Tea Zone

So sad that Tea Zone is closing. After Quantum Books at Kendall Square, three Bob Slates in Cambridge, here comes another fantastic, local business leaving. Weep!

If there were any justice in the world, Tea Zone would not be closing at the end of this month. I know it’s the owners’ choice, but what about the customers? And the children. Won’t someone PLEASE think of the children!!!
So get there while the getting’s still somewhat good. Half the store has been packed into boxes (which are strewn everywhere) already, but a lot of teas are still available for purchase.
In the mood for Taiwanese oolong (my favorite kind of tea)? Snatch up a few ounces from the varieties featured on the top row of one shelf. Chinese silver needles, Japanese pine, jasmine pearls? Still available but going soon. Into something more fruity? Try a Chinese white peach or any number of fruit+black tea blends they have. Finally, for those who don’t actually like tea unless it doesn’t taste like tea, try some chocolate mint tea. Delicious… and still available.
Cannot believe I’ll have to settle for corporate tea chains like Teavana and Tealuxe now. I think I’ll go brew myself some Tea Zone goodness and cry a little.

So sad, this place is closing at the end of March! Go and stock up ASAP before the best tea source in Boston is gone!

It’s true, it is closing by the end of March with no plans to relocate or keep the online business. Please do yourself a favor and grab some before they close. The Bedtime Sleepy Tea/​House Blend #2 is a personal favorite. I’ll miss this place.

Great place, friendly service and I get my Darjeeling tea at a very reasonable price.
And they are literally next door to me so that helps.

I really like this place although I felt awkward at first because the inside looks so unfinished and I was the only person there besides the guy working. There are lots of unique items here, even matcha and boba which I have not been able to find anywhere else.
I give this place 4 stars because I wanted to buy more things, but didn’t have enough cash on me. This place doesn’t take cards. Bummer. It’s not a bad walk from Porter Square, but it’s still hard to get to from Brighton. I’ll be back next time I’m in the area.

After hearing so much about this place, I wondered if it would really live up to my expectations, but actually, I was quite pleased.
There must be over a hundred kinds of tea. The atmosphere is un-​pretentious, which I liked, but a tiny bit more decoration would make the place seem more welcoming.
The shelves are sort of half way between cubbies and bookshelves. Each cubby has a large jar of tea (for making drinks in the store), a small one (for sniffing the aroma), several packages of tea to buy, and a price list. The super cool thing is that on the price list they tell you how many cups of tea a 2 oz bag will make. This is great, because other places just leave you to figure out what 2 oz of tea is good for.
They brew tea right here, and will give you the option of adding sweetener/​sugar and milk. I heard that they had iced tea, too, but the day I went they were out of ice. Bummer, because that would have been a nice treat.
If you like tea, and like to be able to know what you’re buying, this is the place to go.

Holy mother of a strong Earl Grey!!! I drink about as much Earl as much a my coffee loving friends down their brews. I’ve tried many brands and have finally found a keeper. Only with Tea Zone’s version I only have to use about a third less than my usual loose Earl Grey and it is superb. An excellent value at $ 4.99 for 4 oz. I also rebrew this tea for a second cup without much loss of flavor.
The genmaicha is also quite good with a nice roasted rice flavor.
Most of their popular teas run $ 2.99/2oz and $ 4.99/4oz. The specialty and flavored teas are about a dollar more. They also have small sample jars to take a little test sniff from.
Tea Zone offers up a truly wonderful value for a high quality product; large, unbroken tea leaves, nice flavors, very fresh tasting. As a former tea server who helped open Tisane in Hartford, I have been searching for a long time for such a place as this. The only negative is the shop tends to be in a state of unorganized «restocking» each time I’ve been in. I also have never tried a cup in house (it is offered).
Overall, this is my go to place for tea, period. Tea Zone has filled a void. I will never purchase my tea from a box on a supermarket shelf again.

Dear Tea Zone, is it possible you could allow me to appreciate tea as much as my morning coffee?
Well, no. But making tea an enjoyable experience for me? Now that’s something I can stand by!
Just four stars, because although others have given rave service reviews the guy working that day didn’t seem that interested in helping me with my selection until I asked about a 17 dollar mug with a brewer, and he realized I was Christmas shopping.
However, the selection was excellent, and affordable. I bought myself a Vanilla Chai (excellent), and my cousin two herbals, a Mango Mélange (which she said has a strange aftertaste if it gets even a bit cold) and the Sleepy Bedtime Tea, which she LOVES for both sleeping and killer headaches. He also gave me two samples which I have yet to try.
I will certainly be back, and perhaps even ask for one of the famed bubble teas I keep reading about!

I’m having Tea Zone withdrawals at this moment. I’ve only been here once, but we trekked up here one evening on a mission and seriously stocked up on tea. The guys working there seemed too reserved to talk to us, and we didn’t get any free samples as other reviewers have mentioned. although I did buy some sample packets… But again, this really is «as good as it gets» per Unilocal standards, so a definite 5 stars.
I got myself a nice selection of teas that lasted me through the rest of the school year, and I think I’m now regretting that I donated them to my brother when I graduated instead of bringing them home with me. Thankfully, BF stocked up with his own selection to take home across the country, and we still enjoy some of it every time I’m over at his place.
So what made me have Tea Zone withdrawals on this particular day? We cracked out the Earl Grey, which I didn’t even know he had and which West Coast people don’t seem to drink a lot of. Or maybe it’s just cos I’m from an Asian family. But I sure did miss it! You know what’s the beauty of all this, though? With less than $ 5 flat rate shipping, you can get your fix of Tea Zone anywhere you want across the country! Now that is a serious deal. But I just want to go back to Boston… :c

I love Tea Zone. I got into tea just last winter, and tried a few different places back in my hometown of Minneapolis, online at Adagio Teas, and then fell in love with Tea Zone as soon as I walked in the door. Good selection and very helpful proprietor.
The inside has a no frills design (I definitely recognized most of the shelves and lighting as Ikea) that makes it easy to see which wall to go to in order to find your preferred type of tea. No pretentiousness here.
The owner (I think?) was incredibly helpful everytime I’ve been there, with plenty of good advice on what teas to try if you’re just browsing, or with lots of information about individual teas if you want more specifics.
I’ve recently been given a few small free samples when I buy there, which is great for finding things I wouldn’t try otherwise.

Great stuff. Run/​owned by two young guys, I think, who are living the dream.
The guy I’ve seen there/​dealt with really knows his stuff. You can tell he’s doing it for the love of tea.
Prices are ridiculously low.
And, again, the stuff is great. I’ve tried oolongs (Ti Kwan Yin), greens (genmaicha – with roasted rice), blacks (Breakfast), and herbals from them, and they’ve all been really really good – a cut above most stuff in town.
I’m still working through a bag of peppermint, and it’s so good, it reminds me why I bought it every time I drink it. I’ve been drinking it for weeks, and the bag cost me? two dollars?
It’s only a five-​minute walk from Porter Sq.

Great place to find fine teas and tea accessories.
However this place no longer serves tea to go. The guy inside said that they didn’t get enough foot traffic to keep selling tea so he decided to stop. It’s unfortunate because Tea Zone had many positive reviews about their hot tea and bubble tea. Still a good place to get tea to bring home though.
Some parking is available along the street, or across the street there is a lot. That parking lot is designated for a separate shopping plaza only, but if you’re only stopping by Tea Zone for a few minutes it shouldn’t be a problem.

I LOVE this place! The service here is great. The owner (?) knows everything and is always willing to help. He has suggested the Peach Rooibos and Monk’s Blend which have become my favorites. He also usually gives some free samples which allow you to try out new tea which is great. They have a huge selection and many teas that I have never even heard off. The place is always well stocked and you can’t beat prices.
The prices are amazingly cheap! I was a big Teavana girl but now that I discovered Tea Zone I will not be going back there again.
Great service, amazing selection and super cheap prices what more could you ask for?

The man at Tea Zone really knows his teas, and he is happy to share his knowledge with you. He stocks high grade loose teas — herbal, green and black varieties that are pretty hard to find.
Plus, he charges SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than Tealuxe, Dado, or Cambridge Naturals (like 50% less) !!!
I discovered Green Rooibos on my first visit to Tea Zone and have been consuming it in mass quantities ever since.
I’ve been going to Tea Zone pretty often over the past few months. On my third visit, the owner started giving me free samples of teas he thought I might like, based on my purchases.
Tea Zone is a rare find. Unassuming outside and in — you probably have walked or ridden past it many times without noticing. On your first visit, you may be overwhelmed by all the choices. There is a wall of green teas, a wall of black teas, and a wall of herbals. Just ask the owner for advice if you need help making a decision.

I was ready to buy the IngenuiTEA tea pot online, but I was so not wanting to wait for shipping. After some Googling, I found that Tea Zone sold it, so I could have it now!
I was pressed for time, so I called ahead if the guy could set it aside for me, along with some teas that I had already selected from their online store. When I got there, he had it all ready & waiting in a paper bag… plus some free samples of teas I already like & a couple I’ve always wanted to try. He’s a mind reader too!
I haven’t even tasted my teas yet, but just based on ease of finding, having the products I wanted immediately, freebies & excellent customer service, I’ll be sure to be returning!

A hidden gem. Great for stocking up or just getting a proper cup to go. Wish it was a little closer to my usual haunts, but it’s worth a detour.

I. Love. This. Place.
I got some Monk’s Blend to go, tried it in the car. Had to go back for more.
I would do that again!

WOW! The selection of teas, service, and prices are unmatched at Tea Zone. I stumbled in here for the first time looking to acquire some gifts for my Mom, the tea fiend.
They had all of her favorites including silver needle tea for a very reasonable price, 9 dollars for 2 ounces. The last time I bought this at a shop in the city it was at least 12 dollars for 2 ounces, so the prices are extremely fair.
When I asked the gentleman working that day what his favorite tea was, he pointed me to a house blend of peppermint tea that turned out to be excellent. I can’t wait to go back and secure some tea goodies for myself!

The Bestest Little Tea Shop in Boston.
A group of nice young Asian kids set this up as their dream over the last few years after noticing there were no tea specialist stores in Boston. Sadly they now have corporate-​backed opposition from Teavana and Whittard over in expensive Back Bay, but both of these rivals totally suck compared to little Tea Zone — which is where you need to go to buy your tea!
Why?
1. Price — considerably cheaper at Tea Zone
2. Range — considerably larger and more interesting at Tea Zone
3. Style — much cooler at Tea Zone, they play great music too
4. Smelling — every tea has samples to smell at Tea Zone — heaven!
5. Drinking — here you can actually buy a drink or two (no seats though)
I had pear-​infused white iced tea (as it was hot out) and then had a strawberry blended black tea (hot). Both were yumscumptiously good. I was very tempted by the house blends and the herbal blends. I didn’t drink their ‘memory tea’ so I’ve forgotten a lot of the names.
Please please PLEASE go here to support this local business. These are the good guys doing the dream. They have some great modern and Asian tea-​ware for sale in store, and are the PERFECT place to get a gift box from. Yes, they are out-​of-​the-​way but they have a website and it’s a great excuse to go to Porter Square area.
Tea Tea Tea… I love Tea.