The food is consistently very good I love the tea service and the very large dining room downstairs. The staff are usually helpful and somewhat friendly. I wouldn't say the food is great value but it's a decent value for current Washington DC prices. The Teaism brew shop next-door, which I never realized was there until 2024 because the signage is so inconspicuous, has some really fantastic selections. Their buyer/curator has excellent taste !
Allan Tseng
Fast service , and good food. It a busy place so find a table before ordering food down stairs.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Meg
I ordered just the basic mango juice adding boba. The boba was good so 5 stars for that. The mango juice was more orange juice than mango. The girl at register did say there was going to be orange juice mixed in. I asked if it was going to be sweet and she gave a weak yes response. It is not. Tastes like 80% orange juice and 20% mango. The only saving grace is the boba. Just the right amount of texture chewy but not too chewy. It’s a hipster joint with hipster vibes. Over priced, underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Rafael S
I had the vegan bean cake. To be frank, I didn't like it. There was nothing special about it, and the prices were too high for a subpar experience. The veggies taste like they were overcooked and in the fridge for too long. I don't recommend it, and I wouldn't go back .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Anthony Miyake
Had the salmon bento box and requested the asian slaw instead of the brown rice which they accommodated.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Salmon Bento
Barbara C.
Been here a couple of times - the first time about a year ago to get some bubble tea and an appetizer for a snack, and again a few days ago for a more substantial meal. (I think I even came here many years ago, but back then, their menu was very limited. It's definitely grown a lot since then.) The bubble tea, I remember, was very good and a step up from your run-of-the-mill bubble tea shops that barely use much real tea, and I was able to ask for it to be made with less sugar and with non-dairy milk. The other day, I got their Spicy Glass Noodle & Tofu dish. It actually wasn't that spicy, but it was still delicious. A good portion of grilled tofu, LOTS of bok choy that was perfectly cooked, all over glass noodles tossed with a chili oil sauce. The bottom of it ended up being VERY oily and greasy, so I ended up not eating all the noodles. But I gobbled up all the tofu and bok choy and very much enjoyed it. A nice vegan lunch. Boyfriend got their brisket sandwich and enjoyed it as well. There's a handful of tables upstairs, but a larger dining area downstairs that was much less crowded. It was clean and well-kept. You can order on their kiosks or with a person - the people taking orders were helpful with answering questions and customizing our dishes.
Tommy Y.
What I love about The Teaism in Penn Quarter, is that they have a really nice casual vibe for a busy city like DC; drop in, order some food/drinks, pick it up from the counter, and chill out. I like that they have a big open seating area in the lower level, and it's well kept and clean! I had the Thai Chicken Curry big dish, with the Broccoli Tots appetizer. Looking at the ingredients list at first I didn't know what to expect, as with a lot of their Asian dishes, it's not the most traditional take on the cuisine it's claiming to be: brown rice with a skewer of grilled vegetables, none of which are traditionally in Thai curry? So it's a more modern take on classic dishes, which is fine as long as it tastes good, and is respecting the culture the dish is from, and I'm glad to say Teaism definitely does! The curry was tasty and the ingredients definitely tasted fresh and quality, the chicken had nice flavor to it, but some of the bits in my curry were on the dryer side. Also the curry was a bit too sour for my preference, but it still overall was a tasty dish! The broccoli tots were tasty but a bit on the doughy side, but the combination with goat cheese and the tasty dipping sauce is a flavorful bite! I do have to give props to them for focusing on using organic and some locally sourced ingredients! They have a wide range of Asian dishes which I find really interesting: Japanese, Korean, Thai, even some Indian! Along with their variety of hot or cold drinks and their vast tea selection, I definitely will be back to try some more.
Dimitri Antanov
Normal prices in DC? Crazy! And the food is exceptional good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kay D.
$17 for a bento the menu does describe what's in the dish but fails to mention temperatures. The sweet potato and broccoli are both served cold. Overall this experience as ok nothing tasted bad but I wouldn't necessarily call this a genuine asian spot. Everything was very light seasoned and the flavors are quite interesting with the broccoli being tart the sweet potato being salted miso. This is definitely not somewhere I'd visit a second time for food but maybe for the teas. The boba milk tea I got was ok I could taste the tea flavor but my friend did say it taste like something out of a can - the boba pearls itself was overcooked and mushy like it had been sitting out. Overall this wasn't a great experience and not something I'd justify spending $17 on it kinda just tasted like ingredients with squirts or sauce.
David C.
A consistently good to above good cafe; great for meeting friends, or before or after a meal. The teas have always been good though desserts have varied in terms of selection and quality over the years. Very international and diverse selection of tastes; teas and otherwise. Service is also subject to highly vary. Depending on which location you go to, seating may be plentiful or limited; decently spaced out or unconscionably claustrophobic. Go with no expectations, and you're always in for a good to great time. Go with expectations, and you're going to hate me for misleading you. Everyone coming from out of town has to go here at least once. It is indeed a long-term if dated staple of dc. My advice to the staff is to focus on quality of ingredients and execution as you were once known for, as well as to make better decisions in terms of what to keep and what to rotate or experiment upon, particularly when it comes to desserts
Stopped here twice while in DC, but wish I had the chance to come more. Excellent tea and bites. Wish I had the chance to stay for a full meal. Location is busy at times, but they are efficient and move things along quickly. You won't wait long. Ordered Chai Latte both times and the broccoli tots which had a little kick. They were fantastic! Worth the stop for sure!
Janet LG
I loved this place! I got the Thai chicken curry and vegan ginger scones and the now and Zen tea, all of which were heavenly! Service was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Chicken Curry
Vaishali Pandey
Ambience and aroma is amazing, it has a very soothing and calming effect! Service is amazingly fast, it’s like within minutes our food arrived. You have to self order at the counter and there’s no server to take order or bring food to the table.The amount of tea they offer at 4-6$ is amazing! For someone who likes tea, it’s great. I am not a fan of black tea so, didn’t really like it.For vegetarians there aren’t many options so we got a black bean cake bento box, and everything in it apart from the rice was cold. I didnt like the cold food, be it broccoli, sweet potatoes, sea weed bean cakes, everything was cold! I know these things are served mainly cold but they should have chosen some better combo with something slightly warm to go with the rice.Experience was amazing and their crème brûlée is amazing and a must try! Friends also got cabbage pancakes and French toast which were amazing. Chai here is also served in decent quantity but it has a lot of cinnamon flavor, along with ginger which was good.Vegetarian options: Very few options! I wouldn’t recommend going here.Parking: Restaurant doesn’t offer parking and parking is very difficult to find. Street parking is a way of lot of paid self parking lots nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan Black Bean Cake Bento
Regal Flare
I am kind of disappointed. It looks great, but dont let that fool you. The beef bento I got was all sorts of wronge. The beef was cold, dry, and chewy. The rice had no flavor even though it had seasoning on it. The hole meal kind of sucked. The only hot thing I got was my tea, and it was so hot that I couldn't drink it. About 10m later, I was able to drink it and it tasted all wronge. I don't know what that was, but that wasn't Earl Gray tea. It's like a mix of different teas.While the inside of the restaurant is nice, I wished they would just take your order at your table instead of having you take a tray of food DOWN STAIRS to sit at. It's not a huge place, so having to fight people down the stairs with food is not what I signed up for. It's adding an extra layer of stress.Overall, I don't see myself coming back. It's already hard enough to find a place to park in this city. There is no way I would do that just for this food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Lara C
The Korean BBQ sandwich was to die for. I would definitely go here again!
The food is consistently very good I love the tea service and the very large dining room downstairs. The staff are usually helpful and somewhat friendly. I wouldn't say the food is great value but it's a decent value for current Washington DC prices. The Teaism brew shop next-door, which I never realized was there until 2024 because the signage is so inconspicuous, has some really fantastic selections. Their buyer/curator has excellent taste !
Fast service , and good food. It a busy place so find a table before ordering food down stairs.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I ordered just the basic mango juice adding boba. The boba was good so 5 stars for that. The mango juice was more orange juice than mango. The girl at register did say there was going to be orange juice mixed in. I asked if it was going to be sweet and she gave a weak yes response. It is not. Tastes like 80% orange juice and 20% mango. The only saving grace is the boba. Just the right amount of texture chewy but not too chewy. It’s a hipster joint with hipster vibes. Over priced, underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
I had the vegan bean cake. To be frank, I didn't like it. There was nothing special about it, and the prices were too high for a subpar experience. The veggies taste like they were overcooked and in the fridge for too long. I don't recommend it, and I wouldn't go back .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Had the salmon bento box and requested the asian slaw instead of the brown rice which they accommodated.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Salmon Bento
Been here a couple of times - the first time about a year ago to get some bubble tea and an appetizer for a snack, and again a few days ago for a more substantial meal. (I think I even came here many years ago, but back then, their menu was very limited. It's definitely grown a lot since then.) The bubble tea, I remember, was very good and a step up from your run-of-the-mill bubble tea shops that barely use much real tea, and I was able to ask for it to be made with less sugar and with non-dairy milk. The other day, I got their Spicy Glass Noodle & Tofu dish. It actually wasn't that spicy, but it was still delicious. A good portion of grilled tofu, LOTS of bok choy that was perfectly cooked, all over glass noodles tossed with a chili oil sauce. The bottom of it ended up being VERY oily and greasy, so I ended up not eating all the noodles. But I gobbled up all the tofu and bok choy and very much enjoyed it. A nice vegan lunch. Boyfriend got their brisket sandwich and enjoyed it as well. There's a handful of tables upstairs, but a larger dining area downstairs that was much less crowded. It was clean and well-kept. You can order on their kiosks or with a person - the people taking orders were helpful with answering questions and customizing our dishes.
What I love about The Teaism in Penn Quarter, is that they have a really nice casual vibe for a busy city like DC; drop in, order some food/drinks, pick it up from the counter, and chill out. I like that they have a big open seating area in the lower level, and it's well kept and clean! I had the Thai Chicken Curry big dish, with the Broccoli Tots appetizer. Looking at the ingredients list at first I didn't know what to expect, as with a lot of their Asian dishes, it's not the most traditional take on the cuisine it's claiming to be: brown rice with a skewer of grilled vegetables, none of which are traditionally in Thai curry? So it's a more modern take on classic dishes, which is fine as long as it tastes good, and is respecting the culture the dish is from, and I'm glad to say Teaism definitely does! The curry was tasty and the ingredients definitely tasted fresh and quality, the chicken had nice flavor to it, but some of the bits in my curry were on the dryer side. Also the curry was a bit too sour for my preference, but it still overall was a tasty dish! The broccoli tots were tasty but a bit on the doughy side, but the combination with goat cheese and the tasty dipping sauce is a flavorful bite! I do have to give props to them for focusing on using organic and some locally sourced ingredients! They have a wide range of Asian dishes which I find really interesting: Japanese, Korean, Thai, even some Indian! Along with their variety of hot or cold drinks and their vast tea selection, I definitely will be back to try some more.
Normal prices in DC? Crazy! And the food is exceptional good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
$17 for a bento the menu does describe what's in the dish but fails to mention temperatures. The sweet potato and broccoli are both served cold. Overall this experience as ok nothing tasted bad but I wouldn't necessarily call this a genuine asian spot. Everything was very light seasoned and the flavors are quite interesting with the broccoli being tart the sweet potato being salted miso. This is definitely not somewhere I'd visit a second time for food but maybe for the teas. The boba milk tea I got was ok I could taste the tea flavor but my friend did say it taste like something out of a can - the boba pearls itself was overcooked and mushy like it had been sitting out. Overall this wasn't a great experience and not something I'd justify spending $17 on it kinda just tasted like ingredients with squirts or sauce.
A consistently good to above good cafe; great for meeting friends, or before or after a meal. The teas have always been good though desserts have varied in terms of selection and quality over the years. Very international and diverse selection of tastes; teas and otherwise. Service is also subject to highly vary. Depending on which location you go to, seating may be plentiful or limited; decently spaced out or unconscionably claustrophobic. Go with no expectations, and you're always in for a good to great time. Go with expectations, and you're going to hate me for misleading you. Everyone coming from out of town has to go here at least once. It is indeed a long-term if dated staple of dc. My advice to the staff is to focus on quality of ingredients and execution as you were once known for, as well as to make better decisions in terms of what to keep and what to rotate or experiment upon, particularly when it comes to desserts
Restaurantji Recommends
Stopped here twice while in DC, but wish I had the chance to come more. Excellent tea and bites. Wish I had the chance to stay for a full meal. Location is busy at times, but they are efficient and move things along quickly. You won't wait long. Ordered Chai Latte both times and the broccoli tots which had a little kick. They were fantastic! Worth the stop for sure!
I loved this place! I got the Thai chicken curry and vegan ginger scones and the now and Zen tea, all of which were heavenly! Service was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Chicken Curry
Ambience and aroma is amazing, it has a very soothing and calming effect! Service is amazingly fast, it’s like within minutes our food arrived. You have to self order at the counter and there’s no server to take order or bring food to the table.The amount of tea they offer at 4-6$ is amazing! For someone who likes tea, it’s great. I am not a fan of black tea so, didn’t really like it.For vegetarians there aren’t many options so we got a black bean cake bento box, and everything in it apart from the rice was cold. I didnt like the cold food, be it broccoli, sweet potatoes, sea weed bean cakes, everything was cold! I know these things are served mainly cold but they should have chosen some better combo with something slightly warm to go with the rice.Experience was amazing and their crème brûlée is amazing and a must try! Friends also got cabbage pancakes and French toast which were amazing. Chai here is also served in decent quantity but it has a lot of cinnamon flavor, along with ginger which was good.Vegetarian options: Very few options! I wouldn’t recommend going here.Parking: Restaurant doesn’t offer parking and parking is very difficult to find. Street parking is a way of lot of paid self parking lots nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan Black Bean Cake Bento
I am kind of disappointed. It looks great, but dont let that fool you. The beef bento I got was all sorts of wronge. The beef was cold, dry, and chewy. The rice had no flavor even though it had seasoning on it. The hole meal kind of sucked. The only hot thing I got was my tea, and it was so hot that I couldn't drink it. About 10m later, I was able to drink it and it tasted all wronge. I don't know what that was, but that wasn't Earl Gray tea. It's like a mix of different teas.While the inside of the restaurant is nice, I wished they would just take your order at your table instead of having you take a tray of food DOWN STAIRS to sit at. It's not a huge place, so having to fight people down the stairs with food is not what I signed up for. It's adding an extra layer of stress.Overall, I don't see myself coming back. It's already hard enough to find a place to park in this city. There is no way I would do that just for this food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
The Korean BBQ sandwich was to die for. I would definitely go here again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4