Steep Leaf Lounge — Restaurant in Flagstaff

Steep is one of my absolute favorite tea shops I've ever found. Anytime I'm passing through Flagstaff, I make a detour to downtown for a delicious cuppa.

Right now, with COVID-19 distancing, they have their shop set up for take-out only. They converted the entrance to their corner shop as a walk up window for ordering and picking up your drink. They keep the baristas at a distance and have a plexiglass barrier. The baristas are still required to wear masks. Ordering here feels extremely safe; the bigger concern to high-risk individuals are the other customers that sometimes crowd the storefront waiting for their orders. They still offer outdoor seating with a few small tables and chairs.

Prior to the pandemic, this shop was a quaint place to stop in and say a while. Open late, they provide refreshing teas to downtown denizens at their bar, offering an alternative to the typical bars around. They are also open early for the early birds looking for caffeine. Their loose-leaf teas are gourmet, and can be ordered in a variety of ways: hot, iced, latte, or other specialty varieties. They also offered loose-leaf teas and accesories for purchase, along with beautiful local art and pottery. They even stocked my favorite potter's art for a while before she moved out of state.

If you like the creaminess of lattes, their Berry Truffle latte is smooth, and slightly sweet, and tastes great iced or hot. I often keep this rooibos-based tea at home for a refreshing caffeine-free iced tea in the Phoenix summers. If you're a fan of Earl Grey, their Earl Grey Francais is a must have. With a hint of smooth vanilla flavoring, this tea is exceptional as a latte. I order this one online to keep handy for winter months whenever I can't make the trek to Flagstaff in person. Of course the baristas will help you find the drink for you, and they are very knowledgeable about the teas they serve.

If you're in downtown Flagstaff, don't pass...

Found this place on a whim while on a chilly evening walk with our dogs, and what a GEM! The atmosphere was so cozy and inviting—I think we even accidentally showed up after they closed?—but I’m not entirely sure as the employee, Kai, gave us a warm welcome and invited my wife and our pups in like old friends! We each ordered a hot vanilla mint chai with oat milk and they were exquisite! A super nice couple from Australia came in shortly after us also looking for a late night tea. After talking with them only briefly we could tell they were tea connoisseurs and said that it’s difficult to find a great cup of hot tea in the States, but that Kai made the “perfect cup” and joked that they would have to come all the way to Flagstaff to enjoy! We got caught up in lovely conversation and ending up closing the place down! I find that some tea and coffee houses can feel stuffy and pretentious, sometimes making you feel nervous to even walk through the door, but certainly not at this place! Kai never rushed us, offered great suggestions and made us feel welcome the entire time! Kai, and the rest of the staff and owners of this tea lounge, I’m not a tea aficionado like our new Australian acquaintances, but I know for a fact you have something great...

Walked by this café after dinner and it was 8pm. We checked online and saw that they didn't close until 9pm so we decided to walk in as we had a whole hour. There were several occupied tables and one of the workers already had her broom out and was cleaning out the pillows / cushions.

We walked in and the girl who took our order gave us the stankiest look ever. She didn't greet us and just glared at us as we looked over the menu, weirdo.

We decided on a slice of carrot cake and a pumpkin cha with oat milk to share and we decided to eat it there. She was unfriendly the entire interaction.

We sat down and by now they were both behind the counter making drinks / cleaning and it was probably around 8:15pm. I looked at the door and they now had a line out the door, lol. There was a group of girls that decided to sit where it had been cleaned already and I could hear the 2 workers talking about them.

Both the pumpkin chai and carrot cake were delicious! The café itself is very cute and cozy. They had cute items for sale and some unique looking birthday cards. There is also a bathroom and a bar type seating area.

*My poor review reflects the service the employee gave us and not that of the food / drink we bought,...