Calabash Garden Tea Room & Gift Shop — Restaurant in Calabash

We love going to tea and this place is one of the better places. There are different levels of tea service you can order: A cream tea which is scones and fruit, a light tea which includes tea sandwiches and fruit, or the Ultimate Tea which is a four course tea service. You must make reservations if you are going to have any of the tea services as they make only what they need for the day.

The Calabash Garden Tea Room is set among other little shops which look like cottages. When we walked in we were greeted by the owner who took pride in her little establishment. At the table were china plates, a cup and saucer, as well as a water glass painted with flowers. On top of that water glass was a lemon squeezer in the shape of a bird. Very pretty and unusual.

Our server went over the food menu then handed us a tea menu of 60 some teas from which to choose. She then directed us to the back room which held a variety of hats and scarfs for those who wish to dress up.

I got the Queen Catherine's tea which is a blend of various black teas. DH got the Maple Tea. DD1 got the Apple Cider tea. DD2 chose the Raspberry Tea. One pot of tea comes with the service. If you would like more than one pot, there is a charge.

Our first course was a spring salad served with their homemade dressing. It was fresh and light. The next course were the sandwiches. I don't recall all of them, but they were all outstanding. The cucumber sandwich was served with a sprig of dill. The apricot was tied with a little ribbon to look like a package. There was a deconstructed BLT which was a bite of pure deliciousness, another sweet sandwich, and a ham salad tea sandwich. I do not like ham salad and if given a choice I would not choose ham salad. The ham salad served here was absolutely DELICIOUS!. I could have eaten an entire bowl of it. Yet, I do not like ham salad.

The next course were lavender white chocolate scones, mock devonshire cream, and lemon curd. Fantastic! The final course consisted of a mini raspberry lemon cupcake, dark chocolate dipped strawberry, and a little skewer of grapes and blueberry with white chocolate drizzle.

The food, the service, and the atmosphere were above par. If we are in the area again, we will...

My daughter's birthday was the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend and she decided that she would like to go to the Tea Room and get a pot of tea. My other daughter agreed so we dragged my mother along. When we arrived, we did not have a reservation and were happy that the ladies were able to fit us in. We decided to have the Ultimate Tea, as having a High Tea is on my 50 Adventure List for 2019. The tea list is extensive - we each ordered a different tea and then tried each others. The tea started with a garden salad (we did not have the soup option) and water with lemon served in a very cute way (I won't spoil the surprise!). The dishes were all beautiful - the plates, tea cups, water glasses all had different beautiful designs. Then the tea platter came out, with the different levels. The ladies were able to create a tea platter for the 4 of us that included Vegan selections for my daughters. And these vegan sandwiches were not just after thoughts - they had time and thought put into them. We all loved each sandwich, the next just as wonderful as the first! The scones were so light and fluffy - the best I have ever had. And to end it all (for my mom and I), a French macaron which is my favorite cookie! This is an experience that I recommend to everyone, not just tea lovers! We will definitely be back, maybe not for the Ultimate Tea, as that will be saved for special occasions, but stopping by for a relaxing pot of tea in this wonderful atmosphere is certainly good for the soul! Oh, but be sure to call for...

Very darling tea room run by mother and daughter. My mother, sisters and I got the "Ultimate Tea" package which is the premium package and seemed to be the most popular at the tables surrounding us. All four of us chose a tea from a wide selection of herbal, green, red, white, and black teas (about 40 in all) and got an individual porcelain pot of our tea choice. The dishes, pots and cups are all mix and match which adds to the charm. Colorful water color flowers, blue willow, intricate gold leaf patterns, etc. all mingle together on the table.

While our tea brewed, we each found fancy hats (from their racks) to wear during our tea party. The tea was followed by a small salad with unique flavors. The dressing is something like a mildly sweet vinaigrette and topped with tomatoes, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and shredded coconut.

The package also came with a three tiered platter of finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, and chocolate covered strawberries, garnished with fresh daisies and roses. My mom isn't keen on cream cheese or ham so we called ahead to request that a few of the sandwiches be prepared with neither. Many of the finger sandwiches feature cream cheese (cucumber-dill, ham salad, sweet blueberry, etc)

The waitress and owner were both very...