The Watts Tea Shop

My family and I visited the Watts Tea Shop to celebrate the conclusion of my Grandmother’s chemo treatment. Unfortunately this turned into what I can only describe as THE WORST service I have ever received at any Milwaukee locale!
We made a reservation for a party of 10, to which they called us to confirm the day before. As we were greeting each other, our waitress rudely interrupted us and physically shoved her way past me in the process.
After we were seated nobody revisited us to take our orders for a good 30 minutes. We were seated directly in front of the server station, which later resulted in ice water being poured down the back of my sister, not once, not twice, but three times. Third time is a charm; we then moved the table out a foot. From there, it actually got worse: our waitress was unbelievably loud, both verbally and as she was delivering our orders, frequently dropping plates on the table (it actually startled my father on at least one occasion), while clearing tables there was little recognition that patrons were even present, as dirty dishes and such were literally dumped into bus tubs. The amount of noise at the server station directly behind us further inhibited our conversation. A quaint tea room should have better etiquette and disposition from their servers.
In summation, what should have been a cup of tea (waa waaah bad pun I know), our lunch turned into one of the most unpleasant experiences I have ever had at a restaurant here in Milwaukee. My grandmother was completely embarrassed for making the suggestion. Even though she had visited Watts several times beforehand, it will be a long while before she returns.
One positive note: the food was actually decent (try the english muffins and Sunshine Cake but take it to go), but given the atrocious service, I would strongly recommend diners go anywhere else. Sad to see such a historical icon of Milwaukee not meet previous expectations.

Stayed at the Pfister and walked half a block to Watts for breakfast. Our party was the only one there on a Friday morning. Breakfast portions are huge. Don’t let the Tea Shop monicker make you think finger sandwiches and petit fours. Biggest English muffins I ever saw. Sort of like a combination of English muffin and biscuit. Delish! I shared the quiche meal with my daughter so we had room for cake. Another reviewer says you won’t find men there but my son and husband are fans. My son was the one who went there the first day so the rest of the family went there the next day then just a bunch of guys went there on the third day when the women had other things to do. My husband loved the crab cake eggs Benedict and almond tea and this is a guy’s guy. It definitely is not cheap. Six of us spent $ 100 with tip for breakfast.

Nice atmosphere and nice view from the second floor, but I thought the food was just mediocre for the price and the hype on Unilocal.Decent, but nothing special. If I remember correctly, my side of toast was the tastiest thing I had. That’s unfortunate. My mom loved it, I think mainly because of the atmosphere.

5 Stars for a hidden gem that somehow captures the exact feeling you had when playing tea with your dolls. Whimsical. Proper. Feminine. Nostalgic.
I found Watts on Unilocal and set off with some friends to find this little tea and breakfast spot. When we arrived I was immediately devastated. Had Unilocal betrayed me? Nay– they just have two signs posting hours and one says they open at 11 (which isn’t the case). Luckily my friend spotted the other sign and called me back from my gloomy walk back to the hotel.
Once inside the gifts and novelty store you walk to a tiny elevator in the back. Did I feel odd walking right through on the mere hope that I was heading in the right direction? Perhaps. But this just added to the feeling that we had discovered a true hidden oasis.
We sat down in a wonderfully proper dining room on the second floor overlooking the street. It honestly brought me back to where I’d always imagined I was dining during my tea time play dates with my dolls. It really was quite sweet!
To start I ordered the Almond cookie tea. It came still steeping in a tea pot– there was more than enough for me to give my compadres a taste and still refill my cup several times. I was annoyed with myself for adding sugar before tasting the tea because I suspect it would have been sweet enough left alone. I enjoyed it and got thumbs up all around the table as everyone took a sip.
I shared an order of Eggs Benedict (with crab) and an order of Buttermilk blueberry pancakes (because adults in groups need not choose just one dish). The eggs Benedict was something to behold. They make their own English muffins and nothing I read on Unilocal could prepare me for the taste of them covered in creamy hollandaise sauce. I couldn’t finish my half (see: my other order of pancakes) but didn’t leave a single spec of crab on that dish.
The pancakes were also surprising. They popped with dark purple blueberries that were at their peak tartness. Definitely worth ordering if you like blueberry pancakes– it may be the best I’ve ever had.
The one thing that was a bit odd (other than the hours being posted differently in two spots at the front) is that the check came all together and we had a bit of a hard time splitting it. In hindsight we could have let the server know we were in pairs ahead of time but it might be worth asking when serving a group of 5 or more.
I highly recommend making your way up the mysterious elevator for a spot of tea and a great breakfast!

I cannot say enough good things about my recent two visits to Watts. It had been about 5 years since I last dined at Watts. Decided to give it a try with my teen daughter yesterday for a Friday lunch as she was off from school. Wanted to go somewhere we hadn’t been in awhile. Everything we had was absolutely delicious and the service was excellent. I had a hard time deciding what to order as there were several specials in addition to several regular menu items that sounded really good.
The Ginger Carrot soup was silky smooth and flavored perfectly. I could have eaten a huge bowl of it. My teen daughter is picky about food and sometimes leaves restaurants hungry after not eating much of what she ordered. Not the case here. She ordered a turkey club sandwich which was huge and piled high with moist turkey. I decided on the turkey ranch avocado sandwich which was also huge and full of flavor. Mine was served with root vegetable chips which were very good. She had the trio of cream puffs for dessert and I had the Sunshine cake. We enjoyed both and had leftovers that we happily enjoyed later.
The rest of the day we kept discussing how enjoyable our experience was. We enjoyed it so much that my daughter asked if we could go back for breakfast this morning — after just having been there for lunch yesterday! She had seen the breakfast menu and wanted to give it a try. Today is my birthday and she wanted to treat me to breakfast for my birthday.
So we went to Watts today — 2 days in a row. Keep in mind we live locally and could have gone to many other places.
Breakfast did not disappoint. I had the quiche of the day which came with an English muffin and fruit. The English muffin was remarkable and the quiche was really good. My daughter had eggs, bacon and an English muffin. She kept commenting how good it was. We actually had the same server as yesterday and she provided great service.
I agree with reviewers that this restaurant is not for everyone. It is not for someone looking for a fast food or pub menu food or prices. My daughter and I have traveled extensively and have enjoyed many dining experiences. I am so happy to have rediscovered Watts and that I am fortunate to live close by to enjoy it more frequently. I am looking forward to taking my mom there in the near future.

The Watts Tea Shop is the very best place for lunch that you can find in the city of Milwaukee. The James Beard Award and New York Times accolades are very deserved — the food is delicious and the atmosphere is great. Try their famous English muffins with tea — fantastic.

Food gets 4 star. Ambience gets a 3. This «tea» shop actually serves very good breakfast. (I have not tried lunch). The restaurant is housed inside an art gallery and upscale bridal/​home furnishings. The decoration is drab. Quality of tea is ok at best and is served with chunky porcelains. I expect better quality tea, bone china and home made preserves. My server (poor chap) is friendly and attentive but doesn’t know what black tea is (gasp). Hostess is grumpy. This place definitely has potential but needs to be a little more cheerful and pay more attention to details. This mediocre tea shop and lack of sophistication makes me wonder if the $ 60,000 Renoir and Picasso downstairs is real.

We just had lunch at Watts again and oh, I had the best meal. This was new for them we were told. Pecan crusted chicken with mashed potato and sautéed brussel sprouts with a, I think, a cranberryish sauce. I was practically swooning, it was so delicious. It was simple and each element was uncomplicated. So satisfying. Before the meal I had their crab and corn chowder and it was thick and delicious with no off tastes, buttery and sweet. Of course, finished with Sunshine cake! I always remember my Mom and the very satisfying meals she made when I was a kid when I eat here. This is the highest compliment in my opinion. The restaurant is on the second floor and has pure white crisp cotton table cloths and big windows spreading lots of light.
There was a wedding shower on one end, young girls meeting for lunch, couples, lone diners, everyone is welcome here. You will love it.

Watts Tea Shop is certainly a Milwaukee institution — it (and most of its patrons) has been around a long, long, long time. Here’s what you can expect if you go:
*Somewhat updated dining room. They’ve changed the curtains and freshened up the paint but it’s still pretty formal & quiet.
*Most of the patrons are over 70. Thus, the menu offerings tend to be on the «soft n’ bland» side. Think chicken pot pie, chicken salad, soup, etc.
*There is tea (duh) — quite an extensive menu of hot offerings as well as a few iced choices. Today’s iced was a berry citrus that was delightful.
*Pretty good food in terms of flavor and presentation. They’ve worked hard to add some updated items to the menu (turkey burger) while keeping the traditional stuff.
*Sunshine cake. It’s mentioned in pretty much every review here for good reason — I’m not a huge «cake» person and I actually like this because it’s light and not too sweet.
*Afternoon tea — one of the few (only?) places in Milwaukee that does this.
Here’s what you will not get:
*Tables of only men
*Chicken wings
*Untz-​untz-​untz music. I don’t think there’s any music at all, so it’s pretty much «library quiet» in there.
Watts is good for:
*Someplace to take your mom on her birthday
*People wanting to live out their Betty Draper fantasies
*North Shore Nancies
*Genteel tea sipping and cake nibbling.
*Lunch with your bridge group.
Watts is not good for:
*Dudes looking to pre-​game before a night out downtown. Really, it’s just not a place for dudes in general.
*Sunday Funday
*Watching the Packer game or NASCAR race. Because they don’t have TV’s — duh.
In short, it was my mom’s birthday and she likes Watt’s so I took her here. The end.

I enjoyed eating a small meal and getting tea here.
It’s right near the Pfister Hotel, if you ever want to have something more on the high tea end of things. The location is great and I would highly recommend going on the weekend (free 2 hour street parking on Saturdays!)
I hope to go there again without a big group to experience the tea service again!

I travel all over the country and this was simply the best breakfast I have ever had. If in Milwaukee you must have breakfast at Watts. My family agrees and they are coming back tomorrow.

The food and tea are 3 stars, the atmosphere is about 4 stars (it feels kind of stuffy), but oh my god, the SUNSHINE CAKE.
It’s been a while since I last went here but I can still remember the taste of that cake. The best part is that the recipe is online! But it’s kind of a hassle to recreate… but the cake is definitely a must try. Biting into the frosting is like biting into a cumulus cloud. It’s a glorious experience.
Basically, go for the cake and tea. It’s kind of meh but a nice place to pass time.

I get that Watts is trying to snag another generation, but hold up – I’m not dead… yet.
Been coming to Watts since a teen and the chicken salad sandwich was my fav. No longer. First, Watts caved into the wave of fat-​fobics who banished dark meat chicken from the formerly tasty sandwich. Now its dry (white meat IS dry) and instead of being chunks, its almost minced. Not a good move texture-​wise. The bread had been robust but now tinkering chefs have made it sweet and fine textured now a blah but expensive sandwich. Two days prior to Christmas 2 servers, really? Bring back the lovely china and set the table on ironed linens. Keep some traditions in place menu and in décor. George Watts would be unhappy with how the Tea Room has diminished. If interested in turning the corner, comment cards work.

A friend and I went to Watts for lunch today and couldn’t have been more disappointed. Do not go to Watts if a) you’re under 50, b) you like tea, and c) you want to enjoy your food.
Let me explain. My friend and I, both in our late twenties, were ignored by our server the entire time so that she could wait on her tables of wealthy, older women. Our dirty plates sat on the table for twenty minutes while she walked by us repeated times to service the tables around us – we had to ask a manager if we could order desert. We really disliked the service.
Watts is a TEA shop, right? Well, their actual tea list is rather small — only ten or so teas and you’re calling yourself a TEA SHOP? A run-​of-​the-​mill coffee shop (Alterra, Rochambo, Brewed, etc.) has more tea than Watts. If you want to peruse a selection of different kinds of tea, Watts is not the place to go.
The food was subpar. The smoked lentil soup was okay, I suppose, although it was more like a typical vegetable soup than a lentil soup. I ordered the Salade Niçoise with lox, which was nothing special — the dressing had no taste at all. My friend’s cucumber dill sandwich was gross. So much cream cheese (seriously, it was an inch thick) — she felt sick eating it.
After we waited around for twenty, thirty minutes to order desert, and after it finally came out, we were underwhelmed. My friend ordered the Sunshine Cake based on Unilocal reviews, and we both thought it wasn’t that good. What do people like about it? The frosting tastes like something you’d get at the bakery at a local Pick-​and-​Save, and the cake itself was boring. I ordered the chocolate amaretto mousse, which was not a mousse at all (it was thick and heavy, almost like a not-​quite-​cooked-​enough brownie) — mousse is light and fluffy, but this was dense and rich. We could barely eat it.
To top it all off, both of us had terrible stomach aches within ten minutes after leaving Watts — as I type this my stomach still hurts.
I don’t like to post one-​star reviews, but seriously — not only was the service terrible and the tea list a let down, but the food gave us both stomach aches! We will not be back.
PS: This place is stuffy as hell.

This is a neat, enjoyable old local institution.
It is upstairs in a shop selling tea, china, crystal, etc., right in the heart of downtown.
The place is nice, light, airy, bright, with big windows looking down onto the street. Décor seems pretty nice but a bit old.
Service is friendly and enthusiastic, with clear family-​run character of people who care about their business.
Food is very good, with a range of breakfast and brunch dishes, tea, cakes, etc., all very good if not actually outstanding.
It is a good place and a nice alternative offering something unusual for the US. That said, it is nothing special compared to a real afternoon tea in the UK or some other places (like my memory of the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC, although I haven’t been there since ’96).
They have a range of teas, including standard English breakfast and their own mixed black tea-​herbal blend, which is different and enjoyable.
I would probably give it 3.5 stars but that’s not possible and as something different, it definitely deserves 4 instead of just 3.

This is just for their Afternoon Tea… no breakfast or lunch menu, although I would be willing to give it a go. I did manage my expectations because after three years of Afternoon High Teas and Cream Teas in the UK, I know how it should be done and how fabulous it can be. Even with managed expectations, I still didn’t find it as nice as some of the other places I have had Afternoon Tea here in the U.S. When you enter, try not to knock over any of the fragile glass pieces and take the elevator to the second floor. Yes, the elevator is… well just as old fashioned as the dining room and fake flowers.
We were seated and we were the only ones there because we were have Afternoon Tea at the time it would normally be taken in the UK… about 3-​ish. And yes, I will add to the chorus about how outdated… a bit rundown the dining room looks. Please, don’t think this is how all the tea houses in the UK look. The only extra dessert that was not on the menu was the Apple Pie… a la mode. Mr. Snarky asked if the Apple Pie came warm and the waitress said, «Um, I don’t know, maybe just room temperature.» Was hoping she would say, «Would you like it warmed?» But she just stared at us. She brought my English Breakfast Tea over, but no milk. I waited because I thought, surely, she would bring it when she brought my cup over. Nope. So I finally asked and she looked at me like I had seven heads. Just in case you were wondering, most British take the tea with milk, no sugar. Just sayin’.
Mr. Snarky went with the Apple Pie anyway because nothing else struck his fancy. I didn’t see an option for a Scone, which was mildly disappointing, so I went with the Sunshine Cake. The Apple Pie did come warm… not sure if that was because Mr. Snarky had asked about it or if that is the way it actually comes. It also comes with a crumble top with nuts, not a pastry top… and of course Mr. Snarky doesn’t like nuts in his food. [insert pervy joke here] But he kept calm and carried on… The Sunshine Cake is literally the colour of sunshine. It is a dense, moist sponge that really isn’t super sweet, but the boiled frosting on the outside is the super sweet piece to the dessert. I would’ve preferred less of the boiled frosting and more of the French Custard sandwiched between the sponge layers. Boiled Frosting has a consistency somewhere between meringue (before baked into a crunchy Pavlova) and Marshmallow Fluff. It also has the sweetness of both as well.
We were also being entertained by the staff member on the phone with a lady who clearly was not listening to a word he was saying. He really had the patience and grace of a saint… really. Because of this conversation I can tell you the following:
— they are open between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
— he only has two Saturdays in April available for group bookings, May is already fully booked
— Friday is a better day for group bookings because Saturday is always so busy
— if you have a main, dessert, and drink it is about $ 24 per person
— same if you order Afternoon Tea which includes three sandwiches (chicken salad, cucumber and cream cheese, and something else i can’t remember), a dessert, and tea
— no you may not bring your own cake because it is a liability
Did you get that? Shall I repeat it five times? I will say that Mr. Snarky was not amused when we received the bill and found out that a mediocre slice of Apple Pie was $ 7 (so was the Sunshine Cake). You know it is expensive when a British person thinks it is expensive, even in U.S. Dollars…

An outstanding breakfast spot! I had the omelet with ham, asparagus, and cheddar. It came served with thick slabs of homemade whole wheat toast and homemade preserves. Absolutely fabulous! A good side of fresh fruit and a pot of tea completed my perfect breakfast.
Unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of the ambiance of the place. Definitely designed for older women with their white gloves and pillbox hats. I will have to bring my mother here, though. She will love it!

I was in Milwaukee for a family wedding. We had some time for breakfast before having to get to the wedding so we Unilocaled somewhere close and this came up and looked good.
When we got there it was a little hard to find. You have to go through the art store to get to the stairs that lead you upstairs. The place was very quaint and it looks like a tea shop. My bf got the omelet and I got the croissant french toast. I was super excited cause it sounded so yummy. Sadly our food took forever to come out and when it did I was starving. I was a little disappointed because my french toast looked burnt on one side, it didn’t taste super burnt which was good. I had no time to send it back. The omelet that my bf got tasted great.
They have a full list of hot teas and an iced tea of the day. I got the iced tea since it was a tea shop and it seemed fitting. It was pretty good. My boyfriend got the coffee and he said it was horrible as far as coffee goes.

I happened upon this place by accident. My fiancée was looking at wedding dresses downstairs and I was relegated to the tea shop upstairs so I wouldn’t see anything.
Its not the type of place I would usually go to, the associated shops downstairs with their crystal, art, and silver just wasn’t my cup of tea (har har).
The white table linens, fresh flowers on the table and the large windows give this place a very relaxed and classy atmosphere. The service staff were knowledgable, friendly, and very timely. Granted, while I was there, it was just me and some Indian official and his FBI bodyguard.
I had the strawberry oolong which was quite refreshing and the aroma mild but very pleasant. The hot water refills were prompt, ensuring I always had tea.
I also had a gigantic piece of cake, I can’t remember exactly what it was called. Some sort of layered sponge cake with a sweet frosting and pieces of caramel.
All told, it cost a little under $ 12 to sit for 45 minutes, drink tea, and read the news on their free wi-​fi. I could make a habit out of this for lazy sunny weekends, if I lived closer.

I’ve lived most of my life here in Milwaukee yet have only just discovered this gem. Watts is a small classy eatery quietly serving up fine teas and luncheons in the heart of downtown.
The restaurant is above the George Watts & Son luxury diningware store on Jefferson Street. Take the elevator to the second floor and you feel as if you’ve just snuck into a members-​only supper club.
Watts has a level of class that only an old establishment can have. It’s not hard to imagine the same layout and fixtures gracing this space in the 1920’s. The rounded old oak bar commands the center of the main dining space. The solid metal tea strainers are worn from decades of use; the china is actual china and the napkins linen. In this age of corporate eateries it’s a disgrace that such simple things are so rare. I’d say that Watts has the faded dignity of an aged Tennessee Williams character.
Yet there’s a Midwestern reality that has worn through the Radcliffe veneer. The chandelier has loose crystals and hangs from a worn drop-​ceiling. The window curtains still bear the store labels at the seams. The young waitresses seem overstretched. The silk flowers were shellacked into their vases. Milwaukee’s hamhanded execution can be noticed by a discerning eye, surely. But most importantly Watts aspires to more than its provincial counterparts.
I look forward to sampling more of their unique offerings, and in my first visit I was very favorably impressed. The sole gripe was the very browned avocado in the salad: likely pre-​prepared instead of freshly-​cut. But outside of this trifle, I couldn’t make a single gripe. The English muffin was homemade, as was the wheat bread on my spectacular sandwich. I happened to be ravenously hungry and opted for their hot corned beef sandwich and was in awe at the slabs of delectable meat with shallots, spinach, and a creamy bleu cheese sauce. If their kitchen can turn out something this exquisite with corned beef, I’m coming back often. The pot pie at the next table looked and smelled amazing. Their reputation for cakes and scones is legendary. As is their house special Russian coffee, and also their ginger toast… the list goes on.
While all this may sound like a pretentious pricey affair, I beg to differ. You would spend more for lunch if you drove to the Cheesecake Factory or Outback Steakhouse in the mall parking lot. And though our waitress was in a rush, the host made us realize we were dealing with pros. He juggled new guests and merchandise sales with ease. And when our waitress disappeared he was there to box our food, run our credit card, and politely discourse on our visit. Rare is service in our fair city this competent and professional.
As much as I’m proud of Milwaukee’s folk bars and brew pubs, there are times when etiquette is called for. Watt’s is where you can confidently bring the in-​laws, or a favorite aunt, or treat a business client to something classy right here in downtown.