Teaberry's Tea Room — Restaurant in Flemington

It's so rare that one gets the opportunity to go out for lunch, quote Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess, and not be out of place. My chum and I decided to come here for afternoon tea this weekend, partially inspired by Flemington's Restaurant Week, even though we didn't technically participate. (And as an aside, their bingo gimmick for Restaurant Week is a fantastic idea and goes right to the heart of what these events should be about - promoting as many establishments as possible and encouraging people to go to as many of said establishments as possible. Genius.)

One aspect of this experience that could be immediately improved upon is the reservation setup. It wasn't a huge deal for me, but in 2022 there is just no legitimate reason why a reservation-only business doesn't have some type of OpenTable app on their website. I called about a week in advance, had to leave a voicemail with the pertinent reservation information, and then wait for a callback shortly thereafter. It's just not an efficient process on either end, and I guarantee some potential customers (of the younger generation) are just going to look elsewhere for a lower-maintenance option.

The actual teahouse is very cute. I think the historic Main Street area of Flemington is really underrated and so easy to bypass if you're just traveling through on one of the nearby county highways. I've been to a handful of teahouses before, and this was pretty par for the course. It felt a little claustrophobic versus cozy (it was pretty crowded when we came around noon, so that was a factor as well), and I wouldn't have jammed quite as many pieces of furniture into the rooms, but it IS really neat.

I went with the Lady Astor's Cream Tea ($24), opting for the strawberry almond scones, which came with clotted cream, marmalade and a fruit preserve. Very scrumptious, and if you're concerned about still being hungry, this is the option to go with - scone calories go a long way. I think marmalade in general is a little too overwhelming on the palate, so I concentrated on the fruit preserve, which pared well with the pastry. The tea selection was insane, and I eventually went with the rose oolong tea. Light/airy and also went perfectly with the food. I'm definitely team coffee and don't know a lot about tea, but this was solid and unexpectedly left me buzzing with a caffeine for a few hours. My chum got the Castle Collection (also $24), and was a little underwhelmed. She was still hungry from that and it seemed like some of the sandwiches were hit and miss for her. But the tea was warmly received, and she declared the decorations "much." All in all, a positive experience.

The service was magnificent on all fronts, and given that you're at least partially paying for the experience itself, I think this is pretty affordable. It's not a place I'd go to on a regular basis, but it's a high class change of pace if you feel like replicating scenes from a Jane...

We called in advance to make a reservation for 5. We expressed we had a child in the party that has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy and they said that it was fine and they had options. We drove an hour to teaberry for lunch the day of our reservation. The owners daughter greeted and sat us at our table. Our server came over to greet us and we made sure she was aware of the allergy, she said okay that’s fine, I asked to make sure nothing was cross contaminated as well. She seemed very uncertain with her response and pointed out they have a very small space in the kitchen and everything is kind of everywhere. That was the first red flag. Then as I’m looking on the menu to see the options I asked about the tuna sandwich, my daughter wanted it on a croissant and the server told me the croissants were made in a separate factory and not sure what was around them. I asked her I she could see about checking the label and that if there was cross contamination it would say in bold on the bottom of the ingredients. She came back and said there was no label. Second red flag Then I asked what the options were for bread. At this point she seemed to be getting annoyed with me. She went back to the kitchen and said all the bread was at risk of cross contamination because of the factories they were packaged in. (There is no room for a mistake when it comes to my daughter’s allergy). Third red flag. So there are no options. She was completely unsure that they could keep what they’ve made separate and as we were talking about what else we could do the owners daughter rudely stepped in cutting off our conversation. She was very defensive and raising her voice at me shaking her hands in my face saying they’ve never had an issue in 15 yrs. and that the staff in the kitchen would know how to handle. At this point with the servers uncertainty and her attitude I was over it and not willing to risk my daughters life over tea. Note to the owners daughter. Learn how to properly speak with customers or run your parents tea house into the ground. Or maybe have more options that are allergy friendly or say you don’t when people call. It’s 2021 and there are a lot of kids with sever allergies. This isn’t something that give her a stomach ache. It can literally kill her. And the nonchalant responses that everything might be okay is not...

I am very disappointed to say that my Mom and I will never be patrons at Teaberry's again, no matter their location. At the end of June, my Mom booked my Bridal Shower for August 26th. This past Friday, she visited Teaberry's with my fiancé's two Aunts to eat lunch and plan the shower. I was so excited to have my shower at Teaberry's! Yesterday, we found out on FB about the restaurant's plans to move, as well as the many yard sales taking place - including the yard sale on the day of and during my booked Bridal Shower. As both my Mom and I were very surprised to learn this news, my Mom called Sara to ask about parking (the announcement stated it would be at the carriage house and patio) as well as decor and menu inside the house (the announcement also stated that the last day of service would be only two days after the shower.) My Mom was very nice on the phone (I was standing right next to her), however Sara was not. Sara told my Mom that she was "over-reacting" and that guests could "park in the municipal lot." This is quite problematic as we have a grandmother with mobility issues. Furthermore, when my Mom simply stated that she wished Sara had told her about the planned move so we could plan accordingly, Sara rudely told her, "I don't have to tell you anything!" Sara's responses and tone were completely unprofessional and downright nasty. After being spoken to like that, my Mom then informed Sara that we would be canceling the Bridal Shower. Although the invitations have been sent, and the decor ordered, I would not step foot inside Teaberry's now if someone paid me. Sara had no right to speak to my Mom in the way she did, and frankly, owes my Mom an apology. Thankfully, we have found another place with a very nice coordinator who will add to the happiness of this event, not take away from it. Sara - you have my Mom's number and I hope you use it to simply apologize for talking that way to my Mom. I have met your Mom several times, and I think you would feel the same way if someone treated her like you treated my Mom yesterday. We have been patrons of Teaberry's for 10 years but will no longer support...