I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Red Wing — despite it being the coldest weekend of the year. And my car being frozen shut. And loosing my mittens. But one thing Minnesotans do better than any other state, has been REMAININGOPEN in cold weather, or any weather for that matter. Even when it is –20 degrees, mama still gotta eat. No one will give you a pat on the back for opening your shop, they just expect it. I was happy to say that we were the only customers in their sweet little tea shop for 2 hours that day. The waitress and manager were rolling silverware and chatting pleasantly the whole time, in-between filling our tea cups and bringing us piping hot soup. As I perused Unilocal for a cozy lunch spot, this caught my eye. Mostly because I had no idea where it was and we were down for an adventure. This café is located on the second-floor of Pottery Place — a building with some incredible history. If you are not from the area — just stop downstairs at their ginormous 90’s TV in the lobby and press Play. To the left, a lovely exposed brick wall and views out the front of the building, and to the right, you can enjoy the atrium with wooden beams and quirky corners. It looks as though it used to be a walkway, and they’ve fit 10 – 15 little tables into the space, against the brick wall and windows with plenty of light. The space was very clean, and the tables were already set with tea cups and doilies(if you’ve read this far, you probably like this stuff too). The tea choices were smaller than most tea shops I go to, but they were curated and delicious. Unlimited refills and you can change your tea choice up to 6 times. We ordered the scones with lemon curd and devonshire, a must. The scones were fine, but the devonshire — perhaps it was more authentic? — but it was sour and tasted like yogurt, no thank you. We tried the African peanut soup, and it was surprisingly awesome. I didn’t have high hopes, but the savory peanut-butter soup with rice and shredded chicken, served with a baguette really hit the spot. The salads looked wonderful, and the pear salad came highly recommended. I would definitely come back for the eclectic experience and stay for the tea.
Kristen B.
Place rating: 1 Red Wing, MN
Disappointing. I just moved to the Pottery Pace Apartments and was excited to have what looked like a very promising spot to eat right in the building. I ordered the Wisteria Pear Salad to go. I got up to my apartment and realized they had completely forgotten the pears!(the best part)(its called a pear salad) I headed right back downstairs and the place was completely closed up and the lady and other male behind the counter were gone. This is Saturday and it states on there site the hours are from 10:00am-5:00pm. Looks like they were out of pears and hightailed it out of there before I realized. I paid $ 11.39 for spinach, chicken, and a smattering of sliced almonds.(salad also comes with feta but i had to leave out because i have an insolence to dairy) Too bad. I will not be returning.
Eric F.
Place rating: 4 Minnetonka, MN
Wonderful surprise in the land of pottery and antiques ! Loved everything we had but the best was the amazing gluten free bread. We ended up buying a loaf ! Rita has a few secrets in her cooking but she will happily share if you ask… will be back !
Peter R.
Place rating: 5 Hopkins, MN
The twig sandwiches were great! Turkey asparagus & roast beef provalone all the day! Great tea & friendly staff as well! Strongly recommended!
Eam M.
Place rating: 4 Beaverton, OR
This wasn’t the easiest place to find but once inside this cute little spot was worth the effort. It’s upstairs with tables overlooking the historical treasure that is the old pottery building. Very quaint with nice touches and a nice feel. Great food and drinks. I had the open-faced reuben and fresh lemonade-delicious! Scones to go that I can’t wait to try. I really enjoyed this unique little restaurant.
Erin T.
Place rating: 5 Wallingford, CT
Wow what a hidden gem here in Red Wing! I had the Pear Salad and my mom had the Granny Smith salad. Gorgeous presentation, good portion size and really fresh ingredients. Pear was perfectly ripe, maple dressing was balanced and accented the salad well. Friendly home town service and a great, quiet tucked away location. Will be back!
Maggie P.
Place rating: 5 Red Wing, MN
Really enjoyed the made from scratch food here. The teas were great and it has a relaxing atmosphere. Prices are great for home made food. This restaurant is a gem and I highly recommend it. Try their soup and sandwich deal with hot tea. I Will go here again for sure!
Coree S.
Place rating: 5 Uptown, Minneapolis, MN
Great little find… fresh sandwiches, homemade soups along with lots of tea choices too! So glad I found this place on Unilocal and checked it out. Would recommended it and I always enjoy supporting local business
Matt K.
Place rating: 3 Saint Paul, MN
Cute spot for lunch at Pottery Place. I wanted to like this place more, based on recommendations and a definite need for good lunch options in Red Wing, but the food and tea didn’t quite live up to expectations. Vegetarian options were limited and the house tea was good, but unremarkable. The sandwiches were interesting and the atmosphere was pleasant, so I’d definitely give it another chance.
David R.
Place rating: 5 Red Wing, MN
This comes up as a Tea room here but it is actually a very good restaurant as well. The hot sandwiches are open faced and smothered with cheese. The wraps are overflowing with veggies and meat and homemade dipping sauce — far better than the average iceberg lettuce filled tortillas that often pass as wraps in other places. The deserts are always homemade and we can not leave without having one(or even one each). This is where we send out-of-towners looking for a good lunch. Yes it is a very small place and everything is made from scratch so it can take a while, but it is a great location on a second floor balcony in a historic building full of antique shops. BTW, my guy friends all like it too!
Jessie L.
Place rating: 5 Minneapolis, MN
The food here is surprisingly good! The ingredients were fresh and of superior quality; the sandwich made from scratch. This place is indeed a hidden gem.
Evelyn H.
Place rating: 5 Northfield, MN
We treated our friends to high tea here. The food was great, the service was good and the owner waited on us personally. Great gluten-free breads and scone. It was a lovely afternoon.
Pearl H.
Place rating: 1 St Paul, MN
I was traveling in from lake city and saw that this seemed like a hidden gem. I should have known by the rude greetings by the young staff they seemed totally overwhelmed. The sandwich I came into town for I was told would take awhile because there were people before me. I was not in a hurry so I enjoyed the lovely iced tea. Oh and there were 8 in the restaurant. Thirty minutes later I was told they did not have the sauce and did not know how to make it! The chicken chili was salty and mostly beans! Not a pleasant experience at all!
Betsy H.
Place rating: 5 Hudson, WI
The sweetest, cutest little tea room I’ve ever been to. Okay it’s the only tea room I’ve ever been to but it was a very nice experience nonetheless. Tea was delicious, food was fresh and delicious. Woman working was a sweetheart– no complaints!
Kelley D.
Place rating: 5 Midway, St. Paul, MN
The best date place ever! Great tea, great sandwiches, wonderful desserts! If you find yourself in Redwing stopping in for high tea is a must!!!
Jenna H.
Place rating: 4 Seal Beach, CA
This is a great place for lunch or brunch in Red Wing. My most recent visit here was with my mother-in-law for a get together for her wedding. The scones are fantastic as well as the strawberry and spinach salad that I had for lunch. The Pottery Place Mall in itself has a great atmosphere, but the tea room definitely adds to the antique feel of the place. I will definitely be back here again!
Ed G.
Place rating: 5 Redwood City, CA
We were visiting from California and stopped to check out the Pottery Place here in Red Wing. Proprietors at one of the antique stores told us to try out the wrap place on the second floor. What a great find! Excellent chicken, spinach and pear wrap with a maple sauce on the side!(Maple sauce was incredible)! The wife had the chicken and asparagus hot sandwich that was fabulous as well. Don’t miss this place!
Jim S.
Place rating: 4 Minneapolis, MN
Pleasant little place for sandwiches and salads. I had a BLT that was great: thick, lightly toasted, fresh 7 grain bread with generous bacon. The mayo seemed homemade, too. The iced tea had a nice flavor too.
MollyKay S.
Place rating: 4 St Paul, MN
Lovely high tea– black tea blend is brewed in the kitchen, but we enjoyed Stash tea bags with hot water at the table. Four courses, very generous portions; ours were fruit with yogurt(canteloupe, strawberry, grape, and kiwi), then a light scone(made with egg, so it was extra fluffy!), then chicken salad on pumpkin bread and cucumber sandwiches, then dessert(freshly baked chocolate cake included). Excellent service from a very personable owner, happy to talk with us about fun things to do and places to visit in the area. Great portions, reasonable price for high tea. We’ll be back!
Michael C.
Place rating: 4 Laveen, AZ
Homemade soups, fresh made sandwiches using local bakery breads — the servings are generous, the décor is nice. Have had the Beef Barley and Chicken with Wild Rice soups. Beef Barley was amazing! Turkey sandwiches are tasty. Will continue to explore the menu — and anyone who lives in Red Wing should familiarize themselves with this new gem hidden on the second floor of the Pottery Place. Tourists finally get a win here!