Hillbilly Tea Shack

We ate here last year. I can honestly say that I was not impressed. It had a good atmosphere, but that was about it. I can understand why it is closed.

Overpriced, barely seasoned, improperly cooked brisket, and to top it improperly sliced. Cold catfish in broken butter sauce… For the price it was not worth it. Get your kitchen game right before you over decorate to compensate for the lack of quality food execution.

Nice staff — and I’m still thinking about the tasty food. The tea is a special concoction of delicious and it’s fun to try new things here! Definitely recommend.

I was a huge Hillbilly Tea fan until a few months ago, when the downtown location starting majorly slacking on its vegan options and portion sizes. I was once able to have a nice selection of vegan options, but recently there was barely one choice and absolutely no vegan desserts. Unfortunately, the downtown location closed, so I tried this Baxter Avenue location, and I was once again disappointed. With a smaller menu, I expected the vegan options to be limited. When I asked the staff about what was suitable for vegans and what ingredients were used in a particular dish, they simply did not know. One employee said to me, «well what’s in the billy bowl?» I couldn’t believe that the servers had no clue about the ingredients of their menu items. Clearly, Hillbilly Tea has fallen from it’s once high standards and now has poorly trained staff and far fewer options for those who are vegan or gluten free. My food was decent, but not nearly as good as food that I’d had from HBT before. So so so disappointed.

I came here while on a business trip this has been the BEST restaurant we have ever been to and we travel the world for work. Everything we had was delicious and what we got for the money is insane. This place is so good that when we got back to work the notoriously cranky member of our party was raving about it to our coworkers. I have never heard him say a positive thing about anything. The atmosphere is awesome too.

Perhaps I would give more stars if they had an actual kitchen inside, however, they do not, so any food you eat is prepared at their downtown location and refrigerated until you order it. I don’t know about you, but I dislike paying top prices for microwaved leftovers. Now, if you want to sip tea in a quaint little area, they have you covered. Don’t expect any variety of green tea though, it’s plain Jane only.

Got to seat in the back room, I could hear the microwave going on, then came what I call the saddest chicken wings I’ve seen into life, even the tea was a blend of water and more water … The server was very friendly. Just that

So I really wanted to like this place but my experience was not ok. I called ahead and was told it would take 10 minuets, I showed up and my food wasn’t ready which is ok, no big deal, until I waited 30 minuets inside. I did enjoy the inside of the shop it’s very cozy.
When I finally got my food I was handed the bag and gave the guy my card, when he told me their system was down and they do not take card. If the system is down let people know before they wait over 30 minuets for food.
I will be back because I really wanted to like this place, I just wish the service was better. And that they had the food listed on the menu I asked for two different items before they told me what they had available that day (biscuits and mushrooms).
I want to give this place more stars but today my service was worth two even if I didn’t leave with any food.

I am a HUGE fan of Hillbilly Tea so I can’t believe how long it has taken me to visit the Hillbilly Tea Shack. I love it’s quaint environment. When I first walked in the Shack seemed to be solely a tea shop with a few deserts. There turns out to be a large table in the back room. This would make a great nook for a meeting/​study group with hungry and thirsty people. They also have a few seats in the main room, bar style. The employees were great and helpful. While the menu is small it covers all the necessities plus they serve breakfast ALL day! I got the chicken & pone (chicken, BBQ, corn bread and relish) and the roasted sweet potato as a side. The pone was the perfect mix of sweet and savory with a tang. They have a large tea/​drink selection to choose from but I wish they had the tea sodas. I got jasmine green tea because it was cold outside but also had a few sips of the sweet iced tea which was delicious (it was the «very sweet» level and not the «rot your teeth» level). For desert I got a raspberry scone and had a few bites of the maca green tea cookie. The cookie had an odd texture but it grew on me and I loved the flavor. This is a great addition to the area. You can drop by for a drink, snack or a full meal and feel totally at home.

Nothing not to like here… A nice selection of teas expertly prepared by enthusiastic, friendly staff, and some tasty-​looking food options I’ve yet to try. Probably a little too cramped and crowed to stay awhile and get work done, but a good meetup spot for a quick tea and bite to eat.

This place is in a great location in the Highlands. The inside is cozy, but the seating is a bit uncomfortable if you’re looking to read a good book or work on your laptop. The menu is much smaller, and they were out of several items on the menu I was considering ordering.
The employees are solid and friendly at this place. I think this makes it a much more enjoyable experience.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked by this place and didn’t realize what was inside. I was pleasantly surprised to find a cozy hillbilly chic tea shack in the midst of the bar scene on baxter.
If you’ve been to the other Hillbilly tea location, this is a miniature version. Same great tea selection and a little different and smaller menu.
You can either order from the outside window or come inside. Very limited seating indoors though, but good setting to just lounge around and enjoy a quiet afternoon.
I had the pork pone and sweet potatoes. Pork was very tender with a flavorful bbq sauce served on cornbread.

Southern comfort food at its best! Stopped in before catching a flight back home. To-​go service was extremely fast. Was SO happy about the number of vegetarian/​vegan items offered. The squash soup, roasted sweet potatoes, succotash, and moonshine tofu were ALL excellent! Will definitely be back during my next trip to Louisville.

My fiancé and I stopped here for breakfast today and I’m so glad we did. The service was excellent, the food was great (I definitely recommend the Egg Pie) and they have a very tasty and interesting tea selection. The only downside is that the interior space is a little limited. However, the nice cozy feel that it lends to the restaurant and the fact that they have a takeout window more than make up for it.

A great way to get your hillbilly tea fix if you can’t make it downtown! The staff is very friendly and the food is just as delicious as at the restaurant.

This place is adorable. It mixes the lovable southern comfort of Kentucky with class. Its different from the one downtown, I prefer this one for some tea and dessert rather than meals. If you have a group go into the back room. Its a secluded little cubby that gives you privacy and is perfect to catch up with friends. Over all there isn’t a lot of seating so it may get crowded fast.

This is a terrific addition to the Highlands! The staff is extremely attentive to the customers and are there to answer any questions about tea to those who are not as well versed. The food is delicious as well as reasonably priced! Get the minty green and pork & pone!

Start: big mint chocolate chip cookie sandwich with mint crème filling (big enough for two to split.)
Meal: smoked catfish covered in chow-​chow sitting atop some corn pone.
Finish: washed everything down with a Gung-​Fu tea ceremony.
I was salaciously satisfied with the sweet and savory sensations so superbly served at Hillbilly Tea Shack.
I hope every time I come back gives me some semblance of comfort and indulgence as this visit.

A couple of friends and I came here friday night because we love Hillbily tea. We were afraid it was going to be packed but actually most people were using the walk up window so we sat in the cozy back room and had it all to ourselves. They food is great! They also serve breakfast all day, which in my books is a HUGE plus :)
We had the Benedictine (Actually my friends had it, I can’t eat dairy and I wasn’t really sure if there was any in ther so I stayed away!) They loved it. We also had smoked catfish with the pone. Very good, smoky taste. Just the way smoked catfish should be. And also we had the ham hash alongside of the sweet potatoes. Everything was delicious and tastes so fresh and homemade, just like the one downtown, but so much less expensive. 5 stars for food, 5 stars for price. Even the guys there serving were friendly, helpful and attentive.

It’s hard for me to contain my excitement about what the Hillbilly Tea Shack is bringing to this stretch of Baxter Avenue.
A walk-​up food window. Food that is fast in speed, artisan in nature. 24-​HOUR SERVICE ON THE WEEKENDS!
The Hillbilly Tea Shack is combining the excitement found in our awesome local culinary scene with the need for a quick, sidewalk-​side food option in one of the most bar-​heavy areas of the Highlands.
I hope the 4 a.m. bar crawlers appreciate this gem, but even if not, I foresee this spot being über popular during the other hours of the day — including the mornings — because IT ALSO SERVES BRUNCH!
Ch-​yeah! It’s that good!
Some other highlights include the fact that it has the cutest sitting area on the inside. Think of the picturesque, original Hillbilly Tea downtown but about one-​fourth the size — like a dollhouse miniature right out of «Garden and Gun» magazine.
It has a bar area made of antique wood that you can pony up to to enjoy your awesome food, and speaking of – yeah, the food is delish.
I got the Pork and Pone — a generous portion of pulled pork atop cornbread. On a cool fall day like today, it hit the spot. Other items on the menu include smoked catfish, benedictine, bourbon bbq ribs, bourbon bread pudding and a slew of characteristically tongue-​in-​cheek items like Roadkill Stew, Moonshine Tofu and Big Earl’s Torte.
I can just imagine devouring some of their bourbon bread pudding after reveling at Flanagan’s or Outlook Inn.
And it wouldn’t be Hillbilly Tea without the … well … tea. And you can find the same favorites from the downtown store here, such as Morning Dew, Horny Goat, Smokey Mountain Chai and, my favorite, Red Bush, a sweet, fruity tea.
You can also buy pre-​batched tea in mason jars from coolers inside the shack.
Hillbilly Tea Shack is definitely tiny but mighty. Can’t wait to go back!