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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Gold Coast, Near North SideClark/Division (Red)
Mon-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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My good friend and I were making a stop at Spice House, and she insisted I come here. Boy am I glad I did!
Smelled delicious, free samples were amazing, and the staff was really helpful! I know very little about teas (except I like them) and I'm still without caffination, so I had to get a little lesson from the very nice lady. I walked out of there a very happy girl and had one of the best cups of tea when I got home!
These people know their tea, and are happy to share their knowledge - not pretentious at all!
This is an upscale, modern tea shop with a nice range of tea-brewing instruments and an unusual and large selection of teas from around the world. I was impressed with the number of African, Vietnamese and Indonesian teas they offered, which is something of a rarity---most tea shops only offer a few tokens from these regions/countries.
The service is friendly and extremely helpful in selecting teas and even offering suggestions of where you might find a vegan baked good in the area (a Whole Foods is seven blocks away).
Three major gripes, though: 1. there are no vegan baked goods here; 2. there's no seating in the shop, so you can only get cups of tea to-go and; 3. because everything is to-go, you get served in paper cups with plastic lids. Fine tea is not meant to be had from cheap paper cups. I think Tea Gschwendner does its product a disservice by serving it in this manner.
However, it might be nice to get a cup and walk a few blocks to the beach, if you're looking for a simple activity in the area.
Great tea selection, knowledgeable staff, good location if you are in the heart of the city. I love the fact that the team is willing to educate people about the difference between tea dust and tea leaves. I also love that I can find hard-to-find tea (like good puer) here. Definitely worth checking out if you are a tea fan and in the city.
Cool tea joint. I don't know tea from pee, but they were helpful in picking out some options for a tea-lover's christmas present.
"What does she like?"
"Um, Grey something-or-other... Grey Earl?"
"Earl Grey?"
"Yes, that's it."
"Well let me show you our 37 varieties of Earl Grey."
*eyes glaze over*
I let her pick - the giftee loved them.
Look, I'm your average tea bum, but man, I went in here and became this sort of tea bum-crack addict hybrid.
I just wanted to stay in there - it was lovely. I'm used to going the grocery store, maybe starbucks route, but I decided to step my game up (and, by the way, I feel like a complete ass ordering at Starbucks - with their mocha-venti-frappa-choca-lacka mess. No self-respecting southsider can keep up with that yupspeak).
Anyway, I tried some samples and settled on Rooibush Strawberry Cream. The sales associate was very helpful, patient and knew her stuff.
And no venti-frappa-mocha crap anywhere in sight.
Uh, Starbucks who?
OK, you know from the address that if you drive here you're going to need an extra half-an-hour to park, but it bears repeating. If you've got someone else in the car, it's worth it to drop them and circle the block like some kind of tea vulture, but you miss the fun.
This is a clean and welcoming place and very friendly. The teas are good and nicely packaged and the people are nice. But, it's not cheap, those two dollar signs are just because there's a limit to how much you can charge for tea, but, three isn't out of the question.
If you have both the time and the money, this is a very nice place to spend both. If not.....
Aaaaaahhhh.....eeehhhh...TEAGSCHWENDNERBLEH!!!!
Gesundheit.
Really? I mean I know it's German but how the fuck am I supposed to say this name in my Midwestern ayckcent and not feel completely ri-goddamn-dickulous?
I take the bus past this place most days and someday I'll probably go in. My step-mom is one of those herbal tea fruits that caries around an extra supply of tea bags for when she goes to restaurants and they don't have any flavors that entice her. Ugh.
Actually I'm a little scared to go there. Tea snobs... if I chew gum or forget to swirl the cup to allow oxygen to unlock the haunting flavors I'm sure they're curl their lip at me.
Drink coffee and stop saying "we made love" when you really mean fucking.
I think I finally figured out how to spell it. It might take me a little longer to figure out my favorite brew.
Walking into this little shop, my attention was first drawn to the counter, where two employees stood and greeted me. Behind them was a wall of drawers, each drawer storing a different tea, like the columbarium at Pere Lachaise.
A tea novice like myself could easily be intimidated walking into a shop like this, buy some pre-bagged darjeeling off the shelf and meekly back out the door. The employees working here, however, are very receptive and extremely knowledgeable. Perhaps most importantly, they are not snobby. The employee who helped me was very gracious in answering my questions, pulling out several drawers from the columbarium and letting me smell them, describing differences and highlighting his own personal favorites.
Loose-leaf teas are available in 50, 100, 250, and 500 gram bags. You can also opt to purchase pre-bagged teas. Whether you are looking for a simple green or black tea, chai, rooibush, white tea, herbal, fruit - they've got it all, and in the most expansive selection I've ever seen. If you're not quite sure what you're looking for, the 50g bag is a great option.
Newcomers to the vast world of tea need not be intimidated, and connoisseurs should be very pleased.
Highly recommended.
I am all about tea. I was thrilled to find a store that celebrated people with an addiction like me. It can get really pricey, but it is worth it if you are an appreciator who deems it a worthy expense.
Their selection is incredibly broad, the staff is very knowledgeable, and its a nice touch that they give out samples so you can experiment with new sorts of teas, too.
I had almost too much choice, so I had the employee make suggestions for "interesting green teas" that turned out to be really great and exactly what I was looking for, without even realizing it..
I will be back!
The people who work here really know their tea!
I found this place purely by accident and am glad I did. There are more tea gadgets than I knew existed & certainly more teas than I ever knew existed. One wall behind the counter has a ton of drawers that kind of remind me of an old card catalog in a good way. They brewed a little tea for me to taste the difference between their earl grey blends (which was really nice) & gave me some samples to try out a few other new teas at home.
I will definitely come back now that I know they exist!
I think many of us could use a few affordable luxuries and Tea Gschwedner is the place to satisfy that yen. Tea Gschwendner teas are my daily answer to finding a little bit of the high life (and I don't mean the champagne of beers) into my daily routine without breaking the bank.
Ever since i stumbled upon this place this summer and took home a few bags of the good stuff, I look forward to my morning cup of tea with the veracity sometimes reserved for the most intense of addicts... And I make frequent pilgrimages to re-up my stock. Watch out meth, tea is sneaking up around the bend...
The teas are of the highest quality, many of them costing just pennies more per cup than other crummy tea dust-filled mesh baggies parading around as top-shelf tea. If you're afraid of loose-leaf teas, I have this advice: Stop sacrificing taste for convenience and get over it. Tea Gschwendner is the real deal, and I dare you to be disappointed.
Also, for the tea novice or the fearful... or even the seasoned pro: The staff here is totally friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. No tea-snobbery here... I have yet to see a raised pinky (or eyebrow) in the joint.
Also, make sure that if you stop in during the summer you try an ice tea. They use a miraculous little machine to brew the stuff that turns me into a little kid at the circus every time I see it.
Go. Go now. Cease your Starbucks addiction and fill yourself up with the good stuff.
This store is awesome.
I came in with a $40-$50 budget for a tea pot. I had my eye on one of their beautiful Japanese iron pots.
After discovering that my budget was less than half of the real cost of the things I really wanted, I couldn't help but feel pretty disappointed. However, the salespeople were more than eager to accomodate me, and were very helpful in finding me things around the store within my price range. I felt sort of embarassed that I could only buy the cheapest things in the store, but they responded like it didn't matter at all. (Of course, if they're smart salespeople, they should know that the cheaper items at specialty stores are like gateway drugs) The salesgirl spent a lot of time going through several items in the store with me, and we finally found a very simple, pretty tea pot with a cute wood burner. All in all, I was pretty happy with my purchase.
The salesperson put a couple of tea samples in with my purchase - one of them was a blend called VATA, which I completely and totally loved. It had a bunch of ingredients which were pretty common in Indian teas - coriander, black tea, etc, but it tasted completely different from anything which I've ever tasted. The only unfamiliar ingredient to me were mallow blossoms. For anyone who's ever gone to an Aveda salon, and tried their signature tea - it was a lot like that tea, except richer and deeper.
I figured it was expensive - I called to ask the price. It was $13 for a package - not bad, I thought. I spend about $10 for a pound of coffee. Then I found out that a package is less than a quarter pound. Crap. I'll buy it for a special treat one day.
I can honestly say you get what you pay for, though. My tea pot is beautiful and sturdy and that tea is definitely among the most unique and calming I've tasted. A really great bet if you want to treat yourself, or if you have plenty of extra money to spend.
YumYumYum. I love the tea here... it's beautiful to look at and even better to taste :) My favorite is the Blood Orange tea. It's really fragrant and bright orange, and the flavor is obv delicious!
The best part about the whole experience is the staff. They know everything about tea and they are willing to show you everything until you find what you're looking for. Love it.
I drink a lot of tea. No, really. I drink a LOT of tea. Multiple pots a day, year round. And I'm a total snob about it, I will freely admit this. I don't use tea bags -- ever. I think Teavana is a joke. I only go to Argo Tea under duress. In Chinatown I go to Ten Ren for a cup of lapsang souchong not Saint Alps or Joy Yee for a frozen tea slushy (not that there's anything wrong with those).
At Teagschwendner you will find no tapioca balls, no freshly sliced fruit, no agar agar cubes, no flavor syrups, no tea bags.
What you will find is the best tea in the world, guaranteed. They sell tea by the cup, both hot and cold, brewed fresh while you wait, made to order. Expect to pay $5 for a 20oz cup if you choose a premium leaf.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO SEATING. This is not a cafe, it is a tea shop. You browse, you buy, and you go. No hipsters with Apple laptops using the Wi-Fi and listening to their iPod. No sidewalk tables so you can make the scene between the bars on Division and the cruiser restaurants on Rush. Just people who love tea getting in, and getting out after a quick chat with the staff.
They also sell lots and lots and lots of really amazing tea and the equipment you need to make it and enjoy it at home.
If you don't know much (or anything) about real tea, their staff are all very knowledgeable and very helpful.
Be sure to get onto their "preferred customers" email list. They will inform you about upcoming semi-private tea tasting events which they have every few weeks. Sam, their tea sommelier, runs these as part educational class, part cupping, part sales pitch (very subtle), part social hour and they are fun, informative, and a great way to discover just how much tea you really love to drink.
Just beware, their Edmund's Collection (often featured in tastings) in the gold tins can get -very- expensive, and the prices are not posted as they are for the other larger bins. I have, from time to time, been more than a bit shocked at my total when making a purchase. Now, they've offered, every time, to take something off my purchase, so there's no harm if you find you're in over your head. Just know ahead of time that the highest price you can -see- is nowhere near the highest price there -is-.
That being said, also keep in mind that even really expensive tea is still cheaper than premium coffee. You don't use nearly as much to make a cup or a pot and so 100g of tea at $30 or more will long out last that $15/pound dark roast, even if you're a daily tea drinker (or an all day tea drinker like me).
Tea without sugar? I don't know, I'm southern, but I'll give it a try. Oh! Neat!
This is a wonderful treasure trove of teas. We now keep about 6 varieties at home, and the canisters have made great gifts for mothers. Staff is very informative and patient. Expect to wait for them to finish with folks who came in before you, knowing that they'll take as much time with you too.
As for the teas, every kind we've tried has been good, so I recommend going in and telling a staff person what you like (caramel? mint?) so they can let you smell a few leaves.
why are you in the heart of the beast? why??? i wish the tea gschwendner would open an outpost closer to my hood. or maybe that would be dangerous. like living above a bar. there are reasons we don't do these things! :)
when i do find myself dangerously close to the v-tri, i make a point of ducking into this adorable little shop to get my tea fix on. the staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and were more than happy to pull down bin after bin so i could see and smell the teas before making up my mind.
if you're like me and have a terrible time deciding (because they all smell divine!), never fear! that's where their mini bags come in handy. i ended up buying 4 smaller bags (they each hold enough tea to brew about 20 cups). i've been enjoying them ever since. i even turned my college-aged bro on to the simple pleasure of an afternoon tea :)
duck in. ask for recommendations. then head home and brew yourself a cup of instant relaxation. ahhhhhhh.
I love this place.
I was introduced to the wonders of drinking tea by my wonderful host family in Germany. Since then, I have suffered under the wrath of tea hating Americans, more interested in promoting the vileness that is Starbucks!
But along comes Teagshwendner to the rescue, just as I am running out of my smuggled supply of german tea! I have been dreaming of going to this place for two years now, and it was worth the wait. It took me so long, because I lived 6 hours away and hate to order tea on line (which you can do). I walked in two weeks ago and found a new haven. I bought a fruit tea and rooibos. I was given a free sample of a black tea (oriental moon) that I am in love with. No, seriously, I am extremely picky when it comes to black tea, and this tea won my heart. I crave it now...
As far as price is concerned, the tea is high quality, and therefore requires less to make an excellent cup. The people are great, and really take time to listen to what you like. This is how we found my dream tea.
Thanks everyone, will be back soon!
Love it. Have a green tea that taste like pumpkin pie and it is my fav.
The manager of this store is beyond knowledgeable about all teas, but is a pleasure to chat with! She was patient and let us sniff around a bit before committing to full cups! Its a great little place that beats the socks off Argo! $3.50 for a large cup of "regular" tea and $5 for the "high end" - its perfect for trying new kinds of tea without having to make the commitment to buy a whole bag!
LOVES IT!
This is a phenomenal tea place! The entire staff are very knowledgeable about all of the teas and make wonderful reccomendations.
The only sad part is they closed the restaurant/cafe style location over at Halstead and Webster.
But the tea is still amazing!
Ahhhh.... After dining last night, I yearned for a hot beverage. No hot chocolate (Gasp! I know. Crazy.) I needed a beverage that I could savor without that full feeling I get with cocoa. Something different. Look no further than Tea Gschwendner. I had a tea that was creamy (w/o a lick of dairy!) and sweet (w/o a speck of sugar!). Needless to say, I was content. I also bought a bag of banana walnut tea which I am drinking right now. Oh, yummers... Highly recommended.
Anyone who knows me, knows I love tea. Even though I should stop buying more, I always seem to run into charming shops like these and buying a new variety. I can't help it!!
This is an impressive selection of herbal, green and black teas. Their samples come in paper bags, which I'm not crazy about. But it did give me a general sense of thier variety.
The store is short staffed. There was one person working behind the counter and the store was quite packed.
I
It's very easy to walk in, and be "sticker" shocked if your not familiar with tea.
Most americans, including myself growing up... thought tea was tea. My mother knew the benefits of tea... however, tea meant LIPTONS INSTANT TEA (similiar to kool-aid and country time lemonade) POWDER. Back then, I thought this was GOOD STUFF.
It's funny how 20 years later I gag!
Anyways, back to Tea Gschweinersnitzel......
The guys in here are EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE... not so sure if they deservce PhDs.... however... they make it up flirting with the old ladies that walk in here. Charming, as in English charm... i guess.
The tea selection IS over whelming and just like I ask a waiter for his suggestions (when at a nice restaurant with over 100+ bottles of wine, I know when I need HELP! The young guy asked me a bunch of questions, and then let me smell a few samples. They will even brew you a small sample if you request.
This place can get pricey... but don't let price be the #1 factor of judging if something is good or not.
Tea is Tea. The price goes up, especially if it is a "rarer" tea. Does not mean its BETTER. My favorite teas are usually in the lower to mid range price... meaning I spend $20/week on tea. Hey, thats like 3 starbucks latte's!
Slick retail shop (first in the USA) offering a mind-boggling array of bulk and pre-packed loose and bagged teas. If they've got it, you can try it; they're happy to brew samples or cups of anything if you've got the patience. I've liked their blends with ginger, which actually taste spicy instead of sweet, as English blends do. The extensive explanatory labels and catalogue are backed up by super-attentive staff.
Downsides I've noticed: especially for unblended, estate-grown teas from Asia, you'll get better quality leaves and lower prices at Ten Ren (for example); and many of their flavored blends have traces of artificial colors or flavors, which can come off too strong or leave odd-colored residue in your cup. On the other hand, they carry a wide range of organic teas, as well.
I can't drink coffee cause it gives me migraines so, I drink tea.
I am not a tea connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination so I love how knowledgeable and friendly the staff are here. They are always offering free tea to try when you are in the store. I especially love how they give you a free tea to try when you make a purchase.
If you are sick of Lipton's and want to try something new, stop by and you'll get a lesson in what tea can really be!
I am a bit of a tea fiend, and my husband is a huge tea fiend/snob. We originally visited this store because (ready for this?) my brother-in-law's wife's best friend works there. Yes indeed. I was immediately drawn to a display of Ayurvedic teas in the corner, and then to their fairly broad selection of herbal teas. Then it was the greens. The store is generous with sample sizes, so don't be afraid to ask!
TG (which I call "Tea Ga-shmoygen' in my head) has a couple of local locations, but is mostly a German company. They have a broad range of teas- even my husband found himself swooning over a couple of the high end greens. I got one of my favorite herbal teas of all time here- "Sweet Tooth", and a so-so Green Coconut. The Decaf Cream Caramel was silly, sweet, and fun.
One of my favorite things about this store is their Tuesday evening tea tastings. We've been to 2 so far. The first one was a sample of nine of their premium teas. For $10/person it was a great deal. And I'm someone who can drink nine cups of tea in a row. Sam, the "tea sommelier", is a sweetheart, though he occasionally looks like he was up all night the night before partying.
I'll be back. They do herbal teas well, and have a broad range in the other categories. I only wish they had space to sit and relax.
I came here this summer during a walking tour. If you are looking for any type of tea with any type of flavor, most likely this place has got it! They also have many types of tea accessories. The people that work here are very knowledgeable. If you dont know what type of tea you are looking for or where a particular tea leaf comes from, they have a small booklet they give for free so you can educate yourself! They gave us free ice tea drinks and the tea was really fresh and not bitter. They didnt add any sweetener either, it was naturally sweet! Awesome!
I stumbled into this shop and was delighted that I did. Uber friendly staff and very knowledgable. There is fresh brewed tea to sample and you can also take away a small sample of most of the teas if you are interested in brewing a sample cup at home. I was glad to find roasted mate and bought a bag of it. They have a comprehensive complimentary tea catalog and they even gave me a complimentary tea spoon with my purchase as well.
This chicago-based company is a must for all tea lovers. They have a vast selection of fresh loose teas from around the world and i have really enjoyed all that i have tasted so far. they also have a nice variety of teapots, teacups and other tea accessories. The staff is super friendly and offer samples of tea while you are browsing and will give you a small packet of tea of any you want to try at home. They also keep a large thermos outside for passersby to sample too.
The arabian night tea is my favorite so far and will surely be a staple at my house from here on out.
Great place to buy tea or tea sets, pots, etc. for home, or a cup for the road.
Nothing in the way of lounge chairs, coffee drinks any of that stuff- this place is 100% dedicated to tea- so be prepared. This location specifically is not a place to hang out and nibble and drink tea like at a cafe- for that you should definitely visit the TeaGschwendner up at Halsted/Armitage- which is awesome.
Overall, this TeaGschwendner location has a very nice selection of teas to choose from in a sleek, modern German shop. As others have said, the staff is super helpful, but don't miss grabbing one of their free tea catalogs to take home either- it's loaded with info and will be helpful when you return. If you want to try this place out as a destination, I'd hit the Armitage shop instead, but if you're in this area and want a great cup of tea- you're in luck!
Very lovely store layout. Nice and airy.
They carry all the essentials. Brewing supplies, most noticeably a wide selection of glass pots, loose leaf tea, rock sugar and storage options.
Many of their teas are sold pre-packaged in white paper bags. This isn't a good way to store tea. While I'm sure the products in store are fresh, they won't stay that way once you take them home unless you move them to an airtight container. The staff never mentioned this to me, not that I didn't know it anyway, but still... It would be nice standard procedure for people not in the known with tea culture. Stale tea is gross, after all.
The staff is alright. With the more upscale location and layout comes a sort of casual apathy from the sales associates. They're great in most regards, but not terribly kind or personable. Nor do they go out of their way to make sure you get the most from your purchase.
Bit on the pricey side... But tea is pretty popular now, you'll be paying a mark up wherever you shop.
The best tea-only shop in Chicago. So many types of tea, so little time...they have your plain teas, and your flavored teas. The flavors are imbued in the tea, so, it's not added with sugar. I recommend it to all my friends. It's waaaay better than argo. They don't have a bistro anymore, so, you have to get your tea to go. It is still worth it.
Tea Gschwendner has an incredible selection of unique teas, along with long time favorites. I love tea and have tried many, many different kinds so far, but there is always something new to discover here. Luckily they also sell their tea on-line, since I live in California.
Reason why I gave only 4 stars: There are some teas that are just simply "perfumed", like the Pink Grapefruit Green Tea. Also, I didn't like the fact that they don't give out the Tealamass very willingly and usually only on request. Come on, how much does that really cost you?
I can vouch for the quality of the tea at this store. I think I'm lucky that I'm able to get it at all! A pot of tea is usually brewing in my apartment, and it's virtually always going to be a TeaG experience to behold.
I love this place. The selection is fantastic and the staff is extremely well educated on tea. The, "Jungle Fire" African Rooibos and Chocolate Rooibus teas are fantastic. The staff is incredibly professional and they will let you smell any tea in the store. They aren't shy about giving out free samples of other teas and they even gave me a free teaspoon today. Great place.
Impressive selection, and beautifully laid out with good service, but I've had their samples and they really failed to convince me that their stuff is significantly superior to what I can buy on Wentworth, Devon or Argyle. Certainly not superior enough to justify a 500-1000% markup over those places.
I love this shop: great selection, nifty interior design, lots of tea paraphernalia, and leave it to the Germans to give clear, exact instructions on how to brew the best tea. What I need to know is how much tea with how much water, and they tell you that for each specific kind of tea, as well as how long to brew it and what is best to add (sugar, honey, whatever).
Since discovering this place I rarely purchase teas from any other place -- with the exception of ordering specialty teas that you can't really buy in most stores (like pressed Pu-erh bricks).
Anyways, they'll give you free samples of anything in the store in order to help you make your decisions. The staff is friendly and they don't rush you in the least.
People complain that the prices are very high, but in reality it really is dependent on how seriously you take tea. Their top of the line Edmond's collection sells in the $30 range for 100 grams. Compare that to some rare aged Pu-erh teas that sell for $350 for 10 grams (yes, just 10 grams) and Tea Gschwendner all of a sudden isn't so overly priced. I guess people in the US are finally starting to realize that teas can be as differing, complex, and finely created as many wines.
They are making quality tea accessible for decent prices, all in a friendly storefront -- which is much easier than trying to get direct orders from small distributors in the US or other parts of the world. Definitely stop by this place when you get a chance.
I love this place! Their tea selection in outstanding. I was a little overwhelmed the first time I entered the store, but the staff is very knowledgeable and is available to help you select the right tea for your tastes. I'm converted and cannot go back to buying tea packets at Jewel ever again.
Much like the stamp collection I never had, I wish I would have fostered a deeper fondness for tea. Sad it is, that my palate has been so bombarded with all matter of spicy food that I can barely distinguish a chamomile from an Earl Grey. Or perhaps it is the hillbilly in me that prefers to drink sweet tea out of an Arizona Tea tall-boy. I am happy with Lipton, but I applaud places like this, that offer such a finery, and I welcome alternative to Starbucks. Also a great store for browsing, since most of us really know jack about tea.
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Category: Coffee & Tea
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