Tin Roof Teas Edit

I walked in with a clear target of one, maybe two, teas I thought might be in stock. The inventory was much more expansive and tantalizing than I anticipated and immediately scattered my radar. I left with a shopping bag full to the top with tea and honey and a delicious, freshly-brewed cup. The staff is knowledgeable and patient and armed to the gills with possibility.

Nice tea and tea accessories, and local honey, and some sweets too! Always something nice here. The employees usually have a pretty good idea of what’s good, and they’ve got fun stuff behind the counter if you ask (like aged puerh medallions).

This is a nice little spot. Staff is really knowledgeable about teas. Being the only “real” tea shop in the triangle area, it’s refreshing to be able to walk into a place, and talk about good Taiwanese Oolong or Yunnan Pu’erh with folks. They always carry a really nice selection of high grade Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean teas. I’m also a big fan of their organic local honey. They also have an awesome collection of teaware, some really nice gaiwans, and yixing ware, and full gongfu sets for sale. My only “complaint” is that there isn’t any seating, I’d love to be able to have a seat and enjoy a gong-fu session in TRT. If you’re in the Raleigh area, I’d recommend checking them out. Try their high-grade Fukumushi Sencha, it’s a real treat. :D

One of the best tea stores I have ever had the opportunity to visit. Teas from around the world, knowledgeable personnel and friendly smiles all around. No high pressure selling, but expert assistance when you have a question. Had a wonderful Assam Marangi SFTGFOP to go, and picked up a variety of teas and teaware that were just too tempting to pass by. I will be visiting often while I am in town, and am happy to know they are updating/upgrading their website to handle more online traffic.

I’m a newbie to tea. I was in town for a concert & visited this tea shop. I wanted to give matcha a try and I liked it so much that I immediately went back in the shop for another one. I went back the next morning and had another matcha. Nikki, a super sweet & extremely knowledgeable employee introduced me to milk oolong. This stuff is a-maz-ing! A huge thanks to Nikki for answering all of my questions and introducing me to milk oolong. Tin Roof Teas will certainly be on the agenda next time in Raleigh. Highly recommend!

I have no tea shops (aside from Teavana) near me up in Virginia. So when I was headed down to the beach for a week I knew I had to find some tea places to visit!

The shop is fantastic to visit, they have a huge variety of teawares from teapots to travel mugs, some yixing pottery, chawans, etc. There is a huge variety of teas as well, some of which have little aroma jars so you can walk around and smell a bunch. The sales associate will also pull stuff down for you. They source from TeaGschwender and other place I don’t know the name of. The tea is very fresh and very good. They have a wall of “safety deposit boxes” of tea as the sales associate told me, as well as some already bagged in pre-determined weights. You can get 50g samples bags in a set of 4 (or more), or 100g, 250g, and 500g bags (I think…). Oh, there is also the newly installed honey bar in the back of the shop where you can try and buy different flavored honeys. The sales associate was very helpful and was glad to show me around and let me smell a ton of different teas. She wasn’t pushy, though it was obviously she was trying to sell tea (but that is her job!). She was honest though when suggesting teas. I think if I lived in the area it’d be a dangerous place for me, I will definitely stop by again if I’m ever in the area. Also check their Facebook page for events, there was a cheese and tea tasting the morning we visited.

I have been buying tea in the Raleigh area for a few years now, but only just discovered Tin Roof Teas a few months ago. The tea is fresh, the assortment is vast, and the staff is friendly and helpful. I was pretty stunned when I asked about a blend that hadn’t come in yet, and they offered to do a custom blend for me! So glad to know they are there!

I was so excited to find this perfect little tea shop. I travel to this store every couple of months from Greensboro. I usually take a list of teas that I’m interested in and the sales people are every so helpful to answer questions and offer suggestions. They also have a nice selection of teawares. They offer tea classes on a monthly basis as well and I am looking forward to participating in one soon!

It’s never a question of if I want tea, it’s a question of when I can go back to Tin Roof.

Before finding this shop, I knew little to nothing about actual good tea. You guys have taught me so much in one short year. Thanks for being here.

Great shop with friendly, knowledgeable staff, superb teas, and a delicious variety of local honeys and other treats :)

Awesome tea store with a large variety and a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

Tin Roof Teas is only the second tea store I have ever had the pleasure of frequenting. The staff is not only knowledgeable but friendly to boot. They are willing and able to answer any questions you have about the tea. If you have questions about where the tea is grown, how it is processed, what the proper temperature for the water, the brewing time and anything else you may want to know they will probably have an answer.

Enough about the great staff there though. The tea is the star of the show. It is showcased front and center. Before you even step into the store you are greeted by the window display showing off some of their more lovely tea accouterments. There is also usually an urn of hot tea in which they are showcasing one of their wonderful teas. If the taste of the sample outside does not suit your taste then you can come inside to try a few more samples. Usually they have another hot tea and a chilled tea.

Once you actually enter the store you are greeted by the welcoming and invigorating smell of the multitude of teas that line the wall. Their selection of teas is one of the largest I have seen in one store. I usually like to take a minute and take a deep breath. This usually puts me in the right frame of mind to truly enjoy my experience. Take a few moments to peruse their many tea pots, cups, kettles and travel mugs. There is always something in the store to captivate and tempt the tea enthusiast.

Once you are ready to look at the teas the staff will gladly bring down a tin and allow you to look at the leaf and inhale in its delightful scent. I personally would recommend the Oolong shalimar; which is a lovely floral tea with delightful tones of passion fruit, mango, rose petals and red aronia berries; as well as the China Fancy White Peony; which is high grade white tea which has a delightful flavor with tones of honey and chestnut. If something should catch your attention you can always get a cup of tea to go of anything on the tea wall. This is not only convenient but also a great way for you to try something before you invest in a tin that will sit in your pantry collecting dust if you do not enjoy it.

A previous reviewer had mentioned that a lack of seating is the only thing that prevents this from being a true tea house however there is seating available outside and if the weather is a bit unkind there is seating in a back room. I have sat outside on many a sunny days sipping a cup of tea that was recommended to me by the staff and enjoyed the moment. Also if you like to have a bit of a snack with your tea they also sell various cookies and sweets. One of my favorite things, beside the teas obviously, is that they have a large variety of truffles kept in a cooled display.

If you are looking for a tea shop I would highly recommend this.

Best in Raleigh. Tin Roof Teas (formally TeaGshwendner) offers a helpful staff for beginner yet knowledgeable enough for local artisans. They will brew you a cup of any tea of your choice but lack of seating space stops be from labeling Tin Roof as a ‘tea house.’

Great selection, mellow atmosphere, and helpful staff.