J Tea (Tega Cay) — Restaurant in Tega Cay

Man oh man!!

J Tea’s is great. It’s quite easy to see from the street and has two entrances so if you miss the first one (like I did) don’t panic.

The have a few places inside to sit and eat which includes a live edge wooden slab against the window to look out. I really dig the repurposed pallets as tables. They were sanded smooth and sealed so no chance of splinters.

The Manager, Eddie, was extremely friendly and didn’t mind small talk as I waited for my food.

Desserts!!! Macaroons and cheese cakes!! New York or Green Tea cheesecakes!

I got the J Special, I believe it was called for my sandwich. This banh mi is what most people expect when ordering. Everything was proportioned perfectly. There wasn’t too much pickled radish and carrots, the jalapeños were just enough and the baguette!! Holy hell the baguette!! Soft and warm inside and crunchy on the outside like a French baguette should be.

I’ve never had Vietnamese coffee (espresso and condensed milk) with tapioca balls in it so that did throw me off a bit but it wasn’t bad. I guess I’ll find out how strong it is in about 15 minutes.

All and all, this place is great. I’m super excited to have them in Fort Mill. It will save me about 40 minutes of driving to Charlotte when I want one.

Just as a side note: the card machine to pay does NOT have a place to add a tip. I mentioned it to Eddie but he reassured me that they do cash tips because all 100% of the tips go to the employees. I imagine with all the cars sales and lack of cash sales that it would get difficult to tip out consistently when your cash flow in is less than what you need to tip out. So bring a couple bucks to throw in the jar for...

In my off route back to Columbia I literally stumbled upon J Tea. I passed it twice before I really noticed it. Thank God for bringing me back to it! This small, modern and clean facility hides enormous punches! Hospitality was on par from the beginning because of the helpful staff. Next the passion fruit tea was just right sweet to herbal notes. Then that pork sandwich... Wow! The bread was warm, with a crispy outside and soft interior. The pork chunks were flavorful and moist. Then the fresh toppings gave me euphoria! I was in search of something good, fresh, not greasy or that would weigh me down and this slightly sweet, slightly spicy was just what I needed! Mad I didn't order another one! Will be back when I'm in...

I love J Tea! It was one of the first boba tea places that opened up near us a few years ago and we were thrilled to know that they also served Banh mi (a staple Vietnamese sandwich made with French baguettes, filled with an array of different types of meats, pickled carrots and daikon radish, cilantro, jalapeños, cucumbers with a pate spread on one bread and a buttery aioli on the other). Our favorite is the classic J Special. It is delicious! We also enjoy ordering their orange slushy for the kids, for the adults iced cafe sua de (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk) and I enjoy the lychee black tea with grass jelly. The owner is always so nice. We come back time and time again and are never disappointed....