The Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea House

We purchased tickets for “Adults and 10 and under”. Our families combined had 3 kids under the age of 4 and one 1 year old. They were not prepared for kids under 10. They used exact same setup as they would for adults with Chinas and all fragile dishes. We got scolded on “don’t bang the spoon on my table” “kids need to be seated at table at all time” and “don’t use my chinas like that”. We paid $$$ to be in a principle office. This was not what we expected to see for a setup for 10 years and under. Please, have a minimum age specified on your website if you have no experience with young children they are bound to move around. Don’t use “your China” for little kids. Put their tables in less fancy places. Bottom line respect your guests.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 2

Overpriced and under delivered. Food was not very good. Service was meh. Ambiance is about all this place has going for it, at least the day I visited.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Awesome experience! Very fun!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I recently made a reservation at Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea House for my sister and me, hoping for a pleasant afternoon together. My sister was visiting from Toronto with her three children (10, 7, and 5 years old), and I have a 16-year-old. We thought it would be a delightful experience for all of us to share. Unfortunately, our experience with Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea House was nothing short of appalling.

When I called to update our reservation to include the children, I was met with shockingly disrespectful behavior. The person on the phone brusquely informed me that they would not accommodate the 7 and 5-year-olds. There was no indication on their website that children under 10 were not allowed, so this news was unexpected and frustrating. When I asked for an explanation, I was met with a dismissive and condescending attitude.

The situation worsened when I requested a refund. I was told, in a cold and unempathetic manner, that they would only refund the reservation minus the service fees. Before I could ask for further clarification on these fees, the person hung up on me. I was left feeling horrified by how I had been treated—anxious, sad, and completely disrespected. When I called back to seek more information, I was met with the same indifference and lack of care.

My sister and I were looking forward to creating a memorable experience, especially since her visit from Toronto with her children was a rare and special occasion. Instead, we were subjected to an experience that left us feeling deeply disappointed and mistreated. I hope Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea House takes this feedback seriously and makes significant improvements to their customer service and communication. No one should be treated the way we were.

Service: 1

So disappointing. My mother tried to make an online reservation, but it wouldn't allow her for the amount of people we'd have, so she decided to make the drive and come in person to make a reservation. She made a reservation for 5 adults, 2 children. Upon arrival at our reservation time, we were taken to a table for 2. After looking at the reservation, it seemed whoever booked the reservation said it was made for only 2 people. My mom expressed that she came all the way in to book this specifically to get the reservation done correctly. What I assume to be the manager or owner said "Your reservation was booked for 2. We cannot accommodate a party of 7 for another 45min-1hour." No apology, no "sorry for the miscommunication," nothing but a dirty look and essentially telling us to get lost. This was a birthday brunch for my 87 year old grandmother. Safe to say we will not be coming back.

EDIT after reply: I’ve attached a screenshot asking for confirmation of our reservation that they claim they “do not take” ? To say you were “trying to make accommodations” when you so clearly were not is embarrassing. My entire point of this review is that she did in fact indicate 7 guests, YOU were the ones who messed up and made the reservation for 2. The employee(s) my mother made this reservation with even asked her how old the children coming were and if we’d need high chairs. We did not leave angrily, we were in utter shock and disappointment in the way we were spoken to. Instead of being defensive and making up lies, maybe it’s time to look at all the 1 star reviews saying what a rude and disrespectful owner/manager you are, look inwards and figure out why you are the way you are. Have a good day!!

We always do the high tea experience. It's a blast! Worth a trip to MSP for it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

What a fun place! Food was fresh & portions were just right.

The Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea House is truly special, and it was my grandmother's favorite.
Every visit is fun, great food and tea selection that reminds me of times spent with my family.
The friendly staff experience.
This place is more than just a tea house; it’s a place of good memories. Thank you, Mad Hatter, for making those moments so beautiful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Celebration Cake, Berries and Cream Cheese French Toast, Toast, Mad Hatter Signature Chicken Salad on Cranberry Muffin, Fries, Club Sandwich, Queen of Hearts Tea Service

This place has lost its charm. No tea by the pot. Self serve/order via app. They say food will come out in the order it was ordered but it doesn't. Very sad. Hope they can work through their new concept.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

This place is adorable ? it's an old landmark home in Anoka. I wish I had taken more photos. The food was delicious, the service was great. I see people leaving complaints about having to order from a QR code. The staff checked on us before we ordered to make sure we knew how. Once we ordered our coffee, we came out immediately... faster than waiting for someone to take your order. During our dining, the staff checked on us several times. I look forward to coming back again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Quiche

Wow. All of these stellar reviews (the ones about this place, not including the weird bot reviews about some bit coin scheme that are padding the numbers here) makes me all the more disappointed in how I was treated. I will be honest, my experience was from a couple years ago, for whatever reason I could not find this place on here or on Google to review in a more timely manner which is also odd bc I see some date back to 2011! Anyways... maybe there's been a staff change since my visit. Went around the first of the month during a weekday in the morning, no holiday or any specific signage stating that there was no walk-in dining allowed. I was told by a gruff blonde woman in a frilly dress that breakfast was reservation only. Asked if we could make a rez, was snorted at and flatly told no followed by an uncomfortable stare down, presumably intending for us to just leave? Again, very odd. Supposing I dodged a bullet because it stunk so profoundly of mold and mildew, like rotten, wet, basement carpet I felt sick for the duration of the day. I would love to actually have the opportunity to change my review and give this place one more chance since it's been so long, I finally found the right page and can see that for the sake of the benefit of the doubt that perhaps they had an off day, we are all only human after all. I intend to go back soon and look forward to enjoying all the things a lot of other ppl said make this place so special. I promise I won't make it a "Pretty Woman" moment when I do...

My fiancé and I have gone twice a year for a couple years now, and have absolutely loved it and always considered it a 5 star restaurant. We loved the brunch menu, and the Pot of Tea service with the cute teacups and the teapots.

But today we went with the new “Market Menu” options and the QR code, and did not have as wonderful of time as we usually do. We couldn’t order the Pot of Tea, and instead just have to order tea in mugs. Which meant no cute teapots, tea cups, no sugar cubes and sugar spoons, all of which made the aesthetic and vibe amazing. those are half the reason we loved going! And we would always order the brunch menu, but since that has been moved to only sundays, we didn’t love the food as much as we usually do.

We would love the new setup, if specifically we could order the niche cute setup of the Pot of Tea service!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

We visited for a girls day out and enjoyed the Mother's Day Tea. It was a fabulous time and we cannot wait to come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Can someone tell me the appeal of the The Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea House in Anoka? Owner got rid if the brunch menu cuz it wasn’t sustainable according to her, then she fired her staff makes you order off a QR code and expects people to tip still? I’m guessing people primarily go here for tea and what looked like quite an amazing brunch which is no longer existent. The food is not worth the money at all. The “homemade meatballs” were mushy and overall lacked flavor and the cinnamon roll wasn’t even warm. The table next to us wanted to pay cash and the owner literally told them it would take awhile to get a server to come over which is why they have the QR code. There is no way this place will continue to stay busy with an owner who doesn’t want to invest in staff and having a good menu. Simply just up your prices, problem solved.

Food: 2

Service: 1

We had the tea with a pre-set menu (they were unable to accomodate dietary restrictions in the menu). Very nice food assortment and tea selection, though we were dissapointed that there were only three herbal/decaffeinated teas available as two people in our group of four can't have caffeine. The scones were delicious and the savory cheesecake bites surprisingly good. The environment is decorated nicely with some whimsy.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5