This place was always my favorite spot! I was never disappointed and always left eager to return. Does anyone know or have contact with the latest owner? Please share if possible. I now own a tea room of my own and would love to keep some of the legacy of The Victorian Grace alive. I truly miss this place.
jcovingtoncpc
I read the reviews since I am aware that the reason changed owners. I personally knew the 2 previous owners and the quality was beyond excellent. I am very very saddened to see how baddly they have let the place go and the food quality has been compromised as well. This was my favorite place on earth and try to visit whenever I am in town. Guess I won't be back. So long Victorian Grace. You will be missed.
Donna Marko
Granddaughter loved visiting with Elsa! Wish they had chicken nuggets or something my granddaughter would eat. Pbjs were ok but she didn't like the jam. The turkey sandwiches had mayo already on them so no way was she touching that either. The egg salad was delicious as was the cucumber sandwiches. They did have plenty for the adults and offered seconds and thirds. The tea was very good also. The kids had plenty of time with Elsa and they even had one and one time which she made very special for each child keeping the magic alive in their hearts. A little pricey but well worth every penny just to see my little one having fun!
Purple Kat
Pretty Place
R. T.
The overall experience was nice and the staff was friendly but, in terms of high tea / tea parties, I've had better.
The first thing I noticed when we got there is that my chair had some left over bread/pastry crumbs that I cleaned off myself to sit down. The place is lovely but needs a bit of cleaning, especially the floors and window edges.
Our server was attentive, sweet and caring but I doubt she is a waitress by profession. A few drops of tea / soup were spilled here and there and she didn't notice. Nothing too major, bit it would have been nice if those spills were cleaned up.
The mini sandwiches were just ok. The sweet pastry was really yummy though. However, given the size of the portions, I'd say the place is a bit overpriced.
Only 2 tea flavors were available. For a place specializing in serving tea, I kinda expected more options. I personally don't like fruit-flavored teas at all. We got the mango and it was alright though.
On our way out, a couple of incoming guests made a racist comment about me. Since they were 2 old ladies, I didn't bother responding out of respect. I'd like to add that those comments came from guests who are in no shape or form affiliated with the tea room itself at all.
Overall I'd say I'm a little disappointed about the experience. It wasn't horrible, but just meh. I will try other places away from the Brandon area next time.
If you go to this place make sure you leave a good tip, because despite it all, all the girls there seem to be working really hard on making it work.
Dee K.
Laid back atmosphere while still fancy. Cute place. Delicious tea. Friendly staff. Accommodating around my food allergies (as much as they could be without advance notice). Highly enjoyable.
Hazel H (Hazel)
Amazing service
Maria Cristina Tioseco
Mediocre setting, table setting was poorly done, silver utensils needed polishing, food wasn't delicious nor impressive. Too expensive for this poor kind of so called "special place".
Leia Santiago
The owner is super nice. She makes the service personable and she can't do enough. She really stands out. There are only 4 or 5 tea varieties. And to have unlimited tea the whole table has to agree to one flavor. That was disappointing. The chicken soup was delicious! Never had something like it. But the croutons were not crispy. The tea accompaniment was tasty, but I felt it lacked some finesse. The slices of smoked salmon and cucumber in the sandwiches were a bit thicker than I have experienced in other places. Comparing to other tea houses, it's okay. But there's at least one other tea house in the Bay Area that I found far superior. In all, it was nice.
Irishgala 52
I really, really struggled with whether or not I should post this review. I have been a patron of Victorian Grace since it first opened nearly 15 years ago. They hosted numerous large parties for me and I go for tea several times a year. I was NEVER disappointed with the food or the service in all those years. I was SO ecstatic the place was bought and reopened after Loraine retired and quickly scheduled my yearly Christmas Tea for this past weekend. While the servers/management were incredibly sweet, the experience was so disappointing. The regular tea runs around $27; we opted for the “upgraded” menu for an additional $10 each, which was to include a glass of sparkling cider (so yummy!) and extra deserts. We were surprised that our “extra” desserts for our party of four people literally consisted of ONE bite-sized cheesecake (about the size of quarter) that was cut into four pieces (each smaller than a penny). Flabbergasted that we spent and extra $10 for this. The regular food was also a bit disappointing. One of my favorite items on the Victorian Grace menu is the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. While the taste was exactly right, what we were served was not soup – it was the consistency of risotto. Still delicious, though. The biggest disappointment was the missing chicken salad on a croissant. This is a staple of the Victorian Grace menu – and was replaced by a tiny ham and cream cheese sandwich on stale bread. The scones, however, were still delicious as ever.
As this was a Christmas Tea, it was lovely to have a little visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus – my mother especially got a kick out of it. Made for some fun and laughter.
There were also some issues with service as we were there for nearly an hour before we were even served tea. In the end, we were there for almost three hours. I was also disappointed, as I believe the owner had family in another room, and we noticed they received tea prior to the regular patrons despite arriving after.
Overall, the experience was just okay. The food was disappointing – and not worth $35/each – especially without the chicken salad. I’m hoping these issues will all be ironed out as the new owners find their stride. I will definitely give it another shot in the future as I have always loved this place. I SO want to keep loving it! Just not there yet – not with what we were served.
The price jumped to $30 for high tea. They don't answer the phone at all. My email reservation was not honored. They offered to accommodate our party on another day. Not interested! Previous owner was much more organized.
3s0p
First, check the dates on the reviews. Nearly all recent reviews reflect the poor quality of this establishment. Be advised that when you go to their FB page to write a review you cannot submit a negative review since they control what can be posted. The service is horrible. There was one server to wait the room. No other help ever appeared. We waited over 30 minutes to get a pot of tea. We were told that the flavor we chose applied to the table and if we changed flavors or wanted separate flavors that there would be an additional $5 charge so everybody has to agree and like the same tea. The first course was a cup of soup. I chose the Spring Vegetable. When it arrived the broth was watery and the vegetables appeared to be a can of Veg-All: a few cubed carrots, one small piece of potato, and some diced tomato. It came with croutons which consisted of one tablespoon of toasted bread crusts. When the tea course finally arrived it was very disappointing. All the tea "sandwiches" were made with grocery store bagged bread. There were three offerings: the first was smeared with cream cheese and thinly sliced cucumber, the second was egg salad, and the third was a chicken sandwich, which is very misleading because it had less than a tablespoon of chicken. The egg salad had been put on the bread before the crust was removed so when it arrived at the table the edges were squashed thin and very unappetizing.This was also true for the cucumber and cream cheese. The scone on the second tier was good but hardly made up for the sandwiches. On the top dessert tier there were three offerings. One was about a tablespoon of chocolate mousse with a few pieces of graham cracker. Beneath the mousse was a gooey wad of marshmallow that was impossible to eat. There was a one inch square of cheese cake that looked as if it came from a frozen platter from Sam's club, and the third offering was an equally small square of a commercial pound cake in a petite cupcake paper. Additionally, the facility itself was a disaster. I should have been more alert from the condition of the outside of the building which was very unkempt with some scraggly flower baskets and lots of dirt. Inside, the wall paper is peeling, the baseboards and mirrors were filthy, there were missing light bulbs in the candle sconces. The chairs and tables were covered with what appeared to be leftover wedding decorations. There was a vague smell of some overpowering room air freshener that permeated the entire place. The big surprise was when the bill came it was $56 for two people. I was floored. When the experience was over I spent nearly two hours to get a pot of tea, watery broth, a cream cheese sandwich on grocery store bread, and mediocre desserts with lousy service. AVOID this place like the plague. There are much better tea rooms in the area.
Raghda Trott
The overall experience was nice and the staff was friendly but, in terms of high tea / tea parties, I've had better.
Darkmaiden
This is a very sweet, princess like experience. The chicken salad croissant recipe is excellent. Very pleased.
This place was always my favorite spot! I was never disappointed and always left eager to return. Does anyone know or have contact with the latest owner? Please share if possible. I now own a tea room of my own and would love to keep some of the legacy of The Victorian Grace alive. I truly miss this place.
I read the reviews since I am aware that the reason changed owners. I personally knew the 2 previous owners and the quality was beyond excellent. I am very very saddened to see how baddly they have let the place go and the food quality has been compromised as well. This was my favorite place on earth and try to visit whenever I am in town. Guess I won't be back. So long Victorian Grace. You will be missed.
Granddaughter loved visiting with Elsa! Wish they had chicken nuggets or something my granddaughter would eat. Pbjs were ok but she didn't like the jam. The turkey sandwiches had mayo already on them so no way was she touching that either. The egg salad was delicious as was the cucumber sandwiches. They did have plenty for the adults and offered seconds and thirds. The tea was very good also. The kids had plenty of time with Elsa and they even had one and one time which she made very special for each child keeping the magic alive in their hearts. A little pricey but well worth every penny just to see my little one having fun!
Pretty Place
The overall experience was nice and the staff was friendly but, in terms of high tea / tea parties, I've had better.
The first thing I noticed when we got there is that my chair had some left over bread/pastry crumbs that I cleaned off myself to sit down. The place is lovely but needs a bit of cleaning, especially the floors and window edges.
Our server was attentive, sweet and caring but I doubt she is a waitress by profession. A few drops of tea / soup were spilled here and there and she didn't notice. Nothing too major, bit it would have been nice if those spills were cleaned up.
The mini sandwiches were just ok. The sweet pastry was really yummy though. However, given the size of the portions, I'd say the place is a bit overpriced.
Only 2 tea flavors were available. For a place specializing in serving tea, I kinda expected more options. I personally don't like fruit-flavored teas at all. We got the mango and it was alright though.
On our way out, a couple of incoming guests made a racist comment about me. Since they were 2 old ladies, I didn't bother responding out of respect. I'd like to add that those comments came from guests who are in no shape or form affiliated with the tea room itself at all.
Overall I'd say I'm a little disappointed about the experience. It wasn't horrible, but just meh. I will try other places away from the Brandon area next time.
If you go to this place make sure you leave a good tip, because despite it all, all the girls there seem to be working really hard on making it work.
Laid back atmosphere while still fancy. Cute place. Delicious tea. Friendly staff. Accommodating around my food allergies (as much as they could be without advance notice). Highly enjoyable.
Amazing service
Mediocre setting, table setting was poorly done, silver utensils needed polishing, food wasn't delicious nor impressive. Too expensive for this poor kind of so called "special place".
The owner is super nice.
She makes the service personable and she can't do enough. She really stands out.
There are only 4 or 5 tea varieties. And to have unlimited tea the whole table has to agree to one flavor. That was disappointing.
The chicken soup was delicious! Never had something like it. But the croutons were not crispy.
The tea accompaniment was tasty, but I felt it lacked some finesse. The slices of smoked salmon and cucumber in the sandwiches were a bit thicker than I have experienced in other places.
Comparing to other tea houses, it's okay. But there's at least one other tea house in the Bay Area that I found far superior.
In all, it was nice.
I really, really struggled with whether or not I should post this review. I have been a patron of Victorian Grace since it first opened nearly 15 years ago. They hosted numerous large parties for me and I go for tea several times a year. I was NEVER disappointed with the food or the service in all those years. I was SO ecstatic the place was bought and reopened after Loraine retired and quickly scheduled my yearly Christmas Tea for this past weekend. While the servers/management were incredibly sweet, the experience was so disappointing. The regular tea runs around $27; we opted for the “upgraded” menu for an additional $10 each, which was to include a glass of sparkling cider (so yummy!) and extra deserts. We were surprised that our “extra” desserts for our party of four people literally consisted of ONE bite-sized cheesecake (about the size of quarter) that was cut into four pieces (each smaller than a penny). Flabbergasted that we spent and extra $10 for this. The regular food was also a bit disappointing. One of my favorite items on the Victorian Grace menu is the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. While the taste was exactly right, what we were served was not soup – it was the consistency of risotto. Still delicious, though. The biggest disappointment was the missing chicken salad on a croissant. This is a staple of the Victorian Grace menu – and was replaced by a tiny ham and cream cheese sandwich on stale bread. The scones, however, were still delicious as ever.
As this was a Christmas Tea, it was lovely to have a little visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus – my mother especially got a kick out of it. Made for some fun and laughter.
There were also some issues with service as we were there for nearly an hour before we were even served tea. In the end, we were there for almost three hours. I was also disappointed, as I believe the owner had family in another room, and we noticed they received tea prior to the regular patrons despite arriving after.
Overall, the experience was just okay. The food was disappointing – and not worth $35/each – especially without the chicken salad. I’m hoping these issues will all be ironed out as the new owners find their stride. I will definitely give it another shot in the future as I have always loved this place. I SO want to keep loving it! Just not there yet – not with what we were served.
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything is excellent
The price jumped to $30 for high tea. They don't answer the phone at all. My email reservation was not honored. They offered to accommodate our party on another day. Not interested! Previous owner was much more organized.
First, check the dates on the reviews. Nearly all recent reviews reflect the poor quality of this establishment. Be advised that when you go to their FB page to write a review you cannot submit a negative review since they control what can be posted. The service is horrible. There was one server to wait the room. No other help ever appeared. We waited over 30 minutes to get a pot of tea. We were told that the flavor we chose applied to the table and if we changed flavors or wanted separate flavors that there would be an additional $5 charge so everybody has to agree and like the same tea. The first course was a cup of soup. I chose the Spring Vegetable. When it arrived the broth was watery and the vegetables appeared to be a can of Veg-All: a few cubed carrots, one small piece of potato, and some diced tomato. It came with croutons which consisted of one tablespoon of toasted bread crusts. When the tea course finally arrived it was very disappointing. All the tea "sandwiches" were made with grocery store bagged bread. There were three offerings: the first was smeared with cream cheese and thinly sliced cucumber, the second was egg salad, and the third was a chicken sandwich, which is very misleading because it had less than a tablespoon of chicken. The egg salad had been put on the bread before the crust was removed so when it arrived at the table the edges were squashed thin and very unappetizing.This was also true for the cucumber and cream cheese. The scone on the second tier was good but hardly made up for the sandwiches. On the top dessert tier there were three offerings. One was about a tablespoon of chocolate mousse with a few pieces of graham cracker. Beneath the mousse was a gooey wad of marshmallow that was impossible to eat. There was a one inch square of cheese cake that looked as if it came from a frozen platter from Sam's club, and the third offering was an equally small square of a commercial pound cake in a petite cupcake paper. Additionally, the facility itself was a disaster. I should have been more alert from the condition of the outside of the building which was very unkempt with some scraggly flower baskets and lots of dirt. Inside, the wall paper is peeling, the baseboards and mirrors were filthy, there were missing light bulbs in the candle sconces. The chairs and tables were covered with what appeared to be leftover wedding decorations. There was a vague smell of some overpowering room air freshener that permeated the entire place. The big surprise was when the bill came it was $56 for two people. I was floored. When the experience was over I spent nearly two hours to get a pot of tea, watery broth, a cream cheese sandwich on grocery store bread, and mediocre desserts with lousy service. AVOID this place like the plague. There are much better tea rooms in the area.
The overall experience was nice and the staff was friendly but, in terms of high tea / tea parties, I've had better.
This is a very sweet, princess like experience. The chicken salad croissant recipe is excellent. Very pleased.
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