Tea Smith Review

Before entering the Tea Smith, I decided to research the Tea Smith online to browse the menu before going into the store. While a menu was not available online (only loose–leaf teas were available for online orders), I stumbled upon what the mission of the store was. Their website claims that one of their primary goals is to “provide an enhanced enjoyment of life through tea.” The inspiration of opening the tea shop was “planted in Japan…in observation of the tea ceremony Cha Noyu.” 

The Tea Smith is a small tea shop sandwiched in a shopping strip located on 345 North 78th street in Omaha. Upon entering, one will be greeted with the scent of loose–leaf teas which the store collected from gardens across the world that are displayed behind the counter in jars.  

The front counter has digital and printed menus, the staff at the tea shop was extremely nice and was more than willing to help a newcomer like my friend and I with our selection. The employees were knowledgeable on each type of tea and gave The Tea Smith a more authentic feel compared to other tea shops I have been to in Omaha.  

I asked the very friendly “tea crafter” which teas were most popular since it was my first time in the store and decided to order a red bean milk tea with the highly praised boba while my friend got the strawberry milk tea with boba. Our selections were based on our “tasting profile” that was given to us by the tea crafter. Our drinks were $5.25 each for 24 ounces, which is similar in price to a more mainstream coffee and tea company like Starbucks or Scooters. 

Another mentionable part of the tea store is the beautiful array of tea ware displayed across the store including teapots, sets and tea infuser cups. All are decorated in various designs such as black cranes, butterflies and flowers. My favorite pieces were mugs that had the look and feel as if they were carved. However, the placing of these pieces was not ideal. Although the store has a very cozy feel, because of spacing, the aisles are very narrow, making me extremely cautious of all the tea ware available. 

After carefully maneuvering through the aisles of the tea shop, we sat down and indulged in our teas. My drink, the red bean milk tea with boba, was extremely good and very reminiscent of a red bean mochi ice cream. The milk tea was true to the flavor of red bean and was sugary in a way that wasn’t overpowering. However, my friend’s strawberry milk tea tasted somewhat watered down, but I did enjoy the chewy texture and sweet flavor of the strawberry Boba.  

Overall, The Tea Smith has a charming feel as the atmosphere is very welcoming. With a tea section of over 150 flavors, I would recommend the tea shop to any tea lover in town.