I booked a high tea for six girlfriends and we had a great time! This cute small business is right…read moreon the main business strip in Escondido and is well-regarded in the community. I thought the food was delicious. It started with some fresh fruit and then we had our choice of broccoli cheese or tomato basil soup. A few girls in our group got each and both were enjoyed very much. The pastry tower was really lovely. Standouts for me were the egg salad sandwich, shepherds pie and chocolate mousse. We tried a few of the teas, everyone loved the Buccaneer Black Tea and the Peaches & Roses. The women who owned the business were so nice and we had fun looking around the little shop afterward. We would definitely return to this business.

Having been to this lovely tea room numerous times over the years, both for afternoon tea and…read moredinner theater, I am heartbroken to say that I had a terribly disappointing experience. My friends who were visiting from Japan drove two hours to experience a proper English-style tea room at my invitation. I was carrying a gift bag, and a thoughtful employee placed it at our table while I browsed the wonderful gift shop and waited for my guests to arrive. As I headed towards the powder room, I noticed that my bag had been placed at the head of the one long table usually reserved for large parties. There were already some customers seated at the opposite end of the table, strangers to me. Noticing many small unoccupied tables throughout the room, I asked the staff if it would be possible to sit at a table for three. A woman whom I know to be the daughter of the owner replied rather abruptly, "No. They're all taken." No hint of courtesy and no effort to accommodate my request. Then she turned away, as they were busy setting up tables for the next seating. I said nothing, but I knew it would have been such a simple matter for her to make the adjustments in order to meet my needs. I worked as a hostess in a fine restaurant many years ago. Of course the tables would soon be filled for the next seating, but there were so many open ones at the moment of my request. The Grand Tea Room does not designate specific tables in advance, as far as I know, except for a large party or a special event. I returned to the front to wait for my guests, and Louisa (the proprietress of the Grand Tea Room and a perfectly lovely lady in every way) began to make pleasant small talk. I told her how happy I was to be there again, but mentioned that I was a bit disappointed with the seating arrangements this time. She immediately assured me that it was no trouble whatsoever to seat us at one of the small empty tables. My friends arrived, and we were chatting happily as we approached our gorgeous little table, when the owner's daughter suddenly rushed up to us, voice raised aggressively for all to hear. My guests, our server, and the patrons at the nearby tables were shocked when she angrily confronted me and exclaimed, "I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOU GOING OVER MY HEAD! I already told you no! I'm the owner's daughter, and you shouldn't have gone above my head! I told you NO!" For a moment I was in disbelief that she would speak to me so ungraciously in front of my guests and the entire room. And her strong reaction was strangely disproportionate to the minor circumstances at hand. I quietly told her that she was being discourteous and unprofessional. She repeated herself with even greater venom in her tone of voice, scolding me harshly, hissing again, "Don't go over my head!" Truly, this tirade was over the top. What an awkward way to begin a social occasion with friends. The tea presentation was perfect, as always. Our server was excellent. The menu was superlative, tea was delicious, food was divine, fine bone English china was exquisite, and the table was beautifully appointed with lacy accents and fresh roses. The owner, Louisa, is very earnest in her desire to offer an elevated experience. She is consistently delightful and welcoming. She has designed a charming environment. How unfortunate that this employee created a situation which prevented us from relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere completely. Naturally, I later told the owner what had transpired. Let me hasten to add that she generously volunteered to comp our bill as a goodwill gesture. Thank you, Louisa. I appreciate your kind efforts to compensate for such a horrid experience. You're doing an outstanding job with the management of your business. Unfortunately, the offensive employee's verbal attack threatened to ruin our afternoon before we had even taken our seats, and the incident caused me embarrassment while discomfiting my friends. It is ironic that my guests for tea that day are the independent owners of a string of high-end, upscale, full service restaurants located overseas in what is widely regarded as one of the most polite and respectful societies in the world. In fact, the young lady in my party had *just* graduated from university with a degree in culinary arts. Suffice to say we were utterly bemused by this employee's hostile behavior and inexplicably rude outburst. I do recommend that you support this business for its many attributes, but I caution you about this particular staff member whose manners are coarse and who appears to be having trouble discerning the fundamental tenets of customer service, while struggling to regulate her emotions in a public setting. For such a proper and genteel environment, she certainly acted in an unladylike fashion. Hopefully, she'll strive to improve her interpersonal skills as is befitting of an otherwise pleasant establishment. Five stars for the tea room; zero stars for the employee's atrocious behavior.

Honestly, the service was amazing. The owner Rushell is the hostess with the most is for sure. She…read moretruly outdid herself and made the high tee time so personalized and customized. This was for our friend who was getting married. She made her own invitation and made it a Bridgerton hi tea/ Japanese theme too since I gave her details of the bride-to-be. Definitely recommend doing baby showers or bridal shower at this location. The ambience was by far superb and the teas were fantastic. Cannot recommend this place enough!! we truly had an amazing time and will definitely be back. I drove down from Orange County and it was definitely worth the drive.

What an amazing experience. We came to celebrate our Mom's birthday with a tea party. The whole…read moreexperience was just perfect. Great scenery, great tea, and fantastic food. Every bit and sip was great. And the host is delightful. Definitely come here if you're thinking about it!

Just tried Teaspoon yesterday and the guava and pineapple drink was really good and not overly…read moresweet. I recommend shaking it lightly before putting in the bamboo straw. The cashier was really nice and gave us a sample of their teas and desserts. It was very clean inside and fairly busy when I stopped in during lunch hours on a Friday... We just downloaded the app to get the rewards and order ahead. Glad they opened near Jersey Mike's. The only thing is it's hard to find a place to park!

This used to be my favorite boba spot in Carlsbad. Unfortunately now, drinks are just subpar. It's…read morebecome more of a place my kids wants to come for the dopamine hits of the claw machine. It's actually super frustrating that drinks that "come with boba" you can't just sub it out for another topping. I literally had to fight with the cashier that I wanted grass jelly instead of boba with my Thai tea and she still wanted to charge me an extra $1 for the change. It's A SUBSTITUTION. I hope they get back to figuring out better drinks instead of robbing my kids with their claw machines!!!!

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Exceptional place for a special occasion high tea…read more I came here with three girlfriends for a birthday celebration around last Christmas and we had a blast! One of my friends who lives in the area had been here before and had suggested it for the outing. Located in an almost hidden little shopping center in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, it had gorgeous decor, especially all decked out for the holidays. We were seated at one of the outdoor patio tables, which was very pleasant on a beautiful warm day. We all had their special Christmas high tea, which came with a generous array of food that went above and beyond a normal tea service. There was a starter soup course (roasted winter vegetable soup, very delicious), then we got a massive tower with 5 different savory items, scones, and 6 different desserts. Needlessly to say, we were beyond stuffed by the end, even after opting to take most of the desserts to go. The tea selection was very nice as well--I just opted for the English Breakfast, in keeping with my preference for picking the most coffee-like tea. Our server did an amazing job, even though it seemed like she was the only one serving the entire packed place! My friends and I had a wonderful time, and I'd love to come back again.

We love this tea shop!! The outside garden is lovely. The interior is thoughtfully appointed. The…read morematching tea sets makes me feel well taken care of, along with the spot on amazing service. They have a menu that is just perfect. I have tea'd across the county, and this is where I relax the most, let my hair down the most and just enjoy time with my gals over tea and snacks. Parking is easy. Reservations are always easy. I have never feel rushed. I highly recommend this spot :)

I love ding tea. Everywhere I do I usually love it. This location only had one worker at the time…read moreand she did her best to get everyone's drink to them. My order was the biggest so it took her a little longer but it was so good. The ambiance was so cute a with a lot of greenery. I would come back again.

I was there around 6 pm and I waited for the girl to clean up the floor in the back area. There was…read moreno making me know she would be right with me, and then she got up and walked to the register for my order. She seemed like she really didn't want to be there. She took my order and then I kept thinking she would wash her hands since she was just wiping up the floor, but she didn't. As she took the cup from stack her hand touched the rim of my cup. I had ordered a Tai Tea no Boba. The rest of the time she didn't touch my the rim of my cup. But I did see how she was touching the milk carton and the handle of the Tea, and thought how the next person would touch it and it would be dirty. I have worked making Juices and know that is not acceptable and needed you to know that and anyone else will be on the lookout. My tea tasted good, this was my second time there.

My daughter and I were in the area visiting the flower fields and wanted a refreshing drink after…read morebeing in the sun and before heading home for an hour plus drive. Luckily after a little research, we found Tea Monks. The parking lot was packed on a Saturday afternoon so I thought we would be in for quite an adventure just to find parking. Fortunately we were able to find a spot fairly quickly. The line was out the door for Tea Monks which can only be a sign that there is deliciousness waiting for us through the front doors. The line moved quickly which was both a pro and a con. Since it was moving so fast, we would have to make a choice from all of the great options. I was torn between the cabana berry smoothie and the green apple slushie. Ultimately landed on the slushie and decided to add strawberry pearl. There are a few small stools to use while waiting but not much room other than that. Fortunately our drinks were up in a matter of minutes. The first sip was heavenly and hit the spot. I'm always skeptical ordering "green apple" because I'm scared that the apple flavor will fall flat but this one was perfect. I could taste the apple and the tartness was great. The strawberry pearl was a perfect addition. I'm so glad we decided to stop here before heading home.

It was just okay. We got three drinks. The watermelon frutaro, watermelon smoothie and the mango…read morestrawberry tea. The watermelon drinks were a little weak on watermelon flavor. The mango strawberry tea was the best out of the three. We did 50% sweetness which was perfect. No real seating inside, just some tables outside. Service was good and the drinks came out fairly quick. We probably stick to the tea drinks next time.

My favorite coffee shop I've been coming here since it…read morefirst opened as a coffee shop, and it's still my absolute favorite. The owners are such a kind, welcoming family they always make my husband and me feel right at home. I love their seasonal drinks, we always stop by to try the newest items, and they it's never s miss. Every coffee I've had has been amazing! My go-to food favorites are the torta Oaxaqueña and the ham & cheese panini, and their pastries are just as delicious. It's not just great drinks and food, you get a cozy, homey vibe, friendly faces, and beautiful plants all around. There's truly no place like Plantology

Hibiscus tea absolutely delicious Chocolate latte to die…read morefor Banana toast incredible These ladies really know what they're doing. It's on a busy street but once you're surrounded by the plants in the back you have no idea and you're just transported to a nice calm time Absolutely delicious and aesthetic and super nice people working here Will be back soooo good the hibiscus tea

Found out about this place a year ago. My first time went upstairs to see an awesome jazz band…read moreplay. The menu, the coffee and the staff are truly amazing! Six out of five stars.

Amazing Vibe and Good Coffee…read more Atmosphere: This place is beautiful! -Downstairs is where you come to do work, laptop and computer area or you can hang out -Upstairs is nicely decorated with a view of the state street where you can enjoy your beverages and socialize (they don't allow computers upstairs) -Events: they host live jazz music along with other events! Drinks -Latte -Matcha Both were good. They also serve alcoholic beverages! Service is friendly! Overall. It's two stories and has a GREAT interior design. The coffee is good too! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Uniqueness: Coffee and Winery? Wait Time:…read more [x][x][x][x][x] Drink Quality: [x][x][x][x][ ] Service: [x][x][x][x][ ] Setting: [x][x][x][x][ ] Cost: [x][x][x][x][ ] It was a quick early stop here in the morning and got my self a nice cappuccino here. Quality was great and since it was morning, we were literally the only ones stopping by and it was just a single worker, so it felt slightly dead. Never experienced a coffee shop that was part winery so that was a definite plus on uniqueness!

I thought the coffee here was good, but didn't find it particularly special. What's cool about this…read moreplace is it's a shared space with Witch Creek Winery. There's a stage for live performances on weekends that may be worth checking out. Throughout the space there are antiques and other knickknacks for sale. The service was friendly and quick. I enjoyed my coffee while roaming through all the antiques.

Great food and drinks, great friendly service, and cats!…read more One of the best coffee shops in town, their coffee is delicious and the avocado toast is one of the best I've had!

(Review of coffee shop only, I've never gone in the cat room.)…read more I hate what has become of my favorite cafe. I've come here multiple times a week since it opened because I can walk here from work. Not long ago many of the long time employees began disappearing and a new person seems to be in charge. I'm not sure if she bought the place or was put in charge but things immediately went downhill- -Some of the menu changed and drinks/ food quality dropped. My order often comes out wrong. - The place is now *filthy*. Tables are always dirty and the bathroom is nasty. As I was waiting for my order I leaned on a table and put my hand down on something sticky with several long black hairs stuck to it. I never eat in any more. - The new manager is incredibly abrasive and unprofessional. She always complaining loudly to her employees while they work and it's sometimes about customers. (She called a guy who called in an order "stupid.") She and her family members often take up multiple tables in the cafe even when it's busy. I know they have an office so why is she always taking up a table for four with her paperwork? I've seen people looking for a table and then leave because she and her family had spread across mulitiple tables (for only a couple of people.) - There's often only one (nice) young lady working behind the counter so things go *slow*. I don't know if they're understaffed because they're cutting corners, but I will say that turnover seems high lately. Gee, I wonder why? I will keep picking up my black coffee here but I will never stay or get something "fancy" ever again. Maybe visit the cats but don't expect a nice place to hang/work.