, and a small salad.
If you’re in a hurry, you can also just stop in and choose from a variety of box lunches. Afternoon tea starts at 3:30 p.m. and is only by reservation; once you’ve been ushered into the elegant tea room you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into the Victorian era. For $17.95, including tax and gratuity, you’ll snack on scones, tea sandwiches, a ham and gruyere puff pastry, and fresh fruit, as well as a range of delicious desserts.
Chocolate Angel is located at 635 West Campbell in Richardson and is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tea is served from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call 972-234-8099 for tea reservations.
Patti’s Place Tearoom & Bakery
Located in the historic 1983 Wells farmhouse in North Dallas, Patti’s Place is not just a tearoom — it’s a piece of Dallas history. The owner is still working to restore the North Dallas house, and pictures of its history decorate the walls. “High Tea with a Texas Twist” is served every Tuesday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. by reservation, and consists of sorbet, scones, sandwiches, dessert, and, of course, a variety of teas.
Patti’s has a truly impressive menu of tea, with many teas that you likely haven’t seen anywhere else. Options include black tea, white tea, green tea, flavored tea, and herbal tea, but try the Bumblefruit or the Margaret’s Hope darjeeling. The salads shine at Patti’s; for something sweet and salty order the Maple Nut Crunch, a mix of greens, cheese, apples, sugar dates, trail mix, and maple balsamic dressing. A close second is the Patti’s Red, White, and Blue Salad, with mixed greens, fresh raspberries and blueberries, candied pecans, goat cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. (Concerned about the environment — so is Patti’s. They only use environmentally friendly packing and also recycle and reuse.)
Patti’s Place is located at 3921 Coit Road in Plano, about twenty minutes from Dallas, and is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you want to make a reservation for Texas High Tea, call 972-612-4828.
Into My Garden Tearoom, Café, & Bakery
If you have an afternoon free, check out the shops in historic downtown Plano and then drop in for lunch or afternoon tea at the Into My Garden Tearoom. Like the others, Into My Garden serves both lunch and high tea — but unlike the others Into My Garden offers several packaged options at a range of prices ($8.50 will get you a small fruit and cheese tea, while $25 will get you the full spread — quiche, soup, five kinds of chicken salad, fresh fruit, a muffin, and dessert, as well as tea). Into My Garden also offers a different soup and a different quiche every day, as well as the hard-to-find Southern dessert buttermilk pie. It’s worth the short drive from Dallas! If you have a special dietary need, just ask—they’ll accommodate you. (And check out their website for coupons.)
Into My Garden is open for lunch Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For tea or Sunday reservations, call 469-360-5821.
As you can see, Dallas and North Dallas offer many delicious tea houses options—put out your pinky and enjoy!
