Tea Garden, Minneapolis, Minnesota Restaurant Details

Food:

The Store has a different vibe, and a more clean cut feel than the Original "Tea Garden" that was here, but it definitely lost its "local charm" and the quality seems to have dropped in the 2 times I have been since the change. I don't know if the new ownership decided to cut down on the flavoring put into the shakes/smoothies, but both myself and my guests were extremely disappointed with how watery they tasted. I know that personally, I will be looking for somewhere else to spend my money because this is not worth the cost.

Food:

The selection of tea is varied and the quality of the end product is great, but I have to say the service is pretty poor. I have been here 3 times in the past 2 weeks and ordered the same drink which they made wrong every time. I have been there twice with others who ordered a drink made with already brewed tea and everything turned out fine. Their system doesn't seem to adapt well to specifications (tea ordered from their menu, iced, with pearls). As much as I love their bubble tea and the convenience of their location, I'd rather make the journey to ChaiTime or Tea Source to avoid the disappointment.

Food:

Very knowledgeable, helpful and kind staff. Wonderful atmosphere and delicious tea!

Food:

Very nice atmosphere and selections. Items not on the menu may be overpriced. Baristas are not very knowledgable, but I am not super picky about that.

Food:

I came here originally in May of 2011 simply to redeem a Groupon... and I have been coming back religiously since. Every time I'm remotely in the Uptown area, I tell folks I'm with that, "OMG Tea Garden is like right across the street!" My friends usually have to sit me down, put a hand on my shoulder, and break the news, that Tea Garden is actually, like, 15 blocks away and 15 mins to get to in traffic. To which I respond, "Yes, that's so close!" when in reality my condo is closer to get to. But, I go anyway. Now that I live in San Francisco, it's a bit further... but anytime I am in Minneapolis... it's close enough.

There's something nostalgic about the place (for us bubble tea loving Asians), and really, the drinks are just simply delicious.

The staff is always helpful - full of knowledge and recommendations (Do the Taro go better with the black tea or green tea? Would you get the almond coconut in a chai or shake)?

The Tea Garden of course serves straight up tea, but that's not what I get. However, they do have canisters of a variety of teas, including one called Ambrosia that is scented with apple, chocolate vanilla mango, and rooibos. If you have time, go and sniff through all the tea leaves - each are distinct and rich.

Here's a list of some of the combination drinks I've tried and my rankings.

Hot Drinks:

Chai tea with almond and tapioca pearls - 5/5. Delicious, warm, sweet.
Lavender vanilla latte with tapioca - 5/5
Green tea with honey and lemon - 2/5. Very tart.
Coconut and coffee black tea - 3/5. Coconut was great but the coffee flavor was so-so.
Red Bean green tea 4/5. Creamy and smooth; not too sweet.
Vanilla black tea latte - 3/5
Almond Taro Tea Latte - 4/5

Cold Drinks:

Iced green tea with guava shot and lychee jellies - 4/5. Clean, simply, sweet.
Cherry green apple shake - 2/5. Too cold, and ice watered flavor.
Kiwi peach yogurt shake with strawberry jelly - 3/5.
Banana almond shake with tapioca - 3/5
Green apple yogurt with grape jelly - 3/5.
Coconut shake with pineapple jelly - 5/5