Special Teas Teashop
(22 reviews)10 Church St, Northborough, MA 01532, USA 508-393-0552 Website Suggest Changes
Open 11:00 AM - 4 PM, Tuesday through Saturday, serving soups, melted sandwiches, crepes, salads, and homemade desserts, in addition to traditional English afternoon tea with scones, tea sandwiches and small sweeties until 3:00. Serving afternoon tea and dessert only between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. Please call us at 508-393-0552 to make reservations. We do not accept online reservations.
Recent reviews
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Deborah Russ
A great assortment of sweet treats that are all fresh and yummy to go with your tea. The tea selection has all the basics you would want and a few extras. I will say the Chai is a little bland, but the other varieties tried were all really good.
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Christine Harrelson
What a great place to go. Gluten free food and dessert options, and tons of desserts in general. They make the chai traditionally (steeped in milk) but not sure they do it correctly as it comes out bland. However, don't let that deter you, because they make all the other teas exactly as they should be made, and do a great homemade lemonade. They do toasties, salads, quesadillas, and have friendly service to boot.
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Mary
This is just a delightful, country style setting for lunch or tea. The food is excellent with a lovely presentation and they always have a wide selection of tea. The service is friendly, never pretentious, and they welcome you with a smile. It is in the center of Northborough located on the first floor of an old Victorian home. The desserts are the best I have ever tasted. Special Teas serves loose tea kept warm with a glass tea warmer. The cheddar cheese scones which are the best I have ever tasted are homemade as is all of the food from this excellent establishment. If you are looking for a relaxed, country tea or lunch, this is the perfect destination. My husband enjoys coming Special Teas because it is not decorated in a frilly, feminine manner. It reminds me of the tea rooms you find in the countryside of England.
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The Traveling Tea Lovers
Since so many of our local tea rooms have closed in this economy, we wandered back a number of miles to Special Teas after an absence of a few years. We have made this now part of our weekly schedule due to their consistent quality and variety of foods from soups, melts, full meal salads, changing luncheon specials, and the most delectable desserts made from scratch by the owner, Martha! For a chance to take a breather out of the daily hectic schedule whether you be a married couple, working gals meeting for lunch, old frients catching up with one another, or just the pleasure of lunch out, the staff make each dish individually to order so even if there is a short wait, the result is worth it! They do not take reservations except for parties of five or more which is only sensible due the the size and ability to seat from two, three or four per table. Trust me, it's worth the wait and if your impatience overrides your desire for a luncheon made from fresh ingredients verus a 'fast food' meal, maybe this is NOT the place for you which leaves more space for the rest of us who enjoy the ambience, food offerings and more importantly a break in the hustle and bustle of our twenty-first century lives! Kudos to a hard working staff who make each meal an occasion for enjoyment and served with a smile no matter how busy they may be - - - - Hats off to one and all!!
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Tabitha
I have eaten at Special Teas more than a dozen times. The first few times I was very happy with the food, the ambience, everything BUT the service. I and my guest(s) were always made to feel like we were an imposition vs. a customer. We are not hard to please. So, I swore the tea house off for a few years and ventured back to give them another chance and was very happy with the service. I then had one of my daughter's 16th b'day parties there for her special friends. Extremely happy with the event. Since then, I took my two daughters back for tea/lunch on a weekday during vacation week, and when we walked in, they made us feel like we were crazy to expect to get a table for lunch. Instead of apologizing for being busy, or that we would have to wait, they hesitated, did not welcome us, and basically told us 'there is not a table for us'. We left in a huff. So, I called back today to try and make a reservation for a special lunch on Saturday and was rudely, manner of tone, presentation, told that they ONLY take reservations for 5. I thought for a split second and told her that I would bring two friends then. She snapped at me and basically called me a liar that I was just telling her that to get a reservation. I then tried to share with her my last experience when we came in and instead of saying 'oh gosh, i am sorry that happened to you,' she said that 'i doubt we looked at you like that and do you know how many people call and say they are bringing 5 people and show up knowing they are only bringing 4.' I calmly said, 'thanks' and hung up. They have lost a customer. I gave them more than enough opportunities to excuse their customer service skills but there is a point where it becomes more than 'we are having a bad day'. Too bad because the food and ambiance is lovely. Need customer service training.
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Janet
I only drink mail order tea so I am very particular about the tea I drink. I was recently introduced to this tea room by a friend and was delighted. The tea we selected from a broad selection of teas, was delicious and kept hot throughout the meal with their tea light candle system. The food was fresh, innovative, and very tasty. The service was friendly and efficient. I will be back again!
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Charn
This is a lovely eclectic tea room. The tea is served in glass pots after being brewed for the proper time. No tea leaves left stewing in the pot or the need to deal with strainers like some other tea rooms. A marvelous selection of teas - the entire back page of the menu, served by the pot or half pot or the tea of the day by the cup. The food is delicious with offerings from toasties, salads, scones, melts (wonderful pile of mushrooms, artichokes or seafood and cheese topped on a thick english muffin), filled spinach crepes and the famous tomato pie. I'm always amazed at the desert offerings baked fresh daily by the owner, be sure to save room! The staff is incredibly friendly and always seem like they have too much fun doing their jobs. I am a repeat visitor and look forward to my next lunch at Special Teas!
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Ann
Very friendly and accommodating staff; we just took my 3 year old and they were so sweet and flexible with her (she ate all the tomato tea sandwiches). The desserts were unbelievable and all baked by the owner (we had Mocha Choc Cake and Raspberry Walnut Torte with Choc chunks). Recommend for a relaxed, informal tea.
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Jillian
I LOVED this place. It was so cute in the perfect New England colonial house. All the tableware was so cute too - from the linens to the one of a kind teacups. Service was wonderful too - the women in the kitchen were so friends and accomodating to my vegan diet. Food was delicious- big selection. I want to take all my friends there!!!
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Ophelia
Special Teas is an absolutely charming little tea house! A friend and I recently visited the shop, and are already planning our next visit! The tea is of good quality, and though we came too late for lunch, the sweets we had were delicious. The staff is wonderful; they are all very warm and cheerful. I truly cannot say a bad word about this place!
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Jody
SpecialTeas is my favorite luncheon venue. They have wonderful food and creative soups and incredible desserts. I haven't been to the tea sessions but if they are 1/10th as good as the luncheon - you can't go wrong! The tea selections are vast and ever changing specials, both hot and iced. An added plus are all the interesting shops in the complex. And the best part are the wonderful women who work there.
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Lori
While we had an hour wait to be seated (they don't take reservations for parties under 5) it was well worth it—and with several gift/antique stores in the immediate area we had no problem filling the time. The victorian rooms were very quaint, but at times a little loud. The food was wonderful, I had the afternoon tea with scone, sandwiches and dessert (chocolate torte was amazing). Since it was a hot day, I had a terrific summer iced tea. Service was a little unattentive, but they were very busy, and it was ok to relax and sip the tea... We will definitely be back!
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Carol H
I hosted a special going away party for a colleague of mine at SpecialTeas in Northboro, MA. We were a party of 9 and were treated like royalty! The food, service, and ambiance was delightful. I have visited this lovely tea house on several occasions and highly recommend it! I espcially recommend the tomatoe pie... It is yummy!
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Donna
I've been to this tea room many times and am always well pleased. A wonderful selection of teas, served in a lovely glass pot with it's own lit heater underneath. Wonderful sandwichs and delicious homemade soups (they've shared their recipes with me in the past!). Desserts are fresh and delicous. Atmosphere is cozy - it's a Victorian home with tables set into nooks in multiple rooms. Gift shop with tea-related items. Kitchen and cooks open to view and spotless. I would highly recommend Special Teas.
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Jessica
My friends and I went for afternoon tea which is $14. You get a scone, finger sandwiches, and a dessert, and a half-pot of tea. Someone in your party could order off the lunch menu while someone else chooses tea. Tea cups were glass, not china. Only two scone choices - a savory and a sweet - and neither appealed to me. No clotted cream was available. I didn't like that the dishes were all mismatched and not fancy - but I suppose some think that is charming. The scone course was served first instead of sandwiches as is customary. Sandwiches were tasty, but unimpressive to look at and only two choices - cucumber and tomato. Desserts were not dainty tea pastries and petit fours but rather a large portion of the dessert of your choice - like torte, crepes, or cake. The server was helpful and friendly, but not at all fancy - you will certainly not be out of place wearing jeans here. Good selection of european and fruit teas - my friend wanted an oolong and they did not have that.
I will say that most people I talk to love this place - I was dissapointed.
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Barb
I've been 5-6 times. Nice pressed sanwiches, salads, soups ... all made fresh. Good desserts too. Can make a reservation and bring a group- men welcome! Busy at lunch. Place has a slower type of friendly service so don't be in a rush. A tiny bit pricey for the food but if you love tea and this type of atmosphere (old Victorian House), it's worth it. PS- there are some vegetarian offerings and they always know the ingredients.