Anyone with a hankering for a steamy cup of tea should probably already be here. With 135 different flavors of tea and a brief but befitting dining menu equipped with lunch, brunch and breakfast specialties (including Chai pancakes: Chai tea blended with buttermilk pancakes, what's not to like?), Suzi's Tea & Cafe is a one-stop shop for everything tea-related.
The simple decorations hanging on the white-trimmed pistachio walls give the interior of this Lakeview cafe a vibe of rural friendliness. When your choice of tea comes out in an oversized white mug complete with its own timer counting down the seconds as your tea steeps, the only things missing are a wood-burning stove and a fresh-baked pie on the windowsill—and one look at the menu shows the pie isn't far away.
The food is cooked to order, so prepare for a short wait, but the time can easily be spent looking over the extensive tea menu. With sweet flavors ranging from root beer to chocolate-covered strawberry to the holiday-themed cherry candy cane and organic teas including Duke of Earl Grey, jade oolong and green plum, the hardest part is deciding which flavor to try. But don't worry, any flavor that fails to make it to your cup today can be purchased from the vast selection of tea packages lining the walls.
Centerstage Reviewer: Zach Freeman