I really enjoyed the visit to Whistle Stop Gardens Tea Room. It was my first time ever having afternoon/high tea. Melanie and Jojo were so wonderful. I would have given a 5 star review but I was completely turned off by the owner Anna and her gaslighting and belittling of her employees in front of customers. Anna was so awful that one of the sweet young ladies cried. Based on other reviews I read, this seems to be a common theme with the owner. Shame on you Anna.To Melanie and JoJo: You are wonderful! You did a great job. You are worth and deserve so much more than the treatment you received. Know your worth babes. Keep twirling.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea, Scone, Strawberry Salad
Nicole Strait
This was my second time having afternoon tea here. It was wonderful. The food was delicious and just the right amount. Service was very attentive and the whole setting on the patio looking out at a little lake, white cloth tablecloth and serviettes and China cups etc was delightful.I am a Brit and partial to afternoon tea and am often disappointed here in the US. Whistle Stop doesn't pretend to be an English afternoon tea, but a Southern one and it's spot on.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
judy martinez
Can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lori Mc Lellan (Bigbootyjudylivecomedy)
Wedding shower for a niece. Owners were very nice as well as the employees.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Angela Green
This place is incredible. I’ve been twice and both times I was blown away. ALL the food is hand made (no box macarons here!) and delicious. The scone are warm and amazing. The vibe is perfect English tea setting. Even the little antique store feels like it fits right in. I’ve done all the tea houses in Tampa and this is my favorite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
gaming nation
Loved the set up, very quaint. A little tight inside the actual tea room but atmosphere and food were lovely. Tucked away alongside antique shopping, males for a great day. A little challenging for anyone using an assistive device to get to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambeika Daniel-Kalloo
It was my first time visiting here with a friend and I absolutely loved it! We had the savory tea which included a strawberry salad, sandwiches, a croissant and a mini quiche.. everything was delicious! Their apple spice tea is divine! I will definitely be back to try the Afternoon Tea.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ronnie Payne
They were closed for the holidays love the place it's like the 3rd time I've stopped too sit in a rocking chair listening too music whistleing relaxing after driving highway 41 to n from the VA hospital in Tampa such Crazy no turn signal drivers in n out ???
Atmosphere: 5
Ruth Goldsberry
The whole experience was great. The food, the tea, and the staff!
Had a wonderful time with 4 of my beautiful friends. Weather was beautiful. Sat outside, shopped, they have lots of beautiful plants and antique shopsParking: If you get there before 11a there is plenty of parking. At about 12 or 1p not so much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croissants, Tea and Greek Salad
Very quaint place, loved the antique store and the other store on site.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea, Strawberry Salad, Tea and Greek Salad
Regina Motter
This place exceeded our expectations! We were a group of 4 and sat under the veranda which was a beautiful set up right on the lake. The atmosphere was so peaceful and friendly, perfect for a Sunday tea and the food was as amazing! We can’t wait to come back again when the weather cools down! So happy to have found this little gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea
Michelle Nentwich
Thank you for everything, Anna. The bridal shower was just lovely. The room was beautiful with all the fall decorations, the food was delicious, and the service was wonderful! Jo-Jo and Nina did a terrific job. Thank you again for a perfect day!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hailey Plunkett Owen
I've never felt more unwelcome. My first visit to Whistle Stop was wonderful. I took my Mom in early December as a "I'm thankful for you" gift. We just welcomed our second daughter and my oldest had broken her leg just one week before I was induced. She was a lifesaver. As for our visit, the staff entertained my girls and admired how my oldest enjoyed the teas. They even took nice pictures of us in the garden. Our second visit took place before Mother's Day weekend. I had asked Anna if I could book for a group of mother's (MOMS Club of Odessa, FL) and their children for us to celebrate Mother's Day as a group. During that communication she gave me some red flags about us being welcomed, but I asked if having children would be an issue and when she didn't respond after a couple of days I continued with our reservation. I wish I hadn't. When we arrived, we were ushered outside as if they didn't want others to see us being seated. They expected children ages 6mo - 4 years old to sit by themselves at another table away from their mothers. We weren't given menus or told what was being served. The children that paid for their meal ($22/plate) were given tea bags and not their own tea pot to pour from. The service was horrible. Cold tea. No waters. Then at the end of the outing, the servers came over to give the kids a bubble wand. Anna came out and scoffed at them because they gave one to every child and not just those who purchased a meal. It just was overall not worth the price we paid. The goal of the outing was to celebrate all we do as mothers but instead they made it a point to make us feel ashamed that we are caring for our children ourselves and taking them out to a "restaurant" with us. If you're considering this establishment I would highly reconsider, especially if you have children.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Lujain Alkhateeb
I really really wanted to give this place five stars.It has all the bones and potential to be amazing.Ms. Laurie was delightful and friendly.The lady that brought our treats was sweet as well.It was Ms. Anna that soured our experience. And now I wish I could give negative stars.After initially being helpful in removing a wasp that was crawling on my toddler’s head Ms. Anna was short tempered and yelled and hollered at our kids even though they were polite and kept their hands to themselves and were marveling at all the pretty flowers and trinkets in the outdoor space.She yelled at the girls when they were going to the bathroom together (the went together because the light in the bathroom was burnt and they were scared to go alone) so they were going to wait for each other at the bathroom. She yelled that she didn’t want them walking around. We explained the situation so she snapped “fine two by two then” weird but we let it slide and told our girls to go in pairs.After we finished our brunch my friend took the girls to walk around and look at plants and flowers. Anna then yelled at the girls to not touch anything. In the presence of their mom.We began packing our leftovers and I was chatting with Ms. Laurie and then she said she had to talk to Anna because they’re closing soon. Anna continued to be strange. While thanked us for coming a minute later as I was showing my friend the beautiful herb garden she yelled at me, A grown woman, At the top of her lungs to STOP TOUCHING things so I raised my voice so she could hear me over her own roaring and said I am demonstrating how basil and mint grows to my friend. I haven’t touched nor damaged her plants. To that she rubbed her face and said oh or sorry. She then went around to where my friends’ 4 year old was standing patiently waiting for her mama and screams GO TO YOUR MOTHER STOP TOUCHING like a madwoman.At that point I couldn’t stay silent.I responded with apologizing to my friend’s daughter loudly so that Anna could hear “adults should NEVER yell at kids”. And then I told Anna loudly “DO NOT YELL AT CHILDREN, she was waiting for her mama patiently and politely. You had no right to yell” as we were leaving.My friend also told Anna she shouldn’t yell at her kids and that it wasn’t okay.We didn’t wait to hear what she had to say. She blabbed something back but we just walked away from Crazy old lady.But shame on Anna and shame on the lady in the hat that works there for not stopping the verbal abuse from happening.She saw how horrible Anna was being to the kids and did nothing to stop her or let her walk away.-Pros:Pretty locationDelicious teaDelicious chicken salad croissant sandwichesDelicious cucumber sandwichesMs. Laurie was sweet-Cons:•Not enough food (like a slice of each per person for the adult meal) (the only reason we had enough to eat bcz our friend didn’t come so we asked for their boxed meal to be served. So we were able to fill up on the few extras that were packed)•Only two pots of tea and you can only choose two (which is actually three because they gave us two pots of herbal tea and one of black and added pot of pink lemonade)•The pink lemonade has a goat-y smell and aftertaste•The kids amounts were measly and barely anything to provide sustenance.•Anna (her presence, her attitude, her aggression, her verbal abuse of children and adults)•More fans were needed to enjoy the outdoor space. One big floor fan and one skinny one next to each other barely made a breeze.• no ice machine•the place claimed to be “fully booked” but it was just us outdoors and one table indoors.A big part of me feels like perhaps miss Anna is just a grumpy old lady that doesn’t want to deal with customers. (It doesn’t excuse her behavior one iota but it sure does explain it)If that’s the case then I recommend she remove herself from the customer service industry, because if you don’t have the generosity of spirit to be kind to children and adults, you need to get out of the hospitality industry for sure.
I really enjoyed the visit to Whistle Stop Gardens Tea Room. It was my first time ever having afternoon/high tea. Melanie and Jojo were so wonderful. I would have given a 5 star review but I was completely turned off by the owner Anna and her gaslighting and belittling of her employees in front of customers. Anna was so awful that one of the sweet young ladies cried. Based on other reviews I read, this seems to be a common theme with the owner. Shame on you Anna.To Melanie and JoJo: You are wonderful! You did a great job. You are worth and deserve so much more than the treatment you received. Know your worth babes. Keep twirling.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea, Scone, Strawberry Salad
This was my second time having afternoon tea here. It was wonderful. The food was delicious and just the right amount. Service was very attentive and the whole setting on the patio looking out at a little lake, white cloth tablecloth and serviettes and China cups etc was delightful.I am a Brit and partial to afternoon tea and am often disappointed here in the US. Whistle Stop doesn't pretend to be an English afternoon tea, but a Southern one and it's spot on.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wedding shower for a niece. Owners were very nice as well as the employees.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
This place is incredible. I’ve been twice and both times I was blown away. ALL the food is hand made (no box macarons here!) and delicious. The scone are warm and amazing. The vibe is perfect English tea setting. Even the little antique store feels like it fits right in. I’ve done all the tea houses in Tampa and this is my favorite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved the set up, very quaint. A little tight inside the actual tea room but atmosphere and food were lovely. Tucked away alongside antique shopping, males for a great day. A little challenging for anyone using an assistive device to get to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was my first time visiting here with a friend and I absolutely loved it! We had the savory tea which included a strawberry salad, sandwiches, a croissant and a mini quiche.. everything was delicious! Their apple spice tea is divine! I will definitely be back to try the Afternoon Tea.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They were closed for the holidays love the place it's like the 3rd time I've stopped too sit in a rocking chair listening too music whistleing relaxing after driving highway 41 to n from the VA hospital in Tampa such Crazy no turn signal drivers in n out ???
Atmosphere: 5
The whole experience was great. The food, the tea, and the staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea, Strawberry Salad, Croissants
Had a wonderful time with 4 of my beautiful friends. Weather was beautiful. Sat outside, shopped, they have lots of beautiful plants and antique shopsParking: If you get there before 11a there is plenty of parking. At about 12 or 1p not so much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croissants, Tea and Greek Salad
Restaurantji Recommends
Very quaint place, loved the antique store and the other store on site.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea, Strawberry Salad, Tea and Greek Salad
This place exceeded our expectations! We were a group of 4 and sat under the veranda which was a beautiful set up right on the lake. The atmosphere was so peaceful and friendly, perfect for a Sunday tea and the food was as amazing! We can’t wait to come back again when the weather cools down! So happy to have found this little gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea
Thank you for everything, Anna. The bridal shower was just lovely. The room was beautiful with all the fall decorations, the food was delicious, and the service was wonderful! Jo-Jo and Nina did a terrific job. Thank you again for a perfect day!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I've never felt more unwelcome. My first visit to Whistle Stop was wonderful. I took my Mom in early December as a "I'm thankful for you" gift. We just welcomed our second daughter and my oldest had broken her leg just one week before I was induced. She was a lifesaver. As for our visit, the staff entertained my girls and admired how my oldest enjoyed the teas. They even took nice pictures of us in the garden. Our second visit took place before Mother's Day weekend. I had asked Anna if I could book for a group of mother's (MOMS Club of Odessa, FL) and their children for us to celebrate Mother's Day as a group. During that communication she gave me some red flags about us being welcomed, but I asked if having children would be an issue and when she didn't respond after a couple of days I continued with our reservation. I wish I hadn't. When we arrived, we were ushered outside as if they didn't want others to see us being seated. They expected children ages 6mo - 4 years old to sit by themselves at another table away from their mothers. We weren't given menus or told what was being served. The children that paid for their meal ($22/plate) were given tea bags and not their own tea pot to pour from. The service was horrible. Cold tea. No waters. Then at the end of the outing, the servers came over to give the kids a bubble wand. Anna came out and scoffed at them because they gave one to every child and not just those who purchased a meal. It just was overall not worth the price we paid. The goal of the outing was to celebrate all we do as mothers but instead they made it a point to make us feel ashamed that we are caring for our children ourselves and taking them out to a "restaurant" with us. If you're considering this establishment I would highly reconsider, especially if you have children.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
I really really wanted to give this place five stars.It has all the bones and potential to be amazing.Ms. Laurie was delightful and friendly.The lady that brought our treats was sweet as well.It was Ms. Anna that soured our experience. And now I wish I could give negative stars.After initially being helpful in removing a wasp that was crawling on my toddler’s head Ms. Anna was short tempered and yelled and hollered at our kids even though they were polite and kept their hands to themselves and were marveling at all the pretty flowers and trinkets in the outdoor space.She yelled at the girls when they were going to the bathroom together (the went together because the light in the bathroom was burnt and they were scared to go alone) so they were going to wait for each other at the bathroom. She yelled that she didn’t want them walking around. We explained the situation so she snapped “fine two by two then” weird but we let it slide and told our girls to go in pairs.After we finished our brunch my friend took the girls to walk around and look at plants and flowers. Anna then yelled at the girls to not touch anything. In the presence of their mom.We began packing our leftovers and I was chatting with Ms. Laurie and then she said she had to talk to Anna because they’re closing soon. Anna continued to be strange. While thanked us for coming a minute later as I was showing my friend the beautiful herb garden she yelled at me, A grown woman, At the top of her lungs to STOP TOUCHING things so I raised my voice so she could hear me over her own roaring and said I am demonstrating how basil and mint grows to my friend. I haven’t touched nor damaged her plants. To that she rubbed her face and said oh or sorry. She then went around to where my friends’ 4 year old was standing patiently waiting for her mama and screams GO TO YOUR MOTHER STOP TOUCHING like a madwoman.At that point I couldn’t stay silent.I responded with apologizing to my friend’s daughter loudly so that Anna could hear “adults should NEVER yell at kids”. And then I told Anna loudly “DO NOT YELL AT CHILDREN, she was waiting for her mama patiently and politely. You had no right to yell” as we were leaving.My friend also told Anna she shouldn’t yell at her kids and that it wasn’t okay.We didn’t wait to hear what she had to say. She blabbed something back but we just walked away from Crazy old lady.But shame on Anna and shame on the lady in the hat that works there for not stopping the verbal abuse from happening.She saw how horrible Anna was being to the kids and did nothing to stop her or let her walk away.-Pros:Pretty locationDelicious teaDelicious chicken salad croissant sandwichesDelicious cucumber sandwichesMs. Laurie was sweet-Cons:•Not enough food (like a slice of each per person for the adult meal) (the only reason we had enough to eat bcz our friend didn’t come so we asked for their boxed meal to be served. So we were able to fill up on the few extras that were packed)•Only two pots of tea and you can only choose two (which is actually three because they gave us two pots of herbal tea and one of black and added pot of pink lemonade)•The pink lemonade has a goat-y smell and aftertaste•The kids amounts were measly and barely anything to provide sustenance.•Anna (her presence, her attitude, her aggression, her verbal abuse of children and adults)•More fans were needed to enjoy the outdoor space. One big floor fan and one skinny one next to each other barely made a breeze.• no ice machine•the place claimed to be “fully booked” but it was just us outdoors and one table indoors.A big part of me feels like perhaps miss Anna is just a grumpy old lady that doesn’t want to deal with customers. (It doesn’t excuse her behavior one iota but it sure does explain it)If that’s the case then I recommend she remove herself from the customer service industry, because if you don’t have the generosity of spirit to be kind to children and adults, you need to get out of the hospitality industry for sure.
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea