The Tuck Box

Except for the scones, the food itself was underwhelming. I ordered the hot chicken salad, which was $ 14.95. It included an assortment of fruit, pan roasted chicken pieces, walnuts, and a Dijon dressing on a bed of iceberg lettuce. All salads come with 4 small scones.
Ok, now for the scones. These are unlike any scones I’ve had because they’re incredibly moist and spongy. The edges are crisp from the pan, making a nice pseudo-​crust. They set out their olallieberry and apricot preserves with whipped cream. My aunt bought 6 jars of preserves and does so every time she visits Carmel.
Come for the scones and the cute atmosphere!

The food wasn’t worth the price. I had four eggs with a side of bacon, a scone and a cup of coffee. My boyfriend had the eggs Benedict with a cup of coffee. The food was basic and the bill was around $ 60. Not impressed and still hungry.

I discovered this place when a local recommended it on my first visit to Carmel and I’m so glad she did. The outside looks like an adorable fairy tale cottage and the inside is very cute and quaint. There is also some nice outdoor seating. I love the tea and scones-​the jam/​marmalade they come with are delicious. They scones are not dry like the scones I’m typically used to – they’re are more spongy and moist. The rest of their menu is fairly simple breakfast foods, which is good but not life changing.
The only negatives (which aren’t enough to deter me from visiting every time I’m in Carmel, but are the reason it doesn’t get 5 stars): cash only and seems overpriced even by Carmel standards.

My favorite place in Carmel. Love their portobello mushroom sandwich. Beautiful and very cozy place with nice stuff and delicious food.

This is a very small but cozy restraint that has great breakfast. I would highly recommend the Salmon Benedict. It is excellent especially if you enjoy smoked salmon. The only reason I am not giving full 5 stars is I would have liked to enjoy a good Bloody Mary with my meal. We will definitely eat here again when we come back to Carmel.

Charming lovely cute «hobbit» café near the Little Napoli is a wonderful breakfast and tea place. The hand whipped heavy cream is very fresh, as are the house made scones served with jam and cream. Some cute tea pots and coffee mugs along with the best omelets, which look simple but can be ordered with lush jack cheese and avocado slices. Everything was just really simple, really fresh, really cute and sweet and very Carmel-​by-​the-​Sea. Try the outdoor seating, cute as well. Except you need to have some patience. The place is small and busy, and the staff is few, so be prepared to wait for the lovely food. Isn’t a Michelin restaurant but very very charming

So when my husband said he had Celiac’s and couldn’t eat the scone that came with his meal he asked if he could have something else. The waitress said he could have fruit instead. After finishing our meal we found the fruit had been added and was almost $ 8! We would not have ordered the fruit bowl if we had known it was so expensive. I felt like the waitress should have been more clear. We thought the bowl was just replacing the scone. Also I had cash, but the waitress never said they were cash only. It would have been nice to know up front.

My husband and I really do like this place, although there are a few reasons it doesn’t get a five star.
For one, it’s incredibly overpriced and has a limited menu.
Tea for two (bag tea at that) cost $ 9.
Two eggs, toast, and two strips of bacon cost $ 14.
When we ordered tea and scones a separate time it cost us $ 19 for only two people! That’s ridiculous.
The inside is a little grungy and in terrible need of new tables and chairs.
They also don’t take a card. VERY inconvenient to find out after the meal. It is listed on the menu, but it’s not very noticeable.
I can honestly overlook the grunge and cash only policy because the scones and fresh whipped cream are so good, I just wish they weren’t so over priced. I would come more often if I didn’t have to fork out $ 20 for something I could easily make at home. I just like «going out» for tea and scones.
Consider your prices Tuck Box!

Came here on a whim for my Birthday in July and let me tell you, this place is absolutely charming! We sat outside on the patio and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful flowers, greenery, while admiring the hobbit-​like restaurant. Our waitress was very friendly and quick to serve us. I had ordered the scones and an avocado cheese omelette. Pretty simple you may think. The scones were AMAZING. They are Scottish scones and are not like your average coffee shop type that are probably made somewhere else and shipped to store. These were freshly made and served with real whipped cream and fresh berry preserves. The omelette was so silky and creamy, so delish. I was very satisfied with my meal and my experience there. Cannot wait to go again when Im in the area!

Try the Eggs Benedict! It’s the perfect amount of salmon, eggs cooked just right and a Mimosa! Perfect start to the day!

A cute spot but terrible and rude service. My husband and I had breakfast there with our 3 year old and hoping for a beautiful table outside was told there were no tables (there were) and we could sit inside. After a mediocre breakfast our son wanted to look out the window to the patio and caused a little fuss, which promptly caused the server to give us our bill. Their are more quaint places you should go when visiting Carmel.

While we prefer English scones to Scottish scones, the tuck box is a delightful place to have breakfast, a cup of tea, breakfast, a bite to eat in one of the coziest places in the world. And the architecture is everything you want. Quintessential Carmel by the sea. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

From the outside this place looks inviting but the inside is very bland. I remember coming for Tea as a kid and it was traditional tea with finger foods sandwiches etc.
That is not how it is at all. They have one house tea and the rest is bag tea.
The scones do not taste like scones at all they are like thick crumpets.
The coffee was cold.
I ordered a Spanish omelet. It wasn’t hot and it was basically salsa inside of the omlete. Very bland and soupy.
The waitress never checked on us until I called her over to let her know about my food and coffee.
And they don’t take Credit card. So inconvenient. How do you not take credit card in a place like Carmel?

I love how unique this place is. Then again it is in Carmel, where things tend to be unique, but The Tuck Box is just a wonderful little place to catch a bite to eat. Located near the shopping district, I can see where this place would be perfect for those out for a day of shopping. I have to say I was really impressed by the scones and the tea service, coming from a British family. You MUST try the olalieberry jam, it’s to die for. I had the grilled salmon for lunch. It was perfectly prepared, still moist and flaky (dry and overlooked salmon is served way too often at most restaurants). I would definitely recommend this place because of it unique setting and it’s simple but delicious menu.

I absolutely love this place. The first morning after we arrive, my husband and I have to eat here. There tea and scones are amazing! I love how quaint this place is and very friendly staff too.

My boyfriend and I ate there on a Friday during lunch. We absolutely LOVED this little place! He had the BLT and I had the Portobello Mushroom sandwich. We enjoyed everything on our plate from the main course to the side salad. Our waitress was super attentive and nice, too! I would love to go again and try their scones!
I give this place 4 stars instead of 5 because of their $ 5 minimum per person and the fact that they don’t take credit cards. They are also a bit overpriced given the fact that they don’t take credit cards.

The ambiance surpassed the food. We dined inside because it was chilly outside. Our server was very gracious. Unfortunately, we did not try the scones… just simple breakfast items that were a bit lackluster.

I would give this place 5 stars if it was just for their scones. I’ve been coming here for years with my family. It’s almost a tradition we stop by The Tuck Box when we’re in Carmel. i adore adore their scones and little cottage of a restaurant. Their scones have more of a cornbread consistency than the ones you’re used to at coffee shops. Spongy and moist! They come with whipped cream and fresh fruit marmalade. Other items on their menu consists of salads and sandwiches. I don’t remember much about their food since I haven’t ordered food from this place for years. Always here for the scones really.
The only reason why I won’t give this place 4 or 5 stars is because of their lame policy about how a party must average $ 5 per person (cash only also). My sister and I came here with our mom hoping to just enjoy their scones before lunch elsewhere. We ordered two orders of scones and sadly that still wasn’t enough for two people even (an order of scone is $ 4.95). We were adamant on the scones so then we just ended up ordering a pot of tea for two. Their tea was good. Came with cream and honey for you to add to your liking. Anyways, if you’re in the area, I would recommend coming here for the scones and a pot of tea.

This place is an adorable tearoom on Dolores Avenue in Carmel right by the beach. My family has been coming here for years because we love the scones. They aren’t the typical sweet baked scones you see in coffee shops. They’re the classic English style scones that you eat with yummy fruit marmalade and whipped cream.
My only gripe about this place is that they have a minimum service charge of $ 5 per person, so it’s kind of annoying how everyone in your party has to get something. They also don’t take credit cards. If I didn’t love their scones so much, I would not come here just because of the weird service charge and no credit card use.
The other food is alright, just typical salads and sandwiches. I had the eggs Benedict before, and I can’t remember much about it so it must’ve been just okay.
Definitely get the scones! And a pot of tea to share.

«Is it weird for a tea house to be playing Coldplay and Weezer?» I shrugged to my sweetie and looked back at the menu. In retrospect, I should have taken this as our first red flag, and headed across the street to La Bicyclette and just dealt with their exceptionally rude wait staff.
Tuck is a TINY «Tea house» (in quotes like Ke$ha is a «recording artist»), in the throws of glorious Carmel, CA. With the likes of upscale and elegant, it absolutely blows my mind that a business like this can stay open.
Ligitimately the only reason we arrived here was beause everywhere else was closing for brunch and we were starving. The menu looked decent, and they actually had tables open at 11am, so we went for it. Our waitress was scattered, unprofessional, and discheveled, and the food was even worse. I had the Welsh Rarebit benedict, which was absolutely densely oversalted, and completely soggy, and my partner had the most mediocre omelette either of us had ever had the unfortunate experience with.
I though oh, how foolish of me to judge a teahouse on their breakfast, I shall order also some scones and a spot of tea. That too was an epic disappointment, as my hot water was lukewarm, my teabags were Lipton (LIPTON?!?), and my scones were dry, crumbly, flavorless, and stale.
If that wasn’t bad enough, this place only takes cash, which in this day, I think is absurd.
Never returning. Learn from my fail.