Steeped in flavor: Here’s your guide to drinking tea in the Charlotte area

Kristen Kornbluth
·5 min read

Sometimes you need a pick-me-up in your busy day that isn’t a cup of coffee. Nerdy fact: Tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can relax you — something we all need in our busy days. With many herbal varieties out there, everyone has a tea option that’s ideal for them.

There are plenty of establishments in Charlotte that offer tea programs, ensuring that you can get a comforting cup any day of the week.

Here are some places to find great tea all around the Charlotte area:

Tea houses

A Cause For Tea

Location: 418 E Franklin St, Monroe, NC 28112

Check out this historic house turned tea house for tea served five different ways — iced tea with lemonade, tea topped with steamed milk, tea with whipped cream, regular steeped tea, or full pots.

Five Goddess Farm

Location: 1419 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204

Five Goddess Farm is a vibey spot right on the outside of Uptown offering plenty of retail tea for enjoying at home but also has a tea room available by reservation. Patrons can kick back with a pot of tea of their choosing and even customize the music playing over the speakers.

Five Goddess Farm’s tea room offers caffeinated and herbal selections.
Five Goddess Farm’s tea room offers caffeinated and herbal selections.

French Market Cafe & Gourmet Shop

Location: 20920 Torrence Chapel Rd # B1, Cornelius, NC 28031

Enjoy high tea at French Market Cafe & Gourmet Shop, a Cornelius spot offering a section of premium teas. There’s also a full food menu if you’re feeling peckish. Reservations for tea need to be made in advance.

Okra

Location: 1912 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

Not only can you do yoga or get a massage at Okra, you can also kick back with a variety of teas, from rooibos to peppermint tea.

The Pauline Tea-Bar

Location: 2326 Arty Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208

Shop plenty of teas at The Pauline Tea Bar to take home or enjoy the peaceful lounge offering complementary pastries. Heads up: There’s no Wi-Fi.

The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary is known for its loose-leaf tea selection and its locally-sourced pastries and sandwiches.
The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary is known for its loose-leaf tea selection and its locally-sourced pastries and sandwiches.

The Social Cork Wine Bar

Location: 887 Gold Hill Rd, Fort Mill, SC 29708

At this Fort Mill bar, find more than just wine — 48 flavors of specialty tea are offered on the regular and a tea party is offered quarterly.

International restaurants and coffee shops serving tea

Abugida Ethiopian Cafe

Location: 3007 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

At Abugida Ethiopian Cafe, enjoy a cup of Ethiopian tea or coffee at Abugida alongside Ethiopian dishes.

Be-Em Asian Kitchen

Location: 1848 Galleria Blvd K, Charlotte, NC 28270

In addition to food options, such as Korean corn dogs, poke bowls, and ramen, Be-Em offers tea. Want to make an experience out of it? Get a reservation for one of Be-Em’s tea parties.

You can get a pot of tea at Be-Em Asian Kitchen.
You can get a pot of tea at Be-Em Asian Kitchen.

Haraz Coffee House

Location: 1204 Central Ave #100, Charlotte, NC 28204

Haraz recently opened in Plaza Midwood, offering plenty of Arabic-style coffees and various tea options. When you’ve had enough java, try the chai.

Adren/Karak Chai offered at Haraz Coffee House.
Adren/Karak Chai offered at Haraz Coffee House.

Pro tip: Check out Indian restaurants in the area, such as Botiwalla for a good Indian Chai, which is black tea brewed with milk, cardamom, ginger and sugar. Triveni Express and Royal Biryani also have Masala Teas on their menus.

Boba tea shops

B&K Tea Cafe

Location: 115 Commons Drive, Ste F, Mooresville, NC 28117

Location: 17 Union St N, Concord, NC 28025

Location: 103 West Ave, Kannapolis, NC 28081

Partners Bobby Cain and Kristen Compton operate B&K Tea Cafe, a local boba chain inspired by their tenure at UNC-Chapel Hill, where Cain worked at a boba shop. Find drinks like Tiger Milk Tea — a brown sugar milk tea with a brown sugar drizzle.

Find fruit teas, milk teas and other specialty boba tea drinks at B&K Tea Cafe.
Find fruit teas, milk teas and other specialty boba tea drinks at B&K Tea Cafe.

Boba Café

Location: 3565 Matthews Mint Hill Rd, Matthews, NC 28105

Check out Boba Café for a variety of bubble teas and Vietnamese food options.

Boba Koala

Location: 901 W Trade St Suite 160, Charlotte, NC 28202

Find plenty of boba tea at Boba Koala in addition to smoothies and coffee. Snacks are also offered, including sweet red bean buns and pork dumplings.

The Boba Tea Bar

Location: Mobile

The Boba Tea Bar, a mobile boba operation, can be found in Matthews and nearby offering a variety of teas.

Central Tea House

Location: 3000 Central Ave #6, Charlotte, NC 28205

Come to Central Tea House for the boba, stay for the sandwiches and pastries. Note: Central Tea House is closed on Wednesdays.

MiGuo Bubble Tea

Location: 8318 Pineville-Matthews Rd #703, Charlotte, NC 28226

Get milk teas, fresh teas, fruit teas and more at MiGuo Bubble Tea.

Milk Cha-Cha

Location: 4620 Piedmont Row Dr, Suite 170A, Charlotte, NC 28210

Location: 9826 Sandy Rock Pl Suite B, Charlotte, NC 28277

Location: 1750 Camden Rd Suite F, Charlotte, NC 28203

Location: 2423 Cherry Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29732

Milk Cha-Cha, with multiple locations in the Charlotte area, offers options like milk tea, slushies and craft sodas.

Moji Teahouse

Location: 4841 Shopton Rd, Charlotte, NC 28278

A variety of mochi donuts are offered at Moji Teahouse, in addition to boba tea.

Nguyen’s Noodles and Tea

Location: 3615 Whitehall Park Dr, Charlotte, NC 28273

Enjoy a variety of teas, smoothies, and food at this outer Charlotte destination, Nguyen’s Noodles and Tea.

ShareTea

Location: 1204 Central Ave #102, Charlotte, NC 28204

Location: 8960 J M Keynes Dr Suite 600, Charlotte, NC 28262

Originating in Taiwan, ShareTea now has many locations across North America and offers products like milk tea and smoothies in Charlotte.

Tea Fusion Cafe

Location: 440 E McCullough Dr #116, Charlotte, NC 28262

Find bubble tea, multiple banh mi options, and other snacks at this University City spot, Tea Fusion Cafe.

Tealicious

Location: 850 Chancellor Park Dr, Charlotte, NC 28213

From popcorn chicken to fried rice, Tealicious offers plenty of food options, in addition to tea and coffee.

Velvet

Location: 11324 N Community House Rd #102, Charlotte, NC 28277

Velvet offers boba tea and rolled ice cream, as well as catering.

Tea shops selling loose-leaf

The Enchanted Kitchen

Location: 40 Union St S, Concord, NC 28025

Find plenty of incense and loose-leaf teas at this Concord spot, The Enchanted Kitchen.

Hemp & Tea Company

Location: 1816 Galleria Blvd Ste D, Charlotte, NC 28270

Cannabis tea, anyone? Shop plenty of loose-leaf teas at Hemp & Tea Company, in addition to edibles and cannabis flower.

Uptown Tea Shop

Location: 310 East South Main St., Waxhaw, NC 28173

Uptown Tea Shop sells a variety of loose-leaf teas for enjoying at home, and high tea reservations are also offered.