Tea & Poets — Restaurant in South Miami

attended the open mic tonight and it was, honestly, the worst i’ve ever been to. when i went over to the hostess to try and sign up, she was on a phone call — on SPEAKER — talking to someone about very clearly non work related business. mind you, this was during someone’s set — specifically, the other hostess’s set. i stood there for a minute or two without being acknowledged before giving up and just returning later.

both hostesses’ sets were just karaoke of modern pop songs. karaoke is weird to do at an open mic and imo kills the vibe. then there was a guy who went up for a comedy set and the hostesses just started talking to him in the middle of it while he was still on stage. not like improv riffing, they just started a not funny conversation about something he said. it was very weird.

when it was time for my set, it turned out they didn’t have a second mic stand set up so i had to really awkwardly hold my guitar. one of the guys working there was nice enough to hold up a mic to it while they figured out they did in fact have another mic stand and went and set it up. the hostess nicely offered that i perform a second song, so i did; she and her friends proceeded to talk loudly throughout the entire thing.

i hate to leave a negative review, especially because T&P used to be dear to my heart — i was one of the first regulars when it first opened, and this was the first open mic i ever frequented. but it has really fallen from grace. they are capable of better. as it stands, i do not recommend attending the open...

Tea & Poets is a great, casual, local hangout spot for various age groups; a lot of teenagers and college students hang out there after school or to study, and there are usually families coming and going as well as individuals just reading there. Its close to a Barnes & Noble and they do have books and games available for anyone. There are also a few outlets for people studying, and a large table with a big charger for studying and working. There are food options that they get from elsewhere, but I've also seen people bring in their own snacks. Their selection of teas and tea mocktails is fairly far ranging which gives you lots of chances to try out different options. There's also a secret menu 😝 but that's a little harder to get hold of.

There are open mic nights on wednesdays and the big chalkboard calender in the front entrance of the store lists days they have live performances, trivia nights, and other events; their instagram is also worth checking to get a feel for the events...

Every time I walked in, I was greeted very warmly by one of the employees. They all made me feel very welcome as a customer, as they were always very open to my questions about their products; and even once when I did not plan to buy anything, they invited me to sit down and enjoy the very comfortable atmosphere of the store. They provided a highly desired escape from the Miami heat (pun absolutely intended-love the team though)!

Tea and Poets also sells a very diverse inventory of coffee and tea, and they offer an even more diverse array of merchandise. This diversity beautifully reflects the cultural diversity of Miami, and it offers an experience that goes beyond tea. I truly enjoyed everything I bought from them!

Great tea, great food, great atmosphere, impressive diversity, and impeccable customer service. Checking them out is a must!

Great...