This 5-Star Tea House Has Some Seriously Strict Rules (But You'll Want to Follow Them)

This unique tea house, located in Houston, Texas, serves up seriously good tea for serious tea drinkers. Their strict rules are shocking to the uninitiated but are quickly appreciated by their loyal patrons. The 461 reviews on Google with a 4.8-star average say it all.

You can order tea at almost any restaurant in Texas. Iced black tea is a common Southern staple drink. Usually, you have two options: sweet and unsweet.

Around 60 new boba tea shops open every year in Houston with a dizzying array of options, mostly very sweet and highly appealing to the Gen Z crowd.

Some restaurants and most coffee houses have hot tea on offer, which is usually made using your standard tea bags—rare few offer organic, loose-leaf tea options.

In general, when ordering tea, you can order it however you'd like. Sweet, unsweet, half sweet, hot, iced, with cream, with oat milk, with almond milk, with boba or jelly, and the list goes on.

A unique experience

But, there's one tea house in Houston that's unlike any other.

A calm oasis in the city center.

Serving tea for tea's sake.

Walk into The Path of Tea in the Upper Kirby District and you'll be greeted with kimono, shoji screen window coverings, the soothing sounds of water, and calming shakuhachi (Japanese flute) music.

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The rules

You won't find tea lattes, tapioca pearls, or a drive-thru at The Path of Tea.

If you ask for sugar, they don't have any. Honey? Nope. Stevia? Nope.

If you ask for cream, they don't have any. Oat milk? Nope. Half and half? Nope.

Don't even ask for boba.

You can't brew your own tea here. The staff will brew it for you, at the exact temperature and for the exact amount of time it needs to steep, for optimal flavor.

You get to pick your tea cup from the wall. But, they ask that you only touch the one you're going to take, for sanitary reasons.

Why all the rules?

You might think it would be bad for business to have so many rules and not give the people what they ask for. But, the owners knew better when they started this business.

They knew that if people tasted high-quality organic tea, brewed properly then there would be no need for sugar and cream. And, they would be better off for it.

So, why all the rules? They want you to fully taste the flavor of the high-quality loose-leaf organic tea they serve.

Sugar changes the flavor of tea and so does cream.

Also, dairy milk (half and half, cream and cows milk) may prevent your body from taking advantage of some of tea's beneficial properties.

You're welcome to brew your tea however you like at home, but in the tea shop, it'll be served straight.

Also, the owner wants you to enjoy the experience of a Japanese-style tea house in the middle of Texas.

What to order

When ordering a large or small pot of tea, you'll have over 125 flavors to choose from - all organic loose-leaf teas. You'll find familiar Organic Earl Grey and Organic Chamomile and they will be excellent.

Being a Japanese-style tea shop, they specialize in green teas, from Organic Ceremonial Matcha to Organic Strawberry Sencha.

But, I encourage you to try something you've never had, like Organic Coconut Oolong or Organic Passion Fruit Rooibos.

My go-to is black tea at home, but in the tea shop, I usually opt for a silky oolong, rooibos, or lighter tea. I'm partial to drinking hot black tea the British way: with milk (soy, in my case) and sugar. Without those options in the tea shop, I indulge and expand my horizon with new flavors.

You can even try the blend my son Gavin and I created, Organic Peach Lemon Bumble Tea. It won the 2017 Tea Blending Contest at The Path of Tea.

If you're brave, try Organic Tiger Pu-erh, a fermented tea with peppermint.

If you want a recommendation, just ask. The incredibly friendly and knowledgeable owner, Chris, and the staff will gladly direct you to a tea you'll enjoy.

Just don't ask for sugar.

More about The Path of Tea

The Path of Tea is a Japanese-style tea house founded in 2006 by Thia and Chris McKann. It's located at 2340 W. Alabama St., Houston, TX 77098, and is open 7 days a week.

The late Thia McKann was the first Certified Tea Master in Texas. She was teacher/educator at Houston’s premier cancer hospital MD Anderson and taught the history of tea; how tea is produced, and the numerous health benefits of varying teas to medical students, patients and caregivers.

I had the pleasure of learning from Thia teach at several in-depth tea classes before she passed away. I'm grateful for the continued tea knowledge I've gained from her husband, Chris.

In addition to flavorful teas, they also offer organic healing teas that may alleviate a variety of ailments. If you're a newbie to tea, call and reserve a spot at one of the Intro to Tea Tasting events, typically held on Wednesday evenings.

You won't regret it.

Disclaimer: I have worked for The Path of Tea as a contractor for over 10 years, assisting them with their website maintenance and marketing. I'm also a loyal customer!