A Cause for Tea — Restaurant in Monroe

I liked the idea of the place. I like how it’s in a historic house with a beautifully updated interior and gardens. Some of the food was tasty, especially the tea. I had the hot ‘Apple of my chai’, gluten free tea sandwiches, and a gluten free bananas nut scone. The wait staff was very knowledgeable of the menu and of pleasant demeanor.

Why I’m leaving a one star review is because of what I had to go through to get to the food. My friend who coordinated this event for a group of 12 tried to make a reservation weeks in advance. She was informed that it wasn’t necessary, so we agreed to arrive at a certain time, with her getting there early, to reserve a space. She did get there at least 30 minutes early (if not earlier) and was informed when the rest of our party arrived we would be seated. Everyone was there at the agreed time, the hostess was informed, and we waited. And waited. Waited some more. Usually, I would have left at this point. Since there were some elderly ones in our group who were really looking forward to this afternoon tea experience, I remained patient. They started to lose me when after over 30 minutes we were still sitting outside in the brisk weather waiting for a table they said would be ready in just a few. Finally we were told a table for four was ready, so we had the elderly go in first, and a table for 8 would be available shortly. We proceed to be let in almost another half hour later and didn’t get the table we were promised. Instead, it went to another party of eight who arrived well after we did. The hostess, Cindy, did not greet us, acknowledge us as we waited outside, or apologize and communicate the problem that led to our wait in the first place. To add insult to injury, the gluten free bread for my sandwich was cold, the center having ice crystals, and severely under seasoned, if seasoned at all. The gluten free scone, although having great flavor, was just as dry.

If they are unable to host a party of 8+ or multiple large parties on a busy Saturday afternoon in that space, I wish that had been communicated. I wish some type of acknowledgment, compensation, or apology (especially to the elderly in our group) had happened. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND...

Very disappointed. This is a far cry from a traditional afternoon tea experience.

From the onset, we were confused about the ordering process as we expected to be seated & to have a server come to take our order in the usual order. However, we were ushered down a narrow hallway to a delicatessen-styled room where we were handed menus & instructed to place our orders with the clerk. After doing so, and paying, we were handed a table number card and instructed to wander about and find an available table. We were starting to feel as though we were in an overly decorated-Starbucks and not tea establishment at all. Once we found an available table, it took some time for our food to arrive. Our scones & pots arrived first and we asked our waiter for the steeping time & a saucer to remove & dispose the tea bags. He looked at us completely confused but did wander off to find a saucer, but was baffled over our initial question. Next we received the sandwiches which were an overall disappointment. They were nothing special and very bland. The scones were massive but were hard, dry, and crunchy! Crunchy scones! They did come with an assortment of condiments: Whipped cream, lemon curd, whipped butter, and jam, but only a teaspoon of each was offered for such a massive scone, and there certainly was not enough platted for two people to share. By the way, real Clotted Cream, or Devonshire cream is not available, instead, we were provided with a thin, watery whipped cream that quickly melted into a puddle Lastly, we sampled the pea salad, which again was terrible. This reminded me of the seven layer salad that my mother used to make long ago at family gatherings. On a positive note, I will say that the establishment is beautifully decorated, and I adored the theme of English meets Orient. The decor, wallpaper, and furnishings were artfully chosen and displayed; Its obvious a lot of attention and money went into the decor. I only wish they had just put as much effort into the food...

A group of 11 of us were dressed in tea party wear excited and ready to enjoy a lovely afternoon at this establishment. We were aware that they don't take reservations here, so our friend who planned this arrived almost an hour before 2 pm when we all arrived to secure a table.

When we all were present, our friend was told it would be about 20 minutes. 40 minutes passed. We had invited a few friends who were elderly and they were waiting outside in cold weather. Unfortunately, the hostess Cindy, gave our table away to an equally large party that arrived WAY after us. When we asked why this happened, there was no apology or accountability. Instead, Cindy shifted blame saying she thought there were more of us when clearly it was stated we were a party of 11 and it was written down in her little pad.

This felt personal as our party was diverse and the women she gave our table to were not. The optics of that situation disturbed us deeply. This was planned to show our elderly friends love and make them feel special. This day took planning and we drove a long way to be there.

Cindy sat 4 from our party and then said the rest of us would be sat 20 minutes later. It took another 37 minutes to even be acknowledged again and another 15 minutes to be seated only to end up being separated in 3 groups.

Some may wonder why we didn't leave after being treated this way. Well only a few of us saw the bias take place. Our elderly loved ones were shielded from the details of why we were separated into 3 separate tables. We planned a day for them. We were all dressed up and even had "tea themed gift bags"

What should've been a joyful occasion left many of us feeling hurt and singled out. Hospitality is not just about food, but about making guests feel welcomed. That was not our experience. I sincerely hope "A Cause for Tea" reflects on this, especially when hosting diverse groups, and ensures all guests are treated fairly and...