A good place to chill out with a good cup of tea. The baristas are knowledgeable only in that they can read labels and make tea. Just maybe don’t ask for a recommendation because I think they only know what sells rather than what is actually good. They seem to have good quality teas but it’s not clear where they get them. One thing that concerns me is the way that they store their teas, in glass jars. I don’t know if the teas are particularly well protected in these jars due to UV exposure, but for all I know they could have nice jars that block the tea from harm. Prices are fairly good and they have a good variety of teas from which to choose.
If you’re in Lawrence and want to experience an exquisite cup or pot of tea, go to House of Cha. The baristas are extremely knowledgeable, make great recommendations, and take great care into the making of the tea. They stock green and oolong loose teas as well as some herbal tisanes and they sell very high quality chinese teapots. If you’re needing a bit of food to go with your tea they have a pretty good menu of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese dishes.
The prices are a bit high (for example I paid $6.50 for a 2-3 cup pot of Ti Kuan Yin) but it is well worth the experience and the comfort of knowing that the tea is going to turn out very well.
